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Redman WT, Acosta-Mendoza S, Wei XX, Goard MJ. Robust variability of grid cell properties within individual grid modules enhances encoding of local space. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582373. [PMID: 38915504 PMCID: PMC11195105 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Although grid cells are one of the most well studied functional classes of neurons in the mammalian brain, the assumption that there is a single grid orientation and spacing per grid module has not been carefully tested. We investigate and analyze a recent large-scale recording of medial entorhinal cortex to characterize the presence and degree of heterogeneity of grid properties within individual modules. We find evidence for small, but robust, variability and hypothesize that this property of the grid code could enhance the ability of encoding local spatial information. Performing analysis on synthetic populations of grid cells, where we have complete control over the amount heterogeneity in grid properties, we demonstrate that variability, of a similar magnitude to the analyzed data, leads to significantly decreased decoding error, even when restricted to activity from a single module. Our results highlight how the heterogeneity of the neural response properties may benefit coding and opens new directions for theoretical and experimental analysis of grid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T Redman
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Dynamical Neuroscience, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Intelligent Systems Center, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
| | - Santiago Acosta-Mendoza
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Dynamical Neuroscience, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Xue-Xin Wei
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin
- Center for Perceptual Systems, The University of Texas at Austin
- Center for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Michael J Goard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara
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2
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Reinshagen A. Grid cells: the missing link in understanding Parkinson's disease? Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1276714. [PMID: 38389787 PMCID: PMC10881698 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1276714] [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: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease (PD) are complex and not fully understood, and the box-and-arrow model among other current models present significant challenges. This paper explores the potential role of the allocentric brain and especially its grid cells in several PD motor symptoms, including bradykinesia, kinesia paradoxa, freezing of gait, the bottleneck phenomenon, and their dependency on cueing. It is argued that central hubs, like the locus coeruleus and the pedunculopontine nucleus, often narrowly interpreted in the context of PD, play an equally important role in governing the allocentric brain as the basal ganglia. Consequently, the motor and secondary motor (e.g., spatially related) symptoms of PD linked with dopamine depletion may be more closely tied to erroneous computation by grid cells than to the basal ganglia alone. Because grid cells and their associated central hubs introduce both spatial and temporal information to the brain influencing velocity perception they may cause bradykinesia or hyperkinesia as well. In summary, PD motor symptoms may primarily be an allocentric disturbance resulting from virtual faulty computation by grid cells revealed by dopamine depletion in PD.
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3
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Parra-Barrero E, Vijayabaskaran S, Seabrook E, Wiskott L, Cheng S. A map of spatial navigation for neuroscience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105200. [PMID: 37178943 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105200] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Spatial navigation has received much attention from neuroscientists, leading to the identification of key brain areas and the discovery of numerous spatially selective cells. Despite this progress, our understanding of how the pieces fit together to drive behavior is generally lacking. We argue that this is partly caused by insufficient communication between behavioral and neuroscientific researchers. This has led the latter to under-appreciate the relevance and complexity of spatial behavior, and to focus too narrowly on characterizing neural representations of space-disconnected from the computations these representations are meant to enable. We therefore propose a taxonomy of navigation processes in mammals that can serve as a common framework for structuring and facilitating interdisciplinary research in the field. Using the taxonomy as a guide, we review behavioral and neural studies of spatial navigation. In doing so, we validate the taxonomy and showcase its usefulness in identifying potential issues with common experimental approaches, designing experiments that adequately target particular behaviors, correctly interpreting neural activity, and pointing to new avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloy Parra-Barrero
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sandhiya Vijayabaskaran
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Eddie Seabrook
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Laurenz Wiskott
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sen Cheng
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
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4
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Ginosar G, Aljadeff J, Las L, Derdikman D, Ulanovsky N. Are grid cells used for navigation? On local metrics, subjective spaces, and black holes. Neuron 2023; 111:1858-1875. [PMID: 37044087 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The symmetric, lattice-like spatial pattern of grid-cell activity is thought to provide a neuronal global metric for space. This view is compatible with grid cells recorded in empty boxes but inconsistent with data from more naturalistic settings. We review evidence arguing against the global-metric notion, including the distortion and disintegration of the grid pattern in complex and three-dimensional environments. We argue that deviations from lattice symmetry are key for understanding grid-cell function. We propose three possible functions for grid cells, which treat real-world grid distortions as a feature rather than a bug. First, grid cells may constitute a local metric for proximal space rather than a global metric for all space. Second, grid cells could form a metric for subjective action-relevant space rather than physical space. Third, distortions may represent salient locations. Finally, we discuss mechanisms that can underlie these functions. These ideas may transform our thinking about grid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gily Ginosar
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Johnatan Aljadeff
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Liora Las
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Dori Derdikman
- Department of Neuroscience, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel.
| | - Nachum Ulanovsky
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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5
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Morris G, Derdikman D. The chicken and egg problem of grid cells and place cells. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:125-138. [PMID: 36437188 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Place cells and grid cells are major building blocks of the hippocampal cognitive map. The prominent forward model postulates that grid-cell modules are generated by a continuous attractor network; that a velocity signal evoked during locomotion moves entorhinal activity bumps; and that place-cell activity constitutes summation of entorhinal grid-cell modules. Experimental data support the first postulate, but not the latter two. Several families of solutions that depart from these postulates have been put forward. We suggest a modified model (spatial modulation continuous attractor network; SCAN), whereby place cells are generated from spatially selective nongrid cells. Locomotion causes these cells to move the hippocampal activity bump, leading to movement of the entorhinal manifolds. Such inversion accords with the shift of hippocampal thought from navigation to more abstract functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genela Morris
- Department of Neuroscience, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Dori Derdikman
- Department of Neuroscience, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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6
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Jeffery KJ. Symmetries and asymmetries in the neural encoding of 3D space. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210452. [PMID: 36511410 PMCID: PMC9745873 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0452] [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] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural coding of space centres on three foundational cell types: place cells, head direction cells and grid cells. One notable characteristic of these neurons is the symmetry properties of their spatial firing patterns. In symmetric environments, firing patterns are often also symmetric: for example, place cells show translational symmetry in aligned sub-compartments of a multi-compartment environment. A single head direction cell has a mirror-symmetric firing pattern, while a sub-class of head direction cells can show multi-fold rotational symmetries in multi-compartment environments, matching the symmetry of the recently experienced environment. The entorhinal grid cells are notable for the symmetry of their firing patterns in both rotational and translational domains. However, these symmetries are broken in a variety of situations. These symmetry-making and -breaking observations shed light on the underlying computations that generate these firing patterns, and also invite speculation as to whether they may have a functional role. This article outlines these findings and speculates on the consequences of the resultant firing symmetries and asymmetries for spatial coding and cognition. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'New approaches to 3D vision'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate J. Jeffery
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK
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7
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Sharma A, Nair IR, Yoganarasimha D. Attractor-like Dynamics in the Subicular Complex. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7594-7614. [PMID: 36028315 PMCID: PMC9546466 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2048-20.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Distinct computations are performed at multiple brain regions during the encoding of spatial environments. Neural representations in the hippocampal, entorhinal, and head direction (HD) networks during spatial navigation have been clearly documented, while the representational properties of the subicular complex (SC) are relatively underexplored, although it has extensive anatomic connections with various brain regions involved in spatial information processing. We simultaneously recorded single units from different subregions of the SC in male rats while they ran clockwise on a centrally placed textured circular track (four different textures, each covering a quadrant), surrounded by six distal cues. The neural activity was monitored in standard sessions by maintaining the same configuration between the cues, while in cue manipulation sessions, the distal and local cues were either rotated in opposite directions to create a mismatch between them or the distal cues were removed. We report a highly coherent neural representation of the environment and a robust coupling between the HD cells and the spatial cells in the SC, strikingly different from previous reports of coupling between cells from co-recorded sites. Neural representations were (1) originally governed by the distal cues under local-distal cue-conflict conditions, (2) controlled by the local cues in the absence of distal cues, and (3) governed by the cues that are perceived to be stable. We propose that such attractor-like dynamics in the SC might play a critical role in the orientation of spatial representations, thus providing a "reference map" of the environment for further processing by other networks.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The subicular complex (SC) receives major inputs from the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus, and head direction (HD) information directly from the HD system. Using cue-conflict experiments, we studied the hierarchical representation of the local and distal cues in the SC to understand its role in the cognitive map, and report a highly coherent neural representation with robust coupling between the HD cells and the spatial cells in different subregions of the SC exhibiting attractor-like dynamics unaffected by the cue manipulations, strikingly different from previous reports of coupling between cells from co-recorded sites. This unique feature may allow the SC to function as a single computational unit during the representation of space, which may serve as a reference map of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apoorv Sharma
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Haryana 122051, India
| | - Indrajith R Nair
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Haryana 122051, India
| | - Doreswamy Yoganarasimha
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560029, India
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8
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Moon HJ, Gauthier B, Park HD, Faivre N, Blanke O. Sense of self impacts spatial navigation and hexadirectional coding in human entorhinal cortex. Commun Biol 2022; 5:406. [PMID: 35501331 PMCID: PMC9061856 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03361-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Grid cells in entorhinal cortex (EC) encode an individual's location in space and rely on environmental cues and self-motion cues derived from the individual's body. Body-derived signals are also primary signals for the sense of self and based on integrated sensorimotor signals (proprioceptive, tactile, visual, motor) that have been shown to enhance self-centered processing. However, it is currently unknown whether such sensorimotor signals that modulate self-centered processing impact grid cells and spatial navigation. Integrating the online manipulation of bodily signals, to modulate self-centered processing, with a spatial navigation task and an fMRI measure to detect grid cell-like representation (GCLR) in humans, we report improved performance in spatial navigation and decreased GCLR in EC. This decrease in entorhinal GCLR was associated with an increase in retrosplenial cortex activity, which was correlated with participants' navigation performance. These data link self-centered processes during spatial navigation to entorhinal and retrosplenial activity and highlight the role of different bodily factors at play when navigating in VR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuk-June Moon
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Bionics, Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Baptiste Gauthier
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hyeong-Dong Park
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, Shuang-Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Nathan Faivre
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,University Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
| | - Olaf Blanke
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland. .,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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9
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Rueckemann JW, Sosa M, Giocomo LM, Buffalo EA. The grid code for ordered experience. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:637-649. [PMID: 34453151 PMCID: PMC9371942 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00499-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Entorhinal cortical grid cells fire in a periodic pattern that tiles space, which is suggestive of a spatial coordinate system. However, irregularities in the grid pattern as well as responses of grid cells in contexts other than spatial navigation have presented a challenge to existing models of entorhinal function. In this Perspective, we propose that hippocampal input provides a key informative drive to the grid network in both spatial and non-spatial circumstances, particularly around salient events. We build on previous models in which neural activity propagates through the entorhinal-hippocampal network in time. This temporal contiguity in network activity points to temporal order as a necessary characteristic of representations generated by the hippocampal formation. We advocate that interactions in the entorhinal-hippocampal loop build a topological representation that is rooted in the temporal order of experience. In this way, the structure of grid cell firing supports a learned topology rather than a rigid coordinate frame that is bound to measurements of the physical world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon W Rueckemann
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Marielena Sosa
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A Buffalo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
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10
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Piray P, Daw ND. Linear reinforcement learning in planning, grid fields, and cognitive control. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4942. [PMID: 34400622 PMCID: PMC8368103 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25123-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
It is thought that the brain’s judicious reuse of previous computation underlies our ability to plan flexibly, but also that inappropriate reuse gives rise to inflexibilities like habits and compulsion. Yet we lack a complete, realistic account of either. Building on control engineering, here we introduce a model for decision making in the brain that reuses a temporally abstracted map of future events to enable biologically-realistic, flexible choice at the expense of specific, quantifiable biases. It replaces the classic nonlinear, model-based optimization with a linear approximation that softly maximizes around (and is weakly biased toward) a default policy. This solution demonstrates connections between seemingly disparate phenomena across behavioral neuroscience, notably flexible replanning with biases and cognitive control. It also provides insight into how the brain can represent maps of long-distance contingencies stably and componentially, as in entorhinal response fields, and exploit them to guide choice even under changing goals. Models of decision making have so far been unable to account for how humans’ choices can be flexible yet efficient. Here the authors present a linear reinforcement learning model which explains both flexibility, and rare limitations such as habits, as arising from efficient approximate computation
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Affiliation(s)
- Payam Piray
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Nathaniel D Daw
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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11
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Poth M, Herz AVM. Burst activity plays no role in the field-to-field variability and rate remapping of grid cells. Hippocampus 2021; 31:1128-1136. [PMID: 34314076 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Grid cells in rodent medial entorhinal cortex are thought to play a key role for spatial navigation. When the animal is freely moving in an open arena the firing fields of each grid cell tend to form a highly regular, hexagonal lattice spanning the environment. However, firing rates vary from field to field and change under contextual modifications, whereas the field locations shift at most by a small amount under such "rate remapping." The observed differences in firing rate could reflect overall activity changes or changes in the detailed spike-train statistics. As these two alternatives imply distinct neural coding schemes, we investigated whether temporal firing patterns vary from field to field and whether they change under rate remapping. Focusing on short time scales, we found that the proportion of bursts compared to all discharge events is similar in all firing fields of a given grid cell and does not change under rate remapping. For each cell, mean firing rates with bursts are proportional to mean firing rates without bursts. However, this ratio varies across cells. Additionally, we looked at how rate remapping relates to entorhinal theta-frequency oscillations. Theta-phase coding was preserved despite firing-rate changes from rate remapping but we did not observe differences between the first and second half of the theta cycle, as had been reported for CA1. Our results indicate that both, the heterogeneity between firing fields and rate remapping, are not due to altered firing patterns on short time scales but reflect location-specific changes at the firing-rate level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Poth
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich and Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Andreas V M Herz
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich and Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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12
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Learning an Efficient Hippocampal Place Map from Entorhinal Inputs Using Non-Negative Sparse Coding. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0557-20.2021. [PMID: 34162691 PMCID: PMC8266216 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0557-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells in the entorhinal cortex (EC) contain rich spatial information and project strongly to the hippocampus where a cognitive map is supposedly created. These cells range from cells with structured spatial selectivity, such as grid cells in the medial EC (MEC) that are selective to an array of spatial locations that form a hexagonal grid, to weakly spatial cells, such as non-grid cells in the MEC and lateral EC (LEC) that contain spatial information but have no structured spatial selectivity. However, in a small environment, place cells in the hippocampus are generally selective to a single location of the environment, while granule cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus have multiple discrete firing locations but lack spatial periodicity. Given the anatomic connection from the EC to the hippocampus, how the hippocampus retrieves information from upstream EC remains unclear. Here, we propose a unified learning model that can describe the spatial tuning properties of both hippocampal place cells and dentate gyrus granule cells based on non-negative sparse coding from EC inputs. Sparse coding plays an important role in many cortical areas and is proposed here to have a key role in the hippocampus. Our results show that the hexagonal patterns of MEC grid cells with various orientations, grid spacings and phases are necessary for the model to learn different place cells that efficiently tile the entire spatial environment. However, if there is a lack of diversity in any grid parameters or a lack of hippocampal cells in the network, this will lead to the emergence of hippocampal cells that have multiple firing locations. More surprisingly, the model can also learn hippocampal place cells even when weakly spatial cells, instead of grid cells, are used as the input to the hippocampus. This work suggests that sparse coding may be one of the underlying organizing principles for the navigational system of the brain.
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13
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Place cells and geometry lead to a flexible grid pattern. J Comput Neurosci 2021; 49:441-452. [PMID: 34125337 DOI: 10.1007/s10827-021-00794-5] [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: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Place cells and grid cells are important neurons involved in spatial navigation in the mammalian brain. Grid cells are believed to play an important role in forming a cognitive map of the environment. Experimental observations in recent years showed that the grid pattern is not invariant but is influenced by the shape of the spatial environment. However, the cause of this deformation remains elusive. Here, we focused on the functional interactions between place cells and grid cells, utilizing the information of location relationships between the firing fields of place cells to optimize the previous grid cell feedforward generation model and expand its application to more complex environmental scenarios. Not only was the regular equilateral triangle periodic firing field structure of the grid cells reproduced, but the expected results were consistent with the experiment for the environment with various complex boundary shapes and environmental deformation. Even in the field of three-dimensional spatial grid patterns, forward-looking predictions have been made. This provides a possible model explanation for how the coupling of grid cells and place cells adapt to the diversity of the external environment to deepen our understanding of the neural basis for constructing cognitive maps.
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14
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Lepperød ME, Christensen AC, Lensjø KK, Buccino AP, Yu J, Fyhn M, Hafting T. Optogenetic pacing of medial septum parvalbumin-positive cells disrupts temporal but not spatial firing in grid cells. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/19/eabd5684. [PMID: 33952512 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd5684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) exhibit remarkable spatial activity patterns with spikes coordinated by theta oscillations driven by the medial septal area (MSA). Spikes from grid cells progress relative to the theta phase in a phenomenon called phase precession, which is suggested as essential to create the spatial periodicity of grid cells. Here, we show that optogenetic activation of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) cells in the MSA enabled selective pacing of local field potential (LFP) oscillations in MEC. During optogenetic stimulation, the grid cells were locked to the imposed pacing frequency but kept their spatial patterns. Phase precession was abolished, and speed information was no longer reflected in the LFP oscillations but was still carried by rate coding of individual MEC neurons. Together, these results support that theta oscillations are not critical to the spatial pattern of grid cells and do not carry a crucial velocity signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Elle Lepperød
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ane Charlotte Christensen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristian Kinden Lensjø
- Centre for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alessio Paolo Buccino
- Centre for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jai Yu
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Biology, Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, and Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, University of Chicago, 5848 S. University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Marianne Fyhn
- Centre for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torkel Hafting
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Centre for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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15
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Christensen AC, Lensjø KK, Lepperød ME, Dragly SA, Sutterud H, Blackstad JS, Fyhn M, Hafting T. Perineuronal nets stabilize the grid cell network. Nat Commun 2021; 12:253. [PMID: 33431847 PMCID: PMC7801665 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20241-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 281] [Impact Index Per Article: 93.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Grid cells are part of a widespread network which supports navigation and spatial memory. Stable grid patterns appear late in development, in concert with extracellular matrix aggregates termed perineuronal nets (PNNs) that condense around inhibitory neurons. It has been suggested that PNNs stabilize synaptic connections and long-term memories, but their role in the grid cell network remains elusive. We show that removal of PNNs leads to lower inhibitory spiking activity, and reduces grid cells' ability to create stable representations of a novel environment. Furthermore, in animals with disrupted PNNs, exposure to a novel arena corrupted the spatiotemporal relationships within grid cell modules, and the stored representations of a familiar arena. Finally, we show that PNN removal in entorhinal cortex distorted spatial representations in downstream hippocampal neurons. Together this work suggests that PNNs provide a key stabilizing element for the grid cell network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Charlotte Christensen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristian Kinden Lensjø
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mikkel Elle Lepperød
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Svenn-Arne Dragly
- Center for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Halvard Sutterud
- Center for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan Sigurd Blackstad
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marianne Fyhn
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torkel Hafting
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Center for Integrative Neuroplasticity, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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16
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Vinepinsky E, Perchik S, Segev R. A Generalized Linear Model of a Navigation Network. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:56. [PMID: 33013326 PMCID: PMC7509173 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Navigation by mammals is believed to rely on a network of neurons in the hippocampal formation, which includes the hippocampus, the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), and additional nearby regions. Neurons in these regions represent spatial information by tuning to the position, orientation, and speed of the animal in the form of head direction cells, speed cells, grid cells, border cells, and unclassified spatially modulated cells. While the properties of single cells are well studied, little is known about the functional structure of the network in the MEC. Here, we use a generalized linear model to study the network of spatially modulated cells in the MEC. We found connectivity patterns between all spatially encoding cells and not only grid cells. In addition, the neurons’ past activity contributed to the overall activity patterns. Finally, position-modulated cells and head direction cells differed in the dependence of the activity on the history. Our results indicate that MEC neurons form a local interacting network to support spatial information representations and suggest an explanation for their complex temporal properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehud Vinepinsky
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Shay Perchik
- Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Ronen Segev
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
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17
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Gerlei K, Passlack J, Hawes I, Vandrey B, Stevens H, Papastathopoulos I, Nolan MF. Grid cells are modulated by local head direction. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4228. [PMID: 32839445 PMCID: PMC7445272 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17500-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Grid and head direction codes represent cognitive spaces for navigation and memory. Pure grid cells generate grid codes that have been assumed to be independent of head direction, whereas conjunctive cells generate grid representations that are tuned to a single head direction. Here, we demonstrate that pure grid cells also encode head direction, but through distinct mechanisms. We show that individual firing fields of pure grid cells are tuned to multiple head directions, with the preferred sets of directions differing between fields. This local directional modulation is not predicted by previous continuous attractor or oscillatory interference models of grid firing but is accounted for by models in which pure grid cells integrate inputs from co-aligned conjunctive cells with firing rates that differ between their fields. We suggest that local directional signals from grid cells may contribute to downstream computations by decorrelating different points of view from the same location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Gerlei
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Jessica Passlack
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Ian Hawes
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Brianna Vandrey
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Holly Stevens
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Ioannis Papastathopoulos
- School of Mathematics, Maxwell Institute and Centre for Statistics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB, UK
| | - Matthew F Nolan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK.
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK.
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18
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Agmon H, Burak Y. A theory of joint attractor dynamics in the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex accounts for artificial remapping and grid cell field-to-field variability. eLife 2020; 9:56894. [PMID: 32779570 PMCID: PMC7447444 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The representation of position in the mammalian brain is distributed across multiple neural populations. Grid cell modules in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) express activity patterns that span a low-dimensional manifold which remains stable across different environments. In contrast, the activity patterns of hippocampal place cells span distinct low-dimensional manifolds in different environments. It is unknown how these multiple representations of position are coordinated. Here, we develop a theory of joint attractor dynamics in the hippocampus and the MEC. We show that the system exhibits a coordinated, joint representation of position across multiple environments, consistent with global remapping in place cells and grid cells. In addition, our model accounts for recent experimental observations that lack a mechanistic explanation: variability in the firing rate of single grid cells across firing fields, and artificial remapping of place cells under depolarization, but not under hyperpolarization, of layer II stellate cells of the MEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haggai Agmon
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yoram Burak
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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19
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Bush D, Burgess N. Advantages and detection of phase coding in the absence of rhythmicity. Hippocampus 2020; 30:745-762. [PMID: 32065488 PMCID: PMC7383596 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The encoding of information in spike phase relative to local field potential (LFP) oscillations offers several theoretical advantages over equivalent firing rate codes. One notable example is provided by place and grid cells in the rodent hippocampal formation, which exhibit phase precession-firing at progressively earlier phases of the 6-12 Hz movement-related theta rhythm as their spatial firing fields are traversed. It is often assumed that such phase coding relies on a high amplitude baseline oscillation with relatively constant frequency. However, sustained oscillations with fixed frequency are generally absent in LFP and spike train recordings from the human brain. Hence, we examine phase coding relative to LFP signals with broadband low-frequency (2-20 Hz) power but without regular rhythmicity. We simulate a population of grid cells that exhibit phase precession against a baseline oscillation recorded from depth electrodes in human hippocampus. We show that this allows grid cell firing patterns to multiplex information about location, running speed and movement direction, alongside an arbitrary fourth variable encoded in LFP frequency. This is of particular importance given recent demonstrations that movement direction, which is essential for path integration, cannot be recovered from head direction cell firing rates. In addition, we investigate how firing phase might reduce errors in decoded location, including those arising from differences in firing rate across grid fields. Finally, we describe analytical methods that can identify phase coding in the absence of high amplitude LFP oscillations with approximately constant frequency, as in single unit recordings from the human brain and consistent with recent data from the flying bat. We note that these methods could also be used to detect phase coding outside of the spatial domain, and that multi-unit activity can substitute for the LFP signal. In summary, we demonstrate that the computational advantages offered by phase coding are not contingent on, and can be detected without, regular rhythmicity in neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bush
- UCL Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceLondonUK
- UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Neil Burgess
- UCL Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceLondonUK
- UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
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20
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de Cothi W, Barry C. Neurobiological successor features for spatial navigation. Hippocampus 2020; 30:1347-1355. [PMID: 32584491 PMCID: PMC8432165 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus has long been observed to encode a representation of an animal's position in space. Recent evidence suggests that the nature of this representation is somewhat predictive and can be modeled by learning a successor representation (SR) between distinct positions in an environment. However, this discretization of space is subjective making it difficult to formulate predictions about how some environmental manipulations should impact the hippocampal representation. Here, we present a model of place and grid cell firing as a consequence of learning a SR from a basis set of known neurobiological features—boundary vector cells (BVCs). The model describes place cell firing as the successor features of the SR, with grid cells forming a low‐dimensional representation of these successor features. We show that the place and grid cells generated using the BVC‐SR model provide a good account of biological data for a variety of environmental manipulations, including dimensional stretches, barrier insertions, and the influence of environmental geometry on the hippocampal representation of space.
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Affiliation(s)
- William de Cothi
- Research Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Caswell Barry
- Research Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
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21
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Sanguinetti-Scheck JI, Brecht M. Home, head direction stability, and grid cell distortion. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:1392-1406. [PMID: 32101492 PMCID: PMC7191526 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00518.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The home is a unique location in the life of humans and animals. In rats, home presents itself as a multicompartmental space that involves integrating navigation through subspaces. Here we embedded the laboratory rat’s home cage in the arena, while recording neurons in the animal’s parasubiculum and medial entorhinal cortex, two brain areas encoding the animal’s location and head direction. We found that head direction signals were unaffected by home cage presence or translocation. Head direction cells remain globally stable and have similar properties inside and outside the embedded home. We did not observe egocentric bearing encoding of the home cage. However, grid cells were distorted in the presence of the home cage. While they did not globally remap, single firing fields were translocated toward the home. These effects appeared to be geometrical in nature rather than a home-specific distortion and were not dependent on explicit behavioral use of the home cage during a hoarding task. Our work suggests that medial entorhinal cortex and parasubiculum do not remap after embedding the home, but local changes in grid cell activity overrepresent the embedded space location and might contribute to navigation in complex environments. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neural findings in the field of spatial navigation come mostly from an abstract approach that separates the animal from even a minimally biological context. In this article we embed the home cage of the rat in the environment to address some of the complexities of natural navigation. We find no explicit home cage representation. While both head direction cells and grid cells remain globally stable, we find that embedded spaces locally distort grid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Brecht
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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22
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Nagele J, Herz AVM, Stemmler MB. Untethered firing fields and intermittent silences: Why grid-cell discharge is so variable. Hippocampus 2020; 30:367-383. [PMID: 32045073 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Grid cells in medial entorhinal cortex are notoriously variable in their responses, despite the striking hexagonal arrangement of their spatial firing fields. Indeed, when the animal moves through a firing field, grid cells often fire much more vigorously than predicted or do not fire at all. The source of this trial-to-trial variability is not completely understood. By analyzing grid-cell spike trains from mice running in open arenas and on linear tracks, we characterize the phenomenon of "missed" firing fields using the statistical theory of zero inflation. We find that one major cause of grid-cell variability lies in the spatial representation itself: firing fields are not as strongly anchored to spatial location as the averaged grid suggests. In addition, grid fields from different cells drift together from trial to trial, regardless of whether the environment is real or virtual, or whether the animal moves in light or darkness. Spatial realignment across trials sharpens the grid representation, yielding firing fields that are more pronounced and significantly narrower. These findings indicate that ensembles of grid cells encode relative position more reliably than absolute position.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Nagele
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich and Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas V M Herz
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich and Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin B Stemmler
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich and Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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23
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Thalamocortical processing of the head-direction sense. Prog Neurobiol 2019; 183:101693. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2019.101693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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24
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Monsalve‐Mercado MM, Roudi Y. Hippocampal spike‐time correlations and place field overlaps during open field foraging. Hippocampus 2019; 30:354-366. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro M. Monsalve‐Mercado
- Physik‐Department Technische Universitat Munchen Munich Germany
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University New York New York
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, NTNU Trondheim Norway
| | - Yasser Roudi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, NTNU Trondheim Norway
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25
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Sun Y, Jin S, Lin X, Chen L, Qiao X, Jiang L, Zhou P, Johnston KG, Golshani P, Nie Q, Holmes TC, Nitz DA, Xu X. CA1-projecting subiculum neurons facilitate object-place learning. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:1857-1870. [PMID: 31548723 PMCID: PMC6819262 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0496-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recent anatomical evidence suggests a functionally significant back-projection pathway from the subiculum to the CA1. Here we show that the afferent circuitry of CA1-projecting subicular neurons is biased by inputs from CA1 inhibitory neurons and the visual cortex, but lacks input from the entorhinal cortex. Efferents of the CA1-projecting subiculum neurons also target the perirhinal cortex, an area strongly implicated in object-place learning. We identify a critical role for CA1-projecting subicular neurons in object-location learning and memory, and show that this projection modulates place-specific activity of CA1 neurons and their responses to displaced objects. Together, these experiments reveal a novel pathway by which cortical inputs, particularly those from the visual cortex, reach the hippocampal output region CA1. Our findings also implicate this circuitry in the formation of complex spatial representations and learning of object-place associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Sun
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Suoqin Jin
- Department of Mathematics and Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoxiao Lin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lujia Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Xin Qiao
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Li Jiang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Pengcheng Zhou
- Department of Statistics and Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin G Johnston
- Department of Mathematics and Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Peyman Golshani
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Qing Nie
- Department of Mathematics and Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Todd C Holmes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Douglas A Nitz
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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26
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Butler WN, Hardcastle K, Giocomo LM. Remembered reward locations restructure entorhinal spatial maps. Science 2019; 363:1447-1452. [PMID: 30923222 DOI: 10.1126/science.aav5297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Ethologically relevant navigational strategies often incorporate remembered reward locations. Although neurons in the medial entorhinal cortex provide a maplike representation of the external spatial world, whether this map integrates information regarding learned reward locations remains unknown. We compared entorhinal coding in rats during a free-foraging task and a spatial memory task. Entorhinal spatial maps restructured to incorporate a learned reward location, which in turn improved positional decoding near this location. This finding indicates that different navigational strategies drive the emergence of discrete entorhinal maps of space and points to a role for entorhinal codes in a diverse range of navigational behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- William N Butler
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kiah Hardcastle
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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27
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Kang L, Balasubramanian V. A geometric attractor mechanism for self-organization of entorhinal grid modules. eLife 2019; 8:46687. [PMID: 31373556 PMCID: PMC6776444 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) respond when an animal occupies a periodic lattice of 'grid fields' in the environment. The grids are organized in modules with spatial periods, or scales, clustered around discrete values separated on average by ratios in the range 1.4-1.7. We propose a mechanism that produces this modular structure through dynamical self-organization in the MEC. In attractor network models of grid formation, the grid scale of a single module is set by the distance of recurrent inhibition between neurons. We show that the MEC forms a hierarchy of discrete modules if a smooth increase in inhibition distance along its dorso-ventral axis is accompanied by excitatory interactions along this axis. Moreover, constant scale ratios between successive modules arise through geometric relationships between triangular grids and have values that fall within the observed range. We discuss how interactions required by our model might be tested experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Kang
- David Rittenhouse Laboratories, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States.,Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Vijay Balasubramanian
- David Rittenhouse Laboratories, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
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28
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Boccara CN, Nardin M, Stella F, O’Neill J, Csicsvari J. The entorhinal cognitive map is attracted to goals. Science 2019; 363:1443-1447. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aav4837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Grid cells with their rigid hexagonal firing fields are thought to provide an invariant metric to the hippocampal cognitive map, yet environmental geometrical features have recently been shown to distort the grid structure. Given that the hippocampal role goes beyond space, we tested the influence of nonspatial information on the grid organization. We trained rats to daily learn three new reward locations on a cheeseboard maze while recording from the medial entorhinal cortex and the hippocampal CA1 region. Many grid fields moved toward goal location, leading to long-lasting deformations of the entorhinal map. Therefore, distortions in the grid structure contribute to goal representation during both learning and recall, which demonstrates that grid cells participate in mnemonic coding and do not merely provide a simple metric of space.
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29
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How the Internally Organized Direction Sense Is Used to Navigate. Neuron 2018; 101:285-293.e5. [PMID: 30522821 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Head-direction cells preferentially discharge when the head points in a particular azimuthal direction, are hypothesized to collectively function as a single neural system for a unitary direction sense, and are believed to be essential for navigating extra-personal space by functioning like a compass. We tested these ideas by recording medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) head-direction cells while rats navigated on a familiar, continuously rotating disk that dissociates the environment into two spatial frames: one stationary and one rotating. Head-direction cells degraded directional tuning referenced to either of the externally referenced spatial frames, but firing rates, sub-second cell-pair action potential discharge relationships, and internally referenced directional tuning were preserved. MEC head-direction cell ensemble discharge collectively generates a subjective, internally referenced unitary representation of direction that, unlike a compass, is inconsistently registered to external landmarks during navigation. These findings indicate that MEC-based directional information is subjectively anchored, potentially providing for navigation without a stable externally anchored direction sense.
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30
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Keinath AT, Epstein RA, Balasubramanian V. Environmental deformations dynamically shift the grid cell spatial metric. eLife 2018; 7:38169. [PMID: 30346272 PMCID: PMC6203432 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In familiar environments, the firing fields of entorhinal grid cells form regular triangular lattices. However, when the geometric shape of the environment is deformed, these time-averaged grid patterns are distorted in a grid scale-dependent and local manner. We hypothesized that this distortion in part reflects dynamic anchoring of the grid code to displaced boundaries, possibly through border cell-grid cell interactions. To test this hypothesis, we first reanalyzed two existing rodent grid rescaling datasets to identify previously unrecognized boundary-tethered shifts in grid phase that contribute to the appearance of rescaling. We then demonstrated in a computational model that boundary-tethered phase shifts, as well as scale-dependent and local distortions of the time-averaged grid pattern, could emerge from border-grid interactions without altering inherent grid scale. Together, these results demonstrate that environmental deformations induce history-dependent shifts in grid phase, and implicate border-grid interactions as a potential mechanism underlying these dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra T Keinath
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Russell A Epstein
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States
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31
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Kornienko O, Latuske P, Bassler M, Kohler L, Allen K. Non-rhythmic head-direction cells in the parahippocampal region are not constrained by attractor network dynamics. eLife 2018; 7:35949. [PMID: 30222110 PMCID: PMC6158010 DOI: 10.7554/elife.35949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Computational models postulate that head-direction (HD) cells are part of an attractor network integrating head turns. This network requires inputs from visual landmarks to anchor the HD signal to the external world. We investigated whether information about HD and visual landmarks is integrated in the medial entorhinal cortex and parasubiculum, resulting in neurons expressing a conjunctive code for HD and visual landmarks. We found that parahippocampal HD cells could be divided into two classes based on their theta-rhythmic activity: non-rhythmic and theta-rhythmic HD cells. Manipulations of the visual landmarks caused tuning curve alterations in most HD cells, with the largest visually driven changes observed in non-rhythmic HD cells. Importantly, the tuning modifications of non-rhythmic HD cells were often non-coherent across cells, refuting the notion that attractor-like dynamics control non-rhythmic HD cells. These findings reveal a new population of non-rhythmic HD cells whose malleable organization is controlled by visual landmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Kornienko
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Patrick Latuske
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mathis Bassler
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Kohler
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kevin Allen
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
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Maidana Capitán MB, Kropff E, Samengo I. Information-Theoretical Analysis of the Neural Code in the Rodent Temporal Lobe. ENTROPY 2018; 20:e20080571. [PMID: 33265660 PMCID: PMC7513095 DOI: 10.3390/e20080571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the study of the neural code, information-theoretical methods have the advantage of making no assumptions about the probabilistic mapping between stimuli and responses. In the sensory domain, several methods have been developed to quantify the amount of information encoded in neural activity, without necessarily identifying the specific stimulus or response features that instantiate the code. As a proof of concept, here we extend those methods to the encoding of kinematic information in a navigating rodent. We estimate the information encoded in two well-characterized codes, mediated by the firing rate of neurons, and by the phase-of-firing with respect to the theta-filtered local field potential. In addition, we also consider a novel code, mediated by the delta-filtered local field potential. We find that all three codes transmit significant amounts of kinematic information, and informative neurons tend to employ a combination of codes. Cells tend to encode conjunctions of kinematic features, so that most of the informative neurons fall outside the traditional cell types employed to classify spatially-selective units. We conclude that a broad perspective on the candidate stimulus and response features expands the repertoire of strategies with which kinematic information is encoded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melisa B. Maidana Capitán
- Departament of Medical Physics, Centro Atómico Bariloche and Instituto Balseiro, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Emilio Kropff
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, 1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Inés Samengo
- Departament of Medical Physics, Centro Atómico Bariloche and Instituto Balseiro, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +54-294-444-5100
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Grid-Cell Activity on Linear Tracks Indicates Purely Translational Remapping of 2D Firing Patterns at Movement Turning Points. J Neurosci 2018; 38:7004-7011. [PMID: 29976622 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0413-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Grid cells in rodent medial entorhinal cortex are thought to play a critical role for spatial navigation. When the animal is freely moving in an open arena the firing fields of each grid cell tend to form a hexagonal lattice spanning the environment. For movements along a linear track the cells seem to respond differently. They show multiple firing fields that are not periodically arranged and whose shape and position change when the running direction is reversed. In addition, peak firing rates vary widely from field to field. Measured along one running direction only, firing fields are, however, compatible with a slice through a two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal pattern. It is an open question, whether this is also true if leftward and rightward runs are jointly considered. By analyzing data from 15 male Long-Evans rats, we show that a single hexagonal firing pattern explains the linear-track data if translational shifts of the pattern are allowed at the movement turning points. A rotation or scaling of the grid is not required. The agreement is further improved if the peak firing rates of the underlying 2D grid fields can vary from field to field, as suggested by recent studies. These findings have direct consequences for experiments using linear tracks in virtual reality.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Various types of neurons support spatial navigation. Their response properties are often studied in reduced settings and might change when the animal can freely explore its environment. Grid cells in rodents, for example, exhibit seemingly irregular firing fields when animal movement is restricted to a linear track but highly regular patterns in two-dimensional (2D) arenas. We show that linear-track responses of a cell for both leftward and rightward running directions can be explained as cuts through a single hexagonal pattern if translational remapping is allowed at movement turning points; neither rotations nor scale transformations are needed. These results provide a basis to quantify grid-cell activity in 1D virtual reality and could help to detect and categorize grid cells without experiments in 2D environments.
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Brunec IK, Moscovitch M, Barense MD. Boundaries Shape Cognitive Representations of Spaces and Events. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:637-650. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Latuske P, Kornienko O, Kohler L, Allen K. Hippocampal Remapping and Its Entorhinal Origin. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 11:253. [PMID: 29354038 PMCID: PMC5758554 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The activity of hippocampal cell ensembles is an accurate predictor of the position of an animal in its surrounding space. One key property of hippocampal cell ensembles is their ability to change in response to alterations in the surrounding environment, a phenomenon called remapping. In this review article, we present evidence for the distinct types of hippocampal remapping. The progressive divergence over time of cell ensembles active in different environments and the transition dynamics between pre-established maps are discussed. Finally, we review recent work demonstrating that hippocampal remapping can be triggered by neurons located in the entorhinal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Latuske
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Olga Kornienko
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Kohler
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kevin Allen
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Herz AV, Mathis A, Stemmler M. Periodic population codes: From a single circular variable to higher dimensions, multiple nested scales, and conceptual spaces. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 46:99-108. [PMID: 28888183 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Across the nervous system, neurons often encode circular stimuli using tuning curves that are not sine or cosine functions, but that belong to the richer class of von Mises functions, which are periodic variants of Gaussians. For a population of neurons encoding a single circular variable with such canonical tuning curves, computing a simple population vector is the optimal read-out of the most likely stimulus. We argue that the advantages of population vector read-outs are so compelling that even the neural representation of the outside world's flat Euclidean geometry is curled up into a torus (a circle times a circle), creating the hexagonal activity patterns of mammalian grid cells. Here, the circular scale is not set a priori, so the nervous system can use multiple scales and gain fields to overcome the ambiguity inherent in periodic representations of linear variables. We review the experimental evidence for this framework and discuss its testable predictions and generalizations to more abstract grid-like neural representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Vm Herz
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich and Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Alexander Mathis
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Martin Stemmler
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich and Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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Stemmler M, Herz AVM. Spatial Cognition: Grid Cells Harbour Three Complementary Positional Codes. Curr Biol 2017; 27:R755-R758. [PMID: 28787605 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The firing fields of mammalian grid cells, which map an animal's environment, lie on hexagonal lattices. Three new studies report significant field-to-field differences in the firing rates, a finding with far-reaching consequences for how grid fields form and encode spatial information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Stemmler
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Andreas V M Herz
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
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