Sparse Incomplete Representations: A Potential Role of Olfactory Granule Cells

Koulakov, A. A., Rinberg, D. (October 2011) Sparse Incomplete Representations: A Potential Role of Olfactory Granule Cells. Neuron, 72 (1). pp. 124-136. ISSN 0896-6273

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21982374
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.07.031

Abstract

Summary Mitral/tufted cells of the olfactory bulb receive odorant information from receptor neurons and transmit this information to the cortex. Studies in awake behaving animals have found that sustained responses of mitral cells to odorants are rare, suggesting sparse combinatorial representation of the odorants. Careful alignment of mitral cell firing with the phase of the respiration cycle revealed brief transient activity in the larger population of mitral cells, which respond to odorants during a small fraction of the respiration cycle. Responses of these cells are therefore temporally sparse. Here, we propose a mathematical model for the olfactory bulb network that can reproduce both combinatorially and temporally sparse mitral cell codes. We argue that sparse codes emerge as a result of the balance between mitral cells' excitatory inputs and inhibition provided by the granule cells. Our model suggests functional significance for the dendrodendritic synapses mediating interactions between mitral and granule cells.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: BULB INHIBITION ODOR ORGANIZATION NETWORKS SYSTEM COMPUTATION MODULATION GLOMERULI NEURONS
Subjects: organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > olfactory bulb
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Koulakov lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: 6 October 2011
Date Deposited: 07 Feb 2013 14:32
Last Modified: 07 Feb 2013 14:32
PMCID: PMC3202217
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/27145

Actions (login required)

Administrator's edit/view item Administrator's edit/view item
CSHL HomeAbout CSHLResearchEducationNews & FeaturesCampus & Public EventsCareersGiving