Stimulus-dependent spatial patterns of response in SI cortex

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  • Chiu, Joannellyn S
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC/NCSU Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • Tommerdahl, Mark Allen
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC/NCSU Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • Whitsel, Barry
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology
  • Favorov, Oleg
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, UNC/NCSU Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
Abstract
  • Abstract Background Recently we reported that vibrotactile flutter stimulation of a skin locus at different amplitudes evokes an optical response confined to the same local region of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI), where its overall magnitude varies proportionally to the flutter amplitude. In this report, we characterize the impact of the flutter amplitude on the spatial patterns of activity evoked within the responding SI region. Results In order to characterize the spatial pattern of activity within the responding SI region, images of the flutter-evoked SI optical response were segmented and analyzed with spatial frequency analysis. The analysis revealed that: (1) dominant spatial frequencies in the optical intrinsic signal emerge within the responding SI region within 3–5 sec of stimulus onset; (2) the stimulus-evoked activity is spatially organized in a form of several roughly parallel, anterior-posteriorly extended waves, spaced 0.4–0.5 mm apart; (3) the waves themselves exhibit spatial periodicities along their long axis; and (4) depending on the flutter stimulus amplitude, these periodicities can range from fine 0.15 mm "ripples" at 50 μm amplitude to well-developed 0.5 mm fluctuations at the amplitude of 400 μm. Conclusion The observed spatiointensive fractionation on a sub-macrocolumnar scale of the SI response to skin stimulation might be the product of local competitive interactions within the stimulus-activated SI region and may be a feature that could yield novel insights into the functional interactions that take place in SI cortex.
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  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Rights holder
  • Joannellyn S Chiu et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
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Journal title
  • BMC Neuroscience
Journal volume
  • 6
Journal issue
  • 1
Page start
  • 47
Language
  • English
Is the article or chapter peer-reviewed?
  • Yes
ISSN
  • 1471-2202
Bibliographic citation
  • BMC Neuroscience. 2005 Jul 19;6(1):47
Publisher
  • BioMed Central Ltd
Access right
  • Open Access
Date uploaded
  • September 5, 2012

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