Scientific Reports (May 2017)

Thalamic Bursts Down-regulate Cortical Theta and Nociceptive Behavior

  • Brian W. LeBlanc,
  • Brent Cross,
  • Kelsey A. Smith,
  • Catherine Roach,
  • Jimmy Xia,
  • Yu-Chieh Chao,
  • Joshua Levitt,
  • Suguru Koyama,
  • Christopher I. Moore,
  • Carl Y. Saab

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-02753-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract We tested the relation between pain behavior, theta (4–8 Hz) oscillations in somatosensory cortex and burst firing in thalamic neurons in vivo. Optically-induced thalamic bursts attenuated cortical theta and mechanical allodynia. It is proposed that thalamic bursts are an adaptive response to pain that de-synchronizes cortical theta and decreases sensory salience.