Are synchronous neurons in the cortex unique?

Kazuhiro Sakamoto, Naohiro Saito, Hajime Mushiake

Abstract: The objective of the present study was to determine whether distinct types of synchronously firing neurons in the cortex can be distinguished by their firing pattern in extracellular single-unit recordings. We examined the relationship between gross firing patterns and synchrony of neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) of behaving monkeys. We found no significant difference in regularity/irregularity or bursting firing patterns between synchronous and non-synchronous neurons. This finding suggests that the opportunity for synchronization is available to all cortical neurons so as to enable flexible integration of information in the brain.