Cited by 403Neural dynamics and brain functionSleep and Wakefulness ResearchNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Effects and Mechanisms of Wakefulness on Local Cortical Networks

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Abstract

Mammalian brains generate internal activity independent of environmental stimuli. Internally generated states may bring about distinct cortical processing modes. To investigate how brain state impacts cortical circuitry, we recorded intracellularly from the same neurons, under anesthesia and subsequent wakefulness, in rat barrel cortex. In every cell examined throughout layers 2-6, wakefulness produced a temporal pattern of synaptic inputs differing markedly from those under anesthesia. Recurring periods of synaptic quiescence, prominent under anesthesia, were abolished by wakefulness, which produced instead a persistently depolarized state. This switch in dynamics was unaffected by elimination of afferent synaptic input from thalamus, suggesting that arousal alters cortical dynamics by neuromodulators acting directly on cortex. Indeed, blockade of noradrenergic, but not cholinergic, pathways induced synaptic quiescence during wakefulness. We conclude that global brain states can switch local recurrent networks into different regimes via direct neuromodulation.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.02.040

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    From Sleep Drives Metabolite Clearance from the Adult Brain (2013) · cites this paper as [27]

  • Norepinephrine triggers rapid changes in neural activity, which in turn can modulate the volume of the interstitial space.

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    From Sleep Drives Metabolite Clearance from the Adult Brain (2013) · cites this paper as [27]

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Constantinople, C. M., & Bruno, R. M.
Affiliations
Columbia University (US)
Corresponding author
Bruno, Randy M.
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-03
Volume
69
Issue
6
Pages
1061-1068
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1984202832
Cited by
403
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 26
FWCI
14.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Rita Allen Foundation
  • Allen Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS069679)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
wakefulness, brain states, cortical networks, recurrent neural networks, arousal, cholinergic pathways, barrel cortex, intracellular recording, anesthesia, thalamocortical input, cortical depolarization
MeSH terms
Acetylcholine, Animals, Arousal, Cerebral Cortex, Female, Nerve Net, Neural Pathways, Neurons, Norepinephrine, Thalamus, Vibrissae, Wakefulness, Rats, Wistar, Patch-Clamp Techniques, Rats

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