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Lu X, Wickens JR, Hyland BI. Multimodal convergence in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus: Motor, sensory and theta-frequency inputs influence activity of single neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:3643-3658. [PMID: 38698531 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16367] [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: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus of the brainstem (PPTg) has extensive interconnections and neuronal-behavioural correlates. It is implicated in movement control and sensorimotor integration. We investigated whether single neuron activity in freely moving rats is correlated with components of skilled forelimb movement, and whether individual neurons respond to both motor and sensory events. We found that individual PPTg neurons showed changes in firing rate at different times during the reach. This type of temporally specific modulation is like activity seen elsewhere in voluntary movement control circuits, such as the motor cortex, and suggests that PPTg neural activity is related to different specific events occurring during the reach. In particular, many neuronal modulations were time-locked to the end of the extension phase of the reach, when fine distal movements related to food grasping occur, indicating strong engagement of PPTg in this phase of skilled individual forelimb movements. In addition, some neurons showed brief periods of apparent oscillatory firing in the theta range at specific phases of the reach-to-grasp movement. When movement-related neurons were tested with tone stimuli, many also responded to this auditory input, allowing for sensorimotor integration at the cellular level. Together, these data extend the concept of the PPTg as an integrative structure in generation of complex movements, by showing that this function extends to the highly coordinated control of the forelimb during skilled reach to grasp movement, and that sensory and motor-related information converges on single neurons, allowing for direct integration at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence, Dunedin and Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jeffery R Wickens
- Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Brian Ian Hyland
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence, Dunedin and Auckland, New Zealand
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Phillips CD, Hodge AT, Myers CC, Leventhal DK, Burgess CR. Striatal Dopamine Contributions to Skilled Motor Learning. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0240242024. [PMID: 38806248 PMCID: PMC11211718 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0240-24.2024] [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: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Coordinated multijoint limb and digit movements-"manual dexterity"-underlie both specialized skills (e.g., playing the piano) and more mundane tasks (e.g., tying shoelaces). Impairments in dexterous skill cause significant disability, as occurs with motor cortical injury, Parkinson's disease, and a range of other pathologies. Clinical observations, as well as basic investigations, suggest that corticostriatal circuits play a critical role in learning and performing dexterous skills. Furthermore, dopaminergic signaling in these regions is implicated in synaptic plasticity and motor learning. Nonetheless, the role of striatal dopamine signaling in skilled motor learning remains poorly understood. Here, we use fiber photometry paired with a genetically encoded dopamine sensor to investigate striatal dopamine release in both male and female mice as they learn and perform a skilled reaching task. Dopamine rapidly increases during a skilled reach and peaks near pellet consumption. In the dorsolateral striatum, dopamine dynamics are faster than in the dorsomedial and ventral striatum. Across training, as reaching performance improves, dopamine signaling shifts from pellet consumption to cues that predict pellet availability, particularly in medial and ventral areas of the striatum. Furthermore, performance prediction errors are present across the striatum, with reduced dopamine release after an unsuccessful reach. These findings show that dopamine dynamics during skilled motor behaviors change with learning and are differentially regulated across striatal subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris D Phillips
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Alexander T Hodge
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Courtney C Myers
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Daniel K Leventhal
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Parkinson's Disease Foundation Research Center of Excellence, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Neurology, VA Ann Arbor Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Christian R Burgess
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
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3
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Lemke SM, Celotto M, Maffulli R, Ganguly K, Panzeri S. Information flow between motor cortex and striatum reverses during skill learning. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1831-1843.e7. [PMID: 38604168 PMCID: PMC11078609 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.023] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The coordination of neural activity across brain areas during a specific behavior is often interpreted as neural communication involved in controlling the behavior. However, whether information relevant to the behavior is actually transferred between areas is often untested. Here, we used information-theoretic tools to quantify how motor cortex and striatum encode and exchange behaviorally relevant information about specific reach-to-grasp movement features during skill learning in rats. We found a temporal shift in the encoding of behaviorally relevant information during skill learning, as well as a reversal in the primary direction of behaviorally relevant information flow, from cortex-to-striatum during naive movements to striatum-to-cortex during skilled movements. Standard analytical methods that quantify the evolution of overall neural activity during learning-such as changes in neural signal amplitude or the overall exchange of information between areas-failed to capture these behaviorally relevant information dynamics. Using these standard methods, we instead found a consistent coactivation of overall neural signals during movement production and a bidirectional increase in overall information propagation between areas during learning. Our results show that skill learning is achieved through a transformation in how behaviorally relevant information is routed across cortical and subcortical brain areas and that isolating the components of neural activity relevant to and informative about behavior is critical to uncover directional interactions within a coactive and coordinated network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan M Lemke
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; Neurology Service, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | - Marco Celotto
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy; Institute of Neural Information Processing, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Falkenried 94, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Roberto Maffulli
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Karunesh Ganguly
- Neurology Service, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Stefano Panzeri
- Institute of Neural Information Processing, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Falkenried 94, 20251 Hamburg, Germany.
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Phillips CD, Myers CC, Leventhal DK, Burgess CR. Striatal dopamine contributions to skilled motor learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.06.579240. [PMID: 38370850 PMCID: PMC10871330 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.06.579240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Coordinated multi-joint limb and digit movements - "manual dexterity" - underlie both specialized skills (e.g., playing the piano) and more mundane tasks (e.g., tying shoelaces). Impairments in dexterous skill cause significant disability, as occurs with motor cortical injury, Parkinson's Disease, and a range of other pathologies. Clinical observations, as well as basic investigations, suggest that cortico-striatal circuits play a critical role in learning and performing dexterous skills. Furthermore, dopaminergic signaling in these regions is implicated in synaptic plasticity and motor learning. Nonetheless, the role of striatal dopamine signaling in skilled motor learning remains poorly understood. Here, we use fiber photometry paired with a genetically encoded dopamine sensor to investigate striatal dopamine release as mice learn and perform a skilled reaching task. Dopamine rapidly increases during a skilled reach and peaks near pellet consumption. In dorsolateral striatum, dopamine dynamics are faster than in dorsomedial and ventral striatum. Across training, as reaching performance improves, dopamine signaling shifts from pellet consumption to cues that predict pellet availability, particularly in medial and ventral areas of striatum. Furthermore, performance prediction errors are present across the striatum, with reduced dopamine release after an unsuccessful reach. These findings show that dopamine dynamics during skilled motor behaviors change with learning and are differentially regulated across striatal subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris D. Phillips
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA, 75080
| | - Courtney C. Myers
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Daniel K. Leventhal
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
- Parkinson Disease Foundation Research Center of Excellence, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
- Department of Neurology, VA Ann Arbor Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Christian R. Burgess
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
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Voronova AD, Karsuntseva EK, Stepanova OV, Chadin AV, Shishkina VV, Andretsova SS, Fursa GA, Shport SV, Reshetov IV, Chekhonin VP. Modeling of Alzheimer's Disease to Study the Efficacy of Cell Therapy (Review). Bull Exp Biol Med 2023; 175:524-529. [PMID: 37768457 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-023-05899-8] [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: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed the main approaches to the modeling of Alzheimer's disease for studying the effectiveness of cell therapy. Recent advances in regenerative medicine in the field of neuroscience create prospects for the use of various cell preparations for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Experimental data on the use of neural stem/progenitor cells, mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells in various models of Alzheimer's disease are presented. Of particular importance is the standardization of protocols. The use of a standardized protocol in modeling of Alzheimer's disease will allow a comparative analysis of the effectiveness and safety of treatment to identify the optimal cell preparation. The data obtained on experimental animals can form the basis for further preclinical and clinical studies of cell therapy for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Voronova
- V. P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.
| | - E K Karsuntseva
- V. P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - O V Stepanova
- V. P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
- E. I. Chazov National Medical Research Center of Cardiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - A V Chadin
- V. P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - V V Shishkina
- V. P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - S S Andretsova
- V. P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
- M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - G A Fursa
- V. P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - S V Shport
- V. P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - I V Reshetov
- University Clinical Hospital, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - V P Chekhonin
- V. P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
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Forghani R, Goodnight B, Latchoumane CFV, Karumbaiah L. AutoRG: An automatized reach-to-grasp platform technology for assessing forelimb motor function, neural circuit activation, and cognition in rodents. J Neurosci Methods 2023; 387:109798. [PMID: 36682731 PMCID: PMC10071513 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodent reach-to-grasp function assessment is a translationally powerful model for evaluating neurological function impairments and recovery responses. Existing assessment platforms are experimenter-dependent, costly, or low-throughput with limited output measures. Further, a direct histologic comparison of neural activation has never been conducted between any novel, automated platform and the well-established single pellet skilled reach task (SRT). NEW METHOD To address these technological and knowledge gaps, we designed an open-source, low-cost Automatized Reach-to-Grasp (AutoRG) pull platform that reduces experimenter interventions and variability. We assessed reach-to-grasp function in rats across seven progressively difficult stages using AutoRG. We mapped AutoRG and SRT-activated motor circuitries in the rat brain using volumetric imaging of the immediate early gene-encoded Arc (activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated) protein. RESULTS Rats demonstrated robust forelimb reaching and pulling behavior after training in AutoRG. Reliable force versus time responses were recorded for individual reach events in real time, which were used to derive several secondary functional measures of performance. Moreover, we provide the first demonstration that for a training period of 30 min, AutoRG and SRT both engage similar neural responses in the caudal forelimb area (CFA), rostral forelimb area (RFA), and sensorimotor area (S1). CONCLUSION AutoRG is the first low-cost, open-source pull system designed for the scale-up of volitional forelimb motor function testing and characterization of rodent reaching behavior. The similarities in neuronal activation patterns observed in the rat motor cortex after SRT and AutoRG assessments validate the AutoRG as a rigorously characterized, scalable alternative to the conventional SRT and expensive commercial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rameen Forghani
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Braxton Goodnight
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Charles-Francois Vincent Latchoumane
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Georgia, 425, River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
| | - Lohitash Karumbaiah
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Georgia, 425, River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical and Translational Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, 203 Pound Hall, 105 Foster Rd, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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Patterned Stimulation of the Chrimson Opsin in Glutamatergic Motor Thalamus Neurons Improves Forelimb Akinesia in Parkinsonian Rats. Neuroscience 2022; 507:64-78. [PMID: 36343721 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.10.026] [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: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a motor disorder charactertised by altered neural activity throughout the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit. Electrical deep brain stimulation (DBS) is efficacious in alleviating motor symptoms, but has several notable side-effects, most likely reflecting the non-specific nature of electrical stimulation and/or the brain regions targeted. We determined whether specific optogenetic activation of glutamatergic motor thalamus (Mthal) neurons alleviated forelimb akinesia in a chronic rat model of PD. Parkinsonian rats (unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine injection) were injected with an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV5-CaMKII-Chrimson-GFP) to transduce glutamatergic Mthal neurons with the red-shifted Chrimson opsin. Optogenetic stimulation with orange light at 15 Hz tonic and a physiological pattern, previously recorded from a Mthal neuron in a control rat, significantly increased forelimb use in the reaching test (p < 0.01). Orange light theta burst stimulation, 15 Hz and control reaching patterns significantly reduced akinesia (p < 0.0001) assessed by the step test. In contrast, forelimb use in the cylinder test was unaffected by orange light stimulation with any pattern. Blue light (control) stimulation failed to alter behaviours. Activation of Chrimson using complex patterns in the Mthal may be an alternative treatment to recover movement in PD. These vector and opsin changes are important steps towards translating optogenetic stimulation to humans.
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Studies of the Behavioral Sequences: The Neuroethological Morphology Concept Crossing Ethology and Functional Morphology. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12111336. [PMID: 35681801 PMCID: PMC9179564 DOI: 10.3390/ani12111336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Behavioral sequences analysis is a relevant method for quantifying the behavioral repertoire of animals to respond to the classical Tinbergen’s four questions. Research in ethology and functional morphology intercepts at the level of analysis of behaviors through the recording and interpretation of data from of movement sequence studies with various types of imaging and sensor systems. We propose the concept of Neuroethological morphology to build a holistic framework for understanding animal behavior. This concept integrates ethology (including behavioral ecology and neuroethology) with functional morphology (including biomechanics and physics) to provide a heuristic approach in behavioral biology. Abstract Postures and movements have been one of the major modes of human expression for understanding and depicting organisms in their environment. In ethology, behavioral sequence analysis is a relevant method to describe animal behavior and to answer Tinbergen’s four questions testing the causes of development, mechanism, adaptation, and evolution of behaviors. In functional morphology (and in biomechanics), the analysis of behavioral sequences establishes the motor pattern and opens the discussion on the links between “form” and “function”. We propose here the concept of neuroethological morphology in order to build a holistic framework for understanding animal behavior. This concept integrates ethology with functional morphology, and physics. Over the past hundred years, parallel developments in both disciplines have been rooted in the study of the sequential organization of animal behavior. This concept allows for testing genetic, epigenetic, and evo-devo predictions of phenotypic traits between structures, performances, behavior, and fitness in response to environmental constraints. Based on a review of the literature, we illustrate this concept with two behavioral cases: (i) capture behavior in squamates, and (ii) the ritualistic throat display in lizards.
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Ohno Y, Horikoshi A, Imamura K. Reaching Task in Rats: Quantitative Evaluation and Effects of 6-OHDA into the Striatum. J Mot Behav 2022; 54:648-655. [PMID: 35392775 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2022.2061410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we developed an evaluation method using image analysis for reaching tasks. Using this method, we studied forearm function during the reaching task in rats that received a unilateral injection of 6-OHDA into the striatum. The success ratio of the reaching task reduced to 40.5% seven days after the injection. In addition, significant changes were observed in the pronation angle of the forearm, posture control, and targeting (i.e., the distance between all fingertips and the center of the target pellet). Thus, unilateral injection of 6-OHDA reduces dopaminergic function in the brain and causes deterioration of forearm function and posture control in the reaching task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoichi Ohno
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Care, Takasaki Univ. Health and Welfare, Takasaki City, Gunma, Japan.,Department of System Life Engineering, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Maebashi City, Gunma, Japan
| | - Akinori Horikoshi
- Department of System Life Engineering, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Maebashi City, Gunma, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Imamura
- Department of System Life Engineering, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Maebashi City, Gunma, Japan
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Soppelsa J, Pouydebat E, Lefeuvre M, Mulot B, Houssin C, Cornette R. The relationship between distal trunk morphology and object grasping in the African savannah elephant ( Loxodonta africana). PeerJ 2022; 10:e13108. [PMID: 35368332 PMCID: PMC8969868 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13108] [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: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background During reach-to-grasp movements, the human hand is preshaped depending on the properties of the object. Preshaping may result from learning, morphology, or motor control variability and can confer a selective advantage on that individual or species. This preshaping ability is known in several mammals (i.e., primates, carnivores and rodents). However, apart from the tongue preshaping of lizards and chameleons, little is known about preshaping of other grasping appendages. In particular, the elephant trunk, a muscular hydrostat, has impressive grasping skills and thus is commonly called a hand. Data on elephant trunk grasping strategies are scarce, and nothing is known about whether elephants preshape their trunk tip according to the properties of their food. Methods To determine the influence of food sizes and shapes on the form of the trunk tip, we investigated the morphology of the distal part of the trunk during grasping movements. The influence of food item form on trunk tip shape was quantified in six female African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana). Three food item types were presented to the elephants (elongated, flat, and cubic), as well as three different sizes of cubic items. A total of 107 ± 10 grips per individual were video recorded, and the related trunk tip shapes were recorded with a 2D geometric morphometric approach. Results Half of the individuals adjusted the shape of the distal part of their trunk according to the object type. Of the three elephants that did not preshape their trunk tip, one was blind and another was subadult. Discussion and perspectives We found that elephants preshaped their trunk tip, similar to the preshaping of other species' hands or paws during reach-to-grasp movements. This preshaping may be influenced by visual feedback and individual learning. To confirm these results, this study could be replicated with a larger sample of elephants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Soppelsa
- Adaptive Mechanisms and Evolution (MECADEV), Centre national de la recherche scientifique/Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Pouydebat
- Adaptive Mechanisms and Evolution (MECADEV), Centre national de la recherche scientifique/Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Maëlle Lefeuvre
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University Cracow, Cracow, Poland
| | - Baptiste Mulot
- Zooparc de Beauval & Beauval Nature, Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Céline Houssin
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre national de la recherche scientifique/ Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, SU, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre national de la recherche scientifique/ Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, SU, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
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Viaro R, Maggiolini E, Farina E, Canto R, Iriki A, D'Ausilio A, Fadiga L. Neurons of rat motor cortex become active during both grasping execution and grasping observation. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4405-4412.e4. [PMID: 34433079 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.07.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In non-human primates, a subset of frontoparietal neurons (mirror neurons) respond both when an individual executes an action and when it observes another individual performing a similar action.1-8 Mirror neurons constitute an observation and execution matching system likely involved in others' actions processing3,5,9 and in a large set of complex cognitive functions.10,11 Here, we show that the forelimb motor cortex of rats contains neurons presenting mirror properties analogous to those observed in macaques. We provide this evidence by event-related potentials acquired by microelectrocorticography and intracortical single-neuron activity, recorded from the same cortical region during grasping execution and observation. Mirror responses are highly specific, because grasping-related neurons do not respond to the observation of either grooming actions or graspable food alone. These results demonstrate that mirror neurons are present already in species phylogenetically distant from primates, suggesting for them a fundamental, albeit basic, role not necessarily related to higher cognitive functions. Moreover, because murine models have long been valued for their superior experimental accessibility and rapid life cycle, the present finding opens an avenue to new empirical studies tackling questions such as the innate or acquired origin of sensorimotor representations and the effects of social and environmental deprivation on sensorimotor development and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Viaro
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Emma Maggiolini
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Emanuele Farina
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Rosario Canto
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Atsushi Iriki
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
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Nicola FDC, Hua I, Levine AJ. Intersectional genetic tools to study skilled reaching in mice. Exp Neurol 2021; 347:113879. [PMID: 34597682 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Reaching to grasp is an evolutionarily conserved behavior and a crucial part of the motor repertoire in mammals. As it is studied in the laboratory, reaching has become the prototypical example of dexterous forelimb movements, illuminating key principles of motor control throughout the spinal cord, brain, and peripheral nervous system. Here, we (1) review the motor elements or phases that comprise the reach, grasp, and retract movements of reaching behavior, (2) highlight the role of intersectional genetic tools in linking these movements to their neuronal substrates, (3) describe spinal cord cell types and their roles in skilled reaching, and (4) how descending pathways from the brain and the sensory systems contribute to skilled reaching. We emphasize that genetic perturbation experiments can pin-point the neuronal substrates of specific phases of reaching behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabricio do Couto Nicola
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States of America
| | - Isabelle Hua
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States of America
| | - Ariel J Levine
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States of America.
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13
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Galvin L, Mirza Agha B, Saleh M, Mohajerani MH, Whishaw IQ. Learning to cricket hunt by the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus): Skilled movements of the hands and mouth in cricket capture and consumption. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113404. [PMID: 34139203 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Although the mouse (Mus musculus) is preyed upon by many other species of animals, it is also a predator and will hunt and consume crickets. There has been no previous description of how mice learn to hunt and no report on the extent to which they use their hands and mouth to assist prey capture and these were the objectives of the present study. Mice given one cricket each day displayed decreasing hunt times over 25-days for three phases of a hunt: investigate, in which a mouse explored and periodically encounter a cricket and often bit at it; pursue, in which a mouse's approach remained focused on the cricket until it was captured; and consume, in which the cricket was handled, decapitated, its core eaten, with its shell discarded. Although visual and auditory cues may contribute to locating a cricket, the vibrissae appeared to provide guidance in pursuit and capture when the cricket and mouse were proximate. Cricket capture involved extensive collaborative use of the mouth and the hands and mice could initiate capture with either the mouth or hands. Handling to eat involved manipulating the cricket into a head-up, ventrum-in position for decapitation and selective eating of the core of the cricket. The results are discussed in relation to mouse learning of a complex natural behavior, the use of tactile cues in the species-specific behavior of predation, and the contributions of the hands and mouth to predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam Galvin
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Behroo Mirza Agha
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Muhammad Saleh
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Maid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Ian Q Whishaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
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14
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van Lieshout ECC, Boonzaier J, Pel AJ, van Heijningen CL, Vink JJ, Visser-Meily JMA, van Tilborg GAF, Dijkhuizen RM. Translational Value of Skilled Reaching Assessment in Clinical and Preclinical Studies on Motor Recovery After Stroke. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2021; 35:457-467. [PMID: 33825580 PMCID: PMC8127668 DOI: 10.1177/15459683211005022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background Assessment of skilled reaching enables extensive analysis of upper limb function in clinical and preclinical studies on poststroke outcome. However, translational research if often limited by lack of correspondence between tests of human and rodent motor function. Objectives To determine (1) the translational value of skilled reaching performance for preclinical research by comparing the behavioral recovery profiles of skilled reaching characteristics between humans and rats recovering from stroke and (2) the relationship between skilled reaching performance and commonly used clinical outcome measures after stroke. Methods Twelve patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke and 17 rats with photothrombotic stroke underwent an equivalent skilled reaching test at different time points, representing early to late subacute stages poststroke. Success scores and a movement element rating scale were used to measure the skilled reaching performance. The Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity (FM-UE) assessment and the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) were used as clinical outcome measures. Results Both species had muscle flaccidity at the early subacute stage after stroke and showed motor recovery following a proximal-distal principle toward the early subacute stage, albeit for rats within a shorter time course. Human skilled reaching scores and FM-UE and ARAT scores in the first 3 months poststroke were significantly correlated (P < .05). Conclusions Our study demonstrates that poststroke changes in skilled reaching performance are highly similar between rats and humans and correspond with standard clinical outcome measures. Skilled reaching testing therefore offers an effective and highly translational means for assessment of motor recovery in experimental and clinical stroke settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline C C van Lieshout
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilition Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Julia Boonzaier
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Adam J Pel
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilition Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Jord J Vink
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilition Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Johanna M A Visser-Meily
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilition Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Rick M Dijkhuizen
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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15
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Ahmed RU, Edgerton VR, Li S, Zheng YP, Alam M. Buspirone Dose-Response on Facilitating Forelimb Functional Recovery in Cervical Spinal Cord Injured Rats. Dose Response 2021; 19:1559325821998136. [PMID: 33716591 PMCID: PMC7924001 DOI: 10.1177/1559325821998136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Buspirone, widely used as a neuropsychiatric drug, has also shown potentials for motor function recovery of injured spinal cord. However, the optimum dosages of such treatment remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the dose-response of Buspirone treatment on reaching and grasping function in cervical cord injured rats. Seventeen adult Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to reach and grasp sugar pellets before a C4 bilateral dorsal column crush injury. After 1 week post-injury, the rats were divided into 3 groups to receive 1 of 3 different dosages of Buspirone (i.p., 1 dose/day: 1.5, n = 5; 2.5, n = 6 and 3.5 mg/kg b.w., n = 6). Forelimb reaching and grip strength test were recorded once per week, within 1 hour of Buspirone administration for 11 weeks post-injury. Different dose groups began to exhibit differences in reaching scores from 4 weeks post-injury. From 4-11 weeks post-injury, the reaching scores were highest in the lowest-dose group rats compared to the other 2 dose groups rats. Average grip strength was also found higher in the lowest-dose rats. Our results demonstrate a significant dose-dependence of Buspirone on the recovery of forelimb motor functions after cervical cord injury with the best performance occurring at the lowest dose tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakib Uddin Ahmed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - V Reggie Edgerton
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Institut Guttmann, Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.,The Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shuai Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yong-Ping Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Monzurul Alam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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16
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Prager J, Ito D, Carwardine DR, Jiju P, Chari DM, Granger N, Wong LF. Delivery of chondroitinase by canine mucosal olfactory ensheathing cells alongside rehabilitation enhances recovery after spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2021; 340:113660. [PMID: 33647272 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause chronic paralysis and incontinence and remains a major worldwide healthcare burden, with no regenerative treatment clinically available. Intraspinal transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) and injection of chondroitinase ABC (chABC) are both promising therapies but limited and unpredictable responses are seen, particularly in canine clinical trials. Sustained delivery of chABC presents a challenge due to its thermal instability; we hypothesised that transplantation of canine olfactory mucosal OECs genetically modified ex vivo by lentiviral transduction to express chABC (cOEC-chABC) would provide novel delivery of chABC and synergistic therapy. Rats were randomly divided into cOEC-chABC, cOEC, or vehicle transplanted groups and received transplant immediately after dorsal column crush corticospinal tract (CST) injury. Rehabilitation for forepaw reaching and blinded behavioural testing was conducted for 8 weeks. We show that cOEC-chABC transplanted animals recover greater forepaw reaching accuracy on Whishaw testing and more normal gait than cOEC transplanted or vehicle control rats. Increased CST axon sprouting cranial to the injury and serotonergic fibres caudal to the injury suggest a mechanism for recovery. We therefore demonstrate that cOECs can deliver sufficient chABC to drive modest functional improvement, and that this genetically engineered cellular and molecular approach is a feasible combination therapy for SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Prager
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK
| | - Daisuke Ito
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; School of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, Japan
| | | | - Prince Jiju
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Divya M Chari
- Neural Tissue Engineering, Keele School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Nicolas Granger
- The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK
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17
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Gan X, Chopp M, Xin H, Wang F, Golembieski W, Lu M, He L, Liu Z. Targeted tPA overexpression in denervated spinal motor neurons promotes stroke recovery in mice. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2021; 41:92-104. [PMID: 31987011 PMCID: PMC7747163 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x20901686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Our previous studies demonstrated that axonal remodeling of the corticospinal tract (CST) contributes to neurological recovery after stroke in rodents. The present study employed a novel non-invasive peripheral approach, to over-express tPA in denervated spinal motor neurons via recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) intramuscular injection in transgenic mice subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo), in which the CST axons are specifically and completely labeled with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). One day after surgery, mice were randomly selected to receive saline, AAV5-RFP, or tPA (1 × 1010 viral particles) injected into the stroke-impaired forelimb muscles (n = 10/group). Functional deficits and recovery were monitored with foot-fault and single pellet reaching tests. At day 28 after MCAo, mice received intramuscular injection of PRV-614-mRFP (1.52 × 107 pfu) as above, and were euthanized four days later. Compared with saline or AAV-RFP-treated mice, AAV-tPA significantly enhanced behavioral recovery (p < 0.01, both tests), as well as increased CST axonal density in the denervated gray matter of the cervical cord (p < 0.001), and RFP-positive pyramidal neurons in both ipsilesional and contralesional cortices (p < 0.001). Behavioral outcomes were significantly correlated to neural remodeling (p < 0.05). Our results provide a fundamental basis for the development of therapeutic approaches aimed at promoting corticospinal innervation for stroke treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinling Gan
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.,Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Michael Chopp
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA
| | - Hongqi Xin
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Fengjie Wang
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | | | - Mei Lu
- Biostatistics and Research Epidemiology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Li He
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Zhongwu Liu
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
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18
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Abstract
Neuronal circuits that regulate movement are distributed throughout the nervous system. The brainstem is an important interface between upper motor centers involved in action planning and circuits in the spinal cord ultimately leading to execution of body movements. Here we focus on recent work using genetic and viral entry points to reveal the identity of functionally dedicated and frequently spatially intermingled brainstem populations essential for action diversification, a general principle conserved throughout evolution. Brainstem circuits with distinct organization and function control skilled forelimb behavior, orofacial movements, and locomotion. They convey regulatory parameters to motor output structures and collaborate in the construction of complex natural motor behaviors. Functionally tuned brainstem neurons for different actions serve as important integrators of synaptic inputs from upstream centers, including the basal ganglia and cortex, to regulate and modulate behavioral function in different contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwig Ruder
- Biozentrum, Department of Cell Biology, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; .,Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Arber
- Biozentrum, Department of Cell Biology, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; .,Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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19
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Latchoumane CFV, Barany DA, Karumbaiah L, Singh T. Neurostimulation and Reach-to-Grasp Function Recovery Following Acquired Brain Injury: Insight From Pre-clinical Rodent Models and Human Applications. Front Neurol 2020; 11:835. [PMID: 32849253 PMCID: PMC7396659 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Reach-to-grasp is an evolutionarily conserved motor function that is adversely impacted following stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation, are promising tools that could enhance functional recovery of reach-to-grasp post-brain injury. Though the rodent literature provides a causal understanding of post-injury recovery mechanisms, it has had a limited impact on NIBS protocols in human research. The high degree of homology in reach-to-grasp circuitry between humans and rodents further implies that the application of NIBS to brain injury could be better informed by findings from pre-clinical rodent models and neurorehabilitation research. Here, we provide an overview of the advantages and limitations of using rodent models to advance our current understanding of human reach-to-grasp function, cortical circuitry, and reorganization. We propose that a cross-species comparison of reach-to-grasp recovery could provide a mechanistic framework for clinically efficacious NIBS treatments that could elicit better functional outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles-Francois V. Latchoumane
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Deborah A. Barany
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Lohitash Karumbaiah
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Tarkeshwar Singh
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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20
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Naghizadeh M, Mohajerani MH, Whishaw IQ. Mouse Arm and hand movements in grooming are reaching movements: Evolution of reaching, handedness, and the thumbnail. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112732. [PMID: 32505659 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Grooming in the mouse features hand licking and symmetric and asymmetric arm and hand "strokes" over the face and body to maintain pelage. Grooming is syntactically organized but the structure of individualized movements of the arm, hand, and tongue have not been examined. Here spontaneous and water-induced grooming was video recorded in free-moving and head-fixed mice and subject to frame-by-frame video inspection and kinematic analysis using Physics Tracker. All groom arm and hand movements had a structure similar to that described for reach-to-eat movements. The movement included the hand lifting from the floor to supinate with the digits flexing and closed to a collect position, an aim position directed to a groom target, an advance to the target during which the fingers extend and open and the hand pronates, a grasp of a target on the snout, nose, or vibrissae, and a withdraw to the mouth where licking occurs, or a return to the starting position. This structure was present in individual unilateral forelimb groom strokes, in bilateral symmetric, or asymmetric groom strokes, and comprised the individuated components of a sequence of groom movements. Reach-to-groom movements could feature an ulnar adduction that positions the ulnar portion of the hand including and the thumb across the eye and nose, a movement that aids Hardarian fluid spreading. It is proposed that the mouse thumb nail is an anatomical feature that minimizes damage to the eye or nose that might be incurred by a claw. This analysis of the reach-to-groom movement provides insights into the flexibility of hand use in adaptive behavior, the evolution of skilled reaching movements, the neural control of reaching movements and the presence of the thumb nail in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Naghizadeh
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre of Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre of Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
| | - Ian Q Whishaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre of Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
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21
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Jones CE, Fragaszy DM. Compound grips in tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp and Sapajus libidinosus). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23133. [PMID: 32337763 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
An experimental study with captive individuals and study of video recordings of wild monkeys explored whether and how tufted capuchin monkeys use onehand to hold one or more objects with multiple grips (compound grips). A task designed to elicit compound grip was presented to five captive tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp). The monkeys held one to four balls in onehand and dropped the balls individually into a vertical tube. Multiple simple grips and independent digit movements enabled separate control of multiple objects in one hand. Monkeys always supported the wrist on the horizontal edge of the tube before releasing the ball. Increasing the number of balls decreased the likelihood that the monkeys managed the task. Wild bearded capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) used compound grips spontaneously to store multiple food items. Compound grips have been described in macaques, gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans, and now in a New World primate. We predict that any primate species that exhibits precision grips and independent digit movement can perform compound grips. Our findings suggest many aspects of compound grip that await investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E Jones
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
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22
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Micera S, Caleo M, Chisari C, Hummel FC, Pedrocchi A. Advanced Neurotechnologies for the Restoration of Motor Function. Neuron 2020; 105:604-620. [PMID: 32078796 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability. Advanced technological solutions ("neurotechnologies") exploiting robotic systems and electrodes that stimulate the nervous system can increase the efficacy of stroke rehabilitation. Recent studies on these approaches have shown promising results. However, a paradigm shift in the development of new approaches must be made to significantly improve the clinical outcomes of neurotechnologies compared with those of traditional therapies. An "evolutionary" change can occur only by understanding in great detail the basic mechanisms of natural stroke recovery and technology-assisted neurorehabilitation. In this review, we first describe the results achieved by existing neurotechnologies and highlight their current limitations. In parallel, we summarize the data available on the mechanisms of recovery from electrophysiological, behavioral, and anatomical studies in humans and rodent models. Finally, we propose new approaches for the effective use of neurotechnologies in stroke survivors, as well as in people with other neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvestro Micera
- The Biorobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy; Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Centre for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Matteo Caleo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Carmelo Chisari
- Neurorehabilitation Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Friedhelm C Hummel
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics (CNP) and Brain Mind Institute (BMI), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics (CNP) and Brain Mind Institute (BMI), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL Valais), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, 1951 Sion, Switzerland; Clinical Neuroscience, University of Geneva Medical School, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Pedrocchi
- Neuroengineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory NearLab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
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23
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Cenci MA, Björklund A. Animal models for preclinical Parkinson's research: An update and critical appraisal. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 252:27-59. [PMID: 32247366 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) are essential to investigate pathogenic pathways at the whole-organism level. Moreover, they are necessary for a preclinical investigation of potential new therapies. Different pathological features of PD can be induced in a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate species using toxins, drugs, or genetic perturbations. Each model has a particular utility and range of applicability. Invertebrate PD models are particularly useful for high throughput-screening applications, whereas mammalian models are needed to explore complex motor and non-motor features of the human disease. Here, we provide a comprehensive review and critical appraisal of the most commonly used mammalian models of PD, which are produced in rats and mice. A substantial loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons is necessary for the animal to exhibit a hypokinetic motor phenotype responsive to dopaminergic agents, thus resembling clinical PD. This level of dopaminergic neurodegeneration can be induced using specific neurotoxins, environmental toxicants, or proteasome inhibitors. Alternatively, nigrostriatal dopamine degeneration can be induced via overexpression of α-synuclein using viral vectors or transgenic techniques. In addition, protein aggregation pathology can be triggered by inoculating preformed fibrils of α-synuclein in the substantia nigra or the striatum. Thanks to the conceptual and technical progress made in the past few years a vast repertoire of well-characterized animal models are currently available to address different aspects of PD in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Angela Cenci
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Anders Björklund
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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24
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On the Neurocircuitry of Grasping: The influence of action intent on kinematic asymmetries in reach-to-grasp actions. Atten Percept Psychophys 2020; 81:2217-2236. [PMID: 31290131 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-019-01805-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from electrophysiology suggests that nonhuman primates produce reach-to-grasp movements based on their functional end goal rather than on the biomechanical requirements of the movement. However, the invasiveness of direct-electrical stimulation and single-neuron recording largely precludes analogous investigations in humans. In this review, we present behavioural evidence in the form of kinematic analyses suggesting that the cortical circuits responsible for reach-to-grasp actions in humans are organized in a similar fashion. Grasp-to-eat movements are produced with significantly smaller and more precise maximum grip apertures (MGAs) than are grasp-to-place movements directed toward the same objects, despite near identical mechanical requirements of the two subsequent (i.e., grasp-to-eat and grasp-to-place) movements. Furthermore, the fact that this distinction is limited to right-handed movements suggests that the system governing reach-to-grasp movements is asymmetric. We contend that this asymmetry may be responsible, at least in part, for the preponderance of right-hand dominance among the global population.
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25
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Singh S, Mandziak A, Barr K, Blackwell AA, Mohajerani MH, Wallace DG, Whishaw IQ. Human string-pulling with and without a string: movement, sensory control, and memory. Exp Brain Res 2019; 237:3431-3447. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-019-05684-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Ryait H, Bermudez-Contreras E, Harvey M, Faraji J, Mirza Agha B, Gomez-Palacio Schjetnan A, Gruber A, Doan J, Mohajerani M, Metz GAS, Whishaw IQ, Luczak A. Data-driven analyses of motor impairments in animal models of neurological disorders. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000516. [PMID: 31751328 PMCID: PMC6871764 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavior provides important insights into neuronal processes. For example, analysis of reaching movements can give a reliable indication of the degree of impairment in neurological disorders such as stroke, Parkinson disease, or Huntington disease. The analysis of such movement abnormalities is notoriously difficult and requires a trained evaluator. Here, we show that a deep neural network is able to score behavioral impairments with expert accuracy in rodent models of stroke. The same network was also trained to successfully score movements in a variety of other behavioral tasks. The neural network also uncovered novel movement alterations related to stroke, which had higher predictive power of stroke volume than the movement components defined by human experts. Moreover, when the regression network was trained only on categorical information (control = 0; stroke = 1), it generated predictions with intermediate values between 0 and 1 that matched the human expert scores of stroke severity. The network thus offers a new data-driven approach to automatically derive ratings of motor impairments. Altogether, this network can provide a reliable neurological assessment and can assist the design of behavioral indices to diagnose and monitor neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hardeep Ryait
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Edgar Bermudez-Contreras
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Matthew Harvey
- Coastline Automation, San Jose, California, United States of America
| | - Jamshid Faraji
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Behroo Mirza Agha
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Aaron Gruber
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jon Doan
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Majid Mohajerani
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gerlinde A. S. Metz
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ian Q. Whishaw
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Artur Luczak
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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Whishaw IQ, Ghasroddashti A, Mirza Agha B, Mohajerani MH. The temporal choreography of the yo-yo movement of getting spaghetti into the mouth by the head-fixed mouse. Behav Brain Res 2019; 381:112241. [PMID: 31655097 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
There is debate over whether single-handed eating movements, reaching for food and withdrawing the hand to place the food in the mouth, originated in the primate lineage or whether they originated in phylogenetically-earlier Euarchontoglires. Most spontaneous hand use in eating by the laboratory mouse (Mus domestica) involves both hands, and a central question is the extent to which the movements are symmetric. Here we describe an asymmetry of spontaneous single hand use by the head-fixed mouse in making the yo-yo hand movement of removing and replacing a piece of pasta (spaghetti) in the mouth for eating. We also describe the problem/solution of placing into the mouth the end of a held item that protrudes at some distance from the hand. Pasta-eating proceeds in bouts, and a bout starts with raising the hands, which are holding a piece of pasta, to place one end of the pasta in the mouth for biting. A bout ends with lowering the hands, still holding the pasta stem, while the pasta morsel that has been bitten off is chewed. Hand-lowering after the pasta is removed from the mouth is slow, concurrent and symmetric, both when the pasta is held by both hands and when it is held in one hand. Hand-raising to place the pasta in the mouth is fast, consecutive and asymmetric, both when the pasta is held in both hands and when it is held in one hand. Frame-by-frame analyses of the video record combined with kinematic analyses show that a preferred single hand not only directs one end of the pasta to the mouth but also readjusts the trajectory of the pasta if it misses the mouth. The specialized use of a single hand by the mouse, even when the hands are bilaterally engaged, and the corrective asymmetric movements with which one hand adjusts the pasta's trajectory with the other hand playing a supporting role, is discussed in relation to the idea that hand preference, specialization, and dexterity have somatosensory and preprimate origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Q Whishaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre of Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
| | - Arashk Ghasroddashti
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre of Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Behroo Mirza Agha
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre of Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre of Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada
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Altered Recruitment of Motor Cortex Neuronal Activity During the Grasping Phase of Skilled Reaching in a Chronic Rat Model of Unilateral Parkinsonism. J Neurosci 2019; 39:9660-9672. [PMID: 31641050 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0720-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease causes prominent difficulties in the generation and execution of voluntary limb movements, including regulation of distal muscles and coordination of proximal and distal movement components to achieve accurate grasping. Difficulties with manual dexterity have a major impact on activities of daily living. We used extracellular single neuron recordings to investigate the neural underpinnings of parkinsonian movement deficits in the motor cortex of chronic unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion male rats performing a skilled reach-to-grasp task the. Both normal movements and parkinsonian deficits in this task have striking homology to human performance. In lesioned animals there were several differences in the activity of cortical neurons during reaches by the affected limb compared with control rats. These included an increase in proportions of neurons showing rate decreases, along with increased amplitude of their average rate-decrease response at specific times during the reach, suggesting a shift in the balance of net excitation and inhibition of cortical neurons; a significant increase in the duration of rate-increase responses, which could result from reduced coupling of cortical activity to specific movement components; and changes in the timing and incidence of neurons with pure rate-increase or biphasic responses, particularly at the end of reach when grasping would normally be occurring. The changes in cortical activity may account for the deficits that occur in skilled distal motor control following dopamine depletion, and highlight the need for treatment strategies targeted toward modulating cortical mechanisms for fine distal motor control in patients.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We show for the first time in a chronic lesion rat model of Parkinson's disease movement deficits that there are specific changes in motor cortex neuron activity associated with the grasping phase of a skilled motor task. Such changes provide a possible mechanism underpinning the problems with manual dexterity seen in Parkinson's patients and highlight the need for treatment strategies targeted toward distal motor control.
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29
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Deng W, Guan G, Xiao C, Qu G, Xue J, Qin C, Han H, Wang Y. Construction of a comprehensive observer-based scale assessing aging-related health and functioning in captive rhesus macaques. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:6892-6903. [PMID: 31498777 PMCID: PMC6756902 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Aging-related health and functioning are difficult to quantify in humans and nonhuman primates. We constructed an observer-based scale for daily application in assessing the aging-related health and functioning of rhesus macaques. Ten items referring to an aging appearance, musculoskeletal aging and aging-related eating behavior were selected through a panel consensus. The Aging-related Health and Functioning Scale (AHFS) was constructed based on these scored items form 57 healthy rhesus macaques. High reliability of the AHFS was shown based on Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.877). The structure of the AHFS was validated by three exploratory factors. The largest factor, whose four components were dietary uptake, iliac muscle mass, hair condition and fragility, and sex, explained 50.5% of the variation in aging-related health and functioning scores. The second factor, involving age, tooth loss and tooth wear, explained 15.5% of the variation. The lowest-ranking factor comprised only facial redness and accounted for 10% of the variation. A hierarchical cluster analysis validated the good applicability of the scale in distinct samples. From these scale-scored results, complicated aging phenomena observed in humans, including the sex-survival paradox and the calorie-related health-survival paradox, were both demonstrated in rhesus macaques. Therefore, the AHFS provides a valuable approach for aging-related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Deng
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Guoying Guan
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Chong Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Guangjin Qu
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jing Xue
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Han
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yuhong Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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Bova A, Kernodle K, Mulligan K, Leventhal D. Automated Rat Single-Pellet Reaching with 3-Dimensional Reconstruction of Paw and Digit Trajectories. J Vis Exp 2019. [PMID: 31355787 DOI: 10.3791/59979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent skilled reaching is commonly used to study dexterous skills, but requires significant time and effort to implement the task and analyze the behavior. Several automated versions of skilled reaching have been developed recently. Here, we describe a version that automatically presents pellets to rats while recording high-definition video from multiple angles at high frame rates (300 fps). The paw and individual digits are tracked with DeepLabCut, a machine learning algorithm for markerless pose estimation. This system can also be synchronized with physiological recordings, or be used to trigger physiologic interventions (e.g., electrical or optical stimulation).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniel Leventhal
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan; Department of Neurology, VA Ann Arbor Health System;
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31
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Abstract
Optogenetic tools and imaging methods for recording and manipulating brain activity have boosted the field of neuroscience in unprecedented ways. However, behavioral paradigms for mice lag behind those of primates, limiting the full potential of such tools. Here, we present an innovative behavioral framework in which head-fixed mice directionally reach for water droplets, similar to the primate "center-out" reaching task. Mice rapidly engaged in the task, performed hundreds of trials, and reached in multiple directions when droplets were presented at different locations. Surprisingly, mice used chemosensation to determine the presence of water droplets. Optogenetic inactivation of the motor cortex halted the initiation and rapidly diverted the trajectory of ongoing movements. Layer 2/3 two-photon imaging revealed robust direction selectivity in most reach-related neurons. Finally, mice performed directional reaching instructed by vibratotactile stimuli, demonstrating the potential of this framework for studying, in addition to motor control, sensory processing, and decision making.
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32
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Sindhurakar A, Butensky SD, Carmel JB. Automated Forelimb Tasks for Rodents: Current Advantages and Limitations, and Future Promise. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2019; 33:503-512. [PMID: 31189409 DOI: 10.1177/1545968319855034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Rodent tests of function have advanced our understanding of movement, largely through the human training and testing and manual assessment. Tools such as reaching and grasping of a food pellet have been widely adopted because they are effective and simple to use. However, these tools are time-consuming, subjective, and often qualitative. Automation of training, testing, and assessment has the potential to increase efficiency while ensuring tasks are objective and quantitative. We detail new methods for automating rodent forelimb tests, including the use of pellet dispensers, sensors, computer vision, and home cage systems. We argue that limitations in existing forelimb tasks are driving the innovations in automated systems. We further argue that automated tasks partially address these limitations, and we outline necessary precautions and remaining challenges when adopting these types of tasks. Finally, we suggest attributes of future automated rodent assessment tools that can enable widespread adoption and help us better understand forelimb function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel D Butensky
- 2 Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
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33
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Reiter AJ, Kivitz GJ, Castile RM, Cannon PC, Lakes EH, Jacobs BY, Allen KD, Chamberlain AM, Lake SP. Functional Measures of Grip Strength and Gait Remain Altered Long-term in a Rat Model of Post-traumatic Elbow Contracture. J Biomech Eng 2019; 141:2730666. [PMID: 30958506 PMCID: PMC6611348 DOI: 10.1115/1.4043433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic joint contracture (PTJC) is a debilitating condition, particularly in the elbow. Previously, we established an animal model of elbow PTJC quantifying passive post-mortem joint mechanics and histological changes temporally. These results showed persistent motion loss similar to what is experienced in humans. Functional assessment of PTJC in our model was not previously considered; however, these measures would provide a clinically relevant measure and would further validate our model by demonstrating persistently altered joint function. To this end, a custom bilateral grip strength device was developed, and a recently established open-source gait analysis system was used to quantify forelimb function in our unilateral injury model. In vivo joint function was shown to be altered long-term and never fully recover. Specifically, forelimb strength in the injured limbs showed persistent deficits at all time points; additionally, gait patterns remained imbalanced and asymmetric throughout the study (although a few gait parameters did return to near normal levels). A quantitative understanding of these longitudinal, functional disabilities further strengthens the clinical relevance of our rat PTJC model enabling assessment of the effectiveness of future interventions aimed at reducing or preventing PTJC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Reiter
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
and Materials Science,
Washington University in St. Louis,
St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Griffin J. Kivitz
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
and Materials Science,
Washington University in St. Louis,
St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Ryan M. Castile
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
and Materials Science,
Washington University in St. Louis,
St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Paul C. Cannon
- Seed Production Innovation,
Bayer Crop Science,
St. Louis, MO 63146
| | - Emily H. Lakes
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department
of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Brittany Y. Jacobs
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department
of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Kyle D. Allen
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department
of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Aaron M. Chamberlain
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,
Washington University in St. Louis,
St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Spencer P. Lake
- Department of Mechanical Engineeringand Materials Science,
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,Department of Biomedical Engineering,Washington University in St. Louis,
St. Louis, MO 63130
e-mail:
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34
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Temporal Patterns of Motion in Flexion-extension and Pronation-supination in a Rat Model of Posttraumatic Elbow Contracture. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2018; 476:1878-1889. [PMID: 30001292 PMCID: PMC6259801 DOI: 10.1097/corr.0000000000000388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The elbow is highly susceptible to contracture, which affects up to 50% of patients who experience elbow trauma. Previously, we developed a rat model to study elbow contracture that exhibited features similar to the human condition, including persistently decreased ROM and increased capsule thickness/adhesions. However, elbow ROM was not quantitatively evaluated over time throughout contracture development and subsequent mobilization of the joint. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES The purposes of this study were (1) to quantify the time-dependent mechanics of contracture, including comparison of contracture after immobilization and free mobilization; and (2) to determine what changes occur in capsule and joint surface morphology that may support the altered joint mechanics. METHODS A total of 96 male Long-Evans rats were randomized into control and injury (unilateral soft tissue injury/immobilization) groups. Flexion-extension and pronation-supination joint mechanics (n = 8/group) were evaluated after 3, 7, 21, or 42 days of immobilization (IM) or after 42 days of IM with either 21 or 42 days of free mobilization (63 or 84 FM, respectively). After measuring joint mechanics, a subset of these limbs (n = 3/group) was prepared for histologic analysis and blinded sections were scored to evaluate capsule and joint surface morphology. Joint mechanics and capsule histology at 42 IM and 84 FM were reported previously but are included to demonstrate the full timeline of elbow contracture. RESULTS In flexion-extension, injured limb ROM was decreased compared with control (103° ± 11°) by 21 IM (70° ± 13°) (p = 0.001). Despite an increase in injured limb ROM from 42 IM (55° ± 14°) to 63 FM (83° ± 10°) (p < 0.001), injured limb ROM was still decreased compared with control (103° ± 11°) (p = 0.002). Interestingly, ROM recovery plateaued because there was no difference between injured limbs at 63 (83° ± 10°) and 84 FM (73° ± 19°) (p > 0.999). In pronation-supination, increased injured limb ROM occurred until 7 IM (202° ± 32°) compared with control (155° ± 22°) (p = 0.001), representative of joint instability. However, injured limb ROM decreased from 21 (182° ± 25°) to 42 IM (123° ± 47°) (p = 0.001), but was not different compared with control (155° ± 22°) (p = 0.108). Histologic evaluation showed morphologic changes in the anterior capsule (increased adhesions, myofibroblasts, thickness) and nonopposing joint surfaces (surface irregularities with tissue overgrowth, reduced matrix), but these changes did not increase with time. CONCLUSIONS Overall, flexion-extension and pronation-supination exhibited distinct time-dependent patterns during contracture development and joint mobilization. Histologic evaluation showed tissue changes, but did not fully explain the patterns in contracture mechanics. Future work will use this rat model to evaluate the periarticular soft tissues of the elbow to isolate tissue-specific contributions to contracture to ultimately develop strategies for tissue-targeted treatments. CLINICAL RELEVANCE A rat model of posttraumatic elbow contracture quantitatively described contracture development/progression and reiterates the need for rehabilitation strategies that consider both flexion-extension and pronation-supination elbow motion.
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Abstract
Recent literature has demonstrated that hand position can affect visual processing, a set of phenomena termed Near Hand Effects (NHEs). Across four studies we looked for single-hand NHEs on a large screen when participants were asked to discriminate stimuli based on size, colour, and orientation (Study 1), to detect stimuli after a manipulation of hand shaping (Study 2), to detect stimuli after the introduction of a peripheral cue (Study 3), and finally to detect stimuli after a manipulation of screen orientation (Study 4). Each study failed to find a NHE. Further examination of the pooled data using a Bayesian analysis also failed to reveal positive evidence for faster responses or larger cueing effects near a hand. These findings suggest that at least some NHEs may be surprisingly fragile, which dovetails with the recent proposition that NHEs may not form a unitary set of phenomena (Gozli & Deng, 2018). The implication is that visual processing may be less sensitive to hand position across measurement techniques than previously thought, and points to a need for well-powered, methodologically rigorous studies on this topic in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill A. Dosso
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CA
| | - Alan Kingstone
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CA
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36
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Karl JM, Wilson AM, Bertoli ME, Shubear NS. Touch the table before the target: contact with an underlying surface may assist the development of precise visually controlled reach and grasp movements in human infants. Exp Brain Res 2018; 236:2185-2207. [PMID: 29797280 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-018-5293-4] [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: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Multiple motor channel theory posits that skilled hand movements arise from the coordinated activation of separable neural circuits in parietofrontal cortex, each of which produces a distinct movement and responds to different sensory inputs. Prehension, the act of reaching to grasp an object, consists of at least two movements: a reach movement that transports the hand to a target location and a grasp movement that shapes and closes the hand for target acquisition. During early development, discrete pre-reach and pre-grasp movements are refined based on proprioceptive and tactile feedback, but are gradually coordinated together into a singular hand preshaping movement under feedforward visual control. The neural and behavioural factors that enable this transition are currently unknown. In an attempt to identify such factors, the present descriptive study used frame-by-frame video analysis to examine 9-, 12-, and 15-month-old infants, along with sighted and unsighted adults, as they reached to grasp small ring-shaped pieces of cereal (Cheerios) resting on a table. Compared to sighted adults, infants and unsighted adults were more likely to make initial contact with the underlying table before they contacted the target. The way in which they did so was also similar in that they generally contacted the table with the tip of the thumb and/or pinky finger, a relatively open hand, and poor reach accuracy. Despite this, infants were similar to sighted adults in that they tended to use a pincer digit, defined as the tip of the thumb or index finger, to subsequently contact the target. Only in infants was this ability related to their having made prior contact with the underlying table. The results are discussed in relation to the idea that initial contact with an underlying table or surface may assist infants in learning to use feedforward visual control to direct their digits towards a precise visual target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni M Karl
- Department of Psychology, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada.
| | - Alexis M Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Marisa E Bertoli
- Department of Psychology, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Noor S Shubear
- Department of Psychology, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
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37
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Viaro R, Bonazzi L, Maggiolini E, Franchi G. Cerebellar Modulation of Cortically Evoked Complex Movements in Rats. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:3525-3541. [PMID: 27329134 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) delivered to the motor cortex (M1) via long- or short-train duration (long- or short-duration ICMS) can evoke coordinated complex movements or muscle twitches, respectively. The role of subcortical cerebellar input in M1 output, in terms of long- and short-duration ICMS-evoked movement and motor skill performance, was evaluated in rats with bilateral lesion of the deep cerebellar nuclei. After the lesion, distal forelimb movements were seldom observed, and almost 30% of proximal forelimb movements failed to match criteria defining the movement class observed under control conditions. The classifiable movements could be evoked in different cortical regions with respect to control and many kinematic variables were strongly affected. Furthermore, movement endpoints within the rat's workspace shrunk closer to the body, while performance in the reaching/grasping task worsened. Surprisingly, neither the threshold current values for evoking movements nor the overall size of forelimb movement representation changed with respect to controls in either long- or short-duration ICMS. We therefore conclude that cerebellar input via the motor thalamus is crucial for expressing the basic functional features of the motor cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Viaro
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Section of Human Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Laura Bonazzi
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Section of Human Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Emma Maggiolini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Franchi
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Section of Human Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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38
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Parmiani P, Lucchetti C, Franchi G. Whisker and Nose Tactile Sense Guide Rat Behavior in a Skilled Reaching Task. Front Behav Neurosci 2018. [PMID: 29515377 PMCID: PMC5826357 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Skilled reaching is a complex movement in which a forelimb is extended to grasp food for eating. Video-recordings analysis of control rats enables us to distinguish several components of skilled reaching: Orient, approaching the front wall of the reaching box and poking the nose into the slot to locate the food pellet; Transport, advancing the forelimb through the slot to reach-grasp the pellet; and Withdrawal of the grasped food to eat. Although food location and skilled reaching is guided by olfaction, the importance of whisker/nose tactile sense in rats suggests that this too could play a role in reaching behavior. To test this hypothesis, we studied skilled reaching in rats trained in a single-pellet reaching task before and after bilateral whisker trimming and bilateral infraorbital nerve (ION) severing. During the task, bilaterally trimmed rats showed impaired Orient with respect to controls. Specifically, they detected the presence of the wall by hitting it with their nose (rather than their whiskers), and then located the slot through repetitive nose touches. The number of nose touches preceding poking was significantly higher in comparison to controls. On the other hand, macrovibrissae trimming resulted in no change in reaching/grasping or withdrawal components of skilled reaching. Bilaterally ION-severed rats, displayed a marked change in the structure of their skilled reaching. With respect to controls, in ION-severed rats: (a) approaches to the front wall were significantly reduced at 3–5 and 6–8 days; (b) nose pokes were significantly reduced at 3–5 days, and the slot was only located after many repetitive nose touches; (c) the reaching-grasping-retracting movement never appeared at 3–5 days; (d) explorative paw movements, equal to zero in controls, reached significance at 9–11 days; and (e) the restored reaching-grasping-retracting sequence was globally slower than in controls, but the success rate was the same. These findings strongly indicate that whisker trimming affected Orient, but not the reaching-grasping movement, while ION severing impaired both Orient (persistently) and reaching-grasping-retracting (transiently, for 1–2 weeks) components of skilled reaching in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierantonio Parmiani
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Section of Human Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristina Lucchetti
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Section of Physiology and Neuroscience, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Franchi
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Section of Human Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Dunham CL, Castile RM, Chamberlain AM, Galatz LM, Lake SP. Pronation-Supination Motion Is Altered in a Rat Model of Post-Traumatic Elbow Contracture. J Biomech Eng 2018; 139:2621591. [PMID: 28418515 DOI: 10.1115/1.4036472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The elbow joint is highly susceptible to joint contracture, and treating elbow contracture is a challenging clinical problem. Previously, we established an animal model to study elbow contracture that exhibited features similar to the human condition including persistent decreased range of motion (ROM) in flexion-extension and increased capsule thickness/adhesions. The objective of this study was to mechanically quantify pronation-supination in different injury models to determine if significant differences compared to control or contralateral persist long-term in our animal elbow contracture model. After surgically inducing soft tissue damage in the elbow, Injury I (anterior capsulotomy) and Injury II (anterior capsulotomy with lateral collateral ligament transection), limbs were immobilized for 6 weeks (immobilization (IM)). Animals were evaluated after the IM period or following an additional 6 weeks of free mobilization (FM). Total ROM for pronation-supination was significantly decreased compared to the uninjured contralateral limb for both IM and FM, although not different from control limbs. Specifically, for both IM and FM, total ROM for Injury I and Injury II was significantly decreased by ∼20% compared to contralateral. Correlations of measurements from flexion-extension and pronation-supination divulged that FM did not affect these motions in the same way, demonstrating that joint motions need to be studied/treated separately. Overall, injured limbs exhibited persistent motion loss in pronation-supination when comparing side-to-side differences, similar to human post-traumatic joint contracture. Future work will use this animal model to study how elbow periarticular soft tissues contribute to contracture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsey L Dunham
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130 e-mail:
| | - Ryan M Castile
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130 e-mail:
| | - Aaron M Chamberlain
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130 e-mail:
| | - Leesa M Galatz
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY 10029 e-mail:
| | - Spencer P Lake
- Mem. ASME Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130;Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130;Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1185, St. Louis, MO 63130 e-mail:
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A motorized pellet dispenser to deliver high intensity training of the single pellet reaching and grasping task in rats. Behav Brain Res 2018; 336:67-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Whishaw IQ, Faraji J, Mirza Agha B, Kuntz JR, Metz GAS, Mohajerani MH. A mouse's spontaneous eating repertoire aids performance on laboratory skilled reaching tasks: A motoric example of instinctual drift with an ethological description of the withdraw movements in freely-moving and head-fixed mice. Behav Brain Res 2017; 337:80-90. [PMID: 28964910 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Rodents display a spontaneous "order-common" pattern of food eating: they pick up food using the mouth, sit on their haunches, and transfer the food to the hands for handling/chewing. The present study examines how this pattern of behaviour influences performance on "skilled-reaching" tasks, in which mice purchase food with a single hand. Here five types of withdraw movement, the retraction of the hand, in three reaching tasks: freely-moving single-pellet, head-fixed single-pellet, and head-fixed pasta-eating is described. The withdraw movement varied depending upon whether a reach was anticipatory, no food present, or was unsuccessful or successful with food present. Ease of withdraw is dependent upon the extent to which animals used order-common movements. For freely-moving mice, a hand-to-mouth movement was assisted by a mouth-to-hand movement and food transfer to the mouth depended upon a sitting posture and using the other hand to assist food holding, both order-common movements. In the head-fixed single-pellet task, with postural and head movements prevented, withdraw was made with difficulty and tongue protrude movements assisted food transfer to the mouth once the hand reached the mouth. Only when a head-fixed mouse made a bilateral hand-to-mouth movement, a component of order-common eating, was the withdraw movement made with ease. The results are discussed with respect to the use of order-common movements in skilled-reaching tasks and with respect to the optimal design of tasks used to assess rodent skilled hand movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Q Whishaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Jamshid Faraji
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada; Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Behroo Mirza Agha
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Jessica R Kuntz
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
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Whishaw IQ, Faraji J, Kuntz JR, Mirza Agha B, Metz GAS, Mohajerani MH. The syntactic organization of pasta-eating and the structure of reach movements in the head-fixed mouse. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10987. [PMID: 28887566 PMCID: PMC5591288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10796-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mice are adept in the use of their hands for activities such as feeding, which has led to their use in investigations of the neural basis of skilled-movements. We describe the syntactic organization of pasta-eating and the structure of hand movements used for pasta manipulation by the head-fixed mouse. An ethogram of mice consuming pieces of spaghetti reveals that they eat in bite/chew bouts. A bout begins with pasta lifted to the mouth and then manipulated with hand movements into a preferred orientation for biting. Manipulation involves many hand release-reach movements, each with a similar structure. A hand is advanced from a digit closed and flexed (collect) position to a digit extended and open position (overgrasp) and then to a digit closed and flexed (grasp) position. Reach distance, hand shaping, and grasp patterns featuring precision grasps or whole hand grasps are related. To bite, mice display hand preference and asymmetric grasps; one hand (guide grasp) directs food into the mouth and the other stabilizes the pasta for biting. When chewing after biting, the hands hold the pasta in a symmetric resting position. Pasta-eating is organized and features structured hand movements and so lends itself to the neural investigation of skilled-movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Q Whishaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Jamshid Faraji
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.,Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Gorgan, I.R. of Iran
| | - Jessica R Kuntz
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Behroo Mirza Agha
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
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Abstract
Stroke instigates a dynamic process of repair and remodelling of remaining neural circuits, and this process is shaped by behavioural experiences. The onset of motor disability simultaneously creates a powerful incentive to develop new, compensatory ways of performing daily activities. Compensatory movement strategies that are developed in response to motor impairments can be a dominant force in shaping post-stroke neural remodelling responses and can have mixed effects on functional outcome. The possibility of selectively harnessing the effects of compensatory behaviour on neural reorganization is still an insufficiently explored route for optimizing functional outcome after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa A Jones
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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Boltze J, Nitzsche F, Jolkkonen J, Weise G, Pösel C, Nitzsche B, Wagner DC. Concise Review: Increasing the Validity of Cerebrovascular Disease Models and Experimental Methods for Translational Stem Cell Research. Stem Cells 2017; 35:1141-1153. [DOI: 10.1002/stem.2595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Boltze
- Department of Translational Medicine and Cell Technology; Fraunhofer Research Institution for Marine Biotechnology and Cell Technology; Lübeck Germany
- Institute for Medical and Marine Biotechnology, University of Lübeck; Lübeck Germany
| | - Franziska Nitzsche
- Department of Cell Therapy; Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology; Leipzig Germany
- Department of Radiology; McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; Pennsylvania USA
| | - Jukka Jolkkonen
- Department of Neurology; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland; Kuopio Finland
| | - Gesa Weise
- Department of Cell Therapy; Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology; Leipzig Germany
- Department of Neurology; University of Leipzig; Germany
| | - Claudia Pösel
- Department of Cell Therapy; Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Björn Nitzsche
- Department of Cell Therapy; Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology; Leipzig Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine; University Hospital Leipzig; Germany
| | - Daniel-Christoph Wagner
- Department of Cell Therapy; Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology; Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz; Germany
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Organization of the reach and grasp in head-fixed vs freely-moving mice provides support for multiple motor channel theory of neocortical organization. Exp Brain Res 2017; 235:1919-1932. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-017-4925-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Mosberger AC, Miehlbradt JC, Bjelopoljak N, Schneider MP, Wahl AS, Ineichen BV, Gullo M, Schwab ME. Axotomized Corticospinal Neurons Increase Supra-Lesional Innervation and Remain Crucial for Skilled Reaching after Bilateral Pyramidotomy. Cereb Cortex 2017; 28:625-643. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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47
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Selective reaching in macaques: evidence for action-centred attention. Anim Cogn 2016; 20:359-366. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1062-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Lai S, Panarese A, Lawrence R, Boninger ML, Micera S, Ambrosio F. A Murine Model of Robotic Training to Evaluate Skeletal Muscle Recovery after Injury. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2016; 49:840-847. [PMID: 27875498 DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000001160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In vivo studies have suggested that motor exercise can improve muscle regeneration after injury. Nevertheless, preclinical investigations still lack reliable tools to monitor motor performance over time and to deliver optimal training protocols to maximize force recovery. Here, we evaluated the utility of a murine robotic platform (i) to detect early impairment and longitudinal recovery after acute skeletal muscle injury and (ii) to administer varying intensity training protocols to enhance forelimb motor performance. METHODS A custom-designed robotic platform was used to train mice to perform a forelimb retraction task. After an acute injury to bilateral biceps brachii muscles, animals performed a daily training protocol in the platform at high (HL) or low (LL) loading levels over the course of 3 wk. Control animals were not trained (NT). Motor performance was assessed by quantifying force, time, submovement count, and number of movement attempts to accomplish the task. Myofiber number and cross-sectional area at the injury site were quantified histologically. RESULTS Two days after injury, significant differences in the time, submovement count, number of movement attempts, and exerted force were observed in all mice, as compared with baseline values. Interestingly, the recovery time of muscle force production differed significantly between intervention groups, with HL group showing a significantly accelerated recovery. Three weeks after injury, all groups showed motor performance comparable with baseline values. Accordingly, there were no differences in the number of myofibers or average cross-sectional area among groups after 3 wk. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate the utility of our custom-designed robotic device for the quantitative assessment of skeletal muscle function in preclinical murine studies. Moreover, we demonstrate that this device may be used to apply varying levels of resistance longitudinally as a means manipulate physiological muscle responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Lai
- 1Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Translational Neural Engineering Area, The BioRobotics Institute, Pisa, ITALY; 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; 3McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; 4Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; 5Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; and 6Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational NeuroEngineering Laboratory, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, Lausanne, SWITZERLAND
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Synchrony of the Reach and the Grasp in pantomime reach-to-grasp. Exp Brain Res 2016; 234:3291-3303. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-016-4727-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- S.E. Roian Egnor
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147; ,
| | - Kristin Branson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147; ,
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