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Sinakevitch IT, McDermott KE, Gray DT, Barnes CA. A combined MRI, histological and immunohistochemical rendering of the rhesus macaque locus coeruleus (LC) enables the differentiation of three distinct LC subcompartments. J Chem Neuroanat 2024; 140:102449. [PMID: 39084478 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2024.102449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Locus coeruleus (LC) neurons send their noradrenergic axons across multiple brain regions, including neocortex, subcortical regions, and spinal cord. Many aspects of cognition are known to be dependent on the noradrenergic system, and it has been suggested that dysfunction in this system may play central roles in cognitive decline associated with both normative aging and neurodegenerative disease. While basic anatomical and biochemical features of the LC have been examined in many species, detailed characterizations of the structure and function of the LC across the lifespan are not currently available. This includes the rhesus macaque, which is an important model of human brain function because of their striking similarities in brain architecture and behavioral capacities. In the present study, we describe a method to combine structural MRI, Nissl, and immunofluorescent histology from individual monkeys to reconstruct, in 3 dimensions, the entire macaque LC nucleus. Using these combined methods, a standardized volume of the LC was determined, and high-resolution confocal images of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons were mapped into this volume. This detailed representation of the LC allows definitions to be proposed for three distinct subnuclei, including a medial region and a lateral region (based on location with respect to the central gray, inside or outside, respectively), and a compact region (defined by densely packed neurons within the medial compartment). This enabled the volume to be estimated and cell density to be calculated independently in each LC subnucleus for the first time. This combination of methods should allow precise characterization of the LC and has the potential to do the same for other nuclei with distinct molecular features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina T Sinakevitch
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
| | - Kelsey E McDermott
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
| | - Daniel T Gray
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
| | - Carol A Barnes
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States; Departments of Psychology, Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
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Shibata T, Hattori N, Nishijo H, Kuroda S, Takakusaki K. Evolutionary origin of alpha rhythms in vertebrates. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1384340. [PMID: 38651071 PMCID: PMC11033391 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1384340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this review extends beyond the traditional triune brain model, aiming to elucidate the evolutionary aspects of alpha rhythms in vertebrates. The forebrain, comprising the telencephalon (pallium) and diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus), is a common feature in the brains of all vertebrates. In mammals, evolution has prioritized the development of the forebrain, especially the neocortex, over the midbrain (mesencephalon) optic tectum, which serves as the prototype for the visual brain. This evolution enables mammals to process visual information in the retina-thalamus (lateral geniculate nucleus)-occipital cortex pathway. The origin of posterior-dominant alpha rhythms observed in mammals in quiet and dark environments is not solely attributed to cholinergic pontine nuclei cells functioning as a 10 Hz pacemaker in the brainstem. It also involves the ability of the neocortex's cortical layers to generate traveling waves of alpha rhythms with waxing and waning characteristics. The utilization of alpha rhythms might have facilitated the shift of attention from external visual inputs to internal cognitive processes as an adaptation to thrive in dark environments. The evolution of alpha rhythms might trace back to the dinosaur era, suggesting that enhanced cortical connectivity linked to alpha bands could have facilitated the development of nocturnal awakening in the ancestors of mammals. In fishes, reptiles, and birds, the pallium lacks a cortical layer. However, there is a lack of research clearly observing dominant alpha rhythms in the pallium or organized nuclear structures in fishes, reptiles, or birds. Through convergent evolution, the pallium of birds, which exhibits cortex-like fiber architecture, has not only acquired advanced cognitive and motor abilities but also the capability to generate low-frequency oscillations (4-25 Hz) resembling alpha rhythms. This suggests that the origins of alpha rhythms might lie in the pallium of a common ancestor of birds and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Shibata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Toyama Nishi General Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Noriaki Hattori
- Department of Rehabilitation, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of East Asia, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kuroda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kaoru Takakusaki
- The Research Center for Brain Function and Medical Engineering, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
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Triarhou LC, Manto M. The Discovery of the Monoaminergic Innervation of the Cerebellum: Convergence of Divergent and Point-to-Point Systems. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 22:1045-1051. [PMID: 36149526 PMCID: PMC10657314 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-022-01480-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This Cerebellar Classic highlights the landmark discovery of the innervation of the cerebellar cortex and cerebellar nuclei by noradrenergic and serotoninergic axons emanating, respectively, from the locus coeruleus and the raphé nuclei. Since then, modulation of the activity of cerebellar neurons by the monoamine systems has been studied extensively, as well as their reorganization and modifications during development, plasticity, and disease. The discovery of noradrenergic and serotoninergic innervation of the cerebellum has been a crucial step in understanding the neurochemical relationships between brainstem nuclei and the cerebellum, and the attempts to treat cerebellar ataxias pharmacologically. The large neurochemical repertoire of the cerebellum represents one of the complexities and challenges in the modern appraisal of cerebellar disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lazaros C Triarhou
- Department of Psychology, Sector of Experimental Cognitive Psychology, Aristotelian University Faculty of Philosophy, University Campus, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Mario Manto
- Unité Des Ataxies Cérébelleuses, CHU-Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium
- Service Des Neurosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
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Tao Y, Li X, Dong Q, Kong L, Petersen AJ, Yan Y, Xu K, Zima S, Li Y, Schmidt DK, Ayala M, Mathivanan S, Sousa AMM, Chang Q, Zhang SC. Generation of locus coeruleus norepinephrine neurons from human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Biotechnol 2023:10.1038/s41587-023-01977-4. [PMID: 37974010 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01977-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Central norepinephrine (NE) neurons, located mainly in the locus coeruleus (LC), are implicated in diverse psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases and are an emerging target for drug discovery. To facilitate their study, we developed a method to generate 40-60% human LC-NE neurons from human pluripotent stem cells. The approach depends on our identification of ACTIVIN A in regulating LC-NE transcription factors in dorsal rhombomere 1 (r1) progenitors. In vitro generated human LC-NE neurons display extensive axonal arborization; release and uptake NE; and exhibit pacemaker activity, calcium oscillation and chemoreceptor activity in response to CO2. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) analysis at multiple timepoints confirmed NE cell identity and revealed the differentiation trajectory from hindbrain progenitors to NE neurons via an ASCL1-expressing precursor stage. LC-NE neurons engineered with an NE sensor reliably reported extracellular levels of NE. The availability of functional human LC-NE neurons enables investigation of their roles in psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases and provides a tool for therapeutics development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Tao
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Xueyan Li
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Qiping Dong
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Linghai Kong
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Yuanwei Yan
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ke Xu
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Seth Zima
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Yanru Li
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Melvin Ayala
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Andre M M Sousa
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Qiang Chang
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Su-Chun Zhang
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
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Stimpson CD, Smaers JB, Raghanti MA, Phillips KA, Jacobs B, Hopkins WD, Hof PR, Sherwood CC. Evolutionary scaling and cognitive correlates of primate frontal cortex microstructure. Brain Struct Funct 2023:10.1007/s00429-023-02719-7. [PMID: 37889302 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02719-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Investigating evolutionary changes in frontal cortex microstructure is crucial to understanding how modifications of neuron and axon distributions contribute to phylogenetic variation in cognition. In the present study, we characterized microstructural components of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and primary motor cortex from 14 primate species using measurements of neuropil fraction and immunohistochemical markers for fast-spiking inhibitory interneurons, large pyramidal projection neuron subtypes, serotonergic innervation, and dopaminergic innervation. Results revealed that the rate of evolutionary change was similar across these microstructural variables, except for neuropil fraction, which evolves more slowly and displays the strongest correlation with brain size. We also found that neuropil fraction in orbitofrontal cortex layers V-VI was associated with cross-species variation in performance on experimental tasks that measure self-control. These findings provide insight into the evolutionary reorganization of the primate frontal cortex in relation to brain size scaling and its association with cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl D Stimpson
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- DoD/USU Brain Tissue Repository and Neuropathology Program, Uniformed Services University (USU), Bethesda, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeroen B Smaers
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Mary Ann Raghanti
- Department of Anthropology and School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Kimberley A Phillips
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Bob Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - William D Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Michale E Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, M D Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Center for Discovery and Innovation, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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Gargano A, Olabiyi BF, Palmisano M, Zimmer A, Bilkei-Gorzo A. Possible role of locus coeruleus neuronal loss in age-related memory and attention deficits. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1264253. [PMID: 37694113 PMCID: PMC10492095 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1264253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive abilities, including memory and attention. It is generally accepted that age-related histological changes such as increased neuroinflammatory glial activity and a reduction in the number of specific neuronal populations contribute to cognitive aging. Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) undergo an approximately 20 % loss during ageing both in humans and mice, but whether this change contributes to cognitive deficits is not known. To address this issue, we asked whether a similar loss of LC neurons in young animals as observed in aged animals impairs memory and attention, cognitive domains that are both influenced by the noradrenergic system and impaired in aging. Methods For that, we treated young healthy mice with DSP-4, a toxin that specifically kills LC noradrenergic neurons. We compared the performance of DSP-4 treated young mice with the performance of aged mice in models of attention and memory. To do this, we first determined the dose of DSP-4, which causes a similar 20 % neuronal loss as is typical in aged animals. Results Young mice treated with DSP-4 showed impaired attention in the presence of distractor and memory deficits in the 5-choice serial reaction time test (5-CSRTT). Old, untreated mice showed severe deficits in both the 5-CSRTT and in fear extinction tests. Discussion Our data now suggest that a reduction in the number of LC neurons contributes to impaired working memory and greater distractibility in attentional tasks but not to deficits in fear extinction. We hypothesize that the moderate loss of LC noradrenergic neurons during aging contributes to attention deficits and working memory impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Andras Bilkei-Gorzo
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus, Bonn, Germany
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Arulchelvan E, Vanneste S. Promising neurostimulation routes for targeting the hippocampus to improve episodic memory: A review. Brain Res 2023:148457. [PMID: 37315722 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This review aims to highlight modern neurostimulation approaches that are effectively activating the hippocampus and enhancing episodic memory performance. The hippocampus is a brain region known to play an essential role in episodic memory processes. However, as it is nestled deep within the brain, it has been a challenging target for traditional neurostimulation approaches, with studies reporting inconsistent memory effects. Recent studies suggest more than half of the electrical current from non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) methods may be attenuated by the human scalp, skull, and cerebral spinal fluid. Thus, this review aims to highlight novel neurostimulation approaches that are showing promise as alternative routes for activating hippocampal circuitry. Early evidence suggests temporal interference, closed-loop and individualized protocols, sensory stimulation and peripheral nerve-targeted tES protocols warrant further investigation. These approaches each provide promising routes for activating the hippocampus by a) increasing its functional connectiveness to key brain regions, b) strengthening synaptic plasticity mechanisms, or c) enhancing neural entrainment specifically within and between theta and gamma frequencies in these regions. Importantly, these three functional mechanisms and the hippocampus' structural integrity are negatively impacted throughout the progression of Alzheimer's Disease, with episodic memory deficits likewise evident in early stages. Consequently, depending on further validation of the approaches reviewed here, these techniques could offer significant applied therapeutic value for patients suffering from memory deficits or neurodegenerative diseases including amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment or Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elva Arulchelvan
- Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, Trinity Institute for Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Global Brain Health Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Kong D, Zhang Y, Gao P, Pan C, Deng H, Xu S, Tang D, Xiao J, Jiao Y, Yu W, Wen D. The locus coeruleus input to the rostral ventromedial medulla mediates stress-induced colorectal visceral pain. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:65. [PMID: 37062831 PMCID: PMC10108465 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01537-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Unlike physiological stress, which carries survival value, pathological stress is widespread in modern society and acts as a main risk factor for visceral pain. As the main stress-responsive nucleus in the brain, the locus coeruleus (LC) has been previously shown to drive pain alleviation through direct descending projections to the spinal cord, but whether and how the LC mediates pathological stress-induced visceral pain remains unclear. Here, we identified a direct circuit projection from LC noradrenergic neurons to the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), an integral relay of the central descending pain modulation system. Furthermore, the chemogenetic activation of the LC-RVM circuit was found to significantly induce colorectal visceral hyperalgesia and anxiety-related psychiatric disorders in naïve mice. In a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced visceral pain model, the mice also presented colorectal visceral hypersensitivity and anxiety-related psychiatric disorders, which were associated with increased activity of the LC-RVM circuit; LC-RVM circuit inhibition markedly alleviated these symptoms. Furthermore, the chronic restraint stress (CRS) model precipitates anxiety-related psychiatric disorders and induces colorectal visceral hyperalgesia, which is referred to as pathological stress-induced hyperalgesia, and inhibiting the LC-RVM circuit attenuates the severity of colorectal visceral pain. Overall, the present study clearly demonstrated that the LC-RVM circuit could be critical for the comorbidity of colorectal visceral pain and stress-related psychiatric disorders. Both visceral inflammation and psychological stress can activate LC noradrenergic neurons, which promote the severity of colorectal visceral hyperalgesia through this LC-RVM circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexu Kong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunchun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Po Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Pan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoyue Deng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Saihong Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan Tang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingfu Jiao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.
| | - Weifeng Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.
| | - Daxiang Wen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.
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Acute Hypobaric Hypoxia Exposure Causes Neurobehavioral Impairments in Rats: Role of Brain Catecholamines and Tetrahydrobiopterin Alterations. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:471-486. [PMID: 36205808 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03767-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia is a state in which the body or a specific part of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply at the tissue level. Sojourners involved in different activities at high altitudes (> 2500 m) face hypobaric hypoxia (HH) due to low oxygen in the atmosphere. HH is an example of generalized hypoxia, where the homeostasis of the entire body of an organism is affected and results in neurochemical changes. It is known that lower O2 levels affect catecholamines (CA), severely impairing cognitive and locomotor behavior. However, there is less evidence on the effect of HH-mediated alteration in brain Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) levels and its role in neurobehavioral impairments. Hence, this study aimed to shed light on the effect of acute HH on CA and BH4 levels with its neurobehavioral impact on Wistar rat models. After HH exposure, significant alteration of the CA levels in the discrete brain regions, viz., frontal cortex, hippocampus, midbrain, and cerebellum was observed. HH exposure significantly reduced spontaneous motor activity, motor coordination, and spatial memory. The present study suggests that the HH-induced behavioral changes might be related to the alteration of the expression pattern of CA and BH4-related genes and proteins in different rat brain regions. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the role of BH4 and CA in HH-induced neurobehavioral impairments.
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KOÇ GG. Ergonomi ve Locus Coeruleus. ARŞIV KAYNAK TARAMA DERGISI 2022. [DOI: 10.17827/aktd.1220966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Pons ta tüp şeklinde bir anatomik şekle sahip olan locus coeruleus küçük yapısına rağmen nerdeyse tüm merkezi sinir sistemini (M.S.S’yi) etkilemektedir. Yaklaşık iki yüzyıl önce fark edilen locus coeruleus, noradrenalin kaynağı olup hücrelerinin içerdiği nöromelanin pigmentinden kaynaklı koyu mavi olarak görülmektedir. Bu nedenle, Latince’de coeruleus (gökyüzü mavisi) olarak isimlendirilmiştir. Ponsta bilateral olarak yerleşim gösteren bu hücre grubu yaklaşık olarak 45,000 ile 50,000 hücre içermektedir. Son yıllarda gelişen teknoloji ve optogenetik çalışmalar, fonksiyonel manyetik rezonans görüntüleme (MRG) teknikleri ile locus coeruleus ile ilgili pek çok bilginin elde edilmesini sağlamıştır. Bu anatomik yapının dikkat, uyanıklık, stress gibi bilişsel özelliklerde anahtar rol oynadığı bilinmektedir. Okülomotor fonksiyonların zihinsel işlevleri yansıtması nedeniyle özellikle ergonomi alanında çalışan mühendislerin ilgi odağı olmuştur.
Sunulan bu derleme çalışmasında locus coeruleusun anatomik yapısı, fizyolojik özellikleri ve nöroergonomi alanında klinik öneminin ortaya konması amaçlanmıştır. Ayrıca, nörobilim ve beyin görüntüleme konusunda meydana gelen gelişmeler ışığında bu anatomik yapının nöroergonomide de ele alınması gerektiğini ve bu alanda yapılacak çalışmaların artması görüşündeyiz.
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Johnston R, Snyder AC, Khanna SB, Issar D, Smith MA. The eyes reflect an internal cognitive state hidden in the population activity of cortical neurons. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:3331-3346. [PMID: 34963140 PMCID: PMC9340396 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Decades of research have shown that global brain states such as arousal can be indexed by measuring the properties of the eyes. The spiking responses of neurons throughout the brain have been associated with the pupil, small fixational saccades, and vigor in eye movements, but it has been difficult to isolate how internal states affect the eyes, and vice versa. While recording from populations of neurons in the visual and prefrontal cortex (PFC), we recently identified a latent dimension of neural activity called "slow drift," which appears to reflect a shift in a global brain state. Here, we asked if slow drift is correlated with the action of the eyes in distinct behavioral tasks. We recorded from visual cortex (V4) while monkeys performed a change detection task, and PFC, while they performed a memory-guided saccade task. In both tasks, slow drift was associated with the size of the pupil and the microsaccade rate, two external indicators of the internal state of the animal. These results show that metrics related to the action of the eyes are associated with a dominant and task-independent mode of neural activity that can be accessed in the population activity of neurons across the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Johnston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Adam C Snyder
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Sanjeev B Khanna
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Deepa Issar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Matthew A Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
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12
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García-Gomar MG, Singh K, Cauzzo S, Bianciardi M. In vivo structural connectome of arousal and motor brainstem nuclei by 7 Tesla and 3 Tesla MRI. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4397-4421. [PMID: 35633277 PMCID: PMC9435015 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Brainstem nuclei are key participants in the generation and maintenance of arousal, which is a basic function that modulates wakefulness/sleep, autonomic responses, affect, attention, and consciousness. Their mechanism is based on diffuse pathways ascending from the brainstem to the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal forebrain and cortex. Several arousal brainstem nuclei also participate in motor functions that allow humans to respond and interact with the surrounding through a multipathway motor network. Yet, little is known about the structural connectivity of arousal and motor brainstem nuclei in living humans. This is due to the lack of appropriate tools able to accurately visualize brainstem nuclei in conventional imaging. Using a recently developed in vivo probabilistic brainstem nuclei atlas and 7 Tesla diffusion‐weighted images (DWI), we built the structural connectome of 18 arousal and motor brainstem nuclei in living humans (n = 19). Furthermore, to investigate the translatability of our findings to standard clinical MRI, we acquired 3 Tesla DWI on the same subjects, and measured the association of the connectome across scanners. For both arousal and motor circuits, our results showed high connectivity within brainstem nuclei, and with expected subcortical and cortical structures based on animal studies. The association between 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla connectivity values was good, especially within the brainstem. The resulting structural connectome might be used as a baseline to better understand arousal and motor functions in health and disease in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Guadalupe García-Gomar
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Kavita Singh
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Simone Cauzzo
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Life Sciences Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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13
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Locus Coeruleus in Non-Mammalian Vertebrates. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020134. [PMID: 35203898 PMCID: PMC8870555 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a vertebrate-specific nucleus and the primary source of norepinephrine (NE) in the brain. This nucleus has conserved properties across species: highly homogeneous cell types, a small number of cells but extensive axonal projections, and potent influence on brain states. Comparative studies on LC benefit greatly from its homogeneity in cell types and modularity in projection patterns, and thoroughly understanding the LC-NE system could shed new light on the organization principles of other more complex modulatory systems. Although studies on LC are mainly focused on mammals, many of the fundamental properties and functions of LC are readily observable in other vertebrate models and could inform mammalian studies. Here, we summarize anatomical and functional studies of LC in non-mammalian vertebrate classes, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, on topics including axonal projections, gene expressions, homeostatic control, and modulation of sensorimotor transformation. Thus, this review complements mammalian studies on the role of LC in the brain.
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14
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Joshi S, Gold JI. Context-dependent relationships between locus coeruleus firing patterns and coordinated neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex. eLife 2022; 11:63490. [PMID: 34994344 PMCID: PMC8765756 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ascending neuromodulatory projections from the locus coeruleus (LC) affect cortical neural networks via the release of norepinephrine (NE). However, the exact nature of these neuromodulatory effects on neural activity patterns in vivo is not well understood. Here, we show that in awake monkeys, LC activation is associated with changes in coordinated activity patterns in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). These relationships, which are largely independent of changes in firing rates of individual ACC neurons, depend on the type of LC activation: ACC pairwise correlations tend to be reduced when ongoing (baseline) LC activity increases but enhanced when external events evoke transient LC responses. Both relationships covary with pupil changes that reflect LC activation and arousal. These results suggest that modulations of information processing that reflect changes in coordinated activity patterns in cortical networks can result partly from ongoing, context-dependent, arousal-related changes in activation of the LC-NE system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Joshi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Joshua I Gold
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
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15
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Van Egroo M, Koshmanova E, Vandewalle G, Jacobs HI. Importance of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system in sleep-wake regulation: implications for aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep Med Rev 2022; 62:101592. [PMID: 35124476 PMCID: PMC9064973 DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Five decades ago, seminal studies positioned the brainstem locus coeruleus (LC) norepinephrine (NE) system as a key substrate for the regulation of wakefulness and sleep, and this picture has recently been elaborated thanks to methodological advances in the precise investigation and experimental modulation of LC structure and functions. This review presents and discusses findings that support the major role of the LC-NE system at different levels of sleep-wake organization, ranging from its involvement in the overall architecture of the sleep-wake cycle to its associations with sleep microstructure, while accounting for the intricate neuroanatomy surrounding the LC. Given the particular position held by the LC-NE system by being at the intersection of sleep-wake dysregulation and initial pathophysiological processes of Alzheimer's disease (AD), we conclude by examining emerging opportunities to investigate LC-NE mediated relationships between sleep-wake alteration and AD in human aging. We further propose several research perspectives that could support the LC-NE system as a promising target for the identification of at-risk individuals in the preclinical stages of AD, and for the development of novel preventive interventions.
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16
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Selezneva E, Brosch M, Rathi S, Vighneshvel T, Wetzel N. Comparison of Pupil Dilation Responses to Unexpected Sounds in Monkeys and Humans. Front Psychol 2021; 12:754604. [PMID: 35002851 PMCID: PMC8732861 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.754604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pupil dilation in response to unexpected stimuli has been well documented in human as well as in non-human primates; however, this phenomenon has not been systematically compared between the species. This analogy is also crucial for the role of non-human primates as an animal model to investigate neural mechanisms underlying the processing of unexpected stimuli and their evoked pupil dilation response. To assess this qualitatively, we used an auditory oddball paradigm in which we presented subjects a sequence of the same sounds followed by occasional deviants while we measured their evoked pupil dilation response (PDR). We used deviants (a frequency deviant, a pink noise burst, a monkey vocalization and a whistle sound) which differed in the spectral composition and in their ability to induce arousal from the standard. Most deviants elicited a significant pupil dilation in both species with decreased peak latency and increased peak amplitude in monkeys compared to humans. A temporal Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed two components underlying the PDRs in both species. The early component is likely associated to the parasympathetic nervous system and the late component to the sympathetic nervous system, respectively. Taken together, the present study demonstrates a qualitative similarity between PDRs to unexpected auditory stimuli in macaque and human subjects suggesting that macaques can be a suitable model for investigating the neuronal bases of pupil dilation. However, the quantitative differences in PDRs between species need to be investigated in further comparative studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Selezneva
- Research Group Neurocognitive Development, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Elena Selezneva,
| | - Michael Brosch
- Research Group Comparative Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sanchit Rathi
- Research Group Comparative Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - T. Vighneshvel
- Research Group Comparative Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Wetzel
- Research Group Neurocognitive Development, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Applied Human Sciences, Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
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17
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Gould SL, Winter MJ, Norton WHJ, Tyler CR. The potential for adverse effects in fish exposed to antidepressants in the aquatic environment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:16299-16312. [PMID: 34856105 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed pharmaceutical classes for the treatment of psychiatric conditions. They act via modulation of brain monoaminergic signaling systems (predominantly serotonergic, adrenergic, dopaminergic) that show a high degree of structural conservation across diverse animal phyla. A reasonable assumption, therefore, is that exposed fish and other aquatic wildlife may be affected by antidepressants released into the natural environment. Indeed, there are substantial data reported for exposure effects in fish, albeit most are reported for exposure concentrations exceeding those occurring in natural environments. From a critical analysis of the available evidence for effects in fish, risk quotients (RQs) were derived from laboratory-based studies for a selection of antidepressants most commonly detected in the aquatic environment. We conclude that the likelihood for effects in fish on standard measured end points used in risk assessment (i.e., excluding effects on behavior) is low for levels of exposure occurring in the natural environment. Nevertheless, some effects on behavior have been reported for environmentally relevant exposures, and antidepressants can bioaccumulate in fish tissues. Limitations in the datasets used to calculate RQs revealed important gaps in which future research should be directed to more accurately assess the risks posed by antidepressants to fish. Developing greater certainty surrounding risk of antidepressants to fish requires more attention directed toward effects on behaviors relating to individual fitness, the employment of environmentally realistic exposure levels, on chronic exposure scenarios, and on mixtures analyses, especially given the wide range of similarly acting compounds released into the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie L Gould
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K
| | - Matthew J Winter
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K
| | - William H J Norton
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, University Rd, Leicester, LE1 7RH, U.K
| | - Charles R Tyler
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K
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18
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Fluid intelligence and the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2110630118. [PMID: 34764223 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110630118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The last decade has seen significant progress identifying genetic and brain differences related to intelligence. However, there remain considerable gaps in our understanding of how cognitive mechanisms that underpin intelligence map onto various brain functions. In this article, we argue that the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system is essential for understanding the biological basis of intelligence. We review evidence suggesting that the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system plays a central role at all levels of brain function, from metabolic processes to the organization of large-scale brain networks. We connect this evidence with our executive attention view of working-memory capacity and fluid intelligence and present analyses on baseline pupil size, an indicator of locus coeruleus activity. Using a latent variable approach, our analyses showed that a common executive attention factor predicted baseline pupil size. Additionally, the executive attention function of disengagement--not maintenance--uniquely predicted baseline pupil size. These findings suggest that the ability to control attention may be important for understanding how cognitive mechanisms of fluid intelligence map onto the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system. We discuss how further research is needed to better understand the relationships between fluid intelligence, the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system, and functionally organized brain networks.
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19
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McMorris T. The acute exercise-cognition interaction: From the catecholamines hypothesis to an interoception model. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 170:75-88. [PMID: 34666105 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
An interoception model for the acute exercise-cognition interaction is presented. During exercise following the norepinephrine threshold, interoceptive feedback induces increased tonic release of extracellular catecholamines, facilitating phasic release hence better cognitive performance of executive functions. When exercise intensity increases to maximum, the nature of task-induced norepinephrine release from the locus coeruleus is dependent on interaction between motivation, perceived effort costs and perceived availability of resources. This is controlled by interaction between the rostral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula cortex. If perceived available resources are sufficient to meet predicted effort costs and reward value is high, tonic release from the locus coeruleus is attenuated thus facilitating phasic release, therefore cognition is not inhibited. However, if perceived available resources are insufficient to meet predicted effort costs or reward value is low, tonic release from the locus coeruleus is induced, attenuating phasic release. As a result, cognition is inhibited, although long-term memory and tasks that require switching to new stimuli-response couplings are probably facilitated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry McMorris
- Institute of Sport, University of Chichester, College Lane, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 6PE, United Kingdom; Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Faculty of Science, University of Portsmouth, Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth PO1 2ER, United Kingdom.
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20
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Williams VM, Bhagwandin A, Swiegers J, Bertelsen MF, Hård T, Sherwood CC, Manger PR. Nuclear organization of catecholaminergic neurons in the brains of a lar gibbon and a chimpanzee. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:1476-1499. [PMID: 34605227 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Using tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry, we describe the nuclear parcellation of the catecholaminergic system in the brains of a lar gibbon (Hylobates lar) and a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). The parcellation of catecholaminergic nuclei in the brains of both apes is virtually identical to that observed in humans and shows very strong similarities to that observed in mammals more generally, particularly other primates. Specific variations of this system in the apes studied include an unusual high-density cluster of A10dc neurons, an enlarged retrorubral nucleus (A8), and an expanded distribution of the neurons forming the dorsolateral division of the locus coeruleus (A4). The additional A10dc neurons may improve dopaminergic modulation of the extended amygdala, the enlarged A8 nucleus may be related to the increased use of communicative facial expressions in the hominoids compared to other primates, while the expansion of the A4 nucleus appears to be related to accelerated evolution of the cerebellum in the hominoids compared to other primates. In addition, we report the presence of a compact division of the locus coeruleus proper (A6c), as seen in other primates, that is not present in other mammals apart from megachiropteran bats. The presence of this nucleus in primates and megachiropteran bats may reflect homology or homoplasy, depending on the evolutionary scenario adopted. The fact that the complement of homologous catecholaminergic nuclei is mostly consistent across mammals, including primates, is advantageous for the selection of model animals for the study of specific dysfunctions of the catecholaminergic system in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Williams
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.,Division of Clinical Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jordan Swiegers
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
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21
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Luckey AM, Robertson IH, Lawlor B, Mohan A, Vanneste S. Sex Differences in Locus Coeruleus: A Heuristic Approach That May Explain the Increased Risk of Alzheimer's Disease in Females. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 83:505-522. [PMID: 34334399 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210404] [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: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This article aims to reevaluate our approach to female vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and put forth a new hypothesis considering how sex differences in the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) structure and function could account for why females are more likely to develop AD. We specifically focus our attention on locus coeruleus (LC) morphology, the paucity of estrogens, neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier permeability, apolipoprotein ɛ4 polymorphism (APOEɛ4), and cognitive reserve. The role of the LC-NA system and sex differences are two of the most rapidly emerging topics in AD research. Current literature either investigates the LC due to it being one of the first brain areas to develop AD pathology or acknowledges the neuroprotective effects of estrogens and how the loss of these female hormones have the capacity to contribute to the sex differences seen in AD; however, existing research has neglected to concurrently examine these two rationales and therefore leaving our hypothesis undetermined. Collectively, this article should assist in alleviating current challenges surrounding female AD by providing thought-provoking connections into the interrelationship between the disruption of the female LC-NA system, the decline of estrogens, and AD vulnerability. It is therefore likely that treatment for this heterogeneous disease may need to be distinctly developed for females and males separately, and may require a precision medicine approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Luckey
- Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ian H Robertson
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Brian Lawlor
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anusha Mohan
- Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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22
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Breton-Provencher V, Drummond GT, Sur M. Locus Coeruleus Norepinephrine in Learned Behavior: Anatomical Modularity and Spatiotemporal Integration in Targets. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:638007. [PMID: 34163331 PMCID: PMC8215268 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.638007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC), a small brainstem nucleus, is the primary source of the neuromodulator norepinephrine (NE) in the brain. The LC receives input from widespread brain regions, and projects throughout the forebrain, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. LC neurons release NE to control arousal, but also in the context of a variety of sensory-motor and behavioral functions. Despite its brain-wide effects, much about the role of LC-NE in behavior and the circuits controlling LC activity is unknown. New evidence suggests that the modular input-output organization of the LC could enable transient, task-specific modulation of distinct brain regions. Future work must further assess whether this spatial modularity coincides with functional differences in LC-NE subpopulations acting at specific times, and how such spatiotemporal specificity might influence learned behaviors. Here, we summarize the state of the field and present new ideas on the role of LC-NE in learned behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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23
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Gargano A, Beins E, Zimmer A, Bilkei-Gorzo A. Lack of Cannabinoid Receptor Type-1 Leads to Enhanced Age-Related Neuronal Loss in the Locus Coeruleus. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010005. [PMID: 33374940 PMCID: PMC7792602 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Our laboratory and others have previously shown that cannabinoid receptor type-1 (CB1r) activity is neuroprotective and a modulator of brain ageing; a genetic disruption of CB1r signaling accelerates brain ageing, whereas the pharmacological stimulation of CB1r activity had the opposite effect. In this study, we have investigated if the lack of CB1r affects noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC), which are vulnerable to age-related changes; their numbers are reduced in patients with neurodegenerative diseases and probably also in healthy aged individuals. Thus, we compared LC neuronal numbers between cannabinoid 1 receptor knockout (Cnr1−/−) mice and their wild-type littermates. Our results reveal that old Cnr1−/− mice have less noradrenergic neurons compared to their age-matched wild-type controls. This result was also confirmed by the analysis of the density of noradrenergic terminals which proved that Cnr1−/− mice had less compared to the wild-type controls. Additionally, we assessed pro-inflammatory glial activity in the LC. Although the density of microglia in Cnr1−/− mice was enhanced, they did not show enhanced inflammatory profile. We hypothesize that CB1r activity is necessary for the protection of noradrenergic neurons, but its anti-inflammatory effect probably only plays a minor role in it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Gargano
- Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (A.G.); (E.B.); (A.Z.)
| | - Eva Beins
- Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (A.G.); (E.B.); (A.Z.)
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Zimmer
- Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (A.G.); (E.B.); (A.Z.)
| | - Andras Bilkei-Gorzo
- Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (A.G.); (E.B.); (A.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-0228-6885-317
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24
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Diederich NJ, Uchihara T, Grillner S, Goetz CG. The Evolution-Driven Signature of Parkinson's Disease. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:475-492. [PMID: 32499047 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we approach Parkinson's disease (PD) in the context of an evolutionary mismatch of central nervous system functions. The neurons at risk have hyperbranched axons, extensive transmitter release sites, display spontaneous spiking, and elevated mitochondrial stress. They function in networks largely unchanged throughout vertebrate evolution, but now connecting to the expanded human cortex. Their breakdown is favoured by longevity. At the cellular level, mitochondrial dysfunction starts at the synapses, then involves axons and cell bodies. At the behavioural level, network dysfunctions provoke the core motor syndrome of parkinsonism including freezing and failed gait automatization, and non-motor deficits including inactive blindsight and autonomic dysregulation. The proposed evolutionary re-interpretation of PD-prone cellular phenotypes and of prototypical clinical symptoms allows a new conceptual framework for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico J Diederich
- Department of Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, L-1210 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
| | - Toshiki Uchihara
- Neurology Clinic with Neuromorphomics Laboratory, Nitobe-Memorial Nakano General Hospital, Tokyo 164-8607, Japan; Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Sten Grillner
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christopher G Goetz
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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25
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Janitzky K. Impaired Phasic Discharge of Locus Coeruleus Neurons Based on Persistent High Tonic Discharge-A New Hypothesis With Potential Implications for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Neurol 2020; 11:371. [PMID: 32477246 PMCID: PMC7235306 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small brainstem nucleus with widely distributed noradrenergic projections to the whole brain, and loss of LC neurons is a prominent feature of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). This article discusses the hypothesis that in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases, the discharge mode of LC neurons could be changed to a persistent high tonic discharge, which in turn might impair phasic discharge. Since phasic discharge of LC neurons is required for the release of high amounts of norepinephrine (NE) in the brain to promote anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, persistent high tonic discharge of LC neurons could be a key factor in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Transcutaneous vagal stimulation (t-VNS), a non-invasive technique that potentially increases phasic discharge of LC neurons, could therefore provide a non-pharmacological treatment approach in specific disease stages. This article focuses on LC vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases, discusses the hypothesis that a persistent high tonic discharge of LC neurons might affect neurodegenerative processes, and finally reflects on t-VNS as a potentially useful clinical tool in specific stages of AD and PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Janitzky
- Department of Neurology, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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26
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Giorgi FS, Saccaro LF, Galgani A, Busceti CL, Biagioni F, Frati A, Fornai F. The role of Locus Coeruleus in neuroinflammation occurring in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Res Bull 2019; 153:47-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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27
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Sahley TL, Anderson DJ, Hammonds MD, Chandu K, Musiek FE. Evidence for a dynorphin-mediated inner ear immune/inflammatory response and glutamate-induced neural excitotoxicity: an updated analysis. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:1421-1460. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00595.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Acoustic overstimulation (AOS) is defined as the stressful overexposure to high-intensity sounds. AOS is a precipitating factor that leads to a glutamate (GLU)-induced Type I auditory neural excitotoxicity and an activation of an immune/inflammatory/oxidative stress response within the inner ear, often resulting in cochlear hearing loss. The dendrites of the Type I auditory neural neurons that innervate the inner hair cells (IHCs), and respond to the IHC release of the excitatory neurotransmitter GLU, are themselves directly innervated by the dynorphin (DYN)-bearing axon terminals of the descending brain stem lateral olivocochlear (LOC) system. DYNs are known to increase GLU availability, potentiate GLU excitotoxicity, and induce superoxide production. DYNs also increase the production of proinflammatory cytokines by modulating immune/inflammatory signal transduction pathways. Evidence is provided supporting the possibility that the GLU-mediated Type I auditory neural dendritic swelling, inflammation, excitotoxicity, and cochlear hearing loss that follow AOS may be part of a brain stem-activated, DYN-mediated cascade of inflammatory events subsequent to a LOC release of DYNs into the cochlea. In support of a DYN-mediated cascade of events are established investigations linking DYNs to the immune/inflammatory/excitotoxic response in other neural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony L. Sahley
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
- School of Health Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - David J. Anderson
- Department of Chemistry, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | | | - Karthik Chandu
- Department of Chemistry, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Frank E. Musiek
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
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28
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Betts MJ, Kirilina E, Otaduy MCG, Ivanov D, Acosta-Cabronero J, Callaghan MF, Lambert C, Cardenas-Blanco A, Pine K, Passamonti L, Loane C, Keuken MC, Trujillo P, Lüsebrink F, Mattern H, Liu KY, Priovoulos N, Fliessbach K, Dahl MJ, Maaß A, Madelung CF, Meder D, Ehrenberg AJ, Speck O, Weiskopf N, Dolan R, Inglis B, Tosun D, Morawski M, Zucca FA, Siebner HR, Mather M, Uludag K, Heinsen H, Poser BA, Howard R, Zecca L, Rowe JB, Grinberg LT, Jacobs HIL, Düzel E, Hämmerer D. Locus coeruleus imaging as a biomarker for noradrenergic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. Brain 2019; 142:2558-2571. [PMID: 31327002 PMCID: PMC6736046 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological alterations to the locus coeruleus, the major source of noradrenaline in the brain, are histologically evident in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases. Novel MRI approaches now provide an opportunity to quantify structural features of the locus coeruleus in vivo during disease progression. In combination with neuropathological biomarkers, in vivo locus coeruleus imaging could help to understand the contribution of locus coeruleus neurodegeneration to clinical and pathological manifestations in Alzheimer's disease, atypical neurodegenerative dementias and Parkinson's disease. Moreover, as the functional sensitivity of the noradrenergic system is likely to change with disease progression, in vivo measures of locus coeruleus integrity could provide new pathophysiological insights into cognitive and behavioural symptoms. Locus coeruleus imaging also holds the promise to stratify patients into clinical trials according to noradrenergic dysfunction. In this article, we present a consensus on how non-invasive in vivo assessment of locus coeruleus integrity can be used for clinical research in neurodegenerative diseases. We outline the next steps for in vivo, post-mortem and clinical studies that can lay the groundwork to evaluate the potential of locus coeruleus imaging as a biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Betts
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Evgeniya Kirilina
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria C G Otaduy
- Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance LIM44, Department and Institute of Radiology, Medical School of the University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dimo Ivanov
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Martina F Callaghan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Christian Lambert
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Arturo Cardenas-Blanco
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kerrin Pine
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Luca Passamonti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, UK
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare (IBFM), Milan, Italy
| | - Clare Loane
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Max C Keuken
- University of Amsterdam, Integrative Model-based Cognitive Neuroscience research unit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- University of Leiden, Cognitive Psychology, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Paula Trujillo
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Falk Lüsebrink
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Physics, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hendrik Mattern
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Physics, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kathy Y Liu
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nikos Priovoulos
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Klaus Fliessbach
- Department for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin J Dahl
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Maaß
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christopher F Madelung
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - David Meder
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Alexander J Ehrenberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Oliver Speck
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Physics, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Raymond Dolan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing, University College London, UK
| | - Ben Inglis
- Henry H. Wheeler, Jr. Brain Imaging Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Duygu Tosun
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Markus Morawski
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fabio A Zucca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Hartwig R Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kamil Uludag
- Centre for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Techna Institute and Koerner Scientist in MR Imaging, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Helmut Heinsen
- University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Clinic of Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Wurzburg, Germany
| | - Benedikt A Poser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Luigi Zecca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Emrah Düzel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dorothea Hämmerer
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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29
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Totah NK, Logothetis NK, Eschenko O. Noradrenergic ensemble-based modulation of cognition over multiple timescales. Brain Res 2019; 1709:50-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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30
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Diederich NJ, James Surmeier D, Uchihara T, Grillner S, Goetz CG. Parkinson's disease: Is it a consequence of human brain evolution? Mov Disord 2019; 34:453-459. [PMID: 30759321 PMCID: PMC6593760 DOI: 10.1002/mds.27628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nico J Diederich
- Department of Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - D James Surmeier
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Toshiki Uchihara
- Neurology Clinic with Neuromorphomics Laboratory, Nitobe Memorial Nakano General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.,Structural Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sten Grillner
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institut, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christopher G Goetz
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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31
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Bowling DL, Graf Ancochea P, Hove MJ, Fitch WT. Pupillometry of Groove: Evidence for Noradrenergic Arousal in the Link Between Music and Movement. Front Neurosci 2019; 12:1039. [PMID: 30686994 PMCID: PMC6335267 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.01039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity to entrain motor action to rhythmic auditory stimulation is highly developed in humans and extremely limited in our closest relatives. An important aspect of auditory-motor entrainment is that not all forms of rhythmic stimulation motivate movement to the same degree. This variation is captured by the concept of musical groove: high-groove music stimulates a strong desire for movement, whereas low-groove music does not. Here, we utilize this difference to investigate the neurophysiological basis of our capacity for auditory-motor entrainment. In a series of three experiments we examine pupillary responses to musical stimuli varying in groove. Our results show stronger pupil dilation in response to (1) high- vs. low-groove music, (2) high vs. low spectral content, and (3) syncopated vs. straight drum patterns. We additionally report evidence for consistent sex differences in music-induced pupillary responses, with males exhibiting larger differences between responses, but females exhibiting stronger responses overall. These results imply that the biological link between movement and auditory rhythms in our species is supported by the capacity of high-groove music to stimulate arousal in the central and peripheral nervous system, presumably via highly conserved noradrenergic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L. Bowling
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Michael J. Hove
- Department of Psychological Science, Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, United States
| | - W. Tecumseh Fitch
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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32
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Swiegers J, Bhagwandin A, Sherwood CC, Bertelsen MF, Maseko BC, Hemingway J, Rockland KS, Molnár Z, Manger PR. The distribution, number, and certain neurochemical identities of infracortical white matter neurons in a lar gibbon (Hylobates lar) brain. J Comp Neurol 2018; 527:1633-1653. [PMID: 30378128 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We examined the number, distribution, and immunoreactivity of the infracortical white matter neuronal population, also termed white matter interstitial cells (WMICs), in the brain of a lesser ape, the lar gibbon. Staining for neuronal nuclear marker (NeuN) revealed WMICs throughout the infracortical white matter, these cells being most numerous and dense close to cortical layer VI, decreasing significantly in density with depth in the white matter. Stereological analysis of NeuN-immunopositive cells revealed a global estimate of ~67.5 million WMICs within the infracortical white matter of the gibbon brain, indicating that the WMICs are a numerically significant population, ~2.5% of the total cortical gray matter neurons that would be estimated for a primate brain the mass of that of the lar gibbon. Immunostaining revealed subpopulations of WMICs containing neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS, ~7 million in number, with both small and large soma volumes), calretinin (~8.6 million in number, all of similar soma volume), very few WMICs containing parvalbumin, and no calbindin-immunopositive neurons. These nNOS, calretinin, and parvalbumin immunopositive WMICs, presumably all inhibitory neurons, represent ~23.1% of the total WMIC population. As the white matter is affected in many cognitive conditions, such as schizophrenia, autism and also in neurodegenerative diseases, understanding these neurons across species is important for the translation of findings of neural dysfunction in animal models to humans. Furthermore, studies of WMICs in species such as apes provide a crucial phylogenetic context for understanding the evolution of these cell types in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Swiegers
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Busisiwe C Maseko
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Jason Hemingway
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Kathleen S Rockland
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| | - Paul R Manger
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
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33
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Betts MJ, Ehrenberg AJ, Hämmerer D, Düzel E. Commentary: Locus Coeruleus Ablation Exacerbates Cognitive Deficits, Neuropathology, and Lethality in P301S Tau Transgenic Mice. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:401. [PMID: 29928191 PMCID: PMC5997818 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Betts
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.,Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alexander J Ehrenberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Dorothea Hämmerer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emrah Düzel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.,Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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34
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Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is the largest catecholaminergic nucleus and extensively projects to widespread areas of the brain and spinal cord. The LC is the largest source of noradrenaline in the brain. To date, the only examined Delphinidae species for the LC has been a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). In our experimental series including different Delphinidae species, the LC was composed of five subdivisions: A6d, A6v, A7, A5, and A4. The examined animals had the A4 subdivision, which had not been previously described in the only Delphinidae in which this nucleus was investigated. Moreover, the neurons had a large amount of neuromelanin in the interior of their perikarya, making this nucleus highly similar to that of humans and non-human primates. This report also presents the first description of neuromelanin in the cetaceans’ LC complex, as well as in the cetaceans’ brain.
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35
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Grinberg LT, Heinsen H. Light at the beginning of the tunnel? Investigating early mechanistic changes in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain 2017; 140:2770-2773. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awx261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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36
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37
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Raghanti MA, Edler MK, Stephenson AR, Wilson LJ, Hopkins WD, Ely JJ, Erwin JM, Jacobs B, Hof PR, Sherwood CC. Human-specific increase of dopaminergic innervation in a striatal region associated with speech and language: A comparative analysis of the primate basal ganglia. J Comp Neurol 2016; 524:2117-29. [PMID: 26715195 PMCID: PMC4860035 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The dopaminergic innervation of the striatum has been implicated in learning processes and in the development of human speech and language. Several lines of evidence suggest that evolutionary changes in dopaminergic afferents of the striatum may be associated with uniquely human cognitive and behavioral abilities, including the association of the human-specific sequence of the FOXP2 gene with decreased dopamine in the dorsomedial striatum of mice. To examine this possibility, we quantified the density of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive axons as a measure of dopaminergic innervation within five basal ganglia regions in humans, great apes, and New and Old World monkeys. Our results indicate that humans differ from nonhuman primate species in having a significant increase in dopaminergic innervation selectively localized to the medial caudate nucleus. This region of the striatum is highly interconnected, receiving afferents from multiple neocortical regions, and supports behavioral and cognitive flexibility. The medial caudate nucleus also shows hyperactivity in humans lacking a functional FOXP2 allele and exhibits altered dopamine concentrations in humanized Foxp2 mice. Additionally, striatal dopaminergic input was not altered in chimpanzees that used socially learned attention-getting sounds versus those that did not. This evidence indicates that the increase in dopamine innervation of the medial caudate nucleus in humans is a species-typical characteristic not associated with experience-dependent plasticity. The specificity of this increase may be related to the degree of convergence from cortical areas within this region of the striatum and may also be involved in human speech and language. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:2117-2129, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ann Raghanti
- Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Melissa K. Edler
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | | | - Lakaléa J. Wilson
- Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | - Joseph M. Erwin
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 USA
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis
| | - Bob Jacobs
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Psychology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USA
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 USA
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38
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Joshi S, Li Y, Kalwani RM, Gold JI. Relationships between Pupil Diameter and Neuronal Activity in the Locus Coeruleus, Colliculi, and Cingulate Cortex. Neuron 2015; 89:221-34. [PMID: 26711118 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 761] [Impact Index Per Article: 84.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 10/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Changes in pupil diameter that reflect effort and other cognitive factors are often interpreted in terms of the activity of norepinephrine-containing neurons in the brainstem nucleus locus coeruleus (LC), but there is little direct evidence for such a relationship. Here, we show that LC activation reliably anticipates changes in pupil diameter that either fluctuate naturally or are driven by external events during near fixation, as in many psychophysical tasks. This relationship occurs on as fine a temporal and spatial scale as single spikes from single units. However, this relationship is not specific to the LC. Similar relationships, albeit with delayed timing and different reliabilities across sites, are evident in the inferior and superior colliculus and anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. Because these regions are interconnected with the LC, the results suggest that non-luminance-mediated changes in pupil diameter might reflect LC-mediated coordination of neuronal activity throughout some parts of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Joshi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Yin Li
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rishi M Kalwani
- Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Joshua I Gold
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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39
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Adori C, Barde S, Bogdanovic N, Uhlén M, Reinscheid RR, Kovacs GG, Hökfelt T. Neuropeptide S- and Neuropeptide S receptor-expressing neuron populations in the human pons. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:126. [PMID: 26441556 PMCID: PMC4585187 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptide S (NPS) is a regulatory peptide with potent pharmacological effects. In rodents, NPS is expressed in a few pontine cell clusters. Its receptor (NPSR1) is, however, widely distributed in the brain. The anxiolytic and arousal-promoting effects of NPS make the NPS–NPSR1 system an interesting potential drug target in mood-related disorders. However, so far possible disease-related mechanisms involving NPS have only been studied in rodents. To validate the relevance of these animal studies for i.a. drug development, we have explored the distribution of NPS-expressing neurons in the human pons using in situ hybridization and stereological methods and we compared the distribution of NPS mRNA expressing neurons in the human and rat brain. The calculation revealed a total number of 22,317 ± 2411 NPS mRNA-positive neurons in human, bilaterally. The majority of cells (84%) were located in the parabrachial area in human: in the extension of the medial and lateral parabrachial nuclei, in the Kölliker-Fuse nucleus and around the adjacent lateral lemniscus. In human, in sharp contrast to the rodents, only very few NPS-positive cells (5%) were found close to the locus coeruleus. In addition, we identified a smaller cell cluster (11% of all NPS cells) in the pontine central gray matter both in human and rat, which has not been described previously even in rodents. We also examined the distribution of NPSR1 mRNA-expressing neurons in the human pons. These cells were mainly located in the rostral laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, the cuneiform nucleus, the microcellular tegmental nucleus region and in the periaqueductal gray. Our results show that both NPS and NPSR1 in the human pons are preferentially localized in regions of importance for integration of visceral autonomic information and emotional behavior. The reported interspecies differences must, however, be considered when looking for targets for new pharmacotherapeutical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Adori
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Swapnali Barde
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nenad Bogdanovic
- Geriatric Department, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Oslo University Oslo, Norway
| | - Mathias Uhlén
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden ; Science for Life Laboratory, Albanova University Center, Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rainer R Reinscheid
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA ; Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA ; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Tomas Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
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Phasic activation of individual neurons in the locus ceruleus/subceruleus complex of monkeys reflects rewarded decisions to go but not stop. J Neurosci 2015; 34:13656-69. [PMID: 25297093 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2566-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the brainstem nucleus locus ceruleus (LC) often exhibit phasic activation in the context of simple sensory-motor tasks. The functional role of this activation, which leads to the release of norepinephrine throughout the brain, is not yet understood in part because the conditions under which it occurs remain in question. Early studies focused on the relationship of LC phasic activation to salient sensory events, whereas more recent work has emphasized its timing relative to goal-directed behavioral responses, possibly representing the end of a sensory-motor decision process. To better understand the relationship between LC phasic activation and sensory, motor, and decision processing, we recorded spiking activity of neurons in the LC+ (LC and the adjacent, norepinephrine-containing subceruleus nucleus) of monkeys performing a countermanding task. The task required the monkeys to occasionally withhold planned, saccadic eye movements to a visual target. We found that many well isolated LC+ units responded to both the onset of the visual cue instructing the monkey to initiate the saccade and again after saccade onset, even when it was initiated erroneously in the presence of a stop signal. Many of these neurons did not respond to saccades made outside of the task context. In contrast, neither the appearance of the stop signal nor the successful withholding of the saccade elicited an LC+ response. Therefore, LC+ phasic activation encodes sensory and motor events related to decisions to execute, but not withhold, movements, implying a functional role in goal-directed actions, but not necessarily more covert forms of processing.
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Trillo L, Das D, Hsieh W, Medina B, Moghadam S, Lin B, Dang V, Sanchez MM, De Miguel Z, Ashford JW, Salehi A. Ascending monoaminergic systems alterations in Alzheimer's disease. translating basic science into clinical care. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:1363-79. [PMID: 23707776 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Extensive neuropathological studies have established a compelling link between abnormalities in structure and function of subcortical monoaminergic (MA-ergic) systems and the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The main cell populations of these systems including the locus coeruleus, the raphe nuclei, and the tuberomamillary nucleus undergo significant degeneration in AD, thereby depriving the hippocampal and cortical neurons from their critical modulatory influence. These studies have been complemented by genome wide association studies linking polymorphisms in key genes involved in the MA-ergic systems and particular behavioral abnormalities in AD. Importantly, several recent studies have shown that improvement of the MA-ergic systems can both restore cognitive function and reduce AD-related pathology in animal models of neurodegeneration. This review aims to explore the link between abnormalities in the MA-ergic systems and AD symptomatology as well as the therapeutic strategies targeting these systems. Furthermore, we will examine possible mechanisms behind basic vulnerability of MA-ergic neurons in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwig Trillo
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of San Agustin, Arequipa, Peru
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Sherwood CC, Bauernfeind AL, Bianchi S, Raghanti MA, Hof PR. Human brain evolution writ large and small. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2012; 195:237-54. [PMID: 22230630 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-53860-4.00011-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human evolution was marked by an extraordinary increase in total brain size relative to body size. While it is certain that increased encephalization is an important factor contributing to the origin of our species-specific cognitive abilities, it is difficult to disentangle which aspects of human neural structure and function are correlated by-products of brain size expansion from those that are specifically related to particular psychological specializations, such as language and enhanced "mentalizing" abilities. In this chapter, we review evidence from allometric scaling studies demonstrating that much of human neocortical organization can be understood as a product of brain enlargement. Defining extra-allometric specializations in humans is often hampered by a severe lack of comparative data from the same neuroanatomical variables across a broad range of primates. When possible, we highlight evidence for features of human neocortical architecture and function that cannot be easily explained as correlates of brain size and, hence, might be more directly associated with the evolution of uniquely human cognitive capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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Nicotinamide, NAD(P)(H), and Methyl-Group Homeostasis Evolved and Became a Determinant of Ageing Diseases: Hypotheses and Lessons from Pellagra. Curr Gerontol Geriatr Res 2012; 2012:302875. [PMID: 22536229 PMCID: PMC3318212 DOI: 10.1155/2012/302875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2011] [Accepted: 12/19/2011] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Compartmentalized redox faults are common to ageing diseases. Dietary constituents are catabolized to NAD(H) donating electrons producing proton-based bioenergy in coevolved, cross-species and cross-organ networks. Nicotinamide and NAD deficiency from poor diet or high expenditure causes pellagra, an ageing and dementing disorder with lost robustness to infection and stress. Nicotinamide and stress induce Nicotinamide-N-methyltransferase (NNMT) improving choline retention but consume methyl groups. High NNMT activity is linked to Parkinson's, cancers, and diseases of affluence. Optimising nicotinamide and choline/methyl group availability is important for brain development and increased during our evolution raising metabolic and methylome ceilings through dietary/metabolic symbiotic means but strict energy constraints remain and life-history tradeoffs are the rule. An optimal energy, NAD and methyl group supply, avoiding hypo and hyper-vitaminoses nicotinamide and choline, is important to healthy ageing and avoids utilising double-edged symbionts or uncontrolled autophagy or reversions to fermentation reactions in inflammatory and cancerous tissue that all redistribute NAD(P)(H), but incur high allostatic costs.
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Raghanti M, Simic G, Watson S, Stimpson C, Hof P, Sherwood C. Comparative analysis of the nucleus basalis of Meynert among primates. Neuroscience 2011; 184:1-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2011] [Revised: 04/05/2011] [Accepted: 04/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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