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Nodal FR, Leach ND, Keating P, Dahmen JC, Zhao D, King AJ, Bajo VM. Neural processing in the primary auditory cortex following cholinergic lesions of the basal forebrain in ferrets. Hear Res 2024; 447:109025. [PMID: 38733712 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.109025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Cortical acetylcholine (ACh) release has been linked to various cognitive functions, including perceptual learning. We have previously shown that cortical cholinergic innervation is necessary for accurate sound localization in ferrets, as well as for their ability to adapt with training to altered spatial cues. To explore whether these behavioral deficits are associated with changes in the response properties of cortical neurons, we recorded neural activity in the primary auditory cortex (A1) of anesthetized ferrets in which cholinergic inputs had been reduced by making bilateral injections of the immunotoxin ME20.4-SAP in the nucleus basalis (NB) prior to training the animals. The pattern of spontaneous activity of A1 units recorded in the ferrets with cholinergic lesions (NB ACh-) was similar to that in controls, although the proportion of burst-type units was significantly lower. Depletion of ACh also resulted in more synchronous activity in A1. No changes in thresholds, frequency tuning or in the distribution of characteristic frequencies were found in these animals. When tested with normal acoustic inputs, the spatial sensitivity of A1 neurons in the NB ACh- ferrets and the distribution of their preferred interaural level differences also closely resembled those found in control animals, indicating that these properties had not been altered by sound localization training with one ear occluded. Simulating the animals' previous experience with a virtual earplug in one ear reduced the contralateral preference of A1 units in both groups, but caused azimuth sensitivity to change in slightly different ways, which may reflect the modest adaptation observed in the NB ACh- group. These results show that while ACh is required for behavioral adaptation to altered spatial cues, it is not required for maintenance of the spectral and spatial response properties of A1 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando R Nodal
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Peter Keating
- UCL Ear Institute, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes C Dahmen
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Dylan Zhao
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria M Bajo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
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2
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Nishioka M, Hata T. Cholinergic interneurons in the dorsal striatum play an important role in the acquisition of duration memory. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:3061-3073. [PMID: 38576223 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16337] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The present study aimed to examine the effect of cholinergic interneuron lesions in the dorsal striatum on duration-memory formation. Cholinergic interneurons in the dorsal striatum may be involved in the formation of duration memory since they are among the main inputs to the dorsal striatal muscarinic acetylcholine-1 receptors, which play a role in the consolidation of duration memory. Rats were sufficiently trained using a peak-interval 20 s procedure and then infused with anti-choline acetyltransferase-saporin into the dorsal striatum to cause selective ablation of cholinergic interneurons. To make the rats acquire new duration-memories, we trained them with a peak interval 40 s after lesion. Before lesion, the peak times (an index of duration memory) for sham-lesioned and lesioned groups were similar at approximately 20 s. In the peak interval 40 s session, the peak times for the sham-lesioned and lesioned groups were approximately 30 and 20 s, respectively. After additional peak interval 40 s sessions, the peak times of both groups were shifted to approximately 40 s. Those results suggest that the cholinergic interneuron lesion delayed new duration-memory acquisition. Subsequent experiments showed that cholinergic interneuron lesions did not retard the shift of peak time to the original target time (20 s). Following experiment without changing the target time after lesion showed that cholinergic interneuron lesions did not change their peak times. Our findings suggest that cholinergic interneurons in the dorsal striatum are involved in new duration-memory acquisition but not in the utilization of already acquired duration memory and interval timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiko Nishioka
- Graduate School of Psychology, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshimichi Hata
- Faculty of Psychology, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
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3
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Sarkar S, Martinez Reyes C, Jensen CM, Gavornik JP. M2 receptors are required for spatiotemporal sequence learning in mouse primary visual cortex. J Neurophysiol 2024; 131:1213-1225. [PMID: 38629848 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00016.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that plays a variety of roles in the central nervous system. It was previously shown that blocking muscarinic receptors with a nonselective antagonist prevents a form of experience-dependent plasticity termed "spatiotemporal sequence learning" in the mouse primary visual cortex (V1). Muscarinic signaling is a complex process involving the combined activities of five different G protein-coupled receptors, M1-M5, all of which are expressed in the murine brain but differ from each other functionally and in anatomical localization. Here we present electrophysiological evidence that M2, but not M1, receptors are required for spatiotemporal sequence learning in mouse V1. We show in male mice that M2 is highly expressed in the neuropil in V1, especially in thalamorecipient layer 4, and colocalizes with the soma in a subset of somatostatin-expressing neurons in deep layers. We also show that expression of M2 receptors is higher in the monocular region of V1 than it is in the binocular region but that the amount of experience-dependent sequence potentiation is similar in both regions and that blocking muscarinic signaling after visual stimulation does not prevent plasticity. This work establishes a new functional role for M2-type receptors in processing temporal information and demonstrates that monocular circuits are modified by experience in a manner similar to binocular circuits.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are required for multiple forms of plasticity in the brain and support perceptual functions, but the precise role of the five subtypes (M1-M5) are unclear. Here we show that the M2 receptor is specifically required to encode experience-dependent representations of spatiotemporal relationships in both monocular and binocular regions of mouse V1. This work identifies a novel functional role for M2 receptors in coding temporal information into cortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susrita Sarkar
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Catalina Martinez Reyes
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Cambria M Jensen
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Jeffrey P Gavornik
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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4
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Vora I, Gochyyev P, Engineer N, Wolf SL, Kimberley TJ. Distal Versus Proximal Arm Improvement After Paired Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy After Chronic Stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2024:S0003-9993(24)01014-1. [PMID: 38815953 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2024.05.018] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate differences in upper-extremity (UE) segment-specific (proximal or distal segment) recovery after vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with UE rehabilitation (Paired-VNS) compared with rehabilitation with sham-VNS (Control). We also assessed whether gains in specific UE segments predicted clinically meaningful improvement. DESIGN This study reports on a secondary analysis of Vagus nerve stimulation paired with rehabilitation for UE motor function after chronic ischemic stroke (VNS-REHAB), a randomized, triple-blinded, sham-controlled pivotal trial. A Rasch latent regression was used to determine differences between Paired-VNS and Controls for distal and proximal UE changes after in-clinic therapy and 3 months later. Subsequently, we ran a random forest model to assess candidate predictors of meaningful improvement. Each item of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) and Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) was evaluated as a predictor of response to treatment. SETTING Nineteen stroke rehabilitation centers in the USA and UK. PARTICIPANTS Dataset included 108 participants (N=108) with chronic ischemic stroke and moderate-to-severe UE impairments. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES FMA-UE and WMFT. RESULTS Distal UE improvement was significantly greater in the Paired-VNS group than in Controls immediately after therapy (95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.73; P≤.001) and after 3 months (95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.75; P=.003). Both groups showed similar improvement in proximal UE at both time points. A subset of both distal and proximal items from the FMA-UE and WMFT were predictors of meaningful improvement. CONCLUSIONS Paired-VNS improved distal UE impairment in chronic stroke to a greater degree than intensive rehabilitation alone. Proximal improvements were equally responsive to either treatment. Given that meaningful UE recovery is predicted by improvements across both proximal and distal segments, Paired-VNS may facilitate improvement that is otherwise elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Vora
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA
| | - Perman Gochyyev
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA; Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | | | - Steven L Wolf
- Division of Physical Therapy, Center for Physical Therapy and Movement Science, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Teresa J Kimberley
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA; Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA.
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Kniffin A, Bangasser DA, Parikh V. Septohippocampal cholinergic system at the intersection of stress and cognition: Current trends and translational implications. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2155-2180. [PMID: 37118907 PMCID: PMC10875782 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15999] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in hippocampus-dependent memory processes are common across psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders such as depression, anxiety and Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, stress is a major environmental risk factor for these pathologies and it exerts detrimental effects on hippocampal functioning via the activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The medial septum cholinergic neurons extensively innervate the hippocampus. Although, the cholinergic septohippocampal pathway (SHP) has long been implicated in learning and memory, its involvement in mediating the adaptive and maladaptive impact of stress on mnemonic processes remains less clear. Here, we discuss current research highlighting the contributions of cholinergic SHP in modulating memory encoding, consolidation and retrieval. Then, we present evidence supporting the view that neurobiological interactions between HPA axis stress response and cholinergic signalling impact hippocampal computations. Finally, we critically discuss potential challenges and opportunities to target cholinergic SHP as a therapeutic strategy to improve cognitive impairments in stress-related disorders. We argue that such efforts should consider recent conceptualisations on the dynamic nature of cholinergic signalling in modulating distinct subcomponents of memory and its interactions with cellular substrates that regulate the adaptive stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Kniffin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122
| | - Debra A. Bangasser
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122
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6
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Kipp BT, Lisa MS. Modulation of the p75NTR during adolescent alcohol exposure prevents cholinergic neuronal atrophy and associated acetylcholine activity and behavioral dysfunction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.03.587970. [PMID: 38617368 PMCID: PMC11014512 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.03.587970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Binge alcohol consumption during adolescence produces lasting deficits in learning and memory, while also increasing the susceptibility to substance use disorders. The adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) rodent model mimics human adolescent binge drinking and has identified the Nucleus Basalis Magnocellularis (NbM) as a key site of pathology. The NbM is a critical regulator of prefrontal cortical (PFC) cholinergic function and attention. The cholinergic phenotype is controlled pro/mature neurotrophin receptor activation. We sought to determine if p75NTR activity contributes to the loss of cholinergic phenotype in AIE by using a p75NTR modulator (LM11A-31) to inhibit prodegenerative signaling during ethanol exposure. Male and female rats underwent 5g/kg ethanol (AIE) or water (CON) exposure following 2-day-on 2-day-off cycles from PND 25-57. A subset of these groups also received a protective dose of LM11A-31 (50mg/kg) during adolescence. Rats were trained on a sustained attention task (SAT) while recording activity with a fluorescent acetylcholine indicator (AChGRAB 3.0). AIE produced learning deficits on the SAT, which were spared with LM11A-31. In addition, mPFC ACh activity was blunted by AIE, which LM11A-31 corrected. Investigation of NbM ChAT+ and TrkA+ neuronal expression found that AIE led to a reduction of ChAT+TrkA+ neurons, which again LM11A-31 protected. Taken together these findings demonstrate the p75NTR activity during AIE treatment is a key regulator of cholinergic degeneration.
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7
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Saway BF, Palmer C, Hughes C, Triano M, Suresh RE, Gilmore J, George M, Kautz SA, Rowland NC. The evolution of neuromodulation for chronic stroke: From neuroplasticity mechanisms to brain-computer interfaces. Neurotherapeutics 2024; 21:e00337. [PMID: 38377638 PMCID: PMC11103214 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurot.2024.e00337] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Stroke is one of the most common and debilitating neurological conditions worldwide. Those who survive experience motor, sensory, speech, vision, and/or cognitive deficits that severely limit remaining quality of life. While rehabilitation programs can help improve patients' symptoms, recovery is often limited, and patients frequently continue to experience impairments in functional status. In this review, invasive neuromodulation techniques to augment the effects of conventional rehabilitation methods are described, including vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), deep brain stimulation (DBS) and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). In addition, the evidence base for each of these techniques, pivotal trials, and future directions are explored. Finally, emerging technologies such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and the shift to artificial intelligence-enabled implants and wearables are examined. While the field of implantable devices for chronic stroke recovery is still in a nascent stage, the data reviewed are suggestive of immense potential for reducing the impact and impairment from this globally prevalent disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian F Saway
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of South Carolina, SC 29425, USA.
| | - Charles Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, SC 29425, USA
| | - Christopher Hughes
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Matthew Triano
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of South Carolina, SC 29425, USA
| | - Rishishankar E Suresh
- College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Jordon Gilmore
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Mark George
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, SC 29425, USA; Ralph H Johnson VA Health Care System, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Steven A Kautz
- Department of Health Science and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, SC 29425, USA; Ralph H Johnson VA Health Care System, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Nathan C Rowland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of South Carolina, SC 29425, USA; MUSC Institute for Neuroscience Discovery (MIND), Medical University of South Carolina, SC 29425, USA
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8
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Bayazitov IT, Teubner BJW, Feng F, Wu Z, Li Y, Blundon JA, Zakharenko SS. Sound-evoked adenosine release in cooperation with neuromodulatory circuits permits auditory cortical plasticity and perceptual learning. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113758. [PMID: 38358887 PMCID: PMC10939737 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113758] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Meaningful auditory memories are formed in adults when acoustic information is delivered to the auditory cortex during heightened states of attention, vigilance, or alertness, as mediated by neuromodulatory circuits. Here, we identify that, in awake mice, acoustic stimulation triggers auditory thalamocortical projections to release adenosine, which prevents cortical plasticity (i.e., selective expansion of neural representation of behaviorally relevant acoustic stimuli) and perceptual learning (i.e., experience-dependent improvement in frequency discrimination ability). This sound-evoked adenosine release (SEAR) becomes reduced within seconds when acoustic stimuli are tightly paired with the activation of neuromodulatory (cholinergic or dopaminergic) circuits or periods of attentive wakefulness. If thalamic adenosine production is enhanced, then SEAR elevates further, the neuromodulatory circuits are unable to sufficiently reduce SEAR, and associative cortical plasticity and perceptual learning are blocked. This suggests that transient low-adenosine periods triggered by neuromodulatory circuits permit associative cortical plasticity and auditory perceptual learning in adults to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildar T Bayazitov
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brett J W Teubner
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Feng Feng
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Zhaofa Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jay A Blundon
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stanislav S Zakharenko
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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9
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Jammal Salameh L, Bitzenhofer SH, Hanganu-Opatz IL, Dutschmann M, Egger V. Blood pressure pulsations modulate central neuronal activity via mechanosensitive ion channels. Science 2024; 383:eadk8511. [PMID: 38301001 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk8511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The transmission of the heartbeat through the cerebral vascular system causes intracranial pressure pulsations. We discovered that arterial pressure pulsations can directly modulate central neuronal activity. In a semi-intact rat brain preparation, vascular pressure pulsations elicited correlated local field oscillations in the olfactory bulb mitral cell layer. These oscillations did not require synaptic transmission but reflected baroreceptive transduction in mitral cells. This transduction was mediated by a fast excitatory mechanosensitive ion channel and modulated neuronal spiking activity. In awake animals, the heartbeat entrained the activity of a subset of olfactory bulb neurons within ~20 milliseconds. Thus, we propose that this fast, intrinsic interoceptive mechanism can modulate perception-for example, during arousal-within the olfactory bulb and possibly across various other brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luna Jammal Salameh
- Neurophysiology Group, Zoological Institute, Regensburg University, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian H Bitzenhofer
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mathias Dutschmann
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Veronica Egger
- Neurophysiology Group, Zoological Institute, Regensburg University, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
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10
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Mishra W, Kheradpezhouh E, Arabzadeh E. Activation of M1 cholinergic receptors in mouse somatosensory cortex enhances information processing and detection behaviour. Commun Biol 2024; 7:3. [PMID: 38168628 PMCID: PMC10761830 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05699-w] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
To optimise sensory representations based on environmental demands, the activity of cortical neurons is regulated by neuromodulators such as Acetylcholine (ACh). ACh is implicated in cognitive functions including attention, arousal and sleep cycles. However, it is not clear how specific ACh receptors shape the activity of cortical neurons in response to sensory stimuli. Here, we investigate the role of a densely expressed muscarinic ACh receptor M1 in information processing in the mouse primary somatosensory cortex and its influence on the animal's sensitivity to detect vibrotactile stimuli. We show that M1 activation results in faster and more reliable neuronal responses, manifested by a significant reduction in response latencies and the trial-to-trial variability. At the population level, M1 activation reduces the network synchrony, and thus enhances the capacity of cortical neurons in conveying sensory information. Consistent with the neuronal findings, we show that M1 activation significantly improves performances in a vibriotactile detection task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wricha Mishra
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ehsan Kheradpezhouh
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ehsan Arabzadeh
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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11
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Trofimova I. Anticipatory attractors, functional neurochemistry and "Throw & Catch" mechanisms as illustrations of constructivism. Rev Neurosci 2023; 34:737-762. [PMID: 36584323 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2022-0120] [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: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This review explores several rarely discussed examples illustrating constructivism principles, generative and selective features of neuronal regulation of behaviour. First, the review highlights Walter Freeman's experiments and mathematical analysis that uncovered the existence of anticipatory attractors, i.e. non-random dynamical patterns in neurodynamics. Since Freeman's work did not extend to neurochemistry, this paper then points to the proposed earlier neurochemical framework summarizing the managerial roles of monoaminergic, cholinergic and opioid receptor systems likely contributing to anticipatory attractors in line with functional constructivism. As a third example, neurochemistry's evidence points to the "Throw & Catch" (T&C) principle in neurodynamics. This principle refers to the pro-active, neurochemically expensive, massive but topical increase of potentials ("Throw") within electrodynamics and neurotransmission in the brain whenever there is an uncertainty in selection of degrees of freedom (DFs). The T&C also underlines the relay-like processes during the selection of DFs. The "Throw" works as an internally generated "flashlight" that, contrarily to the expectations of entropy reduction, increases entropy and variance observed in processes related to orientation and action-formation. The discussed examples highlight the deficiency of structures-oriented projects and excitation-inhibition concepts in neuroscience. The neural regulation of behaviour appears to be a fluid, constructive process, constantly upgrading the choice of behavioural DFs, to ensure the compatibility between the environmental and individual's individuals' needs and capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Trofimova
- Laboratory of Collective Intelligence, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton L8S 2T6, ON, Canada
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12
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Kunnath AJ, Gifford RH, Wallace MT. Cholinergic modulation of sensory perception and plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105323. [PMID: 37467908 PMCID: PMC10424559 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105323] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Sensory systems are highly plastic, but the mechanisms of sensory plasticity remain unclear. People with vision or hearing loss demonstrate significant neural network reorganization that promotes adaptive changes in other sensory modalities as well as in their ability to combine information across the different senses (i.e., multisensory integration. Furthermore, sensory network remodeling is necessary for sensory restoration after a period of sensory deprivation. Acetylcholine is a powerful regulator of sensory plasticity, and studies suggest that cholinergic medications may improve visual and auditory abilities by facilitating sensory network plasticity. There are currently no approved therapeutics for sensory loss that target neuroplasticity. This review explores the systems-level effects of cholinergic signaling on human visual and auditory perception, with a focus on functional performance, sensory disorders, and neural activity. Understanding the role of acetylcholine in sensory plasticity will be essential for developing targeted treatments for sensory restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansley J Kunnath
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - René H Gifford
- Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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13
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Gedankien T, Tan RJ, Qasim SE, Moore H, McDonagh D, Jacobs J, Lega B. Acetylcholine modulates the temporal dynamics of human theta oscillations during memory. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5283. [PMID: 37648692 PMCID: PMC10469188 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41025-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The cholinergic system is essential for memory. While degradation of cholinergic pathways characterizes memory-related disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, the neurophysiological mechanisms linking the cholinergic system to human memory remain unknown. Here, combining intracranial brain recordings with pharmacological manipulation, we describe the neurophysiological effects of a cholinergic blocker, scopolamine, on the human hippocampal formation during episodic memory. We found that the memory impairment caused by scopolamine was coupled to disruptions of both the amplitude and phase alignment of theta oscillations (2-10 Hz) during encoding. Across individuals, the severity of theta phase disruption correlated with the magnitude of memory impairment. Further, cholinergic blockade disrupted connectivity within the hippocampal formation. Our results indicate that cholinergic circuits support memory by coordinating the temporal dynamics of theta oscillations across the hippocampal formation. These findings expand our mechanistic understanding of the neurophysiology of human memory and offer insights into potential treatments for memory-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Gedankien
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Ryan Joseph Tan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Salman Ehtesham Qasim
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Haley Moore
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - David McDonagh
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Joshua Jacobs
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Bradley Lega
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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14
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Chen C, Khanthiyong B, Charoenlappanit S, Roytrakul S, Reynolds GP, Thanoi S, Nudmamud-Thanoi S. Cholinergic-estrogen interaction is associated with the effect of education on attenuating cognitive sex differences in a Thai healthy population. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0278080. [PMID: 37471329 PMCID: PMC10358962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of human brain is shaped by both genetic and environmental factors. Sex differences in cognitive function have been found in humans as a result of sexual dimorphism in neural information transmission. Numerous studies have reported the positive effects of education on cognitive functions. However, little work has investigated the effect of education on attenuating cognitive sex differences and the neural mechanisms behind it based on healthy population. In this study, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) was employed to examine sex differences in cognitive function in 135 Thai healthy subjects, and label-free quantitative proteomic method and bioinformatic analysis were used to study sex-specific neurotransmission-related protein expression profiles. The results showed sex differences in two WCST sub-scores: percentage of Total corrects and Total errors in the primary education group (Bayes factor>100) with males performed better, while such differences eliminated in secondary and tertiary education levels. Moreover, 11 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between men and women (FDR<0.1) were presented in both education groups, with majority of them upregulated in females. Half of those DEPs interacted directly with nAChR3, whereas the other DEPs were indirectly connected to the cholinergic pathways through interaction with estrogen. These findings provided a preliminary indication that a cholinergic-estrogen interaction relates to, and might underpin, the effect of education on attenuating cognitive sex differences in a Thai healthy population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Medical Science Graduate Program, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
- Centre of Excellence in Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | | | - Sawanya Charoenlappanit
- Functional Proteomics Technology Laboratory, National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sittiruk Roytrakul
- Functional Proteomics Technology Laboratory, National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Gavin P. Reynolds
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Samur Thanoi
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Phayao, Mae Ka, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Sutisa Nudmamud-Thanoi
- Centre of Excellence in Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
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15
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Wu C, Gaier ED, Nihalani BR, Whitecross S, Hensch TK, Hunter DG. Durable recovery from amblyopia with donepezil. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10161. [PMID: 37349338 PMCID: PMC10287641 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34891-5] [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: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
An elevated threshold for neuroplasticity limits visual gains with treatment of residual amblyopia in older children and adults. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) can enable visual neuroplasticity and promote recovery from amblyopia in adult mice. Motivated by these promising findings, we sought to determine whether donepezil, a commercially available AChEI, can enable recovery in older children and adults with residual amblyopia. In this open-label pilot efficacy study, 16 participants (mean age 16 years; range 9-37 years) with residual anisometropic and/or strabismic amblyopia were treated with daily oral donepezil for 12 weeks. Donepezil dosage was started at 2.5 or 5.0 mg based on age and increased by 2.5 mg if the amblyopic eye visual acuity did not improve by 1 line from the visit 4 weeks prior for a maximum dosage of 7.5 or 10 mg. Participants < 18 years of age further patched the dominant eye. The primary outcome was visual acuity in the amblyopic eye at 22 weeks, 10 weeks after treatment was discontinued. Mean amblyopic eye visual acuity improved 1.2 lines (range 0.0-3.0), and 4/16 (25%) improved by ≥ 2 lines after 12 weeks of treatment. Gains were maintained 10 weeks after cessation of donepezil and were similar for children and adults. Adverse events were mild and self-limited. Residual amblyopia improves in older children and adults treated with donepezil, supporting the concept that the critical window of visual cortical plasticity can be pharmacologically manipulated to treat amblyopia. Placebo-controlled studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Eric D Gaier
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bharti R Nihalani
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Whitecross
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Takao K Hensch
- Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo, Japan
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David G Hunter
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo, Japan
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16
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Orlando IF, Shine JM, Robbins TW, Rowe JB, O'Callaghan C. Noradrenergic and cholinergic systems take centre stage in neuropsychiatric diseases of ageing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105167. [PMID: 37054802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Noradrenergic and cholinergic systems are among the most vulnerable brain systems in neuropsychiatric diseases of ageing, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and progressive supranuclear palsy. As these systems fail, they contribute directly to many of the characteristic cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. However, their contribution to symptoms is not sufficiently understood, and pharmacological interventions targeting noradrenergic and cholinergic systems have met with mixed success. Part of the challenge is the complex neurobiology of these systems, operating across multiple timescales, and with non-linear changes across the adult lifespan and disease course. We address these challenges in a detailed review of the noradrenergic and cholinergic systems, outlining their roles in cognition and behaviour, and how they influence neuropsychiatric symptoms in disease. By bridging across levels of analysis, we highlight opportunities for improving drug therapies and for pursuing personalised medicine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella F Orlando
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Claire O'Callaghan
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia.
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17
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Sabbir MG, Swanson M, Speth RC, Albensi BC. Hippocampal versus cortical deletion of cholinergic receptor muscarinic 1 in mice differentially affects post-translational modifications and supramolecular assembly of respiratory chain-associated proteins, mitochondrial ultrastructure, and respiration: implications in Alzheimer's disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1179252. [PMID: 37293125 PMCID: PMC10246746 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1179252] [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: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: In a previous retrospective study using postmortem human brain tissues, we demonstrated that loss of Cholinergic Receptor Muscarinic 1 (CHRM1) in the temporal cortex of a subset of Alzheimer's patients was associated with poor survival, whereas similar loss in the hippocampus showed no such association. Mitochondrial dysfunction underlies Alzheimer's pathogenesis. Therefore, to investigate the mechanistic basis of our findings, we evaluated cortical mitochondrial phenotypes in Chrm1 knockout (Chrm1-/-) mice. Cortical Chrm1 loss resulted in reduced respiration, reduced supramolecular assembly of respiratory protein complexes, and caused mitochondrial ultrastructural abnormalities. These mouse-based findings mechanistically linked cortical CHRM1 loss with poor survival of Alzheimer's patients. However, evaluation of the effect of Chrm1 loss on mouse hippocampal mitochondrial characteristics is necessary to fully understand our retrospective human tissue-based observations. This is the objective of this study. Methods: Enriched hippocampal and cortical mitochondrial fractions (EHMFs/ECMFs, respectively) derived from wild-type and Chrm1-/- mice were used to measure respiration by quantifying real-time oxygen consumption, supramolecular assembly of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-associated proteins by blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, post-translational modifications (PTMs) by isoelectric focusing (IEF), and mitochondrial ultrastructure by electron microscopy. Results: In contrast to our previous observations in Chrm1-/- ECMFs, EHMFs of Chrm1-/- mice significantly increased respiration with a concomitant increase in the supramolecular assembly of OXPHOS-associated proteins, specifically Atp5a and Uqcrc2, with no mitochondrial ultrastructural alterations. IEF of ECMFs and EHMFs from Chrm1-/- mice showed a decrease and an increase, respectively in a negatively charged (pH∼3) fraction of Atp5a relative to the wild-type mice, with a corresponding decrease or increase in the supramolecular assembly of Atp5a and respiration indicating a tissue-specific signaling effect. Discussion: Our findings indicate that loss of Chrm1 in the cortex causes structural, and physiological alterations to mitochondria that compromise neuronal function, whereas Chrm1 loss in the hippocampus may benefit neuronal function by enhancing mitochondrial function. This brain region-specific differential effect of Chrm1 deletion on mitochondrial function supports our human brain region-based findings and Chrm1-/- mouse behavioral phenotypes. Furthermore, our study indicates that Chrm1-mediated brain region-specific differential PTMs of Atp5a may alter complex-V supramolecular assembly which in turn regulates mitochondrial structure-function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Golam Sabbir
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Alzo Biosciences Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
- Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Barry & Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Mamiko Swanson
- Alzo Biosciences Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
- Barry & Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Robert C. Speth
- Barry & Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Benedict C. Albensi
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Barry & Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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18
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Somera B, Frick M, Fadel JR. Age-related changes in basal forebrain afferent activation in response to food paired stimuli. Neurosci Lett 2023; 802:137155. [PMID: 36842481 PMCID: PMC10155118 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
The basal forebrain contains a phenotypically-diverse assembly of neurons, including those using acetylcholine as their neurotransmitter. This basal forebrain cholinergic system projects to the entire neocortical mantle as well as subcortical limbic structures that include the hippocampus and amygdala. Basal forebrain pathology, including cholinergic dysfunction, is thought to underlie the cognitive impairments associated with several age-related neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease. Basal forebrain dysfunction may stem, in part, from a failure of normal afferent regulation of cholinergic and other neurons in this area. However, little is understood regarding how aging, alone, affects the functional regulation of basal forebrain afferents in the context of motivated behavior. Here, we used neuronal tract-tracing combined with motivationally salient stimuli in an aged rodent model to examine how aging alters activity in basal forebrain inputs arising from several cortical, limbic and brainstem structures. Young rats showed greater stimulus-associated activation of basal forebrain inputs arising from prelimbic cortex, nucleus accumbens and the ventral tegmental area compared with aged rats. Aged rats also showed increased latency to respond to palatable food presentation compared to young animals. Changes in activation of intrinsic basal forebrain cell populations or afferents were also observed as a function of age or experimental condition. These data further demonstrate that age-related changes in basal forebrain activation and related behavioral and cognitive functions reflect a failure of afferent regulation of this important brain region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandy Somera
- Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Marla Frick
- Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Jim R Fadel
- Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States.
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19
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Maness EB, Blumenthal SA, Burk JA. Dual orexin/hypocretin receptor antagonism attenuates attentional impairments in an NMDA receptor hypofunction model of schizophrenia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.05.527043. [PMID: 36778441 PMCID: PMC9915718 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.05.527043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a neuropsychiatric condition that is associated with impaired attentional processing and performance. Failure to support increasing attentional load may result, in part, from abnormally overactive basal forebrain projections to the prefrontal cortex, and available antipsychotics often fail to address this issue. Orexin/hypocretin receptors are expressed on corticopetal cholinergic neurons, and their blockade has been shown to decrease the activity of cortical basal forebrain outputs and prefrontal cortical cholinergic neurotransmission. In the present experiment, rats (N = 14) trained in a visual sustained attention task that required discrimination of trials which presented a visual signal from trials during which no signal was presented. Once trained, rats were then co-administered the psychotomimetic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist dizocilpine (MK-801: 0 or 0.1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injections) and the dual orexin receptor antagonist filorexant (MK-6096: 0, 0.1, or 1 mM, intracerebroventricular infusions) prior to task performance across six sessions. Dizocilpine impaired overall accuracy during signal trials, slowed reaction times for correctly-responded trials, and increased the number of omitted trials throughout the task. Dizocilpine-induced increases in signal trial deficits, correct response latencies, and errors of omission were reduced following infusions of the 0.1 mM, but not 1 mM, dose of filorexant. Orexin receptor blockade, perhaps through anticholinergic mechanisms, may improve attentional deficits in a state of NMDA receptor hypofunction. Highlights Schizophrenia is associated with attentional deficits that may stem from abnormally reactive BF projections to the prefrontal cortexOrexin receptor antagonists decrease acetylcholine release and reduce prefrontal cortical activityThe dual orexin receptor antagonist filorexant alleviated impairments of attention following NMDA receptor blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden B. Maness
- VA Boston Healthcare System and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, West Roxbury, MA, 02132, USA,Department of Psychological Sciences, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA,Please address correspondence to: Eden B. Maness, West Roxbury VA Medical Center, 1400 Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway, West Roxbury, MA, 02132, Tel: 857-203-4359,
| | - Sarah A. Blumenthal
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Joshua A. Burk
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
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20
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Bang JW, Chan RW, Parra C, Murphy MC, Schuman JS, Nau AC, Chan KC. Diverging patterns of plasticity in the nucleus basalis of Meynert in early- and late-onset blindness. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad119. [PMID: 37101831 PMCID: PMC10123399 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad119] [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: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasticity in the brain is impacted by an individual's age at the onset of the blindness. However, what drives the varying degrees of plasticity remains largely unclear. One possible explanation attributes the mechanisms for the differing levels of plasticity to the cholinergic signals originating in the nucleus basalis of Meynert. This explanation is based on the fact that the nucleus basalis of Meynert can modulate cortical processes such as plasticity and sensory encoding through its widespread cholinergic projections. Nevertheless, there is no direct evidence indicating that the nucleus basalis of Meynert undergoes plastic changes following blindness. Therefore, using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, we examined if the structural and functional properties of the nucleus basalis of Meynert differ between early blind, late blind and sighted individuals. We observed that early and late blind individuals had a preserved volumetric size and cerebrovascular reactivity in the nucleus basalis of Meynert. However, we observed a reduction in the directionality of water diffusion in both early and late blind individuals compared to sighted individuals. Notably, the nucleus basalis of Meynert presented diverging patterns of functional connectivity between early and late blind individuals. This functional connectivity was enhanced at both global and local (visual, language and default-mode networks) levels in the early blind individuals, but there were little-to-no changes in the late blind individuals when compared to sighted controls. Furthermore, the age at onset of blindness predicted both global and local functional connectivity. These results suggest that upon reduced directionality of water diffusion in the nucleus basalis of Meynert, cholinergic influence may be stronger for the early blind compared to the late blind individuals. Our findings are important to unravelling why early blind individuals present stronger and more widespread cross-modal plasticity compared to late blind individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Won Bang
- Correspondence may also be addressed to: Ji Won Bang, PhD.
| | - Russell W Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY 10017, USA
| | - Carlos Parra
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY 10017, USA
| | - Matthew C Murphy
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Joel S Schuman
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Center for Neural Science, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY 11201, USA
| | - Amy C Nau
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Korb and Associates, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kevin C Chan
- Correspondence to: Kevin C. Chan, PhD, Departments of Ophthalmology and Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University. 222 E 41st Street, Room 362, New York, NY 10017, USA.
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21
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Szczurowska E, Szánti-Pintér E, Chetverikov N, Randáková A, Kudová E, Jakubík J. Modulation of Muscarinic Signalling in the Central Nervous System by Steroid Hormones and Neurosteroids. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010507. [PMID: 36613951 PMCID: PMC9820491 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010507] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors expressed in the central nervous system mediate various functions, including cognition, memory, or reward. Therefore, muscarinic receptors represent potential pharmacological targets for various diseases and conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, addiction, epilepsy, or depression. Muscarinic receptors are allosterically modulated by neurosteroids and steroid hormones at physiologically relevant concentrations. In this review, we focus on the modulation of muscarinic receptors by neurosteroids and steroid hormones in the context of diseases and disorders of the central nervous system. Further, we propose the potential use of neuroactive steroids in the development of pharmacotherapeutics for these diseases and conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Szczurowska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eszter Szánti-Pintér
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nikolai Chetverikov
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Randáková
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Kudová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
- Correspondence: (E.K.); (J.J.)
| | - Jan Jakubík
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
- Correspondence: (E.K.); (J.J.)
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22
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Chebolu S, Dayan P, Lloyd K. Vigilance, arousal, and acetylcholine: Optimal control of attention in a simple detection task. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010642. [PMID: 36315594 PMCID: PMC9648841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Paying attention to particular aspects of the world or being more vigilant in general can be interpreted as forms of ‘internal’ action. Such arousal-related choices come with the benefit of increasing the quality and situational appropriateness of information acquisition and processing, but incur potentially expensive energetic and opportunity costs. One implementational route for these choices is widespread ascending neuromodulation, including by acetylcholine (ACh). The key computational question that elective attention poses for sensory processing is when it is worthwhile paying these costs, and this includes consideration of whether sufficient information has yet been collected to justify the higher signal-to-noise ratio afforded by greater attention and, particularly if a change in attentional state is more expensive than its maintenance, when states of heightened attention ought to persist. We offer a partially observable Markov decision-process treatment of optional attention in a detection task, and use it to provide a qualitative model of the results of studies using modern techniques to measure and manipulate ACh in rodents performing a similar task. Paying attention to a stimulus is costly, both in terms of energy and the lost opportunity to pay attention to something else. It is also beneficial, providing more information about its target. Thus, whether and when we pay more or less attention may best be considered as a choice of internal action that responds to this trade-off. Furthermore, measurements and manipulation of the neuromodulator acetylcholine have suggested that it is one of the instruments of attention, providing us with a window onto this choice. Here, we build an abstract model of a task in which an animal must look out for a brief visual stimulus that may or may not occur on each trial. We show that optimal attentional choices in the model depend on many factors, including how likely a signal is to occur across time, the balance between the improvement in information possible by paying greater attention and its increased cost, and whether there are also costs associated with switching between different attentional states. We also show that our model can qualitatively match results from experiments involving acetylcholine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahiti Chebolu
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, Tübingen, Germany
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, India
| | - Peter Dayan
- Department for Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kevin Lloyd
- Department for Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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23
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Vago DR, Farb N, Spreng RN. Clarifying Internally-Directed Cognition: A Commentary on the Attention to Thoughts Model. PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2022.2141005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David R. Vago
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Contemplative Sciences Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Norman Farb
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - R. Nathan Spreng
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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24
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MacDowell CJ, Tafazoli S, Buschman TJ. A Goldilocks theory of cognitive control: Balancing precision and efficiency with low-dimensional control states. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 76:102606. [PMID: 35870301 PMCID: PMC9653176 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control orchestrates interactions between brain regions, guiding the transformation of information to support contextually appropriate and goal-directed behaviors. In this review, we propose a hierarchical model of cognitive control where low-dimensional control states direct the flow of high-dimensional representations between regions. This allows cognitive control to flexibly adapt to new environments and maintain the representational capacity to capture the richness of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camden J MacDowell
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ, USA; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 125 Paterson St, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. https://twitter.com/CamdenMacdowell
| | - Sina Tafazoli
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ, USA. https://twitter.com/tafazolisina
| | - Timothy J Buschman
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ, USA; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Washington Rd, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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Common Neuroanatomical Substrate of Cholinergic Pathways and Language-Related Brain Regions as an Explanatory Framework for Evaluating the Efficacy of Cholinergic Pharmacotherapy in Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Review. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101273. [PMID: 36291207 PMCID: PMC9599395 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the relative scarcity of studies focusing on pharmacotherapy in aphasia, there is evidence in the literature indicating that remediation of language disorders via pharmaceutical agents could be a promising aphasia treatment option. Among the various agents used to treat chronic aphasic deficits, cholinergic drugs have provided meaningful results. In the current review, we focused on published reports investigating the impact of acetylcholine on language and other cognitive disturbances. It has been suggested that acetylcholine plays an important role in neuroplasticity and is related to several aspects of cognition, such as memory and attention. Moreover, cholinergic input is diffused to a wide network of cortical areas, which have been associated with language sub-processes. This could be a possible explanation for the positive reported outcomes of cholinergic drugs in aphasia recovery, and specifically in distinct language processes, such as naming and comprehension, as well as overall communication competence. However, evidence with regard to functional alterations in specific brain areas after pharmacotherapy is rather limited. Finally, despite the positive results derived from the relevant studies, cholinergic pharmacotherapy treatment in post-stroke aphasia has not been widely implemented. The present review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature in the common neuroanatomical substrate of cholinergic pathways and language related brain areas as a framework for interpreting the efficacy of cholinergic pharmacotherapy interventions in post-stroke aphasia, following an integrated approach by converging evidence from neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and neuropsychology.
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Yang H, Yang X, Yan S, Sun Z. Effect of acetylcholine deficiency on neural oscillation in a brainstem-thalamus-cortex neurocomputational model related with Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14961. [PMID: 36056083 PMCID: PMC9440203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19304-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous works imply that involving brainstem in neuropathological studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of clinically significant. This work constructs a comprehensive neural mass model for cholinergic neuropathogenesis that involves brainstem, thalamus and cortex, wherein how acetylcholine deficiency in AD affects neural oscillation of the model output is systematically explored from the perspective of neurocomputation. By decreasing synapse connectivity parameters in direct cholinergic pathway from brainstem to thalamus or in indirect glutamatergic synapse pathway from cortex to brainstem to mimic the pathological condition of reduced acetylcholine release in patients with AD, the property of neural oscillation in this model is numerically investigated by means of power spectrum in frequency domain and amplitude distribution in time domain. Simulated results demonstrate that decreasing synapse connectivity whether in the direct cholinergic pathway or in the indirect glutamatergic synapse pathway can alter the neural oscillation significantly in three aspects: it induces an obvious decrease of dominant frequency; it leads to a degraded rhythmic activity in the alpha frequency band as well as an enhanced rhythmic activity in the theta frequency band; it results in reduced oscillation amplitude of the model output. These results are agreement with the characteristic of electrophysiological EEG measurement recorded in AD, especially support the hypothesis that cholinergic deficiency is a promising pathophysiological origin of EEG slowing in AD. Our analysis indicates that targeting the cholinergic system may have potential prospects in early diagnosis and treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, People's Republic of China
| | - XiaoLi Yang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, People's Republic of China.
| | - SiLu Yan
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, People's Republic of China
| | - ZhongKui Sun
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, People's Republic of China
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Conley AC, Albert KM, McDonald BC, Saykin AJ, Dumas JA, Newhouse PA. Estradiol treatment in young postmenopausal women with self-reported cognitive complaints: Effects on cholinergic-mediated cognitive performance. Hum Psychopharmacol 2022; 37:e2838. [PMID: 35212023 PMCID: PMC9399322 DOI: 10.1002/hup.2838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Older women are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to men. One proposed reason is that following menopause there is a decline in estrogens. Estrogens are important for cholinergic functioning and attenuate the impact of cholinergic antagonists on cognitive performance in postmenopausal women. Self-reported or subjective cognitive complaints in middle or older age may represent a harbinger of cognitive decline and those who endorse cognitive complaints appear more likely to develop future cognitive impairment. However, the response of individuals with cognitive complaints after menopause to estrogen and the relationship to cholinergic functioning has not been investigated. This study investigated the effect of estrogen treatment using 17β-estradiol on cognitive performance following anticholinergic blockade in postmenopausal women and the relationship of this interaction with the level of self-reported (subjective) postmenopausal cognitive complaints. METHODS Forty postmenopausal women (aged 50-60 years) completed a 3-month treatment regimen of either 1 mg oral estradiol or placebo. Participants then completed four challenge days in which they completed cognitive and behavioral tasks after one of four cholinergic antagonist drug conditions (oral mecamylamine (MECA), intravenous scopolamine, combined MECA and scopolamine, or PLC). RESULTS Compared to PLC, the estradiol treated group performed worse on attention tasks under cholinergic challenge including the choice reaction time task and the critical flicker fusion task. In addition, participants who endorsed greater cognitive complaints showed reduced performance on the N-back working memory task, regardless of whether they received estradiol treatment. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study indicate that estradiol treatment was unable to mitigate anticholinergic blockade in postmenopausal women with subjective cognitive complaints, and worsened performance on attention tasks. Moreover, the present study suggests that greater levels of cognitive complaints following menopause may be associated with an underlying decline in cholinergic function that may manifest as an inability to compensate during working memory tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C. Conley
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kimberly M. Albert
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Brenna C. McDonald
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Center for Neuroimaging, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Andrew J. Saykin
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Center for Neuroimaging, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Julie A. Dumas
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Paul A. Newhouse
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Health System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Leung LS, Moallem S, Prado MAM, Prado VF, Chu L. Muscarinic and N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor blockade reveal differences in hippocampal local field potentials in mice with low cholinergic tone. Hippocampus 2022; 32:731-751. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Stan Leung
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
| | - Shahin Moallem
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
| | - Marco A. M. Prado
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
- Robarts Research Institute University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
| | - Vania F. Prado
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
- Robarts Research Institute University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
| | - Liangwei Chu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
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29
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Moorjani S, Walvekar S, Fetz EE, Perlmutter SI. Movement-dependent electrical stimulation for volitional strengthening of cortical connections in behaving monkeys. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2116321119. [PMID: 35759657 PMCID: PMC9271159 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116321119] [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: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Correlated activity of neurons can lead to long-term strengthening or weakening of the connections between them. In addition, the behavioral context, imparted by execution of physical movements or the presence of a reward, can modulate the plasticity induced by Hebbian mechanisms. In the present study, we have combined behavior and induced neuronal correlations to strengthen connections in the motor cortex of adult behaving monkeys. Correlated activity was induced using an electrical-conditioning protocol in which stimuli gated by voluntary movements were used to produce coactivation of neurons at motor-cortical sites involved in those movements. Delivery of movement-dependent stimulation resulted in small increases in the strength of associated cortical connections immediately after conditioning. Remarkably, when paired with further repetition of the movements that gated the conditioning stimuli, there were substantially larger gains in the strength of cortical connections, which occurred in a use-dependent manner, without delivery of additional conditioning stimulation. In the absence of such movements, little change was observed in the strength of motor-cortical connections. Performance of the motor behavior in the absence of conditioning also did not produce any changes in connectivity. Our results show that combining movement-gated stimulation with further natural use of the "conditioned" pathways after stimulation ends can produce use-dependent strengthening of connections in adult primates, highlighting an important role for behavior in cortical plasticity. Our data also provide strong support for combining movement-gated stimulation with use-dependent physical rehabilitation for strengthening connections weakened by a stroke or spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Moorjani
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Sarita Walvekar
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Eberhard E Fetz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Steve I Perlmutter
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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Freezing revisited: coordinated autonomic and central optimization of threat coping. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:568-580. [PMID: 35760906 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00608-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Animals have sophisticated mechanisms for coping with danger. Freezing is a unique state that, upon threat detection, allows evidence to be gathered, response possibilities to be previsioned and preparations to be made for worst-case fight or flight. We propose that - rather than reflecting a passive fear state - the particular somatic and cognitive characteristics of freezing help to conceal overt responses, while optimizing sensory processing and action preparation. Critical for these functions are the neurotransmitters noradrenaline and acetylcholine, which modulate neural information processing and also control the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. However, the interactions between autonomic systems and the brain during freezing, and the way in which they jointly coordinate responses, remain incompletely explored. We review the joint actions of these systems and offer a novel computational framework to describe their temporally harmonized integration. This reconceptualization of freezing has implications for its role in decision-making under threat and for psychopathology.
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van Kempen J, Brandt C, Distler C, Bellgrove MA, Thiele A. Dopamine influences attentional rate modulation in Macaque posterior parietal cortex. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6914. [PMID: 35484302 PMCID: PMC9050696 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10634-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive neuroscience has made great strides in understanding the neural substrates of attention, but our understanding of its neuropharmacology remains incomplete. Although dopamine has historically been studied in relation to frontal functioning, emerging evidence suggests important dopaminergic influences in parietal cortex. We recorded single- and multi-unit activity whilst iontophoretically administering dopaminergic agonists and antagonists while rhesus macaques performed a spatial attention task. Out of 88 units, 50 revealed activity modulation by drug administration. Dopamine inhibited firing rates according to an inverted-U shaped dose-response curve and increased gain variability. D1 receptor antagonists diminished firing rates according to a monotonic function and interacted with attention modulating gain variability. Finally, both drugs decreased the pupil light reflex. These data show that dopamine shapes neuronal responses and modulates aspects of attentional processing in parietal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochem van Kempen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Christian Brandt
- Research Unit for ORL - Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Claudia Distler
- Allgemeine Zoologie Und Neurobiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Mark A Bellgrove
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Alexander Thiele
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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32
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Tideman P, Stomrud E, Leuzy A, Mattsson-Carlgren N, Palmqvist S, Hansson O. Association of β-Amyloid Accumulation With Executive Function in Adults With Unimpaired Cognition. Neurology 2022; 98:e1525-e1533. [PMID: 35022305 PMCID: PMC9012270 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000013299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The neuropathologic changes underlying Alzheimer disease (AD) start before overt cognitive symptoms arise, but it is not well-known how they relate to the first subtle cognitive changes. The objective for this study was to examine the independent associations of the AD hallmarks β-amyloid (Aβ), tau, and neurodegeneration with different cognitive domains in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, CU participants from the prospective BioFINDER-2 study were included. All had CSF biomarkers (Aβ42 and phosphorylated tau [p-tau]181), MRI (cortical thickness of AD-susceptible regions), Aβ-PET (neocortical uptake), tau-PET (entorhinal uptake), and cognitive test data for memory, executive function, verbal function, and visuospatial function. Multivariable linear regression models were performed using either CSF Aβ42, p-tau181, and cortical thickness or Aβ-PET, tau-PET, and cortical thickness as predictors of cognitive function. The results were validated in an independent cohort (Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative [ADNI]). RESULTS A total of 316 CU participants were included from the BioFINDER-2 study. Abnormal Aβ status was independently associated with the executive measure, regardless of modality (CSF Aβ42, β = 0.128, p = 0.024; Aβ-PET, β = 0.124, p = 0.049), while tau was independently associated with memory (CSF p-tau181, β = 0.132, p = 0.018; tau-PET, β = 0.189, p = 0.002). Cortical thickness was independently associated with the executive measure and verbal fluency in both models (p = 0.005-0.018). To examine the relationships in the earliest stage of preclinical AD, only participants with normal biomarkers of tau and neurodegeneration were included (n = 217 CSF-based; n = 246 PET-based). Again, Aβ status was associated with executive function (CSF Aβ42, β = 0.189, p = 0.005; Aβ-PET, β = 0.146, p = 0.023), but not with other cognitive domains. The results were overall replicated in the ADNI cohort (n = 361). DISCUSSION These findings suggest that Aβ is independently associated with worse performance on an executive measure but not with memory performance, which instead is associated with tau pathology. This may have implications for early preclinical AD screening and outcome measures in AD trials targeting Aβ pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pontus Tideman
- From the Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences (P.T., E.S., A.L., N.M.-C., S.P., O.H.), and Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (N.M.-C.), Lund University; and Memory Clinic (P.T., E.S., S.P., O.H.) and Department of Neurology (N.M.-C.), Skåne University Hospital, Sweden
| | - Erik Stomrud
- From the Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences (P.T., E.S., A.L., N.M.-C., S.P., O.H.), and Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (N.M.-C.), Lund University; and Memory Clinic (P.T., E.S., S.P., O.H.) and Department of Neurology (N.M.-C.), Skåne University Hospital, Sweden
| | - Antoine Leuzy
- From the Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences (P.T., E.S., A.L., N.M.-C., S.P., O.H.), and Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (N.M.-C.), Lund University; and Memory Clinic (P.T., E.S., S.P., O.H.) and Department of Neurology (N.M.-C.), Skåne University Hospital, Sweden
| | - Niklas Mattsson-Carlgren
- From the Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences (P.T., E.S., A.L., N.M.-C., S.P., O.H.), and Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (N.M.-C.), Lund University; and Memory Clinic (P.T., E.S., S.P., O.H.) and Department of Neurology (N.M.-C.), Skåne University Hospital, Sweden
| | - Sebastian Palmqvist
- From the Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences (P.T., E.S., A.L., N.M.-C., S.P., O.H.), and Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (N.M.-C.), Lund University; and Memory Clinic (P.T., E.S., S.P., O.H.) and Department of Neurology (N.M.-C.), Skåne University Hospital, Sweden
| | - Oskar Hansson
- From the Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences (P.T., E.S., A.L., N.M.-C., S.P., O.H.), and Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (N.M.-C.), Lund University; and Memory Clinic (P.T., E.S., S.P., O.H.) and Department of Neurology (N.M.-C.), Skåne University Hospital, Sweden.
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Tsitsipa E, Rogers J, Casalotti S, Belessiotis-Richards C, Zubko O, Weil RS, Howard R, Bisby JA, Reeves S. Selective 5HT3 antagonists and sensory processing: a systematic review. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:880-890. [PMID: 35017671 PMCID: PMC8882165 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01255-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Ondansetron is a selective serotonin (5HT3) receptor antagonist that is under evaluation as an adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia, and a novel treatment for hallucinations in Parkinson's disease. Ondansetron reverses sensory gating deficits and improves visuoperceptual processing in animal models of psychosis, but it is unclear to what extent preclinical findings have been replicated in humans. We systematically reviewed human studies that evaluated the effects of ondansetron and other 5HT3 receptor antagonists on sensory gating deficits or sensory processing. Of 11 eligible studies, eight included patients with schizophrenia who were chronically stable on antipsychotic medication; five measured sensory gating using the P50 suppression response to a repeated auditory stimulus; others included tests of visuoperceptual function. Three studies in healthy participants included tests of visuoperceptual and sensorimotor function. A consistent and robust finding (five studies) was that ondansetron and tropisetron (5HT3 antagonist and α7-nicotinic receptor partial agonist) improved sensory gating in patients with schizophrenia. Tropisetron also improved sustained visual attention in non-smoking patients. There was inconsistent evidence of the effects of 5HT3 antagonists on other measures of sensory processing, but interpretation was limited by the small number of studies, methodological heterogeneity and the potential confounding effects of concomitant medication in patients. Despite these limitations, we found strong evidence that selective 5HT3 antagonists (with or without direct α7-nicotinic partial agonist effects) improved sensory gating. Future studies should investigate how this relates to potential improvement in neurocognitive symptoms in antipsychotic naive patients with prodromal or milder symptoms, in order to understand the clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirini Tsitsipa
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T7NF UK
| | - Jonathan Rogers
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T7NF UK ,grid.415717.10000 0001 2324 5535South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, BR3 3BX UK
| | - Sebastian Casalotti
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T7NF UK
| | - Clara Belessiotis-Richards
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T7NF UK
| | - Olga Zubko
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T7NF UK
| | - Rimona S. Weil
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Dementia Research Centre, University College London, 8-11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR UK ,grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR UK ,grid.436283.80000 0004 0612 2631Movement Disorders Consortium, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR UK
| | - Robert Howard
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T7NF UK
| | - James A. Bisby
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T7NF UK
| | - Suzanne Reeves
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T7NF, UK.
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Acetylcholine deficiency disrupts extratelencephalic projection neurons in the prefrontal cortex in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 2022; 13:998. [PMID: 35194025 PMCID: PMC8863829 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28493-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Short-term memory deficits have been associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD mouse models. Extratelencephalic projection (ET) neurons in the PFC play a key role in short-term working memory, but the mechanism between ET neuronal dysfunction in the PFC and short-term memory impairment in AD is not well understood. Here, using fiber photometry and optogenetics, we found reduced neural activity in the ET neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the 5×FAD mouse model led to object recognition memory (ORM) deficits. Activation of ET neurons in the mPFC of 5×FAD mice rescued ORM impairment, and inhibition of ET neurons in the mPFC of wild type mice impaired ORM expression. ET neurons in the mPFC that project to supramammillary nucleus were necessary for ORM expression. Viral tracing and in vivo recording revealed that mPFC ET neurons received fewer cholinergic inputs from the basal forebrain in 5×FAD mice. Furthermore, activation of cholinergic fibers in the mPFC rescued ORM deficits in 5×FAD mice, while acetylcholine deficiency reduced the response of ET neurons in the mPFC to familiar objects. Taken together, our results revealed a neural mechanism behind ORM impairment in 5×FAD mice. Short-term memory deficits are associated with prefrontal cortex dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. Here, the authors assessed extratelencephalic projection (ET) neurons and found reduced ET neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and showed ET neurons received fewer cholinergic inputs from the basal forebrain in 5×FAD mice which led to object recognition memory deficits.
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Arboit A, Krautwald K, Angenstein F. The cholinergic system modulates negative BOLD responses in the prefrontal cortex once electrical perforant pathway stimulation triggers neuronal afterdischarges in the hippocampus. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2022; 42:364-380. [PMID: 34590894 PMCID: PMC8795231 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x211049820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Repeated high-frequency pulse-burst stimulations of the rat perforant pathway elicited positive BOLD responses in the right hippocampus, septum and prefrontal cortex. However, when the first stimulation period also triggered neuronal afterdischarges in the hippocampus, then a delayed negative BOLD response in the prefrontal cortex was generated. While neuronal activity and cerebral blood volume (CBV) increased in the hippocampus during the period of hippocampal neuronal afterdischarges (h-nAD), CBV decreased in the prefrontal cortex, although neuronal activity did not decrease. Only after termination of h-nAD did CBV in the prefrontal cortex increase again. Thus, h-nAD triggered neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex that counteracted the usual neuronal activity-related functional hyperemia. This process was significantly enhanced by pilocarpine, a mACh receptor agonist, and completely blocked when pilocarpine was co-administered with scopolamine, a mACh receptor antagonist. Scopolamine did not prevent the formation of the negative BOLD response, thus mACh receptors modulate the strength of the negative BOLD response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Arboit
- Functional Imaging Group, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Karla Krautwald
- Functional Imaging Group, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Frank Angenstein
- Functional Imaging Group, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg, Germany.,Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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Jiang G, Feng Y, Li M, Wen H, Wang T, Shen Y, Chen Z, Li S. Distinct alterations of functional connectivity of the basal forebrain subregions in insomnia disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1036997. [PMID: 36311494 PMCID: PMC9606586 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1036997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cholinergic basal forebrain (BF) plays an important role in sleep-wake regulation and is implicated in cortical arousal and activation. However, less is known currently regarding the abnormal BF-related neuronal circuit in human patients with insomnia disorder (ID). In this study, we aimed to explore alterations of functional connectivity (FC) in subregions of the BF and the relationships between FC alterations and sleep and mood measures in ID. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and two ID patients and ninety-six healthy controls (HC) were included in this study. Each subject underwent both resting-state fMRI and high-resolution anatomical scanning. All participants completed the sleep and mood questionnaires in ID patients. Voxel-based resting-state FC in each BF subregion (Ch_123 and Ch_4) were computed. For the voxel-wise FC differences between groups, a two-sample t-test was performed on the individual maps in a voxel-by-voxel manner. To examine linear relationships with sleep and mood measures, Pearson correlations were calculated between FC alterations and sleep and mood measures, respectively. RESULTS The ID group showed significantly decreased FC between the medial superior frontal gyrus and Ch_123 compared to HC. However, increased FC between the midbrain and Ch_4 was found in ID based on the voxel-wise analysis. The correlation analysis only revealed that the altered FC between the midbrain with Ch_4 was significantly negatively correlated with the self-rating anxiety scale. CONCLUSION Our findings of decreased FC between Ch_123 and medial superior frontal gyrus and increased FC between midbrain and Ch4 suggest distinct roles of subregions of BF underlying the neurobiology of ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guihua Jiang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Feng
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hua Wen
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianyue Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanan Shen
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Ziwei Chen
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shumei Li
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
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37
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Domínguez-Borràs J, Vuilleumier P. Amygdala function in emotion, cognition, and behavior. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 187:359-380. [PMID: 35964983 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823493-8.00015-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a core structure in the anterior medial temporal lobe, with an important role in several brain functions involving memory, emotion, perception, social cognition, and even awareness. As a key brain structure for saliency detection, it triggers and controls widespread modulatory signals onto multiple areas of the brain, with a great impact on numerous aspects of adaptive behavior. Here we discuss the neural mechanisms underlying these functions, as established by animal and human research, including insights provided in both healthy and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Domínguez-Borràs
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology & Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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38
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Bahnfleth CL, Strupp BJ, Caudill MA, Canfield RL. Prenatal choline supplementation improves child sustained attention: A 7-year follow-up of a randomized controlled feeding trial. FASEB J 2021; 36:e22054. [PMID: 34962672 PMCID: PMC9303951 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101217r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Numerous rodent studies demonstrate developmental programming of offspring cognition by maternal choline intake, with prenatal choline deprivation causing lasting adverse effects and supplemental choline producing lasting benefits. Few human studies have evaluated the effect of maternal choline supplementation on offspring cognition, with none following children to school age. Here, we report results from a controlled feeding study in which pregnant women were randomized to consume 480 mg choline/d (approximately the Adequate Intake [AI]) or 930 mg choline/d during the 3rd trimester. Sustained attention was assessed in the offspring at age 7 years (n = 20) using a signal detection task that showed benefits of maternal choline supplementation in a murine model. Children in the 930 mg/d group showed superior performance (vs. 480 mg/d group) on the primary endpoint (SAT score, p = .02) and a superior ability to maintain correct signal detections (hits) across the 12‐min session (p = .02), indicative of improved sustained attention. This group difference in vigilance decrement varied by signal duration (p = .04). For the briefest (17 ms) signals, the 480 mg/d group showed a 22.9% decline in hits across the session compared to a 1.5% increase in hits for the 930 mg/d group (p = .04). The groups did not differ in vigilance decrement for 29 or 50 ms signals. This pattern suggests an enhanced ability to sustain perceptual amplification of a brief low‐contrast visual signal by children in the 930 mg/d group. This inference of improved sustained attention by the 930 mg/d group is strengthened by the absence of group differences for false alarms, omissions, and off‐task behaviors. This pattern of results indicates that maternal 3rd trimester consumption of the choline AI for pregnancy (vs. double the AI) produces offspring with a poorer ability to sustain attention—reinforcing concerns that, on average, choline consumption by pregnant women is approximately 70% of the AI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barbara J Strupp
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Marie A Caudill
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Richard L Canfield
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Avram M, Grothe MJ, Meinhold L, Leucht C, Leucht S, Borgwardt S, Brandl F, Sorg C. Lower cholinergic basal forebrain volumes link with cognitive difficulties in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:2320-2329. [PMID: 34188186 PMCID: PMC8580980 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01070-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A potential pathophysiological mechanism of cognitive difficulties in schizophrenia is a dysregulated cholinergic system. Particularly, the cholinergic basal forebrain nuclei (BFCN), the source of cortical cholinergic innervation, support multiple cognitive functions, ranging from attention to decision-making. We hypothesized that BFCN structural integrity is altered in schizophrenia and associated with patients' attentional deficits. We assessed gray matter (GM) integrity of cytoarchitectonically defined BFCN region-of-interest in 72 patients with schizophrenia and 73 healthy controls, matched for age and gender, from the COBRE open-source database, via structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based volumetry. MRI-derived measures of GM integrity (i.e., volumes) were linked with performance on a symbol coding task (SCT), a paper-pencil-based metric that assesses attention, by correlation and mediation analysis. To assess the replicability of findings, we repeated the analyses in an independent dataset comprising 26 patients with schizophrenia and 24 matched healthy controls. BFCN volumes were lower in patients (t(139)=2.51, p = 0.01) and significantly associated with impaired SCT performance (r = 0.31, p = 0.01). Furthermore, lower BFCN volumes mediated the group difference in SCT performance. When including global GM volumes, which were lower in patients, as covariates-of-no-interest, these findings disappeared, indicating that schizophrenia did not have a specific effect on BFCN relative to other regional volume changes. We replicated these findings in the independent cohort, e.g., BFCN volumes were lower in patients and mediated patients' impaired SCT performance. Results demonstrate lower BFCN volumes in schizophrenia, which link with patients' attentional deficits. Data suggest that a dysregulated cholinergic system might contribute to cognitive difficulties in schizophrenia via impaired BFCN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihai Avram
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schleswig Holstein University Hospital, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, 23538, Germany.
| | - Michel J. Grothe
- grid.414816.e0000 0004 1773 7922Unidad de Trastornos del Movimiento, Servicio de Neurología y Neurofisiología Clínica, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Lena Meinhold
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, 81675 Germany
| | - Claudia Leucht
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, 81675 Germany
| | - Stefan Leucht
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, 81675 Germany
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- grid.4562.50000 0001 0057 2672Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schleswig Holstein University Hospital, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, 23538 Germany
| | - Felix Brandl
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, 81675 Germany ,grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, 81675 Germany ,grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, 81675 Germany
| | - Christian Sorg
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, 81675 Germany ,grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, 81675 Germany ,grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department of Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, 81675 Germany
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40
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Williams VM, Bhagwandin A, Swiegers J, Bertelsen MF, Hård T, Sherwood CC, Manger PR. Distribution of cholinergic neurons in the brains of a lar gibbon and a chimpanzee. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:1516-1535. [PMID: 34837339 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Using choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistry, we describe the nuclear parcellation of the cholinergic system in the brains of two apes, a lar gibbon (Hylobates lar) and a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). The cholinergic nuclei observed in both apes studied are virtually identical to that observed in humans and show very strong similarity to the cholinergic nuclei observed in other primates and mammals more generally. One specific difference between humans and the two apes studied is that, with the specific choline acetyltransferase antibody used, the cholinergic pyramidal neurons observed in human cerebral cortex were not labeled. When comparing the two apes studied and humans to other primates, the presence of a greatly expanded cholinergic medullary tegmental field, and the presence of cholinergic neurons in the intermediate and dorsal horns of the cervical spinal cord are notable variations of the distribution of cholinergic neurons in apes compared to other primates. These neurons may play an important role in the modulation of ascending and descending neural transmissions through the spinal cord and caudal medulla, potentially related to the differing modes of locomotion in apes compared to other primates. Our observations also indicate that the average soma volume of the neurons forming the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) is larger than those of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPT) in both the lar gibbon and chimpanzee. This variability in soma volume appears to be related to the size of the adult derivatives of the alar and basal plate across mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Williams
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Division of Clinical Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jordan Swiegers
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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41
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Trofimova I. Contingent Tunes of Neurochemical Ensembles in the Norm and Pathology: Can We See the Patterns? Neuropsychobiology 2021; 80:101-133. [PMID: 33721867 DOI: 10.1159/000513688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Progress in the development of DSM/ICD taxonomies has revealed limitations of both label-based and dimensionality approaches. These approaches fail to address the contingent, nonlinear, context-dependent, and transient nature of those biomarkers linked to specific symptoms of psychopathology or to specific biobehavioural traits of healthy people (temperament). The present review aims to highlight the benefits of a functional constructivism approach in the analysis of neurochemical biomarkers underlying temperament and psychopathology. METHOD A review was performed. RESULTS Eight systems are identified, and 7 neurochemical ensembles are described in detail. None of these systems is represented by a single neurotransmitter; all of them work in ensembles with each other. The functionality and relationships of these systems are presented here in association with their roles in action construction, with brief examples of psychopathology. The review introduces formal symbols for these systems to facilitate their more compact analysis in the future. CONCLUSION This analysis demonstrates the possibility of constructivism-based unifying taxonomies of temperament (in the framework of the neurochemical model functional ensemble of temperament) and classifications of psychiatric disorders. Such taxonomies would present the biobehavioural individual differences as consistent behavioural patterns generated within a formally structured space of parameters related to the generation of behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Trofimova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,
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42
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Trofimova I. Functional Constructivism Approach to Multilevel Nature of Bio-Behavioral Diversity. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:641286. [PMID: 34777031 PMCID: PMC8578849 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Attempts to revise the existing classifications of psychiatric disorders (DSM and ICD) continue and highlight a crucial need for the identification of biomarkers underlying symptoms of psychopathology. The present review highlights the benefits of using a Functional Constructivism approach in the analysis of the functionality of the main neurotransmitters. This approach explores the idea that behavior is neither reactive nor pro-active, but constructive and generative, being a transient selection of multiple degrees of freedom in perception and actions. This review briefly describes main consensus points in neuroscience related to the functionality of eight neurochemical ensembles, summarized as a part of the neurochemical model Functional Ensemble of Temperament (FET). None of the FET components is represented by a single neurotransmitter; all neurochemical teams have specific functionality in selection of behavioral degrees of freedom and stages of action construction. The review demonstrates the possibility of unifying taxonomies of temperament and classifications of psychiatric disorders and presenting these taxonomies formally and systematically. The paper also highlights the multi-level nature of regulation of consistent bio-behavioral individual differences, in line with the concepts of diagonal evolution (proposed earlier) and Specialized Extended Phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Trofimova
- Laboratory of Collective Intelligence, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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43
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Qi J, Li BZ, Zhang Y, Pan B, Gao YH, Zhan H, Liu Y, Shao YC, Zhang X. Altered Hypothalamic Functional Connectivity Following Total Sleep Deprivation in Young Adult Males. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:688247. [PMID: 34658753 PMCID: PMC8517525 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.688247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Sleep deprivation can markedly influence vigilant attention that is essential to complex cognitive processes. The hypothalamus plays a critical role in arousal and attention regulation. However, the functional involvement of the hypothalamus in attentional impairments after total sleep deprivation (TSD) remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the alterations in hypothalamic functional connectivity and its association with the attentional performance following TSD. Methods: Thirty healthy adult males were recruited in the study. Participants underwent two resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans, once in rested wakefulness (RW) and once after 36 h of TSD. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis was performed using rs-fMRI for the left and right hypothalamus. Vigilant attention was measured using a psychomotor vigilance test (PVT). Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between altered hypothalamic functional connectivity and PVT performance after TSD. Results: After TSD, enhanced functional connectivity was observed between the left hypothalamus and bilateral thalamus, bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, right amygdala, and right insula, while reduced functional connectivity was observed between the left hypothalamus and bilateral middle frontal gyrus (AlphaSim corrected, P < 0.01). However, significant correlation between altered hypothalamic functional connectivity and PVT performance was not observed after Bonferroni correction (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that TSD can lead to disrupted hypothalamic circuits, which may provide new insight into neural mechanisms of attention impairments following sleep deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Qi
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Neurology, The Second Medical Center, Sleep Medicine Research Center, National Clinical Research Centre for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Bo-Zhi Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Medical Center, Sleep Medicine Research Center, National Clinical Research Centre for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- The Eighth Medical Center of the General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Bei Pan
- Air Force Medical Center, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Hong Gao
- National Clinical Research Centre for Geriatric Diseases, Second Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zhan
- Air Force Medical Center, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Cong Shao
- Shool of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Neurology, The Second Medical Center, Sleep Medicine Research Center, National Clinical Research Centre for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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Leung LS, Chu L. Aberrant slow waves in the hippocampus during activation in mice with low cholinergic tone. Hippocampus 2021; 31:1233-1253. [PMID: 34520598 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The effects of acetylcholine on cortical activation were studied in wild-type (WT) mice, compared to knockout (KO) mice depleted of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) gene in the basal forebrain, and knockdown (KD) mice with heterogeneous depletion of VAChT gene in the brain. Cortical activation was assessed by comparing power spectra of local field potentials (LFPs) during activated states of rapid-eye-movement sleep (REM) or walk (WLK), with those during non-activated states of slow-wave sleep (SWS) or awake-immobility (IMM). Activation-induced suppression of delta (1-4 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) power in the hippocampus, and delta power in frontal cortex, were reduced in KO and KD mice compared to WT mice. Mean theta frequency was higher in KD than KO mice during WLK and REM, but not different between WT and KO mice. Peak theta (4-12 Hz) and integrated gamma (30-150 Hz) power were not significantly different among mouse groups. However, theta-peak-frequency selected gamma2 (62-100 Hz) power was lower in KO than WT or KD mice during WLK, and theta-peak-frequency selected theta power during REM decreased faster with high theta frequency in KO than WT/ KD mice. Theta power increase during REM compared to WLK was lower in KO and KD mice compared to WT mice. Theta-gamma cross-frequency coherence, a measure of synchronization of gamma with theta phase, was not different among mouse groups. However, during REM, SWS, and IMM, delta-gamma coherence was significantly higher and proximal-distal delta coherence in CA1 was lower in KO than WT/KD mice. We conclude that a deficiency in basal forebrain acetylcholine release not only enhances slow waves and suppresses theta-associated gamma waves during activation, but also increases delta-gamma cross-frequency coherence during nonactivated states, with a possible effect of disrupting cognitive processing during any brain state.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Stan Leung
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Liangwei Chu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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45
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Beversdorf DQ, Nagaraja HN, Bornstein RA, Scharre DW. The Effect of Donepezil on Problem-solving Ability in Individuals With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study. Cogn Behav Neurol 2021; 34:182-187. [PMID: 34473669 PMCID: PMC8425600 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical trials involving individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have reported mixed results for the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors on cognitive outcomes. Our previous work demonstrated that a visuospatial problem-solving task was sensitive to non-memory impairments in individuals with MCI. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the same task is also sensitive to the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors in individuals with amnestic MCI (aMCI). METHOD We gave 22 individuals with aMCI (clinical dementia rating of 0.5) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores of at least 24 the following measures at baseline and at follow-up 1 year later: Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Boston Naming Test, Rey Complex Figures Test copying task, anagrams task, and visuospatial problem-solving task. The MMSE was also given at the 1-year follow-up. Twelve of the individuals were drug naïve, having never taken cholinesterase inhibitors before, and donepezil was initiated and titrated to 10 mg daily after baseline in an open-label manner. Ten of the individuals had already been taking donepezil, and there was no change in treatment. We compared the two groups for amount of performance change over 1 year. RESULTS Individuals for whom donepezil was initiated performed significantly better on the visuospatial problem-solving task after 1 year compared with individuals who had already been taking donepezil. No difference was observed for any of the other variables. CONCLUSION The visuospatial problem-solving task appeared to be more sensitive than memory measures to the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors in individuals with aMCI, perhaps due to the high attentional demand of the task.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Q. Beversdorf
- Departments of Radiology, Neurology, and Psychological Sciences, and the Thompson Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Haikady N. Nagaraja
- Division of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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46
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Progress in modelling of brain dynamics during anaesthesia and the role of sleep-wake circuitry. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 191:114388. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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47
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Cholinergic modulation of sensory processing in awake mouse cortex. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17525. [PMID: 34471145 PMCID: PMC8410938 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96696-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic modulation of brain activity is fundamental for awareness and conscious sensorimotor behaviours, but deciphering the timing and significance of acetylcholine actions for these behaviours is challenging. The widespread nature of cholinergic projections to the cortex means that new insights require access to specific neuronal populations, and on a time-scale that matches behaviourally relevant cholinergic actions. Here, we use fast, voltage imaging of L2/3 cortical pyramidal neurons exclusively expressing the genetically-encoded voltage indicator Butterfly 1.2, in awake, head-fixed mice, receiving sensory stimulation, whilst manipulating the cholinergic system. Altering muscarinic acetylcholine function re-shaped sensory-evoked fast depolarisation and subsequent slow hyperpolarisation of L2/3 pyramidal neurons. A consequence of this re-shaping was disrupted adaptation of the sensory-evoked responses, suggesting a critical role for acetylcholine during sensory discrimination behaviour. Our findings provide new insights into how the cortex processes sensory information and how loss of acetylcholine, for example in Alzheimer's Disease, disrupts sensory behaviours.
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48
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Yegla B, Joshi S, Strupp J, Parikh V. Dynamic interplay of frontoparietal cholinergic innervation and cortical reorganization in the regulation of attentional capacities in aging. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 105:186-198. [PMID: 34102380 PMCID: PMC8338743 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cortical remodeling is linked to age-related cognitive changes in humans; however, the mechanisms underlying cortical reorganization in aging remain unknown. Here we examined the consequences of mild cholinergic thinning of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and parietal cortex (PC) on attention performance-associated changes in cortical activity in young and aged rats. Prefrontal manipulation produced attentional deficits in aged but not young rats regardless of cholinergic pruning. Stereological assessment of c-fos expression revealed age-related reductions in occipital activity and a corresponding increase in PC activity, but these patterns did not correlate with performance. PC cholinergic deafferentation produced opposite changes in PFC recruitment between young and aged rats. Cholinergic pruning reversed the effects of PFC/PC cholinergic manipulations on the activity of CaMKII- and GAD-positive neurons in aged rats. Our results indicate that cortical shifts depend on multiple factors including chronological age, cholinergic changes, and cortical insult, and that cortical reorganization is not necessarily compensatory. Moreover, the cholinergic system modulates excitation/inhibition homeostasis to improve the efficiency of reorganized cortical circuits and stabilize attentional performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittney Yegla
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Surbhi Joshi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacob Strupp
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Ogando MB, Pedroncini O, Federman N, Romano SA, Brum LA, Lanuza GM, Refojo D, Marin-Burgin A. Cholinergic modulation of dentate gyrus processing through dynamic reconfiguration of inhibitory circuits. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109572. [PMID: 34433032 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus plays a key role in memory formation, and it is known to be modulated by septal projections. By performing electrophysiology and optogenetics, we evaluated the role of cholinergic modulation in the processing of afferent inputs in the DG. We show that mature granule cells (GCs), but not adult-born immature neurons, have increased responses to afferent perforant path stimuli upon cholinergic modulation. This is due to a highly precise reconfiguration of inhibitory circuits, differentially affecting Parvalbumin and Somatostatin interneurons, resulting in a nicotinic-dependent perisomatic disinhibition of GCs. This circuit reorganization provides a mechanism by which mature GCs could escape the strong inhibition they receive, creating a window of opportunity for plasticity. Indeed, coincident activation of perforant path inputs with optogenetic release of acetylcholine produces a long-term potentiated response in GCs, essential for memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mora B Ogando
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA) - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Olivia Pedroncini
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA) - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Noel Federman
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA) - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sebastián A Romano
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA) - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luciano A Brum
- Fundación Instituto Leloir-Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires C1405BWE, Argentina
| | - Guillermo M Lanuza
- Fundación Instituto Leloir-Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires C1405BWE, Argentina
| | - Damian Refojo
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA) - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Antonia Marin-Burgin
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA) - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Souffi S, Nodal FR, Bajo VM, Edeline JM. When and How Does the Auditory Cortex Influence Subcortical Auditory Structures? New Insights About the Roles of Descending Cortical Projections. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:690223. [PMID: 34413722 PMCID: PMC8369261 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.690223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, the corticofugal descending projections have been anatomically well described but their functional role remains a puzzling question. In this review, we will first describe the contributions of neuronal networks in representing communication sounds in various types of degraded acoustic conditions from the cochlear nucleus to the primary and secondary auditory cortex. In such situations, the discrimination abilities of collicular and thalamic neurons are clearly better than those of cortical neurons although the latter remain very little affected by degraded acoustic conditions. Second, we will report the functional effects resulting from activating or inactivating corticofugal projections on functional properties of subcortical neurons. In general, modest effects have been observed in anesthetized and in awake, passively listening, animals. In contrast, in behavioral tasks including challenging conditions, behavioral performance was severely reduced by removing or transiently silencing the corticofugal descending projections. This suggests that the discriminative abilities of subcortical neurons may be sufficient in many acoustic situations. It is only in particularly challenging situations, either due to the task difficulties and/or to the degraded acoustic conditions that the corticofugal descending connections bring additional abilities. Here, we propose that it is both the top-down influences from the prefrontal cortex, and those from the neuromodulatory systems, which allow the cortical descending projections to impact behavioral performance in reshaping the functional circuitry of subcortical structures. We aim at proposing potential scenarios to explain how, and under which circumstances, these projections impact on subcortical processing and on behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Souffi
- Department of Integrative and Computational Neurosciences, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (NeuroPSI), UMR CNRS 9197, Paris-Saclay University, Orsay, France
| | - Fernando R Nodal
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria M Bajo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Marc Edeline
- Department of Integrative and Computational Neurosciences, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (NeuroPSI), UMR CNRS 9197, Paris-Saclay University, Orsay, France
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