Nonoscillatory Phase Coding and Synchronization in the Bat Hippocampal Formation
Open accessAbstract
Hippocampal theta oscillations were proposed to be important for multiple functions, including memory and temporal coding of position. However, previous findings from bats have questioned these proposals by reporting absence of theta rhythmicity in bat hippocampal formation. Does this mean that temporal coding is unique to rodent hippocampus and does not generalize to other species? Here, we report that, surprisingly, bat hippocampal neurons do exhibit temporal coding similar to rodents, albeit without any continuous oscillations at the 1-20 Hz range. Bat neurons exhibited very strong locking to the non-rhythmic fluctuations of the field potential, such that neurons were synchronized together despite the absence of oscillations. Further, some neurons exhibited "phase precession" and phase coding of the bat's position-with spike phases shifting earlier as the animal moved through the place field. This demonstrates an unexpected type of neural coding in the mammalian brain-nonoscillatory phase coding-and highlights the importance of synchrony and temporal coding for hippocampal function across species.
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Unlike during locomotion, theta oscillations during immobility occurred in short bouts, resembling oscillatory dynamics described in the human and bat hippocampus.
“Unlike during locomotion, where theta oscillations are a prominent and steady rhythm, theta oscillations during immobility occurred in short bouts (Fig. 2a and Supplementary Fig. 4), thus resembling the oscillatory dynamics described in other species (e.g., in the human98 and bat hippocampus99).”
From Place and behavioral modulation of hippocampal neurons during immobility (2026) · cites this paper as [99]
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Place and behavioral modulation of hippocampal neurons during immobility
Sartorato, N., Zouridis, I. S., Narantsatsralt, U.-U., Blanco-Hernández, E., & Burgalossi, A. (2026) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-026-75492-w · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Eliav, T., Geva-Sagiv, M., Yartsev, M. M., Finkelstein, A., Rubin, A., Las, L., & Ulanovsky, N.
- Affiliations
- Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Ulanovsky, Nachum
- Venue
- Cell
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-11
- Volume
- 175
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1119-1130.e15
- ISSN
- 0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2896052853
- Cited by
- 106
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 5.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Cell (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- European Research Council (ERC-StG-NEUROBAT, ERC-CoG-NATURAL_BAT_NAV)
- Human Frontiers Science Program (RGP0062/2009-C)
- Israel Science Foundation (ISF 1017/08, ISF 1319/13)
- Minerva Foundation (André Deloro Prize for Scientific Research)
- Adelis Foundation
- Clore
- Lev-Zion
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Keywords
- hippocampal theta oscillations, phase precession, neuronal synchronization, temporal coding, spatial coding, place fields, field potentials, hippocampal formation, cross-species comparison
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Chiroptera, Cortical Synchronization, Biological Evolution, Hippocampus, Interneurons, Male, Theta Rhythm, Rats
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