Alpha modulation of spiking activity across multiple brain regions in mice performing a tactile selective detection task

A number of cognitive and sensory processes are characterized by strong relationships between the timing of neuronal spiking activity and the phase of ongoing local field potential oscillations. The coupling of neuronal spiking activity in neocortex to the phase of alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) has been well studied in monkeys but remains largely unexplored in other mammals. How these relationships differ between brain areas and cell types, and how they relate to somatosensory signal detection and decision making, are not well understood. We used high density microelectrode arrays to chronically record neural activity from somatosensory cortex, prefrontal cortex, striatum, and amygdala in mice performing a head-fixed whisker-based selective detection task. We observed strong spontaneous alpha phase modulation of single neuron spiking activity as mice performed the task. The prevalence and strength of alpha phase modulation differed significantly across regions and between cell types. Phase-modulated neurons exhibited greater changes in spiking activity during task execution than their unmodulated counterparts. Furthermore, alpha modulation of neuronal spiking during baseline activity correlated with task performance. In particular, many neurons selectively exhibited strong alpha modulation of spiking activity prior to correct trials, but not prior to incorrect trials. These data suggest that dysregulation of spiking activity with respect to the ongoing alpha oscillation may characterize lapses in task engagement or attention.