Work

Non‑monotonic reorganization of cortical neuron firing despite ongoing delta‑dominated activity

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Delta - dominated activity is a hallmark of anesthesia and non‑REM sleep, yet how neuronal firing evolves across these rhythms remains unclear. Here, by tracking cortical neuron firing in the ketamine‑xylazine model, we find that across continuing delta - dominated activity, population firing rates progress through successive epochs of excitation, suppression, and re - emergence. Concurrently, fine‑scale spike timing and burst dynamics exhibit non - monotonic modulation, revealing continuous reorganization beneath the ongoing delta-dominated oscillation. At the transition to theta - dominated activity, a restructuring of temporal patterning without a significant shift in the firing - rate distribution suggests that temporal structure, rather than firing rate, defines this transition. These population - level dynamics were firing - rate - dependent: high‑firing - rate neurons were more tightly modulated, whereas low‑firing-rate neurons exhibited more heterogeneous changes. Neither ketamine nor xylazine alone recapitulates these dynamics, suggesting their combined action creates a uniquely dynamic architecture. These findings reveal a continuous, firing - rate - dependent reorganization of single-neuron activity during ongoing delta-dominated states.

Source: Communications Biology

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-11154-3

Authors: Dengyun Ge, Shanlin Qin, Zixuan Huang, Lichao Chen, Yi Liu

Institutions: Shenzhen University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology

Language: English

Topic: Neural dynamics and brain function

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,190

OpenAlex ID: W7221440413