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Antolík J, Cagnol R, Rózsa T, Monier C, Frégnac Y, Davison AP. A comprehensive data-driven model of cat primary visual cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012342. [PMID: 39167628 PMCID: PMC11371232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Knowledge integration based on the relationship between structure and function of the neural substrate is one of the main targets of neuroinformatics and data-driven computational modeling. However, the multiplicity of data sources, the diversity of benchmarks, the mixing of observables of different natures, and the necessity of a long-term, systematic approach make such a task challenging. Here we present a first snapshot of a long-term integrative modeling program designed to address this issue in the domain of the visual system: a comprehensive spiking model of cat primary visual cortex. The presented model satisfies an extensive range of anatomical, statistical and functional constraints under a wide range of visual input statistics. In the presence of physiological levels of tonic stochastic bombardment by spontaneous thalamic activity, the modeled cortical reverberations self-generate a sparse asynchronous ongoing activity that quantitatively matches a range of experimentally measured statistics. When integrating feed-forward drive elicited by a high diversity of visual contexts, the simulated network produces a realistic, quantitatively accurate interplay between visually evoked excitatory and inhibitory conductances; contrast-invariant orientation-tuning width; center surround interactions; and stimulus-dependent changes in the precision of the neural code. This integrative model offers insights into how the studied properties interact, contributing to a better understanding of visual cortical dynamics. It provides a basis for future development towards a comprehensive model of low-level perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ján Antolík
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Malostranské nám. 25, Prague 1, Czechia
- Unit of Neuroscience, Information and Complexity (UNIC), CNRS FRE 3693, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- INSERM UMRI S 968; Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 968; CNRS, UMR 7210, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Rémy Cagnol
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Malostranské nám. 25, Prague 1, Czechia
| | - Tibor Rózsa
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Malostranské nám. 25, Prague 1, Czechia
| | - Cyril Monier
- Unit of Neuroscience, Information and Complexity (UNIC), CNRS FRE 3693, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France
| | - Yves Frégnac
- Unit of Neuroscience, Information and Complexity (UNIC), CNRS FRE 3693, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France
| | - Andrew P. Davison
- Unit of Neuroscience, Information and Complexity (UNIC), CNRS FRE 3693, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France
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2
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Wang T, Dai W, Wu Y, Li Y, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Zhou T, Sun X, Wang G, Li L, Dou F, Xing D. Nonuniform and pathway-specific laminar processing of spatial frequencies in the primary visual cortex of primates. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4005. [PMID: 38740786 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48379-x] [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: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The neocortex comprises six cortical layers that play a crucial role in information processing; however, it remains unclear whether laminar processing is consistent across all regions within a single cortex. In this study, we demonstrate diverse laminar response patterns in the primary visual cortex (V1) of three male macaque monkeys when exposed to visual stimuli at different spatial frequencies (SFs). These response patterns can be categorized into two groups. One group exhibit suppressed responses in the output layers for all SFs, while the other type shows amplified responses specifically at high SFs. Further analysis suggests that both magnocellular (M) and parvocellular (P) pathways contribute to the suppressive effect through feedforward mechanisms, whereas amplification is specific to local recurrent mechanisms within the parvocellular pathway. These findings highlight the non-uniform distribution of neural mechanisms involved in laminar processing and emphasize how pathway-specific amplification selectively enhances representations of high-SF information in primate V1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Weifeng Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yujie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yange Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Tingting Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xiaowen Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Liang Li
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Fei Dou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Dajun Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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3
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Yang Q, Vazquez AL, Cui XT. Revealing in vivo cellular mechanisms of cerebral microbleeds on neurons and microglia across cortical layers. iScience 2024; 27:109371. [PMID: 38510113 PMCID: PMC10951986 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109371] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are associated with higher risk for various neurological diseases including stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. However, the understanding of cellular pathology of CMBs, particularly in deep brain regions, remains limited. Utilizing two-photon microscopy and microprism implantation, we longitudinally imaged the impact of CMBs on neuronal and microglial activities across cortical depths in awake mice. A temporary decline in spontaneous neuronal activity occurred throughout cortical layers, followed by recovery within a week. However, significant changes of neuron-neuron activity correlations persisted for weeks. Moreover, microglial contact with neuron soma significantly increased post-microbleeds, indicating an important modulatory role of microglia. Notably, microglial contact, negatively correlated with neuronal firing rate in normal conditions, became uncorrelated after microbleeds, suggesting a decreased neuron-microglia inhibition. These findings reveal chronic alterations in cortical neuronal networks and microglial-neuronal interactions across cortical depths, shedding light on the pathology of CMBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianru Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alberto L. Vazquez
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - X. Tracy Cui
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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4
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Wang X, Nandy AS, Jadi MP. Laminar compartmentalization of attention modulation in area V4 aligns with the demands of visual processing hierarchy in the cortex. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19558. [PMID: 37945642 PMCID: PMC10636153 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46722-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention selectively enhances neural responses to low contrast stimuli in visual area V4, a critical hub that sends projections both up and down the visual hierarchy. Veridical encoding of contrast information is a key computation in early visual areas, while later stages encoding higher level features benefit from improved sensitivity to low contrast. How area V4 meets these distinct information processing demands in the attentive state is unknown. We found that attentional modulation in V4 is cortical layer and cell-class specific. Putative excitatory neurons in the superficial layers show enhanced boosting of low contrast information, while those of deep layers exhibit contrast-independent scaling. Computational modeling suggested the extent of spatial integration of inhibitory neurons as the mechanism behind such laminar differences. Considering that superficial neurons are known to project to higher areas and deep layers to early visual areas, our findings suggest that the interactions between attention and contrast in V4 are compartmentalized, in alignment with the demands of the visual processing hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wang
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Anirvan S Nandy
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Monika P Jadi
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
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5
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Alisha A, Bettina V, Simon P. Representational drift in barrel cortex is receptive field dependent. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.20.563381. [PMID: 37961727 PMCID: PMC10634719 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.20.563381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Cortical populations often exhibit changes in activity even when behavior is stable. How behavioral stability is maintained in the face of such 'representational drift' remains unclear. One possibility is that some neurons are stable despite broader instability. We examine whisker touch responses in superficial layers of primary vibrissal somatosensory cortex (vS1) over several weeks in mice stably performing an object detection task with two whiskers. While the number of touch neurons remained constant, individual neurons changed with time. Touch-responsive neurons with broad receptive fields were more stable than narrowly tuned neurons. Transitions between functional types were non-random: before becoming broadly tuned neurons, unresponsive neurons first pass through a period of narrower tuning. Broadly tuned neurons with higher pairwise correlations to other touch neurons were more stable than neurons with lower correlations. Thus, a small population of broadly tuned and synchronously active touch neurons exhibit elevated stability and may be particularly important for downstream readout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Alisha
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Pl., Rm. 621, New York, NY 10003
| | - Voelcker Bettina
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Pl., Rm. 621, New York, NY 10003
| | - Peron Simon
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Pl., Rm. 621, New York, NY 10003
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6
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Dai W, Wang T, Li Y, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Kang J, Wu Y, Yu H, Xing D. Dynamic Recruitment of the Feedforward and Recurrent Mechanism for Black-White Asymmetry in the Primary Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5668-5684. [PMID: 37487737 PMCID: PMC10401654 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0168-23.2023] [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: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Black and white information is asymmetrically distributed in natural scenes, evokes asymmetric neuronal responses, and causes asymmetric perceptions. Recognizing the universality and essentiality of black-white asymmetry in visual information processing, the neural substrates for black-white asymmetry remain unclear. To disentangle the role of the feedforward and recurrent mechanisms in the generation of cortical black-white asymmetry, we recorded the V1 laminar responses and LGN responses of anesthetized cats of both sexes. In a cortical column, we found that black-white asymmetry starts at the input layer and becomes more pronounced in the output layer. We also found distinct dynamics of black-white asymmetry between the output layer and the input layer. Specifically, black responses dominate in all layers after stimulus onset. After stimulus offset, black and white responses are balanced in the input layer, but black responses still dominate in the output layer. Compared with that in the input layer, the rebound response in the output layer is significantly suppressed. The relative suppression strength evoked by white stimuli is notably stronger and depends on the location within the ON-OFF cortical map. A model with delayed and polarity-selective cortical suppression explains black-white asymmetry in the output layer, within which prominent recurrent connections are identified by Granger causality analysis. In addition to black-white asymmetry in response strength, the interlaminar differences in spatial receptive field varied dynamically. Our findings suggest that the feedforward and recurrent mechanisms are dynamically recruited for the generation of black-white asymmetry in V1.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Black-white asymmetry is universal and essential in visual information processing, yet the neural substrates for cortical black-white asymmetry remain unknown. Leveraging V1 laminar recordings, we provided the first laminar pattern of black-white asymmetry in cat V1 and found distinct dynamics of black-white asymmetry between the output layer and the input layer. Comparing black-white asymmetry across three visual hierarchies, the LGN, V1 input layer, and V1 output layer, we demonstrated that the feedforward and recurrent mechanisms are dynamically recruited for the generation of cortical black-white asymmetry. Our findings not only enhance our understanding of laminar processing within a cortical column but also elucidate how feedforward connections and recurrent connections interact to shape neuronal response properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weifeng Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Tian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yange Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jian Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yujie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Hongbo Yu
- School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Dajun Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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7
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Denagamage S, Morton MP, Hudson NV, Reynolds JH, Jadi MP, Nandy AS. Laminar mechanisms of saccadic suppression in primate visual cortex. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112720. [PMID: 37392385 PMCID: PMC10528056 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112720] [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: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Saccadic eye movements are known to cause saccadic suppression, a temporary reduction in visual sensitivity and visual cortical firing rates. While saccadic suppression has been well characterized at the level of perception and single neurons, relatively little is known about the visual cortical networks governing this phenomenon. Here we examine the effects of saccadic suppression on distinct neural subpopulations within visual area V4. We find subpopulation-specific differences in the magnitude and timing of peri-saccadic modulation. Input-layer neurons show changes in firing rate and inter-neuronal correlations prior to saccade onset, and putative inhibitory interneurons in the input layer elevate their firing rate during saccades. A computational model of this circuit recapitulates our empirical observations and demonstrates that an input-layer-targeting pathway can initiate saccadic suppression by enhancing local inhibitory activity. Collectively, our results provide a mechanistic understanding of how eye movement signaling interacts with cortical circuitry to enforce visual stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachira Denagamage
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Mitchell P Morton
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Nyomi V Hudson
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - John H Reynolds
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Monika P Jadi
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| | - Anirvan S Nandy
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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8
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Routh BN, Brager DH, Johnston D. Ionic and morphological contributions to the variable gain of membrane responses in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of mouse primary visual cortex. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:1040-1050. [PMID: 36129187 PMCID: PMC9576169 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00181.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neuronal cell types exhibit a sliding scale of neuronal excitability in the subthreshold voltage range. This is due to a variable contribution of different voltage-gated ion channels, leading to scaling of input resistance (RN) as a function of membrane potential (Vm) and a voltage-dependent dynamic gain of neuronal responsiveness. In layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons within the primary visual cortex (V1), this response influences sensory processing by tightening neuronal tuning to preferred orientations, but the identity of the ionic conductances involved remains unknown. Here, we used in vitro physiological recordings in acute slices to identify the contributions of several voltage-dependent conductances to the dynamic gain of membrane responses in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in mouse primary visual cortex. We found that the steep voltage dependence of input resistance in these cells was mediated in part by a combination of persistent sodium, inwardly rectifying potassium, and hyperpolarization-activated nonselective cation channels. In addition, the steepness of the slope of the RN/Vm relationship was inversely correlated with the number of branches on the proximal apical dendrite. These data have uncovered physiological and morphological factors that underlie the scaling of membrane responses in L2/3 neurons of rodent V1. Regulation of these channels would serve as a mechanism of real-time neuromodulation of neuronal processing of sensory information.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in primary visual cortex scale subthreshold voltage responses with resting membrane potential because RN increases as Vm is depolarized. Here, we uncovered the voltage-dependent contributions of NaP, Kir, and HCN conductances toward this behavior, and we additionally demonstrated that the strength of the RN/Vm relationship is inversely correlated with proximal branching along the apical dendrite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandy N Routh
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Darrin H Brager
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Daniel Johnston
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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9
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Voelcker B, Pancholi R, Peron S. Transformation of primary sensory cortical representations from layer 4 to layer 2. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5484. [PMID: 36123376 PMCID: PMC9485231 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33249-1] [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: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory input arrives from thalamus in cortical layer (L) 4, which outputs predominantly to superficial layers. L4 to L2 thus constitutes one of the earliest cortical feedforward networks. Despite extensive study, the transformation performed by this network remains poorly understood. We use two-photon calcium imaging to record neural activity in L2-4 of primary vibrissal somatosensory cortex (vS1) as mice perform an object localization task with two whiskers. Touch responses sparsen and become more reliable from L4 to L2, with nearly half of the superficial touch response confined to ~1 % of excitatory neurons. These highly responsive neurons have broad receptive fields and can more accurately decode stimulus features. They participate disproportionately in ensembles, small subnetworks with elevated pairwise correlations. Thus, from L4 to L2, cortex transitions from distributed probabilistic coding to sparse and robust ensemble-based coding, resulting in more efficient and accurate representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Voelcker
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place Rm. 621, New York, NY, 10003, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, NYU Medical Center, 435 E 30th St., New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Ravi Pancholi
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place Rm. 621, New York, NY, 10003, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, NYU Medical Center, 435 E 30th St., New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Simon Peron
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place Rm. 621, New York, NY, 10003, USA. .,Neuroscience Institute, NYU Medical Center, 435 E 30th St., New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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10
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Abstract
Brain state fluctuates throughout the course of the day. Whether and how these fluctuations impact signal propagation in the brain remains unknown. Here, we used optogenetic stimulation during different brain states to show that the coupling between neurons modulates the spread of signals across cortical circuits in a state-dependent manner. Our results indicate that brain state influences how far electrical signals travel in neocortex and suggest a revision of computational models relying on robust signal propagation across neural networks. Our perception of the environment relies on the efficient propagation of neural signals across cortical networks. During the time course of a day, neural responses fluctuate dramatically as the state of the brain changes to possibly influence how electrical signals propagate across neural circuits. Despite the importance of this issue, how patterns of spiking activity propagate within neuronal circuits in different brain states remains unknown. Here, we used multielectrode laminar arrays to reveal that brain state strongly modulates the propagation of neural activity across the layers of early visual cortex (V1). We optogenetically induced synchronized state transitions within a group of neurons and examined how far electrical signals travel during wakefulness and rest. Although optogenetic stimulation elicits stronger neural responses during wakefulness relative to rest, signals propagate only weakly across the cortical column during wakefulness, and the extent of spread is inversely related to arousal level. In contrast, the light-induced population activity vigorously propagates throughout the entire cortical column during rest, even when neurons are in a desynchronized wake-like state prior to light stimulation. Mechanistically, the influence of global brain state on the propagation of spiking activity across laminar circuits can be explained by state-dependent changes in the coupling between neurons. Our results impose constraints on the conclusions of causal manipulation studies attempting to influence neural function and behavior, as well as on previous computational models of perception assuming robust signal propagation across cortical layers and areas.
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11
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Moerel M, Yacoub E, Gulban OF, Lage-Castellanos A, De Martino F. Using high spatial resolution fMRI to understand representation in the auditory network. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 207:101887. [PMID: 32745500 PMCID: PMC7854960 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Following rapid methodological advances, ultra-high field (UHF) functional and anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been repeatedly and successfully used for the investigation of the human auditory system in recent years. Here, we review this work and argue that UHF MRI is uniquely suited to shed light on how sounds are represented throughout the network of auditory brain regions. That is, the provided gain in spatial resolution at UHF can be used to study the functional role of the small subcortical auditory processing stages and details of cortical processing. Further, by combining high spatial resolution with the versatility of MRI contrasts, UHF MRI has the potential to localize the primary auditory cortex in individual hemispheres. This is a prerequisite to study how sound representation in higher-level auditory cortex evolves from that in early (primary) auditory cortex. Finally, the access to independent signals across auditory cortical depths, as afforded by UHF, may reveal the computations that underlie the emergence of an abstract, categorical sound representation based on low-level acoustic feature processing. Efforts on these research topics are underway. Here we discuss promises as well as challenges that come with studying these research questions using UHF MRI, and provide a future outlook.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Moerel
- Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Essa Yacoub
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
| | - Omer Faruk Gulban
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands; Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA; Brain Innovation B.V., Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Agustin Lage-Castellanos
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of NeuroInformatics, Cuban Center for Neuroscience, Cuba.
| | - Federico De Martino
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands; Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
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12
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Andrei AR, Debes S, Chelaru M, Liu X, Rodarte E, Spudich JL, Janz R, Dragoi V. Heterogeneous side effects of cortical inactivation in behaving animals. eLife 2021; 10:66400. [PMID: 34505577 PMCID: PMC8457825 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical inactivation represents a key causal manipulation allowing the study of cortical circuits and their impact on behavior. A key assumption in inactivation studies is that the neurons in the target area become silent while the surrounding cortical tissue is only negligibly impacted. However, individual neurons are embedded in complex local circuits composed of excitatory and inhibitory cells with connections extending hundreds of microns. This raises the possibility that silencing one part of the network could induce complex, unpredictable activity changes in neurons outside the targeted inactivation zone. These off-target side effects can potentially complicate interpretations of inactivation manipulations, especially when they are related to changes in behavior. Here, we demonstrate that optogenetic inactivation of glutamatergic neurons in the superficial layers of monkey primary visual cortex (V1) induces robust suppression at the light-targeted site, but destabilizes stimulus responses in the neighboring, untargeted network. We identified four types of stimulus-evoked neuronal responses within a cortical column, ranging from full suppression to facilitation, and a mixture of both. Mixed responses were most prominent in middle and deep cortical layers. These results demonstrate that response modulation driven by lateral network connectivity is diversely implemented throughout a cortical column. Importantly, consistent behavioral changes induced by optogenetic inactivation were only achieved when cumulative network activity was homogeneously suppressed. Therefore, careful consideration of the full range of network changes outside the inactivated cortical region is required, as heterogeneous side effects can confound interpretation of inactivation experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana R Andrei
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, United States
| | - Samantha Debes
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, United States
| | - Mircea Chelaru
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, United States
| | - Xiaoqin Liu
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, United States
| | - Elsa Rodarte
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, United States
| | - John L Spudich
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, United States
| | - Roger Janz
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, United States
| | - Valentin Dragoi
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, United States
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13
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Antolik J, Sabatier Q, Galle C, Frégnac Y, Benosman R. Assessment of optogenetically-driven strategies for prosthetic restoration of cortical vision in large-scale neural simulation of V1. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10783. [PMID: 34031442 PMCID: PMC8144184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88960-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural encoding of visual features in primary visual cortex (V1) is well understood, with strong correlates to low-level perception, making V1 a strong candidate for vision restoration through neuroprosthetics. However, the functional relevance of neural dynamics evoked through external stimulation directly imposed at the cortical level is poorly understood. Furthermore, protocols for designing cortical stimulation patterns that would induce a naturalistic perception of the encoded stimuli have not yet been established. Here, we demonstrate a proof of concept by solving these issues through a computational model, combining (1) a large-scale spiking neural network model of cat V1 and (2) a virtual prosthetic system transcoding the visual input into tailored light-stimulation patterns which drive in situ the optogenetically modified cortical tissue. Using such virtual experiments, we design a protocol for translating simple Fourier contrasted stimuli (gratings) into activation patterns of the optogenetic matrix stimulator. We then quantify the relationship between spatial configuration of the imposed light pattern and the induced cortical activity. Our simulations in the absence of visual drive (simulated blindness) show that optogenetic stimulation with a spatial resolution as low as 100 [Formula: see text]m, and light intensity as weak as [Formula: see text] photons/s/cm[Formula: see text] is sufficient to evoke activity patterns in V1 close to those evoked by normal vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Antolik
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Malostranské nám. 25, 118 00, Prague 1, Czechia.
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France.
| | - Quentin Sabatier
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Charlie Galle
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Yves Frégnac
- Unité de Neurosciences, Information et Complexité (UNIC), NeuroPSI, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Ryad Benosman
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
- University of Pittsburgh, McGowan Institute, 3025 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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14
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Allison-Walker T, Hagan MA, Price NSC, Wong YT. Microstimulation-evoked neural responses in visual cortex are depth dependent. Brain Stimul 2021; 14:741-750. [PMID: 33975054 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cortical visual prostheses often use penetrating electrode arrays to deliver microstimulation to the visual cortex. To optimize electrode placement within the cortex, the neural responses to microstimulation at different cortical depths must first be understood. OBJECTIVE We investigated how the neural responses evoked by microstimulation in cortex varied with cortical depth, of both stimulation and response. METHODS A 32-channel single shank electrode array was inserted into the primary visual cortex of anaesthetized rats, such that it spanned all cortical layers. Microstimulation with currents up to 14 μA (single biphasic pulse, 200 μs per phase) was applied at depths spanning 1600 μm, while simultaneously recording neural activity on all channels within a response window 2.25-11 ms. RESULTS Stimulation elicited elevated neuronal firing rates at all depths of cortex. Compared to deep sites, superficial stimulation sites responded with higher firing rates at a given current and had lower thresholds. The laminar spread of evoked activity across cortical depth depended on stimulation depth, in line with anatomical models. CONCLUSION Stimulation in the superficial layers of visual cortex evokes local neural activity with the lowest thresholds, and stimulation in the deep layers evoked the most activity across the cortical column. In conjunction with perceptual reports, these data suggest that the optimal electrode placement for cortical microstimulation prostheses has electrodes positioned in layers 2/3, and at the top of layer 5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Allison-Walker
- Department of Physiology and Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Australia; Monash Vision Group, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia
| | - Maureen A Hagan
- Department of Physiology and Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Australia
| | - Nicholas S C Price
- Department of Physiology and Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Australia
| | - Yan T Wong
- Department of Physiology and Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Australia; Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia; Monash Vision Group, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia.
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15
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Wason TD. A model integrating multiple processes of synchronization and coherence for information instantiation within a cortical area. Biosystems 2021; 205:104403. [PMID: 33746019 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2021.104403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
What is the form of dynamic, e.g., sensory, information in the mammalian cortex? Information in the cortex is modeled as a coherence map of a mixed chimera state of synchronous, phasic, and disordered minicolumns. The theoretical model is built on neurophysiological evidence. Complex spatiotemporal information is instantiated through a system of interacting biological processes that generate a synchronized cortical area, a coherent aperture. Minicolumn elements are grouped in macrocolumns in an array analogous to a phased-array radar, modeled as an aperture, a "hole through which radiant energy flows." Coherence maps in a cortical area transform inputs from multiple sources into outputs to multiple targets, while reducing complexity and entropy. Coherent apertures can assume extremely large numbers of different information states as coherence maps, which can be communicated among apertures with corresponding very large bandwidths. The coherent aperture model incorporates considerable reported research, integrating five conceptually and mathematically independent processes: 1) a damped Kuramoto network model, 2) a pumped area field potential, 3) the gating of nearly coincident spikes, 4) the coherence of activity across cortical lamina, and 5) complex information formed through functions in macrocolumns. Biological processes and their interactions are described in equations and a functional circuit such that the mathematical pieces can be assembled the same way the neurophysiological ones are. The model can be conceptually convolved over the specifics of local cortical areas within and across species. A coherent aperture becomes a node in a graph of cortical areas with a corresponding distribution of information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Wason
- North Carolina State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Meitzen Laboratory, Campus Box 7617, 128 David Clark Labs, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA.
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16
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Kirch C, Gollo LL. Single-neuron dynamical effects of dendritic pruning implicated in aging and neurodegeneration: towards a measure of neuronal reserve. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1309. [PMID: 33446683 PMCID: PMC7809359 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78815-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is a main risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease. It is often accompanied by reduced cognitive functions, gray-matter volume, and dendritic integrity. Although age-related brain structural changes have been observed across multiple scales, their functional implications remain largely unknown. Here we simulate the aging effects on neuronal morphology as dendritic pruning and characterize its dynamical implications. Utilizing a detailed computational modeling approach, we simulate the dynamics of digitally reconstructed neurons obtained from Neuromorpho.org. We show that dendritic pruning affects neuronal integrity: firing rate is reduced, causing a reduction in energy consumption, energy efficiency, and dynamic range. Pruned neurons require less energy but their function is often impaired, which can explain the diminished ability to distinguish between similar experiences (pattern separation) in older people. Our measures indicate that the resilience of neuronal dynamics is neuron-specific, heterogeneous, and strongly affected by dendritic topology and the position of the soma. Based on the emergent neuronal dynamics, we propose to classify the effects of dendritic deterioration, and put forward a topological measure of “neuronal reserve” that quantifies the resilience of neuronal dynamics to dendritic pruning. Moreover, our findings suggest that increasing dendritic excitability could partially mitigate the dynamical effects of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Kirch
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.,The Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Leonardo L Gollo
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia. .,The Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. .,The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
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17
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Tomorsky J, Parker PRL, Doe CQ, Niell CM. Precise levels of nectin-3 are required for proper synapse formation in postnatal visual cortex. Neural Dev 2020; 15:13. [PMID: 33160402 PMCID: PMC7648993 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-020-00150-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developing cortical neurons express a tightly choreographed sequence of cytoskeletal and transmembrane proteins to form and strengthen specific synaptic connections during circuit formation. Nectin-3 is a cell-adhesion molecule with previously described roles in synapse formation and maintenance. This protein and its binding partner, nectin-1, are selectively expressed in upper-layer neurons of mouse visual cortex, but their role in the development of cortical circuits is unknown. METHODS Here we block nectin-3 expression (via shRNA) or overexpress nectin-3 in developing layer 2/3 visual cortical neurons using in utero electroporation. We then assay dendritic spine densities at three developmental time points: eye opening (postnatal day (P)14), one week following eye opening after a period of heightened synaptogenesis (P21), and at the close of the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity (P35). RESULTS Knockdown of nectin-3 beginning at E15.5 or ~ P19 increased dendritic spine densities at P21 or P35, respectively. Conversely, overexpressing full length nectin-3 at E15.5 decreased dendritic spine densities when all ages were considered together. The effects of nectin-3 knockdown and overexpression on dendritic spine densities were most significant on proximal secondary apical dendrites. Interestingly, an even greater decrease in dendritic spine densities, particularly on basal dendrites at P21, was observed when we overexpressed nectin-3 lacking its afadin binding domain. CONCLUSION These data collectively suggest that the proper levels and functioning of nectin-3 facilitate normal synapse formation after eye opening on apical and basal dendrites in layer 2/3 of visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Tomorsky
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
- Stanford University, 318 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Philip R L Parker
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Chris Q Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Cristopher M Niell
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
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18
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Wang T, Li Y, Yang G, Dai W, Yang Y, Han C, Wang X, Zhang Y, Xing D. Laminar Subnetworks of Response Suppression in Macaque Primary Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2020; 40:7436-7450. [PMID: 32817246 PMCID: PMC7511183 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1129-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical inhibition plays an important role in information processing in the brain. However, the mechanisms by which inhibition and excitation are coordinated to generate functions in the six layers of the cortex remain unclear. Here, we measured laminar-specific responses to stimulus orientations in primary visual cortex (V1) of awake monkeys (male, Macaca mulatta). We distinguished inhibitory effects (suppression) from excitation, by taking advantage of the separability of excitation and inhibition in the orientation and time domains. We found two distinct types of suppression governing different layers. Fast suppression (FS) was strongest in input layers (4C and 6), and slow suppression (SS) was 3 times stronger in output layers (2/3 and 5). Interestingly, the two types of suppression were correlated with different functional properties measured with drifting gratings. FS was primarily correlated with orientation selectivity in input layers (r = -0.65, p < 10-9), whereas SS was primarily correlated with surround suppression in output layers (r = 0.61, p < 10-4). The earliest SS in layer 1 indicates the origin of cortical feedback for SS, in contrast to the feedforward/recurrent origin of FS. Our results reveal two V1 laminar subnetworks with different response suppression that may provide a general framework for laminar processing in other sensory cortices.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study sought to understand inhibitory effects (suppression) and their relationships with functional properties in the six different layers of the cortex. We found that the diversity of neural responses across layers in primary visual cortex (V1) could be fully explained by one excitatory and two suppressive components (fast and slow suppression). The distinct laminar distributions, origins, and functional roles of the two types of suppression provided a simplified representation of the differences between two V1 subnetworks (input network and output network). These results not only help to elucidate computational principles in macaque V1, but also provide a framework for general computation of cortical laminae in other sensory cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Guanzhong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Weifeng Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chuanliang Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xingyun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yange Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Dajun Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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19
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Dematties D, Rizzi S, Thiruvathukal GK, Pérez MD, Wainselboim A, Zanutto BS. A Computational Theory for the Emergence of Grammatical Categories in Cortical Dynamics. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:12. [PMID: 32372918 PMCID: PMC7179825 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00012] [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: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A general agreement in psycholinguistics claims that syntax and meaning are unified precisely and very quickly during online sentence processing. Although several theories have advanced arguments regarding the neurocomputational bases of this phenomenon, we argue that these theories could potentially benefit by including neurophysiological data concerning cortical dynamics constraints in brain tissue. In addition, some theories promote the integration of complex optimization methods in neural tissue. In this paper we attempt to fill these gaps introducing a computational model inspired in the dynamics of cortical tissue. In our modeling approach, proximal afferent dendrites produce stochastic cellular activations, while distal dendritic branches–on the other hand–contribute independently to somatic depolarization by means of dendritic spikes, and finally, prediction failures produce massive firing events preventing formation of sparse distributed representations. The model presented in this paper combines semantic and coarse-grained syntactic constraints for each word in a sentence context until grammatically related word function discrimination emerges spontaneously by the sole correlation of lexical information from different sources without applying complex optimization methods. By means of support vector machine techniques, we show that the sparse activation features returned by our approach are well suited—bootstrapping from the features returned by Word Embedding mechanisms—to accomplish grammatical function classification of individual words in a sentence. In this way we develop a biologically guided computational explanation for linguistically relevant unification processes in cortex which connects psycholinguistics to neurobiological accounts of language. We also claim that the computational hypotheses established in this research could foster future work on biologically-inspired learning algorithms for natural language processing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Dematties
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ingeniería, Instituto de Ingeniería Biomédica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvio Rizzi
- Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, United States
| | - George K Thiruvathukal
- Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, United States.,Computer Science Department, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Mauricio David Pérez
- Microwaves in Medical Engineering Group, Division of Solid-State Electronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alejandro Wainselboim
- Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet Mendoza, Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - B Silvano Zanutto
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ingeniería, Instituto de Ingeniería Biomédica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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20
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Moerel M, De Martino F, Uğurbil K, Yacoub E, Formisano E. Processing complexity increases in superficial layers of human primary auditory cortex. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5502. [PMID: 30940888 PMCID: PMC6445291 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41965-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The layers of the neocortex each have a unique anatomical connectivity and functional role. Their exploration in the human brain, however, has been severely restricted by the limited spatial resolution of non-invasive measurement techniques. Here, we exploit the sensitivity and specificity of ultra-high field fMRI at 7 Tesla to investigate responses to natural sounds at deep, middle, and superficial cortical depths of the human auditory cortex. Specifically, we compare the performance of computational models that represent different hypotheses on sound processing inside and outside the primary auditory cortex (PAC). We observe that while BOLD responses in deep and middle PAC layers are equally well represented by a simple frequency model and a more complex spectrotemporal modulation model, responses in superficial PAC are better represented by the more complex model. This indicates an increase in processing complexity in superficial PAC, which remains present throughout cortical depths in the non-primary auditory cortex. These results suggest that a relevant transformation in sound processing takes place between the thalamo-recipient middle PAC layers and superficial PAC. This transformation may be a first computational step towards sound abstraction and perception, serving to form an increasingly more complex representation of the physical input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Moerel
- Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 60, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, 2021 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Federico De Martino
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, 2021 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Kâmil Uğurbil
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, 2021 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Essa Yacoub
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, 2021 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Elia Formisano
- Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 60, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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21
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Bressloff PC. Stochastic neural field model of stimulus-dependent variability in cortical neurons. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006755. [PMID: 30883546 PMCID: PMC6438587 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We use stochastic neural field theory to analyze the stimulus-dependent tuning of neural variability in ring attractor networks. We apply perturbation methods to show how the neural field equations can be reduced to a pair of stochastic nonlinear phase equations describing the stochastic wandering of spontaneously formed tuning curves or bump solutions. These equations are analyzed using a modified version of the bivariate von Mises distribution, which is well-known in the theory of circular statistics. We first consider a single ring network and derive a simple mathematical expression that accounts for the experimentally observed bimodal (or M-shaped) tuning of neural variability. We then explore the effects of inter-network coupling on stimulus-dependent variability in a pair of ring networks. These could represent populations of cells in two different layers of a cortical hypercolumn linked via vertical synaptic connections, or two different cortical hypercolumns linked by horizontal patchy connections within the same layer. We find that neural variability can be suppressed or facilitated, depending on whether the inter-network coupling is excitatory or inhibitory, and on the relative strengths and biases of the external stimuli to the two networks. These results are consistent with the general observation that increasing the mean firing rate via external stimuli or modulating drives tends to reduce neural variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C. Bressloff
- Department of Mathematics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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22
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Michelson NJ, Kozai TDY. Isoflurane and ketamine differentially influence spontaneous and evoked laminar electrophysiology in mouse V1. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:2232-2245. [PMID: 30067128 PMCID: PMC6295540 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00299.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
General anesthesia is ubiquitous in research and medicine, yet although the molecular mechanisms of anesthetics are well characterized, their ultimate influence on cortical electrophysiology remains unclear. Moreover, the influence that different anesthetics have on sensory cortexes at neuronal and ensemble scales is mostly unknown and represents an important gap in knowledge that has widespread relevance for neural sciences. To address this knowledge gap, this work explored the effects of isoflurane and ketamine/xylazine, two widely used anesthetic paradigms, on electrophysiological behavior in mouse primary visual cortex. First, multiunit activity and local field potentials were examined to understand how each anesthetic influences spontaneous activity. Then, the interlaminar relationships between populations of neurons at different cortical depths were studied to assess whether anesthetics influenced resting-state functional connectivity. Lastly, the spatiotemporal dynamics of visually evoked multiunit and local field potentials were examined to determine how each anesthetic alters communication of visual information. We found that isoflurane enhanced the rhythmicity of spontaneous ensemble activity at 10-40 Hz, which coincided with large increases in coherence between layer IV with superficial and deep layers. Ketamine preferentially increased local field potential power from 2 to 4 Hz, and the largest increases in coherence were observed between superficial and deep layers. Visually evoked responses across layers were diminished under isoflurane, and enhanced under ketamine anesthesia. These findings demonstrate that isoflurane and ketamine anesthesia differentially impact sensory processing in V1. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We directly compared electrophysiological responses in awake and anesthetized (isoflurane or ketamine) mice. We also proposed a method for quantifying and visualizing highly variable, evoked multiunit activity. Lastly, we observed distinct oscillatory responses to stimulus onset and offset in awake and isoflurane-anesthetized mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Michelson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Takashi D Y Kozai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- NeuroTech Center, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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23
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Westö J, May PJC. Describing complex cells in primary visual cortex: a comparison of context and multifilter LN models. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:703-719. [PMID: 29718805 PMCID: PMC6139451 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00916.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Receptive field (RF) models are an important tool for deciphering neural responses to sensory stimuli. The two currently popular RF models are multifilter linear-nonlinear (LN) models and context models. Models are, however, never correct, and they rely on assumptions to keep them simple enough to be interpretable. As a consequence, different models describe different stimulus-response mappings, which may or may not be good approximations of real neural behavior. In the current study, we take up two tasks: 1) we introduce new ways to estimate context models with realistic nonlinearities, that is, with logistic and exponential functions, and 2) we evaluate context models and multifilter LN models in terms of how well they describe recorded data from complex cells in cat primary visual cortex. Our results, based on single-spike information and correlation coefficients, indicate that context models outperform corresponding multifilter LN models of equal complexity (measured in terms of number of parameters), with the best increase in performance being achieved by the novel context models. Consequently, our results suggest that the multifilter LN-model framework is suboptimal for describing the behavior of complex cells: the context-model framework is clearly superior while still providing interpretable quantizations of neural behavior. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used data from complex cells in primary visual cortex to estimate a wide variety of receptive field models from two frameworks that have previously not been compared with each other. The models included traditionally used multifilter linear-nonlinear models and novel variants of context models. Using mutual information and correlation coefficients as performance measures, we showed that context models are superior for describing complex cells and that the novel context models performed the best.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Westö
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Aalto University , Espoo , Finland
| | - Patrick J C May
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University , Lancaster , United Kingdom
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24
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Towards building a more complex view of the lateral geniculate nucleus: Recent advances in understanding its role. Prog Neurobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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25
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Fortier PA. Comparison of mechanisms for contrast-invariance of orientation selectivity in simple cells. Neuroscience 2017; 348:41-62. [PMID: 28189612 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.01.052] [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: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The simple cells of the visual cortex respond over a narrow range of stimulus orientations, and this tuning is invariant to the contrast at which the stimulus is presented. The inputs to a single cell derive from a population of thalamic cells that provide a bell-shaped tuning width and offset that increases with stimulus contrast. Synaptic depression, noise and inhibition have been proposed as feedforward mechanisms to explain why these increases do not appear in simple cells. The extent to which these three mechanisms contribute to contrast-invariant orientation tuning is unknown. Consequently, the aim was to test the hypothesis that these mechanisms do not contribute equally. Unlike previous studies, all mechanisms were examined using the same network model based on Banitt et al. (2007). The results showed that thalamocortical synaptic noise was essential and sufficient to widen tuning widths at low contrasts to that of higher contrasts but could not counteract the offset at higher contrasts. Thalamocortical synaptic depression could only be used to counteract a small fraction of the offset otherwise the relationship between contrast and response rate was disrupted. Only broadly tuned simple and complex cell inhibition could counteract the remaining offset for all stimulus contrasts but complex cell inhibition reduced the gain of the response. These results suggest unequal contributions of these feedforward mechanisms with thalamic synaptic noise widening tuning widths for low contrasts, synaptic depression counteracting a small component of the offset and synaptic inhibition completely removing the remaining offset to produce contrast-invariant orientation tuning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre A Fortier
- Dept. Cell. Mol. Medicine, Univ. Ottawa, Ottawa K1H 8M5, Canada.
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26
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Kim K, Kim JH, Song YH, Lee SH. Functional dissection of inhibitory microcircuits in the visual cortex. Neurosci Res 2016; 116:70-76. [PMID: 27633836 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral cortex contains various types of GABAergic neurons exerting local inhibition. Although the number of GABAergic inhibitory neurons is much smaller than glutamatergic excitatory neurons, they show greater diversity in their morphological and physiological properties. Genetic markers for distinct sub-classes of GABAergic neurons have been identified, and technical advances achieved in the past few decades have brought about a demonstration of a unique function of each sub-class of GABAergic neurons in the cortex. In particular, visual processing in the cortex requires inhibitory function of various GABAergic neurons. Here, we summarize current understandings on the function of inhibitory neurons in the cortex, especially focusing on their roles in visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwansoo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hyun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - You-Hyang Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hee Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
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27
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Abstract
Inhibitory neurons dominate the intrinsic circuits in the visual thalamus. Interneurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus innervate relay cells and each other densely to provide powerful inhibition. The visual sector of the overlying thalamic reticular nucleus receives input from relay cells and supplies feedback inhibition to them in return. Together, these two inhibitory circuits influence all information transmitted from the retina to the primary visual cortex. By contrast, relay cells make few local connections. This review explores the role of thalamic inhibition from the dual perspectives of feature detection and information theory. For example, we describe how inhibition sharpens tuning for spatial and temporal features of the stimulus and how it might enhance image perception. We also discuss how inhibitory circuits help to reduce redundancy in signals sent downstream and, at the same time, are adapted to maximize the amount of information conveyed to the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith A Hirsch
- Department of Biological Sciences/Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-2520;
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28
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Saez I, Friedlander MJ. Role of GABAA-Mediated Inhibition and Functional Assortment of Synapses onto Individual Layer 4 Neurons in Regulating Plasticity Expression in Visual Cortex. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147642. [PMID: 26841221 PMCID: PMC4739708 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Layer 4 (L4) of primary visual cortex (V1) is the main recipient of thalamocortical fibers from the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd). Thus, it is considered the main entry point of visual information into the neocortex and the first anatomical opportunity for intracortical visual processing before information leaves L4 and reaches supra- and infragranular cortical layers. The strength of monosynaptic connections from individual L4 excitatory cells onto adjacent L4 cells (unitary connections) is highly malleable, demonstrating that the initial stage of intracortical synaptic transmission of thalamocortical information can be altered by previous activity. However, the inhibitory network within L4 of V1 may act as an internal gate for induction of excitatory synaptic plasticity, thus providing either high fidelity throughput to supragranular layers or transmittal of a modified signal subject to recent activity-dependent plasticity. To evaluate this possibility, we compared the induction of synaptic plasticity using classical extracellular stimulation protocols that recruit a combination of excitatory and inhibitory synapses with stimulation of a single excitatory neuron onto a L4 cell. In order to induce plasticity, we paired pre- and postsynaptic activity (with the onset of postsynaptic spiking leading the presynaptic activation by 10ms) using extracellular stimulation (ECS) in acute slices of primary visual cortex and comparing the outcomes with our previously published results in which an identical protocol was used to induce synaptic plasticity between individual pre- and postsynaptic L4 excitatory neurons. Our results indicate that pairing of ECS with spiking in a L4 neuron fails to induce plasticity in L4-L4 connections if synaptic inhibition is intact. However, application of a similar pairing protocol under GABAARs inhibition by bath application of 2μM bicuculline does induce robust synaptic plasticity, long term potentiation (LTP) or long term depression (LTD), similar to our results with pairing of pre- and postsynaptic activation between individual excitatory L4 neurons in which inhibitory connections are not activated. These results are consistent with the well-established observation that inhibition limits the capacity for induction of plasticity at excitatory synapses and that pre- and postsynaptic activation at a fixed time interval can result in a variable range of plasticity outcomes. However, in the current study by virtue of having two sets of experimental data, we have provided a new insight into these processes. By randomly mixing the assorting of individual L4 neurons according to the frequency distribution of the experimentally determined plasticity outcome distribution based on the calculated convergence of multiple individual L4 neurons onto a single postsynaptic L4 neuron, we were able to compare then actual ECS plasticity outcomes to those predicted by randomly mixing individual pairs of neurons. Interestingly, the observed plasticity profiles with ECS cannot account for the random assortment of plasticity behaviors of synaptic connections between individual cell pairs. These results suggest that connections impinging onto a single postsynaptic cell may be grouped according to plasticity states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Saez
- Virginia Tech Carillion Research Institute, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Friedlander
- Virginia Tech Carillion Research Institute, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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29
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Xu T, Yan HM, Song XM, Li M. Orientation selectivity in cat primary visual cortex: local and global measurement. Neurosci Bull 2015; 31:561-71. [PMID: 26089234 PMCID: PMC5563673 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-014-1535-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated orientation selectivity in cat primary visual cortex (V1) and its relationship with various parameters. We found a strong correlation between circular variance (CV) and orthogonal-topreferred response ratio (O/P ratio), and a moderate correlation between tuning width and O/P ratio. Moreover, the suppression far from the peak that accounted for the lower CV in cat V1 cells also contributed to the narrowing of the tuning width of cells. We also studied the dependence of orientation selectivity on the modulation ratio for each cell, which is consistent with robust entrainment of the neuronal response to the phase of the drifting grating stimulus. In conclusion, the CV (global measure) and tuning width (local measure) are signifi cantly correlated with the modulation ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xu
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
- Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Hong-Mei Yan
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Xue-Mei Song
- Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Ming Li
- The Department of Automatic Control, College of Mechatronics and Automation, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, 410073, China
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30
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Bressloff PC, Carroll SR. Laminar Neural Field Model of Laterally Propagating Waves of Orientation Selectivity. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004545. [PMID: 26491877 PMCID: PMC4619632 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We construct a laminar neural-field model of primary visual cortex (V1) consisting of a superficial layer of neurons that encode the spatial location and orientation of a local visual stimulus coupled to a deep layer of neurons that only encode spatial location. The spatially-structured connections in the deep layer support the propagation of a traveling front, which then drives propagating orientation-dependent activity in the superficial layer. Using a combination of mathematical analysis and numerical simulations, we establish that the existence of a coherent orientation-selective wave relies on the presence of weak, long-range connections in the superficial layer that couple cells of similar orientation preference. Moreover, the wave persists in the presence of feedback from the superficial layer to the deep layer. Our results are consistent with recent experimental studies that indicate that deep and superficial layers work in tandem to determine the patterns of cortical activity observed in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C. Bressloff
- Department of Mathematics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Samuel R. Carroll
- Department of Mathematics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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31
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Zhou DW, Mowrey DD, Tang P, Xu Y. Percolation Model of Sensory Transmission and Loss of Consciousness Under General Anesthesia. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2015; 115:108103. [PMID: 26382705 PMCID: PMC4656020 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.115.108103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Neurons communicate with each other dynamically; how such communications lead to consciousness remains unclear. Here, we present a theoretical model to understand the dynamic nature of sensory activity and information integration in a hierarchical network, in which edges are stochastically defined by a single parameter p representing the percolation probability of information transmission. We validate the model by comparing the transmitted and original signal distributions, and we show that a basic version of this model can reproduce key spectral features clinically observed in electroencephalographic recordings of transitions from conscious to unconscious brain activities during general anesthesia. As p decreases, a steep divergence of the transmitted signal from the original was observed, along with a loss of signal synchrony and a sharp increase in information entropy in a critical manner; this resembles the precipitous loss of consciousness during anesthesia. The model offers mechanistic insights into the emergence of information integration from a stochastic process, laying the foundation for understanding the origin of cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - David D. Mowrey
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | - Pei Tang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
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32
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Sellers KK, Bennett DV, Hutt A, Williams JH, Fröhlich F. Awake vs. anesthetized: layer-specific sensory processing in visual cortex and functional connectivity between cortical areas. J Neurophysiol 2015; 113:3798-815. [PMID: 25833839 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00923.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During general anesthesia, global brain activity and behavioral state are profoundly altered. Yet it remains mostly unknown how anesthetics alter sensory processing across cortical layers and modulate functional cortico-cortical connectivity. To address this gap in knowledge of the micro- and mesoscale effects of anesthetics on sensory processing in the cortical microcircuit, we recorded multiunit activity and local field potential in awake and anesthetized ferrets (Mustela putoris furo) during sensory stimulation. To understand how anesthetics alter sensory processing in a primary sensory area and the representation of sensory input in higher-order association areas, we studied the local sensory responses and long-range functional connectivity of primary visual cortex (V1) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Isoflurane combined with xylazine provided general anesthesia for all anesthetized recordings. We found that anesthetics altered the duration of sensory-evoked responses, disrupted the response dynamics across cortical layers, suppressed both multimodal interactions in V1 and sensory responses in PFC, and reduced functional cortico-cortical connectivity between V1 and PFC. Together, the present findings demonstrate altered sensory responses and impaired functional network connectivity during anesthesia at the level of multiunit activity and local field potential across cortical layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin K Sellers
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Davis V Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Axel Hutt
- INRIA CR Nancy-Grand Est, Team Neurosys, Villers-les-Nancy, France
| | - James H Williams
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Flavio Fröhlich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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33
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Reyes-Puerta V, Amitai Y, Sun JJ, Shani I, Luhmann HJ, Shamir M. Long-range intralaminar noise correlations in the barrel cortex. J Neurophysiol 2015; 113:3410-20. [PMID: 25787960 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00981.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the properties of correlations in the firing of neocortical neurons is central to our understanding of cortical information processing. It has been generally assumed, by virtue of the columnar organization of the neocortex, that the firing of neurons residing in a certain vertical domain is highly correlated. On the other hand, firing correlations between neurons steeply decline with horizontal distance. Technical difficulties in sampling neurons with sufficient spatial information have precluded the critical evaluation of these notions. We used 128-channel "silicon probes" to examine the spike-count noise correlations during spontaneous activity between multiple neurons with identified laminar position and over large horizontal distances in the anesthetized rat barrel cortex. Eigen decomposition of correlation coefficient matrices revealed that the laminar position of a neuron is a significant determinant of these correlations, such that the fluctuations of layer 5B/6 neurons are in opposite direction to those of layers 5A and 4. Moreover, we found that within each experiment, the distribution of horizontal, intralaminar spike-count correlation coefficients, up to a distance of ∼1.5 mm, is practically identical to the distribution of vertical correlations. Taken together, these data reveal that the neuron's laminar position crucially affects its role in cortical processing. Moreover, our analyses reveal that this laminar effect extends over several functional columns. We propose that within the cortex the influence of the horizontal elements exists in a dynamic balance with the influence of the vertical domain and this balance is modulated with brain states to shape the network's behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Reyes-Puerta
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Yael Amitai
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; and
| | - Jyh-Jang Sun
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Itamar Shani
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; and
| | - Heiko J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Maoz Shamir
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; and Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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34
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Carrasco A, Brown TA, Lomber SG. Spectral and Temporal Acoustic Features Modulate Response Irregularities within Primary Auditory Cortex Columns. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114550. [PMID: 25494365 PMCID: PMC4262427 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Assemblies of vertically connected neurons in the cerebral cortex form information processing units (columns) that participate in the distribution and segregation of sensory signals. Despite well-accepted models of columnar architecture, functional mechanisms of inter-laminar communication remain poorly understood. Hence, the purpose of the present investigation was to examine the effects of sensory information features on columnar response properties. Using acute recording techniques, extracellular response activity was collected from the right hemisphere of eight mature cats (felis catus). Recordings were conducted with multichannel electrodes that permitted the simultaneous acquisition of neuronal activity within primary auditory cortex columns. Neuronal responses to simple (pure tones), complex (noise burst and frequency modulated sweeps), and ecologically relevant (con-specific vocalizations) acoustic signals were measured. Collectively, the present investigation demonstrates that despite consistencies in neuronal tuning (characteristic frequency), irregularities in discharge activity between neurons of individual A1 columns increase as a function of spectral (signal complexity) and temporal (duration) acoustic variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Carrasco
- Cerebral Systems Laboratory, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Trecia A. Brown
- Cerebral Systems Laboratory, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen G. Lomber
- Cerebral Systems Laboratory, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- National Centre for Audiology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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35
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Schnepel P, Kumar A, Zohar M, Aertsen A, Boucsein C. Physiology and Impact of Horizontal Connections in Rat Neocortex. Cereb Cortex 2014; 25:3818-35. [PMID: 25410428 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical information processing at the cellular level has predominantly been studied in local networks, which are dominated by strong vertical connectivity between layers. However, recent studies suggest that the bulk of axons targeting pyramidal neurons most likely originate from outside this local range, emphasizing the importance of horizontal connections. We mapped a subset of these connections to L5B pyramidal neurons in rat somatosensory cortex with photostimulation, identifying intact projections up to a lateral distance of 2 mm. Our estimates of the spatial distribution of cells presynaptic to L5B pyramids support the idea that the majority is located outside the local volume. The synaptic physiology of horizontal connections does not differ markedly from that of local connections, whereas the layer and cell-type-dependent pattern of innervation does. Apart from L2/3, L6A provides a strong source of horizontal connections. Implementing our data into a spiking neuronal network model shows that more horizontal connections promote robust asynchronous ongoing activity states and reduce noise correlations in stimulus-induced activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Schnepel
- Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany Neurobiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Arvind Kumar
- Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany Neurobiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Mihael Zohar
- Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany Neurobiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Ad Aertsen
- Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany Neurobiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Clemens Boucsein
- Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany Neurobiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany
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36
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Krause BM, Raz A, Uhlrich DJ, Smith PH, Banks MI. Spiking in auditory cortex following thalamic stimulation is dominated by cortical network activity. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:170. [PMID: 25285071 PMCID: PMC4168681 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The state of the sensory cortical network can have a profound impact on neural responses and perception. In rodent auditory cortex, sensory responses are reported to occur in the context of network events, similar to brief UP states, that produce "packets" of spikes and are associated with synchronized synaptic input (Bathellier et al., 2012; Hromadka et al., 2013; Luczak et al., 2013). However, traditional models based on data from visual and somatosensory cortex predict that ascending sensory thalamocortical (TC) pathways sequentially activate cells in layers 4 (L4), L2/3, and L5. The relationship between these two spatio-temporal activity patterns is unclear. Here, we used calcium imaging and electrophysiological recordings in murine auditory TC brain slices to investigate the laminar response pattern to stimulation of TC afferents. We show that although monosynaptically driven spiking in response to TC afferents occurs, the vast majority of spikes fired following TC stimulation occurs during brief UP states and outside the context of the L4>L2/3>L5 activation sequence. Specifically, monosynaptic subthreshold TC responses with similar latencies were observed throughout layers 2-6, presumably via synapses onto dendritic processes located in L3 and L4. However, monosynaptic spiking was rare, and occurred primarily in L4 and L5 non-pyramidal cells. By contrast, during brief, TC-induced UP states, spiking was dense and occurred primarily in pyramidal cells. These network events always involved infragranular layers, whereas involvement of supragranular layers was variable. During UP states, spike latencies were comparable between infragranular and supragranular cells. These data are consistent with a model in which activation of auditory cortex, especially supragranular layers, depends on internally generated network events that represent a non-linear amplification process, are initiated by infragranular cells and tightly regulated by feed-forward inhibitory cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan M Krause
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
| | - Aeyal Raz
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA ; Department of Anesthesiology, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva, Israel, affiliated with Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel J Uhlrich
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
| | - Philip H Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
| | - Matthew I Banks
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
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37
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Bloem B, Poorthuis RB, Mansvelder HD. Cholinergic modulation of the medial prefrontal cortex: the role of nicotinic receptors in attention and regulation of neuronal activity. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:17. [PMID: 24653678 PMCID: PMC3949318 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) release in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is crucial for normal cognitive performance. Despite the fact that many have studied how ACh affects neuronal processing in the mPFC and thereby influences attention behavior, there is still a lot unknown about how this occurs. Here we will review the evidence that cholinergic modulation of the mPFC plays a role in attention and we will summarize the current knowledge about the role between ACh receptors (AChRs) and behavior and how ACh receptor activation changes processing in the cortical microcircuitry. Recent evidence implicates fast phasic release of ACh in cue detection and attention. This review will focus mainly on the fast ionotropic nicotinic receptors and less on the metabotropic muscarinic receptors. Finally, we will review limitations of the existing studies and address how innovative technologies might push the field forward in order to gain understanding into the relation between ACh, neuronal activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Bloem
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdam, Netherlands
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Huibert D. Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdam, Netherlands
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Luebke JI, Medalla M, Amatrudo JM, Weaver CM, Crimins JL, Hunt B, Hof PR, Peters A. Age-related changes to layer 3 pyramidal cells in the rhesus monkey visual cortex. Cereb Cortex 2013; 25:1454-68. [PMID: 24323499 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of normal aging on morphologic and electrophysiologic properties of layer 3 pyramidal neurons in rhesus monkey primary visual cortex (V1) were assessed with whole-cell, patch-clamp recordings in in vitro slices. In another cohort of monkeys, the ultrastructure of synapses in the layers 2-3 neuropil of V1 was assessed using electron microscopy. Distal apical dendritic branching complexity was reduced in aged neurons, as was the total spine density, due to specific loss of mushroom spines from the apical tree and of thin spines from the basal tree. There was also an age-related decrease in the numerical density of symmetric and asymmetric synapses. In contrast to these structural changes, intrinsic membrane, action potential (AP), and excitatory and inhibitory synaptic current properties were the same in aged and young neurons. Computational modeling using morphologic reconstructions predicts that reduced dendritic complexity leads to lower attenuation of voltage outward from the soma (e.g., backpropagating APs) in aged neurons. Importantly, none of the variables that changed with age differed in neurons from cognitively impaired versus unimpaired aged monkeys. In summary, there are age-related alterations to the structural properties of V1 neurons, but these are not associated with significant electrophysiologic changes or with cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I Luebke
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA Computational Neurobiology and Imaging Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA and
| | - Maria Medalla
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | | | - Christina M Weaver
- Computational Neurobiology and Imaging Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA and Department of Mathematics, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA
| | | | - Brendan Hunt
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute Computational Neurobiology and Imaging Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA and
| | - Alan Peters
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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Veit J, Bhattacharyya A, Kretz R, Rainer G. On the relation between receptive field structure and stimulus selectivity in the tree shrew primary visual cortex. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 24:2761-71. [PMID: 23696278 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
There are notable differences in functional properties of primary visual cortex (V1) neurons among mammalian species, particularly those concerning the occurrence of simple and complex cells and the generation of orientation selectivity. Here, we present quantitative data on receptive field (RF) structure, response modulation, and orientation tuning for single neurons in V1 of the tree shrew, a close relative of primates. We find that spatial RF subfield segregation, a criterion for identifying simple cells, was exceedingly small in the tree shrew V1. In contrast, many neurons exhibited elevated F1/F0 modulation that is often used as a simple cell marker. This apparent discrepancy can be explained by the robust stimulus polarity preference in tree shrew V1, which inflates F1/F0 ratio values. RF structure mapped with sparse-noise-which is spatially restricted and emphasizes thalamo-cortical feed-forward inputs-appeared unrelated to orientation selectivity. However, RF structure mapped using the Hartley subspace stimulus-which covers a large area of the visual field and recruits considerable intracortical processing-did predict orientation preference. Our findings reveal a number of striking similarities in V1 functional organization between tree shrews and primates, emphasizing the important role of intracortical recurrent processing in shaping V1 response properties in these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Veit
- Department of Medicine, Visual Cognition Laboratory, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland and
| | - Anwesha Bhattacharyya
- Department of Medicine, Visual Cognition Laboratory, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland and
| | - Robert Kretz
- Division of Anatomy, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Gregor Rainer
- Department of Medicine, Visual Cognition Laboratory, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland and
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Merchant H, de Lafuente V, Peña-Ortega F, Larriva-Sahd J. Functional impact of interneuronal inhibition in the cerebral cortex of behaving animals. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 99:163-78. [PMID: 22960789 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Revised: 08/23/2012] [Accepted: 08/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews recent progress in understanding the functional roles of inhibitory interneurons in behaving animals and how they affect information processing in cortical microcircuits. Multiple studies have shown that the morphological subtypes of inhibitory cells show distinct electrophysiological properties, as well as different molecular and neurochemical identities, providing a large mosaic of inhibitory mechanisms for the dynamic processing of information in the cortex. However, it is only recently that some specific functions of different interneuronal subtypes have been described in behaving animals. In this regard, influential results have been obtained using the known differences of interneurons and pyramidal cells recorded extracellularly to dissociate the functional roles that these two classes of neurons may play in the cortical microcircuits during various behaviors. Neurons can be segregated into fast-spiking (FS) cells that show short action potentials, high discharge rates, and correspond to putative interneurons; and regular-spiking (RS) cells that show larger action potentials and correspond to pyramidal neurons. Using this classification strategy, it has been found that cortical inhibition is involved in sculpting the tuning to different stimulus or behavioral features across a wide variety of sensory, association, and motor areas. Recent studies have suggested that the increase in high-frequency synchronization during information processing and spatial attention may be mediated by FS activation. Finally, FS are active during motor planning and movement execution in different motor areas, supporting the notion that inhibitory interneurons are involved in shaping the motor command but not in gating the cortical output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Merchant
- Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM, Campus Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, Mexico.
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41
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Laminar analysis of visually evoked activity in the primary visual cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:13871-6. [PMID: 22872866 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1201478109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the laminar pattern of neural activity is crucial for understanding the processing of neural signals in the cerebral cortex. We measured neural population activity [multiunit spike activity (MUA) and local field potential, LFP] in Macaque primary visual cortex (V1) in response to drifting grating stimuli. Sustained visually driven MUA was at an approximately constant level across cortical depth in V1. However, sustained, visually driven, local field potential power, which was concentrated in the γ-band (20-60 Hz), was greatest at the cortical depth corresponding to cortico-cortical output layers 2, 3, and 4B. γ-band power also tends to be more sustained in the output layers. Overall, cortico-cortical output layers accounted for 67% of total γ-band activity in V1, whereas 56% of total spikes evoked by drifting gratings were from layers 2, 3, and 4B. The high-resolution layer specificity of γ-band power, the laminar distribution of MUA and γ-band activity, and their dynamics imply that neural activity in V1 is generated by laminar-specific mechanisms. In particular, visual responses of MUA and γ-band activity in cortico-cortical output layers 2, 3, and 4B seem to be strongly influenced by laminar-specific recurrent circuitry and/or feedback.
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Bhattacharyya A, Bießmann F, Veit J, Kretz R, Rainer G. Functional and laminar dissociations between muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic neuromodulation in the tree shrew primary visual cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2012; 35:1270-80. [PMID: 22487086 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08052.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Acetylcholine is an important neuromodulator involved in cognitive function. The impact of cholinergic neuromodulation on computations within the cortical microcircuit is not well understood. Here we investigate the effects of layer-specific cholinergic drug application in the tree shrew primary visual cortex during visual stimulation with drifting grating stimuli of varying contrast and orientation. We describe differences between muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic effects in terms of both the layer of cortex and the attribute of visual representation. Nicotinic receptor activation enhanced the contrast response in the granular input layer of the cortex, while tending to reduce neural selectivity for orientation across all cortical layers. Muscarinic activation modestly enhanced the contrast response across cortical layers, and tended to improve orientation tuning. This resulted in highest orientation selectivity in the supra- and infragranular layers, where orientation selectivity was already greatest in the absence of pharmacological stimulation. Our results indicate that laminar position plays a crucial part in functional consequences of cholinergic stimulation, consistent with the differential distribution of cholinergic receptors. Nicotinic receptors function to enhance sensory representations arriving in the cortex, whereas muscarinic receptors act to boost the cortical computation of orientation tuning. Our findings suggest close homology between cholinergic mechanisms in tree shrew and primate visual cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anwesha Bhattacharyya
- Visual Cognition Laboratory, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 5, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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43
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Orientation selectivity of synaptic input to neurons in mouse and cat primary visual cortex. J Neurosci 2011; 31:12339-50. [PMID: 21865476 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2039-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary visual cortex (V1) is the site at which orientation selectivity emerges in mammals: visual thalamus afferents to V1 respond equally to all stimulus orientations, whereas their target V1 neurons respond selectively to stimulus orientation. The emergence of orientation selectivity in V1 has long served as a model for investigating cortical computation. Recent evidence for orientation selectivity in mouse V1 opens cortical computation to dissection by genetic and imaging tools, but also raises two essential questions: (1) How does orientation selectivity in mouse V1 neurons compare with that in previously described species? (2) What is the synaptic basis for orientation selectivity in mouse V1? A comparison of orientation selectivity in mouse and in cat, where such measures have traditionally been made, reveals that orientation selectivity in mouse V1 is weaker than in cat V1, but that spike threshold plays a similar role in narrowing selectivity between membrane potential and spike rate. To uncover the synaptic basis for orientation selectivity, we made whole-cell recordings in vivo from mouse V1 neurons, comparing neuronal input selectivity-based on membrane potential, synaptic excitation, and synaptic inhibition-to output selectivity based on spiking. We found that a neuron's excitatory and inhibitory inputs are selective for the same stimulus orientations as is its membrane potential response, and that inhibitory selectivity is not broader than excitatory selectivity. Inhibition has different dynamics than excitation, adapting more rapidly. In neurons with temporally modulated responses, the timing of excitation and inhibition was different in mice and cats.
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Lourenço MR, Garcez PP, Lent R, Uziel D. Temporal and spatial regulation of interneuron distribution in the developing cerebral cortex--an in vitro study. Neuroscience 2011; 201:357-65. [PMID: 22079578 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2011] [Revised: 10/20/2011] [Accepted: 10/22/2011] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons are local circuit cells that control the excitatory balance in most regions of the nervous system, particularly the cerebral cortex. Because they are integrated in every cortical module, we posed the question whether interneuronal precursors would display some topographic specificity between their origin at the ventral telencephalon and their cortical location after migration. If this was true, GABAergic cells would have to be provided with intrinsic features that would make them able to perform specific functional roles in each specific module. On the other hand, if no topography was found, one would conclude that inhibitory precursors would be functionally naive, being able to integrate anywhere in the cortex, with equal capacity of performing their functions. This issue was approached by use of organotypic cultures of wild mice embryonic slices, into which fragments of the ganglionic eminence taken from enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) mice were implanted, observing the topographic location of both the implant and its destination. Despite the existence of different genetic domains in the ventricular zone of the medial ganglionic eminences (MGE), we found that cells originating in different regions spread in vitro all over the mediolateral axis of the developing cortical wall, independently of their sites of origin. Results favor the hypothesis that GABAergic precursors are functionally naive, integrating into modules irrespective of which cortical area they belong to.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Lourenço
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Liu BH, Li YT, Ma WP, Pan CJ, Zhang LI, Tao HW. Broad inhibition sharpens orientation selectivity by expanding input dynamic range in mouse simple cells. Neuron 2011; 71:542-54. [PMID: 21835349 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Orientation selectivity (OS) is an emergent property in the primary visual cortex (V1). How OS arises from synaptic circuits remains unsolved. Here, in vivo whole-cell recordings in the mouse V1 revealed that simple cells received broadly tuned excitation and even more broadly tuned inhibition. Excitation and inhibition shared a similar orientation preference and temporally overlapped substantially. Neuron modeling and dynamic-clamp recording further revealed that excitatory inputs alone would result in membrane potential responses with significantly attenuated selectivity, due to a saturating input-output function of the membrane filtering. Inhibition ameliorated the attenuation of excitatory selectivity by expanding the input dynamic range and caused additional sharpening of output responses beyond unselectively suppressing responses at all orientations. This "blur-sharpening" effect allows selectivity conveyed by excitatory inputs to be better expressed, which may be a general mechanism underlying the generation of feature-selective responses in the face of strong excitatory inputs that are weakly biased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao-hua Liu
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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Battaglia D, Hansel D. Synchronous chaos and broad band gamma rhythm in a minimal multi-layer model of primary visual cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2011; 7:e1002176. [PMID: 21998568 PMCID: PMC3188510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2010] [Accepted: 07/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Visually induced neuronal activity in V1 displays a marked gamma-band component which is modulated by stimulus properties. It has been argued that synchronized oscillations contribute to these gamma-band activity. However, analysis of Local Field Potentials (LFPs) across different experiments reveals considerable diversity in the degree of oscillatory behavior of this induced activity. Contrast-dependent power enhancements can indeed occur over a broad band in the gamma frequency range and spectral peaks may not arise at all. Furthermore, even when oscillations are observed, they undergo temporal decorrelation over very few cycles. This is not easily accounted for in previous network modeling of gamma oscillations. We argue here that interactions between cortical layers can be responsible for this fast decorrelation. We study a model of a V1 hypercolumn, embedding a simplified description of the multi-layered structure of the cortex. When the stimulus contrast is low, the induced activity is only weakly synchronous and the network resonates transiently without developing collective oscillations. When the contrast is high, on the other hand, the induced activity undergoes synchronous oscillations with an irregular spatiotemporal structure expressing a synchronous chaotic state. As a consequence the population activity undergoes fast temporal decorrelation, with concomitant rapid damping of the oscillations in LFPs autocorrelograms and peak broadening in LFPs power spectra. We show that the strength of the inter-layer coupling crucially affects this spatiotemporal structure. We predict that layer VI inactivation should induce global changes in the spectral properties of induced LFPs, reflecting their slower temporal decorrelation in the absence of inter-layer feedback. Finally, we argue that the mechanism underlying the emergence of synchronous chaos in our model is in fact very general. It stems from the fact that gamma oscillations induced by local delayed inhibition tend to develop chaos when coupled by sufficiently strong excitation. Visual stimulation elicits neuronal responses in visual cortex. When the contrast of the used stimuli increases, the power of this induced activity is boosted over a broad frequency range (30–100 Hz), called the “gamma band.” It would be tempting to hypothesize that this phenomenon is due to the emergence of oscillations in which many neurons fire collectively in a rhythmic way. However, previous models trying to explain contrast-related power enhancements using synchronous oscillations failed to reproduce the observed spectra because they originated unrealistically sharp spectral peaks. The aim of our study is to reconcile synchronous oscillations with broad-band power spectra. We argue here that, thanks to the interaction between neuronal populations at different depths in the cortical tissue, the induced oscillatory responses are synchronous, but, at the same time, chaotic. The chaotic nature of the dynamics makes it possible to have broad-band power spectra together with synchrony. Our modeling study allows us formulating qualitative experimental predictions that provide a potential test for our theory. We predict that if the interactions between cortical layers are suppressed, for instance by inactivating neurons in deep layers, the induced responses might become more regular and narrow isolated peaks might develop in their power spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demian Battaglia
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany.
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Cell-type–specific sub- and suprathreshold receptive fields of layer 4 and layer 2/3 pyramids in rat primary visual cortex. Neuroscience 2011; 190:112-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2011] [Revised: 04/20/2011] [Accepted: 05/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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48
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Wang X, Sommer FT, Hirsch JA. Inhibitory circuits for visual processing in thalamus. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2011; 21:726-33. [PMID: 21752634 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2011] [Revised: 05/31/2011] [Accepted: 06/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Synapses made by local interneurons dominate the intrinsic circuitry of the mammalian visual thalamus and influence all signals traveling from the eye to cortex. Here we draw on physiological and computational analyses of receptive fields in the cat's lateral geniculate nucleus to describe how inhibition helps to enhance selectivity for stimulus features in space and time and to improve the efficiency of the neural code. Further, we explore specialized synaptic attributes of relay cells and interneurons and discuss how these might be adapted to preserve the temporal precision of retinal spike trains and thereby maximize the rate of information transmitted downstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla California, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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49
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Antolík J, Bednar JA. Development of maps of simple and complex cells in the primary visual cortex. Front Comput Neurosci 2011; 5:17. [PMID: 21559067 PMCID: PMC3082289 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2011.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2011] [Accepted: 03/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hubel and Wiesel (1962) classified primary visual cortex (V1) neurons as either simple, with responses modulated by the spatial phase of a sine grating, or complex, i.e., largely phase invariant. Much progress has been made in understanding how simple-cells develop, and there are now detailed computational models establishing how they can form topographic maps ordered by orientation preference. There are also models of how complex cells can develop using outputs from simple cells with different phase preferences, but no model of how a topographic orientation map of complex cells could be formed based on the actual connectivity patterns found in V1. Addressing this question is important, because the majority of existing developmental models of simple-cell maps group neurons selective to similar spatial phases together, which is contrary to experimental evidence, and makes it difficult to construct complex cells. Overcoming this limitation is not trivial, because mechanisms responsible for map development drive receptive fields (RF) of nearby neurons to be highly correlated, while co-oriented RFs of opposite phases are anti-correlated. In this work, we model V1 as two topographically organized sheets representing cortical layer 4 and 2/3. Only layer 4 receives direct thalamic input. Both sheets are connected with narrow feed-forward and feedback connectivity. Only layer 2/3 contains strong long-range lateral connectivity, in line with current anatomical findings. Initially all weights in the model are random, and each is modified via a Hebbian learning rule. The model develops smooth, matching, orientation preference maps in both sheets. Layer 4 units become simple cells, with phase preference arranged randomly, while those in layer 2/3 are primarily complex cells. To our knowledge this model is the first explaining how simple cells can develop with random phase preference, and how maps of complex cells can develop, using only realistic patterns of connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ján Antolík
- Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation, University of EdinburghEdinburgh, UK
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College LondonLondon, UK
- Unité de Neurosciences Information et Complexité, CNRSGif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - James A. Bednar
- Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation, University of EdinburghEdinburgh, UK
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Krishnan RR, Fivaz M, Kraus MS, Keefe RSE. Hierarchical temporal processing deficit model of reality distortion and psychoses. Mol Psychiatry 2011; 16:129-44. [PMID: 21263440 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2010.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We posit in this article that hierarchical temporal processing deficit is the underlying basis of reality distortion and psychoses. Schizophrenia is a prototypical reality distortion disorder in which the patient manifests with auditory hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and thinking, cognitive impairment, avolition and social and occupational dysfunction. Reality distortion can be present in many other disorders including bipolar disorder, major depression and even dementia. Conceptually, schizophrenia is a heterogeneous entity likely to be because of numerous causes similar to dementia. Although no single symptom or set of symptoms is pathognomonic, a cardinal feature in all patients with schizophrenia is chronic distortion of reality. The model that we have proposed accounts for the varied manifestations of reality distortion including hallucinations and delusions. In this paper we consider the implications of this model for the underlying biology of psychoses and also for the neurobiology of schizophrenia and suggest potential targets to consider for the etiology and pathophysiology of reality distortion, especially in the context of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- R R Krishnan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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