Work

Spatially heterogeneous inhibition projects sequential activity onto unique neural subspaces

Year: 2025

Type: preprint

Abstract: Neural activity in the brain traces sequential trajectories on low dimensional subspaces. For flexible behavior, these neural subspaces must be manipulated and reoriented within short timescales of tens of milliseconds. Using mathematical analysis and simulation of a recurrently connected neural circuit for sequence generation, we report that incorporating a subtype of interneurons that provides spatially heterogeneous inhibition enables the projection of sequential activity onto task- or context-specific neural subspaces. Depending on the sparsity of inhibitory projections, neural subspaces could be arbitrarily rotated, without altering the key aspects of sequence generation. Thus, we propose a circuit motif by which inhibitory interneurons can enable flexible switching between neural subspaces on a fast timescale of milliseconds, controlled by top down signals.

Source: eLife

DOI: 10.7554/elife.108375

Authors: Andrew B Lehr, Arvind Kumar, Christian Tetzlaff

Institutions: Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, University of Göttingen, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Neural dynamics and brain function

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,500

Funders: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada