Self-Propagating, Non-Sinaptic Hippocampal Waves Recruit Neurons by Electric Field Coupling

" We first show that spontaneous epileptiform waves self-propagate by endogenous electric field by carrying out a series of experiments that modify the extracellular space and the endogenous field. Second, we show that spontaneous waves are non-synaptic, self-propagating waves mediated by ephaptic field coupling by showing that epileptiform waves can propagate through a complete physical cut of the tissue, therefore, eliminating all other forms of close cell-to-cell communication and showing that electric fields alone are sufficient to mediate non-synaptic propagation. Finally, we show that electric fields can explain not only pathological waves traveling in the brain but can also explain travelling physiological waves such as slow oscillation sleep waves."