1
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Trevizan-Baú P, Stanić D, Furuya WI, Dhingra RR, Dutschmann M. Neuroanatomical frameworks for volitional control of breathing and orofacial behaviors. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2024; 323:104227. [PMID: 38295924 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2024.104227] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Breathing is the only vital function that can be volitionally controlled. However, a detailed understanding how volitional (cortical) motor commands can transform vital breathing activity into adaptive breathing patterns that accommodate orofacial behaviors such as swallowing, vocalization or sniffing remains to be developed. Recent neuroanatomical tract tracing studies have identified patterns and origins of descending forebrain projections that target brain nuclei involved in laryngeal adductor function which is critically involved in orofacial behavior. These nuclei include the midbrain periaqueductal gray and nuclei of the respiratory rhythm and pattern generating network in the brainstem, specifically including the pontine Kölliker-Fuse nucleus and the pre-Bötzinger complex in the medulla oblongata. This review discusses the functional implications of the forebrain-brainstem anatomical connectivity that could underlie the volitional control and coordination of orofacial behaviors with breathing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Trevizan-Baú
- The Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Davor Stanić
- The Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Werner I Furuya
- The Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rishi R Dhingra
- The Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Mathias Dutschmann
- The Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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2
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Mocellin P, Barnstedt O, Luxem K, Kaneko H, Vieweg S, Henschke JU, Dalügge D, Fuhrmann F, Karpova A, Pakan JMP, Kreutz MR, Mikulovic S, Remy S. A septal-ventral tegmental area circuit drives exploratory behavior. Neuron 2024; 112:1020-1032.e7. [PMID: 38266645 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
To survive, animals need to balance their exploratory drive with their need for safety. Subcortical circuits play an important role in initiating and modulating movement based on external demands and the internal state of the animal; however, how motivation and onset of locomotion are regulated remain largely unresolved. Here, we show that a glutamatergic pathway from the medial septum and diagonal band of Broca (MSDB) to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) controls exploratory locomotor behavior in mice. Using a self-supervised machine learning approach, we found an overrepresentation of exploratory actions, such as sniffing, whisking, and rearing, when this projection is optogenetically activated. Mechanistically, this role relies on glutamatergic MSDB projections that monosynaptically target a subset of both glutamatergic and dopaminergic VTA neurons. Taken together, we identified a glutamatergic basal forebrain to midbrain circuit that initiates locomotor activity and contributes to the expression of exploration-associated behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Mocellin
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior (IMPRS), Bonn 53175, Germany.
| | - Oliver Barnstedt
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany
| | - Kevin Luxem
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany
| | - Hiroshi Kaneko
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany
| | - Silvia Vieweg
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany
| | - Julia U Henschke
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany
| | - Dennis Dalügge
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior (IMPRS), Bonn 53175, Germany
| | - Falko Fuhrmann
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany
| | - Anna Karpova
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg 39106, Germany
| | - Janelle M P Pakan
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg 39106, Germany
| | - Michael R Kreutz
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg 39106, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Magdeburg 39106, Germany
| | - Sanja Mikulovic
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg 39106, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Magdeburg 39106, Germany
| | - Stefan Remy
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg 39106, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Magdeburg 39106, Germany.
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3
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Su J, Huang F, Tian Y, Tian R, Qianqian G, Bello ST, Zeng D, Jendrichovsky P, Lau CG, Xiong W, Yu D, Tortorella M, Chen X, He J. Entorhinohippocampal cholecystokinin modulates spatial learning by facilitating neuroplasticity of hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113467. [PMID: 37979171 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is broadly impacted by neuromodulations. However, how neuropeptides shape the function of the hippocampus and the related spatial learning and memory remains unclear. Here, we discover the crucial role of cholecystokinin (CCK) in heterosynaptic neuromodulation from the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) to the hippocampus. Systematic knockout of the CCK gene impairs CA3-CA1 LTP and space-related performance. The MEC provides most of the CCK-positive neurons projecting to the hippocampal region, which potentiates CA3-CA1 long-term plasticity heterosynaptically in a frequency- and NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent manner. Selective inhibition of MEC CCKergic neurons or downregulation of their CCK mRNA levels also impairs CA3-CA1 LTP formation and animals' performance in the water maze. This excitatory extrahippocampal projection releases CCK upon high-frequency excitation and is active during animal exploration. Our results reveal the critical role of entorhinal CCKergic projections in bridging intra- and extrahippocampal circuitry at electrophysiological and behavioral levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Su
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Fengwen Huang
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China.
| | - Yu Tian
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Ran Tian
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Gao Qianqian
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Stephen Temitayo Bello
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Dingxaun Zeng
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Peter Jendrichovsky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - C Geoffrey Lau
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Wenjun Xiong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Daiguan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Micky Tortorella
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, P.R. China.
| | - Jufang He
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, P.R. China.
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4
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Modirshanechi A, Kondrakiewicz K, Gerstner W, Haesler S. Curiosity-driven exploration: foundations in neuroscience and computational modeling. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:1054-1066. [PMID: 37925342 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.10.002] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Curiosity refers to the intrinsic desire of humans and animals to explore the unknown, even when there is no apparent reason to do so. Thus far, no single, widely accepted definition or framework for curiosity has emerged, but there is growing consensus that curious behavior is not goal-directed but related to seeking or reacting to information. In this review, we take a phenomenological approach and group behavioral and neurophysiological studies which meet these criteria into three categories according to the type of information seeking observed. We then review recent computational models of curiosity from the field of machine learning and discuss how they enable integrating different types of information seeking into one theoretical framework. Combinations of behavioral and neurophysiological studies along with computational modeling will be instrumental in demystifying the notion of curiosity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kacper Kondrakiewicz
- Neuroelectronics Research Flanders (NERF), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wulfram Gerstner
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Sebastian Haesler
- Neuroelectronics Research Flanders (NERF), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
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5
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Fadjukov J, Schwartz G. Putting early sensory neurons to sleep. eLife 2023; 12:e93339. [PMID: 37947192 PMCID: PMC10637771 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons that transmit information from the retina to other parts of the brain are more affected by anesthesia than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Fadjukov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Gregory Schwartz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- Department of Neurobiology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
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6
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Li WR, Nakano T, Mizutani K, Matsubara T, Kawatani M, Mukai Y, Danjo T, Ito H, Aizawa H, Yamanaka A, Petersen CCH, Yoshimoto J, Yamashita T. Neural mechanisms underlying uninstructed orofacial movements during reward-based learning behaviors. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3436-3451.e7. [PMID: 37536343 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
During reward-based learning tasks, animals make orofacial movements that globally influence brain activity at the timings of reward expectation and acquisition. These orofacial movements are not explicitly instructed and typically appear along with goal-directed behaviors. Here, we show that reinforcing optogenetic stimulation of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (oDAS) in mice is sufficient to induce orofacial movements in the whiskers and nose without accompanying goal-directed behaviors. Pavlovian conditioning with a sensory cue and oDAS elicited cue-locked and oDAS-aligned orofacial movements, which were distinguishable by a machine-learning model. Inhibition or knockout of dopamine D1 receptors in the nucleus accumbens inhibited oDAS-induced motion but spared cue-locked motion, suggesting differential regulation of these two types of orofacial motions. In contrast, inactivation of the whisker primary motor cortex (wM1) abolished both types of orofacial movements. We found specific neuronal populations in wM1 representing either oDAS-aligned or cue-locked whisker movements. Notably, optogenetic stimulation of wM1 neurons successfully replicated these two types of movements. Our results thus suggest that accumbal D1-receptor-dependent and -independent neuronal signals converge in the wM1 for facilitating distinct uninstructed orofacial movements during a reward-based learning task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Ru Li
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; Department of Functional Anatomy & Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Takashi Nakano
- Department of Computational Biology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan; International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan
| | - Kohta Mizutani
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takanori Matsubara
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kawatani
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; Department of Functional Anatomy & Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Mukai
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Teruko Danjo
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan
| | - Hikaru Ito
- Department of Neurobiology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan; Research Facility Center for Science and Technology, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Hidenori Aizawa
- Department of Neurobiology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
| | - Akihiro Yamanaka
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Carl C H Petersen
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Junichiro Yoshimoto
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan; International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; Department of Biomedical Data Science, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan.
| | - Takayuki Yamashita
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan.
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7
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Wang ZA, Chen S, Liu Y, Liu D, Svoboda K, Li N, Druckmann S. Not everything, not everywhere, not all at once: a study of brain-wide encoding of movement. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.08.544257. [PMID: 37333216 PMCID: PMC10274914 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.08.544257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Activity related to movement is found throughout sensory and motor regions of the brain. However, it remains unclear how movement-related activity is distributed across the brain and whether systematic differences exist between brain areas. Here, we analyzed movement related activity in brain-wide recordings containing more than 50,000 neurons in mice performing a decision-making task. Using multiple techniques, from markers to deep neural networks, we find that movement-related signals were pervasive across the brain, but systematically differed across areas. Movement-related activity was stronger in areas closer to the motor or sensory periphery. Delineating activity in terms of sensory- and motor-related components revealed finer scale structures of their encodings within brain areas. We further identified activity modulation that correlates with decision-making and uninstructed movement. Our work charts out a largescale map of movement encoding and provides a roadmap for dissecting different forms of movement and decision-making related encoding across multi-regional neural circuits.
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8
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Alonso L, Peeva P, Stasko S, Bader M, Alenina N, Winter Y, Rivalan M. Constitutive depletion of brain serotonin differentially affects rats' social and cognitive abilities. iScience 2023; 26:105998. [PMID: 36798444 PMCID: PMC9926123 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.105998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Central serotonin appears a promising transdiagnostic marker of psychiatric disorders and a modulator of some of their key behavioral symptoms. In adult male Tph2 -/- rats, constitutively lacking central serotonin, we tested individual's cognitive, social and non-social abilities and characterized group's social organization under classical and ethological testing conditions. Using unsupervised machine learning, we identified the functions most dependent on serotonin. Although serotonin depletion did not affect cognitive performances in classical testing, in the home-cage it induced compulsive aggression and sexual behavior, hyperactive and hypervigilant stereotyped behavior, reduced self-care and exacerbated corticosterone levels. This profile recalled symptoms of impulse control and anxiety disorders. Serotonin appeared essential for behavioral adaptation to dynamic social environments. Our animal model challenges the essential role of serotonin in decision-making, flexibility, impulsivity, and risk-taking. These findings highlight the importance of studying everyday life functions within the dynamic social living environment to model complexity in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Alonso
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Polina Peeva
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Michael Bader
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalia Alenina
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany,Corresponding author
| | - York Winter
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Corresponding author
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9
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Burand Jr. AJ, Waltz TB, Manis AD, Hodges MR, Stucky CL. HomeCageScan analysis reveals ongoing pain in Fabry rats. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 13:100113. [PMID: 36660199 PMCID: PMC9843259 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2022.100113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
HomeCageScan (HCS) is an automated behavioral scoring system that can be used to classify and quantify rodent behaviors in the home cage. Although HCS has been used for a number of inducible models of severe pain, little has been done to test this system in clinically relevant genetic disease models associated with chronic pain such as Fabry disease. Rats with Fabry disease exhibit mechanical hypersensitivity, however, it is unclear if these rodents also exhibit ongoing non-evoked pain. Therefore, we analyzed HCS data from male and female rats with Fabry disease. Using hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis, we found both sex and genotype differences in several home cage behaviors. Additionally, we used hierarchical clustering to derive behavioral clusters in an unbiased manner. Analysis of these behavioral clusters showed that primarily female Fabry animals moved less, spent less time caring for themselves (e.g., less time spent grooming and drinking), explored less, and slept more; changes that are similar to lifestyle changes observed in patients with long lasting chronic pain. We also show that sniffing, one of the exploratory behaviors that is depressed in Fabry animals, can be partly restored with the analgesic gabapentin, suggesting that depressed sniffing may reflect ongoing pain. Therefore, this approach to HCS data analysis can be used to assess drug efficacy in Fabry disease and potentially other genetic and inducible rodent models associated with persistent pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J. Burand Jr.
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
| | - Tyler B. Waltz
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
| | - Anna D. Manis
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
| | - Matthew R. Hodges
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
| | - Cheryl L. Stucky
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
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10
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Wu WY, Cheng Y, Liang KC, Lee RX, Yen CT. Affective mirror and anti-mirror neurons relate to prosocial help in rats. iScience 2022; 26:105865. [PMID: 36632059 PMCID: PMC9826941 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105865] [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: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although empathic emotion is closely related to prosocial behavior, neuronal substrate that accounts for empathy-associated prosocial action remains poorly understood. We recorded neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insular cortex (InC) in rats when they observed another rat in pain. We discovered neurons with anti-mirror properties in the ACC and InC, in addition to those with mirror properties. ACC neurons show higher coupling between activation of self-in-pain and others-in-pain, whereas the InC has a higher ratio of neurons with anti-mirror properties. During others-in-pain, ACC neurons activated more when actively nose-poking toward others and InC neurons activated more when freezing. To further illustrate prosocial function, we examined neuronal activities in the helping behavior test. Both ACC and InC neurons showed specific activation to rat rescuing which is contributed by mirror, but not anti-mirror neurons. Our work indicates the functional involvement of mirror neuron system in prosocial behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yi Wu
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Yawei Cheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Chen Liang
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ray X. Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Program in Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA,Corresponding author
| | - Chen-Tung Yen
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road Sec. 4, Taipei 10617, Taiwan,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan,Corresponding author
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11
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Golomb D, Moore JD, Fassihi A, Takatoh J, Prevosto V, Wang F, Kleinfeld D. Theory of hierarchically organized neuronal oscillator dynamics that mediate rodent rhythmic whisking. Neuron 2022; 110:3833-3851.e22. [PMID: 36113472 PMCID: PMC10248719 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Rodents explore their environment through coordinated orofacial motor actions, including whisking. Whisking can free-run via an oscillator of inhibitory neurons in the medulla and can be paced by breathing. Yet, the mechanics of the whisking oscillator and its interaction with breathing remain to be understood. We formulate and solve a hierarchical model of the whisking circuit. The first whisk within a breathing cycle is generated by inhalation, which resets a vibrissa oscillator circuit, while subsequent whisks are derived from the oscillator circuit. Our model posits, consistent with experiment, that there are two subpopulations of oscillator neurons. Stronger connections between the subpopulations support rhythmicity, while connections within each subpopulation induce variable spike timing that enhances the dynamic range of rhythm generation. Calculated cycle-to-cycle changes in whisking are consistent with experiment. Our model provides a computational framework to support longstanding observations of concurrent autonomous and driven rhythmic motor actions that comprise behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Golomb
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben Gurion University, Be'er-Sheva 8410501, Israel; Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University, Be'er-Sheva 8410501, Israel; Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben Gurion University, Be'er-Sheva 8410501, Israel.
| | - Jeffrey D Moore
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Arash Fassihi
- Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jun Takatoh
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Vincent Prevosto
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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12
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Paasonen J, Stenroos P, Laakso H, Pirttimäki T, Paasonen E, Salo RA, Tanila H, Idiyatullin D, Garwood M, Michaeli S, Mangia S, Gröhn O. Whole-brain studies of spontaneous behavior in head-fixed rats enabled by zero echo time MB-SWIFT fMRI. Neuroimage 2022; 250:118924. [PMID: 35065267 PMCID: PMC9464759 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the link between the brain activity and behavior is a key challenge in modern neuroscience. Behavioral neuroscience, however, lacks tools to record whole-brain activity in complex behavioral settings. Here we demonstrate that a novel Multi-Band SWeep Imaging with Fourier Transformation (MB-SWIFT) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) approach enables whole-brain studies in spontaneously behaving head-fixed rats. First, we show anatomically relevant functional parcellation. Second, we show sensory, motor, exploration, and stress-related brain activity in relevant networks during corresponding spontaneous behavior. Third, we show odor-induced activation of olfactory system with high correlation between the fMRI and behavioral responses. We conclude that the applied methodology enables novel behavioral study designs in rodents focusing on tasks, cognition, emotions, physical exercise, and social interaction. Importantly, novel zero echo time and large bandwidth approaches, such as MB-SWIFT, can be applied for human behavioral studies, allowing more freedom as body movement is dramatically less restricting factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaakko Paasonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Petteri Stenroos
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Institute of Neuroscience, Grenoble, France
| | - Hanne Laakso
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tiina Pirttimäki
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ekaterina Paasonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Raimo A Salo
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Heikki Tanila
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Djaudat Idiyatullin
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Michael Garwood
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Shalom Michaeli
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Silvia Mangia
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Olli Gröhn
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
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13
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Zhang Q, Turner KL, Gheres KW, Hossain MS, Drew PJ. Behavioral and physiological monitoring for awake neurovascular coupling experiments: a how-to guide. NEUROPHOTONICS 2022; 9:021905. [PMID: 35639834 PMCID: PMC8802326 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.9.2.021905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Significance: Functional brain imaging in awake animal models is a popular and powerful technique that allows the investigation of neurovascular coupling (NVC) under physiological conditions. However, ubiquitous facial and body motions (fidgeting) are prime drivers of spontaneous fluctuations in neural and hemodynamic signals. During periods without movement, animals can rapidly transition into sleep, and the hemodynamic signals tied to arousal state changes can be several times larger than sensory-evoked responses. Given the outsized influence of facial and body motions and arousal signals in neural and hemodynamic signals, it is imperative to detect and monitor these events in experiments with un-anesthetized animals. Aim: To cover the importance of monitoring behavioral state in imaging experiments using un-anesthetized rodents, and describe how to incorporate detailed behavioral and physiological measurements in imaging experiments. Approach: We review the effects of movements and sleep-related signals (heart rate, respiration rate, electromyography, intracranial pressure, whisking, and other body movements) on brain hemodynamics and electrophysiological signals, with a focus on head-fixed experimental setup. We summarize the measurement methods currently used in animal models for detection of those behaviors and arousal changes. We then provide a guide on how to incorporate this measurements with functional brain imaging and electrophysiology measurements. Results: We provide a how-to guide on monitoring and interpreting a variety of physiological signals and their applications to NVC experiments in awake behaving mice. Conclusion: This guide facilitates the application of neuroimaging in awake animal models and provides neuroscientists with a standard approach for monitoring behavior and other associated physiological parameters in head-fixed animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingguang Zhang
- The Pennsylvania State University, Center for Neural Engineering, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Kevin L. Turner
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Kyle W. Gheres
- The Pennsylvania State University, Graduate Program in Molecular Cellular and Integrative Biosciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Md Shakhawat Hossain
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Patrick J. Drew
- The Pennsylvania State University, Center for Neural Engineering, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Neurosurgery, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
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14
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Elbaz M, Callado Perez A, Demers M, Zhao S, Foo C, Kleinfeld D, Deschenes M. A vibrissa pathway that activates the limbic system. eLife 2022; 11:72096. [PMID: 35142608 PMCID: PMC8830883 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrissa sensory inputs play a central role in driving rodent behavior. These inputs transit through the sensory trigeminal nuclei, which give rise to the ascending lemniscal and paralemniscal pathways. While lemniscal projections are somatotopically mapped from brainstem to cortex, those of the paralemniscal pathway are more widely distributed. Yet the extent and topography of paralemniscal projections are unknown, along with the potential role of these projections in controlling behavior. Here, we used viral tracers to map paralemniscal projections. We find that this pathway broadcasts vibrissa-based sensory signals to brainstem regions that are involved in the regulation of autonomic functions and to forebrain regions that are involved in the expression of emotional reactions. We further provide evidence that GABAergic cells of the Kölliker-Fuse nucleus gate trigeminal sensory input in the paralemniscal pathway via a mechanism of presynaptic or extrasynaptic inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Elbaz
- CERVO Research Center, Laval University, Québec City, Canada
| | - Amalia Callado Perez
- CERVO Research Center, Laval University, Québec City, Canada.,Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Maxime Demers
- CERVO Research Center, Laval University, Québec City, Canada
| | - Shengli Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, United States
| | - Conrad Foo
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States.,Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
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15
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Goldstein S, Wang L, McAlonan K, Torres-Cruz M, Krauzlis RJ. Stimulus-driven visual attention in mice. J Vis 2022; 22:11. [PMID: 35044435 PMCID: PMC8787543 DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.1.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In primates, stimulus-driven changes in visual attention can facilitate or hinder perceptual performance, depending on the location and timing of the stimulus event. Mice have emerged as a powerful model for studying visual circuits and behavior; however, it is unclear whether mice show similar interactions between stimulus events and visual attention during perceptual decisions. To investigate this, we trained head-fixed mice to detect a near-threshold change in visual orientation and tested how performance was altered by task-irrelevant stimuli that occurred at different times and locations with respect to the orientation change. We found that task-irrelevant stimuli strongly affected mouse performance. Specifically, stimulus-driven attention in mice followed a similar time course as that in other species: The decreases in reaction times fully emerged between 250 and 400 ms after the stimulus event, and detection accuracy was not affected. However, the effects of stimulus-driven attention on behavior in mice were insensitive to stimulus-event location, an aspect different from what is known in primates. In contrast, reaction times in mice were reduced at longer delays after the task-irrelevant stimulus event regardless of its spatial congruence to the target. These results highlight the strengths and limitations of using mice as a model for studying higher-order visual functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheridan Goldstein
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lupeng Wang
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kerry McAlonan
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mateus Torres-Cruz
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Laboratory for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7571-0072
| | - Richard J Krauzlis
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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16
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Multidimensional nature of dominant behavior: Insights from behavioral neuroscience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:603-620. [PMID: 34902440 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions for many species of animals are critical for survival, wellbeing, and reproduction. Optimal navigation of a social system increases chances for survival and reproduction, therefore there is strong incentive to fit into social structures. Social animals rely heavily on dominant-submissive behaviors in establishment of stable social hierarchies. There is a link between extreme manifestation of dominance/submissiveness and behavioral deviations. To understand neural substrates affiliated with a specific hierarchical rank, there is a real need for reliable animal behavioral models. Different paradigms have been consolidated over time to study the neurobiology of social rank behavior in a standardized manner using rodent models to unravel the neural pathways and substrates involved in normal and abnormal intraspecific social interactions. This review summarizes and discusses the commonly used behavioral tests and new directions for the assessment of dominance in rodents. We discuss the hierarchy inheritable nature and other critical issues regarding hierarchical rank manifestation which may help in designing social-rank-related studies that serve as promising pre-clinical tools in behavioral psychiatry.
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17
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Mouly AM, Bouillot C, Costes N, Zimmer L, Ravel N, Litaudon P. PET Metabolic Imaging of Time-Dependent Reorganization of Olfactory Cued Fear Memory Networks in Rats. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2717-2728. [PMID: 34668524 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory consolidation involves reorganization at both the synaptic and system levels. The latter involves gradual reorganization of the brain regions that support memory and has been mostly highlighted using hippocampal-dependent tasks. The standard memory consolidation model posits that the hippocampus becomes gradually less important over time in favor of neocortical regions. In contrast, this reorganization of circuits in amygdala-dependent tasks has been less investigated. Moreover, this question has been addressed using primarily lesion or cellular imaging approaches thus precluding the comparison of recent and remote memory networks in the same animals. To overcome this limitation, we used microPET imaging to characterize, in the same animals, the networks activated during the recall of a recent versus remote memory in an olfactory cued fear conditioning paradigm. The data highlighted the drastic difference between the extents of the two networks. Indeed, although the recall of a recent odor fear memory activates a large network of structures spanning from the prefrontal cortex to the cerebellum, significant activations during remote memory retrieval are limited to the piriform cortex. These results strongly support the view that amygdala-dependent memories also undergo system-level reorganization, and that sensory cortical areas might participate in the long-term storage of emotional memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Mouly
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron Cedex 69675, France
| | | | | | - Luc Zimmer
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron Cedex 69675, France.,CERMEP-Life Imaging, Bron Cedex 69677, France.,Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon 69002, France
| | - Nadine Ravel
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron Cedex 69675, France
| | - Philippe Litaudon
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron Cedex 69675, France
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18
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Wada M, Takano K, Ide M, Sano Y, Shinoda Y, Furuichi T, Kansaku K. Task-Related c-Fos Expression in the Posterior Parietal Cortex During the "Rubber Tail Task" Is Diminished in Ca 2+-Dependent Activator Protein for Secretion 2 ( Caps2)-Knockout Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:680206. [PMID: 34177481 PMCID: PMC8222529 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.680206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rubber hand illusion (RHI), a kind of body ownership illusion, is sometimes atypical in individuals with autism spectrum disorder; however, the brain regions associated with the illusion are still unclear. We previously reported that mice responded as if their own tails were being touched when rubber tails were grasped following synchronous stroking to rubber tails and their tails (a "rubber tail illusion", RTI), which is a task based on the human RHI; furthermore, we reported that the RTI response was diminished in Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion 2-knockout (Caps2-KO) mice that exhibit autistic-like phenotypes. Importance of the posterior parietal cortex in the formation of illusory perception has previously been reported in human imaging studies. However, the local neural circuits and cell properties associated with this process are not clear. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the neural basis of the RTI response and its impairment by investigating the c-Fos expression in both wild-type (WT) and Caps2-KO mice during the task since the c-Fos expression occurred soon after the neural activation. Immediately following the delivery of the synchronous stroking to both rubber tails and actual tails, the mice were perfused. Subsequently, whole brains were cryo-sectioned, and each section was immunostained with anti-c-Fos antibody; finally, c-Fos positive cell densities among the groups were compared. The c-Fos expression in the posterior parietal cortex was significantly lower in the Caps2-KO mice than in the WT mice. Additionally, we compared the c-Fos expression in the WT mice between synchronous and asynchronous conditions and found that the c-Fos-positive cell densities were significantly higher in the claustrum and primary somatosensory cortex of the WT mice exposed to the synchronous condition than those exposed to the asynchronous condition. Hence, the results suggest that decreased c-Fos expression in the posterior parietal cortex may be related to impaired multisensory integrations in Caps2-KO mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Wada
- Developmental Disorders Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Kouji Takano
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Masakazu Ide
- Developmental Disorders Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Yoshitake Sano
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Yo Shinoda
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan.,Department of Environmental Health, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Teiichi Furuichi
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Kenji Kansaku
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan.,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Japan.,Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Japan
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19
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Takatoh J, Park JH, Lu J, Li S, Thompson PM, Han BX, Zhao S, Kleinfeld D, Friedman B, Wang F. Constructing an adult orofacial premotor atlas in Allen mouse CCF. eLife 2021; 10:67291. [PMID: 33904410 PMCID: PMC8137149 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Premotor circuits in the brainstem project to pools of orofacial motoneurons to execute essential motor action such as licking, chewing, breathing, and in rodent, whisking. Previous transsynaptic tracing studies only mapped orofacial premotor circuits in neonatal mice, but the adult circuits remain unknown as a consequence of technical difficulties. Here, we developed a three-step monosynaptic transsynaptic tracing strategy to identify premotor neurons controlling vibrissa, tongue protrusion, and jaw-closing muscles in the adult mouse. We registered these different groups of premotor neurons onto the Allen mouse brain common coordinate framework (CCF) and consequently generated a combined 3D orofacial premotor atlas, revealing unique spatial organizations of distinct premotor circuits. We further uncovered premotor neurons that simultaneously innervate multiple motor nuclei and, consequently, are likely to coordinate different muscles involved in the same orofacial motor actions. Our method for tracing adult premotor circuits and registering to Allen CCF is generally applicable and should facilitate the investigations of motor controls of diverse behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Takatoh
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - Jae Hong Park
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - Jinghao Lu
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - Shun Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - P M Thompson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - Bao-Xia Han
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - Shengli Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Section of Neurobiology, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, United States.,Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Beth Friedman
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, United States
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20
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Trevizan-Baú P, Dhingra RR, Furuya WI, Stanić D, Mazzone SB, Dutschmann M. Forebrain projection neurons target functionally diverse respiratory control areas in the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:2243-2264. [PMID: 33340092 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Eupnea is generated by neural circuits located in the ponto-medullary brainstem, but can be modulated by higher brain inputs which contribute to volitional control of breathing and the expression of orofacial behaviors, such as vocalization, sniffing, coughing, and swallowing. Surprisingly, the anatomical organization of descending inputs that connect the forebrain with the brainstem respiratory network remains poorly defined. We hypothesized that descending forebrain projections target multiple distributed respiratory control nuclei across the neuroaxis. To test our hypothesis, we made discrete unilateral microinjections of the retrograde tracer cholera toxin subunit B in the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG), the pontine Kölliker-Fuse nucleus (KFn), the medullary Bötzinger complex (BötC), pre-BötC, or caudal midline raphé nuclei. We quantified the regional distribution of retrogradely labeled neurons in the forebrain 12-14 days postinjection. Overall, our data reveal that descending inputs from cortical areas predominantly target the PAG and KFn. Differential forebrain regions innervating the PAG (prefrontal, cingulate cortices, and lateral septum) and KFn (rhinal, piriform, and somatosensory cortices) imply that volitional motor commands for vocalization are specifically relayed via the PAG, while the KFn may receive commands to coordinate breathing with other orofacial behaviors (e.g., sniffing, swallowing). Additionally, we observed that the limbic or autonomic (interoceptive) systems are connected to broadly distributed downstream bulbar respiratory networks. Collectively, these data provide a neural substrate to explain how volitional, state-dependent, and emotional modulation of breathing is regulated by the forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Trevizan-Baú
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Discovery Neuroscience Theme, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rishi R Dhingra
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Discovery Neuroscience Theme, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Werner I Furuya
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Discovery Neuroscience Theme, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Davor Stanić
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Discovery Neuroscience Theme, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stuart B Mazzone
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mathias Dutschmann
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Discovery Neuroscience Theme, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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21
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Pellicer-Morata V, Wang L, de Jongh Curry A, Tsao JW, Waters RS. Structural and functional organization of the lower jaw barrel subfield in rat primary somatosensory cortex. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:1895-1910. [PMID: 33135168 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Barrel subfields in rodent primary somatosensory cortex (SI) are important model systems for studying cortical organization and reorganization. During cortical reorganization that follows limb deafferentation, neurons in deafferented forelimb SI become responsive to previously unexpressed inputs from the lower jaw. Although the lower jaw barrel subfield (LJBSF) is a likely source of the input, this subfield has received little attention. Our aim was to describe the structural and functional organization of the normal LJBSF. To investigate LJBSF organization, a nomenclature for lower jaw skin surface was developed, cytochrome oxidase (CO) was used to label flattened-cut LJBSF sections, microelectrodes were used to map the lower jaw skin surface representation in SI, and electrolytic lesions, recovered from electrode penetrations, were used to align the physiological map to the underlying barrel map. LJBSF is a tear-shaped subfield containing approximately 24 barrels, arranged in eight mediolateral rows and a barrel-free zone capping the anterior border. The representation of the lower jaw skin consisting of chin vibrissae and microvibrissae embedded in common fur is somatotopically organized in a single map in the contralateral SI. This physiological map shows that the activity from the vibrissae aligns with the CO-staining of the underlying LJBSF. LJBSF barrels receive topographically ordered barrel-specific input from individual vibrissa and microvibrissae in the lower jaw but not from trident whiskers. The barrel-free zone receives topographically ordered input from the lower lip. These data demonstrating that the LJBSF is a highly organized subfield are essential for understanding its possible role in cortical reorganization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Pellicer-Morata
- Department of Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lie Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Amy de Jongh Curry
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Memphis, Herff College of Engineering, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jack W Tsao
- Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.,Children's Foundation Research Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Robert S Waters
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Memphis, Herff College of Engineering, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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22
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Arakawa H. Somatosensorimotor and Odor Modification, Along with Serotonergic Processes Underlying the Social Deficits in BTBR T+ Itpr3 tf/J and BALB/cJ Mouse Models of Autism. Neuroscience 2020; 445:144-162. [PMID: 32061779 PMCID: PMC8078887 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a complex spectrum of disorders characterized by core behavioral deficits in social communicative behavior, which are also required for comprehensive analysis of preclinical mouse models. As animal models of the core behavioral deficits in autism, two inbred mouse strains, BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) and BALB/cJ (BALB), were compared with the standard social strain, C57BL/6J (B6), regarding a variety of behavioral factors underlying social communicative interactions, including olfactory and tactile sensory processes, social recognition abilities and behavioral expression strategies. Although both female BTBR and BALB mice can express social recognition and approach behavior depending on the stimuli they encounter, the available sensory modalities, along with modulation of the serotonergic system, differ between the two strains. BALB mice have deficits in using volatile olfactory cues and tactile information in a social context; they fail to exhibit a social approach to volatile cues and seek nonvolatile cues by exhibiting substantial sniff/contact behavior when allowed direct contact with social opponents. Systemic injection of the serotonin (5-HT1A) agonist buspirone has little effect on these social deficits, suggesting a congenitally degraded serotonergic system in BALB mice. In contrast, BTBR mice exhibit impaired body coordination and social motivation-modified olfactory signals, which are relevant to a reduced social approach. A systemic injection of the 5-HT1A agonist restored these social deficits in BTBR mice, indicating that a downregulated serotonergic system is involved in the social deficits exhibited by BTBR mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Rodent Behavioral Core Department of Research Administration, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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23
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Staiger JF, Petersen CCH. Neuronal Circuits in Barrel Cortex for Whisker Sensory Perception. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:353-415. [PMID: 32816652 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00019.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The array of whiskers on the snout provides rodents with tactile sensory information relating to the size, shape and texture of objects in their immediate environment. Rodents can use their whiskers to detect stimuli, distinguish textures, locate objects and navigate. Important aspects of whisker sensation are thought to result from neuronal computations in the whisker somatosensory cortex (wS1). Each whisker is individually represented in the somatotopic map of wS1 by an anatomical unit named a 'barrel' (hence also called barrel cortex). This allows precise investigation of sensory processing in the context of a well-defined map. Here, we first review the signaling pathways from the whiskers to wS1, and then discuss current understanding of the various types of excitatory and inhibitory neurons present within wS1. Different classes of cells can be defined according to anatomical, electrophysiological and molecular features. The synaptic connectivity of neurons within local wS1 microcircuits, as well as their long-range interactions and the impact of neuromodulators, are beginning to be understood. Recent technological progress has allowed cell-type-specific connectivity to be related to cell-type-specific activity during whisker-related behaviors. An important goal for future research is to obtain a causal and mechanistic understanding of how selected aspects of tactile sensory information are processed by specific types of neurons in the synaptically connected neuronal networks of wS1 and signaled to downstream brain areas, thus contributing to sensory-guided decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen F Staiger
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carl C H Petersen
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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24
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Maier E, Lauer S, Brecht M. Layer 4 organization and respiration locking in the rodent nose somatosensory cortex. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:822-832. [PMID: 32783591 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00138.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents and other mammals acquire sensory information by precisely orchestrated head, whisker, and respiratory movements. We have, however, only limited information about integration of these signals. In the somatosensory domain, the integration of somatosensory information with other modalities is particularly pertinent for body parts such as eyes, ears, and nose, which serve another modality. Here we analyzed the nose/nostril representation in the rodent somatosensory cortex. We identified the representation of the nose/nostril in the rat somatosensory cortex by receptive field mapping and subsequent histological reconstruction. In tangential somatosensory cortical sections, the rat nostril cortex was evident as a prominent stripe-like recess of layer 4 revealed by cytochrome-c oxidase reactivity or by antibodies against the vesicular glutamate-transporter-2 (identifying thalamic afferents). We compared flattened somatosensory cortices of various rodents including rats, mice, gerbils, chinchillas, and chipmunks. We found that such a nose/nostril module was evident as a region with thinned or absent layer 4 at the expected somatotopic position of the nostril. Extracellular spike activity was strongly modulated by respiration in the rat somatosensory cortex, and field potential recordings revealed a stronger locking of nostril recording sites to respiration than for whisker/barrel cortex recoding sites. We conclude that the rodent nose/nostril representation has a conserved architecture and specifically interfaces with respiration signals.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We characterized the rodent nose somatosensory cortex. The nostril representation appeared as a kind of "hole" (i.e., as a stripe-like recess of layer 4) in tangential cortical sections. Neural activity in nose somatosensory cortex was locked to respiration, and simultaneous field recordings indicate that this locking was specific to this region. Our results reveal previously unknown cytoarchitectonic and physiological properties of the rodent nose somatosensory cortex, potentially enabling it to integrate multiple sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Maier
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simon Lauer
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Brecht
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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25
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Barczak A, Haegens S, Ross DA, McGinnis T, Lakatos P, Schroeder CE. Dynamic Modulation of Cortical Excitability during Visual Active Sensing. Cell Rep 2020; 27:3447-3459.e3. [PMID: 31216467 PMCID: PMC6598687 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual physiology is traditionally investigated by presenting stimuli with gaze held constant. However, during active viewing of a scene, information is actively acquired using systematic patterns of fixations and saccades. Prior studies suggest that during such active viewing, both nonretinal, saccade-related signals and “extra-classical” receptive field inputs modulate visual processing. This study used a set of active viewing tasks that allowed us to compare visual responses with and without direct foveal input, thus isolating the contextual eye movement-related influences. Studying nonhuman primates, we find strong contextual modulation in primary visual cortex (V1): excitability and response amplification immediately after fixation onset, transiting to suppression leading up to the next saccade. Time-frequency decomposition suggests that this amplification and suppression cycle stems from a phase reset of ongoing neuronal oscillatory activity. The impact of saccade-related contextual modulation on stimulus processing makes active visual sensing fundamentally different from the more passive processes investigated in traditional paradigms. By isolating contextual eye movement-related influences during active vision, Barczak et al. show that eye movements affect excitability in V1 such that responses are amplified immediately after fixation onset and suppressed as the next saccade approaches. This amplification and suppression cycle stems from a phase reset of ambient oscillatory activity in V1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Barczak
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA.
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Departments of Neurological Surgery and Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6500HB, the Netherlands
| | - Deborah A Ross
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Tammy McGinnis
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Peter Lakatos
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Charles E Schroeder
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Departments of Neurological Surgery and Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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26
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Youlatos D, Panyutina AA, Tsinoglou M, Volodin IA. Locomotion and postures of the Vietnamese pygmy dormouse Typhlomys chapensis (Platacanthomyidae, Rodentia): climbing and leaping in the blind. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00043-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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27
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Meyer AF, O'Keefe J, Poort J. Two Distinct Types of Eye-Head Coupling in Freely Moving Mice. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2116-2130.e6. [PMID: 32413309 PMCID: PMC7284311 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Animals actively interact with their environment to gather sensory information. There is conflicting evidence about how mice use vision to sample their environment. During head restraint, mice make rapid eye movements coupled between the eyes, similar to conjugate saccadic eye movements in humans. However, when mice are free to move their heads, eye movements are more complex and often non-conjugate, with the eyes moving in opposite directions. We combined head and eye tracking in freely moving mice and found both observations are explained by two eye-head coupling types, associated with vestibular mechanisms. The first type comprised non-conjugate eye movements, which compensate for head tilt changes to maintain a similar visual field relative to the horizontal ground plane. The second type of eye movements was conjugate and coupled to head yaw rotation to produce a "saccade and fixate" gaze pattern. During head-initiated saccades, the eyes moved together in the head direction but during subsequent fixation moved in the opposite direction to the head to compensate for head rotation. This saccade and fixate pattern is similar to humans who use eye movements (with or without head movement) to rapidly shift gaze but in mice relies on combined head and eye movements. Both couplings were maintained during social interactions and visually guided object tracking. Even in head-restrained mice, eye movements were invariably associated with attempted head motion. Our results reveal that mice combine head and eye movements to sample their environment and highlight similarities and differences between eye movements in mice and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne F Meyer
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525, the Netherlands; Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), London W1T 4JG, UK.
| | - John O'Keefe
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), London W1T 4JG, UK; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jasper Poort
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), London W1T 4JG, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK.
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28
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Poeppel D, Assaneo MF. Speech rhythms and their neural foundations. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:322-334. [PMID: 32376899 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0304-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The recognition of spoken language has typically been studied by focusing on either words or their constituent elements (for example, low-level features or phonemes). More recently, the 'temporal mesoscale' of speech has been explored, specifically regularities in the envelope of the acoustic signal that correlate with syllabic information and that play a central role in production and perception processes. The temporal structure of speech at this scale is remarkably stable across languages, with a preferred range of rhythmicity of 2- 8 Hz. Importantly, this rhythmicity is required by the processes underlying the construction of intelligible speech. A lot of current work focuses on audio-motor interactions in speech, highlighting behavioural and neural evidence that demonstrates how properties of perceptual and motor systems, and their relation, can underlie the mesoscale speech rhythms. The data invite the hypothesis that the speech motor cortex is best modelled as a neural oscillator, a conjecture that aligns well with current proposals highlighting the fundamental role of neural oscillations in perception and cognition. The findings also show motor theories (of speech) in a different light, placing new mechanistic constraints on accounts of the action-perception interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Poeppel
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute, Frankfurt, Germany. .,Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - M Florencia Assaneo
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Instituto de Neurobiologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
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29
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Tsur O, Khrapunsky Y, Azouz R. Sensorimotor integration in the whisker somatosensory brain stem trigeminal loop. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:2061-2075. [PMID: 31533013 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00116.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The rodent's vibrissal system is a useful model system for studying sensorimotor integration in perception. This integration determines the way in which sensory information is acquired by sensory organs and the motor commands that control them. The initial instance of sensorimotor integration in the whisker somatosensory system is implemented in the brain stem loop and may be essential to the way rodents explore and sense their environment. To examine the nature of these sensorimotor interactions, we recorded from lightly anesthetized rats in vivo and brain stem slices in vitro and isolated specific parts of this loop. We found that motor feedback to the vibrissal pad serves as a dynamic gain controller that controls the response of first-order sensory neurons by increasing and decreasing sensitivity to lower and higher tactile stimulus magnitudes, respectively. This delicate mechanism is mediated through tactile stimulus magnitude-dependent motor feedback. Conversely, tactile inputs affect the motor whisking output through influences on the rhythmic whisking circuitry, thus changing whisking kinetics. Similarly, tactile influences also modify the whisking amplitude through synaptic and intrinsic neuronal interaction in the facial nucleus, resulting in facilitation or suppression of whisking amplitude. These results point to the vast range of mechanisms underlying sensorimotor integration in the brain stem loop.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Sensorimotor integration is a process in which sensory and motor information is combined to control the flow of sensory information, as well as to adjust the motor system output. We found in the rodent's whisker somatosensory system mutual influences between tactile inputs and motor output, in which motor neurons control the flow of sensory information depending on their magnitude. Conversely, sensory information can control the magnitude and kinetics of whisker movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Tsur
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Yana Khrapunsky
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Rony Azouz
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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30
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Whisking Asymmetry Signals Motor Preparation and the Behavioral State of Mice. J Neurosci 2019; 39:9818-9830. [PMID: 31666357 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1809-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A central function of the brain is to plan, predict, and imagine the effect of movement in a dynamically changing environment. Here we show that in mice head-fixed in a plus-maze, floating on air, and trained to pick lanes based on visual stimuli, the asymmetric movement, and position of whiskers on the two sides of the face signals whether the animal is moving, turning, expecting reward, or licking. We show that (1) whisking asymmetry is coordinated with behavioral state, and that behavioral state can be decoded and predicted based on asymmetry, (2) even in the absence of tactile input, whisker positioning and asymmetry nevertheless relate to behavioral state, and (3) movement of the nose correlates with asymmetry, indicating that facial expression of the mouse is itself correlated with behavioral state. These results indicate that the movement of whiskers, a behavior that is not instructed or necessary in the task, can inform an observer about what a mouse is doing in the maze. Thus, the position of these mobile tactile sensors reflects a behavioral and movement-preparation state of the mouse.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Behavior is a sequence of movements, where each movement can be related to or can trigger a set of other actions. Here we show that, in mice, the movement of whiskers (tactile sensors used to extract information about texture and location of objects) is coordinated with and predicts the behavioral state of mice: that is, what mice are doing, where they are in space, and where they are in the sequence of behaviors.
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31
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Adibi M. Whisker-Mediated Touch System in Rodents: From Neuron to Behavior. Front Syst Neurosci 2019; 13:40. [PMID: 31496942 PMCID: PMC6712080 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2019.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A key question in systems neuroscience is to identify how sensory stimuli are represented in neuronal activity, and how the activity of sensory neurons in turn is “read out” by downstream neurons and give rise to behavior. The choice of a proper model system to address these questions, is therefore a crucial step. Over the past decade, the increasingly powerful array of experimental approaches that has become available in non-primate models (e.g., optogenetics and two-photon imaging) has spurred a renewed interest for the use of rodent models in systems neuroscience research. Here, I introduce the rodent whisker-mediated touch system as a structurally well-established and well-organized model system which, despite its simplicity, gives rise to complex behaviors. This system serves as a behaviorally efficient model system; known as nocturnal animals, along with their olfaction, rodents rely on their whisker-mediated touch system to collect information about their surrounding environment. Moreover, this system represents a well-studied circuitry with a somatotopic organization. At every stage of processing, one can identify anatomical and functional topographic maps of whiskers; “barrelettes” in the brainstem nuclei, “barreloids” in the sensory thalamus, and “barrels” in the cortex. This article provides a brief review on the basic anatomy and function of the whisker system in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Adibi
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Tactile Perception and Learning Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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32
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Dhingra RR, Furuya WI, Bautista TG, Dick TE, Galán RF, Dutschmann M. Increasing Local Excitability of Brainstem Respiratory Nuclei Reveals a Distributed Network Underlying Respiratory Motor Pattern Formation. Front Physiol 2019; 10:887. [PMID: 31396094 PMCID: PMC6664290 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The core circuit of the respiratory central pattern generator (rCPG) is located in the ventrolateral medulla, especially in the pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC) and the neighboring Bötzinger complex (BötC). To test the hypothesis that this core circuit is embedded within an anatomically distributed pattern-generating network, we investigated whether local disinhibition of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), the Kölliker-Fuse nuclei (KFn), or the midbrain periaqueductal gray area (PAG) can similarly affect the respiratory pattern compared to disinhibition of the pre-BötC/BötC core. In arterially-perfused brainstem preparations of rats, we recorded the three-phase respiratory pattern (inspiration, post-inspiration and late-expiration) from phrenic and vagal nerves before and after bilateral microinjections of the GABA(A)R antagonist bicuculline (50 nl, 10 mM). Local disinhibition of either NTS, pre-BötC/BötC, or KFn, but not PAG, triggered qualitatively similar disruptions of the respiratory pattern resulting in a highly significant increase in the variability of the respiratory cycle length, including inspiratory and expiratory phase durations. To quantitatively analyze these motor pattern perturbations, we measured the strength of phase synchronization between phrenic and vagal motor outputs. This analysis showed that local disinhibition of all brainstem target nuclei, but not the midbrain PAG, significantly decreased the strength of phase synchronization. The convergent perturbations of the respiratory pattern suggest that the rCPG expands rostrally and dorsally from the designated core but does not include higher mid-brain structures. Our data also suggest that excitation-inhibition balance of respiratory network synaptic interactions critically determines the network dynamics that underlie vital respiratory rhythm and pattern formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishi R Dhingra
- Division of Systems Neurophysiology, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Werner I Furuya
- Division of Systems Neurophysiology, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Tara G Bautista
- Division of Systems Neurophysiology, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Thomas E Dick
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Roberto F Galán
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Mathias Dutschmann
- Division of Systems Neurophysiology, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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33
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Layer-specific integration of locomotion and sensory information in mouse barrel cortex. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2585. [PMID: 31197148 PMCID: PMC6565743 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10564-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During navigation, rodents continually sample the environment with their whiskers. How locomotion modulates neuronal activity in somatosensory cortex, and how it is integrated with whisker-touch remains unclear. Here, we compared neuronal activity in layer 2/3 (L2/3) and L5 of barrel cortex using calcium imaging in mice running in a tactile virtual reality. Both layers increase their activity during running and concomitant whisking, in the absence of touch. Fewer neurons are modulated by whisking alone. Whereas L5 neurons respond transiently to wall-touch during running, L2/3 neurons show sustained activity. Consistently, neurons encoding running-with-touch are more abundant in L2/3 and they encode the run-speed better during touch. Few neurons across layers were also sensitive to abrupt perturbations of tactile flow during running. In summary, locomotion significantly enhances barrel cortex activity across layers with L5 neurons mainly reporting changes in touch conditions and L2/3 neurons continually integrating tactile stimuli with running. The influence of locomotion on somatosensory processing in barrel cortex is not well understood. Here the authors report distinct layer-specific responses, with L5 primarily reporting changes in touch condition while L2/3 neurons integrating touch and locomotion continuously.
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34
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Imaging Cortical Dynamics in GCaMP Transgenic Rats with a Head-Mounted Widefield Macroscope. Neuron 2018; 100:1045-1058.e5. [PMID: 30482694 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Widefield imaging of calcium dynamics is an emerging method for mapping regional neural activity but is currently limited to restrained animals. Here we describe cScope, a head-mounted widefield macroscope developed to image large-scale cortical dynamics in rats during natural behavior. cScope provides a 7.8 × 4 mm field of view and dual illumination paths for both fluorescence and hemodynamic correction and can be fabricated at low cost using readily attainable components. We also report the development of Thy-1 transgenic rat strains with widespread neuronal expression of the calcium indicator GCaMP6f. We combined these two technologies to image large-scale calcium dynamics in the dorsal neocortex during a visual evidence accumulation task. Quantitative analysis of task-related dynamics revealed multiple regions having neural signals that encode behavioral choice and sensory evidence. Our results provide a new transgenic resource for calcium imaging in rats and extend the domain of head-mounted microscopes to larger-scale cortical dynamics. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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35
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Tran CHT, Peringod G, Gordon GR. Astrocytes Integrate Behavioral State and Vascular Signals during Functional Hyperemia. Neuron 2018; 100:1133-1148.e3. [PMID: 30482689 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic changes in astrocyte free Ca2+ regulate synaptic signaling and local blood flow. Although astrocytes are poised to integrate signals from synapses and the vasculature to perform their functional roles, it remains unclear what dictates astrocyte responses during neurovascular coupling under realistic conditions. We examined peri-arteriole and peri-capillary astrocytes in the barrel cortex of active mice in response to sensory stimulation or volitional behaviors. We observed an AMPA and NMDA receptor-dependent elevation in astrocyte endfoot Ca2+ that followed functional hyperemia onset. This delayed astrocyte Ca2+ signal was dependent on the animal's action at the time of measurement as well as a neurovascular pathway that linked to endothelial-derived nitric oxide. A similar elevation in endfoot Ca2+ was evoked using vascular chemogenetics or optogenetics, and opto-stimulated dilation recruited the same nitric oxide pathway as functional hyperemia. These data show that behavioral state and microvasculature influence astrocyte Ca2+ in active mice. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cam Ha T Tran
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Govind Peringod
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Grant R Gordon
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
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36
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Corcoran AW, Pezzulo G, Hohwy J. Commentary: Respiration-Entrained Brain Rhythms Are Global but Often Overlooked. Front Syst Neurosci 2018; 12:25. [PMID: 29937718 PMCID: PMC6003246 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2018.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W. Corcoran
- Cognition and Philosophy Laboratory, School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Giovanni Pezzulo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Jakob Hohwy
- Cognition and Philosophy Laboratory, School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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37
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Abstract
The animal kingdom contains species with a wide variety of sensory systems that have been selected to function in different environmental niches, but that are also subject to modification by experience during an organism’s lifetime. The modification of such systems by experience is often called perceptual learning. In rodents, the classic example of perceptual learning is the observation that simple preexposure to two visual stimuli facilitates a subsequent (reinforced) discrimination between them. However, until recently very little behavioral research had investigated perceptual learning with tactile stimuli in rodents, in marked contrast to the wealth of information about plasticity in the rodent somatosensory system. Here we present a selective review of behavioral analyses of perceptual learning with tactile stimuli, alongside evidence concerning the potential bases of such effects within the somatosensory system.
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Parallel detection of theta and respiration-coupled oscillations throughout the mouse brain. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6432. [PMID: 29691421 PMCID: PMC5915406 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24629-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Slow brain oscillations are usually coherent over long distances and thought to link distributed cell assemblies. In mice, theta (5–10 Hz) stands as one of the most studied slow rhythms. However, mice often breathe at theta frequency, and we recently reported that nasal respiration leads to local field potential (LFP) oscillations that are independent of theta. Namely, we showed respiration-coupled oscillations in the hippocampus, prelimbic cortex, and parietal cortex, suggesting that respiration could impose a global brain rhythm. Here we extend these findings by analyzing LFPs from 15 brain regions recorded simultaneously with respiration during exploration and REM sleep. We find that respiration-coupled oscillations can be detected in parallel with theta in several neocortical regions, from prefrontal to visual areas, and also in subcortical structures such as the thalamus, amygdala and ventral hippocampus. They might have escaped attention in previous studies due to the absence of respiration monitoring, the similarity with theta oscillations, and the highly variable peak frequency. We hypothesize that respiration-coupled oscillations constitute a global brain rhythm suited to entrain distributed networks into a common regime. However, whether their widespread presence reflects local network activity or is due to volume conduction remains to be determined.
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39
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Baertsch NA, Baertsch HC, Ramirez JM. The interdependence of excitation and inhibition for the control of dynamic breathing rhythms. Nat Commun 2018; 9:843. [PMID: 29483589 PMCID: PMC5827754 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03223-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The preBötzinger Complex (preBötC), a medullary network critical for breathing, relies on excitatory interneurons to generate the inspiratory rhythm. Yet, half of preBötC neurons are inhibitory, and the role of inhibition in rhythmogenesis remains controversial. Using optogenetics and electrophysiology in vitro and in vivo, we demonstrate that the intrinsic excitability of excitatory neurons is reduced following large depolarizing inspiratory bursts. This refractory period limits the preBötC to very slow breathing frequencies. Inhibition integrated within the network is required to prevent overexcitation of preBötC neurons, thereby regulating the refractory period and allowing rapid breathing. In vivo, sensory feedback inhibition also regulates the refractory period, and in slowly breathing mice with sensory feedback removed, activity of inhibitory, but not excitatory, neurons restores breathing to physiological frequencies. We conclude that excitation and inhibition are interdependent for the breathing rhythm, because inhibition permits physiological preBötC bursting by controlling refractory properties of excitatory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Andrew Baertsch
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Avenue JMB10, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Hans Christopher Baertsch
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Avenue JMB10, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Jan Marino Ramirez
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Avenue JMB10, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, 1900 9th Avenue, JMB10, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, 1900 9th Avenue, JMB10, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
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40
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McCarson KE, Winter MK, Abrahamson DR, Berman NE, Smith PG. Assessing complex movement behaviors in rodent models of neurological disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 165:106817. [PMID: 29476821 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral phenotyping is a crucial step in validating animal models of human disease. Most traditional behavioral analyses rely on investigator observation of animal subjects, which can be confounded by inter-observer variability, scoring consistency, and the ability to observe extremely rapid, small, or repetitive movements. Force-Plate Actimeter (FPA)-based assessments can quantify locomotor activity and detailed motor activity with an incredibly rich data stream that can reveal details of movement unobservable by the naked eye. This report describes four specific examples of FPA analysis of behavior that have been useful in specific rat or mouse models of human neurological disease, which show how FPA analysis can be used to capture and quantify specific features of the complex behavioral phenotypes of these animal models. The first example quantifies nociceptive behavior of the rat following injection of formalin into the footpad as a common model of persistent inflammatory pain. The second uses actimetry to quantify intense, rapid circling behaviors in a transgenic mouse that overexpresses human laminin α5, a basement membrane protein. The third example assesses place preference behaviors in a rat model of migraine headache modeling phonophobia and photophobia. In the fourth example, FPA analysis revealed a unique movement signature emerged with age in a digenic mutant mouse model of Tourette Syndrome. Taken together, these approaches demonstrate the power and usefulness of the FPA in the examination and quantification of minute details of motor behaviors, greatly expanding the scope and detail of behavioral phenotyping of preclinical models of human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth E McCarson
- Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
| | - Michelle K Winter
- Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Dale R Abrahamson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Nancy E Berman
- Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Peter G Smith
- Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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41
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Han Z, Zhang X, Zhu J, Chen Y, Li CT. High-Throughput Automatic Training System for Odor-Based Learned Behaviors in Head-Fixed Mice. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:15. [PMID: 29487506 PMCID: PMC5816819 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding neuronal mechanisms of learned behaviors requires efficient behavioral assays. We designed a high-throughput automatic training system (HATS) for olfactory behaviors in head-fixed mice. The hardware and software were constructed to enable automatic training with minimal human intervention. The integrated system was composed of customized 3D-printing supporting components, an odor-delivery unit with fast response, Arduino based hardware-controlling and data-acquisition unit. Furthermore, the customized software was designed to enable automatic training in all training phases, including lick-teaching, shaping and learning. Using HATS, we trained mice to perform delayed non-match to sample (DNMS), delayed paired association (DPA), Go/No-go (GNG), and GNG reversal tasks. These tasks probed cognitive functions including sensory discrimination, working memory, decision making and cognitive flexibility. Mice reached stable levels of performance within several days in the tasks. HATS enabled an experimenter to train eight mice simultaneously, therefore greatly enhanced the experimental efficiency. Combined with causal perturbation and activity recording techniques, HATS can greatly facilitate our understanding of the neural-circuitry mechanisms underlying learned behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Han
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yulei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengyu T Li
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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42
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PANYUTINA AA, KUZNETSOV AN, VOLODIN IA, ABRAMOV AV, SOLDATOVA IB. A blind climber: The first evidence of ultrasonic echolocation in arboreal mammals. Integr Zool 2017; 12:172-184. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra A. PANYUTINA
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow Russia
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
| | - Alexander N. KUZNETSOV
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
| | - Ilya A. VOLODIN
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
- Scientific Research Department; Moscow Zoo; Moscow Russia
| | - Alexei V. ABRAMOV
- Zoological Institute; Russian Academy of Sciences; Saint Petersburg Russia
- Joint Vietnam-Russian Tropical Research and Technological Centre; Hanoi Vietnam
| | - Irina B. SOLDATOVA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
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43
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Kurnikova A, Moore JD, Liao SM, Deschênes M, Kleinfeld D. Coordination of Orofacial Motor Actions into Exploratory Behavior by Rat. Curr Biol 2017; 27:688-696. [PMID: 28216320 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The delineation of sensorimotor circuits that guide exploration begins with an understanding of the pattern of motor outputs [1]. These motor patterns provide a clue to the form of the underlying circuits [2-4] (but see [5]). We focus on the behaviors that rodents use to explore their peripersonal space through goal-directed positioning of their nose, head, and vibrissae. Rodents sniff in response to novel odors, reward expectation, and as part of social interactions [6-12]. Sniffing serves olfaction [13, 14], while whisking synchronized to sniffing serves vibrissa-based touch [6, 15, 16]. We quantify the ethology of exploratory nose and head movements in relation to breathing. We find that sniffing is accompanied by prominent lateral and vertical deflections of the nose, i.e., twitches, which are driven by activation of the deflector nasi muscles [17]. On the timescale of individual breaths, nose motion is rhythmic and has a maximum deflection following the onset of inspiration. On a longer timescale, excursions of the nose persist for several breaths and are accompanied by an asymmetry in vibrissa positioning toward the same side of the face. Such directed deflections can be triggered by a lateralized source of odor. Lastly, bobbing of the head as the animal cranes and explores is phase-locked to sniffing and to movement of the nose. These data, along with prior results on the resetting of the whisk cycle at the onset of inspiration [15, 16, 18], reveal that the onset of each breath initiates a "snapshot" of the orofacial sensory environment. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kurnikova
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Moore
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Song-Mao Liao
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Martin Deschênes
- Centre de Recherche Université Laval Robert-Giffard, Québec City, Québec G1J 2R3, Canada
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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44
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Noble DJ, MacDowell CJ, McKinnon ML, Neblett TI, Goolsby WN, Hochman S. Use of electric field sensors for recording respiration, heart rate, and stereotyped motor behaviors in the rodent home cage. J Neurosci Methods 2016; 277:88-100. [PMID: 27993527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous environmental and genetic factors can contribute significantly to behavioral and cardiorespiratory variability observed experimentally. Affordable technologies that allow for noninvasive home cage capture of physio-behavioral variables should enhance understanding of inter-animal variability including after experimental interventions. NEW METHOD We assessed whether EPIC electric field sensors (Plessey Semiconductors) embedded within or attached externally to a rodent's home cage could accurately record respiration, heart rate, and motor behaviors. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Current systems for quantification of behavioral variables require expensive specialty equipment, while measures of respiratory and heart rate are often provided by surgically implanted or chronically affixed devices. RESULTS Sensors accurately encoded imposed sinusoidal changes in electric field tested at frequencies ranging from 0.5-100Hz. Mini-metronome arm movements were easily detected, but response magnitude was highly distance dependent. Sensors accurately reported respiration during whole-body plethysmography. In anesthetized rodents, PVC tube-embedded sensors provided accurate mechanical detection of both respiratory and heart rate. Comparable success was seen in naturally behaving animals at rest or sleeping when sensors were attached externally. Video-verified motor behaviors (sniffing, grooming, chewing, and rearing) were detectable and largely separable by their characteristic voltage fluctuations. Larger movement-related events had comparably larger voltage dynamics that easily allowed for a broad approximation of overall motor activity. Spectrograms were used to quickly depict characteristic frequencies in long-lasting recordings, while filtering and thresholding software allowed for detection and quantification of movement-related physio-behavioral events. CONCLUSIONS EPIC electric field sensors provide a means for affordable non-contact home cage detection of physio-behavioral variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald J Noble
- Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 30322 Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Camden J MacDowell
- Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 30322 Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Michael L McKinnon
- Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 30322 Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tamra I Neblett
- Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 30322 Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - William N Goolsby
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, 30322 Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shawn Hochman
- Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 30322 Atlanta, GA, United States.
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45
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Significance of sniffing pattern during the acquisition of an olfactory discrimination task. Behav Brain Res 2016; 312:341-54. [PMID: 27343936 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Active sampling of olfactory environment consists of sniffing in rodents. The importance of sniffing dynamics is well established at the neuronal and behavioral levels. Patterns of sniffing have been shown to be modulated by the physicochemical properties of odorants, particularly concentration and sorption. Sniffing is also heavily impacted by higher processing related to the behavioral context, emotion and attentional demand. However, how the pattern of sniffing evolves over the course of learning of an experimental olfactory conditioning is still poorly understood. We tested this question by monitoring sniffing activity, using a whole-body plethysmograph, on rats performing a two-alternative choice odor discrimination task. We followed sniff variations at different learning stages (naïve, well-trained, expert). We found that during the acquisition of an odor discrimination task, rats acquired a global sniffing pattern, independent of the odor pair used. This pattern consists of a longer sampling duration, a higher sniffing frequency, and a larger amplitude. In parallel, subtle differences of sniffing between the two odors of a pair were also observed. This sniffing behavior was not only associated with a better and faster acquisition of the discrimination task but was also transferred to other odor sets and refined after a long-term pause so as to reduce the sampling duration and maintain a specific sniffing frequency. Our results provide additional arguments that sniffing is a complex sensorimotor act that is strongly affected by olfactory learning.
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46
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Yamashita T, Petersen CC. Target-specific membrane potential dynamics of neocortical projection neurons during goal-directed behavior. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27328320 PMCID: PMC4915810 DOI: 10.7554/elife.15798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Goal-directed behavior involves distributed neuronal circuits in the mammalian brain, including diverse regions of neocortex. However, the cellular basis of long-range cortico-cortical signaling during goal-directed behavior is poorly understood. Here, we recorded membrane potential of excitatory layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in primary somatosensory barrel cortex (S1) projecting to either primary motor cortex (M1) or secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) during a whisker detection task, in which thirsty mice learn to lick for water reward in response to a whisker deflection. Whisker stimulation in ‘Good performer’ mice, but not ‘Naive’ mice, evoked long-lasting biphasic depolarization correlated with task performance in S2-projecting (S2-p) neurons, but not M1-projecting (M1-p) neurons. Furthermore, S2-p neurons, but not M1-p neurons, became excited during spontaneous unrewarded licking in ‘Good performer’ mice, but not in ‘Naive’ mice. Thus, a learning-induced, projection-specific signal from S1 to S2 may contribute to goal-directed sensorimotor transformation of whisker sensation into licking motor output. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15798.001 Many animals can learn quickly to associate specific behaviors with rewards, such as food. Often, the animal’s senses of smell, taste, and touch trigger the behavior, and this allows an animal to respond favorably to changes in its environments. However, it is not clear exactly what happens in the animal’s brain to reinforce a behavior that ends in a reward, or how its senses help trigger the rewarding behavior. Yamashita and Petersen have now studied what happens in the brains of mice that were taught to complete a task to get a reward. In the training, thirsty mice learned that they would receive a reward of water if they licked a water spout after they were briefly touched on one of their whiskers. Then, Yamashita and Petersen measured electrical changes in the brain cells of the trained mice and compared those with measurements from the brain cells of untrained mice. The measurements specifically focused on the brain cells that receive sensory information from the whiskers. These cells are in a region of the brain called the primary sensory cortex, which is known to help mice carry out the task. This brain area in turn sends signals to many downstream areas of the brain. Yamashita and Petersen found that learning the task appeared to enhance the signaling of some cells in this area of the mouse brain. However, this was only the case for the cells that send signals to a region of the brain that further processes the sensory information (the so-called secondary sensory cortex). Other cells that are intermingled in this region but send signals to the part of the brain that controls movement (the motor cortex) were not affected in this way. Together the data suggest that routing signals from the primary sensory cortex to specific downstream areas might allow animals to learn tasks that depend on responding to sensory cues. More studies are now needed to understand exactly how these signals are generated and whether they contribute to triggering the licking behavior in the mice. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15798.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Yamashita
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Carl Ch Petersen
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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47
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Circuits in the Ventral Medulla That Phase-Lock Motoneurons for Coordinated Sniffing and Whisking. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:7493048. [PMID: 27293905 PMCID: PMC4887653 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7493048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The exploratory behavior of rodents is characterized by stereotypical movements of the vibrissae, nose, and head, which are phase locked with rapid respiration, that is, sniffing. Here we review the brainstem circuitry that coordinates these actions and propose that respiration may act as a master clock for binding orofacial inputs across different sensory modalities.
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48
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Activity in the rat olfactory cortex is correlated with behavioral response to odor: a microPET study. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 222:577-586. [PMID: 27194619 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1235-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
How olfactory cortical areas interpret odor maps evoked in the olfactory bulb and translate odor information into behavioral responses is still largely unknown. Indeed, rat olfactory cortices encompass an extensive network located in the ventral part of the brain, thus complicating the use of invasive functional methods. In vivo imaging techniques that were previously developed for brain activation studies in humans have been adapted for use in rodents and facilitate the non-invasive mapping of the whole brain. In this study, we report an initial series of experiments designed to demonstrate that microPET is a powerful tool to investigate the neural processes underlying odor-induced behavioral response in a large-scale olfactory neuronal network. After the intravenous injection of [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG), awake rats were placed in a ventilated Plexiglas cage for 50 min, where odorants were delivered every 3 min for a 10-s duration in a random order. Individual behavioral responses to odor were classified into categories ranging from 1 (head movements associated with a short sniffing period in response to a few stimulations) to 4 (a strong reaction, including rearing, exploring and sustained sniffing activity, to several stimulations). After [18F]FDG uptake, rats were anesthetized to perform a PET scan. This experimental session was repeated 2 weeks later using the same animals without odor stimulation to assess the baseline level of activation in each individual. Two voxel-based statistical analyses (SPM 8) were performed: (1) a two-sample paired t test analysis contrasting baseline versus odor scan and (2) a correlation analysis between voxel FDG activity and behavioral score. As expected, the contrast analysis between baseline and odor session revealed activations in various olfactory cortical areas. Significant increases in glucose metabolism were also observed in other sensory cortical areas involved in whisker movement and in several modules of the cerebellum involved in motor and sensory function. Correlation analysis provided new insight into these results. [18F]FDG uptake was correlated with behavioral response in a large part of the anterior piriform cortex and in some lobules of the cerebellum, in agreement with the previous data showing that both piriform cortex and cerebellar activity in humans can be driven by sniffing activity, which was closely related to the high behavioral scores observed in our experiment. The present data demonstrate that microPET imaging offers an original perspective for rat behavioral neuroimaging.
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49
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Deschênes M, Takatoh J, Kurnikova A, Moore JD, Demers M, Elbaz M, Furuta T, Wang F, Kleinfeld D. Inhibition, Not Excitation, Drives Rhythmic Whisking. Neuron 2016; 90:374-87. [PMID: 27041498 PMCID: PMC4929009 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sniffing and whisking typify the exploratory behavior of rodents. These actions involve separate oscillators in the medulla, located respectively in the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) and the vibrissa-related region of the intermediate reticular formation (vIRt). We examine how these oscillators synergize to control sniffing and whisking. We find that the vIRt contains glycinergic/GABAergic cells that rhythmically inhibit vibrissa facial motoneurons. As a basis for the entrainment of whisking by breathing, but not vice versa, we provide evidence for unidirectional connections from the preBötC to the vIRt. The preBötC further contributes to the control of the mystacial pad. Lastly, we show that bilateral synchrony of whisking relies on the respiratory rhythm, consistent with commissural connections between preBötC cells. These data yield a putative circuit in which the preBötC acts as a master clock for the synchronization of vibrissa, pad, and snout movements, as well as for the bilateral synchronization of whisking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Deschênes
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec City, QC G1J 2R3, Canada.
| | - Jun Takatoh
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Anastasia Kurnikova
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Moore
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Maxime Demers
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec City, QC G1J 2R3, Canada
| | - Michael Elbaz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec City, QC G1J 2R3, Canada
| | - Takahiro Furuta
- Department of Morphological Brain Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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50
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Hobbs JA, Towal RB, Hartmann MJZ. Evidence for Functional Groupings of Vibrissae across the Rodent Mystacial Pad. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1004109. [PMID: 26745501 PMCID: PMC4706419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
During natural exploration, rats exhibit two particularly conspicuous vibrissal-mediated behaviors: they follow along walls, and “dab” their snouts on the ground at frequencies related to the whisking cycle. In general, the walls and ground may be located at any distance from, and at any orientation relative to, the rat’s head, which raises the question of how the rat might determine the position and orientation of these surfaces. Previous studies have compellingly demonstrated that rats can accurately determine the horizontal angle at which a vibrissa first touches an object, and we therefore asked whether this parameter could provide the rat with information about the pitch, distance, and yaw of a surface relative to its head. We used a three-dimensional model of the whisker array to construct mappings between the horizontal angle of contact of each vibrissa and every possible (pitch, distance, and yaw) configuration of the head relative to a flat surface. The mappings revealed striking differences in the patterns of contact for vibrissae in different regions of the array. The exterior (A, D, E) rows provide information about the relative pitch of the surface regardless of distance. The interior (B, C) rows provide distance cues regardless of head pitch. Yaw is linearly correlated with the difference between the number of right and left whiskers touching the surface. Compared to the long reaches that whiskers can make to the side and below the rat, the reachable distance in front of the rat’s nose is relatively small. We confirmed key predictions of these functional groupings in a behavioral experiment that monitored the contact patterns that the vibrissae made with a flat vertical surface. These results suggest that vibrissae in different regions of the array are not interchangeable sensors, but rather functionally grouped to acquire particular types of information about the environment. Animals do not passively sense the world. They actively move their sensors to acquire the information best suited to their current behavioral needs. Thus, to study neural processing in any sensory system, it is critical to determine the spatiotemporal structure of the inputs to that system. The rat whisker system is a well-studied model of active sensing because rats rhythmically brush and tap their vibrissae against objects during tactual exploration. To date, however, the patterns of sensory input during vibrisso-tactile exploration have not been quantified. This study quantifies some of the statistics of vibrissal-surface contact, focusing specifically on the angle of contact with a flat surface. Given that during exploration the rat could encounter a surface at any position and orientation relative to its head, we simulated the spatial patterns of vibrissal contact for all possible head-surface configurations. Results reveal functional groupings of whiskers across the array, with different whiskers being better suited for different aspects of tactile sensory tasks than others. Key predictions of the simulations were validated in a behavioral experiment that monitored vibrissal contact patterns with a flat wall. These results provide some of the first quantitative insights into the “natural tactile scene” for the vibrisso-trigeminal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Hobbs
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - R. Blythe Towal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Mitra J. Z. Hartmann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
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