Global firing rate contrast enhancement in E/I neuronal networks by recurrent synchronized inhibition

Inhibitory synchronization is commonly observed and may play some important functional roles in excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) neuronal networks. The firing rate contrast enhancement is a general feature of information processing in sensory pathways, and a new mechanism of contrast enhancement by inhibitory synchronization in E/I neuronal networks is investigated in this paper. Inspired by the firing rate contrast enhancement phenomenon by the lateral feed-forward inhibition, we reveal that the firing rate contrast enhancement could also occur by recurrent inhibition in E/I networks. It is further found that the synchronized inhibitory neurons act as a global inhibition which can enhance the firing rate contrast of excitatory neurons globally in synchronized E/I networks, even in partially synchronous states. Therefore, the firing rate contrast enhancement might be an important function of inhibitory synchronization and might facilitate information transmission in neural systems. Published by AIP Publishing.

抑制性同步现象普遍存在，并且可能在兴奋性/抑制性（E/I）神经元网络中发挥一些重要的功能作用。放电频率对比度增强是感觉通路中信息处理的一个普遍特征，本文研究了E/I神经元网络中通过抑制性同步实现对比度增强的一种新机制。受侧向前馈抑制所产生的放电频率对比度增强现象的启发，我们揭示在E/I网络中，通过循环抑制也可能出现放电频率对比度增强。进一步发现，同步化的抑制性神经元起到一种全局抑制的作用，它能够在同步化的E/I网络中，甚至在部分同步状态下，全局地增强兴奋性神经元的放电频率对比度。因此，放电频率对比度增强可能是抑制性同步的一个重要功能，并且可能促进神经系统中的信息传递。由美国物理联合会出版社出版。