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Spindle Oscillations: Models

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Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience

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Definition

Sleep spindles appear during the early phases of sleep in all mammals. These 7–14 Hz oscillations are generated by the thalamus, but their triggering and large-scale synchrony depends on the cerebral cortex and thalamocortical interactions. Computational models have been designed to study how these oscillations are generated, what type of intrinsic currents and synaptic receptors is implicated, and how their synchrony is organized in the thalamocortical system.

Detailed Description

Introduction

The mammalian brain generates various types of slow oscillations during slow-wave sleep, such as spindle waves, delta oscillations, and slower oscillations (Steriade 2003). Spindle oscillations, which are mostly visible in the early stages of sleep (stage II in humans), are the best studied sleep oscillation because it is present in all mammals during sleep or anesthesia. Spindles are generated by thalamic circuits under physiological conditions, in contrast to delta and slow...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UNIC, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Prof. Alain Destexhe

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  1. Prof. Alain Destexhe
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Correspondence to Alain Destexhe .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Dieter Jaeger

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA

    Ranu Jung

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Destexhe, A. (2014). Spindle Oscillations: Models. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_21-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_21-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7320-6

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