Fig. 6.

MNS-induced changes in IC network synchrony. The synchronized activities generated by identified pairs of IC neurons [synchrony index (SI) >0.01 and P < 0.01] were determined and classified post hoc, according to comparing concomitant activities generated by: afferent LCNs (A); efferent LCNs (E); and convergent LCNs (C). Vertical columns represent the degree of synchrony (number of synchronous pairs) between the 6 combinations of neuron pairings elicited during: 1) baseline (black bars) vs. 2) MNS-induced (gray bars) arrhythmias. These relationships are depicted in untreated (sham VNS, A) states and following preemptive bioelectric therapy (RCV VNS, B). Note that MNS induced differential increases in synchrony between efferent-to-convergent IC pairs (E:C), as well as convergent-to-convergent neuronal pairings (C:C) (top). Whereas at baseline preemptive RCV differentially increased synchrony between convergent LCNs, it eliminated the increase in synchrony across all other neuronal subclass pairings during MNS (bottom). *P < 0.02 from baseline and #P < 0.01 sham to RCV VNS state.