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Magrou L, Joyce MKP, Froudist-Walsh S, Datta D, Wang XJ, Martinez-Trujillo J, Arnsten AFT. The meso-connectomes of mouse, marmoset, and macaque: network organization and the emergence of higher cognition. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae174. [PMID: 38771244 PMCID: PMC11107384 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The recent publications of the inter-areal connectomes for mouse, marmoset, and macaque cortex have allowed deeper comparisons across rodent vs. primate cortical organization. In general, these show that the mouse has very widespread, "all-to-all" inter-areal connectivity (i.e. a "highly dense" connectome in a graph theoretical framework), while primates have a more modular organization. In this review, we highlight the relevance of these differences to function, including the example of primary visual cortex (V1) which, in the mouse, is interconnected with all other areas, therefore including other primary sensory and frontal areas. We argue that this dense inter-areal connectivity benefits multimodal associations, at the cost of reduced functional segregation. Conversely, primates have expanded cortices with a modular connectivity structure, where V1 is almost exclusively interconnected with other visual cortices, themselves organized in relatively segregated streams, and hierarchically higher cortical areas such as prefrontal cortex provide top-down regulation for specifying precise information for working memory storage and manipulation. Increased complexity in cytoarchitecture, connectivity, dendritic spine density, and receptor expression additionally reveal a sharper hierarchical organization in primate cortex. Together, we argue that these primate specializations permit separable deconstruction and selective reconstruction of representations, which is essential to higher cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Magrou
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Mary Kate P Joyce
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Sean Froudist-Walsh
- School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1QU, United Kingdom
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Julio Martinez-Trujillo
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, and Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
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2
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Ohm DT, Xie SX, Capp N, Arezoumandan S, Cousins KAQ, Rascovsky K, Wolk DA, Van Deerlin VM, Lee EB, McMillan CT, Irwin DJ. Cytoarchitectonic gradients of laminar degeneration in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.05.588259. [PMID: 38644997 PMCID: PMC11030243 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.05.588259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a clinical syndrome primarily caused by either tau (bvFTD-tau) or TDP-43 (bvFTD-TDP) proteinopathies. We previously found lower cortical layers and dorsolateral regions accumulate greater tau than TDP-43 pathology; however, patterns of laminar neurodegeneration across diverse cytoarchitecture in bvFTD is understudied. We hypothesized that bvFTD-tau and bvFTD-TDP have distinct laminar distributions of pyramidal neurodegeneration along cortical gradients, a topologic order of cytoarchitectonic subregions based on increasing pyramidal density and laminar differentiation. Here, we tested this hypothesis in a frontal cortical gradient consisting of five cytoarchitectonic types (i.e., periallocortex, agranular mesocortex, dysgranular mesocortex, eulaminate-I isocortex, eulaminate-II isocortex) spanning anterior cingulate, paracingulate, orbitofrontal, and mid-frontal gyri in bvFTD-tau (n=27), bvFTD-TDP (n=47), and healthy controls (HC; n=32). We immunostained all tissue for total neurons (NeuN; neuronal-nuclear protein) and pyramidal neurons (SMI32; non-phosphorylated neurofilament) and digitally quantified NeuN-immunoreactivity (ir) and SMI32-ir in supragranular II-III, infragranular V-VI, and all I-VI layers in each cytoarchitectonic type. We used linear mixed-effects models adjusted for demographic and biologic variables to compare SMI32-ir between groups and examine relationships with the cortical gradient, long-range pathways, and clinical symptoms. We found regional and laminar distributions of SMI32-ir expected for HC, validating our measures within the cortical gradient framework. While SMI32-ir loss was not related to the cortical gradient in bvFTD-TDP, SMI32-ir progressively decreased along the cortical gradient of bvFTD-tau and included greater SMI32-ir loss in supragranular eulaminate-II isocortex in bvFTD-tau vs bvFTD-TDP ( p =0.039). In a structural model for long-range laminar connectivity between infragranular mesocortex and supragranular isocortex, we found a larger laminar ratio of mesocortex-to-isocortex SMI32-ir in bvFTD-tau vs bvFTD-TDP ( p =0.019), suggesting select long-projecting pathways may contribute to isocortical-predominant degeneration in bvFTD-tau. In cytoarchitectonic types with the highest NeuN-ir, we found lower SMI32-ir in bvFTD-tau vs bvFTD-TDP ( p =0.047), suggesting pyramidal neurodegeneration may occur earlier in bvFTD-tau. Lastly, we found that reduced SMI32-ir related to behavioral severity and frontal-mediated letter fluency, not temporal-mediated confrontation naming, demonstrating the clinical relevance and specificity of frontal pyramidal neurodegeneration to bvFTD-related symptoms. Our data suggest loss of neurofilament-rich pyramidal neurons is a clinically relevant feature of bvFTD that selectively worsens along a frontal cortical gradient in bvFTD-tau, not bvFTD-TDP. Therefore, tau-mediated degeneration may preferentially involve pyramidal-rich layers that connect more distant cytoarchitectonic types. Moreover, the hierarchical arrangement of cytoarchitecture along cortical gradients may be an important neuroanatomical framework for identifying which types of cells and pathways are differentially involved between proteinopathies.
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3
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Shamir I, Assaf Y, Shamir R. Clustering the cortical laminae: in vivo parcellation. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:443-458. [PMID: 38193916 PMCID: PMC10917860 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02748-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The laminar microstructure of the cerebral cortex has distinct anatomical characteristics of the development, function, connectivity, and even various pathologies of the brain. In recent years, multiple neuroimaging studies have utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relaxometry to visualize and explore this intricate microstructure, successfully delineating the cortical laminar components. Despite this progress, T1 is still primarily considered a direct measure of myeloarchitecture (myelin content), rather than a probe of tissue cytoarchitecture (cellular composition). This study aims to offer a robust, whole-brain validation of T1 imaging as a practical and effective tool for exploring the laminar composition of the cortex. To do so, we cluster complex microstructural cortical datasets of both human (N = 30) and macaque (N = 1) brains using an adaptation of an algorithm for clustering cell omics profiles. The resulting cluster patterns are then compared to established atlases of cytoarchitectonic features, exhibiting significant correspondence in both species. Lastly, we demonstrate the expanded applicability of T1 imaging by exploring some of the cytoarchitectonic features behind various unique skillsets, such as musicality and athleticism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ittai Shamir
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Yaniv Assaf
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ron Shamir
- Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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4
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Velasco I, Garcia-Cantero JJ, Brito JP, Bayona S, Pastor L, Mata S. NeuroEditor: a tool to edit and visualize neuronal morphologies. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1342762. [PMID: 38425804 PMCID: PMC10902916 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1342762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The digital extraction of detailed neuronal morphologies from microscopy data is an essential step in the study of neurons. Ever since Cajal's work, the acquisition and analysis of neuron anatomy has yielded invaluable insight into the nervous system, which has led to our present understanding of many structural and functional aspects of the brain and the nervous system, well beyond the anatomical perspective. Obtaining detailed anatomical data, though, is not a simple task. Despite recent progress, acquiring neuron details still involves using labor-intensive, error prone methods that facilitate the introduction of inaccuracies and mistakes. In consequence, getting reliable morphological tracings usually needs the completion of post-processing steps that require user intervention to ensure the extracted data accuracy. Within this framework, this paper presents NeuroEditor, a new software tool for visualization, editing and correction of previously reconstructed neuronal tracings. This tool has been developed specifically for alleviating the burden associated with the acquisition of detailed morphologies. NeuroEditor offers a set of algorithms that can automatically detect the presence of potential errors in tracings. The tool facilitates users to explore an error with a simple mouse click so that it can be corrected manually or, where applicable, automatically. In some cases, this tool can also propose a set of actions to automatically correct a particular type of error. Additionally, this tool allows users to visualize and compare the original and modified tracings, also providing a 3D mesh that approximates the neuronal membrane. The approximation of this mesh is computed and recomputed on-the-fly, reflecting any instantaneous changes during the tracing process. Moreover, NeuroEditor can be easily extended by users, who can program their own algorithms in Python and run them within the tool. Last, this paper includes an example showing how users can easily define a customized workflow by applying a sequence of editing operations. The edited morphology can then be stored, together with the corresponding 3D mesh that approximates the neuronal membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Velasco
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Tulipan, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan J. Garcia-Cantero
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Tulipan, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Computational Simulation, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan P. Brito
- Center for Computational Simulation, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- DLSIIS, ETSIINF, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sofia Bayona
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Tulipan, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Computational Simulation, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Pastor
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Tulipan, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Computational Simulation, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Mata
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Tulipan, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Computational Simulation, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Luppi AI, Girn M, Rosas FE, Timmermann C, Roseman L, Erritzoe D, Nutt DJ, Stamatakis EA, Spreng RN, Xing L, Huttner WB, Carhart-Harris RL. A role for the serotonin 2A receptor in the expansion and functioning of human transmodal cortex. Brain 2024; 147:56-80. [PMID: 37703310 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad311] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrating independent but converging lines of research on brain function and neurodevelopment across scales, this article proposes that serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) signalling is an evolutionary and developmental driver and potent modulator of the macroscale functional organization of the human cerebral cortex. A wealth of evidence indicates that the anatomical and functional organization of the cortex follows a unimodal-to-transmodal gradient. Situated at the apex of this processing hierarchy-where it plays a central role in the integrative processes underpinning complex, human-defining cognition-the transmodal cortex has disproportionately expanded across human development and evolution. Notably, the adult human transmodal cortex is especially rich in 5-HT2AR expression and recent evidence suggests that, during early brain development, 5-HT2AR signalling on neural progenitor cells stimulates their proliferation-a critical process for evolutionarily-relevant cortical expansion. Drawing on multimodal neuroimaging and cross-species investigations, we argue that, by contributing to the expansion of the human cortex and being prevalent at the apex of its hierarchy in the adult brain, 5-HT2AR signalling plays a major role in both human cortical expansion and functioning. Owing to its unique excitatory and downstream cellular effects, neuronal 5-HT2AR agonism promotes neuroplasticity, learning and cognitive and psychological flexibility in a context-(hyper)sensitive manner with therapeutic potential. Overall, we delineate a dual role of 5-HT2ARs in enabling both the expansion and modulation of the human transmodal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea I Luppi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1SB, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, London, NW1 2DB, UK
| | - Manesh Girn
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Psychedelics Division-Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, University of California SanFrancisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Fernando E Rosas
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Data Science Institute, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Centre for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Christopher Timmermann
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Leor Roseman
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - David Erritzoe
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - David J Nutt
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Emmanuel A Stamatakis
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - R Nathan Spreng
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Lei Xing
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Robin L Carhart-Harris
- Psychedelics Division-Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, University of California SanFrancisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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6
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Bazinet V, Hansen JY, Misic B. Towards a biologically annotated brain connectome. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:747-760. [PMID: 37848663 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00752-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The brain is a network of interleaved neural circuits. In modern connectomics, brain connectivity is typically encoded as a network of nodes and edges, abstracting away the rich biological detail of local neuronal populations. Yet biological annotations for network nodes - such as gene expression, cytoarchitecture, neurotransmitter receptors or intrinsic dynamics - can be readily measured and overlaid on network models. Here we review how connectomes can be represented and analysed as annotated networks. Annotated connectomes allow us to reconceptualize architectural features of networks and to relate the connection patterns of brain regions to their underlying biology. Emerging work demonstrates that annotated connectomes help to make more veridical models of brain network formation, neural dynamics and disease propagation. Finally, annotations can be used to infer entirely new inter-regional relationships and to construct new types of network that complement existing connectome representations. In summary, biologically annotated connectomes offer a compelling way to study neural wiring in concert with local biological features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Bazinet
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Justine Y Hansen
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
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7
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Liu ZQ, Shafiei G, Baillet S, Misic B. Spatially heterogeneous structure-function coupling in haemodynamic and electromagnetic brain networks. Neuroimage 2023; 278:120276. [PMID: 37451374 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120276] [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: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between structural and functional connectivity in the brain is a key question in connectomics. Here we quantify patterns of structure-function coupling across the neocortex, by comparing structural connectivity estimated using diffusion MRI with functional connectivity estimated using both neurophysiological (MEG-based) and haemodynamic (fMRI-based) recordings. We find that structure-function coupling is heterogeneous across brain regions and frequency bands. The link between structural and functional connectivity is generally stronger in multiple MEG frequency bands compared to resting state fMRI. Structure-function coupling is greater in slower and intermediate frequency bands compared to faster frequency bands. We also find that structure-function coupling systematically follows the archetypal sensorimotor-association hierarchy, as well as patterns of laminar differentiation, peaking in granular layer IV. Finally, structure-function coupling is better explained using structure-informed inter-regional communication metrics than using structural connectivity alone. Collectively, these results place neurophysiological and haemodynamic structure-function relationships in a common frame of reference and provide a starting point for a multi-modal understanding of structure-function coupling in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Qi Liu
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Golia Shafiei
- Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center (PennLINC), Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sylvain Baillet
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Bratislav Misic
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
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8
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Morales-Gregorio A, van Meegen A, van Albada SJ. Ubiquitous lognormal distribution of neuron densities in mammalian cerebral cortex. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9439-9449. [PMID: 37409647 PMCID: PMC10438924 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Numbers of neurons and their spatial variation are fundamental organizational features of the brain. Despite the large corpus of cytoarchitectonic data available in the literature, the statistical distributions of neuron densities within and across brain areas remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we show that neuron densities are compatible with a lognormal distribution across cortical areas in several mammalian species, and find that this also holds true within cortical areas. A minimal model of noisy cell division, in combination with distributed proliferation times, can account for the coexistence of lognormal distributions within and across cortical areas. Our findings uncover a new organizational principle of cortical cytoarchitecture: the ubiquitous lognormal distribution of neuron densities, which adds to a long list of lognormal variables in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitor Morales-Gregorio
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) and Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) and JARA-Institut Brain Structure-Function Relationships (INM-10), Jülich Research Centre, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., 52428 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str., 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander van Meegen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) and Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) and JARA-Institut Brain Structure-Function Relationships (INM-10), Jülich Research Centre, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., 52428 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str., 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Sacha J van Albada
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) and Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) and JARA-Institut Brain Structure-Function Relationships (INM-10), Jülich Research Centre, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., 52428 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str., 50674 Cologne, Germany
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9
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Faraji J, Metz GAS. Toward reframing brain-social dynamics: current assumptions and future challenges. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1211442. [PMID: 37484686 PMCID: PMC10359502 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1211442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary analyses suggest that the human social brain and sociality appeared together. The two fundamental tools that accelerated the concurrent emergence of the social brain and sociality include learning and plasticity. The prevailing core idea is that the primate brain and the cortex in particular became reorganised over the course of evolution to facilitate dynamic adaptation to ongoing changes in physical and social environments. Encouraged by computational or survival demands or even by instinctual drives for living in social groups, the brain eventually learned how to learn from social experience via its massive plastic capacity. A fundamental framework for modeling these orchestrated dynamic responses is that social plasticity relies upon neuroplasticity. In the present article, we first provide a glimpse into the concepts of plasticity, experience, with emphasis on social experience. We then acknowledge and integrate the current theoretical concepts to highlight five key intertwined assumptions within social neuroscience that underlie empirical approaches for explaining the brain-social dynamics. We suggest that this epistemological view provides key insights into the ontology of current conceptual frameworks driving future research to successfully deal with new challenges and possible caveats in favour of the formulation of novel assumptions. In the light of contemporary societal challenges, such as global pandemics, natural disasters, violent conflict, and other human tragedies, discovering the mechanisms of social brain plasticity will provide new approaches to support adaptive brain plasticity and social resilience.
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10
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Luppi AI, Hansen JY, Adapa R, Carhart-Harris RL, Roseman L, Timmermann C, Golkowski D, Ranft A, Ilg R, Jordan D, Bonhomme V, Vanhaudenhuyse A, Demertzi A, Jaquet O, Bahri MA, Alnagger NL, Cardone P, Peattie AR, Manktelow AE, de Araujo DB, Sensi SL, Owen AM, Naci L, Menon DK, Misic B, Stamatakis EA. In vivo mapping of pharmacologically induced functional reorganization onto the human brain's neurotransmitter landscape. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf8332. [PMID: 37315149 PMCID: PMC10266734 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf8332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
To understand how pharmacological interventions can exert their powerful effects on brain function, we need to understand how they engage the brain's rich neurotransmitter landscape. Here, we bridge microscale molecular chemoarchitecture and pharmacologically induced macroscale functional reorganization, by relating the regional distribution of 19 neurotransmitter receptors and transporters obtained from positron emission tomography, and the regional changes in functional magnetic resonance imaging connectivity induced by 10 different mind-altering drugs: propofol, sevoflurane, ketamine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ayahuasca, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), modafinil, and methylphenidate. Our results reveal a many-to-many mapping between psychoactive drugs' effects on brain function and multiple neurotransmitter systems. The effects of both anesthetics and psychedelics on brain function are organized along hierarchical gradients of brain structure and function. Last, we show that regional co-susceptibility to pharmacological interventions recapitulates co-susceptibility to disorder-induced structural alterations. Collectively, these results highlight rich statistical patterns relating molecular chemoarchitecture and drug-induced reorganization of the brain's functional architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea I. Luppi
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, London, UK
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Justine Y. Hansen
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ram Adapa
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Robin L. Carhart-Harris
- Psychedelics Division - Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Leor Roseman
- Center for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher Timmermann
- Center for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Golkowski
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Andreas Ranft
- School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Ilg
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Asklepios Clinic, Bad Tölz, Germany
| | - Denis Jordan
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Bonhomme
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Liege University Hospital, Liege, Belgium
- Anesthesia and Perioperative Neuroscience Laboratory, GIGA-Consciousness Thematic Unit, GIGA-Research, Liege University, Liege, Belgium
| | - Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Liege University Hospital, Liege, Belgium
| | - Athena Demertzi
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Oceane Jaquet
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Liege University Hospital, Liege, Belgium
| | - Mohamed Ali Bahri
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Naji L. N. Alnagger
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Liege University Hospital, Liege, Belgium
| | - Paolo Cardone
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Liege University Hospital, Liege, Belgium
| | - Alexander R. D. Peattie
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Stefano L. Sensi
- Department of Neuroscience and Imaging and Clinical Science, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Adrian M. Owen
- Department of Psychology and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western Institute for Neuroscience (WIN), Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Lorina Naci
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David K. Menon
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wolfon Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Bratislav Misic
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Emmanuel A. Stamatakis
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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11
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Bazinet V, Hansen JY, Vos de Wael R, Bernhardt BC, van den Heuvel MP, Misic B. Assortative mixing in micro-architecturally annotated brain connectomes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2850. [PMID: 37202416 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38585-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The wiring of the brain connects micro-architecturally diverse neuronal populations, but the conventional graph model, which encodes macroscale brain connectivity as a network of nodes and edges, abstracts away the rich biological detail of each regional node. Here, we annotate connectomes with multiple biological attributes and formally study assortative mixing in annotated connectomes. Namely, we quantify the tendency for regions to be connected based on the similarity of their micro-architectural attributes. We perform all experiments using four cortico-cortical connectome datasets from three different species, and consider a range of molecular, cellular, and laminar annotations. We show that mixing between micro-architecturally diverse neuronal populations is supported by long-distance connections and find that the arrangement of connections with respect to biological annotations is associated to patterns of regional functional specialization. By bridging scales of cortical organization, from microscale attributes to macroscale connectivity, this work lays the foundation for next-generation annotated connectomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Bazinet
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Justine Y Hansen
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Reinder Vos de Wael
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Bratislav Misic
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
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12
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Grosu GF, Hopp AV, Moca VV, Bârzan H, Ciuparu A, Ercsey-Ravasz M, Winkel M, Linde H, Mureșan RC. The fractal brain: scale-invariance in structure and dynamics. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:4574-4605. [PMID: 36156074 PMCID: PMC10110456 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The past 40 years have witnessed extensive research on fractal structure and scale-free dynamics in the brain. Although considerable progress has been made, a comprehensive picture has yet to emerge, and needs further linking to a mechanistic account of brain function. Here, we review these concepts, connecting observations across different levels of organization, from both a structural and functional perspective. We argue that, paradoxically, the level of cortical circuits is the least understood from a structural point of view and perhaps the best studied from a dynamical one. We further link observations about scale-freeness and fractality with evidence that the environment provides constraints that may explain the usefulness of fractal structure and scale-free dynamics in the brain. Moreover, we discuss evidence that behavior exhibits scale-free properties, likely emerging from similarly organized brain dynamics, enabling an organism to thrive in an environment that shares the same organizational principles. Finally, we review the sparse evidence for and try to speculate on the functional consequences of fractality and scale-freeness for brain computation. These properties may endow the brain with computational capabilities that transcend current models of neural computation and could hold the key to unraveling how the brain constructs percepts and generates behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- George F Grosu
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Memorandumului 28, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Vasile V Moca
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Harald Bârzan
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Memorandumului 28, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Ciuparu
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Memorandumului 28, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Maria Ercsey-Ravasz
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, Str. Mihail Kogalniceanu 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mathias Winkel
- Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Helmut Linde
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Raul C Mureșan
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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13
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Shamir I, Assaf Y. Modelling Cortical Laminar Connectivity in the Macaque Brain. Neuroinformatics 2022; 20:559-573. [PMID: 34392433 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-021-09539-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In 1991, Felleman and Van Essen published their seminal study regarding hierarchical processing in the primate cerebral cortex. Their work encompassed a widescale analysis of connections reported through tracing between 35 regions in the macaque visual cortex, extending from cortical regions to the laminar level. In this work, we revisit laminar-level connectivity in the macaque brain using a whole-brain MRI-based approach. We use multimodal ex-vivo MRI imaging of the macaque brain in both white and grey matter, which are then integrated via a simple model of laminar connectivity. This model uses a granularity-based approach to define a set of rules that expands cortical connections to the laminar level. Different fiber tracking routines are then examined in order to explore the ability of our model to infer laminar connectivity. The network of macaque cortical laminar connectivity resulting from the chosen routine is then validated in the visual cortex by comparison to findings from Felleman and Van Essen with an 83% accuracy level. By using a more comprehensive definition of the cortex that addresses its heterogenous laminar composition, we can explore a new avenue of structural connectivity on the laminar level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ittai Shamir
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Yaniv Assaf
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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14
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Developmental coupling of cerebral blood flow and fMRI fluctuations in youth. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110576. [PMID: 35354053 PMCID: PMC9006592 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The functions of the human brain are metabolically expensive and reliant on coupling between cerebral blood flow (CBF) and neural activity, yet how this coupling evolves over development remains unexplored. Here, we examine the relationship between CBF, measured by arterial spin labeling, and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) from resting-state magnetic resonance imaging across a sample of 831 children (478 females, aged 8-22 years) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. We first use locally weighted regressions on the cortical surface to quantify CBF-ALFF coupling. We relate coupling to age, sex, and executive functioning with generalized additive models and assess network enrichment via spin testing. We demonstrate regionally specific changes in coupling over age and show that variations in coupling are related to biological sex and executive function. Our results highlight the importance of CBF-ALFF coupling throughout development; we discuss its potential as a future target for the study of neuropsychiatric diseases.
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15
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Enwright III JF, Arion D, MacDonald WA, Elbakri R, Pan Y, Vyas G, Berndt A, Lewis DA. Differential gene expression in layer 3 pyramidal neurons across 3 regions of the human cortical visual spatial working memory network. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:5216-5229. [PMID: 35106549 PMCID: PMC9667185 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac009] [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: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual spatial working memory (vsWM) is mediated by a distributed cortical network composed of multiple nodes, including primary visual (V1), posterior parietal (PPC), and dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC) cortices. Feedforward and feedback information is transferred among these nodes via projections furnished by pyramidal neurons (PNs) located primarily in cortical layer 3. Morphological and electrophysiological differences among layer 3 PNs across these nodes have been reported; however, the transcriptional signatures underlying these differences have not been examined in the human brain. Here we interrogated the transcriptomes of layer 3 PNs from 39 neurotypical human subjects across 3 critical nodes of the vsWM network. Over 8,000 differentially expressed genes were detected, with more than 6,000 transcriptional differences present between layer 3 PNs in V1 and those in PPC and DLPFC. Additionally, over 600 other genes differed in expression along the rostral-to-caudal hierarchy formed by these 3 nodes. Moreover, pathway analysis revealed enrichment of genes in V1 related to circadian rhythms and in DLPFC of genes involved in synaptic plasticity. Overall, these results show robust regional differences in the transcriptome of layer 3 PNs, which likely contribute to regional specialization in their morphological and physiological features and thus in their functional contributions to vsWM.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Enwright III
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Thomas Detre Hall 3811 O'Hara Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213 United States
| | - Dominique Arion
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Thomas Detre Hall 3811 O'Hara Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213 United States
| | - William A MacDonald
- Department of Pediatrics UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh 4401 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15224-1334 United States,Health Sciences Sequencing Core 4401 Penn Avenue Rangos Research Building 8th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15224 United States
| | - Rania Elbakri
- Department of Pediatrics UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh 4401 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15224-1334 United States,Health Sciences Sequencing Core 4401 Penn Avenue Rangos Research Building 8th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15224 United States
| | - Yinghong Pan
- The Institute for Precision Medicine 204 Craft Avenue, Room A412 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 United States
| | - Gopi Vyas
- The Institute for Precision Medicine 204 Craft Avenue, Room A412 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 United States
| | - Annerose Berndt
- The Institute for Precision Medicine 204 Craft Avenue, Room A412 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 United States
| | - David A Lewis
- Address correspondence to David A. Lewis, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Biomedical Science Tower W1654, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2593, United States.
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16
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Hilgetag CC, Goulas A, Changeux JP. A natural cortical axis connecting the outside and inside of the human brain. Netw Neurosci 2022; 6:950-959. [PMID: 36875013 PMCID: PMC9976644 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
What structural and connectivity features of the human brain help to explain the extraordinary human cognitive abilities? We recently proposed a set of relevant connectomic fundamentals, some of which arise from the size scaling of the human brain relative to other primate brains, while others of these fundamentals may be uniquely human. In particular, we suggested that the remarkable increase of the size of the human brain due to its prolonged prenatal development has brought with it an increased sparsification, hierarchical modularization, as well as increased depth and cytoarchitectonic differentiation of brain networks. These characteristic features are complemented by a shift of projection origins to the upper layers of many cortical areas as well as the significantly prolonged postnatal development and plasticity of the upper cortical layers. Another fundamental aspect of cortical organization that has emerged in recent research is the alignment of diverse features of evolution, development, cytoarchitectonics, function, and plasticity along a principal, natural cortical axis from sensory ("outside") to association ("inside") areas. Here we highlight how this natural axis is integrated in the characteristic organization of the human brain. In particular, the human brain displays a developmental expansion of outside areas and a stretching of the natural axis such that outside areas are more widely separated from each other and from inside areas than in other species. We outline some functional implications of this characteristic arrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus C Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandros Goulas
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jean-Pierre Changeux
- CNRS UMR 3571, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Communications Cellulaires, Collège de France, Paris, France
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17
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Sydnor VJ, Larsen B, Bassett DS, Alexander-Bloch A, Fair DA, Liston C, Mackey AP, Milham MP, Pines A, Roalf DR, Seidlitz J, Xu T, Raznahan A, Satterthwaite TD. Neurodevelopment of the association cortices: Patterns, mechanisms, and implications for psychopathology. Neuron 2021; 109:2820-2846. [PMID: 34270921 PMCID: PMC8448958 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The human brain undergoes a prolonged period of cortical development that spans multiple decades. During childhood and adolescence, cortical development progresses from lower-order, primary and unimodal cortices with sensory and motor functions to higher-order, transmodal association cortices subserving executive, socioemotional, and mentalizing functions. The spatiotemporal patterning of cortical maturation thus proceeds in a hierarchical manner, conforming to an evolutionarily rooted, sensorimotor-to-association axis of cortical organization. This developmental program has been characterized by data derived from multimodal human neuroimaging and is linked to the hierarchical unfolding of plasticity-related neurobiological events. Critically, this developmental program serves to enhance feature variation between lower-order and higher-order regions, thus endowing the brain's association cortices with unique functional properties. However, accumulating evidence suggests that protracted plasticity within late-maturing association cortices, which represents a defining feature of the human developmental program, also confers risk for diverse developmental psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie J Sydnor
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center (PennLINC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bart Larsen
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center (PennLINC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering & Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, School of Engineering & Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Aaron Alexander-Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Damien A Fair
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - Conor Liston
- Department of Psychiatry and Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Allyson P Mackey
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael P Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY 10022, USA; Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Adam Pines
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center (PennLINC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David R Roalf
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ting Xu
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY 10022, USA
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, NIMH Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center (PennLINC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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18
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Afzali M, Nilsson M, Palombo M, Jones DK. SPHERIOUSLY? The challenges of estimating sphere radius non-invasively in the human brain from diffusion MRI. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118183. [PMID: 34020013 PMCID: PMC8285594 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Soma and Neurite Density Imaging (SANDI) three-compartment model was recently proposed to disentangle cylindrical and spherical geometries, attributed to neurite and soma compartments, respectively, in brain tissue. There are some recent advances in diffusion-weighted MRI signal encoding and analysis (including the use of multiple so-called 'b-tensor' encodings and analysing the signal in the frequency-domain) that have not yet been applied in the context of SANDI. In this work, using: (i) ultra-strong gradients; (ii) a combination of linear, planar, and spherical b-tensor encodings; and (iii) analysing the signal in the frequency domain, three main challenges to robust estimation of sphere size were identified: First, the Rician noise floor in magnitude-reconstructed data biases estimates of sphere properties in a non-uniform fashion. It may cause overestimation or underestimation of the spherical compartment size and density. This can be partly ameliorated by accounting for the noise floor in the estimation routine. Second, even when using the strongest diffusion-encoding gradient strengths available for human MRI, there is an empirical lower bound on the spherical signal fraction and radius that can be detected and estimated robustly. For the experimental setup used here, the lower bound on the sphere signal fraction was approximately 10%. We employed two different ways of establishing the lower bound for spherical radius estimates in white matter. The first, examining power-law relationships between the DW-signal and diffusion weighting in empirical data, yielded a lower bound of 7μm, while the second, pure Monte Carlo simulations, yielded a lower limit of 3μm and in this low radii domain, there is little differentiation in signal attenuation. Third, if there is sensitivity to the transverse intra-cellular diffusivity in cylindrical structures, e.g., axons and cellular projections, then trying to disentangle two diffusion-time-dependencies using one experimental parameter (i.e., change in frequency-content of the encoding waveform) makes spherical radii estimates particularly challenging. We conclude that due to the aforementioned challenges spherical radii estimates may be biased when the corresponding sphere signal fraction is low, which must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Afzali
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Clinical Sciences Lund, Radiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Marco Palombo
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Derek K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
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19
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Theodoni P, Majka P, Reser DH, Wójcik DK, Rosa MGP, Wang XJ. Structural Attributes and Principles of the Neocortical Connectome in the Marmoset Monkey. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:15-28. [PMID: 34274966 PMCID: PMC8634603 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The marmoset monkey has become an important primate model in Neuroscience. Here, we characterize salient statistical properties of interareal connections of the marmoset cerebral cortex, using data from retrograde tracer injections. We found that the connectivity weights are highly heterogeneous, spanning 5 orders of magnitude, and are log-normally distributed. The cortico-cortical network is dense, heterogeneous and has high specificity. The reciprocal connections are the most prominent and the probability of connection between 2 areas decays with their functional dissimilarity. The laminar dependence of connections defines a hierarchical network correlated with microstructural properties of each area. The marmoset connectome reveals parallel streams associated with different sensory systems. Finally, the connectome is spatially embedded with a characteristic length that obeys a power law as a function of brain volume across rodent and primate species. These findings provide a connectomic basis for investigations of multiple interacting areas in a complex large-scale cortical system underlying cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiota Theodoni
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.,New York University Shanghai, Shanghai 200122, China.,NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at New York University Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Piotr Majka
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland.,Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University Node, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.,Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - David H Reser
- Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University Node, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.,Graduate Entry Medicine Program, Monash Rural Health-Churchill, Monash University, Churchill, VIC 3842, Australia
| | - Daniel K Wójcik
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
| | - Marcello G P Rosa
- Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University Node, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.,Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
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20
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Abstract
Communication between cells in the brain relies on different types of transmitter receptors. Can we uncover organizational principles that harness the diversity of such signatures across the brain? We focus on the human cerebral cortex and demonstrate that the distribution of receptors forms a natural axis that stretches from association to sensory areas. Moreover, traversing this axis entails changes in the diversity, excitability, and mirrored density that reflect a basic division in receptor types, that is, ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. The unraveled principles offer explanatory depth for diverse phenomena and entail concrete, testable predictions. Transmitter receptors constitute a key component of the molecular machinery for intercellular communication in the brain. Recent efforts have mapped the density of diverse transmitter receptors across the human cerebral cortex with an unprecedented level of detail. Here, we distill these observations into key organizational principles. We demonstrate that receptor densities form a natural axis in the human cerebral cortex, reflecting decreases in differentiation at the level of laminar organization and a sensory-to-association axis at the functional level. Along this natural axis, key organizational principles are discerned: progressive molecular diversity (increase of the diversity of receptor density); excitation/inhibition (increase of the ratio of excitatory-to-inhibitory receptor density); and mirrored, orderly changes of the density of ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. The uncovered natural axis formed by the distribution of receptors aligns with the axis that is formed by other dimensions of cortical organization, such as the myelo- and cytoarchitectonic levels. Therefore, the uncovered natural axis constitutes a unifying organizational feature linking multiple dimensions of the cerebral cortex, thus bringing order to the heterogeneity of cortical organization.
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21
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Siddappaji KK, Gopal S. Molecular mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease and the impact of physical exercise with advancements in therapeutic approaches. AIMS Neurosci 2021; 8:357-389. [PMID: 34183987 PMCID: PMC8222772 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2021020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common, severe neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques, neurofibrillary tangles in the brain causing neural disintegration, synaptic dysfunction, and neuronal death leading to dementia. Although many US-FDA-approved drugs like Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine are available in the market, their consumption reduces only the symptoms of the disease but fails in potency to cure the disease. This disease affects many individuals with aging. Combating the disease tends to be very expensive. This review focuses on biochemical mechanisms in the neuron both at normal and AD state with relevance to the tau hypothesis, amyloid hypothesis, the risk factors influencing dementia, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation altogether integrated with neurodegeneration. A brief survey is carried out on available biomarkers in the diagnosis of the disease, drugs used for the treatment, and the challenges in approaching therapeutic targets in inhibiting the disease pathologies. This review conjointly assesses the demerits with the inefficiency of drugs to reach targets, their side effects, and toxicity. Optimistically, this review directs on the advantageous strategies in using nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems to cross the blood-brain barrier for improving the efficacy of drugs combined with a novel neuronal stem cell therapy approach. Determinately, this review aims at the natural, non-therapeutic healing impact of physical exercise on different model organisms and the effect of safe neuromodulation treatments using repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) in humans to control the disease pathologies prominent in enhancing the synaptic function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shubha Gopal
- Department of Studies in Microbiology, University of Mysore, Mysuru, 570006, Karnataka, India
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22
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Beul SF, Goulas A, Hilgetag CC. An architectonic type principle in the development of laminar patterns of cortico-cortical connections. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:979-987. [PMID: 33559742 PMCID: PMC8036174 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02219-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Structural connections between cortical areas form an intricate network with a high degree of specificity. Many aspects of this complex network organization in the adult mammalian cortex are captured by an architectonic type principle, which relates structural connections to the architectonic differentiation of brain regions. In particular, the laminar patterns of projection origins are a prominent feature of structural connections that varies in a graded manner with the relative architectonic differentiation of connected areas in the adult brain. Here we show that the architectonic type principle is already apparent for the laminar origins of cortico-cortical projections in the immature cortex of the macaque monkey. We find that prenatal and neonatal laminar patterns correlate with cortical architectonic differentiation, and that the relation of laminar patterns to architectonic differences between connected areas is not substantially altered by the complete loss of visual input. Moreover, we find that the degree of change in laminar patterns that projections undergo during development varies in proportion to the relative architectonic differentiation of the connected areas. Hence, it appears that initial biases in laminar projection patterns become progressively strengthened by later developmental processes. These findings suggest that early neurogenetic processes during the formation of the brain are sufficient to establish the characteristic laminar projection patterns. This conclusion is in line with previously suggested mechanistic explanations underlying the emergence of the architectonic type principle and provides further constraints for exploring the fundamental factors that shape structural connectivity in the mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F Beul
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexandros Goulas
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claus C Hilgetag
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. .,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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23
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Büttiker P, Weissenberger S, Stefano GB, Kream RM, Ptacek R. SARS-CoV-2, Trait Anxiety, and the Microbiome. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:720082. [PMID: 34566721 PMCID: PMC8455943 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.720082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, research on the relationships between the virus and its human host has become fundamental to understand this pathology and its effects. Attaining this profound understanding is critical for the effective containment and treatment of infections caused by the virus. In this review, we present some possible mechanisms by which psychopathological symptoms emerge following viral infections of the central nervous system (CNS). These proposed mechanisms are based on microbial communication and the induced priming of microglial antibody activation within the CNS through Toll-like receptor signaling. In this process, chronic microglial activation causes increased glutamate release in virally-altered, high-density neuronal structures, thereby modulating cognitive networks and information integration processes. This modulation, in turn, we suggest, affects the accuracy of sensory integration and connectivity of major control networks, such as the default mode network. The chronic activation of immunological responses and neurochemical shifts toward an elevated glutamate/gamma-aminobutyric acid ratio lead to negative reinforcement learning and suboptimal organismic functioning, for example, maintaining the body in an anxious state, which can later become internalized as trait anxiety. Therefore, we hypothesize that the homeostatic relationship between host, microbiome, and virome, would be decisive in determining the efficiency of subsequent immunological responses, disease susceptibility, and long-term psychopathological effects of diseases that impact the CNS, such as the COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Büttiker
- First Faculty of Medicine, Center for Cognitive and Molecular Neuroscience, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Simon Weissenberger
- First Faculty of Medicine, Center for Cognitive and Molecular Neuroscience, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Psychology, University of New York in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - George B Stefano
- First Faculty of Medicine, Center for Cognitive and Molecular Neuroscience, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Richard M Kream
- First Faculty of Medicine, Center for Cognitive and Molecular Neuroscience, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Radek Ptacek
- First Faculty of Medicine, Center for Cognitive and Molecular Neuroscience, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czechia
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24
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Beul SF, Hilgetag CC. Systematic modelling of the development of laminar projection origins in the cerebral cortex: Interactions of spatio-temporal patterns of neurogenesis and cellular heterogeneity. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007991. [PMID: 33048930 PMCID: PMC7553356 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The architectonic type principle conceptualizes structural connections between brain areas in terms of the relative architectonic differentiation of connected areas. It has previously been shown that spatio-temporal interactions between the time and place of neurogenesis could underlie multiple features of empirical mammalian connectomes, such as projection existence and the distribution of projection strengths. However, so far no mechanistic explanation for the emergence of typically observed laminar patterns of projection origins and terminations has been tested. Here, we expand an in silico model of the developing cortical sheet to explore which factors could potentially constrain the development of laminar projection patterns. We show that manipulations which rely solely on spatio-temporal interactions, namely the relative density of laminar compartments, a delay in the neurogenesis of infragranular layers relative to layer 1, and a delay in the neurogenesis of supragranular layers relative to infragranular layers, do not result in the striking correlation between supragranular contribution to projections and the relative differentiation of areas that is typically observed in the mammalian cortex. In contrast, we find that if we introduce systematic variation in cell-intrinsic properties, coupling them with architectonic differentiation, the resulting laminar projection patterns closely mirror the empirically observed patterns. We also find that the spatio-temporal interactions posited to occur during neurogenesis are necessary for the formation of the characteristic laminar patterns. Hence, our results indicate that the specification of the laminar patterns of projection origins may result from systematic variation in a number of cell-intrinsic properties, superimposed on the previously identified spatio-temporal interactions which are sufficient for the emergence of the architectonic type principle on the level of inter-areal connectivity in silico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F Beul
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claus C Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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25
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Piguet O, J Chareyron L, Banta Lavenex P, G Amaral D, Lavenex P. Postnatal development of the entorhinal cortex: A stereological study in macaque monkeys. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2308-2332. [PMID: 32134112 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The entorhinal cortex is the main gateway for interactions between the neocortex and the hippocampus. Distinct regions, layers, and cells of the hippocampal formation exhibit different profiles of structural and molecular maturation during postnatal development. Here, we provide estimates of neuron number, neuronal soma size, and volume of the different layers and subdivisions of the monkey entorhinal cortex (Eo, Er, Elr, Ei, Elc, Ec, Ecl) during postnatal development. We found different developmental changes in neuronal soma size and volume of distinct layers in different subdivisions, but no changes in neuron number. Layers I and II developed early in most subdivisions. Layer III exhibited early maturation in Ec and Ecl, a two-step/early maturation in Ei and a late maturation in Er. Layers V and VI exhibited an early maturation in Ec and Ecl, a two-step and early maturation in Ei, and a late maturation in Er. Neuronal soma size increased transiently at 6 months of age and decreased thereafter to reach adult size, except in Layer II of Ei, and Layers II and III of Ec and Ecl. These findings support the theory that different hippocampal circuits exhibit distinct developmental profiles, which may subserve the emergence of different hippocampus-dependent memory processes. We discuss how the early maturation of the caudal entorhinal cortex may contribute to path integration and basic allocentric spatial processing, whereas the late maturation of the rostral entorhinal cortex may contribute to the increased precision of allocentric spatial representations and the temporal integration of individual items into episodic memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Piguet
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Development, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Loïc J Chareyron
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Pamela Banta Lavenex
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Development, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Faculty of Psychology, Swiss Distance University, Brig, Switzerland
| | - David G Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, California.,California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Pierre Lavenex
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Development, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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26
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Abstract
Concepts shape the interpretation of facts. One of the most popular concepts in systems neuroscience is that of ‘hierarchy’. However, this concept has been interpreted in many different ways, which are not well aligned. This observation suggests that the concept is ill defined. Using the example of the organization of the primate visual cortical system, we explore several contexts in which ‘hierarchy’ is currently used in the description of brain networks. We distinguish at least four different uses, specifically, ‘hierarchy’ as a topological sequence of projections, as a gradient of features, as a progression of scales, or as a sorting of laminar projection patterns. We discuss the interpretation and functional implications of the different notions of ‘hierarchy’ in these contexts and suggest that more specific terms than ‘hierarchy’ should be used for a deeper understanding of the different dimensions of the organization of brain networks. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Unifying the essential concepts of biological networks: biological insights and philosophical foundations’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus C Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandros Goulas
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
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27
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Ball G, Beare R, Seal ML. Charting shared developmental trajectories of cortical thickness and structural connectivity in childhood and adolescence. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:4630-4644. [PMID: 31313446 PMCID: PMC6865644 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cortex is organised into broadly hierarchical functional systems with distinct neuroanatomical characteristics reflected by macroscopic measures of cortical morphology. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging allows the delineation of areal connectivity, changes to which reflect the ongoing maturation of white matter tracts. These developmental processes are intrinsically linked with timing coincident with the development of cognitive function. In this study, we use a data-driven multivariate approach, nonnegative matrix factorisation, to define cortical regions that co-vary together across a large paediatric cohort (n = 456) and are associated with specific subnetworks of cortical connectivity. We find that age between 3 and 21 years is associated with accelerated cortical thinning in frontoparietal regions, whereas relative thinning of primary motor and sensory regions is slower. Together, the subject-specific weights of the derived set of cortical components can be combined to predict chronological age. Structural connectivity networks reveal a relative increase in strength in connection within, as opposed to between hemispheres that vary in line with cortical changes. We confirm our findings in an independent sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Ball
- Developmental ImagingMurdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Richard Beare
- Developmental ImagingMurdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Marc L. Seal
- Developmental ImagingMurdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of PaediatricsUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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28
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Hilgetag CC, Beul SF, van Albada SJ, Goulas A. An architectonic type principle integrates macroscopic cortico-cortical connections with intrinsic cortical circuits of the primate brain. Netw Neurosci 2019; 3:905-923. [PMID: 31637331 PMCID: PMC6777964 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The connections linking neurons within and between cerebral cortical areas form a multiscale network for communication. We review recent work relating essential features of cortico-cortical connections, such as their existence and laminar origins and terminations, to fundamental structural parameters of cortical areas, such as their distance, similarity in cytoarchitecture, defined by lamination or neuronal density, and other macroscopic and microscopic structural features. These analyses demonstrate the presence of an architectonic type principle. Across species and cortices, the essential features of cortico-cortical connections vary consistently and strongly with the cytoarchitectonic similarity of cortical areas. By contrast, in multivariate analyses such relations were not found consistently for distance, similarity of cortical thickness, or cellular morphology. Gradients of laminar cortical differentiation, as reflected in overall neuronal density, also correspond to regional variations of cellular features, forming a spatially ordered natural axis of concerted architectonic and connectional changes across the cortical sheet. The robustness of findings across mammalian brains allows cross-species predictions of the existence and laminar patterns of projections, including estimates for the human brain that are not yet available experimentally. The architectonic type principle integrates cortical connectivity and architecture across scales, with implications for computational explorations of cortical physiology and developmental mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus C Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Germany
| | - Sarah F Beul
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Germany
| | - Sacha J van Albada
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6), Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6), and JARA-Institute of Brain Structure-Function Relationships (INM-10), Jülich Research Centre, Germany
| | - Alexandros Goulas
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Germany
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29
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Goulas A, Majka P, Rosa MGP, Hilgetag CC. A blueprint of mammalian cortical connectomes. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e2005346. [PMID: 30901324 PMCID: PMC6456226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex of mammals exhibits intricate interareal wiring. Moreover, mammalian cortices differ vastly in size, cytological composition, and phylogenetic distance. Given such complexity and pronounced species differences, it is a considerable challenge to decipher organizational principles of mammalian connectomes. Here, we demonstrate species-specific and species-general unifying principles linking the physical, cytological, and connectional dimensions of architecture in the mouse, cat, marmoset, and macaque monkey. The existence of connections is related to the cytology of cortical areas, in addition to the role of physical distance, but this relation is attenuated in mice and marmoset monkeys. The cytoarchitectonic cortical gradients, and not the rostrocaudal axis of the cortex, are closely linked to the laminar origin of connections, a principle that allows the extrapolation of this connectional feature to humans. Lastly, a network core, with a central role under different modes of network communication, characterizes all cortical connectomes. We observe a displacement of the network core in mammals, with a shift of the core of cats and macaque monkeys toward the less neuronally dense areas of the cerebral cortex. This displacement has functional ramifications but also entails a potential increased degree of vulnerability to pathology. In sum, our results sketch out a blueprint of mammalian connectomes consisting of species-specific and species-general links between the connectional, physical, and cytological dimensions of the cerebral cortex, possibly reflecting variations and persistence of evolutionarily conserved mechanisms and cellular phenomena. Our framework elucidates organizational principles that encompass but also extend beyond the wiring economy principle imposed by the physical embedding of the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Goulas
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Piotr Majka
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University Node, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Marcello G. P. Rosa
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University Node, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Claus C. Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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