A spiking LIF model captures the role of Somatostatin and Parvalbumin neurons in generating oscillations in V1

Abstract

PurposeOscillations in the primary visual cortex of the mammalian brain have been demonstrated to arise from the balance between excitatory and inhibitory activity. Experimental studies suggest that different inhibitory neuron populations might make specific contributions to such oscillations, but the underlying mechanism has not yet been assessed. MethodsWe modified a standard excitatory-inhibitory spiking neuron model of layer 4 of the primary visual cortex and we investigated the effects on oscillations of the differentiation of inhibitory neurons in somatostatin and parvalbumin neurons. ResultsOur model reproduced the hypothesis that somatostatin and parvalbumin neurons are responsible for beta (15-25)Hz and gamma (40-70)Hz band oscillations, respectively. ConclusionTo date, this is the simplest model accounting for this phenomenon and could therefore be suited to study pathologies in which the two populations have specific roles, such as migraine.