dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaModel of Low-pass Filtering of Local Field Potentials in Brain Tissue
| Authors | C. Bédard, H. Kröger, A. Destexhe |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0510171 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0510171 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevE.73.051911 |
| Journal | Phys. Rev. E73 (2006) 051911 |
Abstract
Local field potentials (LFPs) are routinely measured experimentally in brain tissue, and exhibit strong low-pass frequency filtering properties, with high frequencies (such as action potentials) being visible only at very short distances ($\approx$10~$\mu m$) from the recording electrode. Understanding this filtering is crucial to relate LFP signals with neuronal activity, but not much is known about the exact mechanisms underlying this low-pass filtering. In this paper, we investigate a possible biophysical mechanism for the low-pass filtering properties of LFPs. We investigate the propagation of electric fields and its frequency dependence close to the current source, i.e. at length scales in the order of average interneuronal distance. We take into account the presence of a high density of cellular membranes around current sources, such as glial cells. By considering them as passive cells, we show that under the influence of the electric source field, they respond by polarisation, i.e., creation of an induced field. Because of the finite velocity of ionic charge movement, this polarization will not be instantaneous. Consequently, the induced electric field will be frequency-dependent, and much reduced for high frequencies. Our model establishes that with respect to frequency attenuation properties, this situation is analogous to an equivalent RC-circuit, or better a system of coupled RC-circuits. We present a number of numerical simulations of induced electric field for biologically realistic values of parameters, and show this frequency filtering effect as well as the attenuation of extracellular potentials with distance. We suggest that induced electric fields in passive cells surrounding neurons is the physical origin of frequency filtering properties of LFPs.
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"abstract": "Local field potentials (LFPs) are routinely measured experimentally in brain\ntissue, and exhibit strong low-pass frequency filtering properties, with high\nfrequencies (such as action potentials) being visible only at very short\ndistances ($\\approx$10~$\\mu m$) from the recording electrode. Understanding\nthis filtering is crucial to relate LFP signals with neuronal activity, but not\nmuch is known about the exact mechanisms underlying this low-pass filtering. In\nthis paper, we investigate a possible biophysical mechanism for the low-pass\nfiltering properties of LFPs. We investigate the propagation of electric fields\nand its frequency dependence close to the current source, i.e. at length scales\nin the order of average interneuronal distance. We take into account the\npresence of a high density of cellular membranes around current sources, such\nas glial cells. By considering them as passive cells, we show that under the\ninfluence of the electric source field, they respond by polarisation, i.e.,\ncreation of an induced field. Because of the finite velocity of ionic charge\nmovement, this polarization will not be instantaneous. Consequently, the\ninduced electric field will be frequency-dependent, and much reduced for high\nfrequencies. Our model establishes that with respect to frequency attenuation\nproperties, this situation is analogous to an equivalent RC-circuit, or better\na system of coupled RC-circuits. We present a number of numerical simulations\nof induced electric field for biologically realistic values of parameters, and\nshow this frequency filtering effect as well as the attenuation of\nextracellular potentials with distance. We suggest that induced electric fields\nin passive cells surrounding neurons is the physical origin of frequency\nfiltering properties of LFPs.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0510171",
"authors": [
"C. B\u00e9dard",
"H. Kr\u00f6ger",
"A. Destexhe"
],
"categories": [
"physics.bio-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevE.73.051911",
"journal_ref": "Phys. Rev. E73 (2006) 051911",
"title": "Model of Low-pass Filtering of Local Field Potentials in Brain Tissue",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0510171"
},
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