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Park AS, Thompson B. Non-invasive brain stimulation and vision rehabilitation: a clinical perspective. Clin Exp Optom 2024; 107:594-602. [PMID: 38772676 DOI: 10.1080/08164622.2024.2349565] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques allow targeted modulation of brain regions and have emerged as a promising tool for vision rehabilitation. This review presents an overview of studies that have examined the use of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques for improving vision and visual functions. A description of the proposed neural mechanisms that underpin non-invasive brain stimulation effects is also provided. The clinical implications of non-invasive brain stimulation in vision rehabilitation are examined, including their safety, effectiveness, and potential applications in specific conditions such as amblyopia, post-stroke hemianopia, and central vision loss associated with age-related macular degeneration. Additionally, the future directions of research in this field are considered, including the need for larger and more rigorous clinical trials to validate the efficacy of these techniques. Overall, this review highlights the potential for brain stimulation techniques as a promising avenue for improving visual function in individuals with impaired vision and underscores the importance of continued research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adela Sy Park
- Centre for Eye & Vision Research, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Benjamin Thompson
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
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2
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Xie Y, Wang R, McClatchy DB, Ma Y, Diedrich J, Sanchez-Alavez M, Petrascheck M, Yates JR, Cline HT. Activity-dependent synthesis of Emerin gates neuronal plasticity by regulating proteostasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.30.600712. [PMID: 38979362 PMCID: PMC11230442 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.30.600712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Neurons dynamically regulate their proteome in response to sensory input, a key process underlying experience-dependent plasticity. We characterized the visual experience-dependent nascent proteome within a brief, defined time window after stimulation using an optimized metabolic labeling approach. Visual experience induced cell type-specific and age-dependent alterations in the nascent proteome, including proteostasis-related processes. We identified Emerin as the top activity-induced candidate plasticity protein and demonstrated that its rapid activity-induced synthesis is transcription-independent. In contrast to its nuclear localization and function in myocytes, activity-induced neuronal Emerin is abundant in the endoplasmic reticulum and broadly inhibits protein synthesis, including translation regulators and synaptic proteins. Downregulating Emerin shifted the dendritic spine population from predominantly mushroom morphology to filopodia and decreased network connectivity. In mice, decreased Emerin reduced visual response magnitude and impaired visual information processing. Our findings support an experience-dependent feed-forward role for Emerin in temporally gating neuronal plasticity by negatively regulating translation.
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Namgung E, Kwon SU, Han M, Kim G, Kim HY, Park K, Cho M, Choi H, Nah H, Lim HT, Kang D. Digital therapeutics using virtual reality-based visual perceptual learning for visual field defects in stroke: A double-blind randomized trial. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3525. [PMID: 38773793 PMCID: PMC11109502 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Visual field defects (VFDs) represent a debilitating poststroke complication, characterized by unseen parts of the visual field. Visual perceptual learning (VPL), involving repetitive visual training in blind visual fields, may effectively restore visual field sensitivity in cortical blindness. This current multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial investigated the efficacy and safety of VPL-based digital therapeutics (Nunap Vision [NV]) for treating poststroke VFDs. METHODS Stroke outpatients with VFDs (>6 months after stroke onset) were randomized into NV (defective field training) or Nunap Vision-Control (NV-C, central field training) groups. Both interventions provided visual perceptual training, consisting of orientation, rotation, and depth discrimination, through a virtual reality head-mounted display device 5 days a week for 12 weeks. The two groups received VFD assessments using Humphrey visual field (HVF) tests at baseline and 12-week follow-up. The final analysis included those completed the study (NV, n = 40; NV-C, n = 35). Efficacy measures included improved visual area (sensitivity ≥6 dB) and changes in the HVF scores during the 12-week period. RESULTS With a high compliance rate, NV and NV-C training improved the visual areas in the defective hemifield (>72 degrees2) and the whole field (>108 degrees2), which are clinically meaningful improvements despite no significant between-group differences. According to within-group analyses, mean total deviation scores in the defective hemifield improved after NV training (p = .03) but not after NV-C training (p = .12). CONCLUSIONS The current trial suggests that VPL-based digital therapeutics may induce clinically meaningful visual improvements in patients with poststroke VFDs. Yet, between-group differences in therapeutic efficacy were not found as NV-C training exhibited unexpected improvement comparable to NV training, possibly due to learning transfer effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Namgung
- Asan Institute for Life SciencesAsan Medical CenterSeoulSouth Korea
| | - Sun U. Kwon
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulSouth Korea
| | - Moon‐Ku Han
- Department of NeurologySeoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of MedicineSeongnamSouth Korea
| | - Gyeong‐Moon Kim
- Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical CenterSungkyunkwan University School of MedicineSeoulSouth Korea
| | - Hahn Young Kim
- Department of NeurologyKonkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University College of MedicineSeoulSouth Korea
| | - Kwang‐Yeol Park
- Department of NeurologyChung‐Ang University Hospital, Chung‐Ang University College of MedicineSeoulSouth Korea
| | | | | | - Hyun‐Wook Nah
- Department of NeurologyChungnam National University Sejong Hospital, Chungnam National University College of MedicineSejongSouth Korea
| | - Hyun Taek Lim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Asan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulSouth Korea
| | - Dong‐Wha Kang
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulSouth Korea
- Nunaps Inc.SeoulSouth Korea
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Bayazitov IT, Teubner BJW, Feng F, Wu Z, Li Y, Blundon JA, Zakharenko SS. Sound-evoked adenosine release in cooperation with neuromodulatory circuits permits auditory cortical plasticity and perceptual learning. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113758. [PMID: 38358887 PMCID: PMC10939737 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Meaningful auditory memories are formed in adults when acoustic information is delivered to the auditory cortex during heightened states of attention, vigilance, or alertness, as mediated by neuromodulatory circuits. Here, we identify that, in awake mice, acoustic stimulation triggers auditory thalamocortical projections to release adenosine, which prevents cortical plasticity (i.e., selective expansion of neural representation of behaviorally relevant acoustic stimuli) and perceptual learning (i.e., experience-dependent improvement in frequency discrimination ability). This sound-evoked adenosine release (SEAR) becomes reduced within seconds when acoustic stimuli are tightly paired with the activation of neuromodulatory (cholinergic or dopaminergic) circuits or periods of attentive wakefulness. If thalamic adenosine production is enhanced, then SEAR elevates further, the neuromodulatory circuits are unable to sufficiently reduce SEAR, and associative cortical plasticity and perceptual learning are blocked. This suggests that transient low-adenosine periods triggered by neuromodulatory circuits permit associative cortical plasticity and auditory perceptual learning in adults to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildar T Bayazitov
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brett J W Teubner
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Feng Feng
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Zhaofa Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jay A Blundon
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stanislav S Zakharenko
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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5
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Mallick A, Dacks AM, Gaudry Q. Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and Flies. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:94. [PMID: 38392312 PMCID: PMC10886215 DOI: 10.3390/biology13020094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Neural networks have an extensive ability to change in response to environmental stimuli. This flexibility peaks during restricted windows of time early in life called critical periods. The ubiquitous occurrence of this form of plasticity across sensory modalities and phyla speaks to the importance of critical periods for proper neural development and function. Extensive investigation into visual critical periods has advanced our knowledge of the molecular events and key processes that underlie the impact of early-life experience on neuronal plasticity. However, despite the importance of olfaction for the overall survival of an organism, the cellular and molecular basis of olfactory critical periods have not garnered extensive study compared to visual critical periods. Recent work providing a comprehensive mapping of the highly organized olfactory neuropil and its development has in turn attracted a growing interest in how these circuits undergo plasticity during critical periods. Here, we perform a comparative review of olfactory critical periods in fruit flies and mice to provide novel insight into the importance of early odor exposure in shaping neural circuits and highlighting mechanisms found across sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahana Mallick
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Andrew M Dacks
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Quentin Gaudry
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Liu J, He Y, Lavoie A, Bouvier G, Liu BH. A direction-selective cortico-brainstem pathway adaptively modulates innate behaviors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8467. [PMID: 38123558 PMCID: PMC10733370 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42910-2] [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: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory cortices modulate innate behaviors through corticofugal projections targeting phylogenetically-old brainstem nuclei. However, the principles behind the functional connectivity of these projections remain poorly understood. Here, we show that in mice visual cortical neurons projecting to the optic-tract and dorsal-terminal nuclei (NOT-DTN) possess distinct response properties and anatomical connectivity, supporting the adaption of an essential innate eye movement, the optokinetic reflex (OKR). We find that these corticofugal neurons are enriched in specific visual areas, and they prefer temporo-nasal visual motion, matching the direction bias of downstream NOT-DTN neurons. Remarkably, continuous OKR stimulation selectively enhances the activity of these temporo-nasally biased cortical neurons, which can efficiently promote OKR plasticity. Lastly, we demonstrate that silencing downstream NOT-DTN neurons, which project specifically to the inferior olive-a key structure in oculomotor plasticity, impairs the cortical modulation of OKR and OKR plasticity. Our results unveil a direction-selective cortico-brainstem pathway that adaptively modulates innate behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiashu Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Yingtian He
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Andreanne Lavoie
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Guy Bouvier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400, Saclay, France
| | - Bao-Hua Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.
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7
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Federici A, Bernardi G, Senna I, Fantoni M, Ernst MO, Ricciardi E, Bottari D. Crossmodal plasticity following short-term monocular deprivation. Neuroimage 2023; 274:120141. [PMID: 37120043 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120141] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A brief period of monocular deprivation (MD) induces short-term plasticity of the adult visual system. Whether MD elicits neural changes beyond visual processing is yet unclear. Here, we assessed the specific impact of MD on neural correlates of multisensory processes. Neural oscillations associated with visual and audio-visual processing were measured for both the deprived and the non-deprived eye. Results revealed that MD changed neural activities associated with visual and multisensory processes in an eye-specific manner. Selectively for the deprived eye, alpha synchronization was reduced within the first 150 ms of visual processing. Conversely, gamma activity was enhanced in response to audio-visual events only for the non-deprived eye within 100-300 ms after stimulus onset. The analysis of gamma responses to unisensory auditory events revealed that MD elicited a crossmodal upweight for the non-deprived eye. Distributed source modeling suggested that the right parietal cortex played a major role in neural effects induced by MD. Finally, visual and audio-visual processing alterations emerged for the induced component of the neural oscillations, indicating a prominent role of feedback connectivity. Results reveal the causal impact of MD on both unisensory (visual and auditory) and multisensory (audio-visual) processes and, their frequency-specific profiles. These findings support a model in which MD increases excitability to visual events for the deprived eye and audio-visual and auditory input for the non-deprived eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Federici
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, 55100 Lucca, Italy.
| | - G Bernardi
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, 55100 Lucca, Italy
| | - I Senna
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - M Fantoni
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, 55100 Lucca, Italy
| | - M O Ernst
- Applied Cognitive Psychology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - E Ricciardi
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, 55100 Lucca, Italy
| | - D Bottari
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, 55100 Lucca, Italy
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8
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Wu W, Kang L, Liu Y, Ma X, Zhang X, Yang Y. The early stage of adult ocular dominance plasticity revealed by near-infrared optical imaging of intrinsic signals. Neuroimage 2023; 274:120122. [PMID: 37080344 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Long term monocular deprivation is considered to be necessary for the induction of significant ocular dominance plasticity in the adult visual cortex. In this study, we subjected adult mice to monocular deprivation for various durations and screened for changes in ocular dominance using dual-wavelength intrinsic signal optical imaging. We found that short-term deprivation was sufficient to cause a shift in ocular dominance and that these early-stage changes were detected only by near-infrared illumination. In addition, single-unit recordings showed that these early-stage changes primarily occurred in deep cortical layers. This early-stage ocular dominance shift was abolished by the blockade of NMDA receptors. In summary, our findings reveal an early phase of adult ocular dominance plasticity and provide the dynamics of adult plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Luwei Kang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Yueqin Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Yupeng Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
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9
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Visual Telerehabilitation with Visually Impaired Children: From the Pandemic Emergency to a Stand-Alone Method. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13030725. [PMID: 36983880 PMCID: PMC10054922 DOI: 10.3390/life13030725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two years, orthoptists have counteracted patient drop-out through visual telerehabilitation. Efforts were made to transfer the in-person visual rehabilitation setting to the telematic environment in response to the worldwide crisis. Nowadays, statistical evidence on the effects of visual telerehabilitation is still scarce. The present research is the first, in Italy, to offer a pre-post assessment of the impact of visual telerehabilitation. Twenty-four (n = 24) children (64% male, 14% monocles) aged 4 to 15 years (mean age = 9.21 years, SD = 3.36, mean residual vision 1.3/10) were randomly assigned to three different group types for rehabilitation: a telematic rehabilitation group (n = 7), a mixed rehabilitation group (n = 8), and an in-person rehabilitation group (n = 9). Each group underwent a six-week visual rehabilitation. Ergo-perimetric evaluation before and after the rehabilitation was administered to the three groups. t-tests showed a significant improvement in ergo-perimetric outcomes in the visual telerehabilitation group (p < 0.05) and in the mixed rehabilitation group (p < 0.01), via a shortening of the response times. The findings suggest that visual telerehabilitation and mixed rehabilitation can lead to an ergo-perimetric improvement in visually impaired children within six weeks. Further research is needed, both to corroborate the findings with a larger sample size and to attain a follow-up measurement in order to clarify whether visual telerehabilitation could represent a stand-alone method.
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10
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Bang JW, Hamilton-Fletcher G, Chan KC. Visual Plasticity in Adulthood: Perspectives from Hebbian and Homeostatic Plasticity. Neuroscientist 2023; 29:117-138. [PMID: 34382456 PMCID: PMC9356772 DOI: 10.1177/10738584211037619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The visual system retains profound plastic potential in adulthood. In the current review, we summarize the evidence of preserved plasticity in the adult visual system during visual perceptual learning as well as both monocular and binocular visual deprivation. In each condition, we discuss how such evidence reflects two major cellular mechanisms of plasticity: Hebbian and homeostatic processes. We focus on how these two mechanisms work together to shape plasticity in the visual system. In addition, we discuss how these two mechanisms could be further revealed in future studies investigating cross-modal plasticity in the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Won Bang
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Giles Hamilton-Fletcher
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin C. Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neural Science, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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11
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Chambers AR, Aschauer DF, Eppler JB, Kaschube M, Rumpel S. A stable sensory map emerges from a dynamic equilibrium of neurons with unstable tuning properties. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:5597-5612. [PMID: 36418925 PMCID: PMC10152095 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Recent long-term measurements of neuronal activity have revealed that, despite stability in large-scale topographic maps, the tuning properties of individual cortical neurons can undergo substantial reformatting over days. To shed light on this apparent contradiction, we captured the sound response dynamics of auditory cortical neurons using repeated 2-photon calcium imaging in awake mice. We measured sound-evoked responses to a set of pure tone and complex sound stimuli in more than 20,000 auditory cortex neurons over several days. We found that a substantial fraction of neurons dropped in and out of the population response. We modeled these dynamics as a simple discrete-time Markov chain, capturing the continuous changes in responsiveness observed during stable behavioral and environmental conditions. Although only a minority of neurons were driven by the sound stimuli at a given time point, the model predicts that most cells would at least transiently become responsive within 100 days. We observe that, despite single-neuron volatility, the population-level representation of sound frequency was stably maintained, demonstrating the dynamic equilibrium underlying the tonotopic map. Our results show that sensory maps are maintained by shifting subpopulations of neurons “sharing” the job of creating a sensory representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R Chambers
- Institute of Physiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz , Duesbergweg 6, Mainz 55128 , Germany
| | - Dominik F Aschauer
- Institute of Physiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz , Duesbergweg 6, Mainz 55128 , Germany
| | - Jens-Bastian Eppler
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies and Department of Computer Science, Goethe University Frankfurt , Ruth-Moufang-Straße 1, Frankfurt am Main 60438 , Germany
| | - Matthias Kaschube
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies and Department of Computer Science, Goethe University Frankfurt , Ruth-Moufang-Straße 1, Frankfurt am Main 60438 , Germany
| | - Simon Rumpel
- Institute of Physiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz , Duesbergweg 6, Mainz 55128 , Germany
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12
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Di Castro MA, Garofalo S, De Felice E, Meneghetti N, Di Pietro E, Mormino A, Mazzoni A, Caleo M, Maggi L, Limatola C. Environmental enrichment counteracts the effects of glioma in primary visual cortex. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 174:105894. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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13
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Neural representational geometry underlies few-shot concept learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2200800119. [PMID: 36251997 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200800119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the neural basis of the remarkable human cognitive capacity to learn novel concepts from just one or a few sensory experiences constitutes a fundamental problem. We propose a simple, biologically plausible, mathematically tractable, and computationally powerful neural mechanism for few-shot learning of naturalistic concepts. We posit that the concepts that can be learned from few examples are defined by tightly circumscribed manifolds in the neural firing-rate space of higher-order sensory areas. We further posit that a single plastic downstream readout neuron learns to discriminate new concepts based on few examples using a simple plasticity rule. We demonstrate the computational power of our proposal by showing that it can achieve high few-shot learning accuracy on natural visual concepts using both macaque inferotemporal cortex representations and deep neural network (DNN) models of these representations and can even learn novel visual concepts specified only through linguistic descriptors. Moreover, we develop a mathematical theory of few-shot learning that links neurophysiology to predictions about behavioral outcomes by delineating several fundamental and measurable geometric properties of neural representations that can accurately predict the few-shot learning performance of naturalistic concepts across all our numerical simulations. This theory reveals, for instance, that high-dimensional manifolds enhance the ability to learn new concepts from few examples. Intriguingly, we observe striking mismatches between the geometry of manifolds in the primate visual pathway and in trained DNNs. We discuss testable predictions of our theory for psychophysics and neurophysiological experiments.
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14
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Shang A, Bieszczad KM. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate cue memory underlying discriminative behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104811. [PMID: 35961385 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The burgeoning field of neuroepigenetics has introduced chromatin modification as an important interface between experience and brain function. For example, epigenetic mechanisms like histone acetylation and DNA methylation operate throughout a lifetime to powerfully regulate gene expression in the brain that is required for experiences to be transformed into long-term memories. This review highlights emerging evidence from sensory models of memory that converge on the premise that epigenetic regulation of activity-dependent transcription in the sensory brain facilitates highly precise memory recall. Chromatin modifications may be key for neurophysiological responses to transient sensory cue features experienced in the "here and now" to be recapitulated over the long term. We conclude that the function of epigenetic control of sensory system neuroplasticity is to regulate the amount and type of sensory information retained in long-term memories by regulating neural representations of behaviorally relevant cues that guide behavior. This is of broad importance in the neuroscience field because there are few circumstances in which behavioral acts are devoid of an initiating sensory experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Shang
- Dept. of Psychology - Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University - New Brunswick, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Kasia M Bieszczad
- Dept. of Psychology - Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University - New Brunswick, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science (RuCCS), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA.
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15
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Jin C, Liu W, Xu Y, Huang Y, Nie Y, Shi X, Zhang G, He P, Zhang J, Cao H, Sun J, Yang J. Artificial Vision Adaption Mimicked by an Optoelectrical In 2O 3 Transistor Array. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:3372-3379. [PMID: 35343229 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c00599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Simulation of biological visual perception has gained considerable attention. In this paper, an optoelectrical In2O3 transistor array with a negative photoconductivity behavior is designed using a side-gate structure and a screen-printed ion-gel as the gate insulator. This paper is the first to observe a negative photoconductivity in electrolyte-gated oxide devices. Furthermore, an artificial visual perception system capable of self-adapting to environmental lightness is mimicked using the proposed device array. The transistor device array shows a self-adaptive behavior of light under different levels of light intensity, successfully demonstrating the visual adaption with an adjustable threshold range to the external environment. This study provides a new way to create an environmentally adaptive artificial visual perception system and has far-reaching significance for the future of neuromorphic electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxing Jin
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Wanrong Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yunchao Xu
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yulong Huang
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yiling Nie
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Xiaofang Shi
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Gengming Zhang
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Pei He
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, 541004, P. R. China
| | - Hongtao Cao
- Laboratory of Advanced Nano Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, P. R. China
| | - Jia Sun
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
| | - Junliang Yang
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, 932 South Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P. R. China
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17
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Poort J, Wilmes KA, Blot A, Chadwick A, Sahani M, Clopath C, Mrsic-Flogel TD, Hofer SB, Khan AG. Learning and attention increase visual response selectivity through distinct mechanisms. Neuron 2022; 110:686-697.e6. [PMID: 34906356 PMCID: PMC8860382 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Selectivity of cortical neurons for sensory stimuli can increase across days as animals learn their behavioral relevance and across seconds when animals switch attention. While both phenomena occur in the same circuit, it is unknown whether they rely on similar mechanisms. We imaged primary visual cortex as mice learned a visual discrimination task and subsequently performed an attention switching task. Selectivity changes due to learning and attention were uncorrelated in individual neurons. Selectivity increases after learning mainly arose from selective suppression of responses to one of the stimuli but from selective enhancement and suppression during attention. Learning and attention differentially affected interactions between excitatory and PV, SOM, and VIP inhibitory cells. Circuit modeling revealed that cell class-specific top-down inputs best explained attentional modulation, while reorganization of local functional connectivity accounted for learning-related changes. Thus, distinct mechanisms underlie increased discriminability of relevant sensory stimuli across longer and shorter timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Poort
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Antonin Blot
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, UK
| | - Angus Chadwick
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maneesh Sahani
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Thomas D Mrsic-Flogel
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sonja B Hofer
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, UK
| | - Adil G Khan
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK.
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18
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Bhandari A, Ward TW, Smith J, Van Hook MJ. Structural and functional plasticity in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus of mice following bilateral enucleation. Neuroscience 2022; 488:44-59. [PMID: 35131394 PMCID: PMC8960354 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Within the nervous system, plasticity mechanisms attempt to stabilize network activity following disruption by injury, disease, or degeneration. Optic nerve injury and age-related diseases can induce homeostatic-like responses in adulthood. We tested this possibility in the thalamocortical (TC) neurons in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) using patch-clamp electrophysiology, optogenetics, immunostaining, and single-cell dendritic analysis following loss of visual input via bilateral enucleation. We observed progressive loss of vGlut2-positive retinal terminals in the dLGN indicating degeneration post-enucleation that was coincident with changes in microglial morphology indicative of microglial activation. Consistent with the decline of vGlut2 puncta, we also observed loss of retinogeniculate (RG) synaptic function assessed using optogenetic activation of RG axons while performing whole-cell voltage clamp recordings from TC neurons in brain slices. Surprisingly, we did not detect any significant changes in the frequency of miniature post-synaptic currents (mEPSCs) or corticothalamic feedback synapses. Analysis of TC neuron dendritic structure from single-cell dye fills revealed a gradual loss of dendrites proximal to the soma, where TC neurons receive the bulk of RG inputs. Finally, analysis of action potential firing demonstrated that TC neurons have increased excitability following enucleation, firing more action potentials in response to depolarizing current injections. Our findings show that degeneration of the retinal axons/optic nerve and loss of RG synaptic inputs induces structural and functional changes in TC neurons, consistent with neuronal attempts at compensatory plasticity in the dLGN.
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Yu X, Chen Y, Xie W, Yang X. Bidirectional relationship between visual perception and mathematics performance in Chinese kindergartners. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 42:1-8. [PMID: 35068908 PMCID: PMC8763421 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02526-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this longitudinal study, 64 kindergartners (mean age at T1 = 4.69 ± 0.33 years; 34 girls) were tested on visual perception skills (T2 and T3) and mathematics performance (T1 to T3) with 6-month intervals between the three testing waves. Cross-lagged path analysis showed a bidirectional relationship between visual perception and mathematics performance from T2 to T3. Specifically, children's visual perception at T2 significantly predicted their mathematics performance at T3 (B = 0.30, SE = 0.14, p = 0.03, β = 0.19). Children's mathematics performance at T1 accounted for unique variance in visual perception at T2 (B = 0.79, SE = 0.11, p < 0.001, β = 0.68) and visual perception at T3 (B = 0.27, SE = 0.12, p = 0.02, β = 0.32). Their mathematics performance at T2 also significantly predicted visual perception at T3 (B = 0.21, SE = 0.10, p = 0.04, β = 0.28). Totally, they explained 61% of the variance in mathematics performance and 39% of the variance in visual perception at T3. The results highlight the developmental courses as well as the reciprocal facilitations between visual perception and mathematics performance in the kindergarten period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yu
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, 100083 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yinghe Chen
- School of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Avenue, Haidian District, 100875 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weiyi Xie
- Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiujie Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Avenue, Haidian District, 100875 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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Hilal A, Bazarah M, Kapoula Z. Benefits of Implementing Eye-Movement Training in the Rehabilitation of Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Review. Brain Sci 2021; 12:36. [PMID: 35053780 PMCID: PMC8774007 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is one of the most debilitating eye-related illnesses worldwide. Eye-movement training is evolving to be a non-invasive, rapid, and effective method that is positively impacting vision and QoL (quality of life) in patients suffering from ARMD. This review aims to highlight why a greater adoption of eye-movement training in the clinical and research setting is of importance. A PubMed and ResearchGate search was performed for articles published between 1982 and 2020. Patients with advanced ARMD tend to experience a diminished QoL. Studies regarding eye-movement training for patients with central vision loss revealed overall significant improvements in reading speeds, fixation, and saccade performance. They also experienced less fatigue. In select studies, eye-movement training revealed an improvement in binocular vision, fixation, reading speed, and diminished reading exhaustion. The process of eye-movement training used in some of the studies was rather empirical. The latter requires standardization so that a uniform and applicable methodology can be adopted overall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anis Hilal
- Department of Ophthalmology, Skåne University Hospital, Kioskgatan 1, 22285 Lund, Sweden
- Laboratoire IRIS, Physiopathologie de la Vision et Motricité Binoculaire, CNRS FR2022 UFR Biomédicale Université de Paris 45, rue des Saints-Pères, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Mazen Bazarah
- Department of Ophthalmology, Skåne University Hospital, Kioskgatan 1, 22285 Lund, Sweden
| | - Zoï Kapoula
- Laboratoire IRIS, Physiopathologie de la Vision et Motricité Binoculaire, CNRS FR2022 UFR Biomédicale Université de Paris 45, rue des Saints-Pères, 75006 Paris, France
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21
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Visual exposure enhances stimulus encoding and persistence in primary cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2105276118. [PMID: 34663727 PMCID: PMC8639370 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105276118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience shapes sensory responses, already at the earliest stages of cortical processing. We provide evidence that, in the primary visual cortex of anesthetized cats, brief repetitive exposure to a set of simple, abstract stimuli expands the range and decreases the variability of neuronal responses that persist after stimulus offset. These refinements increase the stimulus-specific clustering of neuronal population responses and result in a more efficient encoding of both stimulus identity and stimulus structure, thus potentially benefiting simple readouts in higher cortical areas. Similar results can be achieved via local plasticity mechanisms in recurrent networks, through self-organized refinements of internal dynamics that do not require changes in firing amplitudes. The brain adapts to the sensory environment. For example, simple sensory exposure can modify the response properties of early sensory neurons. How these changes affect the overall encoding and maintenance of stimulus information across neuronal populations remains unclear. We perform parallel recordings in the primary visual cortex of anesthetized cats and find that brief, repetitive exposure to structured visual stimuli enhances stimulus encoding by decreasing the selectivity and increasing the range of the neuronal responses that persist after stimulus presentation. Low-dimensional projection methods and simple classifiers demonstrate that visual exposure increases the segregation of persistent neuronal population responses into stimulus-specific clusters. These observed refinements preserve the representational details required for stimulus reconstruction and are detectable in postexposure spontaneous activity. Assuming response facilitation and recurrent network interactions as the core mechanisms underlying stimulus persistence, we show that the exposure-driven segregation of stimulus responses can arise through strictly local plasticity mechanisms, also in the absence of firing rate changes. Our findings provide evidence for the existence of an automatic, unguided optimization process that enhances the encoding power of neuronal populations in early visual cortex, thus potentially benefiting simple readouts at higher stages of visual processing.
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22
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Tonti E, Budini M, Vingolo EM. Visuo-Acoustic Stimulation's Role in Synaptic Plasticity: A Review of the Literature. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910783. [PMID: 34639122 PMCID: PMC8509608 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain plasticity is the capacity of cerebral neurons to change, structurally and functionally, in response to experiences. This is an essential property underlying the maturation of sensory functions, learning and memory processes, and brain repair in response to the occurrence of diseases and trauma. In this field, the visual system emerges as a paradigmatic research model, both for basic research studies and for translational investigations. The auditory system remains capable of reorganizing itself in response to different auditory stimulations or sensory organ modification. Acoustic biofeedback training can be an effective way to train patients with the central scotoma, who have poor fixation stability and poor visual acuity, in order to bring fixation on an eccentrical and healthy area of the retina: a pseudofovea. This review article is focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying retinal sensitivity changes and visual and auditory system plasticity.
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23
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Cortical Visual Impairment in Childhood: 'Blindsight' and the Sprague Effect Revisited. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11101279. [PMID: 34679344 PMCID: PMC8533908 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11101279] [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: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The paper discusses and provides support for diverse processes of brain plasticity in visual function after damage in infancy and childhood in comparison with injury that occurs in the adult brain. We provide support and description of neuroplastic mechanisms in childhood that do not seemingly exist in the same way in the adult brain. Examples include the ability to foster the development of thalamocortical connectivities that can circumvent the lesion and reach their cortical destination in the occipital cortex as the developing brain is more efficient in building new connections. Supporting this claim is the fact that in those with central visual field defects we can note that the extrastriatal visual connectivities are greater when a lesion occurs earlier in life as opposed to in the neurologically mature adult. The result is a significantly more optimized system of visual and spatial exploration within the ‘blind’ field of view. The discussion is provided within the context of “blindsight” and the “Sprague Effect”.
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24
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Oktem C, Aslan F, Oktem EO. Evaluation of the effect of unilateral late blindness on the retina, optic nerve and choroid parameters in the sighted eye. Int Ophthalmol 2021; 41:4083-4089. [PMID: 34309792 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-021-01981-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To investigate whether unilateral late blindness alters the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), central macular thickness (CMT) and choroidal thickness (CT). METHODS The 17 healthy eyes of 17 monocular patients with late blindness due to isolated eye trauma in one eye and the 19 eyes of 19 healthy individuals were evaluated in this retrospective study. Patients with at least 10 years of monocular blindness, a refractive error between + 1.5 and -1.5 D in the sighted eye, a best-corrected visual acuity of at least 20/20 and an axial length (AL) < 25 mm were included in the study. Following ophthalmologic examination, the RNFL, GCC, CMT and CT values were measured with spectral domain optic tomography (SD-OCT). Those with ocular, systemic or neurological disease that could influence the measured parameters were excluded from the study. RESULTS A total of 17 (14 males, 3 females) monocular patients [mean age 41.00 ± 11.95 (24-64)] and 19 (16 males, 3 females) healthy individuals [mean age 39.79 ± 6.74 (30-56)], similar in age and gender (p = 0.949 and p = 0.881), were included in the study. The mean duration of being monocular was 22.76 ± 11.76 (10-49) years. No difference was present between the RNFL, GCC, CMT and CT measurements of the monocular patients and the healthy individuals (p = 0.692, p = 0.294, p = 0.113, p = 0.623, respectively). No significant correlation was found between the duration of monocularity and the retinal and optic nerve parameters. CONCLUSION The results of our study indicate no difference in the optic nerve, retina and choroid OCT findings in the sighted eyes of subjects with long-term monocular blindness compared to subjects with bilateral normal eyes. Although functional and volumetric neuroimaging studies suggest the possibility of compensation in these patients, our findings indicate that this is not at the ocular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caglar Oktem
- Department of Ophthalmology, Alaaddin Keykubat University Alanya Education and Research Hospital, 07400, Antalya, Turkey.
| | - Fatih Aslan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Alaaddin Keykubat University Alanya Education and Research Hospital, 07400, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Ece Ozdemir Oktem
- Department of Neurology, Alaaddin Keykubat University Alanya Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey
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25
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Environmental Enrichment Sharpens Sensory Acuity by Enhancing Information Coding in Barrel Cortex and Premotor Cortex. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0309-20.2021. [PMID: 33893166 PMCID: PMC8143018 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0309-20.2021] [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: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is beneficial to sensory functions. Thus, elucidating the neural mechanism underlying improvement of sensory stimulus discrimination is important for developing therapeutic strategies. We aim to advance the understanding of such neural mechanism. We found that tactile enrichment improved tactile stimulus feature discrimination. The neural correlate of such improvement was revealed by analyzing single-cell information coding in both the primary somatosensory cortex and the premotor cortex of awake behaving animals. Our results show that EE enhances the decision-information coding capacity of cells that are tuned to adjacent whiskers, and of premotor cortical cells.
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26
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Efficacy of Perceptual Learning-Based Vision Training as an Adjuvant to Occlusion Therapy in the Management of Amblyopia: A Pilot Study. Vision (Basel) 2021; 5:vision5010015. [PMID: 33807038 PMCID: PMC8006050 DOI: 10.3390/vision5010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate preliminarily the efficacy of perceptual learning (PL) visual training in medium-term follow-up with a specific software (Amblyopia iNET, Home Therapy Systems Inc., Gold Canyon, AZ, USA) for visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) recovering in a sample of 14 moderate to severe amblyopic subjects with a previously unsuccessful outcome or failure with patching (PL Group). This efficacy was compared with that achieved in a patching control group (13 subjects, Patching 2). At one-month follow-up, a significant VA improvement in the amblyopic eye (AE) was observed in both groups, with no significant differences between them. Additionally, CS was measured in PL Group and exhibited a significant improvement in the AE one month after the beginning of treatment for 3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles/º (p = 0.003). Both groups showed long-lasting retention of visual improvements. A combined therapy of PL-based visual training and patching seems to be effective for improving VA in children with amblyopia who did not recover vision with patching alone or had a poor patching compliance. This preliminary outcome should be confirmed in future clinical trials.
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The ups and downs of sensory eye balance: Monocular deprivation has a biphasic effect on interocular dominance. Vision Res 2021; 183:53-60. [PMID: 33684826 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2021.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Classic studies of ocular dominance plasticity in early development showed that monocular deprivation suppresses the neural representation and visual function of the deprived eye. However, recent studies have shown that a short period of monocular deprivation (<3 h) in normal adult humans, shifts sensory eye dominance in favor of the deprived eye. How can these opposing effects be reconciled? Here we argue that there are two systems acting in opposition at different time scales. A fast acting, stabilizing, homeostatic system that rapidly decreases gain in the non-deprived eye or increases gain in the deprived eye, and a relatively sluggish system that shifts balance toward the non-deprived eye, in an effort to reduce input of little utility to active vision. If true, then continuous deprivation should produce a biphasic effect on interocular balance, first shifting balance away from the non-deprived eye, then towards it. Here we investigated the time course of the deprivation effect by monocularly depriving typical adults for 10 h and conducting tests of sensory eye balance at six intervening time points. Consistent with previous short-term deprivation work, we found shifts in sensory eye dominance away from the non-deprived eye up until approximately 5 h. We then observed a turning point, with balance shifting back towards the non-deprived eye, -, a biphasic effect. We argue that this turning point marks where the rapid homeostatic response saturates and is overtaken by the slower system responsible for suppressing monocular input of limited utility.
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28
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Ferrari C, Vecchi T, Sciamanna G, Blandini F, Pisani A, Natoli S. Facemasks and face recognition: Potential impact on synaptic plasticity. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 153:105319. [PMID: 33647447 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual recognition of facial expression modulates our social interactions. Compelling experimental evidence indicates that face conveys plenty of information that are fundamental for humans to interact. These are encoded at neural level in specific cortical and subcortical brain regions through activity- and experience-dependent synaptic plasticity processes. The current pandemic, due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection, is causing relevant social and psychological detrimental effects. The institutional recommendations on physical distancing, namely social distancing and wearing of facemasks are effective in reducing the rate of viral spread. However, by impacting social interaction, facemasks might impair the neural responses to recognition of facial cues that are overall critical to our behaviors. In this survey, we briefly review the current knowledge on the neurobiological substrate of facial recognition and discuss how the lack of salient stimuli might impact the ability to retain and consolidate learning and memory phenomena underlying face recognition. Such an "abnormal" visual experience raises the intriguing possibility of a "reset" mechanism, a renewed ability of adult brain to undergo synaptic plasticity adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Ferrari
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy; IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Tomaso Vecchi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy; IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Blandini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy; IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Pisani
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy; IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Silvia Natoli
- Department of Clinical Science and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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29
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Khaw MW, Nichols P, Freedberg D. Uncertainty-based overestimation in the perception of group actions. Vision Res 2020; 179:42-52. [PMID: 33285349 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2020.10.006] [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] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Individuals are adept at estimating average properties of group visual stimuli, even following brief presentations. In estimating the directional heading of walking human figures, judgments are biased in a peculiar manner: groups facing intermediate directions are perceived to be more leftward- or rightward-facing than actual averages. This effect was previously explained as a repulsive bias away from a central category boundary; groups along this boundary (directly facing the observer) are estimated with lower variability and with relatively greater accuracy. Here we show that: (i) the original effect replicates and is constant over time in a novel estimation task with persistent directional states; and, (ii) novel patterns of response variability and durations align with the entire range of overestimation. A simple model of additive errors proportional to viewer uncertainty matches the observed bias magnitudes. We furthermore show that the bias generalizes beyond approaching walkers with the use of rearward-facing walkers presented at a nonparallel angle. Overall, the recurring relation between bias and uncertainty is also consistent with top-down and post-perceptual causes of misestimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mel W Khaw
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience & Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, USA.
| | - Phoebe Nichols
- Department of Neuroscience & Visual Arts Department, Bowdoin College, USA
| | - David Freedberg
- Department of Art History and Archaeology & Italian Academy for Advanced Studies, Columbia University, USA
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30
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Clark EA, Rutlin M, Capano LS, Aviles S, Saadon JR, Taneja P, Zhang Q, Bullis JB, Lauer T, Myers E, Schulmann A, Forrest D, Nelson SB. Cortical RORβ is required for layer 4 transcriptional identity and barrel integrity. eLife 2020; 9:e52370. [PMID: 32851975 PMCID: PMC7492084 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor beta (RORβ) is a transcription factor (TF) and marker of layer 4 (L4) neurons, which are distinctive both in transcriptional identity and the ability to form aggregates such as barrels in rodent somatosensory cortex. However, the relationship between transcriptional identity and L4 cytoarchitecture is largely unknown. We find RORβ is required in the cortex for L4 aggregation into barrels and thalamocortical afferent (TCA) segregation. Interestingly, barrel organization also degrades with age in wildtype mice. Loss of RORβ delays excitatory input and disrupts gene expression and chromatin accessibility, with down-regulation of L4 and up-regulation of L5 genes, suggesting a disruption in cellular specification. Expression and binding site accessibility change for many other TFs, including closure of neurodevelopmental TF binding sites and increased expression and binding capacity of activity-regulated TFs. Lastly, a putative target of RORβ, Thsd7a, is down-regulated without RORβ, and Thsd7a knock-out alone disrupts TCA organization in adult barrels.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, Surface/chemistry
- Antigens, Surface/genetics
- Antigens, Surface/metabolism
- Female
- Male
- Membrane Proteins/chemistry
- Membrane Proteins/genetics
- Membrane Proteins/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Neurons/chemistry
- Neurons/cytology
- Neurons/metabolism
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 2/chemistry
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 2/genetics
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 2/metabolism
- Somatosensory Cortex/chemistry
- Somatosensory Cortex/cytology
- Somatosensory Cortex/metabolism
- Somatosensory Cortex/physiology
- Thalamus/chemistry
- Thalamus/metabolism
- Transcription Factors/chemistry
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Transcriptome/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A Clark
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Michael Rutlin
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Lucia S Capano
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Samuel Aviles
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Jordan R Saadon
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Praveen Taneja
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Qiyu Zhang
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - James B Bullis
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Timothy Lauer
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Emma Myers
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | | | - Douglas Forrest
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institutes of Health, NIDDKBethesdaUnited States
| | - Sacha B Nelson
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
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31
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van de Ven GM, Siegelmann HT, Tolias AS. Brain-inspired replay for continual learning with artificial neural networks. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4069. [PMID: 32792531 PMCID: PMC7426273 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17866-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial neural networks suffer from catastrophic forgetting. Unlike humans, when these networks are trained on something new, they rapidly forget what was learned before. In the brain, a mechanism thought to be important for protecting memories is the reactivation of neuronal activity patterns representing those memories. In artificial neural networks, such memory replay can be implemented as ‘generative replay’, which can successfully – and surprisingly efficiently – prevent catastrophic forgetting on toy examples even in a class-incremental learning scenario. However, scaling up generative replay to complicated problems with many tasks or complex inputs is challenging. We propose a new, brain-inspired variant of replay in which internal or hidden representations are replayed that are generated by the network’s own, context-modulated feedback connections. Our method achieves state-of-the-art performance on challenging continual learning benchmarks (e.g., class-incremental learning on CIFAR-100) without storing data, and it provides a novel model for replay in the brain. One challenge that faces artificial intelligence is the inability of deep neural networks to continuously learn new information without catastrophically forgetting what has been learnt before. To solve this problem, here the authors propose a replay-based algorithm for deep learning without the need to store data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gido M van de Ven
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. .,Computational and Biological Learning Lab, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK.
| | - Hava T Siegelmann
- College of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Andreas S Tolias
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77251, USA
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32
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Hecht EE, Reilly OT, Benítez ME, Phillips KA, Brosnan SF. Sex differences in the brains of capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella). J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:327-339. [PMID: 32410227 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
This study reports an analysis of 20 T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans from tufted capuchin monkeys (5 male, 15 female). We carried out a data-driven, whole-brain volumetric analysis on regional gray matter anatomy using voxel-based morphometry. This revealed that males showed statistically significant expansion of a region of the hypothalamus, while females showed significant expansion in a distributed set of regions, including the cerebellum, early visual cortex, and higher-order visual regions spanning occipital and temporal cortex. In order to elucidate the network connectivity of these regions, we employed probabilistic tractography on diffusion tensor imaging data. This showed that the female-enlarged regions connect with distributed association networks across the brain. Notably, this contrasts with rodent studies, where sex differences are focused in deep, ancestral limbic regions involved in the control of reproductive behavior. Additionally, in our data set, for several regions, male and female volumetric measures were completely nonoverlapping. This contrasts with human studies, where sex differences in cortical regions have been reported but are characterized by overlapping rather than divergent male and female values. We suggest that these results can be understood in the context of the different lifetime experiences of males and females, which may produce increased experience-dependent cortical plasticity in capuchins compared to rodents, and in humans compared to capuchins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Olivia T Reilly
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Marcela E Benítez
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kimberley A Phillips
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Sarah F Brosnan
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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33
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Paton JJ, Buonomano DV. The Neural Basis of Timing: Distributed Mechanisms for Diverse Functions. Neuron 2019; 98:687-705. [PMID: 29772201 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.03.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Timing is critical to most forms of learning, behavior, and sensory-motor processing. Converging evidence supports the notion that, precisely because of its importance across a wide range of brain functions, timing relies on intrinsic and general properties of neurons and neural circuits; that is, the brain uses its natural cellular and network dynamics to solve a diversity of temporal computations. Many circuits have been shown to encode elapsed time in dynamically changing patterns of neural activity-so-called population clocks. But temporal processing encompasses a wide range of different computations, and just as there are different circuits and mechanisms underlying computations about space, there are a multitude of circuits and mechanisms underlying the ability to tell time and generate temporal patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Paton
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Dean V Buonomano
- Departments of Neurobiology and Psychology and Brain Research Institute, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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34
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Bengoetxea H, Rico-Barrio I, Ortuzar N, Murueta-Goyena A, Lafuente JV. Environmental Enrichment Reverses Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-Mediated Impairment Through BDNF-TrkB Pathway. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 55:43-59. [PMID: 28842826 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0716-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to an enriched environment (EE) has neuroprotective benefits and improves recovery from brain injury due to, among other, increased neurotrophic factor expression. Through these neurotrophins, important cortical and hippocampal changes occur. Vandetanib acts as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of cell receptors, among others, the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of EE counteracting cognitive and cellular effects after tyrosine kinase receptor blockade. Animals were reared under standard laboratory condition or EE; both groups received vandetanib or vehicle. Visuospatial learning was tested with Morris water maze. Neuronal, interneuronal, and vascular densities were measured by inmunohistochemistry and histochemistry techniques. Quantifications were performed in the hippocampus and in the visual cortex. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tyrosine kinase B receptor (TrkB), Akt, and Erk were measured by Western blot technique. Vandetanib produces a significant decrease in vascular and neuronal densities and reduction in the expression of molecules involved in survival and proliferation processes such as phospho-Akt/Akt and phospho-Erk/Erk. These results correlated to a cognitive impairment in visuospatial test. On the other hand, animals reared in an EE are able to reverse the negative effects, activating PI3K-AKT and MAP kinase pathways mediated by BDNF-TrkB binding. Present results provide novel and consistent evidences about the usefulness of living in EE as a strategy to improve deleterious effects of blocking neurotrophic pathways by vandetanib and the notable role of the BDNF-TrkB pathway to balance the neurovascular unit and cognitive effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harkaitz Bengoetxea
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience (LaNCE), Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - Irantzu Rico-Barrio
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena, E-48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Naiara Ortuzar
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience (LaNCE), Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Ane Murueta-Goyena
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience (LaNCE), Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - José V Lafuente
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience (LaNCE), Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Nanoneurosurgery Group, BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain.,Faculty of Health Science, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
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35
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Ocker GK, Doiron B. Training and Spontaneous Reinforcement of Neuronal Assemblies by Spike Timing Plasticity. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:937-951. [PMID: 29415191 PMCID: PMC7963120 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 01/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The synaptic connectivity of cortex is plastic, with experience shaping the ongoing interactions between neurons. Theoretical studies of spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) have focused on either just pairs of neurons or large-scale simulations. A simple analytic account for how fast spike time correlations affect both microscopic and macroscopic network structure is lacking. We develop a low-dimensional mean field theory for STDP in recurrent networks and show the emergence of assemblies of strongly coupled neurons with shared stimulus preferences. After training, this connectivity is actively reinforced by spike train correlations during the spontaneous dynamics. Furthermore, the stimulus coding by cell assemblies is actively maintained by these internally generated spiking correlations, suggesting a new role for noise correlations in neural coding. Assembly formation has often been associated with firing rate-based plasticity schemes; our theory provides an alternative and complementary framework, where fine temporal correlations and STDP form and actively maintain learned structure in cortical networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Koch Ocker
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Brent Doiron
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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36
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Cole MW, Ito T, Schultz D, Mill R, Chen R, Cocuzza C. Task activations produce spurious but systematic inflation of task functional connectivity estimates. Neuroimage 2018; 189:1-18. [PMID: 30597260 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.12.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Most neuroscientific studies have focused on task-evoked activations (activity amplitudes at specific brain locations), providing limited insight into the functional relationships between separate brain locations. Task-state functional connectivity (FC) - statistical association between brain activity time series during task performance - moves beyond task-evoked activations by quantifying functional interactions during tasks. However, many task-state FC studies do not remove the first-order effect of task-evoked activations prior to estimating task-state FC. It has been argued that this results in the ambiguous inference "likely active or interacting during the task", rather than the intended inference "likely interacting during the task". Utilizing a neural mass computational model, we verified that task-evoked activations substantially and inappropriately inflate task-state FC estimates, especially in functional MRI (fMRI) data. Various methods attempting to address this problem have been developed, yet the efficacies of these approaches have not been systematically assessed. We found that most standard approaches for fitting and removing mean task-evoked activations were unable to correct these inflated correlations. In contrast, methods that flexibly fit mean task-evoked response shapes effectively corrected the inflated correlations without reducing effects of interest. Results with empirical fMRI data confirmed the model's predictions, revealing activation-induced task-state FC inflation for both Pearson correlation and psychophysiological interaction (PPI) approaches. These results demonstrate that removal of mean task-evoked activations using an approach that flexibly models task-evoked response shape is an important preprocessing step for valid estimation of task-state FC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Cole
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA.
| | - Takuya Ito
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA; Behavioral and Neural Sciences PhD Program, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Douglas Schultz
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Ravi Mill
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Richard Chen
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA; Behavioral and Neural Sciences PhD Program, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Carrisa Cocuzza
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA; Behavioral and Neural Sciences PhD Program, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
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37
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Xie J, Xu G, Zhao X, Li M, Wang J, Han C, Han X. Enhanced Plasticity of Human Evoked Potentials by Visual Noise During the Intervention of Steady-State Stimulation Based Brain-Computer Interface. Front Neurorobot 2018; 12:82. [PMID: 30555316 PMCID: PMC6282004 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2018.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity, is an inclusive term that covers the permanent changes in the brain during the course of an individual's life, and neuroplasticity can be broadly defined as the changes in function or structure of the brain in response to the external and/or internal influences. Long-term potentiation (LTP), a well-characterized form of functional synaptic plasticity, could be influenced by rapid-frequency stimulation (or "tetanus") within in vivo human sensory pathways. Also, stochastic resonance (SR) has brought new insight into the field of visual processing for the study of neuroplasticity. In the present study, a brain-computer interface (BCI) intervention based on rapid and repetitive motion-reversal visual stimulation (i.e., a "tetanizing" stimulation) associated with spatiotemporal visual noise was implemented. The goal was to explore the possibility that the induction of LTP-like plasticity in the visual cortex may be enhanced by the SR formalism via changes in the amplitude of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) measured non-invasively from the scalp of healthy subjects. Changes in the absolute amplitude of P1 and N1 components of the transient VEPs during the initial presentation of the steady-state stimulation were used to evaluate the LTP-like plasticity between the non-noise and noise-tagged BCI interventions. We have shown that after adding a moderate visual noise to the rapid-frequency visual stimulation, the degree of the N1 negativity was potentiated following an ~40-min noise-tagged visual tetani. This finding demonstrated that the SR mechanism could enhance the plasticity-like changes in the human visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xie
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guanghua Xu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xingang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Min Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chengcheng Han
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xingliang Han
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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38
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Cell-specific plasticity associated with integrative memory of triple sensory signals in the barrel cortex. Oncotarget 2018; 9:30962-30978. [PMID: 30123420 PMCID: PMC6089555 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.25740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal plasticity occurs in associative memory. Associative memory cells are recruited for the integration and storage of associated signals. The coordinated refinements and interactions of associative memory cells including glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons remain elusive, which we have examined in a mouse model of associative learning. Paired olfaction, tail and whisker stimulations lead to odorant-induced and tail-induced whisker motions alongside whisker-induced whisker motion. In mice that show this cross-modal associative memory, barrel cortical glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons are recruited to encode the newly learned odor and tail signals alongside the innate whisker signal. These glutamatergic neurons are functionally upregulated, and GABAergic neurons are refined in a homeostatic manner. The mutual innervations between these glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons are upregulated. Therefore, the co-activations of sensory cortices by pairing the input signals recruit their glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons to be associative memory cells, which undergo coordinated refinement among glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons as well as homeostatic plasticity among subcellular compartments in order to drive these cells toward the optimal state for the integrative storage of associated signals.
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39
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Khan AG, Hofer SB. Contextual signals in visual cortex. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 52:131-138. [PMID: 29883940 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Vision is an active process. What we perceive strongly depends on our actions, intentions and expectations. During visual processing, these internal signals therefore need to be integrated with the visual information from the retina. The mechanisms of how this is achieved by the visual system are still poorly understood. Advances in recording and manipulating neuronal activity in specific cell types and axonal projections together with tools for circuit tracing are beginning to shed light on the neuronal circuit mechanisms of how internal, contextual signals shape sensory representations. Here we review recent work, primarily in mice, that has advanced our understanding of these processes, focusing on contextual signals related to locomotion, behavioural relevance and predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adil G Khan
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sonja B Hofer
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, London, UK.
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40
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Sergeeva EG, Espinosa-Garcia C, Atif F, Pardue MT, Stein DG. Neurosteroid allopregnanolone reduces ipsilateral visual cortex potentiation following unilateral optic nerve injury. Exp Neurol 2018; 306:138-148. [PMID: 29729249 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
In adult mice with unilateral optic nerve crush injury (ONC), we studied visual response plasticity in the visual cortex following stimulation with sinusoidal grating. We examined visually evoked potentials (VEP) in the primary visual cortex ipsilateral and contralateral to the crushed nerve. We found that unilateral ONC induces enhancement of visual response on the side ipsilateral to the injury that is evoked by visual stimulation to the intact eye. This enhancement was associated with supranormal spatial frequency thresholds in the intact eye when tested using optomotor response. To probe whether injury-induced disinhibition caused the potentiation, we treated animals with the neurosteroid allopregnanolone, a potent agonist of the GABAA receptor, one hour after crush and on post-injury days 3, 8, 13, and 18. Allopregnanolone diminished enhancement of the VEP and this effect was associated with the upregulated synthesis of the δ-subunit of the GABAA receptor. Our study shows a new aspect of experience-dependent plasticity following unilateral ONC. This hyper-activity in the ipsilateral visual cortex is prevented by upregulation of GABA inhibition with allopregnanolone. Our findings suggest the therapeutic potential of allopregnanolone for modulation of plasticity in certain eye and brain disorders and a possible role for disinhibition in ipsilateral hyper-activity following unilateral ONC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena G Sergeeva
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Suite 5100, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Claudia Espinosa-Garcia
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Suite 5100, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Fahim Atif
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Suite 5100, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Machelle T Pardue
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, 1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Donald G Stein
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Suite 5100, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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41
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Aguila J, Cudeiro FJ, Rivadulla C. Suppression of V1 Feedback Produces a Shift in the Topographic Representation of Receptive Fields of LGN Cells by Unmasking Latent Retinal Drives. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:3331-3345. [PMID: 28334353 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In awake monkeys, we used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to focally inactivate visual cortex while measuring the responsiveness of parvocellular lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) neurons. Effects were noted in 64/75 neurons, and could be divided into 2 main groups: (1) for 39 neurons, visual responsiveness decreased and visual latency increased without apparent shift in receptive field (RF) position and (2) a second group (n = 25, 33% of the recorded cells) whose excitability was not compromised, but whose RF position shifted an average of 4.5°. This change is related to the retinotopic correspondence observed between the recorded thalamic area and the affected cortical zone. The effect of inactivation for this group of neurons was compatible with silencing the original retinal drive and unmasking a second latent retinal drive onto the studied neuron. These results indicate novel and remarkable dynamics in thalamocortical circuitry that force us to reassess constraints on retinogeniculate transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Aguila
- Neurocom, School of Health Sciences and Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC), University of A Coruña, 15006 A Coruña, Spain
| | - F Javier Cudeiro
- Neurocom, School of Health Sciences and Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC), University of A Coruña, 15006 A Coruña, Spain.,Cerebral Stimulation Center of Galicia, 15009 A Coruña, Spain
| | - Casto Rivadulla
- Neurocom, School of Health Sciences and Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC), University of A Coruña, 15006 A Coruña, Spain
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42
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Goudar V, Buonomano DV. Encoding sensory and motor patterns as time-invariant trajectories in recurrent neural networks. eLife 2018. [PMID: 29537963 PMCID: PMC5851701 DOI: 10.7554/elife.31134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Much of the information the brain processes and stores is temporal in nature—a spoken word or a handwritten signature, for example, is defined by how it unfolds in time. However, it remains unclear how neural circuits encode complex time-varying patterns. We show that by tuning the weights of a recurrent neural network (RNN), it can recognize and then transcribe spoken digits. The model elucidates how neural dynamics in cortical networks may resolve three fundamental challenges: first, encode multiple time-varying sensory and motor patterns as stable neural trajectories; second, generalize across relevant spatial features; third, identify the same stimuli played at different speeds—we show that this temporal invariance emerges because the recurrent dynamics generate neural trajectories with appropriately modulated angular velocities. Together our results generate testable predictions as to how recurrent networks may use different mechanisms to generalize across the relevant spatial and temporal features of complex time-varying stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishwa Goudar
- Departments of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Dean V Buonomano
- Departments of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Departments of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
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43
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Thomas ME, Friedman NHM, Cisneros-Franco JM, Ouellet L, de Villers-Sidani É. The Prolonged Masking of Temporal Acoustic Inputs with Noise Drives Plasticity in the Adult Rat Auditory Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:1032-1046. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maryse E Thomas
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nathan H M Friedman
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - J Miguel Cisneros-Franco
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lydia Ouellet
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Étienne de Villers-Sidani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, QC, Canada
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44
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Dylda E, Pakan JM, Rochefort NL. Chronic Two-Photon Calcium Imaging in the Visual Cortex of Awake Behaving Mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-812028-6.00013-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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45
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Lei Z, Wang D, Chen N, Ma K, Lu W, Song Z, Cui S, Wang JH. Synapse Innervation and Associative Memory Cell Are Recruited for Integrative Storage of Whisker and Odor Signals in the Barrel Cortex through miRNA-Mediated Processes. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:316. [PMID: 29118695 PMCID: PMC5661269 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative learning is a common way for information acquisition, and the integrative storage of multiple associated signals is essential for associative thinking and logical reasoning. In terms of the cellular mechanism for associative memory, our studies by behavioral task and cellular imaging demonstrate that paired whisker and odor stimulations lead to odorant-induced whisker motion and associative memory cell recruitment in the barrel cortex (BC), which is driven presumably by synapse innervation from co-activated sensory cortices. To confirm these associative memory cells and synapse innervations essential for associative memory and to examine their potential mechanisms, we studied a causal relationship between epigenetic process and memory cell/synapse recruitment by manipulating miRNAs and observing the changes from the recruitments of associative memory cells and synapse innervations to associative memory. Anti-miRNA-324 and anti-miRNA-133a in the BC significantly downregulate new synapse innervation, associative memory cell recruitment and odorant-induced whisker motion, where Tau-tubulin kinase-1 expression is increased. Therefore, the upregulated miRNA-324 in associative learning knocks down Ttbk1-mediated Tau phosphorylation and microtubule depolymerization, which drives the balance between polymerization and depolymerization toward the axon prolongation and spine stabilization to initiate new synapse innervations and to recruit associative memory cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuofan Lei
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Dengzhou, China.,Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dangui Wang
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Na Chen
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ke Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Dengzhou, China
| | - Wei Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Dengzhou, China.,Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenhua Song
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Dengzhou, China
| | - Shan Cui
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Hui Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Dengzhou, China.,Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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46
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Cavieres G, Nuñez-Villegas M, Bozinovic F, Sabat P. Early life experience drives short-term acclimation of metabolic and osmoregulatory traits in the leaf-eared mouse. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:2626-2634. [PMID: 28495870 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.149997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
We studied the putative effect of early life experience on the physiological flexibility of metabolic and osmoregulatory traits in the leaf-eared mouse, Phyllotis darwini, an altricial rodent inhabiting seasonal Mediterranean environments. Adult individuals were collected in central Chile and maintained in breeding pairs. Pups were isolated after weaning and acclimated to different temperatures (cold or warm) and water availability (unrestricted and restricted) until adulthood. Subsequently, individuals were re-acclimated to the opposite treatment. Rodents reared in the warm and subjected to water restriction had lower basal metabolic rate (BMR), total evaporative water loss (TEWL) and body mass (Mb) compared with those developing in the cold treatment; nevertheless, individuals subjected to warm temperatures had greater relative medullary thickness (RMT) and urine concentrating ability (UCA). Cold-reared rodents re-acclimated to warm conditions exhibited physiological flexibility of metabolic traits; however, their osmoregulatory attributes did not vary. Conversely, warm-reared rodents re-acclimated to cold had reduced RMT and UCA, but the metabolic traits of these individuals did not change. These results suggest a trade-off between metabolic performance and renal capabilities that might hinder physiological acclimation. Our results support the hypothesis of ontogenetic dependence of short-term acclimation in osmoregulatory and metabolic traits in P. darwini.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grisel Cavieres
- Departamento de Ecología and Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 6513677 Santiago, Chile
| | - Monica Nuñez-Villegas
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, 7800003 Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Bozinovic
- Departamento de Ecología and Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 6513677 Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo Sabat
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, 7800003 Santiago, Chile
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47
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Blake DT. Network Supervision of Adult Experience and Learning Dependent Sensory Cortical Plasticity. Compr Physiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c160036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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48
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Beyeler M, Rokem A, Boynton GM, Fine I. Learning to see again: biological constraints on cortical plasticity and the implications for sight restoration technologies. J Neural Eng 2017; 14:051003. [PMID: 28612755 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aa795e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The 'bionic eye'-so long a dream of the future-is finally becoming a reality with retinal prostheses available to patients in both the US and Europe. However, clinical experience with these implants has made it apparent that the visual information provided by these devices differs substantially from normal sight. Consequently, the ability of patients to learn to make use of this abnormal retinal input plays a critical role in whether or not some functional vision is successfully regained. The goal of the present review is to summarize the vast basic science literature on developmental and adult cortical plasticity with an emphasis on how this literature might relate to the field of prosthetic vision. We begin with describing the distortion and information loss likely to be experienced by visual prosthesis users. We then define cortical plasticity and perceptual learning, and describe what is known, and what is unknown, about visual plasticity across the hierarchy of brain regions involved in visual processing, and across different stages of life. We close by discussing what is known about brain plasticity in sight restoration patients and discuss biological mechanisms that might eventually be harnessed to improve visual learning in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Beyeler
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America. Institute for Neuroengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America. eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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49
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Locomotion Induces Stimulus-Specific Response Enhancement in Adult Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2017; 37:3532-3543. [PMID: 28258167 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3760-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The responses of neurons in the visual cortex (V1) of adult mammals have long been thought to be stable over long periods. Here, we investigated whether repeated exposure to specific stimuli would enhance V1 visual responses in mice using intrinsic signal imaging through the intact skull and two-photon imaging of calcium signals in single neurons. Mice ran on Styrofoam balls floating on air while viewing one of three different, high-contrast visual stimuli. V1 responses to the stimuli that were viewed by the animal were specifically enhanced, while responses to other stimuli were unaffected. Similar exposure in stationary mice or in mice in which NMDA receptors were partially blocked did not significantly enhance responses. These findings indicate that stimulus-specific plasticity in the adult visual cortex depends on concurrent locomotion, presumably as a result of the high-gain state of the visual cortex induced by locomotion.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We report a rapid and persistent increase in visual cortical responses to visual stimuli presented during locomotion in intact mice. We first used a method that is completely noninvasive to image intrinsic signals through the intact skull. We then measured the same effects on single neurons using two-photon calcium imaging and found that the increase in response to a particular stimulus produced by locomotion depends on how well the neuron is initially driven by the stimulus. To our knowledge, this is the first time such enhancement has been described in single neurons or using noninvasive measurements.
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50
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Jovanovic S, Radulovic T, Coddou C, Dietz B, Nerlich J, Stojilkovic SS, Rübsamen R, Milenkovic I. Tonotopic action potential tuning of maturing auditory neurons through endogenous ATP. J Physiol 2016; 595:1315-1337. [PMID: 28030754 DOI: 10.1113/jp273272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Following the genetically controlled formation of neuronal circuits, early firing activity guides the development of sensory maps in the auditory, visual and somatosensory system. However, it is not clear whether the activity of central auditory neurons is specifically regulated depending on the position within the sensory map. In the ventral cochlear nucleus, the first central station along the auditory pathway, we describe a mechanism through which paracrine ATP signalling enhances firing in a cell-specific and tonotopically-determined manner. Developmental down-regulation of P2X2/3R currents along the tonotopic axis occurs simultaneously with an increase in AMPA receptor currents, suggesting a high-to-low frequency maturation pattern. Facilitated action potential (AP) generation, measured as higher firing rate, shorter EPSP-AP delay in vivo and shorter AP latency in slice experiments, is consistent with increased synaptic efficacy caused by ATP. The long lasting change in intrinsic neuronal excitability is mediated by the heteromeric P2X2/3 receptors. ABSTRACT Synaptic refinement and strengthening are activity-dependent processes that establish orderly arranged cochleotopic maps throughout the central auditory system. The maturation of auditory brainstem circuits is guided by action potentials (APs) arising from the inner hair cells in the developing cochlea. The AP firing of developing central auditory neurons can be modulated by paracrine ATP signalling, as shown for the cochlear nucleus bushy cells and principal neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body. However, it is not clear whether neuronal activity may be specifically regulated with respect to the nuclear tonotopic position (i.e. sound frequency selectivity). Using slice recordings before hearing onset and in vivo recordings with iontophoretic drug applications after hearing onset, we show that cell-specific purinergic modulation follows a precise tonotopic pattern in the ventral cochlear nucleus of developing gerbils. In high-frequency regions, ATP responsiveness diminished before hearing onset. In low-to-mid frequency regions, ATP modulation persisted after hearing onset in a subset of low-frequency bushy cells (characteristic frequency< 10 kHz). Down-regulation of P2X2/3R currents along the tonotopic axis occurs simultaneously with an increase in AMPA receptor currents, thus suggesting a high-to-low frequency maturation pattern. Facilitated AP generation, measured as higher firing frequency, shorter EPSP-AP delay in vivo, and shorter AP latency in slice experiments, is consistent with increased synaptic efficacy caused by ATP. Finally, by combining recordings and pharmacology in vivo, in slices, and in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, it was shown that the long lasting change in intrinsic neuronal excitability is mediated by the P2X2/3R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saša Jovanovic
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tamara Radulovic
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Carl Ludwig Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claudio Coddou
- Section on Cellular Signaling, Program in Developmental Neuroscience, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Beatrice Dietz
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jana Nerlich
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Carl Ludwig Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stanko S Stojilkovic
- Section on Cellular Signaling, Program in Developmental Neuroscience, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rudolf Rübsamen
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ivan Milenkovic
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Carl Ludwig Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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