Neurophysiological signatures of temporal coordination between retrosplenial cortex and the hippocampal formation

Behav Neurosci. 2018 Oct;132(5):453-468. doi: 10.1037/bne0000254. Epub 2018 Aug 2.

Abstract

Retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is heavily interconnected with a multitude of cortical regions and is directly connected with the hippocampal formation. As such, it is a likely coordinator of information transfer between the hippocampus (HPC) and cortex in the service of spatial cognition and episodic memory. The current work examined three potential temporal frameworks for retrosplenial-hippocampal communication, namely, theta frequency oscillations (6-12 Hz), sharp-wave/ripple events, and repeating, theta phase-locked shifts from low (30-65 Hz) to high (120-160 Hz) gamma frequency oscillations. From simultaneous recordings of single units and local field potentials (LFPs) in RSC and HPC, we report the presence of prominent theta, low-gamma, and high-gamma oscillations in the retrosplenial LFP. Retrosplenial and hippocampal theta rhythms were strongly coherent and subgroups of retrosplenial neurons exhibited either spiking at theta frequencies and/or spike-phase-locking to theta. Retrosplenial neurons were also phase-locked to local low- and high-gamma rhythms, and power in these frequency bands was coupled in a sequential fashion to specific phases of hippocampal and retrosplenial theta rhythms. Coordinated activity between the two regions also occurred during hippocampal sharp-wave/ripple events, where retrosplenial neuron populations were modulated in their spiking and retrosplenial LFPs exhibited sharp-wave-like events that co-occurred with those observed in HPC. These results identify several temporal windows of synchronization between RSC and HPC that may mediate cortico-hippocampal processes related to learning, memory, and spatial representation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials
  • Animals
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology*
  • Cortical Synchronization / physiology
  • Electrodes, Implanted
  • Gamma Rhythm / physiology
  • Hippocampus / physiology*
  • Male
  • Neural Pathways / physiology
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Rats, Long-Evans
  • Theta Rhythm / physiology
  • Time Factors