The neuron mixer and its impact on human brain dynamics
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
A signal mixer facilitates rich computation, which has been the building block of modern telecommunication. This frequency mixing produces new signals at the sum and difference frequencies of input signals, enabling powerful operations such as heterodyning and multiplexing. Here, we report that a neuron is a signal mixer. We found through ex vivo and in vivo whole-cell measurements that neurons mix exogenous (controlled) and endogenous (spontaneous) subthreshold membrane potential oscillations, producing new oscillation frequencies, and that neural mixing originates in voltage-gated ion channels. Furthermore, we demonstrate that mixing is evident in human brain activity and is associated with cognitive functions. We found that the human electroencephalogram displays distinct clusters of local and inter-region mixing and that conversion of the salient posterior alpha-beta oscillations into gamma-band oscillations regulates visual attention. Signal mixing may enable individual neurons to sculpt the spectrum of neural circuit oscillations and utilize them for computational operations.
Date Issued
2024-06-25
Date Acceptance
2024-04-09
Citation
Cell Reports, 2024, 43 (6)
ISSN
2211-1247
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Cell Reports
Volume
43
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124724006028
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
114274
Date Publish Online
2024-05-25