Long-range connections synchronize rather than spread intrathalamic oscillatory activity: Computational modeling and in vitro electrophysiology

Abstract We developed thalamic network models based on known heterogeneity of thalamic reticular cell axonal arborizations, with short- and long-range projection patterns. To study how long-range connections influence thalamic oscillations, we compared a model containing only short-range connections with another containing both short- and long-range connections. In both networks, 3 Hz oscillations propagated at physiologically realistic speeds. However, the network without long-range connections produced phase differences that were much larger than those that we measured in vitro. This suggests that long-range projections do not increase the speed at which intrathalamic oscillations propagate. Instead, they may synchronize activity across thalamic subnetworks.