Neural assemblies coordinated by cortical waves are associated with waking and hallucinatory brain states.
Cell reports April 23, 2024 Adeeti Aggarwal, Jennifer Luo, Helen Chung et al. 17 citations
Traveling cortical waves in the 3-6 Hz range coordinate neuronal activity across visual and parietal cortex only in brain states where perception is possible. In awake mice, visual stimuli reset spontaneous waves, producing stimulus-evoked feedback waves that entrain neurons. Under anesthesia, visual stimuli fail to disrupt spontaneous waves. During ketamine-induced dissociation, spontaneous waves themselves traverse the cortex caudally and entrain neurons, mimicking the stimulus-evoked pattern seen in wakefulness. Thus, coordinated neuronal assemblies orchestrated by traveling waves emerge in states that allow perception, but only the awake state reliably links this coordination to external visual input.