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Mimura Y, Tobari Y, Nakajima S, Takano M, Wada M, Honda S, Bun S, Tabuchi H, Ito D, Matsui M, Uchida H, Mimura M, Noda Y. Decreased short-latency afferent inhibition in individuals with mild cognitive impairment: A TMS-EEG study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 132:110967. [PMID: 38354899 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.110967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
TMS combined with EEG (TMS-EEG) is a tool to characterize the neurophysiological dynamics of the cortex. Among the TMS paradigms, short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) allows the investigation of inhibitory effects mediated by the cholinergic system. The aim of this study was to compare cholinergic function in the DLPFC between individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls (HC) using TMS-EEG with the SAI paradigm. In this study, 30 MCI and 30 HC subjects were included. The SAI paradigm consisted of 80 single pulse TMS and 80 SAI stimulations applied to the left DLPFC. N100 components, global mean field power (GMFP) and total power were calculated. As a result, individuals with MCI showed reduced inhibitory effects on N100 components and GMFP at approximately 100 ms post-stimulation and on β-band activity at 200 ms post-stimulation compared to HC. Individuals with MCI showed reduced SAI, suggesting impaired cholinergic function in the DLPFC compared to the HC group. We conclude that these findings underscore the clinical applicability of the TMS-EEG method as a powerful tool for assessing cholinergic function in individuals with MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Mimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yui Tobari
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Nakajima
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Mayuko Takano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; TEIJIN PHARMA LIMITED, Tokyo 100-8585, Japan
| | - Masataka Wada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shiori Honda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shogyoku Bun
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hajime Tabuchi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ito
- Department of Physiology/Memory Center, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mie Matsui
- Laboratory of Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-0934, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Uchida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaru Mimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Noda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
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Bastuji H, Cadic-Melchior A, Ruelle-Le Glaunec L, Magnin M, Garcia-Larrea L. Functional connectivity between medial pulvinar and cortical networks as a predictor of arousal to noxious stimuli during sleep. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:570-583. [PMID: 36889675 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
The interruption of sleep by a nociceptive stimulus is favoured by an increase in the pre-stimulus functional connectivity between sensory and higher level cortical areas. In addition, stimuli inducing arousal also trigger a widespread electroencephalographic (EEG) response reflecting the coordinated activation of a large cortical network. Because functional connectivity between distant cortical areas is thought to be underpinned by trans-thalamic connections involving associative thalamic nuclei, we investigated the possible involvement of one principal associative thalamic nucleus, the medial pulvinar (PuM), in the sleeper's responsiveness to nociceptive stimuli. Intra-cortical and intra-thalamic signals were analysed in 440 intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) segments during nocturnal sleep in eight epileptic patients receiving laser nociceptive stimuli. The spectral coherence between the PuM and 10 cortical regions grouped in networks was computed during 5 s before and 1 s after the nociceptive stimulus and contrasted according to the presence or absence of an arousal EEG response. Pre- and post-stimulus phase coherence between the PuM and all cortical networks was significantly increased in instances of arousal, both during N2 and paradoxical (rapid eye movement [REM]) sleep. Thalamo-cortical enhancement in coherence involved both sensory and higher level cortical networks and predominated in the pre-stimulus period. The association between pre-stimulus widespread increase in thalamo-cortical coherence and subsequent arousal suggests that the probability of sleep interruption by a noxious stimulus increases when it occurs during phases of enhanced trans-thalamic transfer of information between cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Bastuji
- Central Integration of Pain (NeuroPain) Lab, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard, Bron, France
- Centre du Sommeil, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Bron, France
| | - Andéol Cadic-Melchior
- Central Integration of Pain (NeuroPain) Lab, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard, Bron, France
| | - Lucien Ruelle-Le Glaunec
- Central Integration of Pain (NeuroPain) Lab, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard, Bron, France
| | - Michel Magnin
- Central Integration of Pain (NeuroPain) Lab, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard, Bron, France
| | - Luis Garcia-Larrea
- Central Integration of Pain (NeuroPain) Lab, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard, Bron, France
- Centre d'évaluation et de traitement de la douleur, Hôpital Neurologique, Lyon, France
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Hallock HL, Adiraju SS, Miranda-Barrientos J, McInerney JM, Oh S, DeBrosse AC, Li Y, Carr GV, Martinowich K. Electrophysiological correlates of attention in the locus coeruleus-prelimbic cortex circuit during the rodent continuous performance test. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:521-531. [PMID: 37563281 PMCID: PMC10789747 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01692-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Sustained attention, the ability to focus on an activity or stimulus over time, is significantly impaired in many psychiatric disorders, and there remains a major unmet need in treating impaired attention. Continuous performance tests (CPTs) were developed to measure sustained attention in humans, non-human primates, rats, and mice, and similar neural circuits are engaged across species during CPT performance, supporting their use in translational studies to identify novel therapeutics. Here, we identified electrophysiological correlates of attentional performance in a touchscreen-based rodent CPT (rCPT) in the locus coeruleus (LC) and prelimbic cortex (PrL), two inter-connected regions that are implicated in attentional processes. We used viral labeling and molecular techniques to demonstrate that neural activity is recruited in LC-PrL projections during the rCPT, and that this recruitment increases with cognitive demand. We implanted male mice with depth electrodes within the LC and PrL for local field potential (LFP) recordings during rCPT training, and identified an increase in PrL delta and theta power, and an increase in LC delta power during correct responses in the rCPT. We also found that the LC leads the PrL in theta frequencies during correct responses while the PrL leads the LC in gamma frequencies during incorrect responses. These findings may represent translational biomarkers that can be used to screen novel therapeutics for drug discovery in attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry L Hallock
- Neuroscience Program, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, 18042, USA
| | - Suhaas S Adiraju
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | | | - Jessica M McInerney
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Seyun Oh
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Adrienne C DeBrosse
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ye Li
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Gregory V Carr
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Keri Martinowich
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- The Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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Morais PLAG, Rubio-Garrido P, de Lima RM, Córdoba-Claros A, de Nascimento ES, Cavalcante JS, Clascá F. The Arousal-Related "Central Thalamus" Stimulation Site Simultaneously Innervates Multiple High-Level Frontal and Parietal Areas. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7812-7821. [PMID: 37758474 PMCID: PMC10648518 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1216-23.2023] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In human and nonhuman primates, deep brain stimulation applied at or near the internal medullary lamina of the thalamus [a region referred to as "central thalamus," (CT)], but not at nearby thalamic sites, elicits major changes in the level of consciousness, even in some minimally conscious brain-damaged patients. The mechanisms behind these effects remain mysterious, as the connections of CT had not been specifically mapped in primates. In marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) of both sexes, we labeled the axons originating from each of the various CT neuronal populations and analyzed their arborization patterns in the cerebral cortex and striatum. We report that, together, these CT populations innervate an array of high-level frontal, posterior parietal, and cingulate cortical areas. Some populations simultaneously target the frontal, parietal, and cingulate cortices, while others predominantly target the dorsal striatum. Our data indicate that CT stimulation can simultaneously engage a heterogeneous set of projection systems that, together, target the key nodes of the attention, executive control, and working-memory networks of the brain. Increased functional connectivity in these networks has been previously described as a signature of consciousness.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In human and nonhuman primates, deep brain stimulation at a specific site near the internal medullary lamina of the thalamus ["central thalamus," (CT)] had been shown to restore arousal and awareness in anesthetized animals, as well as in some brain-damaged patients. The mechanisms behind these effects remain mysterious, as CT connections remain poorly defined in primates. In marmoset monkeys, we mapped with sensitive axon-labeling methods the pathways originated from CT. Our data indicate that stimulation applied in CT can simultaneously engage a heterogeneous set of projection systems that, together, target several key nodes of the attention, executive control, and working-memory networks of the brain. Increased functional connectivity in these networks has been previously described as a signature of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo L A G Morais
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, RN CEP 59078-900, Natal, Brazil
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Mengxing L, Lerma-Usabiaga G, Clascá F, Paz-Alonso PM. High-Resolution Tractography Protocol to Investigate the Pathways between Human Mediodorsal Thalamic Nucleus and Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7780-7798. [PMID: 37709539 PMCID: PMC10648582 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0721-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal studies have established that the mediodorsal nucleus (MD) of the thalamus is heavily and reciprocally connected with all areas of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In humans, however, these connections are difficult to investigate. High-resolution imaging protocols capable of reliably tracing the axonal tracts linking the human MD with each of the PFC areas may thus be key to advance our understanding of the variation, development, and plastic changes of these important circuits, in health and disease. Here, we tested in adult female and male humans the reliability of a new reconstruction protocol based on in vivo diffusion MRI to trace, measure, and characterize the fiber tracts interconnecting the MD with 39 human PFC areas per hemisphere. Our protocol comprised the following three components: (1) defining regions of interest; (2) preprocessing diffusion data; and, (3) modeling white matter tracts and tractometry. This analysis revealed largely separate PFC territories of reciprocal MD-PFC tracts bearing striking resemblance with the topographic layout observed in macaque connection-tracing studies. We then examined whether our protocol could reliably reconstruct each of these MD-PFC tracts and their profiles across test and retest sessions. Results revealed that this protocol was able to trace and measure, in both left and right hemispheres, the trajectories of these 39 area-specific axon bundles with good-to-excellent test-retest reproducibility. This protocol, which has been made publicly available, may be relevant for cognitive neuroscience and clinical studies of normal and abnormal PFC function, development, and plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Reciprocal MD-PFC interactions are critical for complex human cognition and learning. Reliably tracing, measuring and characterizing MD-PFC white matter tracts using high-resolution noninvasive methods is key to assess individual variation of these systems in humans. Here, we propose a high-resolution tractography protocol that reliably reconstructs 39 area-specific MD-PFC white matter tracts per hemisphere and quantifies structural information from diffusion MRI data. This protocol revealed a detailed mapping of thalamocortical and corticothalamic MD-PFC tracts in four different PFC territories (dorsal, medial, orbital/frontal pole, inferior frontal) showing structural connections resembling those observed in tracing studies with macaques. Furthermore, our automated protocol revealed high test-retest reproducibility and is made publicly available, constituting a step forward in mapping human MD-PFC circuits in clinical and academic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Mengxing
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, 20009 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Garikoitz Lerma-Usabiaga
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, 20009 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Francisco Clascá
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Autónoma de Madrid University, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro M Paz-Alonso
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, 20009 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
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6
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Borra E, Rizzo M, Luppino G. Gradients of thalamic connectivity in the macaque lateral prefrontal cortex. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1239426. [PMID: 37908780 PMCID: PMC10613699 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1239426] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In the primate brain, the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPF) is a large, heterogeneous region critically involved in the cognitive control of behavior, consisting of several connectionally and functionally distinct areas. Studies in macaques provided evidence for distinctive patterns of cortical connectivity between architectonic areas located at different dorsoventral levels and for rostrocaudal gradients of parietal and frontal connections in the three main architectonic LPF areas: 46d, 46v, and 12r. In the present study, based on tracer injections placed at different dorsoventral and rostrocaudal cortical levels, we have examined the thalamic projections to the LPF to examine to what extent fine-grained connectional gradients of cortical connectivity are reflected in the topography of thalamo-LPF projections. The results showed mapping onto the nucleus medialis dorsalis (MD), by far the major source of thalamic input to the LPF, of rostral-to-caudal LPF zones, in which MD zones projecting to more caudal LPF sectors are located more rostral than those projecting to intermediate LPF sectors. Furthermore, the MD zones projecting to the rostral LPF sectors tended to be much more extensive in the rostrocaudal direction. One rostrolateral MD sector appeared to be a common source of projections to caudal prefrontal areas involved in the oculomotor frontal domain, a more caudal and ventral MD sector to a large extent of the ventral LPF, and middle and dorsal MD sectors to most of the dorsal LPF. Additional topographically organized projections to LPF areas originated from the nucleus pulvinaris medialis and projections from the nucleus anterior medialis selectively targeted more rostral sectors of LPF. Thus, the present data suggest that the topography of the MD-LPF projections does not adhere to simple topological rules, but is mainly organized according to functional criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giuseppe Luppino
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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Howell AM, Warrington S, Fonteneau C, Cho YT, Sotiropoulos SN, Murray JD, Anticevic A. The spatial extent of anatomical connections within the thalamus varies across the cortical hierarchy in humans and macaques. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.22.550168. [PMID: 37546767 PMCID: PMC10401924 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.22.550168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Each cortical area has a distinct pattern of anatomical connections within the thalamus, a central subcortical structure composed of functionally and structurally distinct nuclei. Previous studies have suggested that certain cortical areas may have more extensive anatomical connections that target multiple thalamic nuclei, which potentially allows them to modulate distributed information flow. However, there is a lack of quantitative investigations into anatomical connectivity patterns within the thalamus. Consequently, it remains unknown if cortical areas exhibit systematic differences in the extent of their anatomical connections within the thalamus. To address this knowledge gap, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) to perform brain-wide probabilistic tractography for 828 healthy adults from the Human Connectome Project. We then developed a framework to quantify the spatial extent of each cortical area's anatomical connections within the thalamus. Additionally, we leveraged resting-state functional MRI, cortical myelin, and human neural gene expression data to test if the extent of anatomical connections within the thalamus varied along the cortical hierarchy. Our results revealed two distinct corticothalamic tractography motifs: 1) a sensorimotor cortical motif characterized by focal thalamic connections targeting posterolateral thalamus, associated with fast, feed-forward information flow; and 2) an associative cortical motif characterized by diffuse thalamic connections targeting anteromedial thalamus, associated with slow, feed-back information flow. These findings were consistent across human subjects and were also observed in macaques, indicating cross-species generalizability. Overall, our study demonstrates that sensorimotor and association cortical areas exhibit differences in the spatial extent of their anatomical connections within the thalamus, which may support functionally-distinct cortico-thalamic information flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M Howell
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Shaun Warrington
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Clara Fonteneau
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Youngsun T Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Stamatios N Sotiropoulos
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - John D Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
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Shi W, Meisner OC, Blackmore S, Jadi MP, Nandy AS, Chang SWC. The orbitofrontal cortex: A goal-directed cognitive map framework for social and non-social behaviors. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 203:107793. [PMID: 37353191 PMCID: PMC10527225 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is regarded as one of the core brain areas in a variety of value-based behaviors. Over the past two decades, tremendous knowledge about the OFC function was gained from studying the behaviors of single subjects. As a result, our previous understanding of the OFC's function of encoding decision variables, such as the value and identity of choices, has evolved to the idea that the OFC encodes a more complex representation of the task space as a cognitive map. Accumulating evidence also indicates that the OFC importantly contributes to behaviors in social contexts, especially those involved in cooperative interactions. However, it remains elusive how exactly OFC neurons contribute to social functions and how non-social and social behaviors are related to one another in the computations performed by OFC neurons. In this review, we aim to provide an integrated view of the OFC function across both social and non-social behavioral contexts. We propose that seemingly complex functions of the OFC may be explained by its role in providing a goal-directed cognitive map to guide a wide array of adaptive reward-based behaviors in both social and non-social domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weikang Shi
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Olivia C Meisner
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sylvia Blackmore
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Monika P Jadi
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Anirvan S Nandy
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Steve W C Chang
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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9
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Lu X, Lai S, Luo A, Huang X, Wang Y, Zhang Y, He J, Chen G, Zhong S, Jia Y. Biochemical metabolism in the anterior cingulate cortex and cognitive function in major depressive disorder with or without insomnia syndrome. J Affect Disord 2023; 335:256-263. [PMID: 37164065 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) and insomnia have been linked to deficiencies in cognitive performance. However, the underlying mechanism of cognitive impairment in MDD patients with insomnia symptoms (IS) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of IS in patients with MDD by comparing cognitive function indices among those with IS, those without insomnia symptoms (NIS), and healthy controls (HCs). In addition, we assessed whether the dysfunction of central nervous system (CNS) is one of the important pathophysiologic mechanisms of IS in patients with MDD by comparing the biochemical metabolism ratios in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). METHOD Fifty-five MDD with IS, 39 MDD without IS, and 47 demographically matched HCs underwent the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) assessment and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). MCCB cognitive scores and biochemical metabolism in ACC were assessed and compared between groups. RESULTS Compared to the HCs group, IS and NIS groups scored significantly lower in seven MCCB cognitive domains (speed of processing, attention/vigilance, working memory, verbal learning, visual learning, reasoning problem solving and social cognition). IS group showed a lower speed of processing and lower Cho/Cr ratio in the left ACC vs. NIS group and HCs. Also, in IS group, the Cho/Cr ratio in the left ACC was positively correlated with the composite T-score. CONCLUSION Patients with comorbidity of MDD with IS may exhibit more common MCCB cognitive impairments than those without IS, particularly speed of processing. Also, dysfunction of ACC may underlie the neural substrate of cognitive impairment in MDD with IS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Shunkai Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
| | - Aimin Luo
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China; Guangzhou Baiyun Psychological Hospital, Guangzhou 510440, China
| | - Xiaosi Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Yiliang Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jiali He
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Guanmao Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China
| | - Shuming Zhong
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China.
| | - Yanbin Jia
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital (Heyuan Shenhe People's Hospital), Jinan University, Heyuan 517000, China.
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10
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Hallock HL, Adiraju S, Miranda-Barrientos J, McInerney JM, Oh S, DeBrosse AC, Li Y, Carr GV, Martinowich K. Electrophysiological correlates of attention in the locus coeruleus - anterior cingulate cortex circuit during the rodent continuous performance test. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.19.537406. [PMID: 37131757 PMCID: PMC10153204 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.19.537406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Sustained attention, the ability to focus on an activity or stimulus over time, is significantly impaired in many psychiatric disorders, and there remains a major unmet need in treating impaired attention. Continuous performance tests (CPTs) were developed to measure sustained attention in humans, non-human primates, rats, and mice, and similar neural circuits are engaged across species during CPT performance, supporting their use in translational studies to identify novel therapeutics. Here, we identified electrophysiological correlates of attentional performance in a touchscreen-based rodent CPT (rCPT) in the locus coeruleus (LC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), two inter-connected regions that are implicated in attentional processes. We used viral labeling and molecular techniques to demonstrate that neural activity is recruited in LC-ACC projections during the rCPT, and that this recruitment increases with cognitive demand. We implanted male mice with depth electrodes within the LC and ACC for local field potential (LFP) recordings during rCPT training, and identified an increase in ACC delta and theta power, and an increase in LC delta power during correct responses in the rCPT. We also found that the LC leads the ACC in theta frequencies during correct responses while the ACC leads the LC in gamma frequencies during incorrect responses. These findings may represent translational biomarkers that can be used to screen novel therapeutics for drug discovery in attention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suhaas Adiraju
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | | | - Jessica M. McInerney
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Seyun Oh
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Adrienne C. DeBrosse
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ye Li
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Gregory V. Carr
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Keri Martinowich
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- The Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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11
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Pérez-Santos I, García-Cabezas MÁ, Cavada C. Mapping the primate thalamus: systematic approach to analyze the distribution of subcortical neuromodulatory afferents. Brain Struct Funct 2023:10.1007/s00429-023-02619-w. [PMID: 36890350 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02619-w] [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: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Neuromodulatory afferents to thalamic nuclei are key for information transmission and thus play critical roles in sensory, motor, and limbic processes. Over the course of the last decades, diverse attempts have been made to map and describe subcortical neuromodulatory afferents to the primate thalamus, including axons using acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline, and histamine. Our group has been actively involved in this endeavor. The published descriptions on neuromodulatory afferents to the primate thalamus have been made in different laboratories and are not fully comparable due to methodological divergences (for example, fixation procedures, planes of cutting, techniques used to detect the afferents, different criteria for identification of thalamic nuclei…). Such variation affects the results obtained. Therefore, systematic methodological and analytical approaches are much needed. The present article proposes reproducible methodological and terminological frameworks for primate thalamic mapping. We suggest the use of standard stereotaxic planes to produce and present maps of the primate thalamus, as well as the use of the Anglo-American school terminology (vs. the German school terminology) for identification of thalamic nuclei. Finally, a public repository of the data collected under agreed-on frameworks would be a useful tool for looking up and comparing data on the structure and connections of primate thalamic nuclei. Important and agreed-on efforts are required to create, manage, and fund a unified and homogeneous resource of data on the primate thalamus. Likewise, a firm commitment of the institutions to preserve experimental brain material is much needed because neuroscience work with non-human primates is becoming increasingly rare, making earlier material still more valuable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Pérez-Santos
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,PhD Program in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel García-Cabezas
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,PhD Program in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Cajal, Madrid, Spain.,Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carmen Cavada
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain. .,PhD Program in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
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12
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Giarrocco F, Averbeck BB. Anatomical organization of forebrain circuits in the primate. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:393-411. [PMID: 36271258 PMCID: PMC9944689 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02586-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The primate forebrain is a complex structure. Thousands of connections have been identified between cortical areas, and between cortical and sub-cortical areas. Previous work, however, has suggested that a number of principles can be used to reduce this complexity. Here, we integrate four principles that have been put forth previously, including a nested model of neocortical connectivity, gradients of connectivity between frontal cortical areas and the striatum and thalamus, shared patterns of sub-cortical connectivity between connected posterior and frontal cortical areas, and topographic organization of cortical-striatal-pallidal-thalamocortical circuits. We integrate these principles into a single model that accounts for a substantial amount of connectivity in the forebrain. We then suggest that studies in evolution and development can account for these four principles, by assuming that the ancestral vertebrate pallium was dominated by medial, hippocampal and ventral-lateral, pyriform areas, and at most a small dorsal pallium. The small dorsal pallium expanded massively in the lineage leading to primates. During this expansion, topological, adjacency relationships were maintained between pallial and sub-pallial areas. This maintained topology led to the connectivity gradients seen between cortex, striatum, pallidum, and thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franco Giarrocco
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Building 49 Room 1B80, 49 Convent Drive MSC 4415, Bethesda, MD, 20892-4415, USA
| | - Bruno B Averbeck
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Building 49 Room 1B80, 49 Convent Drive MSC 4415, Bethesda, MD, 20892-4415, USA.
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13
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Yanakieva S, Mathiasen ML, Amin E, Nelson AJD, O'Mara SM, Aggleton JP. Collateral rostral thalamic projections to prelimbic, infralimbic, anterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortices in the rat brain. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5869-5887. [PMID: 36089888 PMCID: PMC9826051 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
As the functional properties of a cortical area partly reflect its thalamic inputs, the present study compared collateral projections arising from various rostral thalamic nuclei that terminate across prefrontal (including anterior cingulate) and retrosplenial areas in the rat brain. Two retrograde tracers, fast blue and cholera toxin B, were injected in pairs to different combinations of cortical areas. The research focused on the individual anterior thalamic nuclei, including the interanteromedial nucleus, nucleus reuniens and the laterodorsal nucleus. Of the principal anterior thalamic nuclei, only the anteromedial nucleus contained neurons reaching both the anterior cingulate cortex and adjacent cortical areas (prefrontal or retrosplenial), though the numbers were modest. For these same cortical pairings (medial prefrontal/anterior cingulate and anterior cingulate/retrosplenial), the interanteromedial nucleus and nucleus reuniens contained slightly higher proportions of bifurcating neurons (up to 11% of labelled cells). A contrasting picture was seen for collaterals reaching different areas within retrosplenial cortex. Here, the anterodorsal nucleus, typically provided the greatest proportion of bifurcating neurons (up to 15% of labelled cells). While individual neurons that terminate in different retrosplenial areas were also found in the other thalamic nuclei, they were infrequent. Consequently, these thalamo-cortical projections predominantly arise from separate populations of neurons with discrete cortical termination zones, consistent with the transmission of segregated information and influence. Overall, two contrasting medial-lateral patterns of collateral projections emerged, with more midline nuclei, for example, nucleus reuniens and the interoanteromedial nucleus innervating prefrontal areas, while more dorsal and lateral anterior thalamic collaterals innervated retrosplenial cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mathias L. Mathiasen
- School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityWalesUK
- Department of Veterinary and Animal SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
| | - Eman Amin
- School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityWalesUK
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14
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Ash H, Chang A, Ortiz RJ, Kulkarni P, Rauch B, Colman R, Ferris CF, Ziegler TE. Structural and functional variations in the prefrontal cortex are associated with learning in pre-adolescent common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Behav Brain Res 2022; 430:113920. [PMID: 35595058 PMCID: PMC9362994 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
There is substantial evidence linking the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to a variety of cognitive abilities, with adolescence being a critical period in its development. In the current study, we investigated the neural basis of differences in learning in pre-adolescent common marmosets. At 8 months old, marmosets were given anatomical and resting state MRI scans (n = 24). At 9 months old, association learning and inhibitory control was tested using a 'go/no go' visual discrimination (VD) task. Marmosets were grouped into 'learners' (n = 12) and "non-learners" (n = 12), and associations between cognitive performance and sub-regional PFC volumes, as well as PFC connectivity patterns, were investigated. "Learners" had significantly (p < 0.05) larger volumes of areas 11, 25, 47 and 32 than 'non-learners', although 'non-learners' had significantly larger volumes of areas 24a and 8 v than "learners". There was also a significant correlation between average % correct responses to the 'punished' stimulus and volume of area 47. Further, 'non-learners' had significantly greater global PFC connections, as well as significantly greater numbers of connections between the PFC and basal ganglia, cerebellum and hippocampus, compared to 'learners'. These results suggest that larger sub-regions of the orbitofrontal cortex and ventromedial PFC, as well more refined PFC connectivity patterns to other brain regions associated with learning, may be important in successful response inhibition. This study therefore offers new information on the neurodevelopment of individual differences in cognition during pre-adolescence in non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Ash
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Arnold Chang
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard J Ortiz
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Praveen Kulkarni
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Beth Rauch
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ricki Colman
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Craig F Ferris
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Toni E Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
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15
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The anterior thalamic nuclei: core components of a tripartite episodic memory system. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:505-516. [PMID: 35478245 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00591-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Standard models of episodic memory focus on hippocampal-parahippocampal interactions, with the neocortex supplying sensory information and providing a final repository of mnemonic representations. However, recent advances have shown that other regions make distinct and equally critical contributions to memory. In particular, there is growing evidence that the anterior thalamic nuclei have a number of key cognitive functions that support episodic memory. In this article, we describe these findings and argue for a core, tripartite memory system, comprising a 'temporal lobe' stream (centred on the hippocampus) and a 'medial diencephalic' stream (centred on the anterior thalamic nuclei) that together act on shared cortical areas. We demonstrate how these distributed brain regions form complementary and necessary partnerships in episodic memory formation.
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16
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Rudebeck PH, Izquierdo A. Foraging with the frontal cortex: A cross-species evaluation of reward-guided behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:134-146. [PMID: 34408279 PMCID: PMC8617092 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01140-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Efficient foraging is essential to survival and depends on frontal cortex in mammals. Because of its role in psychiatric disorders, frontal cortex and its contributions to reward procurement have been studied extensively in both rodents and non-human primates. How frontal cortex of these animal models compares is a source of intense debate. Here we argue that translating findings from rodents to non-human primates requires an appreciation of both the niche in which each animal forages as well as the similarities in frontal cortex anatomy and function. Consequently, we highlight similarities and differences in behavior and anatomy, before focusing on points of convergence in how parts of frontal cortex contribute to distinct aspects of foraging in rats and macaques, more specifically. In doing so, our aim is to emphasize where translation of frontal cortex function between species is clearer, where there is divergence, and where future work should focus. We finish by highlighting aspects of foraging for which have received less attention but we believe are critical to uncovering how frontal cortex promotes survival in each species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alicia Izquierdo
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- The Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Integrative Center for Addictions, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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17
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Preuss TM, Wise SP. Evolution of prefrontal cortex. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:3-19. [PMID: 34363014 PMCID: PMC8617185 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01076-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Subdivisions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) evolved at different times. Agranular parts of the PFC emerged in early mammals, and rodents, primates, and other modern mammals share them by inheritance. These are limbic areas and include the agranular orbital cortex and agranular medial frontal cortex (areas 24, 32, and 25). Rodent research provides valuable insights into the structure, functions, and development of these shared areas, but it contributes less to parts of the PFC that are specific to primates, namely, the granular, isocortical PFC that dominates the frontal lobe in humans. The first granular PFC areas evolved either in early primates or in the last common ancestor of primates and tree shrews. Additional granular PFC areas emerged in the primate stem lineage, as represented by modern strepsirrhines. Other granular PFC areas evolved in simians, the group that includes apes, humans, and monkeys. In general, PFC accreted new areas along a roughly posterior to anterior trajectory during primate evolution. A major expansion of the granular PFC occurred in humans in concert with other association areas, with modifications of corticocortical connectivity and gene expression, although current evidence does not support the addition of a large number of new, human-specific PFC areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd M Preuss
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
| | - Steven P Wise
- Olschefskie Institute for the Neurobiology of Knowledge, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
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18
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Hwang K, Shine JM, Bruss J, Tranel D, Boes A. Neuropsychological evidence of multi-domain network hubs in the human thalamus. eLife 2021; 10:69480. [PMID: 34622776 PMCID: PMC8526062 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hubs in the human brain support behaviors that arise from brain network interactions. Previous studies have identified hub regions in the human thalamus that are connected with multiple functional networks. However, the behavioral significance of thalamic hubs has yet to be established. Our framework predicts that thalamic subregions with strong hub properties are broadly involved in functions across multiple cognitive domains. To test this prediction, we studied human patients with focal thalamic lesions in conjunction with network analyses of the human thalamocortical functional connectome. In support of our prediction, lesions to thalamic subregions with stronger hub properties were associated with widespread deficits in executive, language, and memory functions, whereas lesions to thalamic subregions with weaker hub properties were associated with more limited deficits. These results highlight how a large-scale network model can broaden our understanding of thalamic function for human cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hwang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Cognitive Control Collaborative, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Joel Bruss
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Neurology, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States
| | - Daniel Tranel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Neurology, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States
| | - Aaron Boes
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Neurology, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States
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19
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Savage LM, Nunes PT, Gursky ZH, Milbocker KA, Klintsova AY. Midline Thalamic Damage Associated with Alcohol-Use Disorders: Disruption of Distinct Thalamocortical Pathways and Function. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 31:447-471. [PMID: 32789537 PMCID: PMC7878584 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus, a significant part of the diencephalon, is a symmetrical and bilateral central brain structure. The thalamus is subdivided into three major groups of nuclei based on their function: sensorimotor nuclei (or principal/relay nuclei), limbic nuclei and nuclei bridging these two domains. Anatomically, nuclei within the thalamus are described by their location, such as anterior, medial, lateral, ventral, and posterior. In this review, we summarize the role of medial and midline thalamus in cognition, ranging from learning and memory to flexible adaptation. We focus on the discoveries in animal models of alcohol-related brain damage, which identify the loss of neurons in the medial and midline thalamus as drivers of cognitive dysfunction associated with alcohol use disorders. Models of developmental ethanol exposure and models of adult alcohol-related brain damage and are compared and contrasted, and it was revealed that there are similar (anterior thalamus) and different (intralaminar [adult exposure] versus ventral midline [developmental exposure]) thalamic pathology, as well as disruptions of thalamo-hippocampal and thalamo-cortical circuits. The final part of the review summarizes approaches to recover alcohol-related brain damage and cognitive and behavioral outcomes. These approaches include pharmacological, nutritional and behavioral interventions that demonstrated the potential to mitigate alcohol-related damage. In summary, the medial/midline thalamus is a significant contributor to cognition function, which is also sensitive to alcohol-related brain damage across the life span, and plays a role in alcohol-related cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Savage
- Developmental Ethanol Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA.
| | - Polliana T Nunes
- Developmental Ethanol Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA
| | - Zachary H Gursky
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Katrina A Milbocker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Anna Y Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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20
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Pérez-Santos I, Palomero-Gallagher N, Zilles K, Cavada C. Distribution of the Noradrenaline Innervation and Adrenoceptors in the Macaque Monkey Thalamus. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4115-4139. [PMID: 34003210 PMCID: PMC8328208 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Noradrenaline (NA) in the thalamus has important roles in physiological, pharmacological, and pathological neuromodulation. In this work, a complete characterization of NA axons and Alpha adrenoceptors distributions is provided. NA axons, revealed by immunohistochemistry against the synthesizing enzyme and the NA transporter, are present in all thalamic nuclei. The most densely innervated ones are the midline nuclei, intralaminar nuclei (paracentral and parafascicular), and the medial sector of the mediodorsal nucleus (MDm). The ventral motor nuclei and most somatosensory relay nuclei receive a moderate NA innervation. The pulvinar complex receives a heterogeneous innervation. The lateral geniculate nucleus (GL) has the lowest NA innervation. Alpha adrenoceptors were analyzed by in vitro quantitative autoradiography. Alpha-1 receptor densities are higher than Alpha-2 densities. Overall, axonal densities and Alpha adrenoceptor densities coincide; although some mismatches were identified. The nuclei with the highest Alpha-1 values are MDm, the parvocellular part of the ventral posterior medial nucleus, medial pulvinar, and midline nuclei. The nucleus with the lowest Alpha-1 receptor density is GL. Alpha-2 receptor densities are highest in the lateral dorsal, centromedian, medial and inferior pulvinar, and midline nuclei. These results suggest a role for NA in modulating thalamic involvement in consciousness, limbic, cognitive, and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Pérez-Santos
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Calle Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicola Palomero-Gallagher
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karl Zilles
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Carmen Cavada
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Calle Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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21
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Phillips JM, Kambi NA, Redinbaugh MJ, Mohanta S, Saalmann YB. Disentangling the influences of multiple thalamic nuclei on prefrontal cortex and cognitive control. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:487-510. [PMID: 34216654 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has a complex relationship with the thalamus, involving many nuclei which occupy predominantly medial zones along its anterior-to-posterior extent. Thalamocortical neurons in most of these nuclei are modulated by the affective and cognitive signals which funnel through the basal ganglia. We review how PFC-connected thalamic nuclei likely contribute to all aspects of cognitive control: from the processing of information on internal states and goals, facilitating its interactions with mnemonic information and learned values of stimuli and actions, to their influence on high-level cognitive processes, attentional allocation and goal-directed behavior. This includes contributions to transformations such as rule-to-choice (parvocellular mediodorsal nucleus), value-to-choice (magnocellular mediodorsal nucleus), mnemonic-to-choice (anteromedial nucleus) and sensory-to-choice (medial pulvinar). Common mechanisms appear to be thalamic modulation of cortical gain and cortico-cortical functional connectivity. The anatomy also implies a unique role for medial PFC in modulating processing in thalamocortical circuits involving other orbital and lateral PFC regions. We further discuss how cortico-basal ganglia circuits may provide a mechanism through which PFC controls cortico-cortical functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
| | - Niranjan A Kambi
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Michelle J Redinbaugh
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Sounak Mohanta
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Yuri B Saalmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 Capitol Ct., Madison, WI 53715, United States.
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22
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Onishi K, Kikuchi SS, Abe T, Tokuhara T, Shimogori T. Molecular cell identities in the mediodorsal thalamus of infant mice and marmoset. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:963-977. [PMID: 34184265 PMCID: PMC8714865 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25203] [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: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The mediodorsal thalamus (MD) is a higher-order nucleus located within the central thalamus in many mammalian species. Emerging evidence from MD lesions and tracer injections suggests that the MD is reciprocally connected to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and plays an essential role in specific cognitive processes and tasks. MD subdivisions (medial, central, and lateral) are poorly segregated at the molecular level in rodents, leading to a lack of MD subdivision-specific Cre driver mice. Moreover, this lack of molecular identifiers hinders MD subdivision- and cell-type-specific circuit formation and function analysis. Therefore, using publicly available databases, we explored molecules separately expressed in MD subdivisions. In addition to MD subdivision markers, we identified several genes expressed in a subdivision-specific combination and classified them. Furthermore, after developing medial MD (MDm) or central MD (MDc) region-specific Cre mouse lines, we identified diverse region- and layer-specific PFC projection patterns. Comparison between classified MD marker genes in mice and common marmosets, a nonhuman primate model, revealed diverging gene expression patterns. These results highlight the species-specific organization of cell types and their projections in the MD thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Onishi
- Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Development, Center for Brain Science (CBS), RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Satomi S Kikuchi
- Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Development, Center for Brain Science (CBS), RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Chuou-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomoko Tokuhara
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Chuou-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomomi Shimogori
- Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Development, Center for Brain Science (CBS), RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
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23
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Attention expedites target selection by prioritizing the neural processing of distractor features. Commun Biol 2021; 4:814. [PMID: 34188169 PMCID: PMC8242025 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether doing the shopping, or driving the car – to navigate daily life, our brain has to rapidly identify relevant color signals among distracting ones. Despite a wealth of research, how color attention is dynamically adjusted is little understood. Previous studies suggest that the speed of feature attention depends on the time it takes to enhance the neural gain of cortical units tuned to the attended feature. To test this idea, we had human participants switch their attention on the fly between unpredicted target color alternatives, while recording the electromagnetic brain response to probes matching the target, a non-target, or a distracting alternative target color. Paradoxically, we observed a temporally prioritized processing of distractor colors. A larger neural modulation for the distractor followed by its stronger attenuation expedited target identification. Our results suggest that dynamic adjustments of feature attention involve the temporally prioritized processing and elimination of distracting feature representations. In order to investigate underlying mechanisms of color attention, Bartsch et al measured electromagnetic brain responses in participants who were challenged to switch their attention in accordance with unpredicted target colors changes in the absence or presence of ‘distractor colors’. They demonstrated that dynamic adjustments of feature attention involve the temporally prioritized processing and elimination of distracting feature representations.
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24
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Mair RG, Francoeur MJ, Gibson BM. Central Thalamic-Medial Prefrontal Control of Adaptive Responding in the Rat: Many Players in the Chamber. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:642204. [PMID: 33897387 PMCID: PMC8060444 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.642204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has robust afferent and efferent connections with multiple nuclei clustered in the central thalamus. These nuclei are elements in large-scale networks linking mPFC with the hippocampus, basal ganglia, amygdala, other cortical areas, and visceral and arousal systems in the brainstem that give rise to adaptive goal-directed behavior. Lesions of the mediodorsal nucleus (MD), the main source of thalamic input to middle layers of PFC, have limited effects on delayed conditional discriminations, like DMTP and DNMTP, that depend on mPFC. Recent evidence suggests that MD sustains and amplifies neuronal responses in mPFC that represent salient task-related information and is important for detecting and encoding contingencies between actions and their consequences. Lesions of rostral intralaminar (rIL) and ventromedial (VM) nuclei produce delay-independent impairments of egocentric DMTP and DNMTP that resemble effects of mPFC lesions on response speed and accuracy: results consistent with projections of rIL to striatum and VM to motor cortices. The ventral midline and anterior thalamic nuclei affect allocentric spatial cognition and memory consistent with their connections to mPFC and hippocampus. The dorsal midline nuclei spare DMTP and DNMTP. They have been implicated in behavioral-state control and response to salient stimuli in associative learning. mPFC functions are served during DNMTP by discrete populations of neurons with responses related to motor preparation, movements, lever press responses, reinforcement anticipation, reinforcement delivery, and memory delay. Population analyses show that different responses are timed so that they effectively tile the temporal interval from when DNMTP trials are initiated until the end. Event-related responses of MD neurons during DNMTP are predominantly related to movement and reinforcement, information important for DNMTP choice. These responses closely mirror the activity of mPFC neurons with similar responses. Pharmacological inactivation of MD and adjacent rIL affects the expression of diverse action- and outcome-related responses of mPFC neurons. Lesions of MD before training are associated with a shift away from movement-related responses in mPFC important for DNMTP choice. These results suggest that MD has short-term effects on the expression of event-related activity in mPFC and long-term effects that tune mPFC neurons to respond to task-specific information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Mair
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
| | - Miranda J Francoeur
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States.,Neural Engineering and Translation Lab, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Brett M Gibson
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
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25
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Borra E, Luppino G. Comparative anatomy of the macaque and the human frontal oculomotor domain. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:43-56. [PMID: 33737106 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In non-human primates, at the junction of the prefrontal with the premotor cortex, there is a sector designated as frontal eye field (FEF), involved in controlling oculomotor behavior and spatial attention. Evidence for at least two FEFs in humans is at the basis of the still open issue of the possible homologies between the macaque and the human frontal oculomotor system. In this review article we address this issue suggesting a new view solidly grounded on evidence from the last decade showing that, in macaques, the FEF is at the core of an oculomotor domain in which several distinct areas, including areas 45A and 45B, provide the substrate for parallel processing of different aspects of oculomotor behavior. Based on comparative considerations, we will propose a correspondence between some of the macaque and the human oculomotor fields, thus suggesting sharing of neural substrate for oculomotor control, gaze processing, and orienting attention in space. Accordingly, this article could contribute to settle some aspects of the so-called "enigma" of the human FEF anatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Borra
- University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Neuroscience Unit, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Luppino
- University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Neuroscience Unit, Italy
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26
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Cognitive effects of theta frequency bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation in Parkinson's disease: A pilot study. Brain Stimul 2021; 14:230-240. [PMID: 33418095 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is significant evidence for cognitive decline following deep brain stimulation (DBS). Current stimulation paradigms utilize gamma frequency stimulation for optimal motor benefits; however, little has been done to optimize stimulation parameters for cognition. Recent evidence implicates subthalamic nucleus (STN) theta oscillations in executive function, and theta oscillations are well-known to relate to episodic memory, suggesting that theta frequency stimulation could potentially improve cognition in Parkinson's disease (PD). OBJECTIVE To evaluate the acute effects of theta frequency bilateral STN stimulation on executive function in PD versus gamma frequency and off, as well as investigate the differential effects on episodic versus nonepisodic verbal fluency. METHODS Twelve patients (all males, mean age 60.8) with bilateral STN DBS for PD underwent a double-blinded, randomized cognitive testing during stimulation at (1) 130-135 Hz (gamma), (2) 10 Hz (theta) and (3) off. Executive functions and processing speed were evaluated using verbal fluency tasks (letter, episodic category, nonepisodic category, and category switching), color-word interference task, and random number generation task. Performance at each stimulation frequency was compared within subjects. RESULTS Theta frequency significantly improved episodic category fluency compared to gamma, but not compared to off. There were no significant differences between stimulation frequencies in other tests. CONCLUSION In this pilot trial, our results corroborate the role of theta oscillations in episodic retrieval, although it is unclear whether this reflects direct modulation of the medial temporal lobe and whether similar effects can be found with more canonical memory paradigms. Further work is necessary to corroborate our findings and investigate the possibility of interleaving theta and gamma frequency stimulation for concomitant motor and cognitive effects.
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27
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Georgescu IA, Popa D, Zagrean L. The Anatomical and Functional Heterogeneity of the Mediodorsal Thalamus. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10090624. [PMID: 32916866 PMCID: PMC7563683 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The mediodorsal nucleus (MD) represents just one piece of a complex relay structure situated within the brain, called the thalamus. MD is characterized by its robust interconnections with other brain areas, especially with limbic-related structures. Given the close anatomo-functional relationship between the MD and the limbic system, this particular thalamic nucleus can directly influence various affective behaviors and participate in cognition. In this work, we review data collected from multiple anatomical studies conducted in rodent, human, and non-human primates, highlighting the complexity of this structure and of the neural networks in which it takes part. We provide proof that the MD is involved in the unification of several anatomical structures, being able to process the information and influence the activity in numerous cortical and subcortical neural circuits. Moreover, we uncover intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that offer MD the possibility to execute and control specific high functions of the nervous system. The collected data indicate the great importance of the MD in the limbic system and offer relevant insight into the organization of thalamic circuits that support MD functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana Antoaneta Georgescu
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eroii Sanitari, nr 8, Sector 5, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Daniela Popa
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eroii Sanitari, nr 8, Sector 5, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
- Institut de biologie de l’Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
- Correspondence: (D.P.); (L.Z.)
| | - Leon Zagrean
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eroii Sanitari, nr 8, Sector 5, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
- Correspondence: (D.P.); (L.Z.)
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28
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Monje MHG, Blesa J, García-Cabezas MÁ, Obeso JA, Cavada C. Changes in thalamic dopamine innervation in a progressive Parkinson's disease model in monkeys. Mov Disord 2019; 35:419-430. [PMID: 31800134 PMCID: PMC7154739 DOI: 10.1002/mds.27921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dopamine loss beyond the mesostriatal system might be relevant in pathogenic mechanisms and some clinical manifestations in PD. The primate thalamus is densely and heterogeneously innervated with dopaminergic axons, most of which express the dopamine transporter, as does the nigrostriatal system. We hypothesized that dopamine depletion may be present in the thalamus of the parkinsonian brain and set out to ascertain possible regional differences. METHODS The toxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine was administered to adult macaque monkeys using a slow intoxication protocol. The treated macaques were classified into 2 groups according to their motor status: nonsymptomatic and parkinsonian. Dopamine innervation was studied with immunohistochemistry for the dopamine transporter. Topographic maps of the dopamine transporter-immunoreactive axon distribution were generated and the total length and length density of these axons stereologically estimated using a 3-dimensional fractionator. RESULTS Parkinsonian macaques exhibited lower dopamine transporter-immunoreactive axon length density than controls in mediodorsal and centromedian-parafascicular nuclei. Dopamine denervation in the mediodorsal nucleus was already noticeable in nonsymptomatic macaques and was even greater in parkinsonian macaques. Reticular nucleus dopamine transporter-immunoreactive axon length density presented an inverse pattern, increasing progressively to the maximum density seen in parkinsonian macaques. No changes were observed in ventral thalamic nuclei. Dopamine transporter-immunoreactive axon maps supported the quantitative findings. CONCLUSIONS Changes in the dopamine innervation of various thalamic nuclei are heterogeneous and start in the premotor parkinsonian stage. These changes may be involved in some poorly understood nonmotor manifestations of PD. © 2019 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana H G Monje
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,HM-CINAC, HM Puerta del Sur University Hospital, Móstoles, and CEU-San Pablo University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Blesa
- HM-CINAC, HM Puerta del Sur University Hospital, Móstoles, and CEU-San Pablo University, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERNED (Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel García-Cabezas
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Obeso
- HM-CINAC, HM Puerta del Sur University Hospital, Móstoles, and CEU-San Pablo University, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERNED (Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Cavada
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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29
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Phillips JM, Fish LR, Kambi NA, Redinbaugh MJ, Mohanta S, Kecskemeti SR, Saalmann YB. Topographic organization of connections between prefrontal cortex and mediodorsal thalamus: Evidence for a general principle of indirect thalamic pathways between directly connected cortical areas. Neuroimage 2019; 189:832-846. [PMID: 30711468 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.01.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 01/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Our ability to act flexibly, according to goals and context, is known as cognitive control. Hierarchical levels of control, reflecting different levels of abstraction, are represented across prefrontal cortex (PFC). Although the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) is extensively interconnected with PFC, the role of MD in cognitive control is unclear. Tract tracer studies in macaques, involving subsets of PFC areas, have converged on coarse MD-PFC connectivity principles; but proposed finer-grained topographic schemes, which constrain interactions between MD and PFC, disagree in many respects. To investigate a unifying topographic scheme, we performed probabilistic tractography on diffusion MRI data from eight macaque monkeys, and estimated the probable paths connecting MD with each of all 19 architectonic areas of PFC. We found a connectional topography where the orderly progression from ventromedial to anterior to posterolateral PFC was represented from anteromedial to posterolateral MD. The projection zones of posterolateral PFC areas in MD showed substantial overlap, and those of ventral and anteromedial PFC areas in MD overlapped. The exception was cingulate area 24: its projection zone overlapped with projections zones of all other PFC areas. Overall, our data suggest that nearby, functionally related, directly connected PFC areas have partially overlapping projection zones in MD, consistent with a role for MD in coordinating communication across PFC. Indeed, the organizing principle for PFC projection zones in MD appears to reflect the flow of information across the hierarchical, multi-level PFC architecture. In addition, cingulate area 24 may have privileged access to influence thalamocortical interactions involving all other PFC areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
| | - Lesenia R Fish
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Niranjan A Kambi
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | | | - Sounak Mohanta
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Steven R Kecskemeti
- Brain Imaging Core, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Yuri B Saalmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
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30
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Wolff M, Vann SD. The Cognitive Thalamus as a Gateway to Mental Representations. J Neurosci 2019; 39:3-14. [PMID: 30389839 PMCID: PMC6325267 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0479-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Historically, the thalamus has been viewed as little more than a relay, simply transferring information to key players of the cast, the cortex and hippocampus, without providing any unique functional contribution. In recent years, evidence from multiple laboratories researching different thalamic nuclei has contradicted this idea of the thalamus as a passive structure. Dated models of thalamic functions are being pushed aside, revealing a greater and far more complex contribution of the thalamus for cognition. In this Viewpoints article, we show how recent data support novel views of thalamic functions that emphasize integrative roles in cognition, ranging from learning and memory to flexible adaption. We propose that these apparently separate cognitive functions may indeed be supported by a more general role in shaping mental representations. Several features of thalamocortical circuits are consistent with this suggested role, and we highlight how divergent and convergent thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways may complement each other to support these functions. Furthermore, the role of the thalamus for subcortical integration is highlighted as a key mechanism for maintaining and updating representations. Finally, we discuss future areas of research and stress the importance of incorporating new experimental findings into existing knowledge to continue developing thalamic models. The presence of thalamic pathology in a number of neurological conditions reinforces the need to better understand the role of this region in cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Wolff
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INCIA, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5287, Bordeaux, France,
- University of Bordeaux, INCIA, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5287, Bordeaux, France, and
| | - Seralynne D Vann
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
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31
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Barbas H, Wang J, Joyce MKP, García-Cabezas MÁ. Pathway mechanism for excitatory and inhibitory control in working memory. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:2659-2678. [PMID: 30256740 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00936.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans engage in many daily activities that rely on working memory, the ability to hold and sequence information temporarily to accomplish a task. We focus on the process of working memory, based on circuit mechanisms for attending to relevant signals and suppressing irrelevant stimuli. We discuss that connections critically depend on the systematic variation in laminar structure across all cortical systems. Laminar structure is used to group areas into types regardless of their placement in the cortex, ranging from low-type agranular areas that lack layer IV to high-type areas that have six well-delineated layers. Connections vary in laminar distribution and strength based on the difference in type between linked areas, according to the "structural model" (Barbas H, Rempel-Clower N. Cereb Cortex 7: 635-646, 1997). The many possible pathways thus vary systematically by laminar distribution and strength, and they interface with excitatory neurons to select relevant stimuli and with functionally distinct inhibitory neurons that suppress activity at the site of termination. Using prefrontal pathways, we discuss how systematic architectonic variation gives rise to diverse pathways that can be recruited, along with amygdalar and hippocampal pathways that provide sensory, affective, and contextual information. The prefrontal cortex is also connected with thalamic nuclei that receive the output of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, which may facilitate fast sequencing of information. The complement of connections and their interface with distinct inhibitory neurons allows dynamic recruitment of areas and shifts in cortical rhythms to meet rapidly changing demands of sequential components of working memory tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mary Kate P Joyce
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Miguel Ángel García-Cabezas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
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32
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Chakraborty S, Ouhaz Z, Mason S, Mitchell AS. Macaque parvocellular mediodorsal thalamus: dissociable contributions to learning and adaptive decision-making. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 49:1041-1054. [PMID: 30022540 PMCID: PMC6519510 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Distributed brain networks govern adaptive decision‐making, new learning and rapid updating of information. However, the functional contribution of the rhesus macaque monkey parvocellular nucleus of the mediodorsal thalamus (MDpc) in these key higher cognitive processes remains unknown. This study investigated the impact of MDpc damage in cognition. Preoperatively, animals were trained on an object‐in‐place scene discrimination task that assesses rapid learning of novel information within each session. Bilateral neurotoxic (NMDA and ibotenic acid) MDpc lesions did not impair new learning unless the monkey had also sustained damage to the magnocellular division of the MD (MDmc). Contralateral unilateral MDpc and MDmc damage also impaired new learning, while selective unilateral MDmc damage produced new learning deficits that eventually resolved with repeated testing. In contrast, during food reward (satiety) devaluation, monkeys with either bilateral MDpc damage or combined MDpc and MDmc damage showed attenuated food reward preferences compared to unoperated control monkeys; the selective unilateral MDmc damage left performance intact. Our preliminary results demonstrate selective dissociable roles for the two adjacent nuclei of the primate MD, namely, MDpc, as part of a frontal cortical network, and the MDmc, as part of a frontal‐temporal cortical network, in learning, memory and the cognitive control of behavioural choices after changes in reward value. Moreover, the functional cognitive deficits produced after differing MD damage show that the different subdivisions of the MD thalamus support distributed neural networks to rapidly and fluidly incorporate task‐relevant information, in order to optimise the animals’ ability to receive rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhojit Chakraborty
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Zakaria Ouhaz
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Stuart Mason
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Anna S Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK
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33
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Variability and anatomical specificity of the orbitofrontothalamic fibers of passage in the ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS): precision care for patient-specific tractography-guided targeting of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 10:1054-1067. [PMID: 26518214 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-015-9462-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that can reduce symptoms in medically intractable obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Conceptually, DBS of the ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS) region targets reciprocal excitatory connections between the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and thalamus, decreasing abnormal reverberant activity within the OFC-caudate-pallidal-thalamic circuit. In this study, we investigated these connections using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) on human connectome datasets of twenty-nine healthy young-adult volunteers with two-tensor unscented Kalman filter based tractography. We studied the morphology of the lateral and medial orbitofrontothalamic connections and estimated their topographic variability within the VC/VS region. Our results showed that the morphology of the individual orbitofrontothalamic fibers of passage in the VC/VS region is complex and inter-individual variability in their topography is high. We applied this method to an example OCD patient case who underwent DBS surgery, formulating an initial proof of concept for a tractography-guided patient-specific approach in DBS for medically intractable OCD. This may improve on current surgical practice, which involves implanting all patients at identical stereotactic coordinates within the VC/VS region.
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34
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Glausier JR, Roberts RC, Lewis DA. Ultrastructural analysis of parvalbumin synapses in human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:2075-2089. [PMID: 28074478 PMCID: PMC5397325 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Coordinated activity of neural circuitry in the primate dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) supports a range of cognitive functions. Altered DLPFC activation is implicated in a number of human psychiatric and neurological illnesses. Proper DLPFC activity is, in part, maintained by two populations of neurons containing the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV): local inhibitory interneurons that form Type II synapses, and long-range glutamatergic inputs from the thalamus that form Type I synapses. Understanding the contributions of each PV neuronal population to human DLPFC function requires a detailed examination of their anatomical properties. Consequently, we performed an electron microscopic analysis of (1) the distribution of PV immunoreactivity within the neuropil, (2) the properties of dendritic shafts of PV-IR interneurons, (3) Type II PV-IR synapses from PV interneurons, and (4) Type I PV-IR synapses from long-range projections, within the superficial and middle laminar zones of the human DLPFC. In both laminar zones, Type II PV-IR synapses from interneurons comprised ∼60% of all PV-IR synapses, and Type I PV-IR synapses from putative thalamocortical terminals comprised the remaining ∼40% of PV-IR synapses. Thus, the present study suggests that innervation from PV-containing thalamic nuclei extends across superficial and middle layers of the human DLPFC. These findings contrast with previous ultrastructural studies in monkey DLPFC where Type I PV-IR synapses were not identified in the superficial laminar zone. The presumptive added modulation of DLPFC circuitry by the thalamus in human may contribute to species-specific, higher-order functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill R. Glausier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Rosalinda C. Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - David A. Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
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Turner BO, Crossley MJ, Ashby FG. Hierarchical control of procedural and declarative category-learning systems. Neuroimage 2017; 150:150-161. [PMID: 28213114 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Substantial evidence suggests that human category learning is governed by the interaction of multiple qualitatively distinct neural systems. In this view, procedural memory is used to learn stimulus-response associations, and declarative memory is used to apply explicit rules and test hypotheses about category membership. However, much less is known about the interaction between these systems: how is control passed between systems as they interact to influence motor resources? Here, we used fMRI to elucidate the neural correlates of switching between procedural and declarative categorization systems. We identified a key region of the cerebellum (left Crus I) whose activity was bidirectionally modulated depending on switch direction. We also identified regions of the default mode network (DMN) that were selectively connected to left Crus I during switching. We propose that the cerebellum-in coordination with the DMN-serves a critical role in passing control between procedural and declarative memory systems.
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Executive attention deficits after traumatic brain injury reflect impaired recruitment of resources. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 14:233-241. [PMID: 28180082 PMCID: PMC5288490 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in attention are a common and devastating consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI), leading to functional impairments, rehabilitation barriers, and long-term disability. While such deficits are well documented, little is known about their underlying pathophysiology hindering development of effective and targeted interventions. Here we evaluate the integrity of brain systems specific to attentional functions using quantitative assessments of electroencephalography recorded during performance of the Attention Network Test (ANT), a behavioral paradigm that separates alerting, orienting, and executive components of attention. We studied 13 patients, at least 6 months post-TBI with cognitive impairments, and 24 control subjects. Based on performance on the ANT, TBI subjects showed selective impairment in executive attention. In TBI subjects, principal component analysis combined with spectral analysis of the EEG after target appearance extracted a pattern of increased frontal midline theta power (2.5–7.5 Hz) and suppression of frontal beta power (12.5–22.5 Hz). Individual expression of this pattern correlated (r = − 0.67, p < 0.001) with executive attention impairment. The grading of this pattern of spatiotemporal dynamics with executive attention deficits reflects impaired recruitment of anterior forebrain resources following TBI; specifically, deafferentation and variable disfacilitation of medial frontal neuronal populations is proposed as the basis of our findings. Electrophysiological correlate of impaired executive attention after Traumatic Brain Injury is derived. Theta increases in medial frontal and beta suppression in frontal regions is linked to behavioral performance. Individual-specific pathophysiology allows for tracking of recovery/interventions and studies of function-structure.
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Green SA, Hernandez L, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Reduced modulation of thalamocortical connectivity during exposure to sensory stimuli in ASD. Autism Res 2016; 10:801-809. [PMID: 27896947 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence for abnormal thalamic connectivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and sensory processing disorders suggests the thalamus may play a role in sensory over-responsivity (SOR), an extreme negative response to sensory stimuli, which is common in ASD. However, there is yet little understanding of changes in thalamic connectivity during exposure to aversive sensory inputs in individuals with ASD. In particular, the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus is implicated in atypical sensory processing given its role in selective attention, regulation, and sensory integration. This study aimed to examine the role of pulvinar connectivity in ASD during mildly aversive sensory input. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine connectivity with the pulvinar during exposure to mildly aversive auditory and tactile stimuli in 38 youth (age 9-17; 19 ASD, 19 IQ-matched typically developing (TD)). Parents rated children's SOR severity on two standard scales. Compared to TD, ASD participants displayed aberrant modulation of connectivity between pulvinar and cortex (including sensory-motor and prefrontal regions) during sensory stimulation. In ASD participants, pulvinar-amygdala connectivity was correlated with severity of SOR symptoms. Deficits in modulation of thalamocortical connectivity in youth with ASD may reflect reduced thalamo-cortical inhibition in response to sensory stimulation, which could lead to difficulty filtering out and/or integrating sensory information. An increase in amygdala connectivity with the pulvinar might be partially responsible for deficits in selective attention as the amygdala signals the brain to attend to distracting sensory stimuli. Autism Res 2017, 10: 801-809. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulamite A Green
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Leanna Hernandez
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Anderson MC, Bunce JG, Barbas H. Prefrontal-hippocampal pathways underlying inhibitory control over memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 134 Pt A:145-161. [PMID: 26642918 PMCID: PMC5106245 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
A key function of the prefrontal cortex is to support inhibitory control over behavior. It is widely believed that this function extends to stopping cognitive processes as well. Consistent with this, mounting evidence establishes the role of the right lateral prefrontal cortex in a clear case of cognitive control: retrieval suppression. Retrieval suppression refers to the ability to intentionally stop the retrieval process that arises when a reminder to a memory appears. Functional imaging data indicate that retrieval suppression involves top-down modulation of hippocampal activity by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, but the anatomical pathways supporting this inhibitory modulation remain unclear. Here we bridge this gap by integrating key findings about retrieval suppression observed through functional imaging with a detailed consideration of relevant anatomical pathways observed in non-human primates. Focusing selectively on the potential role of the anterior cingulate cortex, we develop two hypotheses about the pathways mediating interactions between lateral prefrontal cortex and the medial temporal lobes during suppression, and their cellular targets: the entorhinal gating hypothesis, and thalamo-hippocampal modulation via the nucleus reuniens. We hypothesize that whereas entorhinal gating is well situated to stop retrieval proactively, thalamo-hippocampal modulation may interrupt an ongoing act of retrieval reactively. Isolating the pathways that underlie retrieval suppression holds the potential to advance our understanding of a range of psychiatric disorders characterized by persistent intrusive thoughts. More broadly, an anatomical account of retrieval suppression would provide a key model system for understanding inhibitory control over cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Anderson
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, England CB2 7EF, United Kingdom.
| | - Jamie G Bunce
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
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Shumake J, Gonzalez-Lima F. Brain Systems Underlying Susceptibility to Helplessness and Depression. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 2:198-221. [PMID: 15006293 DOI: 10.1177/1534582303259057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There has been a relative lack of research into the neurobiological predispositions that confer vulnerability to depression. This article reviews functional brain mappings from a genetic animal model, the congenitally helpless rat, which is predisposed to develop learned helplessness. Neurometabolic findings from this model are integrated with the neuroscientific literature from other animal models of depression as well as depressed humans. Changes in four major brain systems are suggested to underlie susceptibility to helplessness and possibly depression: (a) an unbalanced prefrontal-cingulate cortical system, (b) a dissociated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, (c) a dissociated septal-hippocampal system, and (d) a hypoactive brain reward system, as exemplified by a hypermetabolic habenula-interpeduncular nucleus pathway and a hypometabolic ventral tegmental area-striatum pathway. Functional interconnections and causal relationships among these systems are considered and further experiments are suggested, with theoretical attention to how an abnormality in any one system could affect the others.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Shumake
- Department of Psycology, University of Texas at Austin, USA
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Multi-tensor investigation of orbitofrontal cortex tracts affected in subcaudate tractotomy. Brain Imaging Behav 2016; 9:342-52. [PMID: 25103312 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-014-9314-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Subcaudate tractotomy (SCT) is a neurosurgical lesioning procedure that can reduce symptoms in medically intractable obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Due to the putative importance of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in symptomatology, fibers that connect the OFC, SCT lesion, and either the thalamus or brainstem were investigated with two-tensor tractography using an unscented Kalman filter approach. From this dataset, fibers were warped to Montreal Neurological Institute space, and probability maps with center-of-mass analysis were subsequently generated. In comparing fibers from the same OFC region, including medial OFC (mOFC), central OFC (cOFC), and lateral OFC (lOFC), the area of divergence for fibers connected with the thalamus versus the brainstem is posterior to the anterior commissure. At the anterior commissure, fibers connected with the thalamus run dorsal to those connected with the brainstem. As OFC fibers travel through the ventral aspect of the internal capsule, lOFC fibers are dorsal to cOFC and mOFC fibers. Using neuroanatomical comparison, tracts coursing between the OFC and thalamus are likely part of the anterior thalamic radiations, while those between the OFC and brainstem likely belong to the medial forebrain bundle. These data support the involvement of the OFC in OCD and may be relevant to creating differential lesional procedures of specific tracts or to developing deep brain stimulation programming paradigms.
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Converging models of schizophrenia--Network alterations of prefrontal cortex underlying cognitive impairments. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 134:178-201. [PMID: 26408506 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and its connections with other brain areas are crucial for cognitive function. Cognitive impairments are one of the core symptoms associated with schizophrenia, and manifest even before the onset of the disorder. Altered neural networks involving PFC contribute to cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Both genetic and environmental risk factors affect the development of the local circuitry within PFC as well as development of broader brain networks, and make the system vulnerable to further insults during adolescence, leading to the onset of the disorder in young adulthood. Since spared cognitive functions correlate with functional outcome and prognosis, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying cognitive impairments will have important implications for novel therapeutics for schizophrenia focusing on cognitive functions. Multidisciplinary approaches, from basic neuroscience to clinical studies, are required to link molecules, circuitry, networks, and behavioral phenotypes. Close interactions among such fields by sharing a common language on connectomes, behavioral readouts, and other concepts are crucial for this goal.
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42
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The role of the thalamus in schizophrenia from a neuroimaging perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 54:57-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Learning robust cortico-cortical associations with the basal ganglia: An integrative review. Cortex 2015; 64:123-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Revised: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Abstract
The main impetus for a mini-symposium on corticothalamic interrelationships was the recent number of studies highlighting the role of the thalamus in aspects of cognition beyond sensory processing. The thalamus contributes to a range of basic cognitive behaviors that include learning and memory, inhibitory control, decision-making, and the control of visual orienting responses. Its functions are deeply intertwined with those of the better studied cortex, although the principles governing its coordination with the cortex remain opaque, particularly in higher-level aspects of cognition. How should the thalamus be viewed in the context of the rest of the brain? Although its role extends well beyond relaying of sensory information from the periphery, the main function of many of its subdivisions does appear to be that of a relay station, transmitting neural signals primarily to the cerebral cortex from a number of brain areas. In cognition, its main contribution may thus be to coordinate signals between diverse regions of the telencephalon, including the neocortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and striatum. This central coordination is further subject to considerable extrinsic control, for example, inhibition from the basal ganglia, zona incerta, and pretectal regions, and chemical modulation from ascending neurotransmitter systems. What follows is a brief review on the role of the thalamus in aspects of cognition and behavior, focusing on a summary of the topics covered in a mini-symposium held at the Society for Neuroscience meeting, 2014.
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Ferguson BR, Gao WJ. Development of thalamocortical connections between the mediodorsal thalamus and the prefrontal cortex and its implication in cognition. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 8:1027. [PMID: 25620923 PMCID: PMC4288125 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.01027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The mediodorsal thalamus (MD) represents a fundamental subcortical relay to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and is thought to be highly implicated in modulation of cognitive performance. Additionally, it undergoes highly conserved developmental stages, which, when dysregulated, can have detrimental consequences. Embryonically, the MD experiences a tremendous surge in neurogenesis and differentiation, and disruption of this process may underlie the pathology in certain neurodevelopmental disorders. However, during the postnatal period, a vast amount of cell loss in the MD occurs. These together may represent an extended critical period for postnatal development, in which disturbances in the normal growth or reduction of the MD afferents to the PFC, can result in PFC-dependent cognitive, affective, or psychotic abnormalities. In this review, we explore the current knowledge supporting this hypothesis of a protracted critical period, and propose how developmental changes in the MD contribute to successful prefrontal cortical development and function. Specifically, we elaborate on the unique properties of MD-PFC connections compared with other thalamocortical afferents in sensory cortices, examine how MD-PFC innervation modulates synaptic transmission in the local prefrontal circuitry, and speculate on what occurs during postnatal development, particularly within the early neonatal stage, as well as juvenile and adolescent periods. Finally, we discuss the questions that remain and propose future experiments in order to provide perspective and novel insights into the cause of neuropsychiatric disorders associated with MD-PFC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brielle R Ferguson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA
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46
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Thalamic pathways underlying prefrontal cortex–medial temporal lobe oscillatory interactions. Trends Neurosci 2015; 38:3-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Revised: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Malkova L, Alvarado MC, Bachevalier J. Effects of Separate or Combined Neonatal Damage to the Orbital Frontal Cortex and the Inferior Convexity on Object Recognition in Monkeys. Cereb Cortex 2014; 26:618-27. [PMID: 25260702 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike adult damage, neonatal damage to the inferior prefrontal convexity (IC) in monkeys spares learning and performance on the delayed nonmatching-to-sample (DNMS) task ( Málková et al. 2000). We investigated whether this sparing was due to compensation by undamaged orbital frontal cortex (O), an area also critical for DNMS, by comparing combined IC and O damage (Neo-ICO) with damage to O alone (Neo-O). Group Neo-ICO was impaired on DNMS learning at 3 months and 2 years of age. In contrast, Group Neo-O was impaired at 3 months, but recovered this function by 2 years, compared with Neo-IC and controls (N). We propose that the intact IC assumed the function of learning the DNMS rule for Group Neo-O. The persistent impairment after Neo-ICO lesions suggests that whereas O may likely support the rule acquisition in the absence of IC, no compensatory mechanisms are available after the combined damage. For the memory of lists of items, all groups were impaired at 3 months. At 2 years, the performance of Groups N and Neo-IC dramatically improved, whereas that of groups with O damage (Neo-O and Neo-ICO) remained impaired, indicating a critical role for O in recognition memory that cannot be substituted by another area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludise Malkova
- Department of Pharmacology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Maria C Alvarado
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Hanson KL, Hrvoj-Mihic B, Semendeferi K. A dual comparative approach: integrating lines of evidence from human evolutionary neuroanatomy and neurodevelopmental disorders. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2014; 84:135-55. [PMID: 25247986 DOI: 10.1159/000365409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of the human brain has been marked by a nearly 3-fold increase in size since our divergence from the last common ancestor shared with chimpanzees and bonobos. Despite increased interest in comparative neuroanatomy and phylogenetic methods, relatively little is known regarding the effects that this enlargement has had on its internal organization, and how certain areas of the brain have differentially expanded over evolutionary time. Analyses of the microstructure of several regions of the human cortex and subcortical structures have demonstrated subtle changes at the cellular and molecular level, suggesting that the human brain is more than simply a 'scaled-up' primate brain. Ongoing research in comparative neuroanatomy has much to offer regarding our understanding of human brain evolution. Through analysis of the neuroanatomical phenotype at the level of reorganization in cytoarchitecture and cellular morphology, new data continue to highlight changes in cell density and organization associated with volumetric changes in discrete regions. An understanding of the functional significance of variation in neural circuitry can further be approached through studies of atypical human development. Many neurodevelopmental disorders cause disruption in systems associated with uniquely human features of cognition, including language and social cognition. Understanding the genetic and developmental mechanisms that underlie variation in the human cognitive phenotype can help to clarify the functional significance of interspecific variation. By uniting approaches from comparative neuroanatomy and neuropathology, insights can be gained that clarify trends in human evolution. Here, we explore these lines of evidence and their significance for understanding functional variation between species as well as within neuropathological variation in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari L Hanson
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif., USA
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49
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Abstract
What is the relationship between brain and behavior? The answer to this question necessitates characterizing the mapping between structure and function. The aim of this paper is to discuss broad issues surrounding the link between structure and function in the brain that will motivate a network perspective to understanding this question. However, as others in the past, I argue that a network perspective should supplant the common strategy of understanding the brain in terms of individual regions. Whereas this perspective is needed for a fuller characterization of the mind-brain, it should not be viewed as panacea. For one, the challenges posed by the many-to-many mapping between regions and functions is not dissolved by the network perspective. Although the problem is ameliorated, one should not anticipate a one-to-one mapping when the network approach is adopted. Furthermore, decomposition of the brain network in terms of meaningful clusters of regions, such as the ones generated by community-finding algorithms, does not by itself reveal "true" subnetworks. Given the hierarchical and multi-relational relationship between regions, multiple decompositions will offer different "slices" of a broader landscape of networks within the brain. Finally, I described how the function of brain regions can be characterized in a multidimensional manner via the idea of diversity profiles. The concept can also be used to describe the way different brain regions participate in networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Pessoa
- University of Maryland, College Park, United States
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50
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Jang SH, Yeo SS. Thalamocortical connections between the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus and prefrontal cortex in the human brain: a diffusion tensor tractographic study. Yonsei Med J 2014; 55:709-14. [PMID: 24719138 PMCID: PMC3990063 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2014.55.3.709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Revised: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The elucidation of thalamocortical connections between the mediodorsal nucleus (MD) of thalamus and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is important in the clinical fields of neurorehabilitation and psychiatry. However, little is known about these connections in human brain. We attempted to identify and investigate the anatomical characteristics of the thalamocortical connection between MD and PFC in human brain using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-two healthy volunteers were recruited for this study. Diffusion tensor images were scanned using a 1.5-T. A seed region of interest was placed at the MD of the thalamus on coronal images, and target regions of interest were placed on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), respectively. The three thalamocortical connections found were reconstructed using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) software. RESULTS The three thalamocortical connections were arranged in subcortical white matter in the following order from upper to lower levels: the DLPFC, the VLPFC, and the OFC. In terms of fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity values, no significant differences were observed between the DLPFC, VLPFC and OFC (p>0.05). In contrast, the OFC tract volume was higher than those of the DLPFC and the VLPFC (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Three thalamocortical connections were reconstructed between MD and PFCs in human brain using DTT. We believe that the results of this study would be helpful to clinicians in treating frontal network syndrome and psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Ho Jang
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Sang Seok Yeo
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea
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