Could electrical coupling contribute to the formation of cell assemblies?

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Could electrical coupling contribute to the formation of cell assemblies?
Creators Name:	Traub, R.D., Whittington, M.A., Maier, N., Schmitz, D. and Nagy, J.I.
Abstract:	Cell assemblies and central pattern generators (CPGs) are related types of neuronal networks: both consist of interacting groups of neurons whose collective activities lead to defined functional outputs. In the case of a cell assembly, the functional output may be interpreted as a representation of something in the world, external or internal; for a CPG, the output 'drives' an observable (i.e. motor) behavior. Electrical coupling, via gap junctions, is critical for the development of CPGs, as well as for their actual operation in the adult animal. Electrical coupling is also known to be important in the development of hippocampal and neocortical principal cell networks. We here argue that electrical coupling - in addition to chemical synapses - may therefore contribute to the formation of at least some cell assemblies in adult animals.
Keywords:	Axonal Properties, Cell Assembly, Central Pattern Generator, Gap Junction, Animals, Hippocampus
Source:	Reviews in the Neurosciences
ISSN:	0334-1763
Publisher:	de Gruyter
Volume:	31
Number:	2
Page Range:	121-141
Date:	February 2020
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2019-0059
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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