Consistent hierarchies of single-neuron timescales in mice, macaques and humans

Abstract

The intrinsic timescales of single neurons are thought to be hierarchically organized across the cortex. This conclusion, however, is primarily based on analyses of neural responses from macaques. Whether hierarchical variation in timescales is a general brain organizing principle across mammals remains unclear. Here we took a cross-species approach and estimated neuronal timescales of thousands of single neurons recorded across multiple areas in mice, monkeys, and humans using a task-agnostic method. We identify largely consistent hierarchies of timescales in frontal and limbic regions across species: hippocampus had the shortest timescale whereas anterior cingulate cortex had the longest. Within this scheme, variability across species was found, most notably in amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex. We show that variation in timescales is not simply related to differences in spiking statistics nor the result of cytoarchitectonic features such as cortical granularity. Thus, hierarchically organized timescales are a consistent organizing principle across species and appear to be related to a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. HighlightsO_LISimilar hierarchies of single neuron timescales exist across humans, macaques, and mice C_LIO_LIHumans diverge from an otherwise conserved hierarchy in amygdala and OFC C_LIO_LITimescale variability in ventral frontal cortex is not entirely related to cytoarchitecture C_LI