Disconnection of intracortical synaptic linkages disrupts synchronization of a slow oscillation.

The intracortical synaptic linkages underlying the synchronization of a recently described slow (< 1 Hz) oscillation (Steriade et al., 1993b,c) were investigated in anesthetized cats by means of multisite extra- and intracellular recordings, including dual impalements, from rostral and caudal sites in the association cortical suprasylvian and marginal gyri, before and after reversible lidocaine inactivation or transections in the middle suprasylvian gyrus. Stimulus-evoked responses revealed that the rostral and caudal suprasylvian foci are reciprocally connected, with a preference for posterior-to-anterior responses. Lidocaine infusion between the stimulating and recording sites disrupted the intracortical synaptic linkage, while leaving unaffected the responses at the sites close to the stimulating electrodes. The high coherence between slowly oscillating field potentials and intracellular activities recorded from anterior and posterior suprasylvian foci was lost after reversible inactivation or transections in the middle suprasylvian gyrus, whereas the synchrony between adjacent foci within the anterior or posterior areas was preserved. Two to four hours after inactivation or transection the synchrony between all channels was totally or partially recovered. We introduced the synchrony coefficient (SyCo) and calculated the SyCo for closely located and distant sites. Lidocaine infusion or transection did not affect the SyCo between leads placed on the same site, but significantly (60%) decreased the SyCo between channels separated by the functionally inactivated or transected sector. Our results demonstrate that pathways within or beneath the suprasylvian gyrus sustain the synchronization of the slow oscillation between cortical sites. As the loss of long-range coherence was not permanent, intergyral paths and/or corticothalamocortical loops may exert compensatory functions after the disconnection of intrasuprasylvian synaptic linkages.