Abstract
Spontaneous and sensory evoked spindle bursts represent a functional hallmark of the developing cerebral cortex in vitro and in vivo. They have been observed in various neocortical areas of numerous species, including newborn rodents and preterm human infants. Spindle bursts are generated in complex neocortical-subcortical circuits involving in many cases the participation of motor brain regions. Together with early gamma oscillations, spindle bursts synchronize the activity of a local neuronal network organized in a cortical column. Disturbances in spindle burst activity during corticogenesis may contribute to disorders in cortical architecture and in the activity-dependent control of programmed cell death. In this review we discuss (i) the functional properties of spindle bursts, (ii) the mechanisms underlying their generation, (iii) the synchronous patterns and cortical networks associated with spindle bursts, and (iv) the physiological and pathophysiological role of spindle bursts during early cortical development.
Highlights
Network-driven spindle-like oscillations are a functional hallmark of the developing cerebral cortex
The present review focuses on spindle burst activity in the cerebral cortex of the developing rat during the first postnatal
These data indicate that spontaneous spindle bursts represent a physiological trigger for the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays an important role in several aspects of development
Summary
Network-driven spindle-like oscillations are a functional hallmark of the developing cerebral cortex. In preterm infants born between gestational weeks 28 and 32, Milh et al [9] and Colonnese et al [10] recorded EEG signals containing spontaneous and stimulus-evoked delta brushes with oscillatory activity in the frequency range of 8 to 25 Hz, suggesting that spontaneous delta brushes may represent a physiological neocortical activity pattern of the human fetus in utero. In the cerebral cortex of rodents, spindle bursts (beside short gamma oscillations) constitute the majority of spontaneous activity during the first postnatal week (Figure 1). These spindle bursts resemble in their appearance spindles recorded in the adult brain during sleep. Week and summarizes our current understanding (i) on the functional properties of spindle bursts, (ii) the mechanisms underlying their generation, (iii) the synchronous patterns and cerebral networks associated with spindle bursts, and (iv) the physiological and pathophysiological role of spindle bursts during early cortical development
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