AUTHOR=Nakashima Ai , Takeuchi Haruki 

TITLE=Shaping the olfactory map: cell type-specific activity patterns guide circuit formation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neural Circuits

VOLUME=18

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neural-circuits/articles/10.3389/fncir.2024.1409680

DOI=10.3389/fncir.2024.1409680

ISSN=1662-5110

ABSTRACT=<p>The brain constructs spatially organized sensory maps to represent sensory information. The formation of sensory maps has traditionally been thought to depend on synchronous neuronal activity. However, recent evidence from the olfactory system suggests that cell type-specific temporal patterns of spontaneous activity play an instructive role in shaping the olfactory glomerular map. These findings challenge traditional views and highlight the importance of investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of neural activity to understand the development of complex neural circuits. This review discusses the implications of new findings in the olfactory system and outlines future research directions.</p>