Large-scale realistic modeling of the cerebellar circuit: focus on the granular layer

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Large-scale realistic modeling of the cerebellar circuit: focus on the granular layer Sergio Solinas1, 2*, Thierry Nieus3 and Egidio D‘Angelo1, 2 1 University of Pavia and CNISM, Dept. of Physiology, Italy 2 Instituto Neurologico IRCCS fondazione C. Mondino, Brain Connectivity Center, Italy 3 Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Neuroscience and Brain Technology, Italy Recent experimental results have shown that the granular layer performs a complex spatio-temporal transformation of mossy fiber input patterns to be relayed to the molecular layer (Mapelli et al., Front. Cell. Neurosci. submitted). This contrasts with the simple relay role suggested by the Marr, Albus and Ito theories and supported by a variety of computational models based on simplified neuronal components. Here we present a new granular layer model, which incorporates a much higher level of realism than previously possible. This allowed determining to which extent specific temporal dynamics in the single cell models and the geometry of connections are critical to determine the circuit output. The model included 4000 granule cells, 27 Golgi cells and all the synapses in between constructed according to channel and neurotransmitter release kinetics. The model reconstructed the local connectivity of cerebellar glomeruli and was continuously bombarded by low-frequency random mossy fiber activity. By stimulating a small mossy fiber bundle, the response to a burst consisted in new granule cell bursts delimited in time (time windowing effect) and space (center-surround effect) by network inhibition. This burst-burst transmission showed a marked frequency-dependence configuring a high-pass filter with cut-off frequency around 100 Hz. Moreover, with a higher mossy fiber background activity, the circuit generated widespread coherent oscillations in the theta-frequency band. The kinetics of all these processes was tuned by NMDA and GABA-A receptors and by neurotransmitter vesicle cycling in the cerebellar glomerulus. In conclusion, available knowledge on cellular mechanism was sufficient to explain the coexistence of spatially organized lines with selective transmission properties (spatio-temporal filter hypothesis) with coherent theta-frequency oscillations of the whole granular layer, opening new questions on how the cerebellum transforms and employs the incoming mossy fiber inputs (Solinas et al., Front. Cell. Neurosci. 2010). Keywords: Cerebellum Conference: The Cerebellum: from neurons to higher control and cognition, Pavia, Italy, 8 Jul - 9 Jul, 2010. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: The Cerebellum: from neurons to higher control and cognition Citation: Solinas S, Nieus T and D‘Angelo E (2010). Large-scale realistic modeling of the cerebellar circuit: focus on the granular layer. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: The Cerebellum: from neurons to higher control and cognition. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.83.00008 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 17 Aug 2010; Published Online: 29 Aug 2010. * Correspondence: Mr. Sergio Solinas, University of Pavia and CNISM, Dept. of Physiology, Pavia, I-27100, Italy, sergio.solinas@unipv.it Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Sergio Solinas Thierry Nieus Egidio D‘Angelo Google Sergio Solinas Thierry Nieus Egidio D‘Angelo Google Scholar Sergio Solinas Thierry Nieus Egidio D‘Angelo PubMed Sergio Solinas Thierry Nieus Egidio D‘Angelo Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.