Synchronization between neuronal populations is hypothesized to play a crucial role in the communication between brain networks. The binding of features, or the association of computations occurring in spatially segregated areas, is supposed to take place when a stable synchronization between cortical areas occurs. While a direct cortico-cortical connection typically fails to support this mechanism, the participation of a third area, a relay element, mediating in the communication was proposed to overcome this limitation. Among the different structures that could play the role of coordination during the binding process, the thalamus is the best-placed region to carry out this task. In this paper we study how information flows in a canonical motif that mimics a cortico-thalamo-cortical circuit composed by three mutually coupled neuronal populations (also called the V-motif). Through extensive numerical simulations, we found that the amount of information transferred between the oscillating neuronal populations is determined by the delay in their connections and the mismatch in their oscillation frequencies (detuning). While the transmission from a cortical population is mostly restricted to positive detuning, transmission from the relay (thalamic) population to the cortical populations is robust for a broad range of detuning values, including negative values, while permitting feedback communication from the cortex at high frequencies, thus supporting robust bottom-up and top-down interaction. In this case, a strong feedback transmission between the cortex to thalamus supports the possibility of robust bottom-up and top-down interactions in this motif. Interestingly, adding a cortico-cortical bidirectional connection to the V-motif (C-motif) expands the dynamics of the system with distinct operation modes. While overall transmission efficiency is decreased, new communication channels establish cortico-thalamo-cortical association loops. Switching between operation modes depends on the synaptic strength of the cortico-cortical connections. Our results support a role of the transthalamic V-motif in the binding of spatially segregated cortical computations, and suggest an important regulatory role of the direct cortico-cortical connection.

中文翻译：

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存在中继群的延迟耦合神经元回路中的信息传输

假设神经元群之间的同步在大脑网络之间的通信中起着至关重要的作用。当皮层区域之间发生稳定的同步时，应该发生特征的结合，或发生在空间隔离区域中的计算的关联。虽然直接的皮质-皮质连接通常无法支持这种机制，但提出了第三个区域的参与，即中继元素，在通信中进行调解以克服这一限制。在结合过程中可以发挥协调作用的不同结构中，丘脑是执行这项任务的最佳区域。在本文中，我们研究了信息如何在模拟由三个相互耦合的神经元群（也称为 V 基序）组成的皮质-丘脑-皮质回路的规范基序中流动。通过广泛的数值模拟，我们发现振荡神经元群之间传递的信息量取决于它们的连接延迟和振荡频率的不匹配（失谐）。虽然从皮层群体的传输主要限于正失谐，但从中继（丘脑）群体到皮层群体的传输对于广泛的失谐值（包括负值）是稳健的，同时允许来自皮层的高频反馈通信，从而支持强大的自下而上和自上而下的交互。在这种情况下，皮层到丘脑之间的强烈反馈传输支持了该主题中强大的自下而上和自上而下交互的可能性。有趣的是，将皮质-皮质双向连接添加到 V-motif (C-motif) 以不同的操作模式扩展了系统的动态。虽然整体传输效率降低，但新的通信渠道会建立皮质-丘脑-皮质关联回路。操作模式之间的切换取决于皮质-皮质连接的突触强度。我们的结果支持跨丘脑 V 基序在空间隔离皮质计算的结合中的作用，并表明直接皮质 - 皮质连接的重要调节作用。