201
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Ungurean G, Martinez-Gonzalez D, Massot B, Libourel PA, Rattenborg NC. Pupillary behavior during wakefulness, non-REM sleep, and REM sleep in birds is opposite that of mammals. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5370-5376.e4. [PMID: 34670112 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian pupils respond to light1,2 and dilate with arousal, attention, cognitive workload, and emotions,3 thus reflecting the state of the brain. Pupil size also varies during sleep, constricting during deep non-REM sleep4-7 and dilating slightly during REM sleep.4-6 Anecdotal reports suggest that, unlike mammals, birds constrict their pupils during aroused states, such as courtship and aggression,8-10 raising the possibility that pupillary behavior also differs between mammals and birds during sleep. Here, we measured pupil size in awake pigeons and used their translucent eyelid to investigate sleep-state-dependent changes in pupil size. Male pigeons constricted their pupils during courtship and other male-female interactions but not while engaging in other waking behaviors. Unlike mouse pupils, the pigeons' pupils were dilated during non-REM sleep, while over 1,000 bursts of constriction and relaxation, which we call rapid iris movements (RIMs), occurred primarily during REM sleep. Consistent with the avian iris being composed largely of striated muscles,11-15 rather than smooth muscles, as in mammals, pharmacological experiments revealed that RIMs are mediated by nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the iris muscles. Despite receiving input from a parasympathetic nucleus, but consistent with its striated nature, the avian iris sphincter muscle behaves like skeletal muscles controlled by the somatic nervous system, constricting during courtship displays, relaxing during non-REM sleep, and twitching during REM sleep. We speculate that during wakefulness, pupillary constrictions are involved in social communication, whereas RIMs occurring during REM sleep might maintain the efficacy of this motor system and/or reflect the processing of associated memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianina Ungurean
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany; Sleep team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Inserm U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University Lyon 1, University Saint-Etienne, 69366 Lyon, France.
| | | | - Bertrand Massot
- University Lyon, INSA Lyon, ECL, CNRS, UCBL, CPE Lyon, INL, UMR5270, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Paul-Antoine Libourel
- Sleep team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Inserm U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University Lyon 1, University Saint-Etienne, 69366 Lyon, France
| | - Niels C Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.
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202
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Ebitz RB, Hayden BY. The population doctrine in cognitive neuroscience. Neuron 2021; 109:3055-3068. [PMID: 34416170 PMCID: PMC8725976 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A major shift is happening within neurophysiology: a population doctrine is drawing level with the single-neuron doctrine that has long dominated the field. Population-level ideas have so far had their greatest impact in motor neuroscience, but they hold great promise for resolving open questions in cognition as well. Here, we codify the population doctrine and survey recent work that leverages this view to specifically probe cognition. Our discussion is organized around five core concepts that provide a foundation for population-level thinking: (1) state spaces, (2) manifolds, (3) coding dimensions, (4) subspaces, and (5) dynamics. The work we review illustrates the progress and promise that population-level thinking holds for cognitive neuroscience-for delivering new insight into attention, working memory, decision-making, executive function, learning, and reward processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Becket Ebitz
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Benjamin Y Hayden
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, and Center for Neuroengineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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203
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Williams AH, Linderman SW. Statistical neuroscience in the single trial limit. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 70:193-205. [PMID: 34861596 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Individual neurons often produce highly variable responses over nominally identical trials, reflecting a mixture of intrinsic 'noise' and systematic changes in the animal's cognitive and behavioral state. Disentangling these sources of variability is of great scientific interest in its own right, but it is also increasingly inescapable as neuroscientists aspire to study more complex and naturalistic animal behaviors. In these settings, behavioral actions never repeat themselves exactly and may rarely do so even approximately. Thus, new statistical methods that extract reliable features of neural activity using few, if any, repeated trials are needed. Accurate statistical modeling in this severely trial-limited regime is challenging, but still possible if simplifying structure in neural data can be exploited. We review recent works that have identified different forms of simplifying structure - including shared gain modulations across neural subpopulations, temporal smoothness in neural firing rates, and correlations in responses across behavioral conditions - and exploited them to reveal novel insights into the trial-by-trial operation of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex H Williams
- Department of Statistics and Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, USA
| | - Scott W Linderman
- Department of Statistics and Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, USA.
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204
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Motyka P, Kozłowska Z, Litwin P. Perceptual Awareness of Optic Flows Paced Optimally and Non-optimally to Walking Speed. Perception 2021; 50:797-818. [PMID: 34459288 DOI: 10.1177/03010066211034368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous research suggests that visual processing depends strongly on locomotor activity and is tuned to optic flows consistent with self-motion speed. Here, we used a binocular rivalry paradigm to investigate whether perceptual access to optic flows depends on their optimality in relation to walking velocity. Participants walked at two different speeds on a treadmill while viewing discrepant visualizations of a virtual tunnel in each eye. We hypothesized that visualizations paced appropriately to the walking speeds will be perceived longer than non optimal (too fast/slow) ones. The presented optic flow speeds were predetermined individually in a task based on matching visual speed to both walking velocities. In addition, perceptual preference for optimal optic flows was expected to increase with proprioceptive ability to detect threshold-level changes in walking speed. Whereas faster (more familiar) optic flows showed enhanced access to awareness during faster compared with slower walking conditions, for slower visual flows, only a nonsignificant tendency for the analogous effect was observed. These effects were not dependent on individual proprioceptive sensitivity. Our findings concur with the emerging view that the velocity of one's locomotion is used to calibrate visual perception of self-motion and extend the scope of reported action effects on visual awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Motyka
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Piotr Litwin
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Poland
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205
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Podvalny E, King LE, He BJ. Spectral signature and behavioral consequence of spontaneous shifts of pupil-linked arousal in human. eLife 2021; 10:68265. [PMID: 34463255 PMCID: PMC8486382 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Arousal levels perpetually rise and fall spontaneously. How markers of arousal—pupil size and frequency content of brain activity—relate to each other and influence behavior in humans is poorly understood. We simultaneously monitored magnetoencephalography and pupil in healthy volunteers at rest and during a visual perceptual decision-making task. Spontaneously varying pupil size correlates with power of brain activity in most frequency bands across large-scale resting state cortical networks. Pupil size recorded at prestimulus baseline correlates with subsequent shifts in detection bias (c) and sensitivity (d’). When dissociated from pupil-linked state, prestimulus spectral power of resting state networks still predicts perceptual behavior. Fast spontaneous pupil constriction and dilation correlate with large-scale brain activity as well but not perceptual behavior. Our results illuminate the relation between central and peripheral arousal markers and their respective roles in human perceptual decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Podvalny
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Leana E King
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Biyu J He
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States.,Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States
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206
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Divergence in Population Coding for Space between Dorsal and Ventral CA1. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0211-21.2021. [PMID: 34433573 PMCID: PMC8425966 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0211-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular, anatomic, and behavioral studies show that the hippocampus is structurally and functionally heterogeneous, with dorsal hippocampus implicated in mnemonic processes and spatial navigation and ventral hippocampus involved in affective processes. By performing electrophysiological recordings of large neuronal populations in dorsal and ventral CA1 in head-fixed mice navigating a virtual environment, we found that this diversity resulted in different strategies for population coding of space. Populations of neurons in dorsal CA1 showed more complex patterns of activity, which resulted in a higher dimensionality of neural representations that translated to more information being encoded, as compared ensembles in vCA1. Furthermore, a pairwise maximum entropy model was better at predicting the structure of these global patterns of activity in ventral CA1 as compared with dorsal CA1. Taken together, the different coding strategies we uncovered likely emerge from anatomic and physiological differences along the longitudinal axis of hippocampus and that may, in turn, underpin the divergent ethological roles of dorsal and ventral CA1.
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207
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Marks TD, Goard MJ. Stimulus-dependent representational drift in primary visual cortex. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5169. [PMID: 34453051 PMCID: PMC8397766 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25436-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To produce consistent sensory perception, neurons must maintain stable representations of sensory input. However, neurons in many regions exhibit progressive drift across days. Longitudinal studies have found stable responses to artificial stimuli across sessions in visual areas, but it is unclear whether this stability extends to naturalistic stimuli. We performed chronic 2-photon imaging of mouse V1 populations to directly compare the representational stability of artificial versus naturalistic visual stimuli over weeks. Responses to gratings were highly stable across sessions. However, neural responses to naturalistic movies exhibited progressive representational drift across sessions. Differential drift was present across cortical layers, in inhibitory interneurons, and could not be explained by differential response strength or higher order stimulus statistics. However, representational drift was accompanied by similar differential changes in local population correlation structure. These results suggest representational stability in V1 is stimulus-dependent and may relate to differences in preexisting circuit architecture of co-tuned neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler D Marks
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Goard
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
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208
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Xia J, Marks TD, Goard MJ, Wessel R. Stable representation of a naturalistic movie emerges from episodic activity with gain variability. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5170. [PMID: 34453045 PMCID: PMC8397750 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25437-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual cortical responses are known to be highly variable across trials within an experimental session. However, the long-term stability of visual cortical responses is poorly understood. Here using chronic imaging of V1 in mice we show that neural responses to repeated natural movie clips are unstable across weeks. Individual neuronal responses consist of sparse episodic activity which are stable in time but unstable in gain across weeks. Further, we find that the individual episode, instead of neuron, serves as the basic unit of the week-to-week fluctuation. To investigate how population activity encodes the stimulus, we extract a stable one-dimensional representation of the time in the natural movie, using an unsupervised method. Most week-to-week fluctuation is perpendicular to the stimulus encoding direction, thus leaving the stimulus representation largely unaffected. We propose that precise episodic activity with coordinated gain changes are keys to maintain a stable stimulus representation in V1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Xia
- Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Tyler D Marks
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Goard
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Ralf Wessel
- Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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209
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Nassar MR, Scott D, Bhandari A. Noise Correlations for Faster and More Robust Learning. J Neurosci 2021; 41:6740-6752. [PMID: 34193556 PMCID: PMC8336712 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3045-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Distributed population codes are ubiquitous in the brain and pose a challenge to downstream neurons that must learn an appropriate readout. Here we explore the possibility that this learning problem is simplified through inductive biases implemented by stimulus-independent noise correlations that constrain learning to task-relevant dimensions. We test this idea in a set of neural networks that learn to perform a perceptual discrimination task. Correlations among similarly tuned units were manipulated independently of an overall population signal-to-noise ratio to test how the format of stored information affects learning. Higher noise correlations among similarly tuned units led to faster and more robust learning, favoring homogenous weights assigned to neurons within a functionally similar pool, and could emerge through Hebbian learning. When multiple discriminations were learned simultaneously, noise correlations across relevant feature dimensions sped learning, whereas those across irrelevant feature dimensions slowed it. Our results complement the existing theory on noise correlations by demonstrating that when such correlations are produced without significant degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio, they can improve the speed of readout learning by constraining it to appropriate dimensions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Positive noise correlations between similarly tuned neurons theoretically reduce the representational capacity of the brain, yet they are commonly observed, emerge dynamically in complex tasks, and persist even in well-trained animals. Here we show that such correlations, when embedded in a neural population with a fixed signal-to-noise ratio, can improve the speed and robustness with which an appropriate readout is learned. In a simple discrimination task such correlations can emerge naturally through Hebbian learning. In more complex tasks that require multiple discriminations, correlations between neurons that similarly encode the task-relevant feature improve learning by constraining it to the appropriate task dimension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Nassar
- Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912-1821
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912-1821
| | - Daniel Scott
- Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912-1821
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912-1821
| | - Apoorva Bhandari
- Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912-1821
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912-1821
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210
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Low IIC, Williams AH, Campbell MG, Linderman SW, Giocomo LM. Dynamic and reversible remapping of network representations in an unchanging environment. Neuron 2021; 109:2967-2980.e11. [PMID: 34363753 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neurons in the medial entorhinal cortex alter their firing properties in response to environmental changes. This flexibility in neural coding is hypothesized to support navigation and memory by dividing sensory experience into unique episodes. However, it is unknown how the entorhinal circuit as a whole transitions between different representations when sensory information is not delineated into discrete contexts. Here we describe rapid and reversible transitions between multiple spatial maps of an unchanging task and environment. These remapping events were synchronized across hundreds of neurons, differentially affected navigational cell types, and correlated with changes in running speed. Despite widespread changes in spatial coding, remapping comprised a translation along a single dimension in population-level activity space, enabling simple decoding strategies. These findings provoke reconsideration of how the medial entorhinal cortex dynamically represents space and suggest a remarkable capacity of cortical circuits to rapidly and substantially reorganize their neural representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel I C Low
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Alex H Williams
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Malcolm G Campbell
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Scott W Linderman
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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211
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Hayden DJ, Montgomery DP, Cooke SF, Bear MF. Visual Recognition Is Heralded by Shifts in Local Field Potential Oscillations and Inhibitory Networks in Primary Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2021; 41:6257-6272. [PMID: 34103358 PMCID: PMC8287992 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0391-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning to recognize and filter familiar, irrelevant sensory stimuli eases the computational burden on the cerebral cortex. Inhibition is a candidate mechanism in this filtration process, and oscillations in the cortical local field potential (LFP) serve as markers of the engagement of different inhibitory neurons. We show here that LFP oscillatory activity in visual cortex is profoundly altered as male and female mice learn to recognize an oriented grating stimulus-low-frequency (∼15 Hz peak) power sharply increases, whereas high-frequency (∼65 Hz peak) power decreases. These changes report recognition of the familiar pattern as they disappear when the stimulus is rotated to a novel orientation. Two-photon imaging of neuronal activity reveals that parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons disengage with familiar stimuli and reactivate to novelty, whereas somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons show opposing activity patterns. We propose a model in which the balance of two interacting interneuron circuits shifts as novel stimuli become familiar.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Habituation, familiarity, and novelty detection are fundamental cognitive processes that enable organisms to adaptively filter meaningless stimuli and focus attention on potentially important elements of their environment. We have shown that this process can be studied fruitfully in the mouse primary visual cortex by using simple grating stimuli for which novelty and familiarity are defined by orientation and by measuring stimulus-evoked and continuous local field potentials. Altered event-related and spontaneous potentials, and deficient habituation, are well-documented features of several neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders. The paradigm described here will be valuable to interrogate the origins of these signals and the meaning of their disruption more deeply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J Hayden
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Daniel P Montgomery
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Samuel F Cooke
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Department of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9RT, England
| | - Mark F Bear
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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212
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Siegle JH, Ledochowitsch P, Jia X, Millman DJ, Ocker GK, Caldejon S, Casal L, Cho A, Denman DJ, Durand S, Groblewski PA, Heller G, Kato I, Kivikas S, Lecoq J, Nayan C, Ngo K, Nicovich PR, North K, Ramirez TK, Swapp J, Waughman X, Williford A, Olsen SR, Koch C, Buice MA, de Vries SEJ. Reconciling functional differences in populations of neurons recorded with two-photon imaging and electrophysiology. eLife 2021; 10:e69068. [PMID: 34270411 PMCID: PMC8285106 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular electrophysiology and two-photon calcium imaging are widely used methods for measuring physiological activity with single-cell resolution across large populations of cortical neurons. While each of these two modalities has distinct advantages and disadvantages, neither provides complete, unbiased information about the underlying neural population. Here, we compare evoked responses in visual cortex recorded in awake mice under highly standardized conditions using either imaging of genetically expressed GCaMP6f or electrophysiology with silicon probes. Across all stimulus conditions tested, we observe a larger fraction of responsive neurons in electrophysiology and higher stimulus selectivity in calcium imaging, which was partially reconciled by applying a spikes-to-calcium forward model to the electrophysiology data. However, the forward model could only reconcile differences in responsiveness when restricted to neurons with low contamination and an event rate above a minimum threshold. This work established how the biases of these two modalities impact functional metrics that are fundamental for characterizing sensory-evoked responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xiaoxuan Jia
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Linzy Casal
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Andy Cho
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Daniel J Denman
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | | | | | - Gregg Heller
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - India Kato
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Sara Kivikas
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Jérôme Lecoq
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Chelsea Nayan
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Kiet Ngo
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Philip R Nicovich
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Kat North
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | | | - Jackie Swapp
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Xana Waughman
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Ali Williford
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Shawn R Olsen
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Christof Koch
- MindScope Program, Allen InstituteSeattleUnited States
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213
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Zhang Q, Gheres KW, Drew PJ. Origins of 1/f-like tissue oxygenation fluctuations in the murine cortex. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001298. [PMID: 34264930 PMCID: PMC8282088 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The concentration of oxygen in the brain spontaneously fluctuates, and the distribution of power in these fluctuations has a 1/f-like spectra, where the power present at low frequencies of the power spectrum is orders of magnitude higher than at higher frequencies. Though these oscillations have been interpreted as being driven by neural activity, the origin of these 1/f-like oscillations is not well understood. Here, to gain insight of the origin of the 1/f-like oxygen fluctuations, we investigated the dynamics of tissue oxygenation and neural activity in awake behaving mice. We found that oxygen signal recorded from the cortex of mice had 1/f-like spectra. However, band-limited power in the local field potential did not show corresponding 1/f-like fluctuations. When local neural activity was suppressed, the 1/f-like fluctuations in oxygen concentration persisted. Two-photon measurements of erythrocyte spacing fluctuations and mathematical modeling show that stochastic fluctuations in erythrocyte flow could underlie 1/f-like dynamics in oxygenation. These results suggest that the discrete nature of erythrocytes and their irregular flow, rather than fluctuations in neural activity, could drive 1/f-like fluctuations in tissue oxygenation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingguang Zhang
- Center for Neural Engineering, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (QZ); (PJD)
| | - Kyle W. Gheres
- Graduate Program in Molecular Cellular and Integrative Biosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Patrick J. Drew
- Center for Neural Engineering, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (QZ); (PJD)
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214
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Abdolrahmani M, Lyamzin DR, Aoki R, Benucci A. Attention separates sensory and motor signals in the mouse visual cortex. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109377. [PMID: 34260937 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Visually guided behaviors depend on the activity of cortical networks receiving visual inputs and transforming these signals to guide appropriate actions. However, non-retinal inputs, carrying motor signals as well as cognitive and attentional modulatory signals, also activate these cortical regions. How these networks integrate coincident signals ensuring reliable visual behaviors is poorly understood. In this study, we observe neural responses in the dorsal-parietal cortex of mice during a visual discrimination task driven by visual stimuli and movements. We find that visual and motor signals interact according to two mechanisms: divisive normalization and separation of responses. Interactions are contextually modulated by the animal's state of sustained attention, which amplifies visual and motor signals and increases their discriminability in a low-dimensional space of neural activations. These findings reveal computational principles operating in dorsal-parietal networks that enable separation of incoming signals for reliable visually guided behaviors during interactions with the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dmitry R Lyamzin
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ryo Aoki
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Andrea Benucci
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Mathematical Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.
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215
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Niell CM, Scanziani M. How Cortical Circuits Implement Cortical Computations: Mouse Visual Cortex as a Model. Annu Rev Neurosci 2021; 44:517-546. [PMID: 33914591 PMCID: PMC9925090 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-102320-085825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The mouse, as a model organism to study the brain, gives us unprecedented experimental access to the mammalian cerebral cortex. By determining the cortex's cellular composition, revealing the interaction between its different components, and systematically perturbing these components, we are obtaining mechanistic insight into some of the most basic properties of cortical function. In this review, we describe recent advances in our understanding of how circuits of cortical neurons implement computations, as revealed by the study of mouse primary visual cortex. Further, we discuss how studying the mouse has broadened our understanding of the range of computations performed by visual cortex. Finally, we address how future approaches will fulfill the promise of the mouse in elucidating fundamental operations of cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristopher M. Niell
- Department of Biology and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA
| | - Massimo Scanziani
- Department of Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA;
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216
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Cohen-Kashi Malina K, Tsivourakis E, Kushinsky D, Apelblat D, Shtiglitz S, Zohar E, Sokoletsky M, Tasaka GI, Mizrahi A, Lampl I, Spiegel I. NDNF interneurons in layer 1 gain-modulate whole cortical columns according to an animal's behavioral state. Neuron 2021; 109:2150-2164.e5. [PMID: 34038743 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Processing of sensory information in neural circuits is modulated by an animal's behavioral state, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are not well understood. Focusing on the mouse visual cortex, here we analyze the role of GABAergic interneurons that are located in layer 1 and express Ndnf (L1 NDNF INs) in the state-dependent control over sensory processing. We find that the ongoing and sensory-evoked activity of L1 NDNF INs is strongly enhanced when an animal is aroused and that L1 NDNF INs gain-modulate local excitatory neurons selectively during high-arousal states by inhibiting their apical dendrites while disinhibiting their somata via Parvalbumin-expressing interneurons. Because active NDNF INs are evenly spread in L1 and can affect excitatory neurons across all cortical layers, this indicates that the state-dependent activation of L1 NDNF INs and the subsequent shift of inhibition in excitatory neurons toward their apical dendrites gain-modulate sensory processing in whole cortical columns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dahlia Kushinsky
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Daniella Apelblat
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Stav Shtiglitz
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eran Zohar
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michael Sokoletsky
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gen-Ichi Tasaka
- Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ilan Lampl
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ivo Spiegel
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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217
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Oran Y, Katz Y, Sokoletsky M, Malina KCK, Lampl I. Reduction of corpus callosum activity during whisking leads to interhemispheric decorrelation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4095. [PMID: 34215734 PMCID: PMC8253780 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24310-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Interhemispheric correlation between homotopic areas is a major hallmark of cortical physiology and is believed to emerge through the corpus callosum. However, how interhemispheric correlations and corpus callosum activity are affected by behavioral states remains unknown. We performed laminar extracellular and intracellular recordings simultaneously from both barrel cortices in awake mice. We find robust interhemispheric correlations of both spiking and synaptic activities that are reduced during whisking compared to quiet wakefulness. Accordingly, optogenetic inactivation of one hemisphere reveals that interhemispheric coupling occurs only during quiet wakefulness, and chemogenetic inactivation of callosal terminals reduces interhemispheric correlation especially during quiet wakefulness. Moreover, in contrast to the generally elevated firing rate observed during whisking epochs, we find a marked decrease in the activity of imaged callosal fibers. Our results indicate that the reduction in interhemispheric coupling and correlations during active behavior reflects the specific reduction in the activity of callosal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Oran
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yonatan Katz
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michael Sokoletsky
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Ilan Lampl
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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218
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Short-Term Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Learning and Evoked Activity in Auditory Cortex. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0522-20.2021. [PMID: 34088737 PMCID: PMC8240839 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0522-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been shown to facilitate learning, but effects of acute VNS on neural coding and behavior remain less well understood. Ferrets implanted with cuff electrodes on the vagus nerve were trained by classical conditioning on an auditory tone frequency-reward association. One tone was associated with reward while another tone was not. Tone frequencies and reward associations were changed every 2 d, requiring learning of a new relationship. When tones were paired with VNS, animals consistently learned the new association within 2 d. When VNS occurred randomly between trials, learning within 2 d was unreliable. In passively listening animals, neural activity in primary auditory cortex (A1) and pupil size were recorded before and after acute VNS-tone pairing. After pairing with a neuron’s best-frequency (BF) tone, responses by a subpopulation of neurons were reduced. VNS paired with an off-BF tone or during intertrial intervals had no effect. The BF-specific reduction in neural responses after VNS remained, even after regressing out changes explained by pupil-indexed arousal. VNS induced brief dilation in the pupil, and the size of this change predicted the magnitude of persistent changes in the neural response. This interaction suggests that fluctuations in neuromodulation associated with arousal gate the long-term VNS effects on neural activity.
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219
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Francioni V, Harnett MT. Rethinking Single Neuron Electrical Compartmentalization: Dendritic Contributions to Network Computation In Vivo. Neuroscience 2021; 489:185-199. [PMID: 34116137 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.05.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Decades of experimental and theoretical work support a now well-established theory that active dendritic processing contributes to the computational power of individual neurons. This theory is based on the high degree of electrical compartmentalization observed in the dendrites of single neurons in ex vivo preparations. Compartmentalization allows dendrites to conduct semi-independent operations on their inputs before final integration and output at the axon, producing a "network-in-a-neuron." However, recent in vivo functional imaging experiments in mouse cortex have reported surprisingly little evidence for strong dendritic compartmentalization. In this review, we contextualize these new findings and discuss their impact on the future of the field. Specifically, we consider how highly coordinated, and thus less compartmentalized, activity in soma and dendrites can contribute to cortical computations including nonlinear mixed selectivity, prediction/expectation, multiplexing, and credit assignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Francioni
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Mark T Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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220
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Li Y, Wang X, Li Z, Chen J, Qin L. Effect of locomotion on the auditory steady state response of head-fixed mice. World J Biol Psychiatry 2021; 22:362-372. [PMID: 32901530 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2020.1814409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Electroencephalographic (EEG) examinations of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) can non-invasively probe cortical function to generate the gamma-band (40 Hz) oscillation, which is increasingly applied to the neurophysiological studies on the rodent models of psychiatric disorders. Though, it has been well established that the brain activities are significantly modulated by the behavioural state (such as locomotion), how the ASSR is affected remains unclear. METHODS We investigated the effect of locomotion by recording local field potential (LFP) evoked by 40-Hz click-train from multiple brain areas: auditory cortex (AC), medial geniculate body (MGB), hippocampus (HP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC), in head-fixed mice free to run on a treadmill. Comparisons were conducted on the LFPs during spontaneous movement and stationary conditions. RESULTS We found that in both the auditory (AC and MGB) and non-auditory areas (HP and PFC), locomotion reduced the initial negative deflection of LFP (early response during 0-100 ms from stimulus onset), and had no significant effect on the ASSR phase-locking to the late stimulus (100-500 ms). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that different neural mechanisms contribute to the early response and ASSR, and the ASSR is a more robust biomarker to investigate the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingzhuo Li
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Xuejiao Wang
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Zijie Li
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Jingyu Chen
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Ling Qin
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
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221
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Morimoto MM, Uchishiba E, Saleem AB. Organization of feedback projections to mouse primary visual cortex. iScience 2021; 24:102450. [PMID: 34113813 PMCID: PMC8169797 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Top-down, context-dependent modulation of visual processing has been a topic of wide interest, including in mouse primary visual cortex (V1). However, the organization of feedback projections to V1 is relatively unknown. Here, we investigated inputs to mouse V1 by injecting retrograde tracers. We developed a software pipeline that maps labeled cell bodies to corresponding brain areas in the Allen Reference Atlas. We identified more than 24 brain areas that provide inputs to V1 and quantified the relative strength of their projections. We also assessed the organization of the projections, based on either the organization of cell bodies in the source area (topography) or the distribution of projections across V1 (bias). Projections from most higher visual and some nonvisual areas to V1 showed both topography and bias. Such organization of feedback projections to V1 suggests that parts of the visual field are differentially modulated by context, which can be ethologically relevant for a navigating animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai M. Morimoto
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Emi Uchishiba
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Aman B. Saleem
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
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222
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Puścian A, Benisty H, Higley MJ. NMDAR-Dependent Emergence of Behavioral Representation in Primary Visual Cortex. Cell Rep 2021; 32:107970. [PMID: 32726633 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Although neocortical sensory areas are generally thought to faithfully represent external stimuli, cortical networks exhibit considerable functional plasticity, allowing them to modify their output to reflect ongoing behavioral demands. We apply longitudinal 2-photon imaging of activity in the primary visual cortex (V1) of mice learning a conditioned eyeblink task to investigate the dynamic representations of task-relevant information. We find that, although all V1 neurons robustly and stably encode visual input, pyramidal cells and parvalbumin-expressing interneurons exhibit experience-dependent emergence of accurate behavioral representations during learning. The functional plasticity driving performance-predictive activity requires cell-autonomous expression of NMDA-type glutamate receptors. Our findings demonstrate that accurate encoding of behavioral output is not inherent to V1 but develops during learning to support visual task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Puścian
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteur 3 Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Hadas Benisty
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Michael J Higley
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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223
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Sidorov MS, Kim H, Rougie M, Williams B, Siegel JJ, Gavornik JP, Philpot BD. Visual Sequences Drive Experience-Dependent Plasticity in Mouse Anterior Cingulate Cortex. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108152. [PMID: 32937128 PMCID: PMC7536640 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity have been well characterized in mouse primary visual cortex (V1), including a form of potentiation driven by repeated presentations of a familiar visual sequence (“sequence plasticity”). The prefrontal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) responds to visual stimuli, yet little is known about if and how visual experience modifies ACC circuits. We find that mouse ACC exhibits sequence plasticity, but in contrast to V1, the plasticity expresses as a change in response timing, rather than a change in response magnitude. Sequence plasticity is absent in ACC, but not V1, in a mouse model of a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with intellectual disability and autism-like features. Our results demonstrate that simple sensory stimuli can be used to reveal how experience functionally (or dysfunctionally) modifies higher-order prefrontal circuits and suggest a divergence in how ACC and V1 encode familiarity. Sidorov et al. demonstrate that patterned visual input can drive experience-dependent plasticity in the timing of neural responses in mouse anterior cingulate cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Sidorov
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Pharmacology & Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
| | - Hyojin Kim
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Marie Rougie
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Brittany Williams
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jennifer J Siegel
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Benjamin D Philpot
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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224
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Hennig JA, Oby ER, Golub MD, Bahureksa LA, Sadtler PT, Quick KM, Ryu SI, Tyler-Kabara EC, Batista AP, Chase SM, Yu BM. Learning is shaped by abrupt changes in neural engagement. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:727-736. [PMID: 33782622 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00822-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Internal states such as arousal, attention and motivation modulate brain-wide neural activity, but how these processes interact with learning is not well understood. During learning, the brain modifies its neural activity to improve behavior. How do internal states affect this process? Using a brain-computer interface learning paradigm in monkeys, we identified large, abrupt fluctuations in neural population activity in motor cortex indicative of arousal-like internal state changes, which we term 'neural engagement.' In a brain-computer interface, the causal relationship between neural activity and behavior is known, allowing us to understand how neural engagement impacted behavioral performance for different task goals. We observed stereotyped changes in neural engagement that occurred regardless of how they impacted performance. This allowed us to predict how quickly different task goals were learned. These results suggest that changes in internal states, even those seemingly unrelated to goal-seeking behavior, can systematically influence how behavior improves with learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay A Hennig
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. .,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. .,Machine Learning Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Emily R Oby
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Matthew D Golub
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lindsay A Bahureksa
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Patrick T Sadtler
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kristin M Quick
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Stephen I Ryu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Tyler-Kabara
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Aaron P Batista
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Steven M Chase
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Byron M Yu
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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225
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Collins L, Boddington L, Steffan PJ, McCormick D. Vagus nerve stimulation induces widespread cortical and behavioral activation. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2088-2098.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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226
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Le Merre P, Ährlund-Richter S, Carlén M. The mouse prefrontal cortex: Unity in diversity. Neuron 2021; 109:1925-1944. [PMID: 33894133 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is considered to constitute the highest stage of neural integration and to be devoted to representation and production of actions. Studies in primates have laid the foundation for theories regarding the principles of prefrontal function and provided mechanistic insights. The recent surge of studies of the PFC in mice holds promise for evolvement of present theories and development of novel concepts, particularly regarding principles shared across mammals. Here we review recent empirical work on the mouse PFC capitalizing on the experimental toolbox currently privileged to studies in this species. We conclude that this line of research has revealed cellular and structural distinctions of the PFC and neuronal activity with direct relevance to theories regarding the functions of the PFC. We foresee that data-rich mouse studies will be key to shed light on the general prefrontal architecture and mechanisms underlying cognitive aspects of organized actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Le Merre
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Marie Carlén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden.
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227
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Grueschow M, Stenz N, Thörn H, Ehlert U, Breckwoldt J, Brodmann Maeder M, Exadaktylos AK, Bingisser R, Ruff CC, Kleim B. Real-world stress resilience is associated with the responsivity of the locus coeruleus. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2275. [PMID: 33859187 PMCID: PMC8050280 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22509-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals may show different responses to stressful events. Here, we investigate the neurobiological basis of stress resilience, by showing that neural responsitivity of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC-NE) and associated pupil responses are related to the subsequent change in measures of anxiety and depression in response to prolonged real-life stress. We acquired fMRI and pupillometry data during an emotional-conflict task in medical residents before they underwent stressful emergency-room internships known to be a risk factor for anxiety and depression. The LC-NE conflict response and its functional coupling with the amygdala was associated with stress-related symptom changes in response to the internship. A similar relationship was found for pupil-dilation, a potential marker of LC-NE firing. Our results provide insights into the noradrenergic basis of conflict generation, adaptation and stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Grueschow
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics (ZNE), Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Nico Stenz
- Division of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Thörn
- Division of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Ehlert
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Breckwoldt
- Medical School, Deanery, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Roland Bingisser
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian C Ruff
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics (ZNE), Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Birgit Kleim
- Division of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, Dept of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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228
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Evaluating Visual Cues Modulates Their Representation in Mouse Visual and Cingulate Cortex. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3531-3544. [PMID: 33687964 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1828-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Choosing an action in response to visual cues relies on cognitive processes, such as perception, evaluation, and prediction, which can modulate visual representations even at early processing stages. In the mouse, it is challenging to isolate cognitive modulations of sensory signals because concurrent overt behavior patterns, such as locomotion, can also have brainwide influences. To address this challenge, we designed a task, in which head-fixed mice had to evaluate one of two visual cues. While their global shape signaled the opportunity to earn reward, the cues provided equivalent local stimulation to receptive fields of neurons in primary visual (V1) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). We found that mice evaluated these cues within few hundred milliseconds. During this period, ∼30% of V1 neurons became cue-selective, with preferences for either cue being balanced across the recorded population. This selectivity emerged in response to the behavioral demands because the same neurons could not discriminate the cues in sensory control measurements. In ACC, cue evaluation affected a similar fraction of neurons; emerging selectivity, however, was stronger than in V1, and preferences in the recorded population were biased toward the cue promising reward. Such a biased selectivity regime might allow the mouse to infer the promise of reward simply by the overall level of activity. Together, these experiments isolate the impact of task demands on neural responses in mouse cerebral cortex, and document distinct neural signatures of cue evaluation in V1 and ACC.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Performing a cognitive task, such as evaluating visual cues, not only recruits frontal and parietal brain regions, but also modulates sensory processing stages. We trained mice to evaluate two visual cues, and show that, during this task, ∼30% of neurons recorded in V1 became selective for either cue, although they provided equivalent visual stimulation. We also show that, during cue evaluation, mice frequently move their eyes, even under head fixation, and that ignoring systematic differences in eye position can substantially obscure the modulations seen in V1 neurons. Finally, we document that modulations are stronger in ACC, and biased toward the reward-predicting cue, suggesting a transition in the neural representation of task-relevant information across processing stages in mouse cerebral cortex.
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229
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Tebbe AL, Friedl WM, Alpers GW, Keil A. Effects of affective content and motivational context on neural gain functions during naturalistic scene perception. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:3323-3340. [PMID: 33742482 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Visual scene processing is modulated by semantic, motivational, and emotional factors, in addition to physical scene statistics. An open question is to what extent those factors affect low-level visual processing. One index of low-level visual processing is the contrast response function (CRF), representing the change in neural or psychophysical gain with increasing stimulus contrast. Here we aimed to (a) establish the use of an electrophysiological technique for assessing CRFs with complex emotional scenes and (b) examine the effects of motivational context and emotional content on CRFs elicited by naturalistic stimuli, including faces and complex scenes (humans, animals). Motivational context varied by expectancy of threat (a noxious noise) versus safety. CRFs were measured in 18 participants by means of sweep steady-state visual evoked potentials. Results showed a facilitation in visuocortical sensitivity (contrast gain) under threat, compared with safe conditions, across all stimulus categories. Facial stimuli prompted heightened neural response gain, compared with scenes. Within the scenes, response gain was smaller for scenes high in emotional arousal, compared with low-arousing scenes, consistent with interference effects of emotional content. These findings support the notion that motivational context alters the contrast sensitivity of cortical tissue, differing from changes in response gain (activation) when visual cues themselves carry motivational/affective relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lena Tebbe
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Center for the Study of Emotion & Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Wendel M Friedl
- Center for the Study of Emotion & Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Georg W Alpers
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Keil
- Center for the Study of Emotion & Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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230
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Acitretin reverses early functional network degradation in a mouse model of familial Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6649. [PMID: 33758244 PMCID: PMC7988040 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85912-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activity of local functional networks underlies memory and cognition deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hyperactivity was observed in microcircuits of mice AD-models showing plaques, and also recently in early stage AD mutants prior to amyloid deposition. However, early functional effects of AD on cortical microcircuits remain unresolved. Using two-photon calcium imaging, we found altered temporal distributions (burstiness) in the spontaneous activity of layer II/III visual cortex neurons, in a mouse model of familial Alzheimer's disease (5xFAD), before plaque formation. Graph theory (GT) measures revealed a distinct network topology of 5xFAD microcircuits, as compared to healthy controls, suggesting degradation of parameters related to network robustness. After treatment with acitretin, we observed a re-balancing of those network measures in 5xFAD mice; particularly in the mean degree distribution, related to network development and resilience, and post-treatment values resembled those of age-matched controls. Further, behavioral deficits, and the increase of excitatory synapse numbers in layer II/III were reversed after treatment. GT is widely applied for whole-brain network analysis in human neuroimaging, we here demonstrate the translational value of GT as a multi-level tool, to probe networks at different levels in order to assess treatments, explore mechanisms, and contribute to early diagnosis.
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231
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Henschke JU, Price AT, Pakan JMP. Enhanced modulation of cell-type specific neuronal responses in mouse dorsal auditory field during locomotion. Cell Calcium 2021; 96:102390. [PMID: 33744780 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2021.102390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
As we move through the environment we experience constantly changing sensory input that must be merged with our ongoing motor behaviors - creating dynamic interactions between our sensory and motor systems. Active behaviors such as locomotion generally increase the sensory-evoked neuronal activity in visual and somatosensory cortices, but evidence suggests that locomotion largely suppresses neuronal responses in the auditory cortex. However, whether this effect is ubiquitous across different anatomical regions of the auditory cortex is largely unknown. In mice, auditory association fields such as the dorsal auditory cortex (AuD), have been shown to have different physiological response properties, protein expression patterns, and cortical as well as subcortical connections, in comparison to primary auditory regions (A1) - suggesting there may be important functional differences. Here we examined locomotion-related modulation of neuronal activity in cortical layers ⅔ of AuD and A1 using two-photon Ca2+ imaging in head-fixed behaving mice that are able to freely run on a spherical treadmill. We determined the proportion of neurons in these two auditory regions that show enhanced and suppressed sensory-evoked responses during locomotion and quantified the depth of modulation. We found that A1 shows more suppression and AuD more enhanced responses during locomotion periods. We further revealed differences in the circuitry between these auditory regions and motor cortex, and found that AuD is more highly connected to motor cortical regions. Finally, we compared the cell-type specific locomotion-evoked modulation of responses in AuD and found that, while subpopulations of PV-expressing interneurons showed heterogeneous responses, the population in general was largely suppressed during locomotion, while excitatory population responses were generally enhanced in AuD. Therefore, neurons in primary and dorsal auditory fields have distinct response properties, with dorsal regions exhibiting enhanced activity in response to movement. This functional distinction may be important for auditory processing during navigation and acoustically guided behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia U Henschke
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany; German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alan T Price
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany; German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany; Cognitive Neurophysiology group, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), 39118, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Janelle M P Pakan
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany; German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
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232
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Molnár B, Sere P, Bordé S, Koós K, Zsigri N, Horváth P, Lőrincz ML. Cell Type-Specific Arousal-Dependent Modulation of Thalamic Activity in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus. Cereb Cortex Commun 2021; 2:tgab020. [PMID: 34296165 PMCID: PMC8152899 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
State-dependent thalamocortical activity is important for sensory coding, oscillations, and cognition. The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) relays visual information to the cortex, but the state-dependent spontaneous activity of LGN neurons in awake behaving animals remains controversial. Using a combination of pupillometry, extracellular, and intracellular recordings from identified LGN neurons in behaving mice, we show that thalamocortical (TC) neurons and interneurons are distinctly correlated to arousal forming two complementary coalitions. Intracellular recordings indicated that the membrane potential of LGN TC neurons was tightly correlated to fluctuations in pupil size. Inactivating the corticothalamic feedback to the LGN suppressed the arousal dependency of LGN neurons. Taken together, our results show that LGN neuronal membrane potential and action potential output are dynamically linked to arousal-dependent brain states in awake mice, and this might have important functional implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedek Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Sciences, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Sere
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Sciences, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sándor Bordé
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Sciences, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Krisztián Koós
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Biological Research Centre, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Nikolett Zsigri
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Horváth
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Biological Research Centre, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Magor L Lőrincz
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Sciences, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
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233
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Yang H, Bari BA, Cohen JY, O'Connor DH. Locus coeruleus spiking differently correlates with S1 cortex activity and pupil diameter in a tactile detection task. eLife 2021; 10:64327. [PMID: 33721552 PMCID: PMC7963470 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We examined the relationships between activity in the locus coeruleus (LC), activity in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), and pupil diameter in mice performing a tactile detection task. While LC spiking consistently preceded S1 membrane potential depolarization and pupil dilation, the correlation between S1 and pupil was more heterogeneous. Furthermore, the relationships between LC, S1, and pupil varied on timescales of sub-seconds to seconds within trials. Our data suggest that pupil diameter can be dissociated from LC spiking and cannot be used as a stationary index of LC activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongdian Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, United States
| | - Bilal A Bari
- Department of Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, and Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Jeremiah Y Cohen
- Department of Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, and Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Daniel H O'Connor
- Department of Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, and Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
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234
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Mridha Z, de Gee JW, Shi Y, Alkashgari R, Williams J, Suminski A, Ward MP, Zhang W, McGinley MJ. Graded recruitment of pupil-linked neuromodulation by parametric stimulation of the vagus nerve. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1539. [PMID: 33750784 PMCID: PMC7943774 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21730-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is thought to affect neural activity by recruiting brain-wide release of neuromodulators. VNS is used in treatment-resistant epilepsy, and is increasingly being explored for other disorders, such as depression, and as a cognitive enhancer. However, the promise of VNS is only partially fulfilled due to a lack of mechanistic understanding of the transfer function between stimulation parameters and neuromodulatory response, together with a lack of biosensors for assaying stimulation efficacy in real time. We here develop an approach to VNS in head-fixed mice on a treadmill and show that pupil dilation is a reliable and convenient biosensor for VNS-evoked cortical neuromodulation. In an 'optimal' zone of stimulation parameters, current leakage and off-target effects are minimized and the extent of pupil dilation tracks VNS-evoked basal-forebrain cholinergic axon activity in neocortex. Thus, pupil dilation is a sensitive readout of the moment-by-moment, titratable effects of VNS on brain state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakir Mridha
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yanchen Shi
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Matthew P Ward
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Wenhao Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew James McGinley
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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235
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van Kempen J, Gieselmann MA, Boyd M, Steinmetz NA, Moore T, Engel TA, Thiele A. Top-down coordination of local cortical state during selective attention. Neuron 2021; 109:894-904.e8. [PMID: 33406410 PMCID: PMC7927916 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Spontaneous fluctuations in cortical excitability influence sensory processing and behavior. These fluctuations, long thought to reflect global changes in cortical state, were recently found to be modulated locally within a retinotopic map during spatially selective attention. We report that periods of vigorous (On) and faint (Off) spiking activity, the signature of cortical state fluctuations, are coordinated across brain areas with retinotopic precision. Top-down attention enhanced interareal local state coordination, traversing along the reverse cortical hierarchy. The extent of local state coordination between areas was predictive of behavioral performance. Our results show that cortical state dynamics are shared across brain regions, modulated by cognitive demands and relevant for behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochem van Kempen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Marc A Gieselmann
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Michael Boyd
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Nicholas A Steinmetz
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Tirin Moore
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tatiana A Engel
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Alexander Thiele
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
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236
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Chockanathan U, Crosier EJW, Waddle S, Lyman E, Gerkin RC, Padmanabhan K. Changes in pairwise correlations during running reshape global network state in the main olfactory bulb. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:1612-1623. [PMID: 33656931 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00464.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural codes for sensory inputs have been hypothesized to reside in a broader space defined by ongoing patterns of spontaneous activity. To understand the structure of this spontaneous activity in the olfactory system, we performed high-density recordings of neural populations in the main olfactory bulb of awake mice. We observed changes in pairwise correlations of spontaneous activity between mitral and tufted (M/T) cells when animals were running, which resulted in an increase in the entropy of the population. Surprisingly, pairwise maximum entropy models that described the population activity using only assumptions about the firing rates and correlations of neurons were better at predicting the global structure of activity when animals were stationary as compared to when they were running, implying that higher order (3rd, 4th order) interactions governed population activity during locomotion. Taken together, we found that locomotion alters the functional interactions that shape spontaneous population activity at the earliest stages of olfactory processing, one synapse away from the sensory receptors in the nasal epithelium. These data suggest that the coding space available for sensory representations responds adaptively to the animal's behavioral state.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The organization and structure of spontaneous population activity in the olfactory system places constraints of how odor information is represented. Using high-density electrophysiological recordings of mitral and tufted cells, we found that running increases the dimensionality of spontaneous activity, implicating higher order interactions among neurons during locomotion. Behavior, thus, flexibly alters neuronal activity at the earliest stages of sensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udaysankar Chockanathan
- Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York.,Department of Neuroscience and Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP), University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York
| | - Emily J W Crosier
- Department of Neuroscience and Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP), University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York
| | - Spencer Waddle
- Department of Physics, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Edward Lyman
- Department of Physics, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Richard C Gerkin
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Krishnan Padmanabhan
- Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York.,Department of Neuroscience and Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP), University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York.,Center for Visual Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York
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237
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Clancy KB, Mrsic-Flogel TD. The sensory representation of causally controlled objects. Neuron 2021; 109:677-689.e4. [PMID: 33357383 PMCID: PMC7889580 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Intentional control over external objects is informed by our sensory experience of them. To study how causal relationships are learned and effected, we devised a brain machine interface (BMI) task using wide-field calcium signals. Mice learned to entrain activity patterns in arbitrary pairs of cortical regions to guide a visual cursor to a target location for reward. Brain areas that were normally correlated could be rapidly reconfigured to exert control over the cursor in a sensory-feedback-dependent manner. Higher visual cortex was more engaged when expert but not naive animals controlled the cursor. Individual neurons in higher visual cortex responded more strongly to the cursor when mice controlled it than when they passively viewed it, with the greatest response boosting as the cursor approached the target location. Thus, representations of causally controlled objects are sensitive to intention and proximity to the subject's goal, potentially strengthening sensory feedback to allow more fluent control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly B Clancy
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 70 Klingelbergstrasse, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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238
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Saderi D, Schwartz ZP, Heller CR, Pennington JR, David SV. Dissociation of task engagement and arousal effects in auditory cortex and midbrain. eLife 2021; 10:e60153. [PMID: 33570493 PMCID: PMC7909948 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Both generalized arousal and engagement in a specific task influence sensory neural processing. To isolate effects of these state variables in the auditory system, we recorded single-unit activity from primary auditory cortex (A1) and inferior colliculus (IC) of ferrets during a tone detection task, while monitoring arousal via changes in pupil size. We used a generalized linear model to assess the influence of task engagement and pupil size on sound-evoked activity. In both areas, these two variables affected independent neural populations. Pupil size effects were more prominent in IC, while pupil and task engagement effects were equally likely in A1. Task engagement was correlated with larger pupil; thus, some apparent effects of task engagement should in fact be attributed to fluctuations in pupil size. These results indicate a hierarchy of auditory processing, where generalized arousal enhances activity in midbrain, and effects specific to task engagement become more prominent in cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Saderi
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Zachary P Schwartz
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Charles R Heller
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Jacob R Pennington
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State UniversityVancouverUnited States
| | - Stephen V David
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
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239
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Pupillometry as a reliable metric of auditory detection and discrimination across diverse stimulus paradigms in animal models. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3108. [PMID: 33542266 PMCID: PMC7862232 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82340-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Estimates of detection and discrimination thresholds are often used to explore broad perceptual similarities between human subjects and animal models. Pupillometry shows great promise as a non-invasive, easily-deployable method of comparing human and animal thresholds. Using pupillometry, previous studies in animal models have obtained threshold estimates to simple stimuli such as pure tones, but have not explored whether similar pupil responses can be evoked by complex stimuli, what other stimulus contingencies might affect stimulus-evoked pupil responses, and if pupil responses can be modulated by experience or short-term training. In this study, we used an auditory oddball paradigm to estimate detection and discrimination thresholds across a wide range of stimuli in guinea pigs. We demonstrate that pupillometry yields reliable detection and discrimination thresholds across a range of simple (tones) and complex (conspecific vocalizations) stimuli; that pupil responses can be robustly evoked using different stimulus contingencies (low-level acoustic changes, or higher level categorical changes); and that pupil responses are modulated by short-term training. These results lay the foundation for using pupillometry as a reliable method of estimating thresholds in large experimental cohorts, and unveil the full potential of using pupillometry to explore broad similarities between humans and animal models.
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240
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Liu Y, Narasimhan S, Schriver BJ, Wang Q. Perceptual Behavior Depends Differently on Pupil-Linked Arousal and Heartbeat Dynamics-Linked Arousal in Rats Performing Tactile Discrimination Tasks. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 14:614248. [PMID: 33505252 PMCID: PMC7829454 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.614248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Several physiology signals, including heart rate and pupil size, have been widely used as peripheral indices of arousal to evaluate the effects of arousal on brain functions. However, whether behavior depends differently on arousal indexed by these physiological signals remains unclear. We simultaneously recorded electrocardiogram (ECG) and pupil size in head-fixed rats performing tactile discrimination tasks. We found both heartbeat dynamics and pupil size co-varied with behavioral outcomes, indicating behavior was dependent upon arousal indexed by the two physiological signals. To estimate the potential difference between the effects of pupil-linked arousal and heart rate-linked arousal on behavior, we constructed a Bayesian decoder to predict animals' behavior from pupil size and heart rate prior to stimulus presentation. The performance of the decoder was significantly better when using both heart rate and pupil size as inputs than when using either of them alone, suggesting the effects of the two arousal systems on behavior are not completely redundant. Supporting this notion, we found that, on a substantial portion of trials correctly predicted by the heart rate-based decoder, the pupil size-based decoder failed to correctly predict animals' behavior. Taken together, these results suggest that pupil-linked and heart rate-linked arousal systems exert different influences on animals' behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Shreya Narasimhan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Brian J Schriver
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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241
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Cazettes F, Reato D, Morais JP, Renart A, Mainen ZF. Phasic Activation of Dorsal Raphe Serotonergic Neurons Increases Pupil Size. Curr Biol 2021; 31:192-197.e4. [PMID: 33186549 PMCID: PMC7808753 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Transient variations in pupil size (PS) under constant luminance are coupled to rapid changes in arousal state,1-3 which have been interpreted as vigilance,4 salience,5 or a surprise signal.6-8 Neural control of such fluctuations presumably involves multiple brain regions5,9-11 and neuromodulatory systems,3,12,13 but it is often associated with phasic activity of the noradrenergic system.9,12,14,15 Serotonin (5-HT), a neuromodulator also implicated in aspects of arousal16 such as sleep-wake transitions,17 motivational state regulation,18 and signaling of unexpected events,19 seems to affect PS,20-24 but these effects have not been investigated in detail. Here we show that phasic 5-HT neuron stimulation causes transient PS changes. We used optogenetic activation of 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of head-fixed mice performing a foraging task. 5-HT-driven modulations of PS were maintained throughout the photostimulation period and sustained for a few seconds after the end of stimulation. We found no evidence that the increase in PS with activation of 5-HT neurons resulted from interactions of photostimulation with behavioral variables, such as locomotion or licking. Furthermore, we observed that the effect of 5-HT on PS depended on the level of environmental uncertainty, consistent with the idea that 5-HT could report a surprise signal.19 These results advance our understanding of the neuromodulatory control of PS, revealing a tight relationship between phasic activation of 5-HT neurons and changes in PS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Cazettes
- Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Davide Reato
- Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João P Morais
- Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Alfonso Renart
- Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
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242
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Cao L, Chen X, Haendel BF. Overground Walking Decreases Alpha Activity and Entrains Eye Movements in Humans. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:561755. [PMID: 33414709 PMCID: PMC7782973 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.561755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Experiments in animal models have shown that running increases neuronal activity in early visual areas in light as well as in darkness. This suggests that visual processing is influenced by locomotion independent of visual input. Combining mobile electroencephalography, motion- and eye-tracking, we investigated the influence of overground free walking on cortical alpha activity (~10 Hz) and eye movements in healthy humans. Alpha activity has been considered a valuable marker of inhibition of sensory processing and shown to negatively correlate with neuronal firing rates. We found that walking led to a decrease in alpha activity over occipital cortex compared to standing. This decrease was present during walking in darkness as well as during light. Importantly, eye movements could not explain the change in alpha activity. Nevertheless, we found that walking and eye related movements were linked. While the blink rate increased with increasing walking speed independent of light or darkness, saccade rate was only significantly linked to walking speed in the light. Pupil size, on the other hand, was larger during darkness than during light, but only showed a modulation by walking in darkness. Analyzing the effect of walking with respect to the stride cycle, we further found that blinks and saccades preferentially occurred during the double support phase of walking. Alpha power, as shown previously, was lower during the swing phase than during the double support phase. We however could exclude the possibility that the alpha modulation was introduced by a walking movement induced change in electrode impedance. Overall, our work indicates that the human visual system is influenced by the current locomotion state of the body. This influence affects eye movement pattern as well as neuronal activity in sensory areas and might form part of an implicit strategy to optimally extract sensory information during locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyu Cao
- Department of Psychology (III), Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Xinyu Chen
- Department of Psychology (III), Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Barbara F Haendel
- Department of Psychology (III), Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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243
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Flossmann T, Rochefort NL. Spatial navigation signals in rodent visual cortex. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 67:163-173. [PMID: 33360769 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
During navigation, animals integrate sensory information with body movements to guide actions. The impact of both navigational and movement-related signals on cortical visual information processing remains largely unknown. We review recent studies in awake rodents that have revealed navigation-related signals in the primary visual cortex (V1) including speed, distance travelled and head-orienting movements. Both cortical and subcortical inputs convey self-motion related information to V1 neurons: for example, top-down inputs from secondary motor and retrosplenial cortices convey information about head movements and spatial expectations. Within V1, subtypes of inhibitory neurons are critical for the integration of navigation-related and visual signals. We conclude with potential functional roles of navigation-related signals in V1 including gain control, motor error signals and predictive coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Flossmann
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Nathalie L Rochefort
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.
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244
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Keller AJ, Dipoppa M, Roth MM, Caudill MS, Ingrosso A, Miller KD, Scanziani M. A Disinhibitory Circuit for Contextual Modulation in Primary Visual Cortex. Neuron 2020; 108:1181-1193.e8. [PMID: 33301712 PMCID: PMC7850578 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Context guides perception by influencing stimulus saliency. Accordingly, in visual cortex, responses to a stimulus are modulated by context, the visual scene surrounding the stimulus. Responses are suppressed when stimulus and surround are similar but not when they differ. The underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we use optical recordings, manipulations, and computational modeling to show that disinhibitory circuits consisting of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing and somatostatin (SOM)-expressing inhibitory neurons modulate responses in mouse visual cortex depending on similarity between stimulus and surround, primarily by modulating recurrent excitation. When stimulus and surround are similar, VIP neurons are inactive, and activity of SOM neurons leads to suppression of excitatory neurons. However, when stimulus and surround differ, VIP neurons are active, inhibiting SOM neurons, which leads to relief of excitatory neurons from suppression. We have identified a canonical cortical disinhibitory circuit that contributes to contextual modulation and may regulate perceptual saliency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas J Keller
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158-0444, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Mario Dipoppa
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, College of Physicians and Surgeons and Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York City, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Morgane M Roth
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158-0444, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Matthew S Caudill
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alessandro Ingrosso
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, College of Physicians and Surgeons and Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York City, NY 10027, USA
| | - Kenneth D Miller
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, College of Physicians and Surgeons and Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York City, NY 10027, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Swartz Program in Theoretical Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, College of Physicians and Surgeons and Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA.
| | - Massimo Scanziani
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158-0444, USA; Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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245
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Jacobs EAK, Steinmetz NA, Peters AJ, Carandini M, Harris KD. Cortical State Fluctuations during Sensory Decision Making. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4944-4955.e7. [PMID: 33096037 PMCID: PMC7758730 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In many behavioral tasks, cortex enters a desynchronized state where low-frequency fluctuations in population activity are suppressed. The precise behavioral correlates of desynchronization and its global organization are unclear. One hypothesis holds that desynchronization enhances stimulus coding in the relevant sensory cortex. Another hypothesis holds that desynchronization reflects global arousal, such as task engagement. Here, we trained mice on tasks where task engagement could be distinguished from sensory accuracy. Using widefield calcium imaging, we found that performance-related desynchronization was global and correlated better with engagement than with accuracy. Consistent with this link between desynchronization and engagement, rewards had a long-lasting desynchronizing effect. To determine whether engagement-related state changes depended on the relevant sensory modality, we trained mice on visual and auditory tasks and found that in both cases desynchronization was global, including regions such as somatomotor cortex. We conclude that variations in low-frequency fluctuations are predominately global and related to task engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina A K Jacobs
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Nicholas A Steinmetz
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Andrew J Peters
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Matteo Carandini
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Kenneth D Harris
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
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246
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Cherng YG, Crevecoeur F, Wang CA. Effects of pupillary light and darkness reflex on the generation of pro- And anti-saccades. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:1769-1782. [PMID: 33314426 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Saccades are often directed toward a stimulus that provides useful information for observers to navigate the visual world. The quality of visual signals of a stimulus is influenced by global luminance, and the pupil constricts or dilates after a luminance increase or decrease, respectively, to optimize visual signals for further information processing. Although luminance level changes regularly in the real environment, saccades are mostly studied in the luminance-unchanged setup. Whether pupillary responses triggered by global luminance changes modulate saccadic behavior are yet to be explored. Through varying background luminance level in an interleaved pro- and anti-saccade paradigm, we investigated the modulation of pupillary luminance responses on the generation of reflexive and voluntary saccades. Subjects were instructed to either automatically look at the peripheral stimulus (pro-saccade) or to suppress the automatic response and voluntarily look in the opposite direction from the stimulus (anti-saccade). Level of background luminance was increased (light), decreased (dark), or unchanged (control) during the instructed fixation period. Saccade reaction time distributions of correct pro- and anti-saccades in the light and dark conditions were differed significantly from those in the control condition. Moreover, the luminance condition modulated saccade kinematics, showing reduced performances in the light condition than in the control condition, particularly in pro-saccades. Modeling results further suggested that both pupil diameter and pupil size derivative significantly modulated saccade behavior, though effect sizes were small and mainly mediated by intersubject differences. Together, our results demonstrated the influence of pupillary luminance responses on the generation of pro- and anti-saccades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yih-Giun Cherng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Frédéric Crevecoeur
- Institute of information Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM), Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Belgium.,Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Belgium
| | - Chin-An Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Research Center of Brain and Consciousness, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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247
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O'Callaghan C, Walpola IC, Shine JM. Neuromodulation of the mind-wandering brain state: the interaction between neuromodulatory tone, sharp wave-ripples and spontaneous thought. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 376:20190699. [PMID: 33308063 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mind-wandering has become a captivating topic for cognitive neuroscientists. By now, it is reasonably well described in terms of its phenomenology and the large-scale neural networks that support it. However, we know very little about what neurobiological mechanisms trigger a mind-wandering episode and sustain the mind-wandering brain state. Here, we focus on the role of ascending neuromodulatory systems (i.e. acetylcholine, noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine) in shaping mind-wandering. We advance the hypothesis that the hippocampal sharp wave-ripple (SWR) is a compelling candidate for a brain state that can trigger mind-wandering episodes. This hippocampal rhythm, which occurs spontaneously in quiescent behavioural states, is capable of propagating widespread activity in the default network and is functionally associated with recollective, associative, imagination and simulation processes. The occurrence of the SWR is heavily dependent on hippocampal neuromodulatory tone. We describe how the interplay of neuromodulators may promote the hippocampal SWR and trigger mind-wandering episodes. We then identify the global neuromodulatory signatures that shape the evolution of the mind-wandering brain state. Under our proposed framework, mind-wandering emerges due to the interplay between neuromodulatory systems that influence the transitions between brain states, which either facilitate, or impede, a wandering mind. This article is part of the theme issue 'Offline perception: voluntary and spontaneous perceptual experiences without matching external stimulation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire O'Callaghan
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ishan C Walpola
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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248
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Bergel A, Tiran E, Deffieux T, Demené C, Tanter M, Cohen I. Adaptive modulation of brain hemodynamics across stereotyped running episodes. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6193. [PMID: 33273463 PMCID: PMC7713412 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19948-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During locomotion, theta and gamma rhythms are essential to ensure timely communication between brain structures. However, their metabolic cost and contribution to neuroimaging signals remain elusive. To finely characterize neurovascular interactions during locomotion, we simultaneously recorded mesoscale brain hemodynamics using functional ultrasound (fUS) and local field potentials (LFP) in numerous brain structures of freely-running overtrained rats. Locomotion events were reliably followed by a surge in blood flow in a sequence involving the retrosplenial cortex, dorsal thalamus, dentate gyrus and CA regions successively, with delays ranging from 0.8 to 1.6 seconds after peak speed. Conversely, primary motor cortex was suppressed and subsequently recruited during reward uptake. Surprisingly, brain hemodynamics were strongly modulated across trials within the same recording session; cortical blood flow sharply decreased after 10-20 runs, while hippocampal responses strongly and linearly increased, particularly in the CA regions. This effect occurred while running speed and theta activity remained constant and was accompanied by an increase in the power of hippocampal, but not cortical, high-frequency oscillations (100-150 Hz). Our findings reveal distinct vascular subnetworks modulated across fast and slow timescales and suggest strong hemodynamic adaptation, despite the repetition of a stereotyped behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Bergel
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine-Neuroscience, 75005, Paris, France.
- Physique pour la Médecine Paris, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS FRE 2031, PSL Université Recherche, Paris, France.
| | - Elodie Tiran
- Physique pour la Médecine Paris, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS FRE 2031, PSL Université Recherche, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Deffieux
- Physique pour la Médecine Paris, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS FRE 2031, PSL Université Recherche, Paris, France
| | - Charlie Demené
- Physique pour la Médecine Paris, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS FRE 2031, PSL Université Recherche, Paris, France
| | - Mickaël Tanter
- Physique pour la Médecine Paris, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS FRE 2031, PSL Université Recherche, Paris, France.
| | - Ivan Cohen
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine-Neuroscience, 75005, Paris, France.
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249
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Wang J, Hosseini E, Meirhaeghe N, Akkad A, Jazayeri M. Reinforcement regulates timing variability in thalamus. eLife 2020; 9:55872. [PMID: 33258769 PMCID: PMC7707818 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning reduces variability but variability can facilitate learning. This paradoxical relationship has made it challenging to tease apart sources of variability that degrade performance from those that improve it. We tackled this question in a context-dependent timing task requiring humans and monkeys to flexibly produce different time intervals with different effectors. We identified two opposing factors contributing to timing variability: slow memory fluctuation that degrades performance and reward-dependent exploratory behavior that improves performance. Signatures of these opposing factors were evident across populations of neurons in the dorsomedial frontal cortex (DMFC), DMFC-projecting neurons in the ventrolateral thalamus, and putative target of DMFC in the caudate. However, only in the thalamus were the performance-optimizing regulation of variability aligned to the slow performance-degrading memory fluctuations. These findings reveal how variability caused by exploratory behavior might help to mitigate other undesirable sources of variability and highlight a potential role for thalamocortical projections in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, United States.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Eghbal Hosseini
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Nicolas Meirhaeghe
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Adam Akkad
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Mehrdad Jazayeri
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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250
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Grueschow M, Kleim B, Ruff CC. Role of the locus coeruleus arousal system in cognitive control. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12890. [PMID: 32820571 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control lies at the core of human adaptive behaviour. Humans vary substantially in their ability to execute cognitive control with respect to optimally facing environmental challenges, although the neural origins of this heterogeneity are currently not well understood. Recent theoretical frameworks implicate the locus coeruleus noradrenergic arousal system (LC-NE) in that process. Invasive neurophysiological work in rodents has shown that the LC-NE is an important homeostatic control centre of the body. LC-NE innervates the entire neocortex and has particularly strong connections with the cingulate gyrus. In the present study, using a response conflict task, functional magnetic resonance imaging and concurrent pupil dilation measures (a proxy for LC-NE firing), we provide empirical evidence for a decisive role of the LC-NE in cognitive control in humans. We show that the level of individual behavioural adjustment in cognitive control relates to the level of functional coupling between LC-NE and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, as well as dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Moreover, we show that the pupil is substantially more dilated during conflict trials requiring behavioural adjustment than during no conflict trials. In addition, we explore a potential relationship between pupil dilation and neural activity during choice conflict adjustments. Our data provide novel insight into arousal-related influences on cognitive control and suggest pupil dilation as a potential external marker for endogenous neural processes involved in optimising behavioural control. Our results may also be clinically relevant for a variety of pathologies where cognitive control is compromised, such as anxiety, depression, addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Grueschow
- Department of Economics, Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics (ZNE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Birgit Kleim
- Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian C Ruff
- Department of Economics, Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics (ZNE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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