The respiration-related slow rhythm strongly shapes the activity of the olfactory bulb. This rhythm is characterized by high amplitude oscillations in the local field potential, respiration synchronization of mitral/tufted (M/T) cell discharge and slow oscillation of M/T cell membrane potential (OLPM). Specific relationships between these activities could determine the M/T cell participation to olfactory processing. However, little is known on these relationships. The aim of my thesis has been to characterize M/T cell OLPM and to study the relationships between OLPM and both discharge and bulbar network activities. In this way, we recorded simultaneously intracellular activity of M/T cell and local field potential of olfactory bulb in anesthetized freely breathing rat. We showed that several types of OLPM can be distinguished and exhibited specific relationship with the respirations ynchronization of M/T cell discharge activity. We observed also specific and complex relationships between OLPM and local field potential oscillation. Taken together, our results allowed us to integrate slow rhythm, and more particularly OLPM, in the more general scheme of olfactory processing.
