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Cited by 4,225Neural dynamics and brain functionNeuroscience and Neural EngineeringEEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces

The origin of extracellular fields and currents — EEG, ECoG, LFP and spikes

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Buzsáki, György, Anastassiou, Costas A., Koch, Christof·2012·Nature Reviews Neuroscience
DOI 10.1038/nrn3241PMC PMC4907333
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Abstract

Neuronal activity in the brain gives rise to transmembrane currents that can be measured in the extracellular medium. Although the major contributor of the extracellular signal is the synaptic transmembrane current, other sources--including Na(+) and Ca(2+) spikes, ionic fluxes through voltage- and ligand-gated channels, and intrinsic membrane oscillations--can substantially shape the extracellular field. High-density recordings of field activity in animals and subdural grid recordings in humans, combined with recently developed data processing tools and computational modelling, can provide insight into the cooperative behaviour of neurons, their average synaptic input and their spiking output, and can increase our understanding of how these processes contribute to the extracellular signal.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nrn3241

Cites

161 of 161 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • ECoG electrodes are generally placed on the cerebral cortex surface and can collect signals without penetrating tissue, with a larger recording area and relatively less brain damage.

    “In contrast, ECoG electrodes are generally placed on the surface of the cerebral cortex and can collect signals without penetrating the tissue, with a larger recording area with relatively less damage to the brain.[270]”

    From Flexible Electronics and Devices as Human–Machine Interfaces for Medical Robotics (2022) · cites this paper as [270]

    The passage labeled Abstract describes ECoG as recording with subdural grid electrodes on the cortical surface, in contrast to electrodes placed in the brain for LFP recordings. This supports surface recording without penetrating brain tissue, but our copy does not establish a larger recording area or relatively less brain damage. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Subcutaneous invasive electrophysiological signals can be obtained through brain interfaces, ECoG on the cortical surface, and LFPs from electrodes inserted into the cortex.

    “Subcutaneous invasive electrophysiological signals can be derived through brain interfaces,[270–272] using electrocorticography (ECoG)[273,274] on the cortical surface as well as local field potentials (LFP)[275,276] extracted from electrodes inserted into the cortex.”

    From Flexible Electronics and Devices as Human–Machine Interfaces for Medical Robotics (2022) · cites this paper as [270]

  • The EEG signal mainly reflects synchronised postsynaptic activity generated by large populations of cortical pyramidal neurons.

    “The signal recorded by EEG mainly reflects synchronised postsynaptic activity generated by large populations of cortical pyramidal neurons [17].”

    From Electrophysiological Correlates of Cognitive Dysfunction in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A Systematic and Mechanistic Review of EEG, ERP, and QEEG Evidence (2026) · cites this paper as [17]

  • The intracellular membrane potential oscillations of pyramidal cells to a large extent generate and underlie the extracellular LFP signal during theta oscillations.

    “As expected, the numerically dominant pyramidal cells, whose intracellular membrane potential oscillations to a large extent generate and underlie the extracellular LFP signal during theta oscillations (Buzsáki et al., 2012), preferentially discharged around the trough 0o/360o of the LFP analog theta rhythm (Figure 5A).”

    From Interneuronal mechanisms of hippocampal theta oscillations in a full-scale model of the rodent CA1 circuit (2016) · cites this paper as Buzsáki et al., 2012

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Cites

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1 of the 162 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [22]Buzsáki G Traub RD Pedley TA Ebersole JS Pedley TA Current Practice of Clinical Encephalography 2003 Lippincott-Williams and Wilkins 1 11
  2. [37]Stuart G Spruston N Hausser M Dendrites 2008 Oxford Univ. Press
  3. [58]Steriade M Buzsáki G Steriade M Biesold D Cholinergic System 1989 Oxford Univ. Press 3 64
  4. [64]He BJ Snyder AZ Zempel JM Smyth MD Raichle ME Electrophysiological correlates of the brain’s intrinsic large-scale functional architecture Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 2008 105 16039 16044 18843113 PMC2564983

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Authors
Buzsáki, G., Anastassiou, C. A., & Koch, C.
Affiliations
  • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
  • California Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
Buzsáki, György
ORCID
Venue
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2012-05-18
Volume
13
Issue
6
Pages
407-420
ISSN
  • 1471-003X (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-0048
DOI
10.1038/nrn3241
PMC
PMC4907333
OpenAlex
W1973275441
Cited by
4,225
References
162
Citations by year
2026: 299 · 2025: 395 · 2024: 340 · 2023: 413 · 2022: 406 · 2021: 354 · 2020: 343 · 2019: 308 · 2018: 291 · 2017: 273 · 2016: 249 · 2015: 205 · 2014: 193 · 2013: 124 · 2012: 29
FWCI
13.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Nature reviews. Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (131470)
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Universität Konstanz
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH054671, MH54671)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS074015, R01NS034994, R01NS074015, NS-34994)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
Keywords
EEG, electrocorticography, local field potentials, neuronal spikes, membrane currents, synaptic currents, action potential, voltage-gated ion channels, ligand-gated ion channels, membrane potential oscillations, high-density recording, neuronal synchronization
MeSH terms
Animals, Electroencephalography, Evoked Potentials, Extracellular Space, Humans, Neural Conduction, Neuroglia, Neurons, Synapses, Magnetoencephalography, Calcium Signaling, Electrical Synapses, Voltage-Sensitive Dye Imaging, Ligand-Gated Ion Channels

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