Cortical Networks
Cortical Networks - Related Videos
16:33
Functional Calcium Imaging in Developing Cortical Networks
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Cited by 32 •
2011
Spontaneous activity of developing neuronal networks can be measured using AM-ester forms of calcium-sensitive indicator dyes. Changes in intracellular calcium, indicating neuronal activation, are detected as transient changes in indicator fluorescence with one- or two-photon imaging. This protocol can be adapted for a range of developmentally-dependent neuronal networks in vitro.
09:45
In vivo Imaging of Deep Cortical Layers using a Microprism
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Cited by 11 •
2009
Right-angle microprisms inserted into the mouse neocortex allows for deep imaging of multiple cortical layers with a viewpoint typically found in slice. One-millimeter microprisms offer a wide field-of-view (~900 μm) and spatial resolutions sufficient to resolve dendritic spines. We demonstrate layer V neuronal imaging and neocortical vascular imaging using microprisms.
09:55
Neuroimaging-Guided TMS–EEG for Real-Time Cortical Network Mapping
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Cited by 4 •
2025
A novel protocol for personalized transcranial magnetic stimulation in combination with electroencephalography (TMS–EEG) mapping of cortical networks, informed by multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data modalities.
02:26
Protein Networks
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2020
An organism can have thousands of different proteins, and these proteins must cooperate to ensure the health of an organism. Proteins bind to other proteins and form complexes to carry out their functions. Many proteins interact with multiple other proteins creating a complex network of protein interactions. These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
10:13
Quantification of Filamentous Actin (F-actin) Puncta in Rat Cortical Neurons
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Cited by 8 •
2016
Filamentous actin (F-actin) plays an important role in spinogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and synaptic stability. Quantification of F-actin puncta is therefore a useful tool to study the integrity of synaptic structures. This protocol describes the procedures of quantifying F-actin puncta labeled with Phalloidin in low-density primary cortical neuronal cultures.
FAQs
Recurrent connections allow activity to circulate among neurons and cortical regions rather than moving only in one direction. This feedback can integrate signals over time, helping networks maintain or refine patterns of activity. When combined with synchronized firing, recurrent communication supports the formation of coherent representations from distributed neural signals.
Excitatory and inhibitory synapses provide complementary influences within cortical networks. Their patterned communication regulates how signals propagate across interconnected neurons and regions, while their timing helps coordinate activity over space and time. Examining both types of synaptic influence is therefore important for understanding how networks transform inputs into organized patterns related to perception and cognition.
Synchronized activity links neural events occurring across connected parts of the cortex. This coordination can help combine signals that arrive at different locations or times, supporting integrated representations rather than isolated responses. Studying synchronization therefore helps explain how distributed cortical activity contributes to functions such as sensory interpretation, memory, decision-making, and motor control.
Researchers examine cortical networks with electrophysiology, neuroimaging, computational modeling, and perturbation experiments. Electrophysiology and neuroimaging measure neural activity or large-scale patterns, while computational models test how connectivity and timing could generate those patterns. Perturbation experiments further examine causal contributions by altering network activity and observing resulting changes in processing or behavior.
Network studies connect patterns of cortical activity with the way sensory inputs are represented and transformed. By examining distributed circuits and their communication, researchers can investigate how information becomes coherent, how activity supports memory, and how coordinated processing contributes to decisions or motor commands. These applications emphasize interactions among regions rather than the activity of one area alone.
Changes in connectivity or coordinated activity can disrupt the distributed processing that supports perception, cognition, learning, and behavior. Network analysis provides ways to characterize these alterations through neural recordings, imaging, models, or perturbations. Comparing typical and altered network organization can therefore help clarify how circuit-level changes relate to neurological and psychiatric disorders.