Large and Small Physiological Recordings in Behavioural Context

SYMPOSIUM

Date: Friday, August 27
Time: 10:00-15:40
Location: Einstein
Chairs: Gernot Riedel and Bettina Platt (University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom)

Coordinated rhythmic activity of neural populations gives rise to oscillatory local field potentials and large scale electroencephalograms at a broad range of frequencies. Synchronous rhythms are likely to reflect relevant information and frequency shifts may underlie experience- or behaviour-dependent functional interactions between neuronal assemblies. While the most common mode of synchronisation may be established through the local cohesive discharge of neighbouring cells or neurones with direct synaptic contacts, global synchronisation may also take place to establish widespread assemblies of disparate neural populations. To detect and analyse such global and local electrophysiological traits is one of the current challenges in basic and translational neuroscience.

This aim is made even more difficult when attempting to correlate electrophysiological data with stage- or task-related behaviour or even cognitive processes. It requires cohesive and linked recordings of  physiological, spatial and behavioural responses synchronised and time-stamped in real time. Once aligned in the spatio-temporal domain, analysis needs to implement novel sorting strategies for correlational analysis applying linear and/or nonlinear algorithms.

In this symposium, we seek to review some methodical progress focussing on large scale (global EEG) as compared to small scale (single unit) recordings in clearly defined behavioural paradigms in rodents. Speakers are selected because they utilise different technical products for physiological measurements (using cable, transmitter or microchip) and video-observation software of differing specification. We seek to generate intense discussion highlighting both the advantages but also the limits of each system and intend to foster a more intense interaction between manufacturer and scientist for product enhancement.

Program