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

Many cognitive and sensory processes are characterized by strong
relationships between the timing of neuronal spiking and the phase of
ongoing local field potential oscillations. The coupling of neuronal
spiking in the neocortex to the phase of alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) has
been well studied in nonhuman primates but remains largely unexplored in
other mammals. How this alpha modulation of spiking differs between brain
areas and cell types, as well as its role in sensory processing and
decision making, is not well understood. We used Neuropixels 1.0 probes to
chronically record neural activity from the somatosensory cortex,
prefrontal cortex, striatum, and amygdala in mice performing a
whisker-based selective detection task. We observed strong spontaneous
alpha modulation of single-neuron spiking activity during inter-trial
intervals while mice performed the task. The prevalence and strength of
alpha phase modulation differed significantly across regions and between
cell types. Phase modulated neurons exhibited stronger responses to both
go and no-go stimuli, as well as stronger motor- and reward-related
changes in firing rate, than their unmodulated counterparts. The increased
responsiveness of phase-modulated neurons suggests they are innervated by
more diverse populations. Alpha modulation of neuronal spiking during
baseline activity also correlated with task performance. In particular,
many neurons exhibited strong alpha modulation before correct trials, but
not before incorrect trials. These data suggest that dysregulation of
spiking activity with respect to alpha oscillations may characterize
lapses in attention.