Are synchronous neurons in the cortex unique?

The objective of the present study was to determine whether distinct types of synchronously firing neurons in the cortex can be distinguished by their firing pattern in extracellular single-unit recordings. We examined the relationship between gross firing patterns and synchrony of neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) of behaving monkeys. We found no significant difference in regularity/irregularity or bursting firing patterns between synchronous and non-synchronous neurons. This finding suggests that the opportunity for synchronization is available to all cortical neurons so as to enable flexible integration of information in the brain.