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Science 16 June 2006:
Vol. 312. no. 5780, p. 1569
DOI: 10.1126/science.312.5780.1569g
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This Week in Science
Although cortical neurons respond reliably to thalamic inputs, the proportion of thalamic synapses on cortical neurons is quite small. Previous studies suggested that thalamocortical responses are reliable because the synapses transmit more efficiently than others. Bruno and Sakmann (p. 1622; see the Perspective by Alonso) developed a technique for studying individual synaptic connections in the intact brain that allowed paired recordings to be made in living animals. In the intact animal, the reliability and amplitude of synaptic transmission were as low as had been estimated previously for intracortical connections. However, the strong synchrony of thalamic neurons maintained substantial activation of cortical neurons without any need for further intrinsic cortical amplification.
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)
