1
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Liu YH, Lin YC, Shih LC, Lin CP, Chang LH. Dissociation of focal and large-scale inhibitory functions in the older adults: A multimodal MRI study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2024; 127:105583. [PMID: 39059036 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105583] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The decline of inhibitory in cognitive aging is linked to reduced cognitive and mental capacities in older adults. However, this decline often shows inconsistent clinical presentations, suggesting varied impacts on different inhibition-related tasks. Inhibitory control, a multifaceted construct, involves various types of inhibition. Understanding these components is crucial for comprehending how aging affects inhibitory functions. Our research investigates the influences of aging on large-scale and focal-scale inhibitory and examines the relationship with brain markers. METHODS We examined the impact of aging on inhibitory in 18 younger (20-35 years) and 17 older adults (65-85 years) using focal and large-scale inhibition tasks. The Gabor task assessed focal-scale inhibition, while the Stop Signal Task (SST) evaluated large-scale inhibition. Participants underwent neuropsychological assessments and MRI scans, including magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and structural and resting fMRI. RESULTS Older adults exhibited a marked decline in inhibitory function, with slower SST responses indicating compromised large-scale inhibition. Conversely, the Gabor task showed no significant age-related changes. MRS findings revealed decreased levels of GABA, glutamate, glutamine, and NAA in the pre-SMA, correlating with observed large-scale inhibition in older adults. Additionally, pre-SMA seed-based functional connectivity analysis showed reduced brain network connections in older adults, potentially contributing to inhibitory control deficits. CONCLUSIONS Our study elucidates the differential effects of aging on inhibitory functions. While large-scale inhibition is more vulnerable to aging, focal-scale inhibition is relatively preserved. These findings highlight the importance of targeted cognitive interventions and underscore the necessity of a multifaceted approach in aging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hsuan Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Cheng Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ling-Chieh Shih
- Department of Medical Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Po Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Deptartment of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Li-Hung Chang
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Philosophy of Mind and Cognition, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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2
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Santana NNM, Silva EHA, Santos SFD, Bezerra LLF, da Silva MMO, Cavalcante JS, Fiuza FP, Morais PLADG, Engelberth RC. Neuronal Stability, Volumetric Changes, and Decrease in GFAP Expression of Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) Subcortical Visual Nuclei During Aging. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25649. [PMID: 38967410 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
The physiological aging process is well known for functional decline in visual abilities. Among the components of the visual system, the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (DLG) and superior colliculus (SC) provide a good model for aging investigations, as these structures constitute the main visual pathways for retinal inputs reaching the visual cortex. However, there are limited data available on quantitative morphological and neurochemical aspects in DLG and SC across lifespan. Here, we used optical density to determine immunoexpression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and design-based stereological probes to estimate the neuronal number, total volume, and layer volume of the DLG and SC in marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), ranging from 36 to 143 months of age. Our results revealed an age-related increase in total volume and layer volume of the DLG, with an overall stability in SC volume. Furthermore, a stable neuronal number was demonstrated in DLG and superficial layers of SC (SCv). A decrease in GFAP immunoexpression was observed in both visual centers. The results indicate region-specific variability in volumetric parameter, possibly attributed to structural plastic events in response to inflammation and compensatory mechanisms at the cellular and subcellular level. Additionally, the DLG and SCv seem to be less vulnerable to aging effects in terms of neuronal number. The neuropeptidergic data suggest that reduced GFAP expression may reflect morphological atrophy in the astroglial cells. This study contributes to updating the current understanding of aging effects in the visual system and stablishes a crucial foundation for future research on visual perception throughout the aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelyane N M Santana
- Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil
| | - Eryck H A Silva
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Sâmarah F Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Lyzandro L F Bezerra
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Maria M O da Silva
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Jeferson S Cavalcante
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Felipe P Fiuza
- Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil
| | - Paulo L A de G Morais
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, College of the Health Sciences, University of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, Brazil
| | - Rovena Clara Engelberth
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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3
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Creighton SE, Bennett PJ, Sekuler AB. Contribution of internal noise and calculation efficiency to face discrimination deficits in older adults. Vision Res 2024; 216:108348. [PMID: 38176083 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108348] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Classification images (CIs) measured in a face discrimination task differ significantly between older and younger observers. These age differences are consistent with the hypothesis that older adults sample diagnostic face information less efficiently, or have higher levels of internal noise, compared to younger adults. The current experiments assessed the relative contributions of efficiency and internal noise to age differences in face discrimination using the external noise masking and double-pass response consistency paradigms. Experiment 1 measured discrimination thresholds for faces embedded in several levels of static white noise, and the resulting threshold-vs.-noise curves were used to estimate calculation efficiency and equivalent input noise: older observers had lower efficiency and higher equivalent input noise than younger observers. Experiment 2 presented observers with two identical sequences of faces embedded in static white noise to measure the association between response accuracy and response consistency and estimate the internal:external (i/e) noise ratio for each observer. We found that i/e noise ratios did not differ significantly between groups. These results suggest that age differences in face discrimination are due to differences in calculation efficiency and additive internal noise, but not to age differences in multiplicative internal noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Creighton
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
| | - Patrick J Bennett
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
| | - Allison B Sekuler
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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4
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Liang Z, Zhang L, Wang P, Zhang Y, Xia Y, Jin H. The possible positive effects of physical exercise on the global motion perception aging: the cognitive mechanism. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1323291. [PMID: 38328382 PMCID: PMC10847546 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1323291] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Sensitivity to global motion perception (GMP) decreases gradually with age, and the mechanism to effectively alleviate its aging process is still unclear. This study aimed to examine the impact and mechanism of exercise on GMP aging. Methods This study adopted the global motion direction discrimination task and used motion coherence thresholds to assess GMP sensitivity. It adopted the perceptual template model (PTM) to fit the GMP processing efficiency. Results The threshold for the elderly group with no exercise was higher than that of the elderly group with exercise, while the threshold of the latter was higher than that of the youth group. The results of the model fitting showed that both models, Aa and Af, corresponding to the elderly group with exercise and the elderly group with no exercise, respectively, were the best-fitted models when compared with that of the youth group. Compared to the elderly group with no exercise, models Aa and Af, were the best-fitted models. Conclusion These results showed that good exercise habits might have a certain degree of positive effect on GMP aging, by lower their internal additive noise (Aa), and improve the ability to eliminate external noise (Af).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziping Liang
- Mental Health Education Center, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of Physical Education (Main Campus), Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Pengpeng Wang
- College of Psychology, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, China
| | - Yuping Zhang
- Medicine School of Rehabilitation, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yaoyuan Xia
- Department of Physical Education, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hua Jin
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students’ Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
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5
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Yu H, Chen S, Ye Z, Zhang Q, Tu Y, Hua T. Top-down influence of areas 21a and 7 differently affects the surround suppression of V1 neurons in cats. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:11047-11059. [PMID: 37724432 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad344] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Surround suppression (SS) is a phenomenon whereby a neuron's response to stimuli in its central receptive field (cRF) is suppressed by stimuli extending to its surround receptive field (sRF). Recent evidence show that top-down influence contributed to SS in the primary visual cortex (V1). However, how the top-down influence from different high-level cortical areas affects SS in V1 has not been comparatively observed. The present study applied transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate the neural activity in area 21a (A21a) and area 7 (A7) of cats and examined the changes in the cRF and sRF of V1 neurons. We found that anode-tDCS at A21a reduced V1 neurons' cRF size and increased their response to visual stimuli in cRF, causing an improved SS strength. By contrast, anode-tDCS at A7 increased V1 neurons' sRF size and response to stimuli in cRF, also enhancing the SS. Modeling analysis based on DoG function indicated that the increased SS of V1 neurons after anode-tDCS at A21a could be explained by a center-only mechanism, whereas the improved SS after anode-tDCS at A7 might be mediated through a combined center and surround mechanism. In conclusion, A21a and A7 may affect the SS of V1 neurons through different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Beijing East Road, Jinghu District, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wannan Medical College, West Wenchang Road, Yijiang District, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Shunshun Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Beijing East Road, Jinghu District, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Zheng Ye
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Beijing East Road, Jinghu District, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Qiuyu Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Beijing East Road, Jinghu District, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Yanni Tu
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Beijing East Road, Jinghu District, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Tianmiao Hua
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Beijing East Road, Jinghu District, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
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6
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Dinse HR, Höffken O, Tegenthoff M. Cortical excitability in human somatosensory and visual cortex: implications for plasticity and learning - a minireview. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1235487. [PMID: 37662638 PMCID: PMC10469727 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1235487] [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: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The balance of excitation and inhibition plays a key role in plasticity and learning. A frequently used, reliable approach to assess intracortical inhibition relies on measuring paired-pulse behavior. Moreover, recent developments of magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows measuring GABA and glutamate concentrations. We give an overview about approaches employed to obtain information about excitatory states in human participants and discuss their putative relation. We summarize paired-pulse techniques and basic findings characterizing paired-pulse suppression in somatosensory (SI) and (VI) visual areas. Paired-pulse suppression describes the effect of paired sensory stimulation at short interstimulus intervals where the cortical response to the second stimulus is significantly suppressed. Simultaneous assessments of paired-pulse suppression in SI and VI indicated that cortical excitability is not a global phenomenon, but instead reflects the properties of local sensory processing. We review studies using non-invasive brain stimulation and perceptual learning experiments that assessed both perceptual changes and accompanying changes of cortical excitability in parallel. Independent of the nature of the excitation/inhibition marker used these data imply a close relationship between altered excitability and altered performance. These results suggest a framework where increased or decreased excitability is linked with improved or impaired perceptual performance. Recent findings have expanded the potential role of cortical excitability by demonstrating that inhibition markers such as GABA concentrations, paired-pulse suppression or alpha power predict to a substantial degree subsequent perceptual learning outcome. This opens the door for a targeted intervention where subsequent plasticity and learning processes are enhanced by altering prior baseline states of excitability.
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7
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Küçük KM, Wienke AS, Mathes B, Başar-Eroğlu C. Multistable perception elicits compensatory alpha activity in older adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1136124. [PMID: 37304078 PMCID: PMC10249475 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1136124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Multistable stimuli lead to the perception of two or more alternative perceptual experiences that spontaneously reverse from one to the other. This property allows researchers to study perceptual processes that endogenously generate and integrate perceptual information. These endogenous processes appear to be slowed down around the age of 55 where participants report significantly lower perceptual reversals. This study aimed to identify neural correlates of this aging effect during multistable perception utilizing a multistable version of the stroboscopic alternative motion paradigm (SAM: endogenous task) and a control condition (exogenous task). Specifically, age-related differences in perceptual destabilization and maintenance processes were examined through alpha responses. Electroencephalography (EEG) of 12 older and 12 young adults were recorded during SAM and control tasks. Alpha band activity (8-14 Hz) was obtained by wavelet-transformation of the EEG signal and analyzed for each experimental condition. Endogenous reversals induced gradual decrease in posterior alpha activity in young adults which is a replication of previous studies' findings. Alpha desynchronization was shifted to anterior areas and prevalent across the cortex except the occipital area for older adults. Alpha responses did not differ between the groups in the control condition. These findings point to recruitment of compensatory alpha networks for maintenance of endogenously generated percepts. Increased number of networks responsible for maintenance might have extended the neural satiation duration and led to decreased reversal rates in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annika S. Wienke
- Bremen Initiative to Foster Early Childhood Development (BRISE), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Birgit Mathes
- Bremen Initiative to Foster Early Childhood Development (BRISE), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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8
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Ye Z, Ding J, Tu Y, Zhang Q, Chen S, Yu H, Sun Q, Hua T. Suppression of top-down influence decreases both behavioral and V1 neuronal response sensitivity to stimulus orientations in cats. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1061980. [PMID: 36844652 PMCID: PMC9944033 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1061980] [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: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
How top-down influence affects behavioral detection of visual signals and neuronal response sensitivity in the primary visual cortex (V1) remains poorly understood. This study examined both behavioral performance in stimulus orientation identification and neuronal response sensitivity to stimulus orientations in the V1 of cat before and after top-down influence of area 7 (A7) was modulated by non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Our results showed that cathode (c) but not sham (s) tDCS in A7 significantly increased the behavioral threshold in identifying stimulus orientation difference, which effect recovered after the tDCS effect vanished. Consistently, c-tDCS but not s-tDCS in A7 significantly decreased the response selectivity bias of V1 neurons for stimulus orientations, which effect could recover after withdrawal of the tDCS effect. Further analysis showed that c-tDCS induced reduction of V1 neurons in response selectivity was not resulted from alterations of neuronal preferred orientation, nor of spontaneous activity. Instead, c-tDCS in A7 significantly lowered the visually-evoked response, especially the maximum response of V1 neurons, which caused a decrease in response selectivity and signal-to-noise ratio. By contrast, s-tDCS exerted no significant effect on the responses of V1 neurons. These results indicate that top-down influence of A7 may enhance behavioral identification of stimulus orientations by increasing neuronal visually-evoked response and response selectivity in the V1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Ye
- College of Life sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Jian Ding
- College of Life sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China,School of Basic Medical, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Yanni Tu
- College of Life sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Qiuyu Zhang
- College of Life sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Shunshun Chen
- College of Life sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Hao Yu
- College of Life sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Qingyan Sun
- College of Life sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Tianmiao Hua
- College of Life sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China,*Correspondence: Tianmiao Hua,
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9
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Study on the mechanism of visual aging in cats' primary visual cortex based on BDNF-TrkB signal pathway. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10576. [PMID: 35732706 PMCID: PMC9217805 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14918-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
To explore the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and specific receptor tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) in the primary visual cortex of young and old cats, especially to reveal the age-related differences in the mediating mechanism of BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway in cats' visual cortex and their possible effects on synaptic plasticity, Nissl staining was used to display neurons in each layer of cats' primary visual cortex, and immunohistochemical ABC method was used to label BDNF and TrkB immunopositive cells in each layer of cats' primary visual cortex. The BDNF and TrkB receptor immunoreactive neurons and non-neurons were observed and photographed. Their density and immunoreactive intensity were measured. Results showed that BDNF and TrkB were widely expressed in all layers of visual cortex in young and old cats. Compared with the young group, the density and intensity of BDNF and TrkB positive cells in each layer of primary visual cortex in the old group decreased significantly (P < 0.01). The findings indicate that the expression levels of BDNF and TrkB in the primary visual cortex of cats decrease with age, suggesting that the change of BDNF-TrkB signal pathway caused by the weakening of brain-derived neurotrophic factor activity may be one of the important reasons for the decline of visual function.
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10
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Ding J, Ye Z, Xu F, Hu X, Yu H, Zhang S, Tu Y, Zhang Q, Sun Q, Hua T, Lu ZL. Effects of top-down influence suppression on behavioral and V1 neuronal contrast sensitivity functions in cats. iScience 2022; 25:103683. [PMID: 35059603 PMCID: PMC8760559 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103683] [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: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
To explore the relative contributions of higher-order and primary visual cortex (V1) to visual perception, we compared cats' behavioral and V1 neuronal contrast sensitivity functions (CSF) and threshold versus external noise contrast (TvC) functions before and after top-down influence of area 7 (A7) was modulated with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We found that suppressing top-down influence of A7 with cathode-tDCS, but not sham-tDCS, reduced behavioral and neuronal contrast sensitivity in the same range of spatial frequencies and increased behavioral and neuronal contrast thresholds in the same range of external noise levels. The neuronal CSF and TvC functions were highly correlated with their behavioral counterparts both before and after the top-down suppression. Analysis of TvC functions using the Perceptual Template Model (PTM) indicated that top-down influence of A7 increased both behavioral and V1 neuronal contrast sensitivity by reducing internal additive noise and the impact of external noise. Top-down suppression lowers both behavioral and V1 neuronal CSF functions Top-down suppression raises both behavioral and V1 neuronal TvC functions The neuronal CSFs and TvCs are highly correlated with their behavioral counterparts Top-down influence lowers internal additive noise and impact of external noise in V1
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Ding
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Zheng Ye
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Fei Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Xiangmei Hu
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Hao Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Shen Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Yanni Tu
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Qiuyu Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Qingyan Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Tianmiao Hua
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Zhong-Lin Lu
- Divison of Arts and Sciences, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200122, China.,Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.,NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
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11
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Abstract
Orientation perception is a fundamental property of the visual system and an important basic processing stage for visual scene perception. Neurophysiological studies have found broader tuning curves and increased noise in orientation-selective neurons of senescent monkeys and cats, results that suggest an age-related decline in orientation perception. However, behavioral studies in humans have found no evidence for such decline, with performance being comparable for younger and older participants in orientation detection and discrimination tasks. Crucially, previous behavioral studies assessed performance for cardinal orientation only, and it is well known that the human visual system prefers cardinal over oblique orientations, a phenomenon called the oblique effect. We hypothesized that age-related changes depend on the orientation tested. In two experiments, we investigated orientation discrimination and reproduction for a large range of cardinal and oblique orientations in younger and older adults. We found substantial age-related decline for oblique but not for cardinal orientations, thus demonstrating that orientation perception selectively declines for oblique orientations. Taken together, our results serve as the missing link between previous neurophysiological and human behavioral studies on orientation perception in healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin S Pilz
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.,
| | - Juho M Äijälä
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.,
| | - Mauro Manassi
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.,
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12
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Yan FF, Lv H, Fan S, Chen L, Wu Y, Huang CB. Effect of physiological aging on binocular vision. Psych J 2021; 10:340-351. [PMID: 33686774 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We see the world with two eyes. Binocular vision provides more ample information through interocular interaction. Previous studies have shown that aging impairs a variety of visual functions, but how aging affects binocular vision is still unclear. In this study, we measured three typical binocular functions-binocular combination, binocular rivalry, and stereo vision-to investigate aging-related effects on binocular vision in a relatively large sample (48 younger adults and 27 older adults) with normal or corrected-to-normal distance vision and no ophthalmological and mental diseases. We found that there were no consistent aging-related declines in binocular vision, with the worst effect on alternation frequency in binocular rivalry and no effect on binocular phase combination and stereo vision tested by Titmus. In addition, aging changed the correlation pattern among some of these binocular functions. These results reflected (at least partially) different aging-related mechanism(s) in binocular vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Fang Yan
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyu Lv
- Qinhuangdao Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Shuhan Fan
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lijun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yifan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chang-Bing Huang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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13
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Differential Circuit Mechanisms of Young and Aged Visual Cortex in the Mammalian Brain. NEUROSCI 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/neurosci2010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The main goal of this review is to summarize and discuss (1) age-dependent structural reorganization of mammalian visual cortical circuits underlying complex visual behavior functions in primary visual cortex (V1) and multiple extrastriate visual areas, and (2) current evidence supporting the notion of compensatory mechanisms in aged visual circuits as well as the use of rehabilitative therapy for the recovery of neural plasticity in normal and diseased aging visual circuit mechanisms in different species. It is well known that aging significantly modulates both the structural and physiological properties of visual cortical neurons in V1 and other visual cortical areas in various species. Compensatory aged neural mechanisms correlate with the complexity of visual functions; however, they do not always result in major circuit alterations resulting in age-dependent decline in performance of a visual task or neurodegenerative disorders. Computational load and neural processing gradually increase with age, and the complexity of compensatory mechanisms correlates with the intricacy of higher form visual perceptions that are more evident in higher-order visual areas. It is particularly interesting to note that the visual perceptual processing of certain visual behavior functions does not change with age. This review aims to comprehensively discuss the effect of normal aging on neuroanatomical alterations that underlie critical visual functions and more importantly to highlight differences between compensatory mechanisms in aged neural circuits and neural processes related to visual disorders. This type of approach will further enhance our understanding of inter-areal and cortico-cortical connectivity of visual circuits in normal aging and identify major circuit alterations that occur in different visual deficits, thus facilitating the design and evaluation of potential rehabilitation therapies as well as the assessment of the extent of their rejuvenation.
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Talyansky S, Brinkman BAW. Dysregulation of excitatory neural firing replicates physiological and functional changes in aging visual cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008620. [PMID: 33497380 PMCID: PMC7864437 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian visual system has been the focus of countless experimental and theoretical studies designed to elucidate principles of neural computation and sensory coding. Most theoretical work has focused on networks intended to reflect developing or mature neural circuitry, in both health and disease. Few computational studies have attempted to model changes that occur in neural circuitry as an organism ages non-pathologically. In this work we contribute to closing this gap, studying how physiological changes correlated with advanced age impact the computational performance of a spiking network model of primary visual cortex (V1). Our results demonstrate that deterioration of homeostatic regulation of excitatory firing, coupled with long-term synaptic plasticity, is a sufficient mechanism to reproduce features of observed physiological and functional changes in neural activity data, specifically declines in inhibition and in selectivity to oriented stimuli. This suggests a potential causality between dysregulation of neuron firing and age-induced changes in brain physiology and functional performance. While this does not rule out deeper underlying causes or other mechanisms that could give rise to these changes, our approach opens new avenues for exploring these underlying mechanisms in greater depth and making predictions for future experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Talyansky
- Catlin Gabel School, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Braden A. W. Brinkman
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
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15
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Zhang B, Gao Z, Wang X, Yao Z, Xu G, Liang Z, Zhou Y. Aging Affects Fine and Coarse Coding of Orientation Information in Macaque Primary Visual Cortex. Neuroscience 2020; 438:50-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Zhao X, Ding J, Pan H, Zhang S, Pan D, Yu H, Ye Z, Hua T. Anodal and cathodal tDCS modulate neural activity and selectively affect GABA and glutamate syntheses in the visual cortex of cats. J Physiol 2020; 598:3727-3745. [PMID: 32506434 DOI: 10.1113/jp279340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS The present study showed that anodal and cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can respectively increase and decrease the amplitude of visually evoked field potentials in the stimulated visual cortex of cats, with the effect lasting for ∼60-70 min. We directly measured tDCS-induced changes in the concentration of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the visual cortex using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and showed that anodal and cathodal tDCS can selectively decrease the concentration of GABA and glutamate in the stimulated cortical area. Anodal and cathodal tDCS can selectively inhibit the synthesis of GABA and glutamate by suppressing the expression of GABA- and glutamate-synthesizing enzymes, respectively. ABSTRACT Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) evokes long-lasting neuronal excitability in the target brain region. The underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. The present study examined tDCS-induced alterations in neuronal activities, as well as the concentration and synthesis of GABA and glutamate (GLU), in area 21a (A21a) of cat visual cortex. Our analysis showed that anodal and cathodal tDCS respectively enhanced and suppressed neuronal activities in A21a, as indicated by a significantly increased and decreased amplitude of visually evoked field potentials (VEPs). The tDCS-induced effect lasted for ∼60-70 min. By contrast, sham tDCS had no significant impact on the VEPs in A21a. On the other hand, the concentration of GABA, but not that of GLU, in A21a significantly decreased after anodal tDCS relative to sham tDCS, whereas the concentration of GLU, but not that of GABA, in A21a significantly decreased after cathodal tDCS relative to sham tDCS. Furthermore, the expression of GABA-synthesizing enzymes GAD65 and GAD67 in A21a significantly decreased in terms of both mRNA and protein concentrations after anodal tDCS relative to sham tDCS, whereas that of GLU-synthesizing enzyme glutaminase (GLS) did not change significantly after anodal tDCS. By contrast, both mRNA and protein concentrations of GLS in A21a significantly decreased after cathodal tDCS relative to sham tDCS, whereas those of GAD65/GAD67 showed no significant change after cathodal tDCS. Taken together, these results indicate that anodal and cathodal tDCS may selectively reduce GABA and GLU syntheses and thus respectively enhance and suppress neuronal excitability in the stimulated brain area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Jian Ding
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Huijun Pan
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Shen Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Deng Pan
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Hao Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Zheng Ye
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Tianmiao Hua
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
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17
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Spooner RK, Wiesman AI, Proskovec AL, Heinrichs-Graham E, Wilson TW. Rhythmic Spontaneous Activity Mediates the Age-Related Decline in Somatosensory Function. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:680-688. [PMID: 29342238 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory gating is a neurophysiological process whereby the response to a second stimulus in a pair of identical stimuli is attenuated, and it is thought to reflect the capacity of the CNS to preserve neural resources for behaviorally relevant stimuli. Such gating is observed across multiple sensory modalities and is modulated by age, but the mechanisms involved are not understood. In this study, we examined somatosensory gating in 68 healthy adults using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and advanced oscillatory and time-domain analysis methods. MEG data underwent source reconstruction and peak voxel time series data were extracted to evaluate the dynamics of somatosensory gating, and the impact of spontaneous neural activity immediately preceding the stimulation. We found that gating declined with increasing age and that older adults had significantly reduced gating relative to younger adults, suggesting impaired local inhibitory function. Most importantly, older adults had significantly elevated spontaneous activity preceding the stimulation, and this effect fully mediated the impact of aging on sensory gating. In conclusion, gating in the somatosensory system declines with advancing age and this effect is directly tied to increased spontaneous neural activity in the primary somatosensory cortices, which is likely secondary to age-related declines in local GABA inhibitory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel K Spooner
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA.,Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Alex I Wiesman
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA.,Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Amy L Proskovec
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA.,Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska - Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA.,Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA.,Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
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18
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Cisneros-Franco JM, Voss P, Thomas ME, de Villers-Sidani E. Critical periods of brain development. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 173:75-88. [PMID: 32958196 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64150-2.00009-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Brain plasticity is maximal at specific time windows during early development known as critical periods (CPs), during which sensory experience is necessary to establish optimal cortical representations of the surrounding environment. After CP closure, a range of functional and structural elements prevent passive experience from eliciting significant plastic changes in the brain. The transition from a plastic to a more fixed state is advantageous as it allows for the sequential consolidation and retention of new and more complex perceptual, motor, and cognitive functions. However, the formation of stable neural representations may pose limitations on future revisions to the circuitry. If sensory experience is abnormal or absent during this time, it can have profound effects on sensory representations in adulthood, resulting in quasi-permanent adaptations that can make it nearly impossible to learn certain skills or process certain stimulus properties later on in life. This chapter begins with a brief introduction to experience-dependent plasticity throughout the lifespan (Section Introduction). Next, we define what constitutes a CP (Section What Are Critical Periods?) and review some of the key CPs in the visual and auditory systems (Section Key Critical Periods of Sensory Systems). We then discuss the mechanisms whereby cortical plasticity is regulated both locally and through neuromodulatory systems (Section How Are Critical Periods Regulated?). Finally, we highlight studies showing that CPs can be extended beyond their normal epochs, closed prematurely, or reopened during adult life by merely altering sensory inputs (Section Timing of Critical Periods: Can CP Plasticity Be Extended, Limited, or Reactivated?).
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Affiliation(s)
- J Miguel Cisneros-Franco
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Patrice Voss
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maryse E Thomas
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Etienne de Villers-Sidani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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19
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Hill C, Van Gemmert AWA, Fang Q, Hou L, Wang J, Pan Z. Asymmetry in the aging brain: A narrative review of cortical activation patterns and implications for motor function. Laterality 2019; 25:413-429. [PMID: 31875769 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2019.1707219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Age-related changes have been identified in neural and motor level. A prominent change is reduced asymmetry in cortical activation as well as motor performance. Cortical activation models have been established based on cognitive research utilizing neuroimaging techniques to explain age-related effects on neural recruitment and reduced brain asymmetry. Recently, researchers in motor behaviour attempted to apply the models to explain motor pattern changes in aging and proposed compensation as the mechanism of the reduced motor asymmetry in older adults. Age-related alterations in movement patterns and brain activations seem to be correlated. However, based on the literature search result, no direct evidence substantiates the connection between reduced brain asymmetry and motor asymmetry in older adults. Therefore, a theoretical gap was identified. The theoretical gap exists because either neuroimaging studies have not considered motor asymmetry or motor asymmetry studies have not integrated neuroimaging techniques into study designs. Answering the research question can be valuable to both research and clinical practice. With the mechanisms of brain activation patterns during motor tasks in an aging population being better understood, protocols developed upon the new understandings can be applied to current motor interventions and better maintain the longevity of motor function of older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Hill
- Department of Kinesiology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | | | - Qun Fang
- Department of Kinesiology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Lijuan Hou
- College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Zhujun Pan
- Department of Kinesiology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
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20
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Ng CW, Recanzone GH. Age-Related Changes in Temporal Processing of Rapidly-Presented Sound Sequences in the Macaque Auditory Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3775-3796. [PMID: 29040403 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian auditory cortex is necessary to resolve temporal features in rapidly-changing sound streams. This capability is crucial for speech comprehension in humans and declines with normal aging. Nonhuman primate studies have revealed detrimental effects of normal aging on the auditory nervous system, and yet the underlying influence on temporal processing remains less well-defined. Therefore, we recorded from the core and lateral belt areas of auditory cortex when awake young and old monkeys listened to tone-pip and noise-burst sound sequences. Elevated spontaneous and stimulus-driven activity were the hallmark characteristics in old monkeys. These old neurons showed isomorphic-like discharge patterns to stimulus envelopes, though their phase-locking was less precise. Functional preference in temporal coding between the core and belt existed in the young monkeys but was mostly absent in the old monkeys, in which old belt neurons showed core-like response profiles. Finally, the analysis of population activity patterns indicated that the aged auditory cortex demonstrated a homogenous, distributed coding strategy, compared to the selective, sparse coding strategy observed in the young monkeys. Degraded temporal fidelity and highly-responsive, broadly-tuned cortical responses could underlie how aged humans have difficulties to resolve and track dynamic sounds leading to speech processing deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Wing Ng
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Gregg H Recanzone
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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21
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Koen JD, Rugg MD. Neural Dedifferentiation in the Aging Brain. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:547-559. [PMID: 31174975 PMCID: PMC6635135 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Many cognitive abilities decline with age even in the absence of detectable pathology. Recent evidence indicates that age-related neural dedifferentiation, operationalized in terms of neural selectivity, may contribute to this decline. We review here work exploring the relationship between neural dedifferentiation, cognition, and age. Compelling evidence for age effects on neural selectivity comes from both non-human animal and human research. However, current data suggest that age does not moderate the observed relationships between neural dedifferentiation and cognitive performance. We propose that functionally significant variance in measures of neural dedifferentiation reflects both age-dependent and age-independent factors. We further propose that the effects of age on neural dedifferentiation do not exclusively reflect detrimental consequences of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Koen
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
| | - Michael D Rugg
- Center for Vital Longevity, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75235, USA
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22
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Axon initial segment plasticity accompanies enhanced excitation of visual cortical neurons in aged rats. Neuroreport 2019; 29:1537-1543. [PMID: 30320703 PMCID: PMC6250279 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have indicated that the structure of the axon initial segment (AIS) of neurons is highly plastic in response to changes in neuronal activity. Whether an age-related enhancement of neuronal responses in the visual cortex is coupled with plasticity of AISs is unknown. Here, we compare the AIS length and the distribution of Nav1.6, a key Na+ ion channel in action potential (AP) initiation, along the AIS of layer II/III neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) of young adult and aged rats, which were examined previously in a single-unit recording study. In that study, we found that V1 neurons in aged rats showed a significantly higher spontaneous activity and stronger visually evoked responses than did neurons in young rats. Our present study shows that the mean AIS length of layer II/III neurons in the V1 area of aged rats was significantly shorter than that of young adult rats. Further, the proportion of AIS with the Nav1.6 distribution was also reduced significantly in aged rats relative to young rats, as indicated by a decrease in the mean Nav1.6 immunofluorescence optical density within AISs and a specific decrease in Nav1.6 immunofluorescence optical density near the proximal region of the AIS. Our results indicate that aging results in both shortening of AISs and reduction of Nav1.6 Na+ ion channel distribution along AISs, which accompanies enhanced neuronal activity. This age-related morphological plasticity may lower the AP amplitude by reducing Na+ ion entry during AP initiation, spare ATPs consumed by Na+ ion pumps during membrane potential restoration, and thus balance the energy expenditure caused by an increased firing rate of cortical neurons during the aging process.
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23
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Lek JJ, Nguyen BN, McKendrick AM, Vingrys AJ. An Electrophysiological Comparison of Contrast Response Functions in Younger and Older Adults, and Those With Glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 60:442-450. [PMID: 30703209 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-23522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Aging and glaucoma both result in contrast processing deficits. However, it is unclear the extent to which these functional deficits arise from retinal or post-retinal neuronal changes. This study aims to disentangle the effects of healthy human aging and glaucoma on retinal and post-retinal contrast processing using visual electrophysiology. Methods Steady-state pattern electroretinograms (PERG) and pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) were simultaneously recorded across a range of contrasts (0%, 4%, 9%, 18%, 39%, 73%, 97%; 0.8° diameter checks, 31° diameter checkerboard) in 13 glaucoma patients (67 ± 6 years), 15 older (63 ± 8 years) and 14 younger adults (27 ± 3 years). PERG and PVEP contrast response functions were fit with a linear and saturating hyperbolic model, respectively. PERG and PVEP magnitude, timing (phase), and model fit parameters (slope, semi-saturation constant) were compared between groups. Results PERG responses were reduced and delayed in older adults relative to younger adults, and further reduced and delayed in glaucoma patients across all contrasts. PVEP signals were also reduced and delayed in glaucoma patients, relative to age-similar (older) controls. However, despite having reduced PERG magnitudes, older adults did not demonstrate reduced PVEP magnitudes. Conclusions Older adults with healthy vision demonstrate reduced magnitude and delayed timing in the PERG that is not reflected in the PVEP. In contrast, glaucoma produces functional deficits in both PERG and PVEP contrast response functions. Our results suggest that glaucomatous effects on contrast processing are not a simple extension of those that arise as part of the aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Jia Lek
- Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bao N Nguyen
- Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Allison M McKendrick
- Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Algis J Vingrys
- Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Wang X, Zhang B, Wang H, Liu J, Xu G, Zhou Y. Aging affects correlation within the V1 neuronal population in rhesus monkeys. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 76:1-8. [PMID: 30599290 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Visual function declines with age. This deterioration results not only from changes in the optical system but also from the functional degradation of the central visual cortex. Although numerous studies have explored the mechanisms of age-related influences on vision, they have failed to acknowledge the significance of neuronal correlation in dysfunction of the visual cortex. Previous research has focused on the functional degradation of individual neurons, with age-induced changes in correlation between neurons still unknown. In the present study, using electrophysiological techniques, we investigated the age-related changes in neuronal correlation in the macaque V1 area and the underlying mechanisms of those changes. Our results showed that aging led to an increase in the correlation of neurons and changed the noise-signal correlation structure, which may impact population coding efficiency. Furthermore, we found that the age-induced decline in the inhibitory circuitry accounted for the alteration in neuronal correlation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R.China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R.China
| | - Huan Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R.China
| | - Jiachen Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R.China
| | - Guangwei Xu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R.China.
| | - Yifeng Zhou
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R.China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R.China; Neurodegenerative Disorder Research Center and Brain Bank, Material Science at Microscale National Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R.China.
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25
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A Brain without Brakes: Reduced Inhibition Is Associated with Enhanced but Dysregulated Plasticity in the Aged Rat Auditory Cortex. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0051-18. [PMID: 30225357 PMCID: PMC6140119 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0051-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During early developmental windows known as critical periods (CPs) of plasticity, passive alterations in the quality and quantity of sensory inputs are sufficient to induce profound and long-lasting distortions in cortical sensory representations. With CP closure, those representations are stabilized, a process requiring the maturation of inhibitory networks and the maintenance of sufficient GABAergic tone in the cortex. In humans and rodents, however, cortical inhibition progressively decreases with advancing age, raising the possibility that the regulation of plasticity could be altered in older individuals. Here we tested the hypothesis that aging results in a destabilization of sensory representations and maladaptive dysregulated plasticity in the rat primary auditory cortex (A1). Consistent with this idea, we found that passive tone exposure is sufficient to distort frequency tuning in the A1 of older but not younger adult rats. However, we also found that these passive distortions decayed rapidly, indicating an ongoing instability of A1 tuning in the aging cortex. These changes were associated with a decrease in GABA neurotransmitter concentration and a reduction in parvalbumin and perineuronal net expression in the cortex. Finally, we show that artificially increasing GABA tone in the aging A1 is sufficient to restore representational stability and improve the retention of learning.
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26
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McKendrick AM, Chan YM, Nguyen BN. Spatial vision in older adults: perceptual changes and neural bases. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2018; 38:363-375. [PMID: 29774576 DOI: 10.1111/opo.12565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The number of older adults is rapidly increasing internationally, leading to a significant increase in research on how healthy ageing impacts vision. Most clinical assessments of spatial vision involve simple detection (letter acuity, grating contrast sensitivity, perimetry). However, most natural visual environments are more spatially complicated, requiring contrast discrimination, and the delineation of object boundaries and contours, which are typically present on non-uniform backgrounds. In this review we discuss recent research that reports on the effects of normal ageing on these more complex visual functions, specifically in the context of recent neurophysiological studies. RECENT FINDINGS Recent research has concentrated on understanding the effects of healthy ageing on neural responses within the visual pathway in animal models. Such neurophysiological research has led to numerous, subsequently tested, hypotheses regarding the likely impact of healthy human ageing on specific aspects of spatial vision. SUMMARY Healthy normal ageing impacts significantly on spatial visual information processing from the retina through to visual cortex. Some human data validates that obtained from studies of animal physiology, however some findings indicate that rethinking of presumed neural substrates is required. Notably, not all spatial visual processes are altered by age. Healthy normal ageing impacts significantly on some spatial visual processes (in particular centre-surround tasks), but leaves contrast discrimination, contrast adaptation, and orientation discrimination relatively intact. The study of older adult vision contributes to knowledge of the brain mechanisms altered by the ageing process, can provide practical information regarding visual environments that older adults may find challenging, and may lead to new methods of assessing visual performance in clinical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M McKendrick
- Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Yu Man Chan
- Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Bao N Nguyen
- Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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27
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Dully J, McGovern DP, O'Connell RG. The impact of natural aging on computational and neural indices of perceptual decision making: A review. Behav Brain Res 2018; 355:48-55. [PMID: 29432793 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that natural aging negatively impacts on a wide variety of cognitive functions and research has sought to identify core neural mechanisms that may account for these disparate changes. A central feature of any cognitive task is the requirement to translate sensory information into an appropriate action - a process commonly known as perceptual decision making. While computational, psychophysical, and neurophysiological research has made substantial progress in establishing the key computations and neural mechanisms underpinning decision making, it is only relatively recently that this knowledge has begun to be applied to research on aging. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of this work which is beginning to offer new insights into the core psychological processes that mediate age-related cognitive decline in adults aged 65 years and over. Mathematical modelling studies have consistently reported that older adults display longer non-decisional processing times and implement more conservative decision policies than their younger counterparts. However, there are limits on what we can learn from behavioural modeling alone and neurophysiological analyses can play an essential role in empirically validating model predictions and in pinpointing the precise neural mechanisms that are impacted by aging. Although few studies to date have explicitly examined correspondences between computational models and neural data with respect to cognitive aging, neurophysiological studies have already highlighted age-related changes at multiple levels of the sensorimotor hierarchy that are likely to be consequential for decision making behaviour. Here, we provide an overview of this literature and suggest some future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dully
- Trinity College Dublin Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
| | - David P McGovern
- Trinity College Dublin Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Redmond G O'Connell
- Trinity College Dublin Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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Wang Z, Yu S, Fu Y, Tzvetanov T, Zhou Y. Aging Potentiates Lateral but Not Local Inhibition of Orientation Processing in Primary Visual Cortex. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:14. [PMID: 29459825 PMCID: PMC5807380 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging-related declines in vision can decrease well-being of the elderly. Concerning early sensory changes as in the primary visual cortex, physiological and behavioral reports seem contradictory. Neurophysiological studies on orientation tuning properties suggested that neuronal changes might come from decreased cortical local inhibition. However, behavioral results either showed no clear deficits in orientation processing in older adults, or proposed stronger surround suppression. Through psychophysical experiments and computational modeling, we resolved these discrepancies by suggesting that lateral inhibition increased in older adults while neuronal orientation tuning widths, related to local inhibition, stayed globally intact across age. We confirmed this later result by re-analyzing published neurophysiological data, which showed no systematic tuning width changes, but instead displayed a higher neuronal noise with aging. These results suggest a stronger lateral inhibition and mixed effects on local inhibition during aging, revealing a more complex picture of age-related effects in the central visual system than people previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengchun Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical School of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Shan Yu
- Brainnetome Center and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, and Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Tzvetomir Tzvetanov
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,School of Computer and Information, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Yifeng Zhou
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Mismatched summation mechanisms in older adults for the perception of small moving stimuli. Vision Res 2018; 142:52-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 10/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Silverstein SM, Demmin DL, Bednar JA. Computational Modeling of Contrast Sensitivity and Orientation Tuning in First-Episode and Chronic Schizophrenia. COMPUTATIONAL PSYCHIATRY (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2017; 1:102-131. [PMID: 30090855 PMCID: PMC6067832 DOI: 10.1162/cpsy_a_00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Computational modeling is a useful method for generating hypotheses about the contributions of impaired neurobiological mechanisms, and their interactions, to psychopathology. Modeling is being increasingly used to further our understanding of schizophrenia, but to date, it has not been applied to questions regarding the common perceptual disturbances in the disorder. In this article, we model aspects of low-level visual processing and demonstrate how this can lead to testable hypotheses about both the nature of visual abnormalities in schizophrenia and the relationships between the mechanisms underlying these disturbances and psychotic symptoms. Using a model that incorporates retinal, lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), and V1 activity, as well as gain control in the LGN, homeostatic adaptation in V1, lateral excitation and inhibition in V1, and self-organization of synaptic weights based on Hebbian learning and divisive normalization, we show that (a) prior data indicating increased contrast sensitivity for low-spatial-frequency stimuli in first-episode schizophrenia can be successfully modeled as a function of reduced retinal and LGN efferent activity, leading to overamplification at the cortical level, and (b) prior data on reduced contrast sensitivity and broadened orientation tuning in chronic schizophrenia can be successfully modeled by a combination of reduced V1 lateral inhibition and an increase in the Hebbian learning rate at V1 synapses for LGN input. These models are consistent with many current findings, and they predict several relationships that have not yet been demonstrated. They also have implications for understanding changes in brain and visual function from the first psychotic episode to the chronic stage of illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M. Silverstein
- Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Docia L. Demmin
- Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - James A. Bednar
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
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Sterkin A, Levy Y, Pokroy R, Lev M, Levian L, Doron R, Yehezkel O, Fried M, Frenkel-Nir Y, Gordon B, Polat U. Vision improvement in pilots with presbyopia following perceptual learning. Vision Res 2017; 152:61-73. [PMID: 29154795 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Israeli Air Force (IAF) pilots continue flying combat missions after the symptoms of natural near-vision deterioration, termed presbyopia, begin to be noticeable. Because modern pilots rely on the displays of the aircraft control and performance instruments, near visual acuity (VA) is essential in the cockpit. We aimed to apply a method previously shown to improve visual performance of presbyopes, and test whether presbyopic IAF pilots can overcome the limitation imposed by presbyopia. Participants were selected by the IAF aeromedical unit as having at least initial presbyopia and trained using a structured personalized perceptual learning method (GlassesOff application), based on detecting briefly presented low-contrast Gabor stimuli, under the conditions of spatial and temporal constraints, from a distance of 40 cm. Our results show that despite their initial visual advantage over age-matched peers, training resulted in robust improvements in various basic visual functions, including static and temporal VA, stereoacuity, spatial crowding, contrast sensitivity and contrast discrimination. Moreover, improvements generalized to higher-level tasks, such as sentence reading and aerial photography interpretation (specifically designed to reflect IAF pilots' expertise in analyzing noisy low-contrast input). In concert with earlier suggestions, gains in visual processing speed are plausible to account, at least partially, for the observed training-induced improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sterkin
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | | | - Russell Pokroy
- Israel Air Force Aeromedical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Maria Lev
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
| | - Liora Levian
- Israel Air Force Aeromedical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Ravid Doron
- Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Oren Yehezkel
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Moshe Fried
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | | | - Barak Gordon
- Israel Air Force Aeromedical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
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Changes in GABAergic markers accompany degradation of neuronal function in the primary visual cortex of senescent rats. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14897. [PMID: 29097694 PMCID: PMC5668371 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15006-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have reported age-dependent degradation of neuronal function in the visual cortex and have attributed this functional decline to weakened intracortical inhibition, especially GABAergic inhibition. However, whether this type of functional decline is linked to compromised GABAergic inhibition has not been fully confirmed. Here, we compared the neuronal response properties and markers of GABAergic inhibition in the primary visual cortex (V1) of young adult and senescent rats. Compared with those of young adult rats, old rats’ V1 neurons exhibited significantly increased visually evoked responses and spontaneous activity, a decreased signal-to-noise ratio and reduced response selectivity for the stimulus orientation and motion direction. Additionally, the ratio of GABA-positive neurons to total cortical neurons in old rats was significantly decreased compared with that in young rats. Expression of the key GABA-synthesizing enzyme GAD67 was significantly lower in old rats than in young rats, although GAD65 expression showed a marginal difference between the two age groups. Further, expression of an important GABAA receptor subunit, GABAAR α1, was significantly attenuated in old rats relative to young ones. These results demonstrate that ageing may result in decreased GABAergic inhibition in the visual cortex and that this decrease in GABAergic inhibition accompanies neuronal function degradation.
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Ahn JH, Hong S, Park JH, Kim IH, Cho JH, Lee TK, Lee JC, Chen BH, Shin BN, Bae EJ, Jeon YH, Kim YM, Won MH, Choi SY. Immunoreactivities of calbindin‑D28k, calretinin and parvalbumin in the somatosensory cortex of rodents during normal aging. Mol Med Rep 2017; 16:7191-7198. [PMID: 28944879 PMCID: PMC5865845 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.7573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Calbindin-D28k (CB), calretinin (CR) and parvalbumin (PV), which regulate cytosolic free Ca2+ concentrations in neurons, are chemically expressed in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons that regulate the degree of glutamatergic excitation and output of projection neurons. The present study investigated age-associated differences in CB, CR and PV immunoreactivities in the somatosensory cortex in three species (mice, rats and gerbils) of young (1 month), adult (6 months) and aged (24 months) rodents, using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Abundant CB-immunoreactive neurons were distributed in layers II and III, and age-associated alterations in their number were different according to the species. CR-immunoreactive neurons were not abundant in all layers; however, the number of CR-immunoreactive neurons was the highest in all adult species. Many PV-immunoreactive neurons were identified in all layers, particularly in layers II and III, and they increased in all layers with age in all species. The present study demonstrated that the distribution pattern of CB-, CR- and PV-containing neurons in the somatosensory cortex were apparently altered in number with normal aging, and that CB and CR exhibited a tendency to decrease in aged rodents, whereas PV tended to increase with age. These results indicate that CB, CR and PV are markedly altered in the somatosensory cortex, and this change may be associated with normal aging. These findings may aid the elucidation of the mechanisms of aging and geriatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hyeon Ahn
- Department of Biomedical Science and Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongkweon Hong
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Ha Park
- Department of Biomedical Science and Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - In Hye Kim
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Hwi Cho
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Kyeong Lee
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Chul Lee
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Bai Hui Chen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Neuroscience, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
| | - Bich-Na Shin
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Joo Bae
- Department of Pediatrics, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24253, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Hwan Jeon
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24289, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Myeong Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Moo-Ho Won
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Young Choi
- Department of Biomedical Science and Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24252, Republic of Korea
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Xu G, Hu F, Wang X, Zhang B, Zhou Y. Bisphenol A exposure perturbs visual function of adult cats by remodeling the neuronal activity in the primary visual pathway. Arch Toxicol 2017; 92:455-468. [PMID: 28875311 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-017-2047-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA), a common environmental xenoestrogen, has been implicated in physiological and behavioral impairment, but the neuronal basis remains elusive. Although various synaptic mechanisms have been shown to mediate BPA-induced brain deficits, there are almost no reports addressing its underlying physiological mechanisms at the individual neuron level, particularly in the primary visual system. In the present study, using multiple-channel recording technique, we recorded the responses of single neurons in the primary visual system of cats to various direction stimuli both before and after BPA exposure. The results showed that the orientation selectivity of neurons in the primary visual cortex (area 17, A17) was obviously decreased after 2 h of intravenous BPA administration (0.2 mg/kg). Moreover, there were worse performances of information transmission of A17 neurons, presenting markedly decreased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). To some extent, these functional decreases were attributable to the altered information inputs from lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), which showed an increased spontaneous activity. Additionally, local injection of BPA (3.3 μg/ml) in A17 resulted in an obvious increase in orientation selectivity and a decrease in neuronal activity, involving enhanced activity of fast-spiking inhibitory interneurons. In conclusion, our results first demonstrate that acute BPA exposure can restrict the visual perception of cats, mainly depending on the alteration of the LGN projection, not the intercortical interaction. Importantly, BPA-induced-brain deficits might not only be confined to the cortical level but also occur as early as at the subcortical level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangwei Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Hu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xuan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Yifeng Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, People's Republic of China.
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, 15 Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China.
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Daulatzai MA. Dysfunctional Sensory Modalities, Locus Coeruleus, and Basal Forebrain: Early Determinants that Promote Neuropathogenesis of Cognitive and Memory Decline and Alzheimer’s Disease. Neurotox Res 2016; 30:295-337. [DOI: 10.1007/s12640-016-9643-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Allen HA, Roberts KL. Editorial: Perception and Cognition: Interactions in the Aging Brain. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:130. [PMID: 27375476 PMCID: PMC4896939 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Harriet A Allen
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Nottingham, UK
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Liao C, Han Q, Ma Y, Su B. Age-related gene expression change of GABAergic system in visual cortex of rhesus macaque. Gene 2016; 590:227-33. [PMID: 27196061 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Degradation of visual function is a common phenomenon during aging and likely mediated by change in the impaired central visual pathway. Treatment with GABA or its agonist could recover the ability of visual neurons in the primary visual cortex of senescent macaques. However, little is known about how GABAergic system change is related to the aged degradation of visual function in nonhuman primate. With the use of quantitative PCR method, we measured the expression change of 24 GABA related genes in the primary visual cortex (Brodmann's 17) of different age groups. In this study, both of mRNA and protein of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) were measured by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Results revealed that the level of GAD65 message was not significantly altered, but the proteins were significantly decreased in the aged monkey. As GAD65 plays an important role in GABA synthesis, the down-regulation of GAD65 protein was likely the key factor leading to the observed GABA reduction in the primary visual cortex of the aged macaques. In addition, 7 of 14 GABA receptor genes were up-regulated and one GABA receptor gene was significantly reduced during aging process even after Banjamini correction for multiple comparisons (P<0.05). These results suggested that the dysregulation of GAD65 protein might contribute to some age-related neural visual dysfunctions and most of GABA receptor genes induce a clear indication of compensatory effect for the reduced GABA release in the healthy aged monkey cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghong Liao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Laboratory of Tropical Veterinary Medicine and Vector Biology, College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Qian Han
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Laboratory of Tropical Veterinary Medicine and Vector Biology, College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Yuanye Ma
- Laboratory of the Primate Model for Brain Diseases and Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Bing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
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Costa M, Piché M, Lepore F, Guillemot JP. Age-related audiovisual interactions in the superior colliculus of the rat. Neuroscience 2016; 320:19-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Dietary Restriction Affects Neuronal Response Property and GABA Synthesis in the Primary Visual Cortex. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0149004. [PMID: 26863207 PMCID: PMC4749323 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have reported inconsistent effects of dietary restriction (DR) on cortical inhibition. To clarify this issue, we examined the response properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) of DR and control groups of cats using in vivo extracellular single-unit recording techniques, and assessed the synthesis of inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the V1 of cats from both groups using immunohistochemical and Western blot techniques. Our results showed that the response of V1 neurons to visual stimuli was significantly modified by DR, as indicated by an enhanced selectivity for stimulus orientations and motion directions, decreased visually-evoked response, lowered spontaneous activity and increased signal-to-noise ratio in DR cats relative to control cats. Further, it was shown that, accompanied with these changes of neuronal responsiveness, GABA immunoreactivity and the expression of a key GABA-synthesizing enzyme GAD67 in the V1 were significantly increased by DR. These results demonstrate that DR may retard brain aging by increasing the intracortical inhibition effect and improve the function of visual cortical neurons in visual information processing. This DR-induced elevation of cortical inhibition may favor the brain in modulating energy expenditure based on food availability.
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Butler JS, Beiser IM, Williams L, McGovern E, Molloy F, Lynch T, Healy DG, Moore H, Walsh R, Reilly RB, O'Riordan S, Walsh C, Hutchinson M. Age-Related Sexual Dimorphism in Temporal Discrimination and in Adult-Onset Dystonia Suggests GABAergic Mechanisms. Front Neurol 2015; 6:258. [PMID: 26696957 PMCID: PMC4677337 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adult-onset isolated focal dystonia (AOIFD) presenting in early adult life is more frequent in men, whereas in middle age it is female predominant. Temporal discrimination, an endophenotype of adult-onset idiopathic isolated focal dystonia, shows evidence of sexual dimorphism in healthy participants. Objectives We assessed the distinctive features of age-related sexual dimorphism of (i) sex ratios in dystonia phenotypes and (ii) sexual dimorphism in temporal discrimination in unaffected relatives of cervical dystonia patients. Methods We performed (i) a meta-regression analysis of the proportion of men in published cohorts of phenotypes of adult-onset dystonia in relation to their mean age of onset and (ii) an analysis of temporal discrimination thresholds in 220 unaffected first-degree relatives (125 women) of cervical dystonia patients. Results In 53 studies of dystonia phenotypes, the proportion of men showed a highly significant negative association with mean age of onset (p < 0.0001, pseudo-R2 = 59.6%), with increasing female predominance from 40 years of age. Age of onset and phenotype together explained 92.8% of the variance in proportion of men. Temporal discrimination in relatives under the age of 35 years is faster in women than men but the age-related rate of deterioration in women is twice that of men; after 45 years of age, men have faster temporal discrimination than women. Conclusion Temporal discrimination in unaffected relatives of cervical dystonia patients and sex ratios in adult-onset dystonia phenotypes show similar patterns of age-related sexual dimorphism. Such age-related sexual dimorphism in temporal discrimination and adult-onset focal dystonia may reflect common underlying mechanisms. Cerebral GABA levels have been reported to show similar age-related sexual dimorphism in healthy participants and may be the mechanism underlying the observed age-related sexual dimorphism in temporal discrimination and the sex ratios in AOIFD.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Butler
- Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Ines M Beiser
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Laura Williams
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Eavan McGovern
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | | | - Tim Lynch
- Dublin Neurological Institute, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland
| | | | | | | | - Richard B Reilly
- Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Seán O'Riordan
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Cathal Walsh
- Department of Statistics, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland ; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick , Limerick , Ireland
| | - Michael Hutchinson
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
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Tong CW, Wang ZL, Li P, Zhu H, Chen CY, Hua TM. Effects of senescence on the expression of BDNF and TrkB receptor in the lateral geniculate nucleus of cats. DONG WU XUE YAN JIU = ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 36:48-53. [PMID: 25730461 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2015.1.48] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
To explore the neural mechanisms mediating aging-related visual function declines, we compared the expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high affinity receptor-tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) between young and old adult cats. Nissl staining was used to display neurons in each layer of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). The BDNF- and TrkB receptor-immunoreactive neurons were labeled immunohistochemically, observed under optical microscope and photographed. Their neuronal density and immunoreactive intensity were measured. Results showed that the mean density of the Nissl stained neurons in each LGN layer were comparable between old and young adult cats, and their BDNF and TrkB proteins were widely expressed in all LGN layers. However, compared with young adult cats, both the density and optical absorbance intensity of BDNF- and TrkB-immunoreactive cells in each LGN layer in old cats were significantly decreased. These findings indicate that the decreased expressions of BDNF and TrkB proteins in the LGN may be an important factor inducing the compromised inhibition in the central visual nucleus and the functional visual decline in senescent individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan-Wang Tong
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China;College of Biological Engineering, Wuhu Institute of Technology, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Zi-Lu Wang
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Peng Li
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Hui Zhu
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Cui-Yun Chen
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Tian-Miao Hua
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China.
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Böhm MRR, Melkonyan H, Thanos S. Life-time expression of the proteins peroxiredoxin, beta-synuclein, PARK7/DJ-1, and stathmin in the primary visual and primary somatosensory cortices in rats. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:16. [PMID: 25788877 PMCID: PMC4349188 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Four distinct proteins are regulated in the aging neuroretina and may be regulated in the cerebral cortex, too: peroxiredoxin, beta-synuclein, PARK[Parkinson disease(autosomal recessive, early onset)]7/DJ-1, and Stathmin. Thus, we performed a comparative analysis of these proteins in the the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and primary visual cortex (V1) in rats, in order to detect putative common development-, maturation- and age-related changes. The expressions of peroxiredoxin, beta-synuclein, PARK[Parkinson disease (autosomal recessive, early onset)]7/DJ-1, and Stathmin were compared in the newborn, juvenile, adult, and aged S1 and V1. Western blot (WB), quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses were employed to determine whether the changes identified by proteomics were verifiable at the cellular and molecular levels. All of the proteins were detected in both of the investigated cortical areas. Changes in the expressions of the four proteins were found throughout the life-time of the rats. Peroxiredoxin expression remained unchanged over life-time. Beta-Synuclein expression was massively increased up to the adult stage of life in both the S1 and V1. PARK[Parkinson disease (autosomal recessive, early onset)]7/DJ-1 exhibited a massive up-regulation in both the S1 and V1 at all ages. Stathmin expression was massively down regulated after the neonatal period in both the S1 and V1. The detected protein alterations were analogous to their retinal profiles. This study is the first to provide evidence that peroxiredoxin, beta-synuclein, PARK[Parkinson disease (autosomal recessive, early onset)]7/DJ-1, and Stathmin are associated with postnatal maturation and aging in both the S1 and V1 of rats. These changes may indicate their involvement in key functional pathways and may account for the onset or progression of age-related pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R R Böhm
- Institute of Experimental Ophthalmology and DFG-Center of Excellence Cells in Motion (CiM), area C.4, School of Medicine, Westfalian-Wilhelms-University of Münster Münster, Germany ; Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital Münster Münster, Germany
| | - Harutyun Melkonyan
- Institute of Experimental Ophthalmology and DFG-Center of Excellence Cells in Motion (CiM), area C.4, School of Medicine, Westfalian-Wilhelms-University of Münster Münster, Germany
| | - Solon Thanos
- Institute of Experimental Ophthalmology and DFG-Center of Excellence Cells in Motion (CiM), area C.4, School of Medicine, Westfalian-Wilhelms-University of Münster Münster, Germany
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Yao Z, Wang Z, Yuan N, Liang Z, Zhou Y. Delayed signal transmission in area 17, area 18 and the posteromedial lateral suprasylvian area of aged cats. Neuroscience 2015; 289:358-66. [PMID: 25595968 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2014] [Revised: 12/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the effect of senescence on signal transmission, we have compared the visual response latency and spontaneous activity of cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), area 17, area 18 and posteromedial lateral suprasylvian area (PMLS) of young and old cats. We found that LGN cells in old cats exhibit largely normal visual response latency. In contrast, all the other three areas exhibited significant aging-related delays in the visual response latency. On average, PMLS showed most pronounced delays among these three areas. Area 18 slowed more than area 17, but this was not significant. The degradation of signal timing in the visual cortex might provide insight into neuronal response mechanism underlying perception slowing during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Yao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Z Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - N Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Z Liang
- Department of Bio-Medical Engineering, School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Y Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
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Li P, Jin CH, Jiang S, Li MM, Wang ZL, Zhu H, Chen CY, Hua TM. Effects of surround suppression on response adaptation of V1 neurons to visual stimuli. DONG WU XUE YAN JIU = ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 35:411-9. [PMID: 25297081 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2014.5.411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The influence of intracortical inhibition on the response adaptation of visual cortical neurons remains in debate. To clarify this issue, in the present study the influence of surround suppression evoked through the local inhibitory interneurons on the adaptation effects of neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) were observed. Moreover, the adaptations of V1 neurons to both the high-contrast visual stimuli presented in the classical receptive field (CRF) and to the costimulation presented in the CRF and the surrounding nonclassical receptive field (nCRF) were compared. The intensities of surround suppression were modulated with different sized grating stimuli. The results showed that the response adaptation of V1 neurons decreased significantly with the increase of surround suppression and this adaptation decrease was due to the reduction of the initial response of V1 neurons to visual stimuli. However, the plateau response during adaptation showed no significant changes. These findings indicate that the adaptation effects of V1 neurons may not be directly affected by surround suppression, but may be dynamically regulated by a negative feedback network and be finely adjusted by its initial spiking response to stimulus. This adaptive regulation is not only energy efficient for the central nervous system, but also beneficially acts to maintain the homeostasis of neuronal response to long-presenting visual signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Li
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Cai-Hong Jin
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - San Jiang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Miao-Miao Li
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Zi-Lu Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Hui Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Cui-Yun Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Tian-Miao Hua
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China.
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Rizzo V, Richman J, Puthanveettil SV. Dissecting mechanisms of brain aging by studying the intrinsic excitability of neurons. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 6:337. [PMID: 25610394 PMCID: PMC4285138 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies using vertebrate and invertebrate animal models have shown aging associated changes in brain function. Importantly, changes in soma size, loss or regression of dendrites and dendritic spines and alterations in the expression of neurotransmitter receptors in specific neurons were described. Despite this understanding, how aging impacts intrinsic properties of individual neurons or circuits that govern a defined behavior is yet to be determined. Here we discuss current understanding of specific electrophysiological changes in individual neurons and circuits during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Rizzo
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Jeffrey Richman
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Jupiter, FL, USA
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Csete G, Bognár A, Csibri P, Kaposvári P, Sáry G. Aging alters visual processing of objects and shapes in inferotemporal cortex in monkeys. Brain Res Bull 2014; 110:76-83. [PMID: 25526896 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2014.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Visual perception declines with age. Perceptual deficits may originate not only in the optical system serving vision but also in the neural machinery processing visual information. Since homologies between monkey and human vision permit extrapolation from monkeys to humans, data from young, middle aged and old monkeys were analyzed to show age-related changes in the neuronal activity in the inferotemporal cortex, which is critical for object and shape vision. We found an increased neuronal response latency, and a decrease in the stimulus selectivity in the older animals and suggest that these changes may underlie the perceptual uncertainties found frequently in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Csete
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 10, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - A Bognár
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 10, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - P Csibri
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 10, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - P Kaposvári
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 10, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Gy Sáry
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 10, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
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McCourt ME, Leone LM, Blakeslee B. Brightness induction and suprathreshold vision: effects of age and visual field. Vision Res 2014; 106:36-46. [PMID: 25462024 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2014.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Revised: 10/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
A variety of visual capacities show significant age-related alterations. We assessed suprathreshold contrast and brightness perception across the lifespan in a large sample of healthy participants (N=155; 142) ranging in age from 16 to 80 years. Experiment 1 used a quadrature-phase motion cancelation technique (Blakeslee & McCourt, 2008) to measure canceling contrast (in central vision) for induced gratings at two temporal frequencies (1 Hz and 4 Hz) at two test field heights (0.5° or 2°×38.7°; 0.052 c/d). There was a significant age-related reduction in canceling contrast at 4 Hz, but not at 1 Hz. We find no age-related change in induction magnitude in the 1 Hz condition. We interpret the age-related decline in grating induction magnitude at 4 Hz to reflect a diminished capacity for inhibitory processing at higher temporal frequencies. In Experiment 2 participants adjusted the contrast of a matching grating (0.5° or 2°×38.7°; 0.052 c/d) to equal that of both real (30% contrast, 0.052 c/d) and induced (McCourt, 1982) standard gratings (100% inducing grating contrast; 0.052 c/d). Matching gratings appeared in the upper visual field (UVF) and test gratings appeared in the lower visual field (LVF), and vice versa, at eccentricities of ±7.5°. Average induction magnitude was invariant with age for both test field heights. There was a significant age-related reduction in perceived contrast of stimuli in the LVF versus UVF for both real and induced gratings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E McCourt
- Center for Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA.
| | - Lynnette M Leone
- Center for Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Barbara Blakeslee
- Center for Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
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Yotsumoto Y, Chang LH, Ni R, Pierce R, Andersen GJ, Watanabe T, Sasaki Y. White matter in the older brain is more plastic than in the younger brain. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5504. [PMID: 25407566 PMCID: PMC4238045 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual perceptual learning (VPL) with younger subjects is associated with changes in functional activation of the early visual cortex. Although overall brain properties decline with age, it is unclear whether these declines are associated with visual perceptual learning. Here we use diffusion tensor imaging to test whether changes in white matter are involved in VPL for older adults. After training on a texture discrimination task for three daily sessions, both older and younger subjects show performance improvements. While the older subjects show significant changes in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the white matter beneath the early visual cortex after training, no significant change in FA is observed for younger subjects. These results suggest that the mechanism for VPL in older individuals is considerably different from that in younger individuals and that VPL of older individuals involves reorganization of white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Yotsumoto
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguroku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Li-Hung Chang
- 1] Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA [2] Education Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Yang Ming University, No. 155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Beitou District, Taipei City 112, Taiwan
| | - Rui Ni
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Russell Pierce
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - George J Andersen
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Takeo Watanabe
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Yuka Sasaki
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
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Baum SH, Beauchamp MS. Greater BOLD variability in older compared with younger adults during audiovisual speech perception. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111121. [PMID: 25337918 PMCID: PMC4206517 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Older adults exhibit decreased performance and increased trial-to-trial variability on a range of cognitive tasks, including speech perception. We used blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI) to search for neural correlates of these behavioral phenomena. We compared brain responses to simple speech stimuli (audiovisual syllables) in 24 healthy older adults (53 to 70 years old) and 14 younger adults (23 to 39 years old) using two independent analysis strategies: region-of-interest (ROI) and voxel-wise whole-brain analysis. While mean response amplitudes were moderately greater in younger adults, older adults had much greater within-subject variability. The greatly increased variability in older adults was observed for both individual voxels in the whole-brain analysis and for ROIs in the left superior temporal sulcus, the left auditory cortex, and the left visual cortex. Increased variability in older adults could not be attributed to differences in head movements between the groups. Increased neural variability may be related to the performance declines and increased behavioral variability that occur with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H. Baum
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael S. Beauchamp
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Lich M, Bremmer F. Self-motion perception in the elderly. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:681. [PMID: 25309379 PMCID: PMC4163979 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-motion through space generates a visual pattern called optic flow. It can be used to determine one's direction of self-motion (heading). Previous studies have already shown that this perceptual ability, which is of critical importance during everyday life, changes with age. In most of these studies subjects were asked to judge whether they appeared to be heading to the left or right of a target. Thresholds were found to increase continuously with age. In our current study, we were interested in absolute rather than relative heading judgments and in the question about a potential neural correlate of an age-related deterioration of heading perception. Two groups, older test subjects and younger controls, were shown optic flow stimuli in a virtual-reality setup. Visual stimuli simulated self-motion through a 3-D cloud of dots and subjects had to indicate their perceived heading direction after each trial. In different subsets of experiments we varied individually relevant stimulus parameters: presentation time, number of dots in the display, stereoscopic vs. non-stereoscopic stimulation, and motion coherence. We found decrements in heading performance with age for each stimulus parameter. In a final step we aimed to determine a putative neural basis of this behavioral decline. To this end we modified a neural network model which previously has proven to be capable of reproduce and predict certain aspects of heading perception. We show that the observed data can be modeled by implementing an age related neuronal cell loss in this neural network. We conclude that a continuous decline of certain aspects of motion perception, among them heading, might be based on an age-related progressive loss of groups of neurons being activated by visual motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Lich
- Department Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Frank Bremmer
- Department Neurophysics, Philipps-Universität Marburg Marburg, Germany
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