Neural coding: timing is key in the olfactory system.

摘要

Exposure to odours generates specific spatiotemporal patterns of activation in olfactory bulb neurons (OBNs). Here, the authors acquired extracellular recordings from piriform cortex neurons (PCNs), which are downstream of OBNs, while optogenetically stimulating the OBNs of channelrhodopsin 2-expressing mice. By varying the order of and time between (the lag) the presentation of two spots of light that stimulated different parts of the olfactory bulb, they assessed the sensitivity of PCNs to changes in temporal coding.