CoDEC · Decoding the development of physiologic and epileptic cognitive neural networks

Decoding the development of physiologic and epileptic cognitive neural networks

Cognitive dysfunction is a hallmark of many neuropsychiatric diseases, with potentially devastating effects on functional outcomes and quality of life in affected patients. The neural networks underlying cognitive processes are characterized by bidirectional communication between numerous brain regions, allowing integration and advanced processing of multimodal sensory information. Our main objective is to gain insight into the operations of these cognitive neuronal networks by examining intra- and inter-cortical communication across development. Effective communication between brain regions requires the creation of discrete temporal windows for dynamic routing of neural signals. Oscillatory activity is an efficient means of creating epochs of synchrony within and between neural networks, providing a means to boost or suppress information transfer. This precisely coordinated interplay of inter-cortical oscillations is not an inborn property of the brain’s neural networks. Maturation of the cortical networks in a developing organism is highly activity-dependent, with synchronized neural activity playing a crucial role in the establishment of stable structural and functional connections. The emergence and refinement of cognitive functions in humans is associated with the appearance of oscillations in specific frequency bands and enhanced long-range synchronization of this oscillatory activity. Preterm babies between the 24th and 37th gestational weeks exhibit a fast frequency alpha-beta spindle-like (8–25 Hz) rhythmic activity superimposed on 0.3–1.5 Hz slow delta waves called delta brush. This pattern is involved in inaugurating synchrony within and between cortical areas, and abnormalities in its occurrence are associated with improper cortical maturation. Mice are a useful model for studying the development of brain activity, since a substantial portion of cortical development that occurs prior to birth in humans occurs after birth in mice. However, to date, in vivo study of rodent electrophysiology has been severely challenged due to the size and fragility of the mouse pup’s brain. Our second objective was the technological development and use of a novel electrocorticography (ECoG) array called NeuroGrid, which allows us an unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution in our recordings, while acquiring neural data simultaneously from multiple functionally diverse cortical regions. The technological advantages of NeuroGrid and the outstanding options when combining it with other techniques positions us perfectly to initiate a novel characterization of rodent neurophysiology, with important potential applications for human health.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union