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Masala N, Mittag M, Giovannetti EA, O'Neil DA, Distler FJ, Rupprecht P, Helmchen F, Yuste R, Fuhrmann M, Beck H, Wenzel M, Kelly T. Aberrant hippocampal Ca 2+ microwaves following synapsin-dependent adeno-associated viral expression of Ca 2+ indicators. eLife 2024; 13:RP93804. [PMID: 39042440 PMCID: PMC11265795 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93804] [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] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) such as GCaMP are invaluable tools in neuroscience to monitor neuronal activity using optical imaging. The viral transduction of GECIs is commonly used to target expression to specific brain regions, can be conveniently used with any mouse strain of interest without the need for prior crossing with a GECI mouse line, and avoids potential hazards due to the chronic expression of GECIs during development. A key requirement for monitoring neuronal activity with an indicator is that the indicator itself minimally affects activity. Here, using common adeno-associated viral (AAV) transduction procedures, we describe spatially confined aberrant Ca2+ microwaves slowly travelling through the hippocampus following expression of GCaMP6, GCaMP7, or R-CaMP1.07 driven by the synapsin promoter with AAV-dependent gene transfer in a titre-dependent fashion. Ca2+ microwaves developed in hippocampal CA1 and CA3, but not dentate gyrus nor neocortex, were typically first observed at 4 wk after viral transduction, and persisted up to at least 8 wk. The phenomenon was robust and observed across laboratories with various experimenters and setups. Our results indicate that aberrant hippocampal Ca2+ microwaves depend on the promoter and viral titre of the GECI, density of expression, as well as the targeted brain region. We used an alternative viral transduction method of GCaMP which avoids this artefact. The results show that commonly used Ca2+-indicator AAV transduction procedures can produce artefactual Ca2+ responses. Our aim is to raise awareness in the field of these artefactual transduction-induced Ca2+ microwaves, and we provide a potential solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Masala
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR)BonnGermany
- University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Manuel Mittag
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
| | | | - Darik A O'Neil
- NeuroTechnology Center, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Fabian J Distler
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR)BonnGermany
- University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Peter Rupprecht
- Brain Research Institute, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Brain Research Institute, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Rafael Yuste
- NeuroTechnology Center, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Martin Fuhrmann
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
| | - Heinz Beck
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR)BonnGermany
- University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
| | - Michael Wenzel
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR)BonnGermany
- University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Tony Kelly
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR)BonnGermany
- University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
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2
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Simoes de Souza FM, Williamson R, McCullough C, Teel A, Futia G, Ma M, True A, Crimaldi JP, Gibson E, Restrepo D. Miniscope Recording Calcium Signals at Hippocampus of Mice Navigating an Odor Plume. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.12.598681. [PMID: 38915584 PMCID: PMC11195275 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.12.598681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Mice navigate an odor plume with a complex spatiotemporal structure in the dark to find the source of odorants. This article describes a protocol to monitor behavior and record Ca 2+ transients in dorsal CA1 stratum pyramidale neurons in hippocampus (dCA1) in mice navigating an odor plume in a 50 cm x 50 cm x 25 cm odor arena. An epifluorescence miniscope focused through a GRIN lens imaged Ca 2+ transients in dCA1 neurons expressing the calcium sensor GCaMP6f in Thy1-GCaMP6f mice. The paper describes the behavioral protocol to train the mice to perform this odor plume navigation task in an automated odor arena. The methods include a step-by-step procedure for the surgery for GRIN lens implantation and baseplate placement for imaging GCaMP6f in CA1. The article provides information on real-time tracking of the mouse position to automate the start of the trials and delivery of a sugar water reward. In addition, the protocol includes information on using of an interface board to synchronize metadata describing the automation of the odor navigation task and frame times for the miniscope and a digital camera tracking mouse position. Moreover, the methods delineate the pipeline used to process GCaMP6f fluorescence movies by motion correction using NorMCorre followed by identification of regions of interest with EXTRACT. Finally, the paper describes an artificial neural network approach to decode spatial paths from CA1 neural ensemble activity to predict mouse navigation of the odor plume. SUMMARY This protocol describes how to investigate the brain-behavior relationship in hippocampal CA1 in mice navigating an odor plume. This article provides a step-by-step protocol, including the surgery to access imaging of the hippocampus, behavioral training, miniscope GCaMP6f recording and processing of the brain and behavioral data to decode the mouse position from ROI neural activity.
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3
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Mizuta K, Sato M. Multiphoton imaging of hippocampal neural circuits: techniques and biological insights into region-, cell-type-, and pathway-specific functions. NEUROPHOTONICS 2024; 11:033406. [PMID: 38464393 PMCID: PMC10923542 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.11.3.033406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Significance The function of the hippocampus in behavior and cognition has long been studied primarily through electrophysiological recordings from freely moving rodents. However, the application of optical recording methods, particularly multiphoton fluorescence microscopy, in the last decade or two has dramatically advanced our understanding of hippocampal function. This article provides a comprehensive overview of techniques and biological findings obtained from multiphoton imaging of hippocampal neural circuits. Aim This review aims to summarize and discuss the recent technical advances in multiphoton imaging of hippocampal neural circuits and the accumulated biological knowledge gained through this technology. Approach First, we provide a brief overview of various techniques of multiphoton imaging of the hippocampus and discuss its advantages, drawbacks, and associated key innovations and practices. Then, we review a large body of findings obtained through multiphoton imaging by region (CA1 and dentate gyrus), cell type (pyramidal neurons, inhibitory interneurons, and glial cells), and cellular compartment (dendrite and axon). Results Multiphoton imaging of the hippocampus is primarily performed under head-fixed conditions and can reveal detailed mechanisms of circuit operation owing to its high spatial resolution and specificity. As the hippocampus lies deep below the cortex, its imaging requires elaborate methods. These include imaging cannula implantation, microendoscopy, and the use of long-wavelength light sources. Although many studies have focused on the dorsal CA1 pyramidal cells, studies of other local and inter-areal circuitry elements have also helped provide a more comprehensive picture of the information processing performed by the hippocampal circuits. Imaging of circuit function in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders such as autism spectrum disorder has also contributed greatly to our understanding of their pathophysiology. Conclusions Multiphoton imaging has revealed much regarding region-, cell-type-, and pathway-specific mechanisms in hippocampal function and dysfunction in health and disease. Future technological advances will allow further illustration of the operating principle of the hippocampal circuits via the large-scale, high-resolution, multimodal, and minimally invasive imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotaro Mizuta
- RIKEN BDR, Kobe, Japan
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Department of Biology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Masaaki Sato
- Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Neuropharmacology, Sapporo, Japan
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4
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McKissick O, Klimpert N, Ritt JT, Fleischmann A. Odors in space. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1414452. [PMID: 38978957 PMCID: PMC11228174 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1414452] [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: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
As an evolutionarily ancient sense, olfaction is key to learning where to find food, shelter, mates, and important landmarks in an animal's environment. Brain circuitry linking odor and navigation appears to be a well conserved multi-region system among mammals; the anterior olfactory nucleus, piriform cortex, entorhinal cortex, and hippocampus each represent different aspects of olfactory and spatial information. We review recent advances in our understanding of the neural circuits underlying odor-place associations, highlighting key choices of behavioral task design and neural circuit manipulations for investigating learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia McKissick
- Department of Neuroscience and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Nell Klimpert
- Department of Neuroscience and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Jason T Ritt
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Alexander Fleischmann
- Department of Neuroscience and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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5
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Stuart SA, Palacios-Filardo J, Domanski A, Udakis M, Duguid I, Jones MW, Mellor JR. Hippocampal-dependent navigation in head-fixed mice using a floating real-world environment. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14315. [PMID: 38906952 PMCID: PMC11192748 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64807-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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Head-fixation of mice enables high-resolution monitoring of neuronal activity coupled with precise control of environmental stimuli. Virtual reality can be used to emulate the visual experience of movement during head fixation, but a low inertia floating real-world environment (mobile homecage, MHC) has the potential to engage more sensory modalities and provide a richer experimental environment for complex behavioral tasks. However, it is not known whether mice react to this adapted environment in a similar manner to real environments, or whether the MHC can be used to implement validated, maze-based behavioral tasks. Here, we show that hippocampal place cell representations are intact in the MHC and that the system allows relatively long (20 min) whole-cell patch clamp recordings from dorsal CA1 pyramidal neurons, revealing sub-threshold membrane potential dynamics. Furthermore, mice learn the location of a liquid reward within an adapted T-maze guided by 2-dimensional spatial navigation cues and relearn the location when spatial contingencies are reversed. Bilateral infusions of scopolamine show that this learning is hippocampus-dependent and requires intact cholinergic signalling. Therefore, we characterize the MHC system as an experimental tool to study sub-threshold membrane potential dynamics that underpin complex navigation behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Stuart
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Jon Palacios-Filardo
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Aleks Domanski
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Matt Udakis
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Ian Duguid
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Matt W Jones
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Jack R Mellor
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
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6
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Shirdhankar RN, Malkemper EP. Cognitive maps and the magnetic sense in vertebrates. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 86:102880. [PMID: 38657284 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Navigation requires a network of neurons processing inputs from internally generated cues and external landmarks. Most studies on the neuronal basis of navigation in vertebrates have focused on rats and mice and the canonical senses vision, hearing, olfaction, and somatosensation. Some animals have evolved the ability to sense the Earth's magnetic field and use it for orientation. It can be expected that in these animals magnetic cues are integrated with other sensory cues in the cognitive map. We provide an overview of the behavioral evidence and brain regions involved in magnetic sensing in support of this idea, hoping that this will guide future experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runita N Shirdhankar
- Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - Caesar, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn 53175, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - E Pascal Malkemper
- Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - Caesar, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn 53175, Germany.
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7
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Chen X, Wei Z, Wolbers T. Repetition Suppression Reveals Cue-Specific Spatial Representations for Landmarks and Self-Motion Cues in the Human Retrosplenial Cortex. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0294-23.2024. [PMID: 38519127 PMCID: PMC11007318 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0294-23.2024] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The efficient use of various spatial cues within a setting is crucial for successful navigation. Two fundamental forms of spatial navigation, landmark-based and self-motion-based, engage distinct cognitive mechanisms. The question of whether these modes invoke shared or separate spatial representations in the brain remains unresolved. While nonhuman animal studies have yielded inconsistent results, human investigation is limited. In our previous work (Chen et al., 2019), we introduced a novel spatial navigation paradigm utilizing ultra-high field fMRI to explore neural coding of positional information. We found that different entorhinal subregions in the right hemisphere encode positional information for landmarks and self-motion cues. The present study tested the generalizability of our previous finding with a modified navigation paradigm. Although we did not replicate our previous finding in the entorhinal cortex, we identified adaptation-based allocentric positional codes for both cue types in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), which were not confounded by the path to the spatial location. Crucially, the multi-voxel patterns of these spatial codes differed between the cue types, suggesting cue-specific positional coding. The parahippocampal cortex exhibited positional coding for self-motion cues, which was not dissociable from path length. Finally, the brain regions involved in successful navigation differed from our previous study, indicating overall distinct neural mechanisms recruited in our two studies. Taken together, the current findings demonstrate cue-specific allocentric positional coding in the human RSC in the same navigation task for the first time and that spatial representations in the brain are contingent on specific experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Chen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P.R. China
| | - Ziwei Wei
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P.R. China
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39106, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg 39106, Germany
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8
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Sosa M, Plitt MH, Giocomo LM. Hippocampal sequences span experience relative to rewards. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.27.573490. [PMID: 38234842 PMCID: PMC10793396 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Hippocampal place cells fire in sequences that span spatial environments and non-spatial modalities, suggesting that hippocampal activity can anchor to the most behaviorally salient aspects of experience. As reward is a highly salient event, we hypothesized that sequences of hippocampal activity can anchor to rewards. To test this, we performed two-photon imaging of hippocampal CA1 neurons as mice navigated virtual environments with changing hidden reward locations. When the reward moved, the firing fields of a subpopulation of cells moved to the same relative position with respect to reward, constructing a sequence of reward-relative cells that spanned the entire task structure. The density of these reward-relative sequences increased with task experience as additional neurons were recruited to the reward-relative population. Conversely, a largely separate subpopulation maintained a spatially-based place code. These findings thus reveal separate hippocampal ensembles can flexibly encode multiple behaviorally salient reference frames, reflecting the structure of the experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marielena Sosa
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mark H. Plitt
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
- Present address: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley; Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M. Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
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9
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Masala N, Mittag M, Giovannetti EA, O'Neil DA, Distler F, Rupprecht P, Helmchen F, Yuste R, Fuhrmann M, Beck H, Wenzel M, Kelly T. Aberrant hippocampal Ca 2+ micro-waves following synapsin-dependent adeno-associated viral expression of Ca 2+ indicators. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.08.566169. [PMID: 37986838 PMCID: PMC10659308 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.08.566169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) such as GCaMP are invaluable tools in neuroscience to monitor neuronal activity using optical imaging. The viral transduction of GECIs is commonly used to target expression to specific brain regions, can be conveniently used with any mouse strain of interest without the need for prior crossing with a GECI mouse line and avoids potential hazards due to the chronic expression of GECIs during development. A key requirement for monitoring neuronal activity with an indicator is that the indicator itself minimally affects activity. Here, using common adeno-associated viral (AAV) transduction procedures, we describe spatially confined aberrant Ca2+ micro-waves slowly travelling through the hippocampus following expression of GCaMP6, GCaMP7 or R-CaMP1.07 driven by the synapsin promoter with AAV-dependent gene transfer, in a titre-dependent fashion. Ca2+ micro-waves developed in hippocampal CA1 and CA3, but not dentate gyrus (DG) nor neocortex, were typically first observed at 4 weeks after viral transduction, and persisted up to at least 8 weeks. The phenomenon was robust, observed across laboratories with various experimenters and setups. Our results indicate that aberrant hippocampal Ca2+ micro-waves depend on the promoter and viral titre of the GECI, density of expression as well as the targeted brain region. We used an alternative viral transduction method of GCaMP which avoids this artifact. The results show that commonly used Ca2+-indicator AAV transduction procedures can produce artefactual Ca2+ responses. Our aim is to raise awareness in the field of these artefactual transduction-induced Ca2+ micro-waves and we provide a potential solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Masala
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Manuel Mittag
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Darik A O'Neil
- NeuroTechnology Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fabian Distler
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
| | - Peter Rupprecht
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rafael Yuste
- NeuroTechnology Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Fuhrmann
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Heinz Beck
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Wenzel
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tony Kelly
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
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10
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Nguyen D, Wang G, Gu Y. The medial entorhinal cortex encodes multisensory spatial information. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.09.574924. [PMID: 38313299 PMCID: PMC10836072 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.09.574924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Animals employ spatial information in multisensory modalities to navigate their natural environments. However, it is unclear whether the brain encodes such information in separate cognitive maps or integrates all into a single, universal map. We addressed this question in the microcircuit of the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), a cognitive map of space. Using cellular-resolution calcium imaging, we examined the MEC of mice navigating virtual reality tracks, where visual and auditory cues provided comparable spatial information. We uncovered two cell types: "unimodality cells" and "multimodality cells". The unimodality cells specifically represent either auditory or visual spatial information. They are anatomically intermingled and maintain sensory preferences across multiple tracks and behavioral states. The multimodality cells respond to both sensory modalities with their responses shaped differentially by auditory and visual information. Thus, the MEC enables accurate spatial encoding during multisensory navigation by computing spatial information in different sensory modalities and generating distinct maps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Nguyen
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Current address: Center of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Garret Wang
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yi Gu
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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11
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Tuncdemir SN, Grosmark AD, Chung H, Luna VM, Lacefield CO, Losonczy A, Hen R. Adult-born granule cells facilitate remapping of spatial and non-spatial representations in the dentate gyrus. Neuron 2023; 111:4024-4039.e7. [PMID: 37820723 PMCID: PMC10841867 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Adult-born granule cells (abGCs) have been implicated in memory discrimination through a neural computation known as pattern separation. Here, using in vivo Ca2+ imaging, we examined how chronic ablation or acute chemogenetic silencing of abGCs affects the activity of mature granule cells (mGCs). In both cases, we observed altered remapping of mGCs. Rather than broadly modulating the activity of all mGCs, abGCs promote the remapping of place cells' firing fields while increasing rate remapping of mGCs that represent sensory cues. In turn, these remapping deficits are associated with behavioral impairments in animals' ability to correctly identify new goal locations. Thus, abGCs facilitate pattern separation through the formation of non-overlapping representations for identical sensory cues encountered in different locations. In the absence of abGCs, the dentate gyrus shifts to a state that is dominated by cue information, a situation that is consistent with the overgeneralization often observed in anxiety or age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebnem N Tuncdemir
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Andres D Grosmark
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Hannah Chung
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Victor M Luna
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Clay O Lacefield
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Attila Losonczy
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Rene Hen
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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12
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Pinke D, Issa JB, Dara GA, Dobos G, Dombeck DA. Full field-of-view virtual reality goggles for mice. Neuron 2023; 111:3941-3952.e6. [PMID: 38070501 PMCID: PMC10841834 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.019] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Visual virtual reality (VR) systems for head-fixed mice offer advantages over real-world studies for investigating the neural circuitry underlying behavior. However, current VR approaches do not fully cover the visual field of view of mice, do not stereoscopically illuminate the binocular zone, and leave the lab frame visible. To overcome these limitations, we developed iMRSIV (Miniature Rodent Stereo Illumination VR)-VR goggles for mice. Our system is compact, separately illuminates each eye for stereo vision, and provides each eye with an ∼180° field of view, thus excluding the lab frame while accommodating saccades. Mice using iMRSIV while navigating engaged in virtual behaviors more quickly than in a current monitor-based system and displayed freezing and fleeing reactions to overhead looming stimulation. Using iMRSIV with two-photon functional imaging, we found large populations of hippocampal place cells during virtual navigation, global remapping during environment changes, and unique responses of place cell ensembles to overhead looming stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domonkos Pinke
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - John B Issa
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Gabriel A Dara
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Gergely Dobos
- 360world Ltd, Sümegvár köz 9, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Daniel A Dombeck
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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13
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Najafian Jazi M, Tymorek A, Yen TY, Jose Kavarayil F, Stingl M, Chau SR, Baskurt B, García Vilela C, Allen K. Hippocampal firing fields anchored to a moving object predict homing direction during path-integration-based behavior. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7373. [PMID: 37968268 PMCID: PMC10651862 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42642-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Homing based on path integration (H-PI) is a form of navigation in which an animal uses self-motion cues to keep track of its position and return to a starting point. Despite evidence for a role of the hippocampus in homing behavior, the hippocampal spatial representations associated with H-PI are largely unknown. Here we developed a homing task (AutoPI task) that required a mouse to find a randomly placed lever on an arena before returning to its home base. Recordings from the CA1 area in male mice showed that hippocampal neurons remap between random foraging and AutoPI task, between trials in light and dark conditions, and between search and homing behavior. During the AutoPI task, approximately 25% of the firing fields were anchored to the lever position. The activity of 24% of the cells with a lever-anchored field predicted the homing direction of the animal on each trial. Our results demonstrate that the activity of hippocampal neurons with object-anchored firing fields predicts homing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Najafian Jazi
- Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Adrian Tymorek
- Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ting-Yun Yen
- Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix Jose Kavarayil
- Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Moritz Stingl
- Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sherman Richard Chau
- Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Benay Baskurt
- Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Celia García Vilela
- Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kevin Allen
- Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
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14
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Segraves MA. Using Natural Scenes to Enhance our Understanding of the Cerebral Cortex's Role in Visual Search. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2023; 9:435-454. [PMID: 37164028 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100720-124033] [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] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Using natural scenes is an approach to studying the visual and eye movement systems approximating how these systems function in everyday life. This review examines the results from behavioral and neurophysiological studies using natural scene viewing in humans and monkeys. The use of natural scenes for the study of cerebral cortical activity is relatively new and presents challenges for data analysis. Methods and results from the use of natural scenes for the study of the visual and eye movement cortex are presented, with emphasis on new insights that this method provides enhancing what is known about these cortical regions from the use of conventional methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Segraves
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA;
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15
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Saleem AB, Busse L. Interactions between rodent visual and spatial systems during navigation. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023:10.1038/s41583-023-00716-7. [PMID: 37380885 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00716-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Many behaviours that are critical for animals to survive and thrive rely on spatial navigation. Spatial navigation, in turn, relies on internal representations about one's spatial location, one's orientation or heading direction and the distance to objects in the environment. Although the importance of vision in guiding such internal representations has long been recognized, emerging evidence suggests that spatial signals can also modulate neural responses in the central visual pathway. Here, we review the bidirectional influences between visual and navigational signals in the rodent brain. Specifically, we discuss reciprocal interactions between vision and the internal representations of spatial position, explore the effects of vision on representations of an animal's heading direction and vice versa, and examine how the visual and navigational systems work together to assess the relative distances of objects and other features. Throughout, we consider how technological advances and novel ethological paradigms that probe rodent visuo-spatial behaviours allow us to advance our understanding of how brain areas of the central visual pathway and the spatial systems interact and enable complex behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aman B Saleem
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Munich, Germany.
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16
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Biane JS, Ladow MA, Stefanini F, Boddu SP, Fan A, Hassan S, Dundar N, Apodaca-Montano DL, Zhou LZ, Fayner V, Woods NI, Kheirbek MA. Neural dynamics underlying associative learning in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:798-809. [PMID: 37012382 PMCID: PMC10448873 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01296-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Animals associate cues with outcomes and update these associations as new information is presented. This requires the hippocampus, yet how hippocampal neurons track changes in cue-outcome associations remains unclear. Using two-photon calcium imaging, we tracked the same dCA1 and vCA1 neurons across days to determine how responses evolve across phases of odor-outcome learning. Initially, odors elicited robust responses in dCA1, whereas, in vCA1, odor responses primarily emerged after learning and embedded information about the paired outcome. Population activity in both regions rapidly reorganized with learning and then stabilized, storing learned odor representations for days, even after extinction or pairing with a different outcome. Additionally, we found stable, robust signals across CA1 when mice anticipated outcomes under behavioral control but not when mice anticipated an inescapable aversive outcome. These results show how the hippocampus encodes, stores and updates learned associations and illuminates the unique contributions of dorsal and ventral hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Biane
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Max A Ladow
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Fabio Stefanini
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sayi P Boddu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Austin Fan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Shazreh Hassan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Naz Dundar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel L Apodaca-Montano
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lexi Zichen Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Varya Fayner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas I Woods
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mazen A Kheirbek
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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17
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Lee SM, Shin J, Lee I. Significance of visual scene-based learning in the hippocampal systems across mammalian species. Hippocampus 2022; 33:505-521. [PMID: 36458555 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus and its associated cortical regions in the medial temporal lobe play essential roles when animals form a cognitive map and use it to achieve their goals. As the nature of map-making involves sampling different local views of the environment and putting them together in a spatially cohesive way, visual scenes are essential ingredients in the formative process of cognitive maps. Visual scenes also serve as important cues during information retrieval from the cognitive map. Research in humans has shown that there are regions in the brain that selectively process scenes and that the hippocampus is involved in scene-based memory tasks. The neurophysiological correlates of scene-based information processing in the hippocampus have been reported as "spatial view cells" in nonhuman primates. Like primates, it is widely accepted that rodents also use visual scenes in their background for spatial navigation and other kinds of problems. However, in rodents, it is not until recently that researchers examined the neural correlates of the hippocampus from the perspective of visual scene-based information processing. With the advent of virtual reality (VR) systems, it has been demonstrated that place cells in the hippocampus exhibit remarkably similar firing correlates in the VR environment compared with that of the real-world environment. Despite some limitations, the new trend of studying hippocampal functions in a visually controlled environment has the potential to allow investigation of the input-output relationships of network functions and experimental testing of traditional computational predictions more rigorously by providing well-defined visual stimuli. As scenes are essential for navigation and episodic memory in humans, further investigation of the rodents' hippocampal systems in scene-based tasks will provide a critical functional link across different mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Min Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jhoseph Shin
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Inah Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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18
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Thurley K. Naturalistic neuroscience and virtual reality. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:896251. [PMID: 36467978 PMCID: PMC9712202 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.896251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) is one of the techniques that became particularly popular in neuroscience over the past few decades. VR experiments feature a closed-loop between sensory stimulation and behavior. Participants interact with the stimuli and not just passively perceive them. Several senses can be stimulated at once, large-scale environments can be simulated as well as social interactions. All of this makes VR experiences more natural than those in traditional lab paradigms. Compared to the situation in field research, a VR simulation is highly controllable and reproducible, as required of a laboratory technique used in the search for neural correlates of perception and behavior. VR is therefore considered a middle ground between ecological validity and experimental control. In this review, I explore the potential of VR in eliciting naturalistic perception and behavior in humans and non-human animals. In this context, I give an overview of recent virtual reality approaches used in neuroscientific research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Thurley
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Munich, Germany
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19
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Zhu M, Perkins MG, Lennertz R, Abdulzahir A, Pearce RA. Dose-dependent suppression of hippocampal contextual memory formation, place cells, and spatial engrams by the NMDAR antagonist (R)-CPP. Neuropharmacology 2022; 218:109215. [PMID: 35977628 PMCID: PMC9673467 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109215] [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: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We recently reported that the competitive NMDAR antagonist (R,S)-3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP) does not suppress NMDAR-mediated field EPSPs (fEPSPNMDA) or long-term potentiation (LTP) in vitro at concentrations that block contextual conditioning in vivo. Here we tested one possible explanation for the mismatch - that the hippocampus is relatively resistant to CPP compared to other brain structures engaged in contextual fear conditioning. Using the context pre-exposure facilitation effect (CPFE) paradigm to separate the hippocampal and extra-hippocampal components of contextual learning, we found that the active enantiomer (R)-CPP suppressed the hippocampal component with an IC50 of 3.1 mg/kg, a dose that produces brain concentrations below those required to block fEPSPNMDA or LTP. Moreover, using in-vivo calcium imaging of place cells and spatial engrams to directly assess hippocampal spatial coding, we found that (R)-CPP dose-dependently reduced the development of place cells and interfered with the formation of stable spatial engrams when it was administered prior to exposing mice to a novel context. Both effects occurred at doses that interfered with freezing to context in CPFE experiments. We conclude that (R)-CPP blocks memory formation by interfering with hippocampal function, but that it does so by modulating NMDARs at sites that are not engaged in vitro in the same manner that they are in vivo - perhaps through interneuron circuits that do not contribute to fEPSPs and are not required to elicit LTP using standard induction protocols in vitro, but are essential for successful mnemonic function in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengwen Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
| | - Mark G Perkins
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
| | - Richard Lennertz
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
| | - Alifayaz Abdulzahir
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
| | - Robert A Pearce
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
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20
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Abstract
Astrocytic calcium dynamics has been implicated in the encoding of sensory information1-5, and modulation of calcium in astrocytes has been shown to affect behaviour6-10. However, longitudinal investigation of the real-time calcium activity of astrocytes in the hippocampus of awake mice is lacking. Here we used two-photon microscopy to chronically image CA1 astrocytes as mice ran in familiar or new virtual environments to obtain water rewards. We found that astrocytes exhibit persistent ramping activity towards the reward location in a familiar environment, but not in a new one. Shifting the reward location within a familiar environment also resulted in diminished ramping. After additional training, as the mice became familiar with the new context or new reward location, the ramping was re-established. Using linear decoders, we could predict the location of the mouse in a familiar environment from astrocyte activity alone. We could not do the same in a new environment, suggesting that the spatial modulation of astrocytic activity is experience dependent. Our results indicate that astrocytes can encode the expected reward location in spatial contexts, thereby extending their known computational abilities and their role in cognitive functions.
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21
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The facets of olfactory learning. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 76:102623. [PMID: 35998474 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Volatile chemicals in the environment provide ethologically important information to many animals. However, how animals learn to use this information is only beginning to be understood. This review highlights recent experimental advances elucidating olfactory learning in rodents, ranging from adaptations to the environment to task-dependent refinement and multisensory associations. The broad range of phenomena, mechanisms, and brain areas involved demonstrate the complex and multifaceted nature of olfactory learning.
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22
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Parallel processing of sensory cue and spatial information in the dentate gyrus. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110257. [PMID: 35045280 PMCID: PMC8918037 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During exploration, animals form an internal map of an environment by combining information about landmarks and the animal's movement, a process that depends on the hippocampus. The dentate gyrus (DG) is the first stage of the hippocampal circuit where self-motion ("where") and sensory cue information ("what") are integrated, but it remains unknown how DG neurons encode this information during cognitive map formation. Using two-photon calcium imaging in mice running on a treadmill along with online cue manipulation, we identify robust sensory cue responses in DG granule cells. Cue cell responses are stable, stimulus-specific, and accompanied by inhibition of nearby neurons. This demonstrates the existence of "cue cells" in addition to better characterized "place cells" in the DG. We hypothesize that the DG supports parallel channels of spatial and non-spatial information that contribute distinctly to downstream computations and affect roles of the DG in spatial navigation and episodic memory.
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23
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Abstract
Hippocampal place cells are known to process path integration signals and sensory information about landmarks. In this issue of Neuron, Fischler-Ruiz et al., 2021 show how localized olfactory cues interact with path integration to drive place cells, turning the cues into landmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Thurley
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Germany.
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24
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Ross TW, Easton A. The Hippocampal Horizon: Constructing and Segmenting Experience for Episodic Memory. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:181-196. [PMID: 34826509 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
How do we recollect specific events that have occurred during continuous ongoing experience? There is converging evidence from non-human animals that spatially modulated cellular activity of the hippocampal formation supports the construction of ongoing events. On the other hand, recent human oriented event cognition models have outlined that our experience is segmented into discrete units, and that such segmentation can operate on shorter or longer timescales. Here, we describe a unification of how these dynamic physiological mechanisms of the hippocampus relate to ongoing externally and internally driven event segmentation, facilitating the demarcation of specific moments during experience. Our cross-species interdisciplinary approach offers a novel perspective in the way we construct and remember specific events, leading to the generation of many new hypotheses for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- T W Ross
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom; Centre for Learning and Memory Processes, Durham University, United Kingdom.
| | - A Easton
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom; Centre for Learning and Memory Processes, Durham University, United Kingdom
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25
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Fischler-Ruiz W, Clark DG, Joshi N, Devi-Chou V, Kitch L, Schnitzer M, Abbott LF, Axel R. Olfactory landmarks and path integration converge to form a cognitive spatial map. Neuron 2021; 109:4036-4049.e5. [PMID: 34710366 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The convergence of internal path integration and external sensory landmarks generates a cognitive spatial map in the hippocampus. We studied how localized odor cues are recognized as landmarks by recording the activity of neurons in CA1 during a virtual navigation task. We found that odor cues enriched place cell representations, dramatically improving navigation. Presentation of the same odor at different locations generated distinct place cell representations. An odor cue at a proximal location enhanced the local place cell density and also led to the formation of place cells beyond the cue. This resulted in the recognition of a second, more distal odor cue as a distinct landmark, suggesting an iterative mechanism for extending spatial representations into unknown territory. Our results establish that odors can serve as landmarks, motivating a model in which path integration and odor landmarks interact sequentially and iteratively to generate cognitive spatial maps over long distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Fischler-Ruiz
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA
| | - David G Clark
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA
| | - Narendra Joshi
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA
| | - Virginia Devi-Chou
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA
| | - Lacey Kitch
- James H. Clark Center for Biomedical Engineering & Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA; CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA
| | - Mark Schnitzer
- James H. Clark Center for Biomedical Engineering & Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA; CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA
| | - L F Abbott
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA; Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA.
| | - Richard Axel
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA.
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