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Tünçok E, Carrasco M, Winawer J. Spatial attention alters visual cortical representation during target anticipation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.02.583127. [PMID: 38496524 PMCID: PMC10942396 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.02.583127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Attention enables us to efficiently and flexibly interact with the environment by prioritizing some image features in preparation for responding to a stimulus. Using a concurrent psychophysics- fMRI experiment, we investigated how covert spatial attention affects responses in human visual cortex prior to target onset, and how it affects subsequent behavioral performance. Performance improved at cued locations and worsened at uncued locations, relative to distributed attention, demonstrating a selective tradeoff in processing. Pre-target BOLD responses in cortical visual field maps changed in two ways: First, there was a stimulus-independent baseline shift, positive in map locations near the cued location and negative elsewhere, paralleling the behavioral results. Second, population receptive field centers shifted toward the attended location. Both effects increased in higher visual areas. Together, the results show that spatial attention has large effects on visual cortex prior to target appearance, altering neural response properties throughout and across multiple visual field maps.
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2
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DeYoe EA, Huddleston W, Greenberg AS. Are neuronal mechanisms of attention universal across human sensory and motor brain maps? Psychon Bull Rev 2024:10.3758/s13423-024-02495-3. [PMID: 38587756 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-024-02495-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
One's experience of shifting attention from the color to the smell to the act of picking a flower seems like a unitary process applied, at will, to one modality after another. Yet, the unique and separable experiences of sight versus smell versus movement might suggest that the neural mechanisms of attention have been separately optimized to employ each modality to its greatest advantage. Moreover, addressing the issue of universality can be particularly difficult due to a paucity of existing cross-modal comparisons and a dearth of neurophysiological methods that can be applied equally well across disparate modalities. Here we outline some of the conceptual and methodological issues related to this problem and present an instructive example of an experimental approach that can be applied widely throughout the human brain to permit detailed, quantitative comparison of attentional mechanisms across modalities. The ultimate goal is to spur efforts across disciplines to provide a large and varied database of empirical observations that will either support the notion of a universal neural substrate for attention or more clearly identify the degree to which attentional mechanisms are specialized for each modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar A DeYoe
- Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
- , Signal Mountain, USA.
| | - Wendy Huddleston
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, 3409 N. Downer Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA
| | - Adam S Greenberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
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3
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Lankinen K, Ahveninen J, Jas M, Raij T, Ahlfors SP. Neuronal modeling of magnetoencephalography responses in auditory cortex to auditory and visual stimuli. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.16.545371. [PMID: 37398025 PMCID: PMC10312796 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that auditory cortex activity can be influenced by crosssensory visual inputs. Intracortical recordings in non-human primates (NHP) have suggested a bottom-up feedforward (FF) type laminar profile for auditory evoked but top-down feedback (FB) type for cross-sensory visual evoked activity in the auditory cortex. To test whether this principle applies also to humans, we analyzed magnetoencephalography (MEG) responses from eight human subjects (six females) evoked by simple auditory or visual stimuli. In the estimated MEG source waveforms for auditory cortex region of interest, auditory evoked responses showed peaks at 37 and 90 ms and cross-sensory visual responses at 125 ms. The inputs to the auditory cortex were then modeled through FF and FB type connections targeting different cortical layers using the Human Neocortical Neurosolver (HNN), which consists of a neocortical circuit model linking the cellular- and circuit-level mechanisms to MEG. The HNN models suggested that the measured auditory response could be explained by an FF input followed by an FB input, and the crosssensory visual response by an FB input. Thus, the combined MEG and HNN results support the hypothesis that cross-sensory visual input in the auditory cortex is of FB type. The results also illustrate how the dynamic patterns of the estimated MEG/EEG source activity can provide information about the characteristics of the input into a cortical area in terms of the hierarchical organization among areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaisu Lankinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jyrki Ahveninen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Mainak Jas
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Tommi Raij
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Seppo P. Ahlfors
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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4
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Kotlarz P, Lankinen K, Hakonen M, Turpin T, Polimeni JR, Ahveninen J. Multilayer Network Analysis across Cortical Depths in Resting-State 7T fMRI. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.23.573208. [PMID: 38187540 PMCID: PMC10769454 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.23.573208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
In graph theory, "multilayer networks" represent systems involving several interconnected topological levels. A neuroscience example is the hierarchy of connections between different cortical depths or "lamina". This hierarchy is becoming non-invasively accessible in humans using ultra-high-resolution functional MRI (fMRI). Here, we applied multilayer graph theory to examine functional connectivity across different cortical depths in humans, using 7T fMRI (1-mm3 voxels; 30 participants). Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signals were derived from five depths between the white matter and pial surface. We then compared networks where the inter-regional connections were limited to a single cortical depth only ("layer-by-layer matrices") to those considering all possible connections between regions and cortical depths ("multilayer matrix"). We utilized global and local graph theory features that quantitatively characterize network attributes such as network composition, nodal centrality, path-based measures, and hub segregation. Detecting functional differences between cortical depths was improved using multilayer connectomics compared to the layer-by-layer versions. Superficial aspects of the cortex dominated information transfer and deeper aspects clustering. These differences were largest in frontotemporal and limbic brain regions. fMRI functional connectivity across different cortical depths may contain neurophysiologically relevant information. Multilayer connectomics could provide a methodological framework for studies on how information flows across this hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker Kotlarz
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaisu Lankinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Hakonen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jonathan R Polimeni
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jyrki Ahveninen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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5
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Heij J, Raimondo L, Siero JCW, Dumoulin SO, van der Zwaag W, Knapen T. A selection and targeting framework of cortical locations for line-scanning fMRI. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5471-5484. [PMID: 37608563 PMCID: PMC10543358 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Depth-resolved functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an emerging field growing in popularity given the potential of separating signals from different computational processes in cerebral cortex. Conventional acquisition schemes suffer from low spatial and temporal resolutions. Line-scanning methods allow depth-resolved fMRI by sacrificing spatial coverage to sample blood oxygenated level-dependent (BOLD) responses at ultra-high temporal and spatial resolution. For neuroscience applications, it is critical to be able to place the line accurately to (1) sample the right neural population and (2) target that neural population with tailored stimuli or tasks. To this end, we devised a multi-session framework where a target cortical location is selected based on anatomical and functional properties. The line is then positioned according to this information in a separate second session, and we tailor the experiment to focus on the target location. Anatomically, the precision of the line placement was confirmed by projecting a nominal representation of the acquired line back onto the surface. Functional estimates of neural selectivities in the line, as quantified by a visual population-receptive field model, resembled the target selectivities well for most subjects. This functional precision was quantified in detail by estimating the distance between the visual field location of the targeted vertex and the location in visual cortex (V1) that most closely resembled the line-scanning estimates; this distance was on average ~5.5 mm. Given the dimensions of the line, differences in acquisition, session, and stimulus design, this validates that line-scanning can be used to probe local neural sensitivities across sessions. In summary, we present an accurate framework for line-scanning MRI; we believe such a framework is required to harness the full potential of line-scanning and maximize its utility. Furthermore, this approach bridges canonical fMRI experiments with electrophysiological experiments, which in turn allows novel avenues for studying human physiology non-invasively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jurjen Heij
- Spinoza Centre for NeuroimagingAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Computational Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroimagingNetherlands Institute for NeuroscienceAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Experimental and Applied PsychologyVU UniversityAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Luisa Raimondo
- Spinoza Centre for NeuroimagingAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Computational Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroimagingNetherlands Institute for NeuroscienceAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Experimental and Applied PsychologyVU UniversityAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Jeroen C. W. Siero
- Spinoza Centre for NeuroimagingAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Computational Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroimagingNetherlands Institute for NeuroscienceAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of RadiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Serge O. Dumoulin
- Spinoza Centre for NeuroimagingAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Computational Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroimagingNetherlands Institute for NeuroscienceAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Experimental and Applied PsychologyVU UniversityAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Experimental PsychologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Wietske van der Zwaag
- Spinoza Centre for NeuroimagingAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Computational Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroimagingNetherlands Institute for NeuroscienceAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Tomas Knapen
- Spinoza Centre for NeuroimagingAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Computational Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroimagingNetherlands Institute for NeuroscienceAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Experimental and Applied PsychologyVU UniversityAmsterdamNetherlands
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6
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Finn ES, Poldrack RA, Shine JM. Functional neuroimaging as a catalyst for integrated neuroscience. Nature 2023; 623:263-273. [PMID: 37938706 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06670-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) enables non-invasive access to the awake, behaving human brain. By tracking whole-brain signals across a diverse range of cognitive and behavioural states or mapping differences associated with specific traits or clinical conditions, fMRI has advanced our understanding of brain function and its links to both normal and atypical behaviour. Despite this headway, progress in human cognitive neuroscience that uses fMRI has been relatively isolated from rapid advances in other subdomains of neuroscience, which themselves are also somewhat siloed from one another. In this Perspective, we argue that fMRI is well-placed to integrate the diverse subfields of systems, cognitive, computational and clinical neuroscience. We first summarize the strengths and weaknesses of fMRI as an imaging tool, then highlight examples of studies that have successfully used fMRI in each subdomain of neuroscience. We then provide a roadmap for the future advances that will be needed to realize this integrative vision. In this way, we hope to demonstrate how fMRI can help usher in a new era of interdisciplinary coherence in neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Finn
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, NH, USA.
| | | | - James M Shine
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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7
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Agostino CS, Merkel C, Ball F, Vavra P, Hinrichs H, Noesselt T. Seeing and extrapolating motion trajectories share common informative activation patterns in primary visual cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:1389-1406. [PMID: 36288211 PMCID: PMC9921241 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The natural environment is dynamic and moving objects become constantly occluded, engaging the brain in a challenging completion process to estimate where and when the object might reappear. Although motion extrapolation is critical in daily life-imagine crossing the street while an approaching car is occluded by a larger standing vehicle-its neural underpinnings are still not well understood. While the engagement of low-level visual cortex during dynamic occlusion has been postulated, most of the previous group-level fMRI-studies failed to find evidence for an involvement of low-level visual areas during occlusion. In this fMRI-study, we therefore used individually defined retinotopic maps and multivariate pattern analysis to characterize the neural basis of visible and occluded changes in motion direction in humans. To this end, participants learned velocity-direction change pairings (slow motion-upwards; fast motion-downwards or vice versa) during a training phase without occlusion and judged the change in stimulus direction, based on its velocity, during a following test phase with occlusion. We find that occluded motion direction can be predicted from the activity patterns during visible motion within low-level visual areas, supporting the notion of a mental representation of motion trajectory in these regions during occlusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Silveira Agostino
- Department of Biological Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,European Structural and Investment Funds-International Graduate School (ESF-GS) Analysis, Imaging, and Modeling of Neuronal and Inflammatory Processes (ABINEP) International Graduate School, Otto-Von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian Merkel
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Felix Ball
- Department of Biological Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Centre for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Vavra
- Department of Biological Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hermann Hinrichs
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Centre for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Behavioural Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Toemme Noesselt
- Department of Biological Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Centre for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
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8
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Lankinen K, Ahlfors SP, Mamashli F, Blazejewska AI, Raij T, Turpin T, Polimeni JR, Ahveninen J. Cortical depth profiles of auditory and visual 7 T functional MRI responses in human superior temporal areas. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:362-372. [PMID: 35980015 PMCID: PMC9842898 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive neurophysiological studies in nonhuman primates have shown different laminar activation profiles to auditory vs. visual stimuli in auditory cortices and adjacent polymodal areas. Means to examine the underlying feedforward vs. feedback type influences noninvasively have been limited in humans. Here, using 1-mm isotropic resolution 3D echo-planar imaging at 7 T, we studied the intracortical depth profiles of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signals to brief auditory (noise bursts) and visual (checkerboard) stimuli. BOLD percent-signal-changes were estimated at 11 equally spaced intracortical depths, within regions-of-interest encompassing auditory (Heschl's gyrus, Heschl's sulcus, planum temporale, and posterior superior temporal gyrus) and polymodal (middle and posterior superior temporal sulcus) areas. Effects of differing BOLD signal strengths for auditory and visual stimuli were controlled via normalization and statistical modeling. The BOLD depth profile shapes, modeled with quadratic regression, were significantly different for auditory vs. visual stimuli in auditory cortices, but not in polymodal areas. The different depth profiles could reflect sensory-specific feedforward versus cross-sensory feedback influences, previously shown in laminar recordings in nonhuman primates. The results suggest that intracortical BOLD profiles can help distinguish between feedforward and feedback type influences in the human brain. Further experimental studies are still needed to clarify how underlying signal strength influences BOLD depth profiles under different stimulus conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaisu Lankinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Department of RadiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Seppo P. Ahlfors
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Department of RadiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Fahimeh Mamashli
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Department of RadiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Anna I. Blazejewska
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Department of RadiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Tommi Raij
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Department of RadiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Tori Turpin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jonathan R. Polimeni
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Department of RadiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Division of Health Sciences and TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jyrki Ahveninen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Department of RadiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
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9
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Heynckes M, Lage-Castellanos A, De Weerd P, Formisano E, De Martino F. Layer-specific correlates of detected and undetected auditory targets during attention. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 4:100075. [PMID: 36755988 PMCID: PMC9900365 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2023.100075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In everyday life, the processing of acoustic information allows us to react to subtle changes in the auditory scene. Yet even when closely attending to sounds in the context of a task, we occasionally miss task-relevant features. The neural computations that underlie our ability to detect behavioral relevant sound changes are thought to be grounded in both feedforward and feedback processes within the auditory hierarchy. Here, we assessed the role of feedforward and feedback contributions in primary and non-primary auditory areas during behavioral detection of target sounds using submillimeter spatial resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at high-fields (7 T) in humans. We demonstrate that the successful detection of subtle temporal shifts in target sounds leads to a selective increase of activation in superficial layers of primary auditory cortex (PAC). These results indicate that feedback signals reaching as far back as PAC may be relevant to the detection of targets in the auditory scene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Heynckes
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Agustin Lage-Castellanos
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Peter De Weerd
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Elia Formisano
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands,Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 60, 6229 ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Federico De Martino
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands,Corresponding author. Federico De Martino Department Cognitive Neuroscience Oxfordlaan 55, 6229EV, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
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10
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Himmelberg MM, Gardner JL, Winawer J. What has vision science taught us about functional MRI? Neuroimage 2022; 261:119536. [PMID: 35931310 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In the domain of human neuroimaging, much attention has been paid to the question of whether and how the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has advanced our scientific knowledge of the human brain. However, the opposite question is also important; how has our knowledge of the visual system advanced our understanding of fMRI? Here, we discuss how and why scientific knowledge about the human and animal visual system has been used to answer fundamental questions about fMRI as a brain measurement tool and how these answers have contributed to scientific discoveries beyond vision science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc M Himmelberg
- Department of Psychology, New York University, NY, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, NY, USA.
| | | | - Jonathan Winawer
- Department of Psychology, New York University, NY, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, NY, USA
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11
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Haarsma J, Kok P, Browning M. The promise of layer-specific neuroimaging for testing predictive coding theories of psychosis. Schizophr Res 2022; 245:68-76. [PMID: 33199171 PMCID: PMC9241988 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Predictive coding potentially provides an explanatory model for understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms of psychosis. It proposes that cognitive processes, such as perception and inference, are implemented by a hierarchical system, with the influence of each level being a function of the estimated precision of beliefs at that level. However, predictive coding models of psychosis are insufficiently constrained-any phenomenon can be explained in multiple ways by postulating different changes to precision at different levels of processing. One reason for the lack of constraint in these models is that the core processes are thought to be implemented by the function of specific cortical layers, and the technology to measure layer specific neural activity in humans has until recently been lacking. As a result, our ability to constrain the models with empirical data has been limited. In this review we provide a brief overview of predictive processing models of psychosis and then describe the potential for newly developed, layer specific neuroimaging techniques to test and thus constrain these models. We conclude by discussing the most promising avenues for this research as well as the technical and conceptual challenges which may limit its application.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Haarsma
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom,Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom,Corresponding author at: Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - P. Kok
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - M. Browning
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom,Oxford Health NHS Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
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12
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Fracasso A, Dumoulin SO, Petridou N. Point-spread function of the BOLD response across columns and cortical depth in human extra-striate cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 207:102187. [PMID: 34798198 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Columns and layers are fundamental organizational units of the brain. Well known examples of cortical columns are the ocular dominance columns (ODCs) in primary visual cortex and the column-like stripe-based arrangement in the second visual area V2. The spatial scale of columns and layers is beyond the reach of conventional neuroimaging, but the advent of high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners (UHF, 7 Tesla and above) has opened the possibility to acquire data at this spatial scale, in-vivo and non-invasively in humans. The most prominent non-invasive technique to measure brain function is blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI, measuring brain activity indirectly, via changes in hemodynamics. A key determinant of the ability of high-resolution BOLD fMRI to accurately resolve columns and layers is the point-spread function (PSF) of the BOLD response in relation to the spatial extent of neuronal activity. In this study we take advantage of the stripe-based arrangement present in visual area V2, coupled with sub-millimetre anatomical and gradient-echo BOLD (GE BOLD) acquisition at 7 T to obtain PSF estimates and along cortical depth in human participants. Results show that the BOLD PSF is maximal in the superficial part of the cortex (1.78 mm), and it decreases with increasing cortical depth (0.83 mm close to white matter).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Fracasso
- University of Glasgow, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
| | - Serge O Dumoulin
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Spinoza Center for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Natalia Petridou
- Department of Radiology, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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13
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Divisive normalization unifies disparate response signatures throughout the human visual hierarchy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2108713118. [PMID: 34772812 PMCID: PMC8609633 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108713118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A canonical neural computation is a mathematical operation applied by the brain in a wide variety of contexts and capable of explaining and unifying seemingly unrelated neural and perceptual phenomena. Here, we use a combination of state-of-the-art experiments (ultra-high-field functional MRI) and mathematical methods (population receptive field [pRF] modeling) to uniquely demonstrate the role of divisive normalization (DN) as the canonical neural computation underlying visuospatial responses throughout the human visual hierarchy. The DN pRF model provides a tool to investigate and interpret the computational processes underlying neural responses in human and animal recordings, but also in clinical and cognitive dimensions. Neural processing is hypothesized to apply the same mathematical operations in a variety of contexts, implementing so-called canonical neural computations. Divisive normalization (DN) is considered a prime candidate for a canonical computation. Here, we propose a population receptive field (pRF) model based on DN and evaluate it using ultra-high-field functional MRI (fMRI). The DN model parsimoniously captures seemingly disparate response signatures with a single computation, superseding existing pRF models in both performance and biological plausibility. We observe systematic variations in specific DN model parameters across the visual hierarchy and show how they relate to differences in response modulation and visuospatial information integration. The DN model delivers a unifying framework for visuospatial responses throughout the human visual hierarchy and provides insights into its underlying information-encoding computations. These findings extend the role of DN as a canonical computation to neuronal populations throughout the human visual hierarchy.
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14
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Carvalho J, Renken RJ, Cornelissen FW. Predictive masking of an artificial scotoma is associated with a system-wide reconfiguration of neural populations in the human visual cortex. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118690. [PMID: 34758382 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The visual brain has the remarkable capacity to complete our percept of the world even when the information extracted from the visual scene is incomplete. This ability to predict missing information based on information from spatially adjacent regions is an intriguing attribute of healthy vision. Yet, it gains particular significance when it masks the perceptual consequences of a retinal lesion, leaving patients unaware of their partial loss of vision and ultimately delaying diagnosis and treatment. At present, our understanding of the neural basis of this masking process is limited which hinders both quantitative modeling as well as translational application. To overcome this, we asked the participants to view visual stimuli with and without superimposed artificial scotoma (AS). We used fMRI to record the associated cortical activity and applied model-based analyzes to track changes in cortical population receptive fields and connectivity in response to the introduction of the AS. We found that throughout the visual field and cortical hierarchy, pRFs shifted their preferred position towards the AS border. Moreover, extrastriate areas biased their sampling of V1 towards sections outside the AS projection zone, thereby effectively masking the AS with signals from spared portions of the visual field. We speculate that the signals that drive these system-wide population modifications originate in extrastriate visual areas and, through feedback, also reconfigure the neural populations in the earlier visual areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Carvalho
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Laboratory of Preclinical MRI, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Avenida de Brasília, Lisbon, Portugal 1400-038.
| | - Remco J Renken
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frans W Cornelissen
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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15
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Perceived and mentally rotated contents are differentially represented in cortical depth of V1. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1069. [PMID: 34521987 PMCID: PMC8440580 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02582-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary visual cortex (V1) in humans is known to represent both veridically perceived external input and internally-generated contents underlying imagery and mental rotation. However, it is unknown how the brain keeps these contents separate thus avoiding a mixture of the perceived and the imagined which could lead to potentially detrimental consequences. Inspired by neuroanatomical studies showing that feedforward and feedback connections in V1 terminate in different cortical layers, we hypothesized that this anatomical compartmentalization underlies functional segregation of external and internally-generated visual contents, respectively. We used high-resolution layer-specific fMRI to test this hypothesis in a mental rotation task. We found that rotated contents were predominant at outer cortical depth bins (i.e. superficial and deep). At the same time perceived contents were represented stronger at the middle cortical bin. These results identify how through cortical depth compartmentalization V1 functionally segregates rather than confuses external from internally-generated visual contents. These results indicate that feedforward and feedback manifest in distinct subdivisions of the early visual cortex, thereby reflecting a general strategy for implementing multiple cognitive functions within a single brain region. In order to test whether there is a cortical depth compartmentalization in the processing of external and internally-generated visual contents, Iamshchinina et al use high-resolution fMRI at 7 T in participants performing a mental rotation task. They demonstrate that feedforward and feedback representations during mental rotation manifest at differentiable grey matter depth in early visual cortex, thereby reflecting a general strategy for implementing multiple cognitive functions within a single brain region.
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16
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Goddard E, Mullen KT. Attention selectively enhances stimulus information for surround over foveal stimulus representations in occipital cortex. J Vis 2021; 21:20. [PMID: 33749755 PMCID: PMC7991976 DOI: 10.1167/jov.21.3.20] [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] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
By attending to part of a visual scene, we can prioritize processing of the most relevant visual information and so use our limited resources effectively. Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) work has shown that attention can increase overall blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal responsiveness but also enhances the stimulus information in terms of classifier performance. Here, we investigate how these effects vary across the visual field. We compare attention-enhanced fMRI-BOLD amplitude responses and classifier accuracy in fovea and surrounding stimulus regions using a set of four simple stimuli subdivided into a foveal region (1.4° diameter) and a surround region (15° diameter). We found dissociations between the effects of attention on average response and in enhancing stimulus information. In early visual cortex, we found that attention increased the amplitude of responses to both foveal and surround parts of the stimuli and increased classifier performance only for the surround stimulus. Conversely, ventral visual areas showed less change in average response but greater changes in decoding. Unlike for early visual cortex, in the ventral visual cortex attention produced similar changes in decoding for center and surround stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Goddard
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, McGill Vision Research, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Present Address: School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,
| | - Kathy T Mullen
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, McGill Vision Research, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,
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17
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Kashyap S, Ivanov D, Havlicek M, Huber L, Poser BA, Uludağ K. Sub-millimetre resolution laminar fMRI using Arterial Spin Labelling in humans at 7 T. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250504. [PMID: 33901230 PMCID: PMC8075193 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Laminar fMRI at ultra-high magnetic field strength is typically carried out using the Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent (BOLD) contrast. Despite its unrivalled sensitivity to detecting activation, the BOLD contrast is limited in its spatial specificity due to signals stemming from intra-cortical ascending and pial veins. Alternatively, regional changes in perfusion (i.e., cerebral blood flow through tissue) are colocalised to neuronal activation, which can be non-invasively measured using Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL) MRI. In addition, ASL provides a quantitative marker of neuronal activation in terms of perfusion signal, which is simultaneously acquired along with the BOLD signal. However, ASL for laminar imaging is challenging due to the lower SNR of the perfusion signal and higher RF power deposition i.e., specific absorption rate (SAR) of ASL sequences. In the present study, we present for the first time in humans, isotropic sub-millimetre spatial resolution functional perfusion images using Flow-sensitive Alternating Inversion Recovery (FAIR) ASL with a 3D-EPI readout at 7 T. We show that robust statistical activation maps can be obtained with perfusion-weighting in a single session. We observed the characteristic BOLD amplitude increase towards the superficial laminae, and, in apparent discrepancy, the relative perfusion profile shows a decrease of the amplitude and the absolute perfusion profile a much smaller increase towards the cortical surface. Considering the draining vein effect on the BOLD signal using model-based spatial “convolution”, we show that the empirically measured perfusion and BOLD profiles are, in fact, consistent with each other. This study demonstrates that laminar perfusion fMRI in humans is feasible at 7 T and that caution must be exercised when interpreting BOLD signal laminar profiles as direct representation of the cortical distribution of neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriranga Kashyap
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (M-BIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (SK); (DI)
| | - Dimo Ivanov
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (M-BIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (SK); (DI)
| | - Martin Havlicek
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Laurentius Huber
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (M-BIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Benedikt A. Poser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre (M-BIC), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Kâmil Uludağ
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, N Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Techna Institute & Koerner Scientist in MR Imaging, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
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18
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Fracasso A, Dumoulin SO, Petridou N. Point-spread function of the BOLD response across columns and cortical depth in human extra-striate cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 202:102034. [PMID: 33741401 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Columns and layers are fundamental organizational units of the brain. Well known examples of cortical columns are the ocular dominance columns (ODCs) in primary visual cortex and the column-like stripe-based arrangement in the second visual area V2. The spatial scale of columns and layers is beyond the reach of conventional neuroimaging, but the advent of high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners (UHF, 7 T and above) has opened the possibility to acquire data at this spatial scale, in-vivo and non-invasively in humans. The most prominent non-invasive technique to measure brain function is blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI, measuring brain activity indirectly, via changes in hemodynamics. A key determinant of the ability of high-resolution BOLD fMRI to accurately resolve columns and layers is the point-spread function (PSF) of the BOLD response in relation to the spatial extent of neuronal activity. In this study we take advantage of the stripe-based arrangement present in visual area V2, coupled with sub-millimetre anatomical and gradient-echo BOLD (GE BOLD) acquisition at 7 T to obtain PSF estimates and along cortical depth in human participants. Results show that the BOLD PSF is maximal in the superficial part of the cortex (1.78 mm), and it decreases with increasing cortical depth (0.83 mm close to white matter).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Fracasso
- University of Glasgow, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
| | - Serge O Dumoulin
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Spinoza Center for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Natalia Petridou
- Department of Radiology, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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19
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Zooming-in on higher-level vision: High-resolution fMRI for understanding visual perception and awareness. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 207:101998. [PMID: 33497652 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.101998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
One of the central questions in visual neuroscience is how the sparse retinal signals leaving our eyes are transformed into a rich subjective visual experience of the world. Invasive physiology studies, which offers the highest spatial resolution, have revealed many facts about the processing of simple visual features like contrast, color, and orientation, focusing on the early visual areas. At the same time, standard human fMRI studies with comparably coarser spatial resolution have revealed more complex, functionally specialized, and category-selective responses in higher visual areas. Although the visual system is the best understood among the sensory modalities, these two areas of research remain largely segregated. High-resolution fMRI opens up a possibility for linking them. On the one hand, it allows studying how the higher-level visual functions affect the fine-scale activity in early visual areas. On the other hand, it allows discovering the fine-scale functional organization of higher visual areas and exploring their functional connectivity with visual areas lower in the hierarchy. In this review, I will discuss examples of successful work undertaken in these directions using high-resolution fMRI and discuss where this method could be applied in the future to advance our understanding of the complexity of higher-level visual processing.
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20
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Prior expectations evoke stimulus-specific activity in the deep layers of the primary visual cortex. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3001023. [PMID: 33284791 PMCID: PMC7746273 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The way we perceive the world is strongly influenced by our expectations. In line with this, much recent research has revealed that prior expectations strongly modulate sensory processing. However, the neural circuitry through which the brain integrates external sensory inputs with internal expectation signals remains unknown. In order to understand the computational architecture of the cortex, we need to investigate the way these signals flow through the cortical layers. This is crucial because the different cortical layers have distinct intra- and interregional connectivity patterns, and therefore determining which layers are involved in a cortical computation can inform us on the sources and targets of these signals. Here, we used ultra-high field (7T) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to reveal that prior expectations evoke stimulus-specific activity selectively in the deep layers of the primary visual cortex (V1). These findings are in line with predictive processing theories proposing that neurons in the deep cortical layers represent perceptual hypotheses and thereby shed light on the computational architecture of cortex. The way we perceive the world is strongly influenced by our expectations, but the neural circuitry through which the brain achieves this remains unknown. A study using ultra-high field fMRI reveals that prior expectations evoke stimulus-specific signals in the deep layers of the primary visual cortex.
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21
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Finn ES, Huber L, Bandettini PA. Higher and deeper: Bringing layer fMRI to association cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 207:101930. [PMID: 33091541 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in fMRI have enabled non-invasive measurements of brain function in awake, behaving humans at unprecedented spatial resolutions, allowing us to separate activity in distinct cortical layers. While most layer fMRI studies to date have focused on primary cortices, we argue that the next big steps forward in our understanding of cognition will come from expanding this technology into higher-order association cortex, to characterize depth-dependent activity during increasingly sophisticated mental processes. We outline phenomena and theories ripe for investigation with layer fMRI, including perception and imagery, selective attention, and predictive coding. We discuss practical and theoretical challenges to cognitive applications of layer fMRI, including localizing regions of interest in the face of substantial anatomical heterogeneity across individuals, designing appropriate task paradigms within the confines of acquisition parameters, and generating hypotheses for higher-order brain regions where the laminar circuitry is less well understood. We consider how applying layer fMRI in association cortex may help inform computational models of brain function as well as shed light on consciousness and mental illness, and issue a call to arms to our fellow methodologists and neuroscientists to bring layer fMRI to this next frontier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Finn
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
| | - Laurentius Huber
- MR-Methods Group, Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Peter A Bandettini
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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22
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Adaptation to feedback representation of illusory orientation produced from flash grab effect. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3925. [PMID: 32764538 PMCID: PMC7411047 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17786-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation is a ubiquitous property of sensory systems. It is typically considered that neurons adapt to dominant energy in the ambient environment to function optimally. However, perceptual representation of the stimulus, often modulated by feedback signals, sometimes do not correspond to the input state of the stimulus, which tends to be more linked with feedforward signals. Here we investigated the relative contributions to cortical adaptation from feedforward and feedback signals, taking advantage of a visual illusion, the Flash-Grab Effect, to disassociate the feedforward and feedback representation of an adaptor. Results reveal that orientation adaptation is exclusively dependent on the perceived rather than the retinal orientation of the adaptor. Combined fMRI and EEG measurements demonstrate that the perceived orientation of the Flash-Grab Effect is indeed supported by feedback signals in the cortex. These findings highlight the important contribution of feedback signals for cortical neurons to recalibrate their sensitivity. Feedforward-feedback signal interactions are common in the brain during sensory information processing. Here, the authors show that feedback-driven representation of perceived orientation dominates visual adaptation, despite the discrepant feedforward representation of input orientation.
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23
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Layer-dependent multiplicative effects of spatial attention on contrast responses in human early visual cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 207:101897. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Abstract
Nowadays, several techniques exist to study and better understand how the brain works (fMRI, EEG, electrophysiology, etc.). Each has its own advantages and disadvantages (spatiotemporal resolution, maximal recording depth, signal-to-noise ratio, etc.). In this article, we show that the new functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging technique is appropriate to record and map brain activity in awake primates on a scale previously unreachable. It allows distinguishing patterns similar to ocular dominance bands in the visual cortex through all layers of the cortex, which was impossible before with common techniques. This paper demonstrates the utility of fUS imaging for studying brain activity in awake primates and its interest to all neuroscientists. Deep regions of the brain are not easily accessible to investigation at the mesoscale level in awake animals or humans. We have recently developed a functional ultrasound (fUS) technique that enables imaging hemodynamic responses to visual tasks. Using fUS imaging on two awake nonhuman primates performing a passive fixation task, we constructed retinotopic maps at depth in the visual cortex (V1, V2, and V3) in the calcarine and lunate sulci. The maps could be acquired in a single-hour session with relatively few presentations of the stimuli. The spatial resolution of the technology is illustrated by mapping patterns similar to ocular dominance (OD) columns within superficial and deep layers of the primary visual cortex. These acquisitions using fUS suggested that OD selectivity is mostly present in layer IV but with extensions into layers II/III and V. This imaging technology provides a new mesoscale approach to the mapping of brain activity at high spatiotemporal resolution in awake subjects within the whole depth of the cortex.
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25
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Generative Feedback Explains Distinct Brain Activity Codes for Seen and Mental Images. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2211-2224.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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26
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Ahmadi K, Fracasso A, Puzniak RJ, Gouws AD, Yakupov R, Speck O, Kaufmann J, Pestilli F, Dumoulin SO, Morland AB, Hoffmann MB. Triple visual hemifield maps in a case of optic chiasm hypoplasia. Neuroimage 2020; 215:116822. [PMID: 32276070 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, each hemisphere comprises an overlay of two visuotopic maps of the contralateral visual field, one from each eye. Is the capacity of the visual cortex limited to these two maps or are plastic mechanisms available to host more maps? We determined the cortical organization of the visual field maps in a rare individual with chiasma hypoplasia, where visual cortex plasticity is challenged to accommodate three hemifield maps. Using high-resolution fMRI at 7T and diffusion-weighted MRI at 3T, we found three hemiretinal inputs, instead of the normal two, to converge onto the left hemisphere. fMRI-based population receptive field mapping of the left V1-V3 at 3T revealed three superimposed hemifield representations in the left visual cortex, i.e. two representations of opposing visual hemifields from the left eye and one right hemifield representation from the right eye. We conclude that developmental plasticity including the re-wiring of local intra- and cortico-cortical connections is pivotal to support the coexistence and functioning of three hemifield maps within one hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khazar Ahmadi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany; Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, 22362, Sweden
| | - Alessio Fracasso
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CS, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, the Netherlands; Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, 1105 BK, the Netherlands; Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QB, UK
| | - Robert J Puzniak
- Department of Ophthalmology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany
| | - Andre D Gouws
- Department of Psychology, York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, YO10 5NY, UK
| | - Renat Yakupov
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Physics, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany
| | - Oliver Speck
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Physics, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, 39118, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany
| | - Joern Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany
| | - Franco Pestilli
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 1101 E, USA
| | - Serge O Dumoulin
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CS, the Netherlands; Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, 1105 BK, the Netherlands; Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 BT, the Netherlands
| | - Antony B Morland
- Department of Psychology, York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, YO10 5NY, UK; Centre for Neuroscience, Hull-York Medical School, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Michael B Hoffmann
- Department of Ophthalmology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany.
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27
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van Dijk JA, Fracasso A, Petridou N, Dumoulin SO. Linear systems analysis for laminar fMRI: Evaluating BOLD amplitude scaling for luminance contrast manipulations. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5462. [PMID: 32214136 PMCID: PMC7096513 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62165-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental assumption of nearly all functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses is that the relationship between local neuronal activity and the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal can be described as following linear systems theory. With the advent of ultra-high field (7T and higher) MRI scanners, it has become possible to perform sub-millimeter resolution fMRI in humans. A novel and promising application of sub-millimeter fMRI is measuring responses across cortical depth, i.e. laminar imaging. However, the cortical vasculature and associated directional blood pooling towards the pial surface strongly influence the cortical depth-dependent BOLD signal, particularly for gradient-echo BOLD. This directional pooling may potentially affect BOLD linearity across cortical depth. Here we assess whether the amplitude scaling assumption for linear systems theory holds across cortical depth. For this, we use stimuli with different luminance contrasts to elicit different BOLD response amplitudes. We find that BOLD amplitude across cortical depth scales with luminance contrast, and that this scaling is identical across cortical depth. Although nonlinearities may be present for different stimulus configurations and acquisition protocols, our results suggest that the amplitude scaling assumption for linear systems theory across cortical depth holds for luminance contrast manipulations in sub-millimeter laminar BOLD fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelle A van Dijk
- Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NL, Netherlands.
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, NL, Netherlands.
| | - Alessio Fracasso
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, NL, Netherlands
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QB, UK
- Radiology Department, Imaging Division, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, NL, Netherlands
| | - Natalia Petridou
- Radiology Department, Imaging Division, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, NL, Netherlands
| | - Serge O Dumoulin
- Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NL, Netherlands
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, NL, Netherlands
- Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, NL, Netherlands
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28
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Ultra-high-resolution fMRI of Human Ventral Temporal Cortex Reveals Differential Representation of Categories and Domains. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3008-3024. [PMID: 32094202 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2106-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human ventral temporal cortex (VTC) is critical for visual recognition. It is thought that this ability is supported by large-scale patterns of activity across VTC that contain information about visual categories. However, it is unknown how category representations in VTC are organized at the submillimeter scale and across cortical depths. To fill this gap in knowledge, we measured BOLD responses in medial and lateral VTC to images spanning 10 categories from five domains (written characters, bodies, faces, places, and objects) at an ultra-high spatial resolution of 0.8 mm using 7 Tesla fMRI in both male and female participants. Representations in lateral VTC were organized most strongly at the general level of domains (e.g., places), whereas medial VTC was also organized at the level of specific categories (e.g., corridors and houses within the domain of places). In both lateral and medial VTC, domain-level and category-level structure decreased with cortical depth, and downsampling our data to standard resolution (2.4 mm) did not reverse differences in representations between lateral and medial VTC. The functional diversity of representations across VTC partitions may allow downstream regions to read out information in a flexible manner according to task demands. These results bridge an important gap between electrophysiological recordings in single neurons at the micron scale in nonhuman primates and standard-resolution fMRI in humans by elucidating distributed responses at the submillimeter scale with ultra-high-resolution fMRI in humans.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Visual recognition is a fundamental ability supported by human ventral temporal cortex (VTC). However, the nature of fine-scale, submillimeter distributed representations in VTC is unknown. Using ultra-high-resolution fMRI of human VTC, we found differential distributed visual representations across lateral and medial VTC. Domain representations (e.g., faces, bodies, places, characters) were most salient in lateral VTC, whereas category representations (e.g., corridors/houses within the domain of places) were equally salient in medial VTC. These results bridge an important gap between electrophysiological recordings in single neurons at a micron scale and fMRI measurements at a millimeter scale.
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Studying Cortical Plasticity in Ophthalmic and Neurological Disorders: From Stimulus-Driven to Cortical Circuitry Modeling Approaches. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:2724101. [PMID: 31814821 PMCID: PMC6877932 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2724101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Unsolved questions in computational visual neuroscience research are whether and how neurons and their connecting cortical networks can adapt when normal vision is compromised by a neurodevelopmental disorder or damage to the visual system. This question on neuroplasticity is particularly relevant in the context of rehabilitation therapies that attempt to overcome limitations or damage, through either perceptual training or retinal and cortical implants. Studies on cortical neuroplasticity have generally made the assumption that neuronal population properties and the resulting visual field maps are stable in healthy observers. Consequently, differences in the estimates of these properties between patients and healthy observers have been taken as a straightforward indication for neuroplasticity. However, recent studies imply that the modeled neuronal properties and the cortical visual maps vary substantially within healthy participants, e.g., in response to specific stimuli or under the influence of cognitive factors such as attention. Although notable advances have been made to improve the reliability of stimulus-driven approaches, the reliance on the visual input remains a challenge for the interpretability of the obtained results. Therefore, we argue that there is an important role in the study of cortical neuroplasticity for approaches that assess intracortical signal processing and circuitry models that can link visual cortex anatomy, function, and dynamics.
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Morgan C, Schwarzkopf DS. Comparison of human population receptive field estimates between scanners and the effect of temporal filtering. F1000Res 2019; 8:1681. [PMID: 31885863 PMCID: PMC6913234 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.20496.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Population receptive field (pRF) analysis with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an increasingly popular method for mapping visual field representations and estimating the spatial selectivity of voxels in human visual cortex. However, the multitude of experimental setups and processing methods used makes comparisons of results between studies difficult. Methods: Here, we compared pRF maps acquired in the same three individuals using comparable scanning parameters on a 1.5 and a 3 Tesla scanner located in two different countries. We also tested the effect of low-pass filtering of the time series on pRF estimates. Results: As expected, the signal-to-noise ratio for the 3 Tesla data was superior; critically, however, estimates of pRF size and cortical magnification did not reveal any systematic differences between the sites. Unsurprisingly, low-pass filtering enhanced goodness-of-fit, presumably by removing high-frequency noise. However, there was no substantial increase in the number of voxels containing meaningful retinotopic signals after low-pass filtering. Importantly, filtering also increased estimates of pRF size in the early visual areas which could substantially skew interpretations of spatial tuning properties. Conclusion: Our results therefore suggest that pRF estimates are generally comparable between scanners of different field strengths, but temporal filtering should be used with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Morgan
- School of Psychology and Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - D. Samuel Schwarzkopf
- School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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Morgan C, Schwarzkopf DS. Comparison of human population receptive field estimates between scanners and the effect of temporal filtering. F1000Res 2019; 8:1681. [PMID: 31885863 PMCID: PMC6913234 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.20496.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Population receptive field (pRF) analysis with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an increasingly popular method for mapping visual field representations and estimating the spatial selectivity of voxels in human visual cortex. However, the multitude of experimental setups and processing methods used makes comparisons of results between studies difficult. Methods: Here, we compared pRF maps acquired in the same three individuals using comparable scanning parameters on a 1.5 and a 3 Tesla scanner located in two different countries. We also tested the effect of low-pass filtering of the time series on pRF estimates. Results: As expected, the signal-to-noise ratio for the 3 Tesla data was superior; critically, however, estimates of pRF size and cortical magnification did not reveal any systematic differences between the sites. Unsurprisingly, low-pass filtering enhanced goodness-of-fit, presumably by removing high-frequency noise. However, there was no substantial increase in the number of voxels containing meaningful retinotopic signals after low-pass filtering. Importantly, filtering also increased estimates of pRF size in the early visual areas which could substantially skew interpretations of spatial tuning properties. Conclusion: Our results therefore suggest that pRF estimates are generally comparable between scanners of different field strengths, but temporal filtering should be used with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Morgan
- School of Psychology and Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - D. Samuel Schwarzkopf
- School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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Lawrence SJD, Norris DG, de Lange FP. Dissociable laminar profiles of concurrent bottom-up and top-down modulation in the human visual cortex. eLife 2019; 8:e44422. [PMID: 31063127 PMCID: PMC6538372 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in human neuroimaging make it possible to non-invasively measure neural activity from different cortical layers. This can potentially reveal not only which brain areas are engaged by a task, but also how. Specifically, bottom-up and top-down responses are associated with distinct laminar profiles. Here, we measured lamina-resolved fMRI responses during a visual task designed to induce concurrent bottom-up and top-down modulations via orthogonal manipulations of stimulus contrast and feature-based attention. BOLD responses were modulated by both stimulus contrast (bottom-up) and by engaging feature-based attention (top-down). Crucially, these effects operated at different cortical depths: Bottom-up modulations were strongest in the middle cortical layer and weaker in deep and superficial layers, while top-down modulations were strongest in the superficial layers. As such, we demonstrate that laminar activity profiles can discriminate between concurrent top-down and bottom-up processing, and are diagnostic of how a brain region is activated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel JD Lawrence
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
| | - David G Norris
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance ImagingUniversity Duisburg-EssenEssenGermany
| | - Floris P de Lange
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
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