Mechanisms of cortical electrical activity and emergence of gamma rhythm

A continuum model of the electrical activity of the cerebral cortex is described which predicts the occurrence of a resonance in the gamma range near 40 Hz. The emergence of this resonance is due to two refinements to a previous model, namely the inclusion of a modulation of synaptic strength due to finite reversal potentials, and use of parameters that better match physiological measurements. Analytical expressions for the fixed points of the system and for its linear dynamics are found in terms of average neuronal properties, and together explain the occurrence and modulation of the gamma-like resonance. The analytical results are confirmed by a numerical simulation. (C) 2000 Academic Press.