gms | German Medical Science

63rd Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)
Joint Meeting with the Japanese Neurosurgical Society (JNS)

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

13 - 16 June 2012, Leipzig

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Early thalamocortical phase synchronization entrains gamma oscillations during human long-term memory retrieval

Meeting Abstract

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  • T. Staudigl - Klinik für Neurologie und Stereotaktische Neurochirurgie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg; Abteilung für Psychologie, Universität Konstanz
  • T. Zähle - Klinik für Neurologie und Stereotaktische Neurochirurgie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
  • J. Voges - Klinik für Neurologie und Stereotaktische Neurochirurgie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
  • C. Esslinger - Klinik für Neurologie und Stereotaktische Neurochirurgie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
  • F. Schmitt - Klinik für Neurologie und Stereotaktische Neurochirurgie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
  • H. Hinrichs - Klinik für Neurologie und Stereotaktische Neurochirurgie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
  • H.J. Heinze - Klinik für Neurologie und Stereotaktische Neurochirurgie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
  • S. Hanslmayr - Abteilung für Psychologie, Universität Konstanz
  • A.R. Richardson-Klavehn - Klinik für Neurologie und Stereotaktische Neurochirurgie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Japanische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 63. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (JNS). Leipzig, 13.-16.06.2012. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2012. DocP 047

doi: 10.3205/12dgnc434, urn:nbn:de:0183-12dgnc4347

Published: June 4, 2012

© 2012 Staudigl et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

Text

Objective: The thalamus is believed to be a key node in human memory networks, however, very little is known about its real-time functional role. Here we examined the real-time dynamics of thalamocortical communication during human long-term episodic memory retrieval.

Methods: We recorded intrathalamic and surface EEG during a recognition memory test from an epileptic patient implanted with depth electrodes for brain stimulation therapy.

Results: Early (300–500 ms) stimulus-linked oscillatory synchrony between dorsomedial thalamic and frontal surface electrodes at beta frequency (20 Hz) was enhanced for remembered old compared to new recognition test items. Measures of directionality (Granger causality) and cross-frequency coupling indicated that the thalamus was the sender, and the neocortex the receiver, of this beta signal, which also modulated the power of neocortical gamma (55–80 Hz) oscillations.

Conclusions: Together with anatomical data on thalamic connectivity with frontal neocortex, these results suggest that the thalamus sends an early memory signal to frontal regions, triggering further memory search processes. Characterizing the functional role of the thalamus in memory may be of importance for understanding possible cognitive effects of deep brain stimulation therapy at thalamic sites.