What thalamic sub-region is responsible for organizing temporally coherent spiking activity among thalamic neurons? LGN?
What brain region provides the source of depolarization to thalamic neurons that triggers a series of spindles or slow-waves within non-REM sleep?
Cortical EEG is a powerful tool used to define sleep/wake states, yet the primary driver of the changes in cortical EEG across sleep/wake states is the changes in properties of neurons in the thalamus. Discuss the changes in membrane potential of thalamic neurons that accompany the waking state, non-REM stage 2 sleep, and non-REM stage 3/4 sleep. Name two determinants of the change in membrane potential. Discuss the action potential firing patterns associated with depolarization of thalamic neurons from these different resting membrane potentials. (answer about ½ a page)
