Dynamical Mechanisms for Coordinating Long-term Working Memory Based on the Precision of Spike Timing in Cortical Neurons.

, in response to rapidly fluctuating sensory inputs. Second, high temporal resolution can also mediate spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) by controlling the relative timing of presynaptic and postsynaptic spikes at the millisecond scale. Third, we observe waves across many frequency bands traveling across the cortex. Strikingly, their timing is highly precise. Gamma waves, for example, which are triggered by attention, can plausibly trigger STDP via inhibitory basket cells that lasts for hours in cortical neurons. This temporary cortical network, ostensibly a second tier of functionality, rides astride the long-term sensorimotor network and could support cognitive processing and long-term working memory.