1
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Rojas AKP, Linley SB, Vertes RP. Chemogenetic inactivation of the nucleus reuniens and its projections to the orbital cortex produce deficits on discrete measures of behavioral flexibility in the attentional set-shifting task. Behav Brain Res 2024; 470:115066. [PMID: 38801950 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens (RE) of the ventral midline thalamus is a critical node in the communication between the orbitomedial prefrontal cortex (OFC) and the hippocampus (HF). While RE has been shown to directly participate in memory-associated functions through its connections with the medial prefrontal cortex and HF, less is known regarding the role of RE in executive functioning. Here, we examined the involvement of RE and its projections to the orbital cortex (ORB) in attention and behavioral flexibility in male rats using the attentional set shifting task (AST). Rats expressing the hM4Di DREADD receptor in RE were implanted with indwelling cannulas in either RE or the ventromedial ORB to pharmacologically inhibit RE or its projections to the ORB with intracranial infusions of clozapine-N-oxide hydrochloride (CNO). Chemogenetic-induced suppression of RE resulted in impairments in reversal learning and set-shifting. This supports a vital role for RE in behavioral flexibility - or the ability to adapt behavior to changing reward or rule contingencies. Interestingly, CNO suppression of RE projections to the ventromedial ORB produced impairments in rule abstraction - or dissociable effects elicited with direct RE suppression. In summary, the present findings indicate that RE, mediated in part by actions on the ORB, serves a critical role in the flexible use of rules to drive goal directed behavior. The cognitive deficits of various neurological disorders with impaired communication between the HF and OFC, may be partly attributed to alterations of RE -- as an established intermediary between these cortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K P Rojas
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Stephanie B Linley
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Robert P Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
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2
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Ma R, Hanse E, Gustafsson B. Labile glutamate synaptic transmission in the adult CA1 stratum-lacunosum-moleculare region. Eur J Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38857895 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The excitatory monosynaptic activation of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells is spatially segregated such that the proximal part of the apical dendritic tree in stratum radiatum (SR) receives input from the hippocampal CA3 region while the distal part in the stratum-lacunosum-moleculare (SLM) receives input mainly from the entorhinal cortex. The AMPA receptor-mediated (AMPA) signalling of SLM synapses in slices from neonatal rats was previously found to considerably differ from that of the SR synapses. In the present study, AMPA signalling of SLM synapses in 1-month-old rats has been examined, that is, when the hippocampus is essentially functionally mature. For the SR synapses, this time is characterized by a facilitatory shift in short-term plasticity, in the disappearance of labile postsynaptic AMPA signalling, a property thought to be important for early activity-dependent organization of neural circuits, and the expression of an adult form of long-term potentiation. We found that the SLM synapses alter their short-term plasticity similarly to that of the SR synapses. However, the labile postsynaptic AMPA signalling was not only maintained but substantially enhanced in the SLM synapses. The long-term potentiation observed was not of the adult form but like that of the neonatal SR synapses based on unsilencing of AMPA labile synapses. We propose that these features of the SLM synapses in the mature hippocampus will help to produce a flexible map of the multimodal sensory input reaching the SLM required for its conjunctive operation with the SR input to generate a proper functional output from the CA1 region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Ma
- Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Eric Hanse
- Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bengt Gustafsson
- Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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3
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Panzer E, Guimares-Olmo I, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Stéphan A, Cassel JC. In relentless pursuit of the white whale: A role for the ventral midline thalamus in behavioral flexibility and adaption? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105762. [PMID: 38857666 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105762] [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: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The reuniens (Re) nucleus is located in the ventral midline thalamus. It has fostered increasing interest, not only for its participation in a variety of cognitive functions (e.g., spatial working memory, systemic consolidation, reconsolidation, extinction of fear or generalization), but also for its neuroanatomical positioning as a bidirectional relay between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus (HIP). In this review we compile and discuss recent studies having tackled a possible implication of the Re nucleus in behavioral flexibility, a major PFC-dependent executive function controlling goal-directed behaviors. Experiments considered explored a possible role for the Re nucleus in perseveration, reversal learning, fear extinction, and set-shifting. They point to a contribution of this nucleus to behavioral flexibility, mainly by its connections with the PFC, but possibly also by those with the hippocampus, and even with the amygdala, at least for fear-related behavior. As such, the Re nucleus could be a crucial crossroad supporting a PFC-orchestrated ability to cope with new, potentially unpredictable environmental contingencies, and thus behavioral flexibility and adaption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Panzer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Isabella Guimares-Olmo
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Aline Stéphan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France.
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4
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Diehl MM, Moscarello JM, Trask S. Behavioral outputs and overlapping circuits between conditional fear and active avoidance. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 213:107943. [PMID: 38821256 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Aversive learning can produce a wide variety of defensive behavioral responses depending on the circumstances, ranging from reactive responses like freezing to proactive avoidance responses. While most of this initial learning is behaviorally supported by an expectancy of an aversive outcome and neurally supported by activity within the basolateral amygdala, activity in other brain regions become necessary for the execution of defensive strategies that emerge in other aversive learning paradigms such as active avoidance. Here, we review the neural circuits that support both reactive and proactive defensive behaviors that are motivated by aversive learning, and identify commonalities between the neural substrates of these distinct (and often exclusive) behavioral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Diehl
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | | | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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5
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Negrón-Oyarzo I, Dib T, Chacana-Véliz L, López-Quilodrán N, Urrutia-Piñones J. Large-scale coupling of prefrontal activity patterns as a mechanism for cognitive control in health and disease: evidence from rodent models. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1286111. [PMID: 38638163 PMCID: PMC11024307 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1286111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control of behavior is crucial for well-being, as allows subject to adapt to changing environments in a goal-directed way. Changes in cognitive control of behavior is observed during cognitive decline in elderly and in pathological mental conditions. Therefore, the recovery of cognitive control may provide a reliable preventive and therapeutic strategy. However, its neural basis is not completely understood. Cognitive control is supported by the prefrontal cortex, structure that integrates relevant information for the appropriate organization of behavior. At neurophysiological level, it is suggested that cognitive control is supported by local and large-scale synchronization of oscillatory activity patterns and neural spiking activity between the prefrontal cortex and distributed neural networks. In this review, we focus mainly on rodent models approaching the neuronal origin of these prefrontal patterns, and the cognitive and behavioral relevance of its coordination with distributed brain systems. We also examine the relationship between cognitive control and neural activity patterns in the prefrontal cortex, and its role in normal cognitive decline and pathological mental conditions. Finally, based on these body of evidence, we propose a common mechanism that may underlie the impaired cognitive control of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Negrón-Oyarzo
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Tatiana Dib
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Lorena Chacana-Véliz
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Nélida López-Quilodrán
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Jocelyn Urrutia-Piñones
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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6
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Plas SL, Tuna T, Bayer H, Juliano VAL, Sweck SO, Arellano Perez AD, Hassell JE, Maren S. Neural circuits for the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memory. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1352797. [PMID: 38370858 PMCID: PMC10869525 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1352797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The regulation of fear memories is critical for adaptive behaviors and dysregulation of these processes is implicated in trauma- and stress-related disorders. Treatments for these disorders include pharmacological interventions as well as exposure-based therapies, which rely upon extinction learning. Considerable attention has been directed toward elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying fear and extinction learning. In this review, we will discuss historic discoveries and emerging evidence on the neural mechanisms of the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memories. We will focus on neural circuits regulating the acquisition and extinction of Pavlovian fear conditioning in rodent models, particularly the role of the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in the contextual control of extinguished fear memories. We will also consider new work revealing an important role for the thalamic nucleus reuniens in the modulation of prefrontal-hippocampal interactions in extinction learning and memory. Finally, we will explore the effects of stress on this circuit and the clinical implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Plas
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Tuğçe Tuna
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Hugo Bayer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Vitor A. L. Juliano
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samantha O. Sweck
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Angel D. Arellano Perez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - James E. Hassell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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7
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Chen S, Qin Y, Ye X, Liu J, Yan X, Zhou L, Wang X, Martyniuk CJ, Yan B. Neurotoxicity of the Cu(OH) 2 Nanopesticide through Perturbing Multiple Neurotransmitter Pathways in Developing Zebrafish. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:19407-19418. [PMID: 37988762 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
The copper hydroxide [Cu(OH)2] nanopesticide is an emerging agricultural chemical that can negatively impact aquatic organisms. This study evaluated the behavioral changes of zebrafish larvae exposed to the Cu(OH)2 nanopesticide and assessed its potential to induce neurotoxicity. Metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling was also conducted to uncover the molecular mechanisms related to potential neurotoxicity. The Cu(OH)2 nanopesticide at 100 μg/L induced zebrafish hypoactivity, dark avoidance, and response to the light stimulus, suggestive of neurotoxic effects. Altered neurotransmitter-related pathways (serotoninergic, dopaminergic, glutamatergic, GABAergic) and reduction of serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), glutamate (GLU), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and several of their precursors and metabolites were noted following metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with the synthesis, transport, receptor binding, and metabolism of 5-HT, DA, GLU, and GABA. Transcripts (or protein levels) related to neurotransmitter receptors for 5-HT, DA, GLU, and GABA and enzymes for the synthesis of GLU and GABA were downregulated. Effects on both the glutamatergic and GABAergic pathways in zebrafish were specific to the nanopesticide and differed from those in fish exposed to copper ions. Taken together, the Cu(OH)2 nanopesticide induced developmental neurotoxicity in zebrafish by inhibiting several neurotransmitter-related pathways. This study presented a model for Cu(OH)2 nanopesticide-induced neurotoxicity in developing zebrafish that can inform ecological risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siying Chen
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yingju Qin
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaolin Ye
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiliang Yan
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, UF Genetics Institute, Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences in Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Bing Yan
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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8
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Reeders PC, Rivera Núñez MV, Vertes RP, Mattfeld AT, Allen TA. Identifying the midline thalamus in humans in vivo. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1835-1847. [PMID: 36598561 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02607-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The midline thalamus is critical for flexible cognition, memory, and stress regulation in humans and its dysfunction is associated with several neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and depression. Despite the pervasive role of the midline thalamus in cognition and disease, there is a limited understanding of its function in humans, likely due to the absence of a rigorous noninvasive neuroimaging methodology to identify its location. Here, we introduce a new method for identifying the midline thalamus in vivo using probabilistic tractography and k-means clustering with diffusion weighted imaging data. This approach clusters thalamic voxels based on data-driven cortical and subcortical connectivity profiles and then segments the midline thalamus according to anatomical connectivity tracer studies in rodents and macaques. Results from two different diffusion weighted imaging sets, including adult data (22-35 years) from the Human Connectome Project (n = 127) and adolescent data (9-14 years) collected at Florida International University (n = 34) showed that this approach reliably classifies midline thalamic clusters. As expected, these clusters were most evident along the dorsal/ventral extent of the third ventricle and were primarily connected to the agranular medial prefrontal cortex (e.g., anterior cingulate cortex), nucleus accumbens, and medial temporal lobe regions. The midline thalamus was then bisected based on a human brain atlas into a dorsal midline thalamic cluster (paraventricular and paratenial nuclei) and a ventral midline thalamic cluster (rhomboid and reuniens nuclei). This anatomical connectivity-based identification of the midline thalamus offers the opportunity for necessary investigation of this region in vivo in the human brain and how it relates to cognitive functions in humans, and to psychiatric and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puck C Reeders
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
- Brain Institute, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, FL, 33155, USA
| | - M Vanessa Rivera Núñez
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Robert P Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33231, USA
| | - Aaron T Mattfeld
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Timothy A Allen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.
- Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.
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9
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Kuang J, Kafetzopoulos V, Deth R, Kocsis B. Dopamine D4 Receptor Agonist Drastically Increases Delta Activity in the Thalamic Nucleus Reuniens: Potential Role in Communication between Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15289. [PMID: 37894968 PMCID: PMC10607171 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015289] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Network oscillations are essential for all cognitive functions. Oscillatory deficits are well established in psychiatric diseases and are recapitulated in animal models. They are significantly and specifically affected by pharmacological interventions using psychoactive compounds. Dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) activation was shown to enhance gamma rhythm in freely moving rats and to specifically affect slow delta and theta oscillations in the urethane-anesthetized rat model. The goal of this study was to test the effect of D4R activation on slow network oscillations at delta and theta frequencies during wake states, potentially supporting enhanced functional connectivity during dopamine-induced attention and cognitive processing. Network activity was recorded in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HC) and nucleus reuniens (RE) in control conditions and after injecting the D4R agonist A-412997 (3 and 5 mg/kg; systemic administration). We found that A-412997 elicited a lasting (~40 min) wake state and drastically enhanced narrow-band delta oscillations in the PFC and RE in a dose-dependent manner. It also preferentially enhanced delta synchrony over theta coupling within the PFC-RE-HC circuit, strongly strengthening PFC-RE coupling. Thus, our findings indicate that the D4R may contribute to cognitive processes, at least in part, through acting on wake delta oscillations and that the RE, providing an essential link between the PFC and HC, plays a prominent role in this mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Kuang
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (J.K.); (V.K.)
| | - V. Kafetzopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (J.K.); (V.K.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Richard Deth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA;
| | - B. Kocsis
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (J.K.); (V.K.)
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10
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Totty MS, Tuna T, Ramanathan KR, Jin J, Peters SE, Maren S. Thalamic nucleus reuniens coordinates prefrontal-hippocampal synchrony to suppress extinguished fear. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6565. [PMID: 37848425 PMCID: PMC10582091 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42315-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic events result in vivid and enduring fear memories. Suppressing the retrieval of these memories is central to behavioral therapies for pathological fear. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HPC) have been implicated in retrieval suppression, but how mPFC-HPC activity is coordinated during extinction retrieval is unclear. Here we show that after extinction training, coherent theta oscillations (6-9 Hz) in the HPC and mPFC are correlated with the suppression of conditioned freezing in male and female rats. Inactivation of the nucleus reuniens (RE), a thalamic hub interconnecting the mPFC and HPC, reduces extinction-related Fos expression in both the mPFC and HPC, dampens mPFC-HPC theta coherence, and impairs extinction retrieval. Conversely, theta-paced optogenetic stimulation of RE augments fear suppression and reduces relapse of extinguished fear. Collectively, these results demonstrate a role for RE in coordinating mPFC-HPC interactions to suppress fear memories after extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Totty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Tuğçe Tuna
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Karthik R Ramanathan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jingji Jin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Shaun E Peters
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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11
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de Mooij-van Malsen JG, Röhrdanz N, Buschhoff AS, Schiffelholz T, Sigurdsson T, Wulff P. Task-specific oscillatory synchronization of prefrontal cortex, nucleus reuniens, and hippocampus during working memory. iScience 2023; 26:107532. [PMID: 37636046 PMCID: PMC10450413 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory requires maintenance of and executive control over task-relevant information on a timescale of seconds. Spatial working memory depends on interactions between hippocampus, for the representation of space, and prefrontal cortex, for executive control. A monosynaptic hippocampal projection to the prefrontal cortex has been proposed to serve this interaction. However, connectivity and inactivation experiments indicate a critical role of the nucleus reuniens in hippocampal-prefrontal communication. We have investigated the dynamics of oscillatory coherence throughout the prefrontal-hippocampal-reuniens network in a touchscreen-based working memory task. We found that coherence at distinct frequencies evolved depending on phase and difficulty of the task. During choice, the reuniens did not participate in enhanced prefrontal-hippocampal theta but in gamma coherence. Strikingly, the reuniens was strongly embedded in performance-related increases in beta coherence, suggesting the execution of top-down control. In addition, we show that during working memory maintenance the prefrontal-hippocampal-reuniens network displays performance-related delay activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Niels Röhrdanz
- Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Schiffelholz
- Center of Integrative Psychiatry, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Torfi Sigurdsson
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Peer Wulff
- Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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12
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Mehrotra D, Dubé L. Accounting for multiscale processing in adaptive real-world decision-making via the hippocampus. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1200842. [PMID: 37732307 PMCID: PMC10508350 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1200842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
For adaptive real-time behavior in real-world contexts, the brain needs to allow past information over multiple timescales to influence current processing for making choices that create the best outcome as a person goes about making choices in their everyday life. The neuroeconomics literature on value-based decision-making has formalized such choice through reinforcement learning models for two extreme strategies. These strategies are model-free (MF), which is an automatic, stimulus-response type of action, and model-based (MB), which bases choice on cognitive representations of the world and causal inference on environment-behavior structure. The emphasis of examining the neural substrates of value-based decision making has been on the striatum and prefrontal regions, especially with regards to the "here and now" decision-making. Yet, such a dichotomy does not embrace all the dynamic complexity involved. In addition, despite robust research on the role of the hippocampus in memory and spatial learning, its contribution to value-based decision making is just starting to be explored. This paper aims to better appreciate the role of the hippocampus in decision-making and advance the successor representation (SR) as a candidate mechanism for encoding state representations in the hippocampus, separate from reward representations. To this end, we review research that relates hippocampal sequences to SR models showing that the implementation of such sequences in reinforcement learning agents improves their performance. This also enables the agents to perform multiscale temporal processing in a biologically plausible manner. Altogether, we articulate a framework to advance current striatal and prefrontal-focused decision making to better account for multiscale mechanisms underlying various real-world time-related concepts such as the self that cumulates over a person's life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhruv Mehrotra
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurette Dubé
- Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- McGill Center for the Convergence of Health and Economics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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13
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Bede P, Lulé D, Müller HP, Tan EL, Dorst J, Ludolph AC, Kassubek J. Presymptomatic grey matter alterations in ALS kindreds: a computational neuroimaging study of asymptomatic C9orf72 and SOD1 mutation carriers. J Neurol 2023; 270:4235-4247. [PMID: 37178170 PMCID: PMC10421803 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11764-5] [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: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The characterisation of presymptomatic disease-burden patterns in asymptomatic mutation carriers has a dual academic and clinical relevance. The understanding of disease propagation mechanisms is of considerable conceptual interests, and defining the optimal time of pharmacological intervention is essential for improved clinical trial outcomes. METHODS In a prospective, multimodal neuroimaging study, 22 asymptomatic C9orf72 GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat carriers, 13 asymptomatic subjects with SOD1, and 54 "gene-negative" ALS kindreds were enrolled. Cortical and subcortical grey matter alterations were systematically appraised using volumetric, morphometric, vertex, and cortical thickness analyses. Using a Bayesian approach, the thalamus and amygdala were further parcellated into specific nuclei and the hippocampus was segmented into anatomically defined subfields. RESULTS Asymptomatic GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat carriers in C9orf72 exhibited early subcortical changes with the preferential involvement of the pulvinar and mediodorsal regions of the thalamus, as well as the lateral aspect of the hippocampus. Volumetric approaches, morphometric methods, and vertex analyses were anatomically consistent in capturing focal subcortical changes in asymptomatic C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion carriers. SOD1 mutation carriers did not exhibit significant subcortical grey matter alterations. In our study, none of the two asymptomatic cohorts exhibited cortical grey matter alterations on either cortical thickness or morphometric analyses. DISCUSSION The presymptomatic radiological signature of C9orf72 is associated with selective thalamic and focal hippocampal degeneration which may be readily detectable before cortical grey matter changes ensue. Our findings confirm selective subcortical grey matter involvement early in the course of C9orf72-associated neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Bede
- Computational Neuroimaging Group (CNG), School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 RS90, Ireland.
- Department of Neurology, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Ee Ling Tan
- Computational Neuroimaging Group (CNG), School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 RS90, Ireland
| | - Johannes Dorst
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
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14
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Sellinger EP, Brinks AS, Javeri RR, Theurer SL, Wang R, Juraska JM. Region- and age-specific effects of perinatal phthalate exposure on developmental cell death and adult anatomy of dorsal and ventral hippocampus and associated cognitive behaviors. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2023; 99:107288. [PMID: 37595675 PMCID: PMC10530334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2023.107288] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Humans are exposed to phthalates, a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in food packaging/processing, PVC plastics, and personal care products. Gestational exposure may lead to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. In a rat model, perinatal exposure to an environmentally relevant mixture and dose of phthalates leads to increased developmental apoptosis in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and a subsequent reduction in neurons and in cognitive flexibility measured in adults of both sexes (Sellinger et al., 2021b; Kougias et al., 2018b). However, whether these effects generalize to other cognitive regions, like the hippocampus, is less well understood as existing studies used single phthalates at large doses, unrepresentative of human exposure. In the current study, patterns of naturally occurring cell death were first established in the dorsal and ventral hippocampal subfields (CA3 and CA1). Both dorsal and ventral CA3 reached high levels of cell death on P2 while levels in dorsal and ventral CA1 peaked on P5 in both sexes. Exposure to a phthalate mixture (0.2 and 1 mg/kg/day) throughout gestation through postnatal day 10 resulted in subtle age- and region-specific decreases in developmental cell death, however there were no significant changes in adult neuron number or associated behaviors: the Morris water maze and social recognition. Therefore, perinatal exposure to a low dose mixture of phthalates does not result in the dramatic structural and behavioral changes seen with high doses of single phthalates. This study also adds to our understanding of the distinct neurodevelopmental effects of phthalates on different brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elli P Sellinger
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Amara S Brinks
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Rajvi R Javeri
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Savannah L Theurer
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Ruibin Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Janice M Juraska
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
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15
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Yang E, Milisav F, Kopal J, Holmes AJ, Mitsis GD, Misic B, Finn ES, Bzdok D. The default network dominates neural responses to evolving movie stories. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4197. [PMID: 37452058 PMCID: PMC10349102 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39862-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroscientific studies exploring real-world dynamic perception often overlook the influence of continuous changes in narrative content. In our research, we utilize machine learning tools for natural language processing to examine the relationship between movie narratives and neural responses. By analyzing over 50,000 brain images of participants watching Forrest Gump from the studyforrest dataset, we find distinct brain states that capture unique semantic aspects of the unfolding story. The default network, associated with semantic information integration, is the most engaged during movie watching. Furthermore, we identify two mechanisms that underlie how the default network liaises with the amygdala and hippocampus. Our findings demonstrate effective approaches to understanding neural processes in everyday situations and their relation to conscious awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enning Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, TheNeuro-Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Mila-Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Filip Milisav
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, TheNeuro-Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jakub Kopal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, TheNeuro-Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Mila-Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Georgios D Mitsis
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, TheNeuro-Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Emily S Finn
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, TheNeuro-Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Mila-Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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16
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Heck DH, Fox MB, Correia Chapman B, McAfee SS, Liu Y. Cerebellar control of thalamocortical circuits for cognitive function: A review of pathways and a proposed mechanism. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1126508. [PMID: 37064161 PMCID: PMC10097962 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1126508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
There is general agreement that cerebrocerebellar interactions via cerebellothalamocortical pathways are essential for a cerebellar cognitive and motor functions. Cerebellothalamic projections were long believed target mainly the ventral lateral (VL) and part of the ventral anterior (VA) nuclei, which project to cortical motor and premotor areas. Here we review new insights from detailed tracing studies, which show that projections from the cerebellum to the thalamus are widespread and reach almost every thalamic subnucleus, including nuclei involved in cognitive functions. These new insights into cerebellothalamic pathways beyond the motor thalamus are consistent with the increasing evidence of cerebellar cognitive function. However, the function of cerebellothalamic pathways and how they are involved in the various motor and cognitive functions of the cerebellum is still unknown. We briefly review literature on the role of the thalamus in coordinating the coherence of neuronal oscillations in the neocortex. The coherence of oscillations, which measures the stability of the phase relationship between two oscillations of the same frequency, is considered an indicator of increased functional connectivity between two structures showing coherent oscillations. Through thalamocortical interactions coherence patterns dynamically create and dissolve functional cerebral cortical networks in a task dependent manner. Finally, we review evidence for an involvement of the cerebellum in coordinating coherence of oscillations between cerebral cortical structures. We conclude that cerebellothalamic pathways provide the necessary anatomical substrate for a proposed role of the cerebellum in coordinating neuronal communication between cerebral cortical areas by coordinating the coherence of oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Detlef H. Heck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, United States
| | - Mia B. Fox
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Brittany Correia Chapman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Samuel S. McAfee
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, United States
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17
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Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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18
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Ajaz R, Mousavi SR, Mirsattari SM, Leung LS. Paroxysmal slow-wave discharges in a model of absence seizure are coupled to gamma oscillations in the thalamocortical and limbic systems. Epilepsy Res 2023; 191:107103. [PMID: 36841021 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2023.107103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Using the gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) model of absence seizures in Long-Evans rats, this study investigated if gamma (30-160 Hz) activity were cross-frequency modulated by the 2-6 Hz slow-wave discharges induced by GBL in the limbic system. We hypothesized that inactivation of the nucleus reuniens (RE), which projects to frontal cortex (FC) and hippocampus, would affect the cross-frequency coupling of gamma (γ) in different brain regions. METHODS Local field potentials were recorded by electrodes implanted in the FC, ventrolateral thalamus (TH), basolateral amygdala (BLA), nucleus accumbens (NAC), and dorsal hippocampus (CA1) of behaving rats. At each electrode, the coupling between the γ amplitude envelope to the phase of the 2-6 Hz slow-waves (SW) was measured by modulation index (MI) or cross-frequency coherence (CFC) of γ amplitude with SW. In separate experiments, the RE was infused with saline or GABAA receptor agonist, muscimol, before the injection of GBL. RESULTS Following GBL injection, an increase in MI and CFC of SW to γ1 (30-58 Hz), γ2 (62-100 Hz) and γ3 (100-160 Hz) bands was observed at the FC, hippocampus and BLA, with significant increase in SW-γ1 and SW-γ3 coupling at TH, and increase in peak SW-γ1 CFC at NAC. Strong SW-γ modulation was also found during baseline immobility high-voltage spindles. Muscimol inactivation of RE, as compared to saline infusion, significantly decreased SW-γ1 CFC in the FC, and peak frequency of the SW-γ1 CFC in the thalamus, but did not significantly alter SW-γ CFCs in the hippocampus, BLA or NAC. SIGNIFICANCE The paroxysmal 2-6 Hz SW discharges, a hallmark of absence seizure, significantly modulate γ activity in the hippocampus, BLA and NAC, suggesting a modulation of limbic functions. RE inactivation disrupted the SW modulation of FC and TH, partly supporting our hypothesis that RE participates in the modulation of SW discharges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rukham Ajaz
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Seyed Reza Mousavi
- Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Seyed M Mirsattari
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - L Stan Leung
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
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19
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Díaz-Sánchez E, López-Salas A, Mirchandani-Duque M, Alvarez-Contino JE, Sánchez-Pérez JA, Fuxe K, Borroto-Escuela DO, García-Casares N, Narváez M. Decreased medial prefrontal cortex activity related to impaired novel object preference task performance following GALR2 and Y1R agonists intranasal infusion. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 161:114433. [PMID: 36848750 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114433] [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: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Different brain regions' interactions have been implicated in relevant neurological diseases, such as major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders, age-dependent cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and addiction. We aim to explore the role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Galanin (GAL) interaction since we have demonstrated specific NPY and GAL interactions in brain areas related to these brain diseases. We performed GALR2 and Y1R agonists intranasal infusion and analyzed the mPFC activation through c-Fos expression. To assess the associated cellular mechanism we studied the formation of Y1R-GALR2 heteroreceptor complexes with in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) and the expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Moreover, the functional outcome of the NPY and GAL interaction on the mPFC was evaluated in the novel object preference task. We demonstrated that the intranasal administration of both agonists decrease the medial prefrontal cortex activation as shown with the c-Fos expression. These effects were mediated by the decreased formation of Y1R-GALR2 heteroreceptor complexes without affecting the BDNF expression. The functional outcome of this interaction was related to an impaired performance on the novel object preference task. Our data may suggest the translational development of new heterobivalent agonist pharmacophores acting on Y1R-GALR2 heterocomplexes in the medial prefrontal cortex for the novel therapy on neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. DATA SHARING AND DATA ACCESSIBILITY: The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Institutional repository of the University of Malaga (RIUMA) and from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estela Díaz-Sánchez
- Laboratorio NeuronLab. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Malaga 29071, Spain; Vithas Málaga. Grupo Hospitalario Vithas, Málaga, Spain.
| | - Alexander López-Salas
- Laboratorio NeuronLab. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Malaga 29071, Spain.
| | - Marina Mirchandani-Duque
- Laboratorio NeuronLab. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Malaga 29071, Spain.
| | - Jose Erik Alvarez-Contino
- Laboratorio NeuronLab. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Malaga 29071, Spain.
| | - Jose Andrés Sánchez-Pérez
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Unit of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Spain.
| | - Kjell Fuxe
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden.
| | - Dasiel O Borroto-Escuela
- Laboratorio NeuronLab. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Malaga 29071, Spain; Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden; Department of Biomolecular Science, Section of Physiology, University of Urbino, Urbino 61029, Italy.
| | - Natalia García-Casares
- Laboratorio NeuronLab. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Malaga 29071, Spain.
| | - Manuel Narváez
- Laboratorio NeuronLab. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Malaga 29071, Spain; Vithas Málaga. Grupo Hospitalario Vithas, Málaga, Spain; Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden.
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20
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Vertes RP, Hoover WB, Witter MP, Yanik MF, Rojas AKP, Linley SB. Projections from the five divisions of the orbital cortex to the thalamus in the rat. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:217-237. [PMID: 36226328 PMCID: PMC9772129 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The orbital cortex (ORB) of the rat consists of five divisions: the medial (MO), ventral (VO), ventrolateral (VLO), lateral (LO), and dorsolateral (DLO) orbital cortices. No previous report has comprehensively examined and compared projections from each division of the ORB to the thalamus. Using the anterograde anatomical tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin, we describe the efferent projections from the five divisions of the ORB to the thalamus in the rat. We demonstrated that, with some overlap, each division of the ORB distributed in a distinct (and unique) manner to nuclei of the thalamus. Overall, ORB projected to a relatively restricted number of sites in the thalamus, and strikingly distributed entirely to structures of the medial/midline thalamus, while completely avoiding lateral regions or principal nuclei of the thalamus. The main termination sites in the thalamus were the paratenial nucleus (PT) and nucleus reuniens (RE) of the midline thalamus, the medial (MDm) and central (MDc) divisions of the mediodorsal nucleus, the intermediodorsal nucleus, the central lateral, paracentral, and central medial nuclei of the rostral intralaminar complex and the submedial nucleus (SM). With some exceptions, medial divisions of the ORB (MO, VO) mainly targeted "limbic-associated" nuclei such as PT, RE, and MDm, whereas lateral division (VLO, LO, DLO) primarily distributed to "sensorimotor-associated" nuclei including MDc, SM, and the rostral intralaminar complex. As discussed herein, the medial/midline thalamus may represent an important link (or bridge) between the orbital cortex and the hippocampus and between the ORB and medial prefrontal cortex. In summary, the present results demonstrate that each division of the orbital cortex projects in a distinct manner to nuclei of the thalamus which suggests unique functions for each division of the orbital cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Walter B Hoover
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Menno P Witter
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mehmet Fatih Yanik
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, D-ITET, ETH, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Amanda K P Rojas
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Stephanie B Linley
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
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Kody E, Diwadkar VA. Magnocellular and parvocellular contributions to brain network dysfunction during learning and memory: Implications for schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 156:520-531. [PMID: 36351307 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Memory deficits are core features of schizophrenia, and a central aim in biological psychiatry is to identify the etiology of these deficits. Scrutiny is naturally focused on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the hippocampal cortices, given these structures' roles in memory and learning. The fronto-hippocampal framework is valuable but restrictive. Network-based underpinnings of learning and memory are substantially diverse and include interactions between hetero-modal and early sensory networks. Thus, a loss of fidelity in sensory information may impact memorial and cognitive processing in higher-order brain sub-networks, becoming a sensory source for learning and memory deficits. In this overview, we suggest that impairments in magno- and parvo-cellular visual pathways result in degraded inputs to core learning and memory networks. The ascending cascade of aberrant neural events significantly contributes to learning and memory deficits in schizophrenia. We outline the network bases of these effects, and suggest that any network perspectives of dysfunction in schizophrenia must assess the impact of impaired perceptual contributions. Finally, we speculate on how this framework enriches the space of biomarkers and expands intervention strategies to ameliorate this prototypical disconnection syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Kody
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA.
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22
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Zhang X, Pan J, Lin Y, Fu G, Xu P, Liang J, Ye C, Peng J, Lv X, Yang Y, Feng Y. Structural network alterations in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy: A 1-year longitudinal study. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1059320. [DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1059320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This longitudinal study explored the changed patterns of structural brain network after radiotherapy (RT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were gathered from 35 patients with NPC at four time points: before RT (baseline), 0∼3 (acute), 6 (early delayed), and 12 months (late-delayed) after RT. The graph theory was used to characterize the dynamic topological properties after RT and the significant changes were detected over time at the global, regional and modular levels. Significantly altered regional metrics (nodal efficiency and degree centrality) were distributed in the prefrontal, temporal, parietal, frontal, and subcortical regions. The module, that exhibited a significantly altered within-module connectivity, had a high overlap with the default mode network (DMN). In addition, the global, regional and modular metrics showed a tendency of progressive decrease at the acute and early delayed stages, and a partial/full recovery at the late-delayed stage. This changed pattern illustrated that the radiation-induced brain damage began at the acute reaction stage and were aggravated at the early-delayed stage, and then partially recovered at the late-delayed stage. Furthermore, the spearman’s correlations between the abnormal nodal metrics and temporal dose were calculated and high correlations were found at the temporal (MTG.R and HES.L), subcortical (INS.R), prefrontal (ORBinf.L and ACG.L), and parietal (IPL.R) indicating that these regions were more sensitive to dose and should be mainly considered in radiotherapy treatment plan.
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Kupferschmidt DA, Cummings KA, Joffe ME, MacAskill A, Malik R, Sánchez-Bellot C, Tejeda HA, Yarur Castillo H. Prefrontal Interneurons: Populations, Pathways, and Plasticity Supporting Typical and Disordered Cognition in Rodent Models. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8468-8476. [PMID: 36351822 PMCID: PMC9665918 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1136-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) inhibitory microcircuits regulate the gain and timing of pyramidal neuron firing, coordinate neural ensemble interactions, and gate local and long-range neural communication to support adaptive cognition and contextually tuned behavior. Accordingly, perturbations of PFC inhibitory microcircuits are thought to underlie dysregulated cognition and behavior in numerous psychiatric diseases and relevant animal models. This review, based on a Mini-Symposium presented at the 2022 Society for Neuroscience Meeting, highlights recent studies providing novel insights into: (1) discrete medial PFC (mPFC) interneuron populations in the mouse brain; (2) mPFC interneuron connections with, and regulation of, long-range mPFC afferents; and (3) circuit-specific plasticity of mPFC interneurons. The contributions of such populations, pathways, and plasticity to rodent cognition are discussed in the context of stress, reward, motivational conflict, and genetic mutations relevant to psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kupferschmidt
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Kirstie A Cummings
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, 35233
| | - Max E Joffe
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
| | - Andrew MacAskill
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6BT
| | - Ruchi Malik
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94158
| | - Candela Sánchez-Bellot
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6BT
- Laboratorio de Circuitos Neuronales, Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain, 28002
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Hector Yarur Castillo
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
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Thörn CW, Kafetzopoulos V, Kocsis B. Differential Effect of Dopamine D4 Receptor Activation on Low-Frequency Oscillations in the Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus May Bias the Bidirectional Prefrontal–Hippocampal Coupling. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911705. [PMID: 36233007 PMCID: PMC9569525 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) mechanisms are implicated in psychiatric diseases characterized by cognitive deficits, including schizophrenia, ADHD, and autism. The cellular mechanisms are poorly understood, but impaired neuronal synchronization in cortical networks was proposed to contribute to these deficits. In animal experiments, D4R activation was shown to generate aberrant increased gamma oscillations and to reduce performance on cognitive tasks requiring functional prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HPC) networks. While fast oscillations in the gamma range are important for local synchronization within neuronal ensembles, long-range synchronization between distant structures is achieved by slow rhythms in the delta, theta, alpha ranges. The characteristics of slow oscillations vary between structures during cognitive tasks. HPC activity is dominated by theta rhythm, whereas PFC generates unique oscillations in the 2–4 Hz range. In order to investigate the role of D4R on slow rhythms, cortical activity was recorded in rats under urethane anesthesia in which slow oscillations can be elicited in a controlled manner without behavioral confounds, by electrical stimulation of the brainstem reticular formation. The local field potential segments during stimulations were extracted and subjected to fast Fourier transform to obtain power density spectra. The selective D4R agonist A-412997 (5 and 10 mg/kg) and antagonists L-745870 (5 and 10 mg/kg) were injected systemically and the peak power in the two frequency ranges were compared before and after the injection. We found that D4R compounds significantly changed the activity of both HPC and PFC, but the direction of the effect was opposite in the two structures. D4R agonist enhanced PFC slow rhythm (delta, 2–4 Hz) and suppressed HPC theta, whereas the antagonist had an opposite effect. Analogous changes of the two slow rhythms were also found in the thalamic nucleus reuniens, which has connections to both forebrain structures. Slow oscillations play a key role in interregional cortical coupling; delta and theta oscillations were shown in particular, to entrain neuronal firing and to modulate gamma activity in interconnected forebrain structures with a relative HPC theta dominance over PFC. Thus, the results of this study indicate that D4R activation may introduce an abnormal bias in the bidirectional PFC–HPC coupling which can be reversed by D4R antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vasilios Kafetzopoulos
- Department Psychiatry at BIDMC, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Bernat Kocsis
- Department Psychiatry at BIDMC, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +617-331-1782
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Gallo FT, Zanoni Saad MB, Silva A, Morici JF, Miranda M, Anderson MC, Weisstaub NV, Bekinschtein P. Dopamine Modulates Adaptive Forgetting in Medial Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6620-6636. [PMID: 35853718 PMCID: PMC9410750 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0740-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Active forgetting occurs in many species, but how behavioral control mechanisms influence which memories are forgotten remains unknown. We previously found that when rats need to retrieve a memory to guide exploration, it reduces later retention of other competing memories encoded in that environment. As with humans, this retrieval-induced forgetting relies on prefrontal control processes. Dopaminergic input to the prefrontal cortex is important for executive functions and cognitive flexibility. We found that, in a similar way, retrieval-induced forgetting of competing memories in male rats requires prefrontal dopamine signaling through D1 receptors. Blockade of medial prefrontal cortex D1 receptors as animals encountered a familiar object impaired active forgetting of competing object memories as measured on a later long-term memory test. Inactivation of the ventral tegmental area produced the same pattern of behavior, a pattern that could be reversed by concomitant activation of prefrontal D1 receptors. We observed a bidirectional modulation of retrieval-induced forgetting by agonists and antagonists of D1 receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex. These findings establish the essential role of prefrontal dopamine in the active forgetting of competing memories, contributing to the shaping of retention in response to the behavioral goals of an organism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Forgetting is a ubiquitous phenomenon that is actively promoted in many species. The very act of remembering some experiences can cause forgetting of others, in both humans and rats. This retrieval-induced forgetting process is thought to be driven by inhibitory control signals from the prefrontal cortex that target areas where the memories are stored. Here we started disentangling the neurochemical signals in the prefrontal cortex that are essential to retrieval-induced forgetting. We found that, in rats, the release of dopamine in this area, acting through D1 receptors, was essential to causing active forgetting of competing memories. Inhibition of D1 receptors impaired forgetting, while activation increased forgetting. These findings are important, because the mechanisms of active forgetting and their linkage to goal-directed behavior are only beginning to be understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Tomás Gallo
- Laboratorio de Memoria y Cognición Molecular, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas(CONICET)-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro, 1071 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Belén Zanoni Saad
- Laboratorio de Memoria y Cognición Molecular, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas(CONICET)-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro, 1071 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Azul Silva
- Grupo de Neurociencia de Sistemas, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica "Houssay" (IFIBIO "Houssay"), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1121ABG Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan Facundo Morici
- Laboratorio de Memoria y Cognición Molecular, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas(CONICET)-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro, 1071 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Magdalena Miranda
- Laboratorio de Memoria y Cognición Molecular, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas(CONICET)-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro, 1071 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Michael C Anderson
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Noelia V Weisstaub
- Laboratorio de Memoria y Cognición Molecular, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas(CONICET)-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro, 1071 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pedro Bekinschtein
- Laboratorio de Memoria y Cognición Molecular, Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas(CONICET)-Fundación INECO-Universidad Favaloro, 1071 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Vertes RP, Linley SB, Rojas AKP. Structural and functional organization of the midline and intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:964644. [PMID: 36082310 PMCID: PMC9445584 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.964644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The midline and intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus form a major part of the "limbic thalamus;" that is, thalamic structures anatomically and functionally linked with the limbic forebrain. The midline nuclei consist of the paraventricular (PV) and paratenial nuclei, dorsally and the rhomboid and nucleus reuniens (RE), ventrally. The rostral intralaminar nuclei (ILt) consist of the central medial (CM), paracentral (PC) and central lateral (CL) nuclei. We presently concentrate on RE, PV, CM and CL nuclei of the thalamus. The nucleus reuniens receives a diverse array of input from limbic-related sites, and predominantly projects to the hippocampus and to "limbic" cortices. The RE participates in various cognitive functions including spatial working memory, executive functions (attention, behavioral flexibility) and affect/fear behavior. The PV receives significant limbic-related afferents, particularly the hypothalamus, and mainly distributes to "affective" structures of the forebrain including the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, nucleus accumbens and the amygdala. Accordingly, PV serves a critical role in "motivated behaviors" such as arousal, feeding/consummatory behavior and drug addiction. The rostral ILt receives both limbic and sensorimotor-related input and distributes widely over limbic and motor regions of the frontal cortex-and throughout the dorsal striatum. The intralaminar thalamus is critical for maintaining consciousness and directly participates in various sensorimotor functions (visuospatial or reaction time tasks) and cognitive tasks involving striatal-cortical interactions. As discussed herein, while each of the midline and intralaminar nuclei are anatomically and functionally distinct, they collectively serve a vital role in several affective, cognitive and executive behaviors - as major components of a brainstem-diencephalic-thalamocortical circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P. Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Stephanie B. Linley
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
- Department of Psychological Science, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, United States
| | - Amanda K. P. Rojas
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
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Jhuang YC, Chang CH. Differential roles of nucleus reuniens and perirhinal cortex in Pavlovian trace fear conditioning in rats. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:3498-3510. [PMID: 35952337 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac287] [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: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens (RE) and the perirhinal cortex (PRC) are two major relay stations that interconnect the hippocampus (HPC) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Previous studies have shown that both the RE and the PRC are involved in the acquisition of trace fear conditioning. However, the respective contribution of the two regions is unclear. In this study, we used pharmacological approach to compare their roles. Our data suggested that inactivation of the RE or the PRC during conditioning partially impaired, whereas inactivation of both areas totally abolished, the encoding of trace fear. We next examined whether the impaired encoding of trace fear under RE inactivation can be rescued with enhanced cholinergic tone in the PRC, and vice versa. Against our hypothesis, regardless of whether the RE was on-line or not, animals failed to encode trace fear when further engaging cholinergic activities in the PRC. Conversely, depending on PRC activation level during conditioning, further recruiting cholinergic activities in the RE led to a down-shift of fear response during retrieval. Our results revealed that the RE and the PRC were necessary for the encoding of trace fear. Moreover, there was differential importance of cholinergic modulation during the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ci Jhuang
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hui Chang
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.,Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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28
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Prefrontal cortical circuits in anxiety and fear: an overview. Front Med 2022; 16:518-539. [PMID: 35943704 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-022-0941-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Pathological anxiety is among the most difficult neuropsychiatric diseases to treat pharmacologically, and it represents a major societal problem. Studies have implicated structural changes within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and functional changes in the communication of the PFC with distal brain structures in anxiety disorders. Treatments that affect the activity of the PFC, including cognitive therapies and transcranial magnetic stimulation, reverse anxiety- and fear-associated circuit abnormalities through mechanisms that remain largely unclear. While the subjective experience of a rodent cannot be precisely determined, rodent models hold great promise in dissecting well-conserved circuits. Newly developed genetic and viral tools and optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques have revealed the intricacies of neural circuits underlying anxiety and fear by allowing direct examination of hypotheses drawn from existing psychological concepts. This review focuses on studies that have used these circuit-based approaches to gain a more detailed, more comprehensive, and more integrated view on how the PFC governs anxiety and fear and orchestrates adaptive defensive behaviors to hopefully provide a roadmap for the future development of therapies for pathological anxiety.
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Vasudevan K, Ramanathan KR, Vierkant V, Maren S. Nucleus reuniens inactivation does not impair consolidation or reconsolidation of fear extinction. LEARNING & MEMORY (COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y.) 2022; 29:216-222. [PMID: 35902273 PMCID: PMC9374271 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053611.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent data reveal that the thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE) has a critical role in the extinction of conditioned fear. Muscimol (MUS) infusions into the RE impair within-session extinction of conditioned freezing and result in poor long-term extinction memories in rats. Although this suggests that RE inactivation impairs extinction learning, it is also possible that it is involved in the consolidation of extinction memories. To examine this possibility, we examined the effects of RE inactivation on the consolidation and reconsolidation of fear extinction in male and female rats. Twenty-four hours after auditory fear conditioning, rats underwent an extinction procedure (45 CS-alone trials) in a novel context and were infused with saline (SAL) or MUS within minutes of the final extinction trial. Twenty-four hours later, conditioned freezing to the extinguished CS was assessed in the extinction context. Postextinction inactivation of the RE did not affect extinction retrieval. In a second experiment, rats underwent extinction training and, 24 h later, were presented with a single CS to reactivate the extinction memory; rats were infused with SAL or MUS immediately after the reactivation session. Pharmacological inactivation of the RE did not affect conditioned freezing measured in a drug-free retrieval test the following day. Importantly, we found in a subsequent test that MUS infusions immediately before retrieval testing increased conditioned freezing and impaired extinction retrieval, as we have previously reported. These results indicate that although RE inactivation impairs the expression of extinction, it does not impair either the consolidation or reconsolidation of extinction memories. We conclude that the RE may have a critical role in suppressing context-inappropriate fear memories in the extinction context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krithika Vasudevan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Karthik R Ramanathan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Valerie Vierkant
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
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30
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Yu X, Jembere F, Takehara-Nishiuchi K. Prefrontal projections to the nucleus reuniens signal behavioral relevance of stimuli during associative learning. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11995. [PMID: 35835794 PMCID: PMC9283438 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15886-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens (RE) is necessary for memories dependent on the interaction between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HPC). One example is trace eyeblink conditioning, in which the mPFC exhibits differential activity to neutral conditioned stimuli (CS) depending on their contingency with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US). To test if this relevancy signal is routed to the RE, we photometrically recorded mPFC axon terminals within the RE and tracked their changes with learning. As a comparison, we measured prefrontal terminal activity in the mediodorsal thalamus (MD), which lacks connectivity with the HPC. In naïve male rats, prefrontal terminals within the RE were not strongly activated by tone or light. As the rats associated one of the stimuli (CS+) with the US, terminals gradually increased their response to the CS+ but not the other stimulus (CS-). In contrast, stimulus-evoked responses of prefrontal terminals within the MD were strong even before conditioning. They also became augmented only to the CS+ in the first conditioning session; however, the degree of activity differentiation did not improve with learning. These findings suggest that associative learning selectively increased mPFC output to the RE, signaling the behavioral relevance of sensory stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Yu
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Collaborative Program in Neuroscience, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Fasika Jembere
- Human Biology Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kaori Takehara-Nishiuchi
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. .,Collaborative Program in Neuroscience, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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Jiang C, Xu Y, Zhong J, Wu J, He J, Xu W, Zhu Y. Chloral Hydrate Alters Brain Activation Induced by Methamphetamine-Associated Cue and Prevents Relapse. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:934167. [PMID: 35898698 PMCID: PMC9309691 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.934167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug and its abuse leads to serious health and social problems. Until now, no effective medications are yet available for the treatment of methamphetamine addiction. Our study reveals that chloral hydrate, a clinical sedative drug, suppresses the seeking desire for methamphetamine. After 5 days of continuous administration (subanesthetic dose 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg), methamphetamine-seeking behavior of rats was inhibited in the condition place preference and intravenous self-administration tests. Furthermore, chloral hydrate treatment robustly suppressed cue-induced methamphetamine relapse. The whole brain c-fos immunostaining revealed that chloral hydrate treatment suppressed neuronal activity in the rhomboid thalamic nucleus (Rh), dorsal endopiriform nucleus (dEn), and claustrum (Cl) while enhanced zona incerta (ZI) activity during cue-induced methamphetamine relapse. Therefore, chloral hydrate could remodel neural network activity and serve as a potential medicine to treat methamphetamine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Jiang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunlong Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiafeng Zhong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Junyan Wu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Medical College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian He
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Xu,
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Yingjie Zhu,
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Totty MS, Maren S. Neural Oscillations in Aversively Motivated Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:936036. [PMID: 35846784 PMCID: PMC9284508 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.936036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear and anxiety-based disorders are highly debilitating and among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. These disorders are associated with abnormal network oscillations in the brain, yet a comprehensive understanding of the role of network oscillations in the regulation of aversively motivated behavior is lacking. In this review, we examine the oscillatory correlates of fear and anxiety with a particular focus on rhythms in the theta and gamma-range. First, we describe neural oscillations and their link to neural function by detailing the role of well-studied theta and gamma rhythms to spatial and memory functions of the hippocampus. We then describe how theta and gamma oscillations act to synchronize brain structures to guide adaptive fear and anxiety-like behavior. In short, that hippocampal network oscillations act to integrate spatial information with motivationally salient information from the amygdala during states of anxiety before routing this information via theta oscillations to appropriate target regions, such as the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, theta and gamma oscillations develop in the amygdala and neocortical areas during the encoding of fear memories, and interregional synchronization reflects the retrieval of both recent and remotely encoded fear memories. Finally, we argue that the thalamic nucleus reuniens represents a key node synchronizing prefrontal-hippocampal theta dynamics for the retrieval of episodic extinction memories in the hippocampus.
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The ventral midline thalamus coordinates prefrontal-hippocampal neural synchrony during vicarious trial and error. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10940. [PMID: 35768454 PMCID: PMC9243057 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14707-8] [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: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
When faced with difficult choices, the possible outcomes are considered through a process known as deliberation. In rats, deliberation is thought to be reflected by pause-and-reorienting behaviors, better known as vicarious trial and errors (VTEs). While VTEs are thought to require medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and dorsal hippocampal (dHPC) interactions, no empirical evidence has yet demonstrated such a dual requirement. The nucleus reuniens (Re) of the ventral midline thalamus is anatomically connected with both the mPFC and dHPC, is required for HPC-dependent spatial memory tasks, and is critical for mPFC-dHPC neural synchronization. Currently, it is unclear if, or how, the Re is involved in deliberation. Therefore, by examining the role of the Re on VTE behaviors, we can better understand the anatomical and physiological mechanisms supporting deliberation. Here, we examined the impact of Re suppression on VTE behaviors and mPFC-dHPC theta synchrony during asymptotic performance of a HPC-dependent delayed alternation (DA) task. Pharmacological suppression of the Re increased VTE behaviors that occurred with repetitive choice errors. These errors were best characterized as perseverative behaviors, in which some rats repeatedly selected a goal arm that previously yielded no reward. We then examined the impact of Re suppression on mPFC-dHPC theta synchrony during VTEs. We found that during VTEs, Re inactivation was associated with a reduction in mPFC-dHPC theta coherence and mPFC-to-dHPC theta directionality. Our findings suggest that the Re contributes to deliberation by coordinating mPFC-dHPC neural interactions.
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Viena TD, Rasch GE, Allen TA. Dual medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus projecting neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1857-1869. [PMID: 35279742 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02478-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus (PVT) of the midline thalamus is a critical higher-order cortico-thalamo-cortical integration site that plays a critical role in various behaviors including reward seeking, cue saliency, and emotional memory. Anatomical studies have shown that PVT projects to both medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HC). However, dual mPFC-HC projecting neurons which could serve a role in synchronizing mPFC and HC activity during PVT-dependent behaviors, have not been explored. Here we used a dual retrograde adenoassociated virus (AAV) tracing approach to characterize the location and proportion of different projection populations that send collaterals to mPFC and/or ventral hippocampus (vHC) in rats. Additionally, we examined the distribution of calcium binding proteins calretinin (CR) and calbindin (CB) with respect to these projection populations in PVT. We found that PVT contains separate populations of cells that project to mPFC, vHC, and those that innervate both regions. Interestingly, dual mPFC-HC projecting cells expressed neither CR nor CB. Topographically, CB+ and CR+ containing cells clustered around dual projecting neurons in PVT. These results are consistent with the features of dual mPFC-vHC projecting cells in the nucleus reuniens (RE) and suggestive of a functional mPFC-PVT-vHC system that may support mPFC-vHC interactions in PVT-dependent behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana D Viena
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Gabriela E Rasch
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Timothy A Allen
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.
- Deparment of Environmental Health Sciences, Robert Stempel College of Public Health, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.
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35
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Hauer BE, Pagliardini S, Dickson CT. Tonic excitation of nucleus reuniens decreases prefrontal-hippocampal coordination during slow-wave states. Hippocampus 2022; 32:466-477. [PMID: 35522233 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23420] [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: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens of the thalamus (RE) is an important node between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (HPC). Previously, we have shown that its mode of activity and its influence in mPFC-HPC communication is dependent upon brain state. During slow-wave states, RE units are closely and rhythmically coupled to the ongoing mPFC-slow oscillation (SO), while during activated (theta) states, RE neurons fire in an arrhythmic and tonically active manner. Inactivating the RE selectively impoverishes coordination of the SO between mPFC and HPC and interestingly, both mPFC and RE stimulation during the SO cause larger responses in the HPC than during theta. It is unclear if the activity patterns within the RE across states may play a role in both phenomena. Here, we optogenetically excited RE neurons in a tonic fashion to assess the impact on mPFC-HPC coupling. This stimulation decreased the influence of mPFC stimulation in the HPC during SO states, in a manner similar to what is observed across state changes into theta. Importantly, this type of stimulation had no effect on evoked responses during theta. Perhaps more interestingly, tonic optogenetic excitation of the RE also decreased mPFC-HPC SO coherence. Thus, it may not be the integrity of the RE per se that is responsible for efficient communication between mPFC and HPC, but rather the particular state in which RE neurons find themselves. Our results have direct implications for how distant brain regions can communicate most effectively, an issue that is ultimately important for activity-dependent processes occurring during slow-wave sleep-dependent memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon E Hauer
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Silvia Pagliardini
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Clayton T Dickson
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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36
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Malik R, Li Y, Schamiloglu S, Sohal VS. Top-down control of hippocampal signal-to-noise by prefrontal long-range inhibition. Cell 2022; 185:1602-1617.e17. [PMID: 35487191 PMCID: PMC10027400 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is postulated to exert "top-down control" on information processing throughout the brain to promote specific behaviors. However, pathways mediating top-down control remain poorly understood. In particular, knowledge about direct prefrontal connections that might facilitate top-down control of hippocampal information processing remains sparse. Here we describe monosynaptic long-range GABAergic projections from PFC to hippocampus. These preferentially inhibit vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons, which are known to disinhibit hippocampal microcircuits. Indeed, stimulating prefrontal-hippocampal GABAergic projections increases hippocampal feedforward inhibition and reduces hippocampal activity in vivo. The net effect of these actions is to specifically enhance the signal-to-noise ratio for hippocampal encoding of object locations and augment object-induced increases in spatial information. Correspondingly, activating or inhibiting these projections promotes or suppresses object exploration, respectively. Together, these results elucidate a top-down prefrontal pathway in which long-range GABAergic projections target disinhibitory microcircuits, thereby enhancing signals and network dynamics underlying exploratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi Malik
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Selin Schamiloglu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vikaas S Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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37
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Liu W, Li J, Li L, Zhang Y, Yang M, Liang S, Li L, Dai Y, Chen L, Jia W, He X, Lin H, Tao J. Enhanced Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampal Activity Improves Memory Generalization in APP/PS1 Mice: A Multimodal Animal MRI Study. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:848967. [PMID: 35386301 PMCID: PMC8977524 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.848967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory generalization allows individuals to extend previously learned movement patterns to similar environments, contributing to cognitive flexibility. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the disturbance of generalization is responsible for the deficits of episodic memory, causing patients with AD to forget or misplace things, even lose track of the way home. Cognitive training can effectively improve the cognition of patients with AD through changing thinking mode and memory flexibility. In this study, a T-shaped maze was utilized to simulate cognitive training in APP/PS1 mice to elucidate the potential mechanisms of beneficial effects after cognitive training. We found that cognitive training conducted by a T-shaped maze for 4 weeks can improve the memory generalization ability of APP/PS1 mice. The results of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed that the functional activity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus was enhanced after cognitive training, and the results of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) showed that the neurochemical metabolism of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and glutamic acid (Glu) in mPFC, hippocampus and reuniens (Re) thalamic nucleus were escalated. Furthermore, the functional activity of mPFC and hippocampus was negatively correlated with the escape latency in memory generalization test. Therefore, these results suggested that cognitive training might improve memory generalization through enhancing the functional activity of mPFC and hippocampus and increasing the metabolism of NAA and Glu in the brain regions of mPFC, hippocampus and Re nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weilin Liu
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jianhong Li
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Le Li
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuhao Zhang
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Minguang Yang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shengxiang Liang
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Long Li
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yaling Dai
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lewen Chen
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Weiwei Jia
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun He
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Huawei Lin
- TCM Rehabilitation Research Center of SATCM, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jing Tao
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jing Tao,
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Schlecht M, Jayachandran M, Rasch GE, Allen TA. Dual projecting cells linking thalamic and cortical communication routes between the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 188:107586. [PMID: 35045320 PMCID: PMC8851867 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (HC) are critical for memory and decision making and have been specifically implicated in several neurological disorders including schizophrenia, epilepsy, frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. The ventral midline thalamus (vmThal), and lateral entorhinal cortex and perirhinal cortex (LEC/PER) constitute major communication pathways that facilitate mPFC-HC interactions in memory. Although vmThal and LEC/PER circuits have been delineated separately we sought to determine whether these two regions share cell-specific inputs that could influence both routes simultaneously. To do this we used a dual fluorescent retrograde tracing approach using cholera toxin subunit-B (CTB-488 and CTB-594) with injections targeting vmThal and the LEC/PER in rats. Retrograde cell body labeling was examined in key regions of interest within the mPFC-HC system including: (1) mPFC, specifically anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsal and ventral prelimbic cortex (dPL, vPL), and infralimbic cortex (IL); (2) medial and lateral septum (MS, LS); (3) subiculum (Sub) along the dorsal-ventral and proximal-distal axes; and (4) LEC and medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). Results showed that dual vmThal-LEC/PER-projecting cell populations are found in MS, vSub, and the shallow layers II/III of LEC and MEC. We did not find any dual projecting cells in mPFC or in the cornu ammonis (CA) subfields of the HC. Thus, mPFC and HC activity is sent to vmThal and LEC/PER via non-overlapping projection cell populations. Importantly, the dual projecting cell populations in MS, vSub, and EC are in a unique position to simultaneously influence both cortical and thalamic mPFC-HC pathways critical to memory. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The interactions between mPFC and HC are critical for learning and memory, and dysfunction within this circuit is implicated in various neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. mPFC-HC interactions are mediated through multiple communication pathways including a thalamic hub through the vmThal and a cortical hub through lateral entorhinal cortex and perirhinal cortex. Our data highlight newly identified dual projecting cell populations in the septum, Sub, and EC of the rat brain. These dual projecting cells may have the ability to modify the information flow within the mPFC-HC circuit through synchronous activity, and thus offer new cell-specific circuit targets for basic and translational studies in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Schlecht
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Maanasa Jayachandran
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Gabriela E Rasch
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Timothy A Allen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
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39
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Hauer BE, Pagliardini S, Dickson CT. Prefrontal-Hippocampal Pathways Through the Nucleus Reuniens Are Functionally Biased by Brain State. Front Neuroanat 2022; 15:804872. [PMID: 35173588 PMCID: PMC8842257 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.804872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Circuit-level communication between disparate brain regions is fundamental for the complexities of the central nervous system operation. Co-ordinated bouts of rhythmic activity between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HPC), in particular, are important for mnemonic processes. This is true during awake behavior, as well as during offline states like sleep. We have recently shown that the anatomically interposed thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE) has a role in coordinating slow-wave activity between the PFC and HPC. Here, we took advantage of spontaneous brain state changes occurring during urethane anesthesia in order to assess if PFC-HPC communication was modified during activated (theta) vs. deactivated (slow oscillation: SO) states. These forebrain states are highly similar to those expressed during rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM stages of natural sleep, respectively. Evoked potentials and excitatory current sinks in the HPC were consistently larger during SO states, regardless of whether PFC or RE afferents were stimulated. Interestingly, PFC stimulation during theta appeared to preferentially use a cortico-cortical pathway, presumably involving the entorhinal cortex as opposed to the more direct RE to HPC conduit. Optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations of the RE suggested that this state-dependent biasing was mediated by responding in the RE itself. Finally, the phase of both ongoing rhythms also appeared to be an important factor in modulating HPC responses, with maximal field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) occurring during the negative-going phase of both rhythms. Thus, forebrain state plays an important role in how communication takes place across the PFC and HPC, with the RE as a determining factor in how this is shaped. Furthermore, ongoing sleep-like rhythms influence the coordination and perhaps potentiate excitatory processing in this extended episodic memory circuit. Our results have direct implications for activity-dependent processes relevant to sleep-dependent memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon E. Hauer
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Silvia Pagliardini
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Clayton T. Dickson
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Clayton T. Dickson
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40
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Nyberg N, Duvelle É, Barry C, Spiers HJ. Spatial goal coding in the hippocampal formation. Neuron 2022; 110:394-422. [PMID: 35032426 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian hippocampal formation contains several distinct populations of neurons involved in representing self-position and orientation. These neurons, which include place, grid, head direction, and boundary-vector cells, are thought to collectively instantiate cognitive maps supporting flexible navigation. However, to flexibly navigate, it is necessary to also maintain internal representations of goal locations, such that goal-directed routes can be planned and executed. Although it has remained unclear how the mammalian brain represents goal locations, multiple neural candidates have recently been uncovered during different phases of navigation. For example, during planning, sequential activation of spatial cells may enable simulation of future routes toward the goal. During travel, modulation of spatial cells by the prospective route, or by distance and direction to the goal, may allow maintenance of route and goal-location information, supporting navigation on an ongoing basis. As the goal is approached, an increased activation of spatial cells may enable the goal location to become distinctly represented within cognitive maps, aiding goal localization. Lastly, after arrival at the goal, sequential activation of spatial cells may represent the just-taken route, enabling route learning and evaluation. Here, we review and synthesize these and other evidence for goal coding in mammalian brains, relate the experimental findings to predictions from computational models, and discuss outstanding questions and future challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Nyberg
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Éléonore Duvelle
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Caswell Barry
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hugo J Spiers
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
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41
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Anderson MC, Floresco SB. Prefrontal-hippocampal interactions supporting the extinction of emotional memories: the retrieval stopping model. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:180-195. [PMID: 34446831 PMCID: PMC8616908 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01131-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging has revealed robust interactions between the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus when people stop memory retrieval. Efforts to stop retrieval can arise when people encounter reminders to unpleasant thoughts they prefer not to think about. Retrieval stopping suppresses hippocampal and amygdala activity, especially when cues elicit aversive memory intrusions, via a broad inhibitory control capacity enabling prepotent response suppression. Repeated retrieval stopping reduces intrusions of unpleasant memories and diminishes their affective tone, outcomes resembling those achieved by the extinction of conditioned emotional responses. Despite this resemblance, the role of inhibitory fronto-hippocampal interactions and retrieval stopping broadly in extinction has received little attention. Here we integrate human and animal research on extinction and retrieval stopping. We argue that reconceptualising extinction to integrate mnemonic inhibitory control with learning would yield a greater understanding of extinction's relevance to mental health. We hypothesize that fear extinction spontaneously engages retrieval stopping across species, and that controlled suppression of hippocampal and amygdala activity by the prefrontal cortex reduces fearful thoughts. Moreover, we argue that retrieval stopping recruits extinction circuitry to achieve affect regulation, linking extinction to how humans cope with intrusive thoughts. We discuss novel hypotheses derived from this theoretical synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Anderson
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology, and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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42
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Zhang Z, Hu Y, Lv G, Wang J, He Y, Zhang L, Li H, von Deneen KM, Wang H, Duan S, Zhang J, Hou Q, Pan Y, Zhao Y, Mao K, Wang F, Zhang Y, Cui G, Nie Y. Functional constipation is associated with alterations in thalamo-limbic/parietal structural connectivity. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2021; 33:e13992. [PMID: 33073892 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.13992] [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] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional constipation (FCon) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) with a high prevalence in clinical practice. Previous studies have identified that FCon is associated with functional and structural alterations in the primary brain regions involved in emotional arousal processing, sensory processing, somatic/motor-control, and self-referential processing. However, whether FCon is associated with abnormal structural connectivity (SC) among these brain regions remains unclear. METHODS We selected the brain regions with functional and structural abnormalities as seed regions and employed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with probabilistic tractography to investigate SC changes in 29 patients with FCon and 31 healthy controls (HC). KEY RESULTS Results showed lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the fibers connecting the thalamus, a region involved in sensory processing, with the amygdala (AMY), hippocampal gyrus (HIPP), precentral (PreCen) and postcentral gyrus (PostCen), supplementary motor area (SMA) and precuneus in patients with FCon compared with HC. FCon had higher mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) in the thalamus connected to the AMY and HIPP. In addition, FCon had significantly increased RD of the thalamus-SMA tract. Sensation of incomplete evacuation was negatively correlated with FA of the thalamus-PostCen and thalamus-HIPP tracts, and there was a negative correlation between difficulty of defecation and FA of the thalamus-SMA tract. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES These findings reflected that FCon is associated with alterations in SC between the thalamus and limbic/parietal cortex, highlighting the integrative role of the thalamus in brain structural network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhida Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ganggang Lv
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yang He
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hao Li
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Karen M von Deneen
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huaning Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shijun Duan
- Department of Radiology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Junwang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qiuqiu Hou
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yanan Pan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Kuanrong Mao
- Xi'an Mayinglong Anorectal Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Xi'an Mayinglong Anorectal Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Guangbin Cui
- Department of Radiology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yongzhan Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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43
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Tavares LCS, Tort ABL. Hippocampal-prefrontal interactions during spatial decision-making. Hippocampus 2021; 32:38-54. [PMID: 34843143 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus has been linked to memory encoding and spatial navigation, while the prefrontal cortex is associated with cognitive functions such as decision-making. These regions are hypothesized to communicate in tasks that demand both spatial navigation and decision-making processes. However, the electrophysiological signatures underlying this communication remain to be better elucidated. To investigate the dynamics of the hippocampal-prefrontal interactions, we have analyzed their local field potentials and spiking activity recorded from rats performing a spatial alternation task on a figure eight-shaped maze. We found that the phase coherence of theta peaked around the choice point area of the maze. Moreover, Granger causality revealed a hippocampus → prefrontal cortex directionality of information flow at theta frequency, peaking at starting areas of the maze, and on the reverse direction at delta frequency, peaking near the turn onset. Additionally, the patterns of phase-amplitude cross-frequency coupling within and between the regions also showed spatial selectivity, and hippocampal theta and prefrontal delta modulated not only gamma amplitude but also inter-regional gamma synchrony. Finally, we found that the theta rhythm dynamically modulated neurons in both regions, with the highest modulation at the choice area; interestingly, prefrontal cortex neurons were more strongly modulated by the hippocampal theta rhythm than by their local field rhythm. In all, our results reveal maximum electrophysiological interactions between the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex near the decision-making period of the spatial alternation task, corroborating the hypothesis that a dynamic interplay between these regions takes place during spatial decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas C S Tavares
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Bioinformatics Multidisciplinary Environment (BioME), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Adriano B L Tort
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Goswamee P, Leggett E, McQuiston AR. Nucleus Reuniens Afferents in Hippocampus Modulate CA1 Network Function via Monosynaptic Excitation and Polysynaptic Inhibition. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:660897. [PMID: 34712120 PMCID: PMC8545856 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.660897] [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: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamic midline nucleus reuniens modulates hippocampal CA1 and subiculum function via dense projections to the stratum lacunosum-moleculare (SLM). Previously, anatomical data has shown that reuniens inputs in the SLM form synapses with dendrites of both CA1 principal cells and inhibitory interneurons. However, the ability of thalamic inputs to excite the CA1 principal cells remains controversial. In addition, nothing is known about the impact of reuniens inputs on diverse subpopulations of interneurons in CA1. Therefore, using whole cell patch-clamp electrophysiology in ex vivo hippocampal slices of wild-type and transgenic mice, we measured synaptic responses in different CA1 neuronal subtypes to optogenetic stimulation of reuniens afferents. Our data shows that reuniens inputs mediate both excitation and inhibition of the CA1 principal cells. However, the optogenetic excitation of the reuniens inputs failed to drive action potential firing in the majority of the principal cells. While the excitatory postsynaptic currents were mediated via direct monosynaptic activation of the CA1 principal cells, the inhibitory postsynaptic currents were generated polysynaptically via activation of local GABAergic interneurons. Moreover, we demonstrate that optogenetic stimulation of reuniens inputs differentially recruit at least two distinct and non-overlapping subpopulations of local GABAergic interneurons in CA1. We show that neurogliaform cells located in SLM, and calretinin-containing interneuron-selective interneurons at the SLM/stratum radiatum border can be excited by stimulation of reuniens inputs. Together, our data demonstrate that optogenetic stimulation of reuniens afferents can mediate excitation, feedforward inhibition, and disinhibition of the postsynaptic CA1 principal cells via multiple direct and indirect mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyodarshan Goswamee
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Leggett
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - A Rory McQuiston
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
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Robinson JC, Brandon MP. Skipping ahead: A circuit for representing the past, present, and future. eLife 2021; 10:e68795. [PMID: 34647521 PMCID: PMC8516414 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Envisioning the future is intuitively linked to our ability to remember the past. Within the memory system, substantial work has demonstrated the involvement of the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus in representing the past and present. Recent data shows that both the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus encode future trajectories, which are segregated in time by alternating cycles of the theta rhythm. Here, we discuss how information is temporally organized by these brain regions supported by the medial septum, nucleus reuniens, and parahippocampal regions. Finally, we highlight a brain circuit that we predict is essential for the temporal segregation of future scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Robinson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Mark P Brandon
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
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Peng X, Burwell RD. Beyond the hippocampus: The role of parahippocampal-prefrontal communication in context-modulated behavior. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 185:107520. [PMID: 34537379 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Multiple paradigms indicate that the physical environment can influence spontaneous and learned behavior. In rodents, context-dependent behavior is putatively supported by the prefrontal cortex and the medial temporal lobe. A preponderance of the literature has targeted the role of the hippocampus. In addition to the hippocampus proper, the medial temporal lobe also comprises parahippocampal areas, including the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices. These parahippocampal areas directly connect with multiple regions in the prefrontal cortex. The function of these connections, however, is not well understood. This article first reviews the involvement of the perirhinal, postrhinal, and prefrontal cortices in context-dependent behavior in rodents. Then, based on functional and anatomical evidence, we suggest that perirhinal and postrhinal contributions to context-dependent behavior go beyond supporting context representation in the hippocampus. Specifically, we propose that the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices act as a contextual-support network that directly provides contextual and spatial information to the prefrontal cortex. In turn, the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices modulate prefrontal input to the hippocampus in the service of context-guided behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyuan Peng
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Rebecca D Burwell
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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Griffin AL. The nucleus reuniens orchestrates prefrontal-hippocampal synchrony during spatial working memory. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:415-420. [PMID: 34217746 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Spatial working memory, the ability to temporarily maintain an internal representation of spatial information for use in guiding upcoming decisions, has been shown to be dependent upon a network of brain structures that includes the hippocampus, a region known to be critical for spatial navigation and episodic memory, and the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a region known to be critical for executive function and goal directed behavior. Oscillatory synchronization between the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is known to increase in situations of high working memory demand. Most of our knowledge about the anatomical connectivity between the PFC and hippocampus comes from the rodent literature. Thus, most of the findings that will be discussed here model human working memory using spatial working memory-dependent maze navigation tasks in rodents. It has been demonstrated that the ventral midline thalamic nucleus reuniens (Re) is reciprocally connected to both the infralimbic and prelimbic subregions of the PFC, collectively referred to as the medial PFC (mPFC), and the hippocampus. Given that the Re serves as a major anatomical route between the mPFC and hippocampus, it is perhaps not surprising that Re has been shown to be critical for spatial working memory. This review will describe the latest findings and ideas on how the Re contributes to prefrontal-hippocampal synchronization and spatial working memory in rodents. The review will conclude with possible future directions that will advance the understanding of the mechanisms that enable the Re to orchestrate long range synchrony in the prefrontal-hippocampal network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Griffin
- University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19711, United States.
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Schmidt B, Redish AD. Disrupting the medial prefrontal cortex with designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drug alters hippocampal sharp-wave ripples and their associated cognitive processes. Hippocampus 2021; 31:1051-1067. [PMID: 34107138 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23367] [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: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) interact during a myriad of cognitive processes including decision-making and long-term memory consolidation. Exactly how the mPFC and hippocampus interact during goal-directed decision-making remains to be fully elucidated. During periods of rest, bursts of high-frequency oscillations, termed sharp-wave ripple (SWR), appear in the local field potential. Impairing SWRs on the maze or during post-learning rest can interfere with memory-guided decision-making and memory consolidation. We hypothesize that the hippocampus and mPFC bidirectionally interact during SWRs to support memory consolidation and decision-making. Rats were trained on the neuroeconomic spatial decision-making task, Restaurant Row, to make serial stay-skip decisions where the amount of effort (delay to reward) varied upon entry to each restaurant. Hippocampal cells and SWRs were recorded in rats with the mPFC transduced with inhibitory DREADDs. We found that disrupting the mPFC impaired consolidating SWRs in the hippocampus. Hippocampal SWR rates depended on the internalized value of the reward (derived from individual flavor preferences), a parameter important in decision-making, and disrupting the mPFC changed this relationship. Additionally, we found a dissociation between SWRs that occurred while rats were on the maze dependent upon whether those SWRs occurred while the rat was anticipating food reward or during post-reward consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandy Schmidt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - A David Redish
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Bouton ME, Maren S, McNally GP. BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PAVLOVIAN AND INSTRUMENTAL EXTINCTION LEARNING. Physiol Rev 2021; 101:611-681. [PMID: 32970967 PMCID: PMC8428921 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the behavioral neuroscience of extinction, the phenomenon in which a behavior that has been acquired through Pavlovian or instrumental (operant) learning decreases in strength when the outcome that reinforced it is removed. Behavioral research indicates that neither Pavlovian nor operant extinction depends substantially on erasure of the original learning but instead depends on new inhibitory learning that is primarily expressed in the context in which it is learned, as exemplified by the renewal effect. Although the nature of the inhibition may differ in Pavlovian and operant extinction, in either case the decline in responding may depend on both generalization decrement and the correction of prediction error. At the neural level, Pavlovian extinction requires a tripartite neural circuit involving the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala is essential for extinction learning, and prefrontal cortical inhibition of amygdala neurons encoding fear memories is involved in extinction retrieval. Hippocampal-prefrontal circuits mediate fear relapse phenomena, including renewal. Instrumental extinction involves distinct ensembles in corticostriatal, striatopallidal, and striatohypothalamic circuits as well as their thalamic returns for inhibitory (extinction) and excitatory (renewal and other relapse phenomena) control over operant responding. The field has made significant progress in recent decades, although a fully integrated biobehavioral understanding still awaits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Bouton
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Abstract
Neural correlates of external variables provide potential internal codes that guide an animal’s behaviour. Notably, first-order features of neural activity, such as single-neuron firing rates, have been implicated in encoding information. However, the extent to which higher-order features, such as multi-neuron coactivity, play primary roles in encoding information or secondary roles in supporting single-neuron codes remains unclear. Here we show that millisecond-timescale coactivity amongst hippocampal CA1 neurons discriminates distinct millisecond-lived behavioural contingencies. This contingency discrimination was unrelated to the tuning of individual neurons but instead an emergent property of their coactivity. Contingency discriminating patterns were reactivated offline after learning and their reinstatement predicted trial-by-trial memory performance. Moreover, optogenetic suppression of inputs from the upstream CA3 region selectively during learning impaired coactivity-based contingency information in CA1 and subsequent dynamic memory retrieval. These findings identify coactivity as a primary feature of neural firing that discriminates distinct behaviourally-relevant variables and supports memory retrieval.
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