1
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Wen JH, Sorscher B, Aery Jones EA, Ganguli S, Giocomo LM. One-shot entorhinal maps enable flexible navigation in novel environments. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-08034-3. [PMID: 39385034 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08034-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 10/11/2024]
Abstract
Animals must navigate changing environments to find food, shelter or mates. In mammals, grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex construct a neural spatial map of the external environment1-5. However, how grid cell firing patterns rapidly adapt to novel or changing environmental features on a timescale relevant to behaviour remains unknown. Here, by recording over 15,000 grid cells in mice navigating virtual environments, we tracked the real-time state of the grid cell network. This allowed us to observe and predict how altering environmental features influenced grid cell firing patterns on a nearly instantaneous timescale. We found evidence that visual landmarks provide inputs to fixed points in the grid cell network. This resulted in stable grid cell firing patterns in novel and altered environments after a single exposure. Fixed visual landmark inputs also influenced the grid cell network such that altering landmarks induced distortions in grid cell firing patterns. Such distortions could be predicted by a computational model with a fixed landmark to grid cell network architecture. Finally, a medial entorhinal cortex-dependent task revealed that although grid cell firing patterns are distorted by landmark changes, behaviour can adapt via a downstream region implementing behavioural timescale synaptic plasticity6. Overall, our findings reveal how the navigational system of the brain constructs spatial maps that balance rapidity and accuracy. Fixed connections between landmarks and grid cells enable the brain to quickly generate stable spatial maps, essential for navigation in novel or changing environments. Conversely, plasticity in regions downstream from grid cells allows the spatial maps of the brain to more accurately mirror the external spatial environment. More generally, these findings raise the possibility of a broader neural principle: by allocating fixed and plastic connectivity across different networks, the brain can solve problems requiring both rapidity and representational accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H Wen
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ben Sorscher
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Emily A Aery Jones
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Surya Ganguli
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, Stanford, USA.
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2
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Chen S, Cheng N, Chen X, Wang C. Integration and competition between space and time in the hippocampus. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00579-8. [PMID: 39241779 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory is organized in both spatial and temporal contexts. The hippocampus is crucial for episodic memory and has been demonstrated to encode spatial and temporal information. However, how the representations of space and time interact in the hippocampal memory system is still unclear. Here, we recorded the activity of hippocampal CA1 neurons in mice in a variety of one-dimensional navigation tasks while systematically varying the speed of the animals. For all tasks, we found neurons simultaneously represented space and elapsed time. There was a negative correlation between the preferred space and lap duration, e.g., the preferred spatial position shifted more toward the origin when the lap duration became longer. A similar relationship between the preferred time and traveled distance was also observed. The results strongly suggest a competitive and integrated representation of space-time by single hippocampal neurons, which may provide the neural basis for spatiotemporal contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Chen
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ning Cheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaojing Chen
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Cheng Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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3
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Bigus ER, Lee HW, Bowler JC, Shi J, Heys JG. Medial entorhinal cortex mediates learning of context-dependent interval timing behavior. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1587-1598. [PMID: 38877306 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01683-7] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory requires encoding the temporal structure of experience and relies on brain circuits in the medial temporal lobe, including the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). Recent studies have identified MEC 'time cells', which fire at specific moments during interval timing tasks, collectively tiling the entire timing period. It has been hypothesized that MEC time cells could provide temporal information necessary for episodic memories, yet it remains unknown whether they display learning dynamics required for encoding different temporal contexts. To explore this, we developed a new behavioral paradigm requiring mice to distinguish temporal contexts. Combined with methods for cellular resolution calcium imaging, we found that MEC time cells display context-dependent neural activity that emerges with task learning. Through chemogenetic inactivation we found that MEC activity is necessary for learning of context-dependent interval timing behavior. Finally, we found evidence of a common circuit mechanism that could drive sequential activity of both time cells and spatially selective neurons in MEC. Our work suggests that the clock-like firing of MEC time cells can be modulated by learning, allowing the tracking of various temporal structures that emerge through experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Bigus
- Interdepartmental PhD Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Hyun-Woo Lee
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - John C Bowler
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jiani Shi
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - James G Heys
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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4
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Gandit B, Posani L, Zhang CL, Saha S, Ortiz C, Allegra M, Schmidt-Hieber C. Transformation of spatial representations along hippocampal circuits. iScience 2024; 27:110361. [PMID: 39071886 PMCID: PMC11277690 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is thought to provide the brain with a cognitive map of the external world by processing various types of spatial information. To understand how essential spatial variables such as direction, position, and distance are transformed along its circuits to construct this global map, we perform single-photon widefield microendoscope calcium imaging in the dentate gyrus and CA3 of mice freely navigating along a narrow corridor. We find that spatial activity maps in the dentate gyrus, but not in CA3, are correlated after aligning them to the running directions, suggesting that they represent the distance traveled along the track in egocentric coordinates. Together with population activity decoding, our data suggest that while spatial representations in the dentate gyrus and CA3 are anchored in both egocentric and allocentric coordinates, egocentric distance coding is more prevalent in the dentate gyrus than in CA3, providing insights into the assembly of the cognitive map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bérénice Gandit
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Lorenzo Posani
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chun-Lei Zhang
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Soham Saha
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Cantin Ortiz
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Manuela Allegra
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Christoph Schmidt-Hieber
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
- Institute for Physiology I, Jena University Hospital, 07743 Jena, Germany
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5
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Hermansen E, Klindt DA, Dunn BA. Uncovering 2-D toroidal representations in grid cell ensemble activity during 1-D behavior. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5429. [PMID: 38926360 PMCID: PMC11208534 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49703-1] [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: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Minimal experiments, such as head-fixed wheel-running and sleep, offer experimental advantages but restrict the amount of observable behavior, making it difficult to classify functional cell types. Arguably, the grid cell, and its striking periodicity, would not have been discovered without the perspective provided by free behavior in an open environment. Here, we show that by shifting the focus from single neurons to populations, we change the minimal experimental complexity required. We identify grid cell modules and show that the activity covers a similar, stable toroidal state space during wheel running as in open field foraging. Trajectories on grid cell tori correspond to single trial runs in virtual reality and path integration in the dark, and the alignment of the representation rapidly shifts with changes in experimental conditions. Thus, we provide a methodology to discover and study complex internal representations in even the simplest of experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Hermansen
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - David A Klindt
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, Laurel Hollow, New York, USA
| | - Benjamin A Dunn
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
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6
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O’Hare JK, Wang J, Shala MD, Polleux F, Losonczy A. Variable recruitment of distal tuft dendrites shapes new hippocampal place fields. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582144. [PMID: 38464058 PMCID: PMC10925200 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Hippocampal pyramidal neurons support episodic memory by integrating complementary information streams into new 'place fields'. Distal tuft dendrites are widely thought to initiate place field formation by locally generating prolonged, globally-spreading Ca 2+ spikes known as plateau potentials. However, the hitherto experimental inaccessibility of distal tuft dendrites in the hippocampus has rendered their in vivo function entirely unknown. Here we gained direct optical access to this elusive dendritic compartment. We report that distal tuft dendrites do not serve as the point of origin for place field-forming plateau potentials. Instead, the timing and extent of peri-formation distal tuft recruitment is variable and closely predicts multiple properties of resultant place fields. Therefore, distal tuft dendrites play a more powerful role in hippocampal feature selectivity than simply initiating place field formation. Moreover, place field formation is not accompanied by global Ca 2+ influx as previously thought. In addition to shaping new somatic place fields, distal tuft dendrites possess their own local place fields. Tuft place fields are back-shifted relative to that of their soma and appear to maintain somatic place fields via post-formation plateau potentials. Through direct in vivo observation, we provide a revised dendritic basis for hippocampal feature selectivity during navigational learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin K. O’Hare
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
| | - Jamie Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Durham, NC, United States
| | - Margjele D. Shala
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
| | - Franck Polleux
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
| | - Attila Losonczy
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
- Lead contact
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7
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Neupane S, Fiete I, Jazayeri M. Mental navigation in the primate entorhinal cortex. Nature 2024; 630:704-711. [PMID: 38867051 PMCID: PMC11224022 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07557-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
A cognitive map is a suitably structured representation that enables novel computations using previous experience; for example, planning a new route in a familiar space1. Work in mammals has found direct evidence for such representations in the presence of exogenous sensory inputs in both spatial2,3 and non-spatial domains4-10. Here we tested a foundational postulate of the original cognitive map theory1,11: that cognitive maps support endogenous computations without external input. We recorded from the entorhinal cortex of monkeys in a mental navigation task that required the monkeys to use a joystick to produce one-dimensional vectors between pairs of visual landmarks without seeing the intermediate landmarks. The ability of the monkeys to perform the task and generalize to new pairs indicated that they relied on a structured representation of the landmarks. Task-modulated neurons exhibited periodicity and ramping that matched the temporal structure of the landmarks and showed signatures of continuous attractor networks12,13. A continuous attractor network model of path integration14 augmented with a Hebbian-like learning mechanism provided an explanation of how the system could endogenously recall landmarks. The model also made an unexpected prediction that endogenous landmarks transiently slow path integration, reset the dynamics and thereby reduce variability. This prediction was borne out in a reanalysis of firing rate variability and behaviour. Our findings link the structured patterns of activity in the entorhinal cortex to the endogenous recruitment of a cognitive map during mental navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujaya Neupane
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ila Fiete
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mehrdad Jazayeri
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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8
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Herber CS, Pratt KJ, Shea JM, Villeda SA, Giocomo LM. Spatial Coding Dysfunction and Network Instability in the Aging Medial Entorhinal Cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.12.588890. [PMID: 38659809 PMCID: PMC11042240 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.12.588890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Across species, spatial memory declines with age, possibly reflecting altered hippocampal and medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) function. However, the integrity of cellular and network-level spatial coding in aged MEC is unknown. Here, we leveraged in vivo electrophysiology to assess MEC function in young, middle-aged, and aged mice navigating virtual environments. In aged grid cells, we observed impaired stabilization of context-specific spatial firing, correlated with spatial memory deficits. Additionally, aged grid networks shifted firing patterns often but with poor alignment to context changes. Aged spatial firing was also unstable in an unchanging environment. In these same mice, we identified 458 genes differentially expressed with age in MEC, 61 of which had expression correlated with spatial firing stability. These genes were enriched among interneurons and related to synaptic transmission. Together, these findings identify coordinated transcriptomic, cellular, and network changes in MEC implicated in impaired spatial memory in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte S. Herber
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Karishma J.B. Pratt
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0452, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Jeremy M. Shea
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0452, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Saul A. Villeda
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0452, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Bakar Aging Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Lisa M. Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Lead contact
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9
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Malone TJ, Tien NW, Ma Y, Cui L, Lyu S, Wang G, Nguyen D, Zhang K, Myroshnychenko MV, Tyan J, Gordon JA, Kupferschmidt DA, Gu Y. A consistent map in the medial entorhinal cortex supports spatial memory. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1457. [PMID: 38368457 PMCID: PMC10874432 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45853-4] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) is hypothesized to function as a cognitive map for memory-guided navigation. How this map develops during learning and influences memory remains unclear. By imaging MEC calcium dynamics while mice successfully learned a novel virtual environment over ten days, we discovered that the dynamics gradually became more spatially consistent and then stabilized. Additionally, grid cells in the MEC not only exhibited improved spatial tuning consistency, but also maintained stable phase relationships, suggesting a network mechanism involving synaptic plasticity and rigid recurrent connectivity to shape grid cell activity during learning. Increased c-Fos expression in the MEC in novel environments further supports the induction of synaptic plasticity. Unsuccessful learning lacked these activity features, indicating that a consistent map is specific for effective spatial memory. Finally, optogenetically disrupting spatial consistency of the map impaired memory-guided navigation in a well-learned environment. Thus, we demonstrate that the establishment of a spatially consistent MEC map across learning both correlates with, and is necessary for, successful spatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor J Malone
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nai-Wen Tien
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yan Ma
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Lian Cui
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Shangru Lyu
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Garret Wang
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Duc Nguyen
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Center of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Maxym V Myroshnychenko
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jean Tyan
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Joshua A Gordon
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - David A Kupferschmidt
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Mental Health, 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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10
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Gonzalez A, Giocomo LM. Parahippocampal neurons encode task-relevant information for goal-directed navigation. eLife 2024; 12:RP85646. [PMID: 38363198 PMCID: PMC10942598 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85646] [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: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
A behavioral strategy crucial to survival is directed navigation to a goal, such as a food or home location. One potential neural substrate for supporting goal-directed navigation is the parahippocampus, which contains neurons that represent an animal's position, orientation, and movement through the world, and that change their firing activity to encode behaviorally relevant variables such as reward. However, little prior work on the parahippocampus has considered how neurons encode variables during goal-directed navigation in environments that dynamically change. Here, we recorded single units from rat parahippocampal cortex while subjects performed a goal-directed task. The maze dynamically changed goal-locations via a visual cue on a trial-to-trial basis, requiring subjects to use cue-location associations to receive reward. We observed a mismatch-like signal, with elevated neural activity on incorrect trials, leading to rate-remapping. The strength of this remapping correlated with task performance. Recordings during open-field foraging allowed us to functionally define navigational coding for a subset of the neurons recorded in the maze. This approach revealed that head-direction coding units remapped more than other functional-defined units. Taken together, this work thus raises the possibility that during goal-directed navigation, parahippocampal neurons encode error information reflective of an animal's behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Gonzalez
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
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11
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Bigus ER, Lee HW, Bowler JC, Shi J, Heys JG. Medial entorhinal cortex plays a specialized role in learning of flexible, context-dependent interval timing behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.01.18.524598. [PMID: 38260332 PMCID: PMC10802491 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.18.524598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory requires encoding the temporal structure of experience and relies on brain circuits in the medial temporal lobe, including the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). Recent studies have identified MEC 'time cells', which fire at specific moments during interval timing tasks, collectively tiling the entire timing period. It has been hypothesized that MEC time cells could provide temporal information necessary for episodic memories, yet it remains unknown whether MEC time cells display learning dynamics required for encoding different temporal contexts. To explore this, we developed a novel behavioral paradigm that requires distinguishing temporal contexts. Combined with methods for cellular resolution calcium imaging, we find that MEC time cells display context-dependent neural activity that emerges with task learning. Through chemogenetic inactivation we find that MEC activity is necessary for learning of context-dependent interval timing behavior. Finally, we find evidence of a common circuit mechanism that could drive sequential activity of both time cells and spatially selective neurons in MEC. Our work suggests that the clock-like firing of MEC time cells can be modulated by learning, allowing the tracking of various temporal structures that emerge through experience.
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12
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Schøyen V, Pettersen MB, Holzhausen K, Fyhn M, Malthe-Sørenssen A, Lepperød ME. Coherently remapping toroidal cells but not Grid cells are responsible for path integration in virtual agents. iScience 2023; 26:108102. [PMID: 37867941 PMCID: PMC10589895 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108102] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely believed that grid cells provide cues for path integration, with place cells encoding an animal's location and environmental identity. When entering a new environment, these cells remap concurrently, sparking debates about their causal relationship. Using a continuous attractor recurrent neural network, we study spatial cell dynamics in multiple environments. We investigate grid cell remapping as a function of global remapping in place-like units through random resampling of place cell centers. Dimensionality reduction techniques reveal that a subset of cells manifest a persistent torus across environments. Unexpectedly, these toroidal cells resemble band-like cells rather than high grid score units. Subsequent pruning studies reveal that toroidal cells are crucial for path integration while grid cells are not. As we extend the model to operate across many environments, we delineate its generalization boundaries, revealing challenges with modeling many environments in current models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vemund Schøyen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0313, Norway
| | | | | | - Marianne Fyhn
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0313, Norway
- Simula Research Laboratory, Norway
| | - Anders Malthe-Sørenssen
- Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo 0313, Norway
- Simula Research Laboratory, Norway
| | - Mikkel Elle Lepperød
- Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo 0313, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0313, Norway
- Simula Research Laboratory, Norway
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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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Colmant L, Bierbrauer A, Bellaali Y, Kunz L, Van Dongen J, Sleegers K, Axmacher N, Lefèvre P, Hanseeuw B. Dissociating effects of aging and genetic risk of sporadic Alzheimer's disease on path integration. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 131:170-181. [PMID: 37672944 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Path integration is a spatial navigation ability that requires the integration of information derived from self-motion cues and stable landmarks, when available, to return to a previous location. Path integration declines with age and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we sought to separate the effects of age and AD risk on path integration, with and without a landmark. Overall, 279 people participated, aged between 18 and 80 years old. Advanced age impaired the appropriate use of a landmark. Older participants furthermore remembered the location of the goal relative to their starting location and reproduced this initial view without considering that they had moved in the environment. This lack of adaptative behavior was not associated with AD risk. In contrast, participants at genetic risk of AD (apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers) exhibited a pure path integration deficit, corresponding to difficulty in performing path integration in the absence of a landmark. Our results show that advanced-age impacts landmark-supported path integration, and that this age effect is dissociable from the effects of AD risk impacting pure path integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Colmant
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Anne Bierbrauer
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Lukas Kunz
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jasper Van Dongen
- VIB-Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Kristel Sleegers
- VIB-Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | - Philippe Lefèvre
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Bernard Hanseeuw
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium; Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
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15
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Masuda FK, Aery Jones EA, Sun Y, Giocomo LM. Ketamine evoked disruption of entorhinal and hippocampal spatial maps. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6285. [PMID: 37805575 PMCID: PMC10560293 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41750-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ketamine, a rapid-acting anesthetic and acute antidepressant, carries undesirable spatial cognition side effects including out-of-body experiences and spatial memory impairments. The neural substrates that underlie these alterations in spatial cognition however, remain incompletely understood. Here, we used electrophysiology and calcium imaging to examine ketamine's impacts on the medial entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, which contain neurons that encode an animal's spatial position, as mice navigated virtual reality and real world environments. Ketamine acutely increased firing rates, degraded cell-pair temporal firing-rate relationships, and altered oscillations, leading to longer-term remapping of spatial representations. In the reciprocally connected hippocampus, the activity of neurons that encode the position of the animal was suppressed after ketamine administration. Together, these findings demonstrate ketamine-induced dysfunction of the MEC-hippocampal circuit at the single cell, local-circuit population, and network levels, connecting previously demonstrated physiological effects of ketamine on spatial cognition to alterations in the spatial navigation circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Kei Masuda
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Emily A Aery Jones
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Yanjun Sun
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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16
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Malone TJ, Tien NW, Ma Y, Cui L, Lyu S, Wang G, Nguyen D, Zhang K, Myroshnychenko MV, Tyan J, Gordon JA, Kupferschmidt DA, Gu Y. A consistent map in the medial entorhinal cortex supports spatial memory. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.30.560254. [PMID: 37986767 PMCID: PMC10659391 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.30.560254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) is hypothesized to function as a cognitive map for memory-guided navigation. How this map develops during learning and influences memory remains unclear. By imaging MEC calcium dynamics while mice successfully learned a novel virtual environment over ten days, we discovered that the dynamics gradually became more spatially consistent and then stabilized. Additionally, grid cells in the MEC not only exhibited improved spatial tuning consistency, but also maintained stable phase relationships, suggesting a network mechanism involving synaptic plasticity and rigid recurrent connectivity to shape grid cell activity during learning. Increased c-Fos expression in the MEC in novel environments further supports the induction of synaptic plasticity. Unsuccessful learning lacked these activity features, indicating that a consistent map is specific for effective spatial memory. Finally, optogenetically disrupting spatial consistency of the map impaired memory-guided navigation in a well-learned environment. Thus, we demonstrate that the establishment of a spatially consistent MEC map across learning both correlates with, and is necessary for, successful spatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor J. Malone
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Nai-Wen Tien
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Current address: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Yan Ma
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Lian Cui
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shangru Lyu
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Garret Wang
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - 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
| | - Kai Zhang
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Maxym V. Myroshnychenko
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jean Tyan
- Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Joshua A. Gordon
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David A. Kupferschmidt
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Mental Health, 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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17
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Gianatti M, Garvert AC, Lenkey N, Ebbesen NC, Hennestad E, Vervaeke K. Multiple long-range projections convey position information to the agranular retrosplenial cortex. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113109. [PMID: 37682706 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113109] [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: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal signals encoding the animal's position widely modulate neocortical processing. While these signals are assumed to depend on hippocampal output, their origin has not been investigated directly. Here, we asked which brain region sends position information to the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), a key circuit for memory and navigation. We comprehensively characterized the long-range inputs to agranular RSC using two-photon axonal imaging in head-fixed mice performing a spatial task in darkness. Surprisingly, most long-range pathways convey position information, but with notable differences. Axons from the secondary motor and posterior parietal cortex transmit the most position information. By contrast, axons from the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex and thalamus convey substantially less position information. Axons from the primary and secondary visual cortex contribute negligibly. This demonstrates that the hippocampus is not the only source of position information. Instead, the RSC is a hub in a distributed brain network that shares position information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Gianatti
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna Christina Garvert
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nora Lenkey
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nora Cecilie Ebbesen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Hennestad
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Koen Vervaeke
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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18
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Shin JD, Tang W, Jadhav SP. Protocol for geometric transformation of cognitive maps for generalization across hippocampal-prefrontal circuits. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102513. [PMID: 37572325 PMCID: PMC10448425 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102513] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory generalization is the ability to abstract knowledge from prior experiences and is critical for flexible behavior in novel situations. Here, we describe a protocol for simultaneous recording of hippocampal (area CA1)-prefrontal cortical neural ensembles in Long-Evans rats during task generalization across two distinct environments. We describe steps for building and assembling experimental apparatuses, animal preparation and surgery, and performing experiments. We then detail procedures for histology, data processing, and assessing population geometry using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Tang et al. (2023).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin D Shin
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
| | - Wenbo Tang
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Shantanu P Jadhav
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
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19
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Kloc ML, Chen Y, Daglian JM, Holmes GL, Baram TZ, Barry JM. Spatial learning impairments and discoordination of entorhinal-hippocampal circuit coding following prolonged febrile seizures. Hippocampus 2023; 33:970-992. [PMID: 37096324 PMCID: PMC10529121 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
How the development and function of neural circuits governing learning and memory are affected by insults in early life remains poorly understood. The goal of this study was to identify putative changes in cortico-hippocampal signaling mechanisms that could lead to learning and memory deficits in a clinically relevant developmental pathophysiological rodent model, Febrile status epilepticus (FSE). FSE in both pediatric cases and the experimental animal model, is associated with enduring physiological alterations of the hippocampal circuit and cognitive impairment. Here, we deconstruct hippocampal circuit throughput by inducing slow theta oscillations in rats under urethane anesthesia and isolating the dendritic compartments of CA1 and dentate gyrus subfields, their reception of medial and lateral entorhinal cortex inputs, and the efficacy of signal propagation to each somatic cell layer. We identify FSE-induced theta-gamma decoupling at cortical synaptic input pathways and altered signal phase coherence along the CA1 and dentate gyrus somatodendritic axes. Moreover, increased DG synaptic activity levels are predictive of poor cognitive outcomes. We propose that these alterations in cortico-hippocampal coordination interfere with the ability of hippocampal dendrites to receive, decode and propagate neocortical inputs. If this frequency-specific syntax is necessary for cortico-hippocampal coordination and spatial learning and memory, its loss could be a mechanism for FSE cognitive comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L. Kloc
- Epilepsy Cognition and Development Group, Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Yuncai Chen
- Departments of Pediatrics, University California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Departments of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Daglian
- Departments of Pediatrics, University California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Gregory L. Holmes
- Epilepsy Cognition and Development Group, Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Departments of Pediatrics, University California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Departments of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Departments of Neurology, University California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Jeremy M. Barry
- Epilepsy Cognition and Development Group, Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, USA
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20
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Low IIC, Giocomo LM, Williams AH. Remapping in a recurrent neural network model of navigation and context inference. eLife 2023; 12:RP86943. [PMID: 37410093 PMCID: PMC10328512 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86943] [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] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons in navigational brain regions provide information about position, orientation, and speed relative to environmental landmarks. These cells also change their firing patterns ('remap') in response to changing contextual factors such as environmental cues, task conditions, and behavioral states, which influence neural activity throughout the brain. How can navigational circuits preserve their local computations while responding to global context changes? To investigate this question, we trained recurrent neural network models to track position in simple environments while at the same time reporting transiently-cued context changes. We show that these combined task constraints (navigation and context inference) produce activity patterns that are qualitatively similar to population-wide remapping in the entorhinal cortex, a navigational brain region. Furthermore, the models identify a solution that generalizes to more complex navigation and inference tasks. We thus provide a simple, general, and experimentally-grounded model of remapping as one neural circuit performing both navigation and context inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel IC Low
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Alex H Williams
- Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron InstituteNew YorkUnited States
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
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21
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Applegate MC, Gutnichenko KS, Mackevicius EL, Aronov D. An entorhinal-like region in food-caching birds. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2465-2477.e7. [PMID: 37295426 PMCID: PMC10329498 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian entorhinal cortex routes inputs from diverse sources into the hippocampus. This information is mixed and expressed in the activity of many specialized entorhinal cell types, which are considered indispensable for hippocampal function. However, functionally similar hippocampi exist even in non-mammals that lack an obvious entorhinal cortex or, generally, any layered cortex. To address this dilemma, we mapped extrinsic hippocampal connections in chickadees, whose hippocampi are used for remembering numerous food caches. We found a well-delineated structure in these birds that is topologically similar to the entorhinal cortex and interfaces between the hippocampus and other pallial regions. Recordings of this structure revealed entorhinal-like activity, including border and multi-field grid-like cells. These cells were localized to the subregion predicted by anatomical mapping to match the dorsomedial entorhinal cortex. Our findings uncover an anatomical and physiological equivalence of vastly different brains, suggesting a fundamental nature of entorhinal-like computations for hippocampal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa C Applegate
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Konstantin S Gutnichenko
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Emily L Mackevicius
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Dmitriy Aronov
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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22
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Low II, Giocomo LM, Williams AH. Remapping in a recurrent neural network model of navigation and context inference. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.25.525596. [PMID: 36747825 PMCID: PMC9900889 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.25.525596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Neurons in navigational brain regions provide information about position, orientation, and speed relative to environmental landmarks. These cells also change their firing patterns ("remap") in response to changing contextual factors such as environmental cues, task conditions, and behavioral state, which influence neural activity throughout the brain. How can navigational circuits preserve their local computations while responding to global context changes? To investigate this question, we trained recurrent neural network models to track position in simple environments while at the same time reporting transiently-cued context changes. We show that these combined task constraints (navigation and context inference) produce activity patterns that are qualitatively similar to population-wide remapping in the entorhinal cortex, a navigational brain region. Furthermore, the models identify a solution that generalizes to more complex navigation and inference tasks. We thus provide a simple, general, and experimentally-grounded model of remapping as one neural circuit performing both navigation and context inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel I.C. Low
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University
| | | | - Alex H. Williams
- Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron Institute
- Center for Neural Science, New York University
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23
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Zhu SL, Lakshminarasimhan KJ, Angelaki DE. Computational cross-species views of the hippocampal formation. Hippocampus 2023; 33:586-599. [PMID: 37038890 PMCID: PMC10947336 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of place cells and head direction cells in the hippocampal formation of freely foraging rodents has led to an emphasis of its role in encoding allocentric spatial relationships. In contrast, studies in head-fixed primates have additionally found representations of spatial views. We review recent experiments in freely moving monkeys that expand upon these findings and show that postural variables such as eye/head movements strongly influence neural activity in the hippocampal formation, suggesting that the function of the hippocampus depends on where the animal looks. We interpret these results in the light of recent studies in humans performing challenging navigation tasks which suggest that depending on the context, eye/head movements serve one of two roles-gathering information about the structure of the environment (active sensing) or externalizing the contents of internal beliefs/deliberation (embodied cognition). These findings prompt future experimental investigations into the information carried by signals flowing between the hippocampal formation and the brain regions controlling postural variables, and constitute a basis for updating computational theories of the hippocampal system to accommodate the influence of eye/head movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seren L Zhu
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kaushik J Lakshminarasimhan
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Dora E Angelaki
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, New York, USA
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24
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Tang W, Shin JD, Jadhav SP. Geometric transformation of cognitive maps for generalization across hippocampal-prefrontal circuits. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112246. [PMID: 36924498 PMCID: PMC10124109 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to abstract information to guide decisions during navigation across changing environments is essential for adaptation and requires the integrity of the hippocampal-prefrontal circuitry. The hippocampus encodes navigational information in a cognitive map, but it remains unclear how cognitive maps are transformed across hippocampal-prefrontal circuits to support abstraction and generalization. Here, we simultaneously record hippocampal-prefrontal ensembles as rats generalize navigational rules across distinct environments. We find that, whereas hippocampal representational maps maintain specificity of separate environments, prefrontal maps generalize across environments. Furthermore, while both maps are structured within a neural manifold of population activity, they have distinct representational geometries. Prefrontal geometry enables abstraction of rule-informative variables, a representational format that generalizes to novel conditions of existing variable classes. Hippocampal geometry lacks such abstraction. Together, these findings elucidate how cognitive maps are structured into distinct geometric representations to support abstraction and generalization while maintaining memory specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Tang
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
| | - Justin D Shin
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Shantanu P Jadhav
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
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25
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Kutschireiter A, Basnak MA, Wilson RI, Drugowitsch J. Bayesian inference in ring attractor networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2210622120. [PMID: 36812206 PMCID: PMC9992764 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2210622120] [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] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memories are thought to be held in attractor networks in the brain. These attractors should keep track of the uncertainty associated with each memory, so as to weigh it properly against conflicting new evidence. However, conventional attractors do not represent uncertainty. Here, we show how uncertainty could be incorporated into an attractor, specifically a ring attractor that encodes head direction. First, we introduce a rigorous normative framework (the circular Kalman filter) for benchmarking the performance of a ring attractor under conditions of uncertainty. Next, we show that the recurrent connections within a conventional ring attractor can be retuned to match this benchmark. This allows the amplitude of network activity to grow in response to confirmatory evidence, while shrinking in response to poor-quality or strongly conflicting evidence. This "Bayesian ring attractor" performs near-optimal angular path integration and evidence accumulation. Indeed, we show that a Bayesian ring attractor is consistently more accurate than a conventional ring attractor. Moreover, near-optimal performance can be achieved without exact tuning of the network connections. Finally, we use large-scale connectome data to show that the network can achieve near-optimal performance even after we incorporate biological constraints. Our work demonstrates how attractors can implement a dynamic Bayesian inference algorithm in a biologically plausible manner, and it makes testable predictions with direct relevance to the head direction system as well as any neural system that tracks direction, orientation, or periodic rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rachel I. Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Jan Drugowitsch
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
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26
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Masuda FK, Sun Y, Aery Jones EA, Giocomo LM. Ketamine evoked disruption of entorhinal and hippocampal spatial maps. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.05.527227. [PMID: 36798242 PMCID: PMC9934572 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.05.527227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Ketamine, a rapid-acting anesthetic and acute antidepressant, carries undesirable spatial cognition side effects including out-of-body experiences and spatial memory impairments. The neural substrates that underlie these alterations in spatial cognition however, remain incompletely understood. Here, we used electrophysiology and calcium imaging to examine ketamine's impacts on the medial entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, which contain neurons that encode an animal's spatial position, as mice navigated virtual reality and real world environments. Ketamine induced an acute disruption and long-term re-organization of entorhinal spatial representations. This acute ketamine-induced disruption reflected increased excitatory neuron firing rates and degradation of cell-pair temporal firing rate relationships. In the reciprocally connected hippocampus, the activity of neurons that encode the position of the animal was suppressed after ketamine administration. Together, these findings point to disruption in the spatial coding properties of the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit as a potential neural substrate for ketamine-induced changes in spatial cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Kei Masuda
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yanjun Sun
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Emily A Aery Jones
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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27
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Durand S, Heller GR, Ramirez TK, Luviano JA, Williford A, Sullivan DT, Cahoon AJ, Farrell C, Groblewski PA, Bennett C, Siegle JH, Olsen SR. Acute head-fixed recordings in awake mice with multiple Neuropixels probes. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:424-457. [PMID: 36477710 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-022-00768-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Multi-electrode arrays such as Neuropixels probes enable electrophysiological recordings from large populations of single neurons with high temporal resolution. By using such probes, the activity from functionally interacting, yet distinct, brain regions can be measured simultaneously by inserting multiple probes into the same subject. However, the use of multiple probes in small animals such as mice requires the removal of a sizable fraction of the skull, while also minimizing tissue damage and keeping the brain stable during the recordings. Here, we describe a step-by-step process designed to facilitate reliable recordings from up to six Neuropixels probes simultaneously in awake, head-fixed mice. The procedure involves four stages: the implantation of a headframe and a removable glass coverslip, the precise positioning of the Neuropixels probes at targeted points on the brain surface, the placement of a perforated plastic imaging window and the insertion of the probes into the brain of an awake mouse. The approach provides access to multiple brain regions and has been successfully applied across hundreds of mice. The procedure has been optimized for dense recordings from the mouse visual system, but it can be adapted for alternative recording configurations to target multiple probes in other brain areas. The protocol is suitable for users with experience in stereotaxic surgery in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Greggory R Heller
- Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachussetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tamina K Ramirez
- Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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28
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Alexander AS, Place R, Starrett MJ, Chrastil ER, Nitz DA. Rethinking retrosplenial cortex: Perspectives and predictions. Neuron 2023; 111:150-175. [PMID: 36460006 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The last decade has produced exciting new ideas about retrosplenial cortex (RSC) and its role in integrating diverse inputs. Here, we review the diversity in forms of spatial and directional tuning of RSC activity, temporal organization of RSC activity, and features of RSC interconnectivity with other brain structures. We find that RSC anatomy and dynamics are more consistent with roles in multiple sensorimotor and cognitive processes than with any isolated function. However, two more generalized categories of function may best characterize roles for RSC in complex cognitive processes: (1) shifting and relating perspectives for spatial cognition and (2) prediction and error correction for current sensory states with internal representations of the environment. Both functions likely take advantage of RSC's capacity to encode conjunctions among sensory, motor, and spatial mapping information streams. Together, these functions provide the scaffold for intelligent actions, such as navigation, perspective taking, interaction with others, and error detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Alexander
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ryan Place
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael J Starrett
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Chrastil
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Douglas A Nitz
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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29
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Applegate MC, Gutnichenko KS, Mackevicius EL, Aronov D. An entorhinal-like region in food-caching birds. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.05.522940. [PMID: 36711539 PMCID: PMC9881956 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.05.522940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian entorhinal cortex routes inputs from diverse sources into the hippocampus. This information is mixed and expressed in the activity of many specialized entorhinal cell types, which are considered indispensable for hippocampal function. However, functionally similar hippocampi exist even in non-mammals that lack an obvious entorhinal cortex, or generally any layered cortex. To address this dilemma, we mapped extrinsic hippocampal connections in chickadees, whose hippocampi are used for remembering numerous food caches. We found a well-delineated structure in these birds that is topologically similar to the entorhinal cortex and interfaces between the hippocampus and other pallial regions. Recordings of this structure revealed entorhinal-like activity, including border and multi-field grid-like cells. These cells were localized to the subregion predicted by anatomical mapping to match the dorsomedial entorhinal cortex. Our findings uncover an anatomical and physiological equivalence of vastly different brains, suggesting a fundamental nature of entorhinal-like computations for hippocampal function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dmitriy Aronov
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University
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30
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Yang E, Zwart MF, James B, Rubinov M, Wei Z, Narayan S, Vladimirov N, Mensh BD, Fitzgerald JE, Ahrens MB. A brainstem integrator for self-location memory and positional homeostasis in zebrafish. Cell 2022; 185:5011-5027.e20. [PMID: 36563666 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
To track and control self-location, animals integrate their movements through space. Representations of self-location are observed in the mammalian hippocampal formation, but it is unknown if positional representations exist in more ancient brain regions, how they arise from integrated self-motion, and by what pathways they control locomotion. Here, in a head-fixed, fictive-swimming, virtual-reality preparation, we exposed larval zebrafish to a variety of involuntary displacements. They tracked these displacements and, many seconds later, moved toward their earlier location through corrective swimming ("positional homeostasis"). Whole-brain functional imaging revealed a network in the medulla that stores a memory of location and induces an error signal in the inferior olive to drive future corrective swimming. Optogenetically manipulating medullary integrator cells evoked displacement-memory behavior. Ablating them, or downstream olivary neurons, abolished displacement corrections. These results reveal a multiregional hindbrain circuit in vertebrates that integrates self-motion and stores self-location to control locomotor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- En Yang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| | - Maarten F Zwart
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; School of Psychology and Neuroscience, Centre for Biophotonics, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Ben James
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Mikail Rubinov
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Ziqiang Wei
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Sujatha Narayan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Nikita Vladimirov
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; URPP Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brett D Mensh
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - James E Fitzgerald
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Misha B Ahrens
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
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31
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Segen V, Ying J, Morgan E, Brandon M, Wolbers T. Path integration in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 26:142-158. [PMID: 34872838 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this review we discuss converging evidence from human and rodent research demonstrating how path integration (PI) is impaired in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and point to the neural mechanisms that underlie these deficits. Importantly, we highlight that (i) the grid cell network in the entorhinal cortex is crucial for PI in both humans and rodents, (ii) PI deficits are present in healthy aging and are significantly more pronounced in patients with early-stage AD, (iii) compromised entorhinal grid cell computations in healthy older adults and in young adults at risk of AD are linked to PI deficits, and (iv) PI and grid cell deficits may serve as sensitive markers for pathological decline in early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislava Segen
- Aging and Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
| | - Johnson Ying
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Erik Morgan
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mark Brandon
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- Aging and Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
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