A perspective on cortical layering and layer-spanning neuronal elements

Larkum, M. E., Petro, L. S. , Sachdev, R. N.S. and Muckli, L. (2018) A perspective on cortical layering and layer-spanning neuronal elements. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 12, 56. (doi: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00056) (PMID:30065634) (PMCID:PMC6056619)

Abstract

This review article addresses the function of the layers of the cerebral cortex. We develop the perspective that cortical layering needs to be understood in terms of its functional anatomy, i.e., the terminations of synaptic inputs on distinct cellular compartments and their effect on cortical activity. The cortex is a hierarchical structure in which feed forward and feedback pathways have a layer-specific termination pattern. We take the view that the influence of synaptic inputs arriving at different cortical layers can only be understood in terms of their complex interaction with cellular biophysics and the subsequent computation that occurs at the cellular level. We use high-resolution fMRI, which can resolve activity across layers, as a case study for implementing this approach by describing how cognitive events arising from the laminar distribution of inputs can be interpreted by taking into account the properties of neurons that span different layers. This perspective is based on recent advances in measuring subcellular activity in distinct feed-forward and feedback axons and in dendrites as they span across layers.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and Euratom research and training program 20142018 (under grant agreement No. 670118 to ML). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under the Specific Grant Agreement No. 720270 and 785907 (Human Brain Project SGA1 and SGA2). Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Grant No. LA 3442/3-1 and Grant No. LA 3442/5-1 to ML); and European Research Council (ERC StG 2012_311751-“Brain reading of contextual feedback and predictions” to LM).
• Keywords: Apical dendrite, calcium spikes, feedback, feedforward networks, layer fMRI, top-down processing, ultra-highfield fMRI
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Petro, Dr Lucy and Muckli, Professor Lars
• Authors: Larkum, M. E., Petro, L. S., Sachdev, R. N.S., and Muckli, L.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
• Journal Name: Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
• Publisher: Frontiers
• ISSN: 1662-5129
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy 12:56
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License