Microcircuitry in the entorhinal cortex [Elektronische Ressource] / by Prateep Sanker Beed

Microcircuitry in the Entorhinal Cortex DISSERTATION To obtain the academic degree Doctor rerum naturalium (Dr. rer. nat.) submitted to the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy of Free University, Berlin by Prateep Sanker Beed from Calcutta, India January, 2010 2 This experimental work of this thesis was completed under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Dietmar Schmitz in the time period October 2006 – September 2009 at the Neuroscience Research Centre, Charité, Berlin, Germany. st1 Reviewer : Prof. Dr. Dietmar Schmitz nd2 : Prof. Dr. Stephan Sigrist thDate of Defence : 28 April, 2010 3 4 CONTENTS Abreviatons 9 Abstract 11 1 Neuronal Microcircuits 15 1.1 Hierarchical organization 1.2 Establishment of microcircuits over development 16 1.3 Features of a microcircuit 17 1.3a Defining a mi 1.3b Structural stereotypy 18 1.3c Functional heterogeneity 1.4 The entorhinal cortex 19 1.4a Medial and lateral subdivisions 20 1.4b Layered structure 21 1.4c Extrinsic and intrinsic connectivity 22 2 Functional Microcircuitry of the Medial Entorhinal Cortex 27 2.1 Key functions of the medial entorhinal cortex 28 2.1a Spatial navigation 28 2.1b Excitability and synchrony 30 2.