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Peña-Casanova J, Sánchez-Benavides G, Sigg-Alonso J. Updating functional brain units: Insights far beyond Luria. Cortex 2024; 174:19-69. [PMID: 38492440 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.02.004] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
This paper reviews Luria's model of the three functional units of the brain. To meet this objective, several issues were reviewed: the theory of functional systems and the contributions of phylogenesis and embryogenesis to the brain's functional organization. This review revealed several facts. In the first place, the relationship/integration of basic homeostatic needs with complex forms of behavior. Secondly, the multi-scale hierarchical and distributed organization of the brain and interactions between cells and systems. Thirdly, the phylogenetic role of exaptation, especially in basal ganglia and cerebellum expansion. Finally, the tripartite embryogenetic organization of the brain: rhinic, limbic/paralimbic, and supralimbic zones. Obviously, these principles of brain organization are in contradiction with attempts to establish separate functional brain units. The proposed new model is made up of two large integrated complexes: a primordial-limbic complex (Luria's Unit I) and a telencephalic-cortical complex (Luria's Units II and III). As a result, five functional units were delineated: Unit I. Primordial or preferential (brainstem), for life-support, behavioral modulation, and waking regulation; Unit II. Limbic and paralimbic systems, for emotions and hedonic evaluation (danger and relevance detection and contribution to reward/motivational processing) and the creation of cognitive maps (contextual memory, navigation, and generativity [imagination]); Unit III. Telencephalic-cortical, for sensorimotor and cognitive processing (gnosis, praxis, language, calculation, etc.), semantic and episodic (contextual) memory processing, and multimodal conscious agency; Unit IV. Basal ganglia systems, for behavior selection and reinforcement (reward-oriented behavior); Unit V. Cerebellar systems, for the prediction/anticipation (orthometric supervision) of the outcome of an action. The proposed brain units are nothing more than abstractions within the brain's simultaneous and distributed physiological processes. As function transcends anatomy, the model necessarily involves transition and overlap between structures. Beyond the classic approaches, this review includes information on recent systemic perspectives on functional brain organization. The limitations of this review are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Peña-Casanova
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience Research Group, Neuroscience Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Test Barcelona Services, Teià, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Jorge Sigg-Alonso
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurobiology, Institute of Neurobiology, National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), Queretaro, Mexico
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Isella V, Licciardo D, Ferri F, Crivellaro C, Morzenti S, Appollonio IM, Ferrarese C. Left and right corticobasal syndrome: comparison of cognitive profiles between metabolic imaging - matched groups. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:1499-1506. [PMID: 37889380 PMCID: PMC10942890 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07148-2] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is typically asymmetric. Case reports suggest that left-hemisphere CBS (lhCBS) is associated with major language impairment, and right-hemisphere CBS (rhCBS) is associated with major visuospatial deficits, but no group study has ever verified these observations. In our study, we enrolled 49 patients with CBS, classified them as lhCBS or rhCBS based on asymmetry of hypometabolism on brain FDG-PET and compared their cognitive and behavioural profiles. METHODS We defined asymmetry of hypometabolism upon visual inspection of qualitative PET images and confirmed it through paired comparison of left- and right-hemisphere FDG uptake values. The two groups were also matched for severity of hypometabolism within the more affected and more preserved hemispheres, to unravel differences in the cognitive profiles ascribable specifically to each hemisphere's functional specializations. All patients were assessed for memory, language, executive and visuospatial deficits, apraxia, neglect, dyscalculia, agraphia and behavioural disturbances. RESULTS LhCBS (n. 26) and rhCBS (n. 23) patients did not differ for demographics, disease duration and severity of global cognitive impairment. The two cognitive profiles were largely overlapping, with two exceptions: Digit span forward was poorer in lhCBS, and visual neglect was more frequent in rhCBS. CONCLUSIONS After balancing out patients for hemispheric hypometabolism, we did not confirm worse language or visuospatial deficits in, respectively, lhCBS and rhCBS. However, verbal short-term memory was more impaired in lhCBS, and spatial attention was more impaired in rhCBS. Both of these functions reflect the functional specialization of the left and right fronto-parietal pathways, i.e. of the main loci of neurodegeneration in CBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Isella
- School of Medicine and Surgery (Neurology), University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, 20900, Monza(MB), Italy.
| | - Daniele Licciardo
- School of Medicine and Surgery (Neurology), University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, 20900, Monza(MB), Italy
- Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo Dei Tintori (Neurology), Monza, Italy
| | - Francesca Ferri
- Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo Dei Tintori (Neurology), Monza, Italy
| | - Cinzia Crivellaro
- Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo Dei Tintori (Nuclear Medicine), Monza, Italy
| | - Sabrina Morzenti
- Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo Dei Tintori (Medical Physics), Monza, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Marco Appollonio
- School of Medicine and Surgery (Neurology), University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, 20900, Monza(MB), Italy
- Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo Dei Tintori (Neurology), Monza, Italy
| | - Carlo Ferrarese
- School of Medicine and Surgery (Neurology), University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, 20900, Monza(MB), Italy
- Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo Dei Tintori (Neurology), Monza, Italy
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Bufacchi RJ, Battaglia-Mayer A, Iannetti GD, Caminiti R. Cortico-spinal modularity in the parieto-frontal system: A new perspective on action control. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 231:102537. [PMID: 37832714 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102537] [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: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Classical neurophysiology suggests that the motor cortex (MI) has a unique role in action control. In contrast, this review presents evidence for multiple parieto-frontal spinal command modules that can bypass MI. Five observations support this modular perspective: (i) the statistics of cortical connectivity demonstrate functionally-related clusters of cortical areas, defining functional modules in the premotor, cingulate, and parietal cortices; (ii) different corticospinal pathways originate from the above areas, each with a distinct range of conduction velocities; (iii) the activation time of each module varies depending on task, and different modules can be activated simultaneously; (iv) a modular architecture with direct motor output is faster and less metabolically expensive than an architecture that relies on MI, given the slow connections between MI and other cortical areas; (v) lesions of the areas composing parieto-frontal modules have different effects from lesions of MI. Here we provide examples of six cortico-spinal modules and functions they subserve: module 1) arm reaching, tool use and object construction; module 2) spatial navigation and locomotion; module 3) grasping and observation of hand and mouth actions; module 4) action initiation, motor sequences, time encoding; module 5) conditional motor association and learning, action plan switching and action inhibition; module 6) planning defensive actions. These modules can serve as a library of tools to be recombined when faced with novel tasks, and MI might serve as a recombinatory hub. In conclusion, the availability of locally-stored information and multiple outflow paths supports the physiological plausibility of the proposed modular perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Bufacchi
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy; International Center for Primate Brain Research (ICPBR), Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - A Battaglia-Mayer
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Italy
| | - G D Iannetti
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London (UCL), London, UK
| | - R Caminiti
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy.
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Lafitte R, Diaine F, Dai S, Carré O, Dupierrix E, Jolly C, Piscicelli C, Pérennou D. Clinimetric properties of relevant criteria for assessing writing and drawing orientation after right hemisphere stroke. J Neurosci Methods 2023:109900. [PMID: 37295749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109900] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Writing and drawing orientation is rarely assessed in clinical routine, although it might have a potential value in detecting impaired verticality perception after right hemispheric stroke (RHS). Assessment tools and criteria must be conceived and validated. We therefore explored the clinimetric properties of a set of quantitative writing and drawing orientation criteria, their ranges of normality, and their tilt prevalence in RHS individuals. NEW METHODS We asked 69 individuals with subacute RHS and 64 matched healthy controls to write three lines and to copy the Gainotti Figure (house and trees). We determined six criteria referring to the orientation of writing and drawing main axes: for writing, the line and margin orientations, and for drawing, the tree, groundline, wall, and roofline orientations. Orientations were measured by using an electronic protractor from specific landmarks positioned by independent evaluators. RESULTS The set of criteria fulfilling all clinimetric properties (feasibility, measurability, reliability) comprised the line orientation of the writing and the wall and roofline orientations of the drawing. Writing and drawing tilts were frequent after RHS (about 30% by criterion). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS So far, graphomotor orientation was mostly tested qualitatively and could not be objectively appreciated in absence of validated tools and criteria, and without ranges of normality. Writing and drawing tilts may now be assessed both in routine clinical practice and research. CONCLUSIONS Our study paves the way for investigating the clinical determinants of graphomotor tilts, including impaired verticality perception, to better understand their underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Lafitte
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, UMR CNRS 5105 Neuropsychology and NeuroCognition; CHU Grenoble Alpes, Dept of NeuroRehabilitation South Hospital, Grenoble, France.
| | - F Diaine
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, UMR CNRS 5105 Neuropsychology and NeuroCognition; CHU Grenoble Alpes, Dept of NeuroRehabilitation South Hospital, Grenoble, France.
| | - S Dai
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, UMR CNRS 5105 Neuropsychology and NeuroCognition; CHU Grenoble Alpes, Dept of NeuroRehabilitation South Hospital, Grenoble, France.
| | - O Carré
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, UMR CNRS 5105 Neuropsychology and NeuroCognition; CHU Grenoble Alpes, Dept of NeuroRehabilitation South Hospital, Grenoble, France.
| | - E Dupierrix
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, UMR CNRS 5105 Neuropsychology and NeuroCognition; CHU Grenoble Alpes, Dept of NeuroRehabilitation South Hospital, Grenoble, France.
| | - C Jolly
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, UMR CNRS 5105 Neuropsychology and NeuroCognition; CHU Grenoble Alpes, Dept of NeuroRehabilitation South Hospital, Grenoble, France.
| | - C Piscicelli
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, UMR CNRS 5105 Neuropsychology and NeuroCognition; CHU Grenoble Alpes, Dept of NeuroRehabilitation South Hospital, Grenoble, France.
| | - D Pérennou
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, UMR CNRS 5105 Neuropsychology and NeuroCognition; CHU Grenoble Alpes, Dept of NeuroRehabilitation South Hospital, Grenoble, France.
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Bruner E, Battaglia-Mayer A, Caminiti R. The parietal lobe evolution and the emergence of material culture in the human genus. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:145-167. [PMID: 35451642 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02487-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Traditional and new disciplines converge in suggesting that the parietal lobe underwent a considerable expansion during human evolution. Through the study of endocasts and shape analysis, paleoneurology has shown an increased globularity of the braincase and bulging of the parietal region in modern humans, as compared to other human species, including Neandertals. Cortical complexity increased in both the superior and inferior parietal lobules. Emerging fields bridging archaeology and neuroscience supply further evidence of the involvement of the parietal cortex in human-specific behaviors related to visuospatial capacity, technological integration, self-awareness, numerosity, mathematical reasoning and language. Here, we complement these inferences on the parietal lobe evolution, with results from more classical neuroscience disciplines, such as behavioral neurophysiology, functional neuroimaging, and brain lesions; and apply these to define the neural substrates and the role of the parietal lobes in the emergence of functions at the core of material culture, such as tool-making, tool use and constructional abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Bruner
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain
| | | | - Roberto Caminiti
- Neuroscience and Behavior Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Roma, Italy.
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Isella V, Licciardo D, Ferri F, Crivellaro C, Morzenti S, Appollonio I, Ferrarese C. Reduced phonemic fluency in progressive supranuclear palsy is due to dysfunction of dominant BA6. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:969875. [PMID: 36158541 PMCID: PMC9492952 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.969875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reduced phonemic fluency is extremely frequent in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), but its neural correlate is yet to be defined. Objective We explored the hypothesis that poor fluency in PSP might be due to neurodegeneration within a dominant frontal circuit known to be involved in speech fluency, including the opercular area, the superior frontal cortex (BA6), and the frontal aslant tract connecting these two regions. Methods We correlated performance on a letter fluency task (F, A, and S, 60 s for each letter) with brain metabolism as measured with Fluoro-deoxy-glucose Positron Emission Tomography, using Statistical Parametric Mapping, in 31 patients with PSP. Results Reduced letter fluency was associated with significant hypometabolism at the level of left BA6. Conclusion Our finding is the first evidence that in PSP, as in other neurogical disorders, poor self-initiated, effortful verbal retrieval appears to be linked to dysfunction of the dominant opercular-aslant-BA6 circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Isella
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Milano - Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Milan Center for Neurosciences, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Licciardo
- Milan Center for Neurosciences, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Francesca Ferri
- Milan Center for Neurosciences, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | | | | | - Ildebrando Appollonio
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Milano - Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Milan Center for Neurosciences, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Carlo Ferrarese
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Milano - Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Milan Center for Neurosciences, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
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Bondi D, Robazza C, Lange-Küttner C, Pietrangelo T. Fine motor skills and motor control networking in developmental age. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23758. [PMID: 35613316 PMCID: PMC9541226 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives We investigated the relationships between fine motor skills, fitness, anthropometrics, gender and perceived motor performance in school beginners. The aim of our study was to delineate whether and to what extent fine motor control would show meaningful synchrony with other motor variables in the age of onset of handwriting in school. Methods A sample of N = 239 of 6‐to‐8‐year‐old children were tested with an array of tasks measuring fine motor (i.e., dexterity and speed) and grapho‐motor performance (tracing on a tablet screen), anthropometric indexes, and fitness (shuttle run) measures. A subset of 95 children was also tested for perceived motor competence. Results In spite of an overall poor anthropometric condition, our participants were relatively fit. As expected, older children performed better in both, fine motor tasks and the shuttle test. The girls were better in fine motor skills, and an original speed‐quality trade‐off in the drawing was found. However, the magnitude of difference by grade was greater for boys' fine motor skills than those of girls'. A network analysis revealed three specific clusters, (1) perceived competencies, (2) fitness, and (3) fine motor skills. Conclusions Given the relative independence of these areas of physical performance, we suggest focusing on these three clusters as distinct areas of physical education. Fine motor skills deserve further consideration, especially at an early school age. We have demonstrated that network analysis and technology devices used to evaluate motor development are useful and meaningful tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Bondi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Claudio Robazza
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Christiane Lange-Küttner
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Land Bremen, Germany
| | - Tiziana Pietrangelo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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Bai S, Liu W, Guan Y. The Visuospatial and Sensorimotor Functions of Posterior Parietal Cortex in Drawing Tasks: A Review. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:717002. [PMID: 34720989 PMCID: PMC8551751 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.717002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Drawing is a comprehensive skill that primarily involves visuospatial processing, eye-hand coordination, and other higher-order cognitive functions. Various drawing tasks are widely used to assess brain function. The neuropsychological basis of drawing is extremely sophisticated. Previous work has addressed the critical role of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in drawing, but the specific functions of the PPC in drawing remain unclear. Functional magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiological studies found that drawing activates the PPC. Lesion-symptom mapping studies have shown an association between PPC injury and drawing deficits in patients with global and focal cerebral pathology. These findings depicted a core framework of the fronto-parietal network in drawing tasks. Here, we review neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies applying drawing paradigms and discuss the specific functions of the PPC in visuospatial and sensorimotor aspects. Ultimately, we proposed a hypothetical model based on the dorsal stream. It demonstrates the organization of a PPC-centered network for drawing and provides systematic insights into drawing for future neuropsychological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuwei Bai
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,Department of Neurology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenyan Liu
- Department of Neurology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School, Shanghai, China
| | - Yangtai Guan
- Department of Neurology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School, Shanghai, China
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