1
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Contier F, Wartenburger I, Weymar M, Rabovsky M. Are the P600 and P3 ERP components linked to the task-evoked pupillary response as a correlate of norepinephrine activity? Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14565. [PMID: 38469647 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14565] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
During language comprehension, anomalies and ambiguities in the input typically elicit the P600 event-related potential component. Although traditionally interpreted as a specific signal of combinatorial operations in sentence processing, the component has alternatively been proposed to be a variant of the oddball-sensitive, domain-general P3 component. In particular, both components might reflect phasic norepinephrine release from the locus coeruleus (LC/NE) to motivationally significant stimuli. In this preregistered study, we tested this hypothesis by relating both components to the task-evoked pupillary response, a putative biomarker of LC/NE activity. 36 participants completed a sentence comprehension task (containing 25% morphosyntactic violations) and a non-linguistic oddball task (containing 20% oddballs), while the EEG and pupil size were co-registered. Our results showed that the task-evoked pupillary response and the ERP amplitudes of both components were similarly affected by both experimental tasks. In the oddball task, there was also a temporally specific relationship between the P3 and the pupillary response beyond the shared oddball effect, thereby further linking the P3 to NE. Because this link was less reliable in the linguistic context, we did not find conclusive evidence for or against a relationship between the P600 and the pupillary response. Still, our findings further stimulate the debate on whether language-related ERPs are indeed specific to linguistic processes or shared across cognitive domains. However, further research is required to verify a potential link between the two ERP positivities and the LC/NE system as the common neural generator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Contier
- Cognitive Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Isabell Wartenburger
- Cognitive Sciences, Department of Linguistics, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mathias Weymar
- Cognitive Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Milena Rabovsky
- Cognitive Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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2
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Feng YY, Bromberg-Martin ES, Monosov IE. Dorsal raphe neurons integrate the values of reward amount, delay, and uncertainty in multi-attribute decision-making. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114341. [PMID: 38878290 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is implicated in psychiatric disorders that feature impaired sensitivity to reward amount, impulsivity when facing reward delays, and risk-seeking when confronting reward uncertainty. However, it has been unclear whether and how DRN neurons signal reward amount, reward delay, and reward uncertainty during multi-attribute value-based decision-making, where subjects consider these attributes to make a choice. We recorded DRN neurons as monkeys chose between offers whose attributes, namely expected reward amount, reward delay, and reward uncertainty, varied independently. Many DRN neurons signaled offer attributes, and this population tended to integrate the attributes in a manner that reflected monkeys' preferences for amount, delay, and uncertainty. After decision-making, in response to post-decision feedback, these same neurons signaled signed reward prediction errors, suggesting a broader role in tracking value across task epochs and behavioral contexts. Our data illustrate how the DRN participates in value computations, guiding theories about the role of the DRN in decision-making and psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-Yang Feng
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Ilya E Monosov
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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3
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Grujic N, Polania R, Burdakov D. Neurobehavioral meaning of pupil size. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00406-9. [PMID: 38925124 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.029] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Pupil size is a widely used metric of brain state. It is one of the few signals originating from the brain that can be readily monitored with low-cost devices in basic science, clinical, and home settings. It is, therefore, important to investigate and generate well-defined theories related to specific interpretations of this metric. What exactly does it tell us about the brain? Pupils constrict in response to light and dilate during darkness, but the brain also controls pupil size irrespective of luminosity. Pupil size fluctuations resulting from ongoing "brain states" are used as a metric of arousal, but what is pupil-linked arousal and how should it be interpreted in neural, cognitive, and computational terms? Here, we discuss some recent findings related to these issues. We identify open questions and propose how to answer them through a combination of well-defined tasks, neurocomputational models, and neurophysiological probing of the interconnected loops of causes and consequences of pupil size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Grujic
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Lab, ETH Zürich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
| | - Rafael Polania
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, ETH Zürich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Winterthurstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Denis Burdakov
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Lab, ETH Zürich, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
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4
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Chintalacheruvu N, Kalelkar A, Boutin J, Breton-Provencher V, Huda R. A cortical locus for modulation of arousal states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.24.595859. [PMID: 38826269 PMCID: PMC11142248 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.595859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Fluctuations in global arousal are key determinants of spontaneous cortical activity and function. Several subcortical structures, including neuromodulator nuclei like the locus coeruleus (LC), are involved in the regulation of arousal. However, much less is known about the role of cortical circuits that provide top-down inputs to arousal-related subcortical structures. Here, we investigated the role of a major subdivision of the prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), in arousal modulation. Pupil size, facial movements, heart rate, and locomotion were used as non-invasive measures of arousal and behavioral state. We designed a closed loop optogenetic system based on machine vision and found that real time inhibition of ACC activity during pupil dilations suppresses ongoing arousal events. In contrast, inhibiting activity in a control cortical region had no effect on arousal. Fiber photometry recordings showed that ACC activity scales with the magnitude of spontaneously occurring pupil dilations/face movements independently of locomotion. Moreover, optogenetic ACC activation increases arousal independently of locomotion. In addition to modulating global arousal, ACC responses to salient sensory stimuli scaled with the size of evoked pupil dilations. Consistent with a role in sustaining saliency-linked arousal events, pupil responses to sensory stimuli were suppressed with ACC inactivation. Finally, our results comparing arousal-related ACC and norepinephrinergic LC neuron activity support a role for the LC in initiation of arousal events which are modulated in real time by the ACC. Collectively, our experiments identify the ACC as a key cortical site for sustaining momentary increases in arousal and provide the foundation for understanding cortical-subcortical dynamics underlying the modulation of arousal states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nithik Chintalacheruvu
- WM Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University – New Brunswick, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Anagha Kalelkar
- WM Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University – New Brunswick, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jöel Boutin
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, CERVO Brain Research Center, Universite Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Vincent Breton-Provencher
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, CERVO Brain Research Center, Universite Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Rafiq Huda
- WM Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University – New Brunswick, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
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5
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Liu Y(A, Nong Y, Feng J, Li G, Sajda P, Li Y, Wang Q. Phase synchrony between prefrontal noradrenergic and cholinergic signals indexes inhibitory control. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.17.594562. [PMID: 38798371 PMCID: PMC11118516 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.17.594562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Inhibitory control is a critical executive function that allows animals to suppress their impulsive behavior in order to achieve certain goals or avoid punishment. We investigated norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh) dynamics and population neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex during inhibitory control. Using fluorescent sensors to measure extracellular levels of NE and ACh, we simultaneously recorded the dynamics of prefrontal NE and ACh in mice performing an inhibitory control task. The prefrontal NE and ACh signals exhibited strong coherence at 0.4-0.8 Hz. Chemogenetic inhibition of locus coeruleus (LC) neurons that project to the basal forebrain region reduced inhibitory control performance to chance levels. However, this manipulation did not diminish the difference in NE/ACh signals between successful and failed trials; instead, it abolished the difference in NE-ACh phase synchrony between the successful and failed trials, indicating that NE-ACh phase synchrony is a task-relevant neuromodulatory feature. Chemogenetic inhibition of cholinergic neurons that project to the LC region did not impair the inhibitory control performance, nor did it abolish the difference in NE-ACh phase synchrony between successful or failed trials, further confirming the relevance of NE-ACh phase synchrony to inhibitory control. To understand the possible effect of NE-ACh synchrony on prefrontal population activity, we employed Neuropixels to record from the prefrontal cortex with and without inhibiting LC neurons that project to the basal forebrain during inhibitory control. The LC inhibition reduced the number of prefrontal neurons encoding inhibitory control. Demixed principal component analysis (dPCA) further revealed that population firing patterns representing inhibitory control were impaired by the LC inhibition. Disparities in NE-ACh phase synchrony relevant to inhibitory control occurred only in the prefrontal cortex, but not in the parietal cortex, somatosensory cortex, and the somatosensory thalamus. Taken together, these findings suggest that the LC modulates inhibitory control through its collective effect with cholinergic systems on population activity in the prefrontal cortex. Our results further revealed that NE-ACh phase synchrony is a critical neuromodulatory feature with important implications for cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang (Andy) Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Columbia University ET 351, 500 W. 120 Street, New York, NY 10027
| | - Yuhan Nong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Columbia University ET 351, 500 W. 120 Street, New York, NY 10027
| | - Jiesi Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences Peking University
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, PR China
| | - Guochuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences Peking University
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, PR China
| | - Paul Sajda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Columbia University ET 351, 500 W. 120 Street, New York, NY 10027
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences Peking University
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, PR China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Columbia University ET 351, 500 W. 120 Street, New York, NY 10027
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6
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Mitsui K, Takahashi A. Aggression modulator: Understanding the multifaceted role of the dorsal raphe nucleus. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300213. [PMID: 38314963 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is instinctively driven behavior that helps animals to survive and reproduce and is closely related to multiple behavioral and physiological processes. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is an evolutionarily conserved midbrain structure that regulates aggressive behavior by integrating diverse brain inputs. The DRN consists predominantly of serotonergic (5-HT:5-hydroxytryptamine) neurons and decreased 5-HT activity was classically thought to increase aggression. However, recent studies challenge this 5-HT deficiency model, revealing a more complex role for the DRN 5-HT system in aggression. Furthermore, emerging evidence has shown that non-5-HT populations in the DRN and specific neural circuits contribute to the escalation of aggressive behavior. This review argues that the DRN serves as a multifaceted modulator of aggression, acting not only via 5-HT but also via other neurotransmitters and neural pathways, as well as different subsets of 5-HT neurons. In addition, we discuss the contribution of DRN neurons in the behavioral and physiological aspects implicated in aggressive behavior, such as arousal, reward, and impulsivity, to further our understanding of DRN-mediated aggression modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koshiro Mitsui
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Aki Takahashi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Institute of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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7
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Chang YH, Chen HJ, Barquero C, Tsai HJ, Liang WK, Hsu CH, Muggleton NG, Wang CA. Linking tonic and phasic pupil responses to P300 amplitude in an emotional face-word Stroop task. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14479. [PMID: 37920144 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, which regulates arousal levels, is important for cognitive control, including emotional conflict resolution. Additionally, the LC-NE system is implicated in P300 generation. If the P300 is mediated by the LC-NE system, and considering the established correlations between LC activity and pupil dilation, P300 amplitude should correlate with task-evoked (phasic) pupil dilation on a trial-by-trial basis. However, prior studies, predominantly utilizing oddball-type paradigms, have not demonstrated correlations between concurrently recorded task-evoked pupil dilation and P300 responses. Using a recently developed emotional face-word Stroop task that links pupil dilation to the LC-NE system, here, we examined both intra- and inter-individual correlations between task-evoked pupil dilation and P300 amplitude. We found that lower accuracy, slower reaction times, and larger task-evoked pupil dilation were obtained in the incongruent compared to the congruent condition. Furthermore, we observed intra-individual correlations between task-evoked pupil dilation and P300 amplitude, with larger pupil dilation correlating with a greater P300 amplitude. In contrast, pupil dilation did not exhibit consistent correlations with N450 and N170 amplitudes. Baseline (tonic) pupil size also showed correlations with P300 and N170 amplitudes, with smaller pupil size corresponding to larger amplitude. Moreover, inter-individual differences in task-evoked pupil dilation between the congruent and incongruent conditions correlated with differences in reaction time and P300 amplitude, though these effects only approached significance. To summarize, our study provides evidence for a connection between task-evoked pupil dilation and P300 amplitude at the single-trial level, suggesting the involvement of the LC-NE system in P300 generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hsuan Chang
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - He-Jun Chen
- Eye-Tracking Laboratory, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Cesar Barquero
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Eye-Tracking Laboratory, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Activity and Sport Science, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru
| | - Hsu Jung Tsai
- Eye-Tracking Laboratory, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Kuang Liang
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hsien Hsu
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Neil G Muggleton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
- Cognitive Intelligence and Precision Healthcare Center, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Chin-An Wang
- Eye-Tracking Laboratory, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
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8
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Zhao Y, Huang CX, Gu Y, Zhao Y, Ren W, Wang Y, Chen J, Guan NN, Song J. Serotonergic modulation of vigilance states in zebrafish and mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2596. [PMID: 38519480 PMCID: PMC10959952 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47021-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Vigilance refers to being alertly watchful or paying sustained attention to avoid potential threats. Animals in vigilance states reduce locomotion and have an enhanced sensitivity to aversive stimuli so as to react quickly to dangers. Here we report that an unconventional 5-HT driven mechanism operating at neural circuit level which shapes the internal state underlying vigilance behavior in zebrafish and male mice. The neural signature of internal vigilance state was characterized by persistent low-frequency high-amplitude neuronal synchrony in zebrafish dorsal pallium and mice prefrontal cortex. The neuronal synchronization underlying vigilance was dependent on intense release of 5-HT induced by persistent activation of either DRN 5-HT neuron or local 5-HT axon terminals in related brain regions via activation of 5-HTR7. Thus, we identify a mechanism of vigilance behavior across species that illustrates the interplay between neuromodulators and neural circuits necessary to shape behavior states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun-Xiao Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiming Gu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Yacong Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenjie Ren
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Yutong Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinjin Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Na N Guan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China.
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China.
- Frontiers Science Center for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jianren Song
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China.
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China.
- Frontiers Science Center for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
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9
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Megemont M, Tortorelli LS, McBurney-Lin J, Cohen JY, O'Connor DH, Yang H. Simultaneous recordings of pupil size variation and locus coeruleus activity in mice. STAR Protoc 2024; 5:102785. [PMID: 38127625 PMCID: PMC10772391 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102785] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
An extensive literature describes how pupil size reflects neuromodulatory activity, including the noradrenergic system. Here, we present a protocol for the simultaneous recording of optogenetically identified locus coeruleus (LC) units and pupil diameter in mice under different conditions. We describe steps for building an optrode, performing surgery to implant the optrode and headpost, searching for opto-tagged LC units, and performing dual LC-pupil recording. We then detail procedures for data processing and analysis. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Megemont et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Megemont
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Lucas S Tortorelli
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jim McBurney-Lin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jeremiah Y Cohen
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience & Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Daniel H O'Connor
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience & Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Hongdian Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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10
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Cody P, Kumar M, Tzounopoulos T. Cortical Zinc Signaling Is Necessary for Changes in Mouse Pupil Diameter That Are Evoked by Background Sounds with Different Contrasts. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0939232024. [PMID: 38242698 PMCID: PMC10941062 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0939-23.2024] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Luminance-independent changes in pupil diameter (PD) during wakefulness influence and are influenced by neuromodulatory, neuronal, and behavioral responses. However, it is unclear whether changes in neuromodulatory activity in a specific brain area are necessary for the associated changes in PD or whether some different mechanisms cause parallel fluctuations in both PD and neuromodulation. To answer this question, we simultaneously recorded PD and cortical neuronal activity in male and female mice. Namely, we measured PD and neuronal activity during adaptation to sound contrast, which is a well-described adaptation conserved in many species and brain areas. In the primary auditory cortex (A1), increases in the variability of sound level (contrast) induce a decrease in the slope of the neuronal input-output relationship, neuronal gain, which depends on cortical neuromodulatory zinc signaling. We found a previously unknown modulation of PD by changes in background sensory context: high stimulus contrast sounds evoke larger increases in evoked PD compared with low-contrast sounds. To explore whether these changes in evoked PD are controlled by cortical neuromodulatory zinc signaling, we imaged single-cell neural activity in A1, manipulated zinc signaling in the cortex, and assessed PD in the same awake mouse. We found that cortical synaptic zinc signaling is necessary for increases in PD during high-contrast background sounds compared with low-contrast sounds. This finding advances our knowledge about how cortical neuromodulatory activity affects PD changes and thus advances our understanding of the brain states, circuits, and neuromodulatory mechanisms that can be inferred from pupil size fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Cody
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
| | - Thanos Tzounopoulos
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
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11
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Skora L, Marzecová A, Jocham G. Tonic and phasic transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) both evoke rapid and transient pupil dilation. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:233-244. [PMID: 38423207 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.02.013] [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: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS or taVNS) is a non-invasive method of electrical stimulation of the afferent pathway of the vagus nerve, suggested to drive changes in putative physiological markers of noradrenergic activity, including pupil dilation. OBJECTIVE However, it is unknown whether different taVNS modes can map onto the phasic and tonic modes of noradrenergic activity. The effects of taVNS on pupil dilation in humans are inconsistent, largely due to differences in stimulation protocols. Here, we attempted to address these issues. METHODS We investigated pupil dilation under phasic (1 s) and tonic (30 s) taVNS, in a pre-registered, single-blind, sham-controlled, within-subject cross-over design, in the absence of a behavioural task. RESULTS Phasic taVNS induced a rapid increase in pupil size over baseline, significantly greater than under sham stimulation, which rapidly declined after stimulation offset. Tonic taVNS induced a similarly rapid (and larger than sham) increase in pupil size over baseline, returning to baseline within 5 s, despite the ongoing stimulation. Thus, both active and sham tonic modes closely resembled the phasic effect. There were no differences in tonic baseline pupil size, and no sustained effects of stimulation on tonic baseline pupil size. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that both phasic- and tonic-like taVNS under the standard stimulation parameters may modulate primarily the phasic mode of noradrenergic activity, as indexed by evoked pupil dilation, over and above somatosensory effects. This result sheds light on the temporal profile of phasic and tonic stimulation, with implications for their applicability in further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Skora
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany; University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
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12
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Hulsey D, Zumwalt K, Mazzucato L, McCormick DA, Jaramillo S. Decision-making dynamics are predicted by arousal and uninstructed movements. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113709. [PMID: 38280196 PMCID: PMC11016285 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
During sensory-guided behavior, an animal's decision-making dynamics unfold through sequences of distinct performance states, even while stimulus-reward contingencies remain static. Little is known about the factors that underlie these changes in task performance. We hypothesize that these decision-making dynamics can be predicted by externally observable measures, such as uninstructed movements and changes in arousal. Here, using computational modeling of visual and auditory task performance data from mice, we uncovered lawful relationships between transitions in strategic task performance states and an animal's arousal and uninstructed movements. Using hidden Markov models applied to behavioral choices during sensory discrimination tasks, we find that animals fluctuate between minutes-long optimal, sub-optimal, and disengaged performance states. Optimal state epochs are predicted by intermediate levels, and reduced variability, of pupil diameter and movement. Our results demonstrate that externally observable uninstructed behaviors can predict optimal performance states and suggest that mice regulate their arousal during optimal performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hulsey
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA
| | - Kevin Zumwalt
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA
| | - Luca Mazzucato
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA; Departments of Physics and Mathematics, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA.
| | - David A McCormick
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA.
| | - Santiago Jaramillo
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA.
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13
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De Filippo R, Schmitz D. Synthetic surprise as the foundation of the psychedelic experience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105538. [PMID: 38220035 PMCID: PMC10839673 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105538] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Psychedelic agents, such as LSD and psilocybin, induce marked alterations in consciousness via activation of the 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2ARs). We hypothesize that psychedelics enforce a state of synthetic surprise through the biased activation of the 5-HTRs system. This idea is informed by recent insights into the role of 5-HT in signaling surprise. The effects on consciousness, explained by the cognitive penetrability of perception, can be described within the predictive coding framework where surprise corresponds to prediction error, the mismatch between predictions and actual sensory input. Crucially, the precision afforded to the prediction error determines its effect on priors, enabling a dynamic interaction between top-down expectations and incoming sensory data. By integrating recent findings on predictive coding circuitry and 5-HT2ARs transcriptomic data, we propose a biological implementation with emphasis on the role of inhibitory interneurons. Implications arise for the clinical use of psychedelics, which may rely primarily on their inherent capacity to induce surprise in order to disrupt maladaptive patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto De Filippo
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Dietmar Schmitz
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Einstein Center for Neuroscience, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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14
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Meissner SN, Bächinger M, Kikkert S, Imhof J, Missura S, Carro Dominguez M, Wenderoth N. Self-regulating arousal via pupil-based biofeedback. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:43-62. [PMID: 37904022 PMCID: PMC10810759 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01729-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
The brain's arousal state is controlled by several neuromodulatory nuclei known to substantially influence cognition and mental well-being. Here we investigate whether human participants can gain volitional control of their arousal state using a pupil-based biofeedback approach. Our approach inverts a mechanism suggested by previous literature that links activity of the locus coeruleus, one of the key regulators of central arousal and pupil dynamics. We show that pupil-based biofeedback enables participants to acquire volitional control of pupil size. Applying pupil self-regulation systematically modulates activity of the locus coeruleus and other brainstem structures involved in arousal control. Furthermore, it modulates cardiovascular measures such as heart rate, and behavioural and psychophysiological responses during an oddball task. We provide evidence that pupil-based biofeedback makes the brain's arousal system accessible to volitional control, a finding that has tremendous potential for translation to behavioural and clinical applications across various domains, including stress-related and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nadine Meissner
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Marc Bächinger
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sanne Kikkert
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jenny Imhof
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Missura
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Carro Dominguez
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Wenderoth
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.
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15
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Liu X, Hike D, Choi S, Man W, Ran C, Zhou XA, Jiang Y, Yu X. Mapping the bioimaging marker of Alzheimer's disease based on pupillary light response-driven brain-wide fMRI in awake mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.572613. [PMID: 38187675 PMCID: PMC10769340 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Pupil dynamics has emerged as a critical non-invasive indicator of brain state changes. In particular, pupillary-light-responses (PLR) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients may be used as biomarkers of brain degeneration. To characterize AD-specific PLR and its underlying neuromodulatory sources, we combined high-resolution awake mouse fMRI with real-time pupillometry to map brain-wide event-related correlation patterns based on illumination-driven pupil constriction ( P c ) and post-illumination pupil dilation recovery (amplitude, P d , and time, T ). The P c -driven differential analysis revealed altered visual signal processing coupled with reduced thalamocortical activation in AD mice compared with the wild-type normal mice. In contrast, the post-illumination pupil dilation recovery-based fMRI highlighted multiple brain areas related to AD brain degeneration, including the cingulate cortex, hippocampus, septal area of the basal forebrain, medial raphe nucleus, and pontine reticular nuclei (PRN). Also, brain-wide functional connectivity analysis highlighted the most significant changes in PRN of AD mice, which serves as the major subcortical relay nuclei underlying oculomotor function. This work combined non-invasive pupil-fMRI measurements in preclinical models to identify pupillary biomarkers based on neuromodulatory dysfunction coupled with AD brain degeneration.
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16
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Narasimhan S, Schriver BJ, Wang Q. Adaptive decision-making depends on pupil-linked arousal in rats performing tactile discrimination tasks. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:1541-1551. [PMID: 37964751 PMCID: PMC11068411 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00309.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Perceptual decision-making is a dynamic cognitive process and is shaped by many factors, including behavioral state, reward contingency, and sensory environment. To understand the extent to which adaptive behavior in decision-making is dependent on pupil-linked arousal, we trained head-fixed rats to perform perceptual decision-making tasks and systematically manipulated the probability of Go and No-go stimuli while simultaneously measuring their pupil size in the tasks. Our data demonstrated that the animals adaptively modified their behavior in response to the changes in the sensory environment. The response probability to both Go and No-go stimuli decreased as the probability of the Go stimulus being presented decreased. Analyses within the signal detection theory framework showed that while the animals' perceptual sensitivity was invariant, their decision criterion increased as the probability of the Go stimulus decreased. Simulation results indicated that the adaptive increase in the decision criterion will increase possible water rewards during the task. Moreover, the adaptive decision-making is dependent on pupil-linked arousal as the increase in the decision criterion was the largest during low pupil-linked arousal periods. Taken together, our results demonstrated that the rats were able to adjust their decision-making to maximize rewards in the tasks, and that adaptive behavior in perceptual decision-making is dependent on pupil-linked arousal.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Perceptual decision-making is a dynamic cognitive process and is shaped by many factors. However, the extent to which changes in sensory environment result in adaptive decision-making remains poorly understood. Our data provided new experimental evidence demonstrating that the rats were able to adaptively modify their decision criterion to maximize water reward in response to changes in the statistics of the sensory environment. Furthermore, the adaptive decision-making is dependent on pupil-linked arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Narasimhan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York, United States
| | - Brian J Schriver
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York, United States
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York, United States
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17
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Mazancieux A, Mauconduit F, Amadon A, Willem de Gee J, Donner TH, Meyniel F. Brainstem fMRI signaling of surprise across different types of deviant stimuli. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113405. [PMID: 37950868 PMCID: PMC10698303 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113405] [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: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Detection of deviant stimuli is crucial to orient and adapt our behavior. Previous work shows that deviant stimuli elicit phasic activation of the locus coeruleus (LC), which releases noradrenaline and controls central arousal. However, it is unclear whether the detection of behaviorally relevant deviant stimuli selectively triggers LC responses or other neuromodulatory systems (dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine). We combine human functional MRI (fMRI) recordings optimized for brainstem imaging with pupillometry to perform a mapping of deviant-related responses in subcortical structures. Participants have to detect deviant items in a "local-global" paradigm that distinguishes between deviance based on the stimulus probability and the sequence structure. fMRI responses to deviant stimuli are distributed in many cortical areas. Both types of deviance elicit responses in the pupil, LC, and other neuromodulatory systems. Our results reveal that the detection of task-relevant deviant items recruits the same multiple subcortical systems across computationally different types of deviance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Mazancieux
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France.
| | - Franck Mauconduit
- NeuroSpin, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alexis Amadon
- NeuroSpin, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jan Willem de Gee
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tobias H Donner
- Section Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Florent Meyniel
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France; Institut de neuromodulation, GHU Paris, psychiatrie et neurosciences, centre hospitalier Sainte-Anne, pôle hospitalo-universitaire 15, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
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18
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Pupillo F, Bruckner R. Signed and unsigned effects of prediction error on memory: Is it a matter of choice? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105371. [PMID: 37633626 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105371] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive decision-making is governed by at least two types of memory processes. On the one hand, learned predictions through integrating multiple experiences, and on the other hand, one-shot episodic memories. These two processes interact, and predictions - particularly prediction errors - influence how episodic memories are encoded. However, studies using computational models disagree on the exact shape of this relationship, with some findings showing an effect of signed prediction errors and others showing an effect of unsigned prediction errors on episodic memory. We argue that the choice-confirmation bias, which reflects stronger learning from choice-confirming compared to disconfirming outcomes, could explain these seemingly diverging results. Our perspective implies that the influence of prediction errors on episodic encoding critically depends on whether people can freely choose between options (i.e., instrumental learning tasks) or not (Pavlovian learning tasks). The choice-confirmation bias on memory encoding might have evolved to prioritize memory representations that optimize reward-guided decision-making. We conclude by discussing open issues and implications for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pupillo
- Department of Psychology, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Germany; Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Netherlands.
| | - Rasmus Bruckner
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany; Max Planck Research Group NeuroCode, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
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19
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Lehnert J, Cha K, Halperin J, Yang K, Zheng DF, Khadra A, Cook EP, Krishnaswamy A. Visual attention to features and space in mice using reverse correlation. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3690-3701.e4. [PMID: 37611588 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Visual attention allows the brain to evoke behaviors based on the most important visual features. Mouse models offer immense potential to gain a circuit-level understanding of this phenomenon, yet how mice distribute attention across features and locations is not well understood. Here, we describe a new approach to address this limitation by training mice to detect weak vertical bars in a background of dynamic noise while spatial cues manipulate their attention. By adapting a reverse-correlation method from human studies, we linked behavioral decisions to stimulus features and locations. We show that mice deployed attention to a small rostral region of the visual field. Within this region, mice attended to multiple features (orientation, spatial frequency, contrast) that indicated the presence of weak vertical bars. This attentional tuning grew with training, multiplicatively scaled behavioral sensitivity, approached that of an ideal observer, and resembled the effects of attention in humans. Taken together, we demonstrate that mice can simultaneously attend to multiple features and locations of a visual stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Lehnert
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada; Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada
| | - Kuwook Cha
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Jamie Halperin
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Kerry Yang
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Daniel F Zheng
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Anmar Khadra
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada; Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada; Centre for Applied Mathematics in Bioscience and Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Erik P Cook
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada; Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada; Centre for Applied Mathematics in Bioscience and Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada.
| | - Arjun Krishnaswamy
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada; Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada.
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20
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Zou L, Herold F, Ludyga S, Kamijo K, Müller NG, Pontifex MB, Heath M, Kuwamizu R, Soya H, Hillman CH, Ando S, Alderman BL, Cheval B, Kramer AF. Look into my eyes: What can eye-based measures tell us about the relationship between physical activity and cognitive performance? JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2023; 12:568-591. [PMID: 37148971 PMCID: PMC10466196 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a growing interest to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that drive the positive associations of physical activity and fitness with measures of cognitive performance. To better understand those mechanisms, several studies have employed eye-based measures (e.g., eye movement measures such as saccades, pupillary measures such as pupil dilation, and vascular measures such as retinal vessel diameter) deemed to be proxies for specific neurobiological mechanisms. However, there is currently no systematic review providing a comprehensive overview of these studies in the field of exercise-cognition science. Thus, this review aimed to address that gap in the literature. METHODS To identify eligible studies, we searched 5 electronic databases on October 23, 2022. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using a modified version of the Tool for the assEssment of Study qualiTy and reporting in EXercise (TESTEX scale, for interventional studies) and the critical appraisal tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute (for cross-sectional studies). RESULTS Our systematic review (n = 35 studies) offers the following main findings: (a) there is insufficient evidence available to draw solid conclusions concerning gaze-fixation-based measures; (b) the evidence that pupillometric measures, which are a proxy for the noradrenergic system, can explain the positive effect of acute exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive performance is mixed; (c) physical training- or fitness-related changes of the cerebrovascular system (operationalized via changes in retinal vasculature) are, in general, positively associated with cognitive performance improvements; (d) acute and chronic physical exercises show a positive effect based on an oculomotor-based measure of executive function (operationalized via antisaccade tasks); and (e) the positive association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive performance is partly mediated by the dopaminergic system (operationalized via spontaneous eye-blink rate). CONCLUSION This systematic review offers confirmation that eye-based measures can provide valuable insight into the neurobiological mechanisms that may drive positive associations between physical activity and fitness and measures of cognitive performance. However, due to the limited number of studies utilizing specific methods for obtaining eye-based measures (e.g., pupillometry, retinal vessel analysis, spontaneous eye blink rate) or investigating a possible dose-response relationship, further research is necessary before more nuanced conclusions can be drawn. Given that eye-based measures are economical and non-invasive, we hope this review will foster the future application of eye-based measures in the field of exercise-cognition science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liye Zou
- Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany.
| | - Fabian Herold
- Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ludyga
- Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, University of Basel, Basel 4052, Switzerland
| | - Keita Kamijo
- Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chukyo University, Nagoya 466-8666, Japan
| | - Notger G Müller
- Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Matthew B Pontifex
- Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Matthew Heath
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London ON N6A 3K7, Canada; Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 3K7, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Ryuta Kuwamizu
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-0006, Japan
| | - Hideaki Soya
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-0006, Japan; Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-0006, Japan
| | - Charles H Hillman
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Department of Psychology, Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Soichi Ando
- Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Brandon L Alderman
- Department of Kinesiology and Health, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Boris Cheval
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva 1205, Switzerland; Laboratory for the Study of Emotion Elicitation and Expression (E3Lab), Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva 1205, Switzerland
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Department of Psychology, Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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21
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Chen HY, Marxen M, Dahl MJ, Glöckner F. Effects of Adult Age and Functioning of the Locus Coeruleus Norepinephrinergic System on Reward-Based Learning. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6185-6196. [PMID: 37541835 PMCID: PMC10476638 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2006-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related impairments in value representations and updating during decision-making and reward-based learning are often related to age-related attenuation in the catecholamine system such as dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE). However, it is unclear to what extent age-related declines in NE functioning in humans affect reward-based decision-making. We conducted a probabilistic decision-making task and applied a Q-learning model to investigate participants' anticipatory values and value sensitivities. Task-related pupil dilations and locus coeruleus (LC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast, which served as a potential window of the LC-NE functions, were assessed in younger and older adults. Results showed that in both choice and feedback phases, younger adults' (N = 42, 22 males) pupil dilations negatively correlated with anticipatory values, indicating uncertainty about outcome probabilities. Uncertainty-evoked pupil dilations in older adults (N = 41, 27 males) were smaller, indicating age-related impairments in value estimation and updating. In both age groups, participants who showed a larger uncertainty-evoked pupil dilation exhibited a higher value sensitivity as reflected in the β parameter of the reinforcement Q-learning model. Furthermore, older adults (N = 34, 29 males) showed a lower LC-MRI contrast than younger adults (N = 25, 15 males). The LC-MRI contrast positively correlated with value sensitivity only in older but not in younger adults. These findings suggest that task-related pupillary responses can reflect age-related deficits in value estimation and updating during reward-based decision-making. Our evidence with the LC-MRI contrast further showed the age-related decline of the LC structure in modulating value representations during reward-based learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Age-related impairments in value representation and updating during reward-based learning are associated with declines in the catecholamine modulation with age. However, it is unclear how age-related declines in the LC-NE system may affect reward-based learning. Here, we show that compared with younger adults, older adults exhibited reduced uncertainty-induced pupil dilations, suggesting age-related deficits in value estimation and updating. Older adults showed a lower structural MRI of the LC contrast than younger adults, indicating age-related degeneration of the LC structure. The association between the LC-MRI contrast and value sensitivity was only observed in older adults. Our findings may demonstrate a pioneering model to unravel the role of the LC-NE system in reward-based learning in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang-Yu Chen
- Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
- Methods of Psychology and Cognitive Modeling, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Marxen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin J Dahl
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90089
| | - Franka Glöckner
- Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
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22
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Ramamurthy DL, Chen A, Zhou J, Park C, Huang PC, Bharghavan P, Krishna G, Liu J, Casale K, Feldman DE. VIP interneurons in sensory cortex encode sensory and action signals but not direct reward signals. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3398-3408.e7. [PMID: 37499665 PMCID: PMC10528032 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) interneurons in sensory cortex modulate sensory responses based on global exploratory behavior and arousal state, but their function during non-exploratory, goal-directed behavior is not well understood. In particular, whether VIP cells are activated by sensory cues, reward-seeking actions, or directly by reinforcement is unclear. We trained mice on a Go/NoGo whisker touch detection task that included a delay period and other features designed to separate sensory-evoked, action-related, and reward-related neural activity. Mice had to lick in response to a whisker stimulus to receive a variable-sized reward. Using two-photon calcium imaging, we measured ΔF/F responses of L2/3 VIP neurons in whisker somatosensory cortex (S1) during behavior. In both expert and novice mice, VIP cells were strongly activated by whisker stimuli and goal-directed actions (licking), but not by reinforcement. VIP cells showed somatotopic whisker tuning that was spatially organized relative to anatomical columns in S1, unlike lick-related signals which were spatially widespread. In expert mice, lick-related VIP responses were suppressed, not enhanced, when a reward was delivered, and the amount of suppression increased with reward size. This reward-related suppression was not seen in novice mice, where reward delivery was not yoked to licking. These results indicate that besides arousal and global state variables, VIP cells are activated by local sensory features and goal-directed actions, but not directly by reinforcement. Instead, our results are consistent with a role for VIP cells in encoding the expectation of reward associated with motor actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa L Ramamurthy
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
| | - Andrew Chen
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Jiayu Zhou
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Chanbin Park
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Patrick C Huang
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Priyanka Bharghavan
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Gayathri Krishna
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Jinjian Liu
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Kayla Casale
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Daniel E Feldman
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
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23
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Feng YY, Bromberg-Martin ES, Monosov IE. Dorsal raphe neurons signal integrated value during multi-attribute decision-making. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.17.553745. [PMID: 37662243 PMCID: PMC10473596 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.17.553745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is implicated in psychiatric disorders that feature impaired sensitivity to reward amount, impulsivity when facing reward delays, and risk-seeking when grappling with reward uncertainty. However, whether and how DRN neurons signal reward amount, reward delay, and reward uncertainty during multi-attribute value-based decision-making, where subjects consider all these attributes to make a choice, is unclear. We recorded DRN neurons as monkeys chose between offers whose attributes, namely expected reward amount, reward delay, and reward uncertainty, varied independently. Many DRN neurons signaled offer attributes. Remarkably, these neurons commonly integrated offer attributes in a manner that reflected monkeys' overall preferences for amount, delay, and uncertainty. After decision-making, in response to post-decision feedback, these same neurons signaled signed reward prediction errors, suggesting a broader role in tracking value across task epochs and behavioral contexts. Our data illustrate how DRN participates in integrated value computations, guiding theories of DRN in decision-making and psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-Yang Feng
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Ilya E. Monosov
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Washington University Pain Center, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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24
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Troconis EL, Seo C, Guru A, Warden MR. Serotonin neurons in mating female mice are activated by male ejaculation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.14.540716. [PMID: 37645786 PMCID: PMC10461921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.14.540716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Sexual stimulation triggers changes in female physiology and behavior, including sexual satiety and preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Serotonin is an important regulator of reproductive physiology and sexual receptivity, but the relationship between sexual stimulation and serotonin neural activity in females is poorly understood. Here, we investigated dorsal raphe serotonin neural activity in females during sexual behavior. We found that serotonin neural activity in mating females peaked specifically upon male ejaculation, and remained elevated above baseline until disengagement. Artificial intravaginal mechanical stimulation was sufficient to elicit increased 5-HT neural activity but the delivery of ejaculatory fluids was not. Distal penis erectile enlargement ("penile cupping") at ejaculation and forceful expulsion of ejaculatory fluid each provided sufficient mechanical stimulation to elicit serotonin neuron activation. Our study identifies a female ejaculation-specific signal in a major neuromodulatory system and shows that intravaginal mechanosensory stimulation is necessary and sufficient to drive this signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen L. Troconis
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Changwoo Seo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Akash Guru
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Melissa R. Warden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Lead Contact
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25
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Lloyd B, de Voogd LD, Mäki-Marttunen V, Nieuwenhuis S. Pupil size reflects activation of subcortical ascending arousal system nuclei during rest. eLife 2023; 12:e84822. [PMID: 37367220 PMCID: PMC10299825 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulatory nuclei that are part of the ascending arousal system (AAS) play a crucial role in regulating cortical state and optimizing task performance. Pupil diameter, under constant luminance conditions, is increasingly used as an index of activity of these AAS nuclei. Indeed, task-based functional imaging studies in humans have begun to provide evidence of stimulus-driven pupil-AAS coupling. However, whether there is such a tight pupil-AAS coupling during rest is not clear. To address this question, we examined simultaneously acquired resting-state fMRI and pupil-size data from 74 participants, focusing on six AAS nuclei: the locus coeruleus, ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra, dorsal and median raphe nuclei, and cholinergic basal forebrain. Activation in all six AAS nuclei was optimally correlated with pupil size at 0-2 s lags, suggesting that spontaneous pupil changes were almost immediately followed by corresponding BOLD-signal changes in the AAS. These results suggest that spontaneous changes in pupil size that occur during states of rest can be used as a noninvasive general index of activity in AAS nuclei. Importantly, the nature of pupil-AAS coupling during rest appears to be vastly different from the relatively slow canonical hemodynamic response function that has been used to characterize task-related pupil-AAS coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Lloyd
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden UniversityLeidenNetherlands
| | - Lycia D de Voogd
- Donders Institute, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud UniversityNijmegenNetherlands
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26
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Grujic N, Tesmer A, Bracey E, Peleg-Raibstein D, Burdakov D. Control and coding of pupil size by hypothalamic orexin neurons. Nat Neurosci 2023:10.1038/s41593-023-01365-w. [PMID: 37336973 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01365-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Brain orexin (hypocretin) neurons are implicated in sleep-wake switching and reward-seeking but their roles in rapid arousal dynamics and reward perception are unclear. Here, cell-specific stimulation, deletion and in vivo recordings revealed strong correlative and causal links between pupil dilation-a quantitative arousal marker-and orexin cell activity. Coding of arousal and reward was distributed across orexin cells, indicating that they specialize in rapid, multiplexed communication of momentary arousal and reward states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Grujic
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Tesmer
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Ed Bracey
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Daria Peleg-Raibstein
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Denis Burdakov
- Neurobehavioural Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
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27
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Dag U, Nwabudike I, Kang D, Gomes MA, Kim J, Atanas AA, Bueno E, Estrem C, Pugliese S, Wang Z, Towlson E, Flavell SW. Dissecting the functional organization of the C. elegans serotonergic system at whole-brain scale. Cell 2023; 186:2574-2592.e20. [PMID: 37192620 PMCID: PMC10484565 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin influences many aspects of animal behavior. But how serotonin acts on its diverse receptors across the brain to modulate global activity and behavior is unknown. Here, we examine how serotonin release in C. elegans alters brain-wide activity to induce foraging behaviors, like slow locomotion and increased feeding. Comprehensive genetic analyses identify three core serotonin receptors (MOD-1, SER-4, and LGC-50) that induce slow locomotion upon serotonin release and others (SER-1, SER-5, and SER-7) that interact with them to modulate this behavior. SER-4 induces behavioral responses to sudden increases in serotonin release, whereas MOD-1 induces responses to persistent release. Whole-brain imaging reveals widespread serotonin-associated brain dynamics, spanning many behavioral networks. We map all sites of serotonin receptor expression in the connectome, which, together with synaptic connectivity, helps predict which neurons show serotonin-associated activity. These results reveal how serotonin acts at defined sites across a connectome to modulate brain-wide activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugur Dag
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ijeoma Nwabudike
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Di Kang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew A Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungsoo Kim
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Adam A Atanas
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Computational and Systems Biology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric Bueno
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassi Estrem
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Pugliese
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emma Towlson
- Department of Computer Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children's Research Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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28
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Bachman SL, Attanti S, Mather M. Isometric handgrip exercise speeds working memory responses in younger and older adults. Psychol Aging 2023; 38:305-322. [PMID: 36931831 PMCID: PMC10238670 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Physiological arousal affects attention and memory, sometimes enhancing and other times impairing what we attend to and remember. In the present study, we investigated how changes in physiological arousal-induced through short bursts of isometric handgrip exercise-affected subsequent working memory performance. A sample of 57 younger (ages 18-29) and 56 older (ages 65-85) participants performed blocks of isometric handgrip exercise in which they periodically squeezed a therapy ball, alternating with blocks of an auditory working memory task. We found that, compared with those in a control group, participants who performed isometric handgrip had faster reaction times on the working memory task. Handgrip-speeded responses were observed for both younger and older participants, across working memory loads. Analysis of multimodal physiological responses indicated that physiological arousal increased during handgrip. Our findings suggest that performing short bouts of isometric handgrip exercise can improve processing speed, and they offer testable possibilities for the mechanism underlying handgrip's effects on performance. The potential for acute isometric exercise to temporarily improve processing speed may be of particular relevance for older adults who show declines in processing speed and working memory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sumedha Attanti
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California
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29
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Ehrenberg AJ, Kelberman MA, Liu KY, Dahl MJ, Weinshenker D, Falgàs N, Dutt S, Mather M, Ludwig M, Betts MJ, Winer JR, Teipel S, Weigand AJ, Eschenko O, Hämmerer D, Leiman M, Counts SE, Shine JM, Robertson IH, Levey AI, Lancini E, Son G, Schneider C, Egroo MV, Liguori C, Wang Q, Vazey EM, Rodriguez-Porcel F, Haag L, Bondi MW, Vanneste S, Freeze WM, Yi YJ, Maldinov M, Gatchel J, Satpati A, Babiloni C, Kremen WS, Howard R, Jacobs HIL, Grinberg LT. Priorities for research on neuromodulatory subcortical systems in Alzheimer's disease: Position paper from the NSS PIA of ISTAART. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:2182-2196. [PMID: 36642985 PMCID: PMC10182252 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The neuromodulatory subcortical system (NSS) nuclei are critical hubs for survival, hedonic tone, and homeostasis. Tau-associated NSS degeneration occurs early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, long before the emergence of pathognomonic memory dysfunction and cortical lesions. Accumulating evidence supports the role of NSS dysfunction and degeneration in the behavioral and neuropsychiatric manifestations featured early in AD. Experimental studies even suggest that AD-associated NSS degeneration drives brain neuroinflammatory status and contributes to disease progression, including the exacerbation of cortical lesions. Given the important pathophysiologic and etiologic roles that involve the NSS in early AD stages, there is an urgent need to expand our understanding of the mechanisms underlying NSS vulnerability and more precisely detail the clinical progression of NSS changes in AD. Here, the NSS Professional Interest Area of the International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment highlights knowledge gaps about NSS within AD and provides recommendations for priorities specific to clinical research, biomarker development, modeling, and intervention. HIGHLIGHTS: Neuromodulatory nuclei degenerate in early Alzheimer's disease pathological stages. Alzheimer's pathophysiology is exacerbated by neuromodulatory nuclei degeneration. Neuromodulatory nuclei degeneration drives neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia. Biomarkers of neuromodulatory integrity would be value-creating for dementia care. Neuromodulatory nuclei present strategic prospects for disease-modifying therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Ehrenberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Michael A Kelberman
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kathy Y Liu
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Martin J Dahl
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - David Weinshenker
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Neus Falgàs
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shubir Dutt
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mareike Ludwig
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Matthew J Betts
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Joseph R Winer
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Stefan Teipel
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Alexandra J Weigand
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Oxana Eschenko
- Department of Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Dorothea Hämmerer
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marina Leiman
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Scott E Counts
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
- Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ian H Robertson
- Global Brain Health Institute, Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Allan I Levey
- Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Goizueta Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Elisa Lancini
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Gowoon Son
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christoph Schneider
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maxime Van Egroo
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Claudio Liguori
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Neurology Unit, University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Agusta University, Agusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Elena M Vazey
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Lena Haag
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Mark W Bondi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Psychology Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Global Brain Health Institute, Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Whitney M Freeze
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychiatry, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Yeo-Jin Yi
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Mihovil Maldinov
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Jennifer Gatchel
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Abhijit Satpati
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Claudio Babiloni
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer,", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Hospital San Raffaele Cassino, Cassino, Italy
| | - William S Kremen
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Robert Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
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30
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Cazettes F, Mazzucato L, Murakami M, Morais JP, Augusto E, Renart A, Mainen ZF. A reservoir of foraging decision variables in the mouse brain. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:840-849. [PMID: 37055628 PMCID: PMC10280691 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01305-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
In any given situation, the environment can be parsed in different ways to yield decision variables (DVs) defining strategies useful for different tasks. It is generally presumed that the brain only computes a single DV defining the current behavioral strategy. Here to test this assumption, we recorded neural ensembles in the frontal cortex of mice performing a foraging task admitting multiple DVs. Methods developed to uncover the currently employed DV revealed the use of multiple strategies and occasional switches in strategy within sessions. Optogenetic manipulations showed that the secondary motor cortex (M2) is needed for mice to use the different DVs in the task. Surprisingly, we found that regardless of which DV best explained the current behavior, M2 activity concurrently encoded a full basis set of computations defining a reservoir of DVs appropriate for alternative tasks. This form of neural multiplexing may confer considerable advantages for learning and adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Mazzucato
- Departments of Biology, Mathematics & Physics, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Masayoshi Murakami
- Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Neurophysiology, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
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31
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Viglione A, Mazziotti R, Pizzorusso T. From pupil to the brain: New insights for studying cortical plasticity through pupillometry. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1151847. [PMID: 37063384 PMCID: PMC10102476 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1151847] [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: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pupil size variations have been associated with changes in brain activity patterns related with specific cognitive factors, such as arousal, attention, and mental effort. The locus coeruleus (LC), a key hub in the noradrenergic system of the brain, is considered to be a key regulator of cognitive control on pupil size, with changes in pupil diameter corresponding to the release of norepinephrine (NE). Advances in eye-tracking technology and open-source software have facilitated accurate pupil size measurement in various experimental settings, leading to increased interest in using pupillometry to track the nervous system activation state and as a potential biomarker for brain disorders. This review explores pupillometry as a non-invasive and fully translational tool for studying cortical plasticity starting from recent literature suggesting that pupillometry could be a promising technique for estimating the degree of residual plasticity in human subjects. Given that NE is known to be a critical mediator of cortical plasticity and arousal, the review includes data revealing the importance of the LC-NE system in modulating brain plasticity and pupil size. Finally, we will review data suggesting that pupillometry could provide a quantitative and complementary measure of cortical plasticity also in pre-clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelia Viglione
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Aurelia Viglione,
| | | | - Tommaso Pizzorusso
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
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32
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Hulsey D, Zumwalt K, Mazzucato L, McCormick DA, Jaramillo S. Decision-making dynamics are predicted by arousal and uninstructed movements. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.02.530651. [PMID: 37034793 PMCID: PMC10081205 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.02.530651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
During sensory-guided behavior, an animal's decision-making dynamics unfold through sequences of distinct performance states, even while stimulus-reward contingencies remain static. Little is known about the factors that underlie these changes in task performance. We hypothesize that these decision-making dynamics can be predicted by externally observable measures, such as uninstructed movements and changes in arousal. Here, combining behavioral experiments in mice with computational modeling, we uncovered lawful relationships between transitions in strategic task performance states and an animal's arousal and uninstructed movements. Using hidden Markov models applied to behavioral choices during sensory discrimination tasks, we found that animals fluctuate between minutes-long optimal, sub-optimal and disengaged performance states. Optimal state epochs were predicted by intermediate levels, and reduced variability, of pupil diameter, along with reduced variability in face movements and locomotion. Our results demonstrate that externally observable uninstructed behaviors can predict optimal performance states, and suggest mice regulate their arousal during optimal performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hulsey
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Kevin Zumwalt
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Luca Mazzucato
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
- Departments of Physics and Mathematics, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - David A. McCormick
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Santiago Jaramillo
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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33
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Reggiani JDS, Jiang Q, Barbini M, Lutas A, Liang L, Fernando J, Deng F, Wan J, Li Y, Chen C, Andermann ML. Brainstem serotonin neurons selectively gate retinal information flow to thalamus. Neuron 2023; 111:711-726.e11. [PMID: 36584680 PMCID: PMC10131437 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types relay parallel streams of visual feature information. We hypothesized that neuromodulators might efficiently control which visual information streams reach the cortex by selectively gating transmission from specific RGC axons in the thalamus. Using fiber photometry recordings, we found that optogenetic stimulation of serotonergic axons in primary visual thalamus of awake mice suppressed ongoing and visually evoked calcium activity and glutamate release from RGC boutons. Two-photon calcium imaging revealed that serotonin axon stimulation suppressed RGC boutons that responded strongly to global changes in luminance more than those responding only to local visual stimuli, while the converse was true for suppression induced by increases in arousal. Converging evidence suggests that differential expression of the 5-HT1B receptor on RGC presynaptic terminals, but not differential density of nearby serotonin axons, may contribute to the selective serotonergic gating of specific visual information streams before they can activate thalamocortical neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine D S Reggiani
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Qiufen Jiang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Melanie Barbini
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Andrew Lutas
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Liang Liang
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jesseba Fernando
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Fei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jinxia Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chinfei Chen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Mark L Andermann
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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34
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Dag U, Nwabudike I, Kang D, Gomes MA, Kim J, Atanas AA, Bueno E, Estrem C, Pugliese S, Wang Z, Towlson E, Flavell SW. Dissecting the Functional Organization of the C. elegans Serotonergic System at Whole-Brain Scale. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.15.524132. [PMID: 36711891 PMCID: PMC9882198 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.15.524132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin controls many aspects of animal behavior and cognition. But how serotonin acts on its diverse receptor types in neurons across the brain to modulate global activity and behavior is unknown. Here, we examine how serotonin release from a feeding-responsive neuron in C. elegans alters brain-wide activity to induce foraging behaviors, like slow locomotion and increased feeding. A comprehensive genetic analysis identifies three core serotonin receptors that collectively induce slow locomotion upon serotonin release and three others that interact with them to further modulate this behavior. The core receptors have different functional roles: some induce behavioral responses to sudden increases in serotonin release, whereas others induce responses to persistent release. Whole-brain calcium imaging reveals widespread serotonin-associated brain dynamics, impacting different behavioral networks in different ways. We map out all sites of serotonin receptor expression in the connectome, which, together with synaptic connectivity, helps predict serotonin-associated brain-wide activity changes. These results provide a global view of how serotonin acts at defined sites across a connectome to modulate brain-wide activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugur Dag
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ijeoma Nwabudike
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Di Kang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Matthew A. Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungsoo Kim
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Adam A. Atanas
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,Computational and Systems Biology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric Bueno
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassi Estrem
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Pugliese
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emma Towlson
- Department of Computer Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Research Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steven W. Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,Corresponding Author:
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35
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Lawlor J, Zagala A, Jamali S, Boubenec Y. Pupillary dynamics reflect the impact of temporal expectation on detection strategy. iScience 2023; 26:106000. [PMID: 36798438 PMCID: PMC9926307 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106000] [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: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Everyday life's perceptual decision-making is informed by experience. In particular, temporal expectation can ease the detection of relevant events in noisy sensory streams. Here, we investigated if humans can extract hidden temporal cues from the occurrences of probabilistic targets and utilize them to inform target detection in a complex acoustic stream. To understand what neural mechanisms implement temporal expectation influence on decision-making, we used pupillometry as a proxy for underlying neuromodulatory activity. We found that participants' detection strategy was influenced by the hidden temporal context and correlated with sound-evoked pupil dilation. A model of urgency fitted on false alarms predicted detection reaction time. Altogether, these findings suggest that temporal expectation informs decision-making and could be implemented through neuromodulatory-mediated urgency signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Lawlor
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA,Corresponding author
| | - Agnès Zagala
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Canada
| | - Sara Jamali
- Institut Pasteur, INSERM, Institut de l’Audition, Paris, France
| | - Yves Boubenec
- Laboratoire des systèmes perceptifs, Département d’études cognitives, École normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
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36
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Gacoin M, Ben Hamed S. Fluoxetine degrades luminance perceptual thresholds while enhancing motivation and reward sensitivity. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1103999. [PMID: 37153796 PMCID: PMC10157648 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1103999] [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: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase serotonin activity in the brain. While they are mostly known for their antidepressant properties, they have been shown to improve visual functions in amblyopia and impact cognitive functions ranging from attention to motivation and sensitivity to reward. Yet, a clear understanding of the specific action of serotonin to each of bottom-up sensory and top-down cognitive control components and their interaction is still missing. To address this question, we characterize, in two adult male macaques, the behavioral effects of fluoxetine, a specific SSRI, on visual perception under varying bottom-up (luminosity, distractors) and top-down (uncertainty, reward biases) constraints while they are performing three different visual tasks. We first manipulate target luminosity in a visual detection task, and we show that fluoxetine degrades luminance perceptual thresholds. We then use a target detection task in the presence of spatial distractors, and we show that under fluoxetine, monkeys display both more liberal responses as well as a degraded perceptual spatial resolution. In a last target selection task, involving free choice in the presence of reward biases, we show that monkeys display an increased sensitivity to reward outcome under fluoxetine. In addition, we report that monkeys produce, under fluoxetine, more trials and less aborts, increased pupil size, shorter blink durations, as well as task-dependent changes in reaction times. Overall, while low level vision appears to be degraded by fluoxetine, performances in the visual tasks are maintained under fluoxetine due to enhanced top-down control based on task outcome and reward maximization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëva Gacoin
- *Correspondence: Maëva Gacoin, ; Suliann Ben Hamed,
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37
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Yamada K, Toda K. Pupillary dynamics of mice performing a Pavlovian delay conditioning task reflect reward-predictive signals. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1045764. [PMID: 36567756 PMCID: PMC9772849 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1045764] [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: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pupils can signify various internal processes and states, such as attention, arousal, and working memory. Changes in pupil size have been associated with learning speed, prediction of future events, and deviations from the prediction in human studies. However, the detailed relationships between pupil size changes and prediction are unclear. We explored pupil size dynamics in mice performing a Pavlovian delay conditioning task. A head-fixed experimental setup combined with deep-learning-based image analysis enabled us to reduce spontaneous locomotor activity and to track the precise dynamics of pupil size of behaving mice. By setting up two experimental groups, one for which mice were able to predict reward in the Pavlovian delay conditioning task and the other for which mice were not, we demonstrated that the pupil size of mice is modulated by reward prediction and consumption, as well as body movements, but not by unpredicted reward delivery. Furthermore, we clarified that pupil size is still modulated by reward prediction even after the disruption of body movements by intraperitoneal injection of haloperidol, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist. These results suggest that changes in pupil size reflect reward prediction signals. Thus, we provide important evidence to reconsider the neuronal circuit involved in computing reward prediction error. This integrative approach of behavioral analysis, image analysis, pupillometry, and pharmacological manipulation will pave the way for understanding the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of reward prediction and the prediction errors essential to learning and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Yamada
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan,*Correspondence: Kota Yamada
| | - Koji Toda
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan,Koji Toda
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38
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Kim Y, Kadlaskar G, Keehn RM, Keehn B. Measures of tonic and phasic activity of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system in children with autism spectrum disorder: An event-related potential and pupillometry study. Autism Res 2022; 15:2250-2264. [PMID: 36164264 PMCID: PMC9722557 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of research suggests that locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system may function differently in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Understanding the dynamics of both tonic (resting pupil diameter) and phasic (pupil dilation response [PDR] and event-related potential [ERP]) indices may provide meaningful insights about the nature of LC-NE function in ASD. Twenty-four children with ASD and 27 age- and nonverbal-IQ matched typically developing (TD) children completed two experiments: (1) a resting eye-tracking task to measure tonic pupil diameter, and (2) a three-stimulus oddball paradigm to measure phasic responsivity using PDR and ERP. Consistent with prior reports, our results indicate that children with ASD exhibit increased tonic (resting pupil diameter) and reduced phasic (PDR and ERP) activity of the LC-NE system compared to their TD peers. For both groups, decreased phasic responsivity was associated with increased resting pupil diameter. Lastly, tonic and phasic LC-NE indices were primarily related to measures of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and not ASD, symptomatology. These findings expand our understanding of neurophysiological differences present in ASD and demonstrate that aberrant LC-NE activation may be associated with atypical arousal and decreased responsivity to behaviorally-relevant information in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesol Kim
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| | - Girija Kadlaskar
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| | | | - Brandon Keehn
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN,Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University,
West Lafayette, IN
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39
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de Vries OT, Grasman RPPP, Kindt M, van Ast VA. Threat learning impairs subsequent associative inference. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18878. [PMID: 36344549 PMCID: PMC9640532 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21471-2] [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: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite it being widely acknowledged that the most important function of memory is to facilitate the prediction of significant events in a complex world, no studies to date have investigated how our ability to infer associations across distinct but overlapping experiences is affected by the inclusion of threat memories. To address this question, participants (n = 35) encoded neutral predictive associations (A → B). The following day these memories were reactivated by pairing B with a new aversive or neutral outcome (B → CTHREAT/NEUTRAL) while pupil dilation was measured as an index of emotional arousal. Then, again 1 day later, the accuracy of indirect associations (A → C?) was tested. Associative inferences involving a threat learning memory were impaired whereas the initial memories were retroactively strengthened, but these effects were not moderated by pupil dilation at encoding. These results imply that a healthy memory system may compartmentalize episodic information of threat, and so hinders its recall when cued only indirectly. Malfunctioning of this process may cause maladaptive linkage of negative events to distant and benign memories, and thereby contribute to the development of clinical intrusions and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier T. de Vries
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Raoul P. P. P. Grasman
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Department of Psychological Methods, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Merel Kindt
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.7177.60000000084992262Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vanessa A. van Ast
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.7177.60000000084992262Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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40
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Burlingham CS, Mirbagheri S, Heeger DJ. A unified model of the task-evoked pupil response. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabi9979. [PMID: 35442730 PMCID: PMC9020670 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi9979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The pupil dilates and reconstricts following task events. It is popular to model this task-evoked pupil response as a linear transformation of event-locked impulses, whose amplitudes are used as estimates of arousal. We show that this model is incorrect and propose an alternative model based on the physiological finding that a common neural input drives saccades and pupil size. The estimates of arousal from our model agreed with key predictions: Arousal scaled with task difficulty and behavioral performance but was invariant to small differences in trial duration. Moreover, the model offers a unified explanation for a wide range of phenomena: entrainment of pupil size and saccades to task timing, modulation of pupil response amplitude and noise with task difficulty, reaction time-dependent modulation of pupil response timing and amplitude, a constrictory pupil response time-locked to saccades, and task-dependent distortion of this saccade-locked pupil response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saghar Mirbagheri
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David J. Heeger
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
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41
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Burlingham CS, Ryoo M, Roth ZN, Mirbagheri S, Heeger DJ, Merriam E. Task-related hemodynamic responses in human early visual cortex are modulated by task difficulty and behavioral performance. eLife 2022; 11:73018. [PMID: 35389340 PMCID: PMC9049970 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early visual cortex exhibits widespread hemodynamic responses in the absence of visual stimulation, which are entrained to the timing of a task and not predicted by local spiking or local field potential (LFP). Such task-related responses ('TRRs') covary with reward magnitude and physiological signatures of arousal. It is unknown, however, if TRRs change on a trial-to-trial basis according to behavioral performance and task difficulty. If so, this would suggest that TRRs reflect arousal on a trial-to-trial timescale and covary with critical task and behavioral variables. We measured fMRI-BOLD responses in the early visual cortex of human observers performing an orientation discrimination task consisting of separate easy and hard runs of trials. Stimuli were presented in a small portion of one hemifield, but the fMRI response was measured in the ipsilateral hemisphere, far from the stimulus representation and focus of spatial attention. TRRs scaled in amplitude with task difficulty, behavioral accuracy, reaction time, and lapses across trials. These modulations were not explained by the influence of respiration, cardiac activity, or head movement on the fMRI signal. Similar modulations with task difficulty and behavior were observed in pupil size. These results suggest that TRRs reflect arousal and behavior on the timescale of individual trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Minyoung Ryoo
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Zvi N Roth
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, United States
| | | | - David J Heeger
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Elisha Merriam
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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42
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Wainstein G, Müller EJ, Taylor N, Munn B, Shine JM. The role of the locus coeruleus in shaping adaptive cortical melodies. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:527-538. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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43
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Pfeffer T, Keitel C, Kluger DS, Keitel A, Russmann A, Thut G, Donner TH, Gross J. Coupling of pupil- and neuronal population dynamics reveals diverse influences of arousal on cortical processing. eLife 2022; 11:e71890. [PMID: 35133276 PMCID: PMC8853659 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluctuations in arousal, controlled by subcortical neuromodulatory systems, continuously shape cortical state, with profound consequences for information processing. Yet, how arousal signals influence cortical population activity in detail has so far only been characterized for a few selected brain regions. Traditional accounts conceptualize arousal as a homogeneous modulator of neural population activity across the cerebral cortex. Recent insights, however, point to a higher specificity of arousal effects on different components of neural activity and across cortical regions. Here, we provide a comprehensive account of the relationships between fluctuations in arousal and neuronal population activity across the human brain. Exploiting the established link between pupil size and central arousal systems, we performed concurrent magnetoencephalographic (MEG) and pupillographic recordings in a large number of participants, pooled across three laboratories. We found a cascade of effects relative to the peak timing of spontaneous pupil dilations: Decreases in low-frequency (2-8 Hz) activity in temporal and lateral frontal cortex, followed by increased high-frequency (>64 Hz) activity in mid-frontal regions, followed by monotonic and inverted U relationships with intermediate frequency-range activity (8-32 Hz) in occipito-parietal regions. Pupil-linked arousal also coincided with widespread changes in the structure of the aperiodic component of cortical population activity, indicative of changes in the excitation-inhibition balance in underlying microcircuits. Our results provide a novel basis for studying the arousal modulation of cognitive computations in cortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pfeffer
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience GroupBarcelonaSpain
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyHamburgGermany
| | - Christian Keitel
- University of Stirling, PsychologyStirlingUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - Daniel S Kluger
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, MalmedywegMuensterGermany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of MünsterMuensterGermany
| | - Anne Keitel
- University of Dundee, PsychologyDundeeUnited Kingdom
| | - Alena Russmann
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyHamburgGermany
| | - Gregor Thut
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - Tobias H Donner
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyHamburgGermany
| | - Joachim Gross
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, MalmedywegMuensterGermany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of MünsterMuensterGermany
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44
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Megemont M, McBurney-Lin J, Yang H. Pupil diameter is not an accurate real-time readout of locus coeruleus activity. eLife 2022; 11:70510. [PMID: 35107419 PMCID: PMC8809893 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pupil diameter is often treated as a noninvasive readout of activity in the locus coeruleus (LC). However, how accurately it can be used to index LC activity is not known. To address this question, we established a graded relationship between pupil size changes and LC spiking activity in mice, where pupil dilation increased monotonically with the number of LC spikes. However, this relationship exists with substantial variability such that pupil diameter can only be used to accurately predict a small fraction of LC activity on a moment-by-moment basis. In addition, pupil exhibited large session-to-session fluctuations in response to identical optical stimulation in the LC. The variations in the pupil–LC relationship were strongly correlated with decision bias-related behavioral variables. Together, our data show that substantial variability exists in an overall graded relationship between pupil diameter and LC activity, and further suggest that the pupil–LC relationship is dynamically modulated by brain states, supporting and extending our previous findings (Yang et al., 2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Megemont
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, United States
| | - Jim McBurney-Lin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, United States
| | - Hongdian Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, United States
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45
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Tramonti Fantozzi MP, De Cicco V, De Cicco D, d'Ascanio P, Cataldo E, Bruschini L, Faraguna U, Manzoni D. Chewing and Cognitive Improvement: The Side Matters. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 15:749444. [PMID: 35002642 PMCID: PMC8734061 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.749444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chewing improves cognitive performance, which is impaired in subjects showing an asymmetry in electromyographic (EMG) masseter activity during clenching. In these subjects, the simultaneous presence of an asymmetry in pupil size (anisocoria) at rest indicates an imbalance in Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS) influencing arousal and pupil size. The aim of the present study was to verify whether a trigeminal EMG asymmetry may bias the stimulating effect of chewing on cognition. Cognitive performance and pupil size at rest were recorded before and after 1 min of unilateral chewing in 20 subjects with anisocoria, showing an EMG asymmetry during clenching. Unilateral chewing stimulated performance mainly when it occurred on the side of lower EMG activity (and smaller pupil size). Following chewing on the hypotonic side, changes in cognitive performance were negatively and positively correlated with those in anisocoria and pupil size, respectively. We propose that, following chewing on the hypotonic side, the arousing effects of trigeminal stimulation on performance are enhanced by a rebalancing of ARAS structures. At variance, following chewing on the hypertonic side, the arousing effect of trigeminal stimulation could be partially or completely prevented by the simultaneous increase in ARAS imbalance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincenzo De Cicco
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Davide De Cicco
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Paola d'Ascanio
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Luca Bruschini
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ugo Faraguna
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Diego Manzoni
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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46
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Dahl MJ, Mather M, Werkle-Bergner M. Noradrenergic modulation of rhythmic neural activity shapes selective attention. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:38-52. [PMID: 34799252 PMCID: PMC8678372 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
During moments involving selective attention, the thalamus orchestrates the preferential processing of prioritized information by coordinating rhythmic neural activity within a distributed frontoparietal network. The timed release of neuromodulators from subcortical structures dynamically sculpts neural synchronization in thalamocortical networks to meet current attentional demands. In particular, noradrenaline modulates the balance of cortical excitation and inhibition, as reflected by thalamocortical alpha synchronization (~8-12 Hz). These neuromodulatory adjustments facilitate the selective processing of prioritized information. Thus, by disrupting effective rhythmic coordination in attention networks, age-related locus coeruleus (LC) degeneration can impair higher levels of neural processing. In sum, findings across different levels of analysis and modalities shed light on how the noradrenergic modulation of neural synchronization helps to shape selective attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Dahl
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 90089 Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 90089 Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Markus Werkle-Bergner
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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47
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Wainstein G, Rojas-Líbano D, Medel V, Alnæs D, Kolskår KK, Endestad T, Laeng B, Ossandon T, Crossley N, Matar E, Shine JM. The ascending arousal system promotes optimal performance through mesoscale network integration in a visuospatial attentional task. Netw Neurosci 2021; 5:890-910. [PMID: 35024535 PMCID: PMC8746119 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown that the autonomic nervous system provides essential constraints over ongoing cognitive function. However, there is currently a relative lack of direct empirical evidence for how this interaction manifests in the brain at the macroscale level. Here, we examine the role of ascending arousal and attentional load on large-scale network dynamics by combining pupillometry, functional MRI, and graph theoretical analysis to analyze data from a visual motion-tracking task with a parametric load manipulation. We found that attentional load effects were observable in measures of pupil diameter and in a set of brain regions that parametrically modulated their BOLD activity and mesoscale network-level integration. In addition, the regional patterns of network reconfiguration were correlated with the spatial distribution of the α2a adrenergic receptor. Our results further solidify the relationship between ascending noradrenergic activity, large-scale network integration, and cognitive task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Rojas-Líbano
- Centro de Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente Medel
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Dag Alnæs
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Bjørnnes College, Oslo, Norway
| | - Knut K. Kolskår
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital HT, Nesodden, Norway
| | - Tor Endestad
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time, and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Helgelandssykehuset Mosjøen, Helse Nord, Norway
| | - Bruno Laeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time, and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tomas Ossandon
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nicolás Crossley
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Elie Matar
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Complexity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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48
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Mäki-Marttunen V. Pupil-based States of Brain Integration across Cognitive States. Neuroscience 2021; 471:61-71. [PMID: 34303781 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Arousal is a potent mechanism that provides the brain with functional flexibility and adaptability to external conditions. Within the wake state, arousal levels driven by activity in the neuromodulatory systems are related to specific signatures of neural activation and brain synchrony. However, direct evidence is still lacking on the varying effects of arousal on macroscopic brain characteristics and across a variety of cognitive states in humans. Using a concurrent fMRI-pupillometry approach, we used pupil size as a proxy for arousal and obtained patterns of brain integration associated with increasing arousal levels. We carried out this analysis on resting-state data and data from two attentional tasks implicating different cognitive processes. We found that an increasing level of arousal was related to a state of increased brain integration. This effect was prominent in the salience, visual and default-mode networks in all conditions, while other regions showed task-specificity. Increased integration in the salience network was also related to faster pupil dilation in the two attentional tasks. Furthermore, task performance was related to arousal level, with lower accuracy at higher level of arousal. Taken together, our study provides evidence in humans for pupil size as an index of brain network state, and supports the role of arousal as a switch that drives brain coordination in specific brain regions according to the cognitive state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Mäki-Marttunen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Postboks 1094, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway; Cognitive Psychology Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, Netherlands.
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49
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Abstract
Norepinephrine and acetylcholine regulate brain activity during changes in arousal and attention that are also reflected in fluctuations of the pupil. New research suggests that during goal-directed behavior, serotonin is also associated with pupil dilation.
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50
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Breton-Provencher V, Drummond GT, Sur M. Locus Coeruleus Norepinephrine in Learned Behavior: Anatomical Modularity and Spatiotemporal Integration in Targets. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:638007. [PMID: 34163331 PMCID: PMC8215268 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.638007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC), a small brainstem nucleus, is the primary source of the neuromodulator norepinephrine (NE) in the brain. The LC receives input from widespread brain regions, and projects throughout the forebrain, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. LC neurons release NE to control arousal, but also in the context of a variety of sensory-motor and behavioral functions. Despite its brain-wide effects, much about the role of LC-NE in behavior and the circuits controlling LC activity is unknown. New evidence suggests that the modular input-output organization of the LC could enable transient, task-specific modulation of distinct brain regions. Future work must further assess whether this spatial modularity coincides with functional differences in LC-NE subpopulations acting at specific times, and how such spatiotemporal specificity might influence learned behaviors. Here, we summarize the state of the field and present new ideas on the role of LC-NE in learned behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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