1
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Nodal FR, Leach ND, Keating P, Dahmen JC, Zhao D, King AJ, Bajo VM. Neural processing in the primary auditory cortex following cholinergic lesions of the basal forebrain in ferrets. Hear Res 2024; 447:109025. [PMID: 38733712 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.109025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Cortical acetylcholine (ACh) release has been linked to various cognitive functions, including perceptual learning. We have previously shown that cortical cholinergic innervation is necessary for accurate sound localization in ferrets, as well as for their ability to adapt with training to altered spatial cues. To explore whether these behavioral deficits are associated with changes in the response properties of cortical neurons, we recorded neural activity in the primary auditory cortex (A1) of anesthetized ferrets in which cholinergic inputs had been reduced by making bilateral injections of the immunotoxin ME20.4-SAP in the nucleus basalis (NB) prior to training the animals. The pattern of spontaneous activity of A1 units recorded in the ferrets with cholinergic lesions (NB ACh-) was similar to that in controls, although the proportion of burst-type units was significantly lower. Depletion of ACh also resulted in more synchronous activity in A1. No changes in thresholds, frequency tuning or in the distribution of characteristic frequencies were found in these animals. When tested with normal acoustic inputs, the spatial sensitivity of A1 neurons in the NB ACh- ferrets and the distribution of their preferred interaural level differences also closely resembled those found in control animals, indicating that these properties had not been altered by sound localization training with one ear occluded. Simulating the animals' previous experience with a virtual earplug in one ear reduced the contralateral preference of A1 units in both groups, but caused azimuth sensitivity to change in slightly different ways, which may reflect the modest adaptation observed in the NB ACh- group. These results show that while ACh is required for behavioral adaptation to altered spatial cues, it is not required for maintenance of the spectral and spatial response properties of A1 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando R Nodal
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Peter Keating
- UCL Ear Institute, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes C Dahmen
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Dylan Zhao
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria M Bajo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
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2
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Adenis V, Partouche E, Stahl P, Gnansia D, Huetz C, Edeline JM. Asymmetric pulses delivered by a cochlear implant allow a reduction in evoked firing rate and in spatial activation in the guinea pig auditory cortex. Hear Res 2024; 447:109027. [PMID: 38723386 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.109027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Despite that fact that the cochlear implant (CI) is one of the most successful neuro-prosthetic devices which allows hearing restoration, several aspects still need to be improved. Interactions between stimulating electrodes through current spread occurring within the cochlea drastically limit the number of discriminable frequency channels and thus can ultimately result in poor speech perception. One potential solution relies on the use of new pulse shapes, such as asymmetric pulses, which can potentially reduce the current spread within the cochlea. The present study characterized the impact of changing electrical pulse shapes from the standard biphasic symmetric to the asymmetrical shape by quantifying the evoked firing rate and the spatial activation in the guinea pig primary auditory cortex (A1). At a fixed charge, the firing rate and the spatial activation in A1 decreased by 15 to 25 % when asymmetric pulses were used to activate the auditory nerve fibers, suggesting a potential reduction of the spread of excitation inside the cochlea. A strong "polarity-order" effect was found as the reduction was more pronounced when the first phase of the pulse was cathodic with high amplitude. These results suggest that the use of asymmetrical pulse shapes in clinical settings can potentially reduce the channel interactions in CI users.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Adenis
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neurosciences (Neuro-PSI), France; CNRS UMR 9197, 91405 Orsay cedex, France; Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay cedex, France
| | - E Partouche
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neurosciences (Neuro-PSI), France; CNRS UMR 9197, 91405 Orsay cedex, France; Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay cedex, France
| | - P Stahl
- Oticon Medical, Vallauris, France
| | | | - C Huetz
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neurosciences (Neuro-PSI), France; CNRS UMR 9197, 91405 Orsay cedex, France; Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay cedex, France
| | - J-M Edeline
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neurosciences (Neuro-PSI), France; CNRS UMR 9197, 91405 Orsay cedex, France; Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay cedex, France.
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3
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Wang M, Jendrichovsky P, Kanold PO. Auditory discrimination learning differentially modulates neural representation in auditory cortex subregions and inter-areal connectivity. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114172. [PMID: 38703366 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Changes in sound-evoked responses in the auditory cortex (ACtx) occur during learning, but how learning alters neural responses in different ACtx subregions and changes their interactions is unclear. To address these questions, we developed an automated training and widefield imaging system to longitudinally track the neural activity of all mouse ACtx subregions during a tone discrimination task. We find that responses in primary ACtx are highly informative of learned stimuli and behavioral outcomes throughout training. In contrast, representations of behavioral outcomes in the dorsal posterior auditory field, learned stimuli in the dorsal anterior auditory field, and inter-regional correlations between primary and higher-order areas are enhanced with training. Moreover, ACtx response changes vary between stimuli, and such differences display lag synchronization with the learning rate. These results indicate that learning alters functional connections between ACtx subregions, inducing region-specific modulations by propagating behavioral information from primary to higher-order areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxuan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Peter Jendrichovsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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4
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Carroll AM, Riley JR, Borland MS, Danaphongse TT, Hays SA, Kilgard MP, Engineer CT. Bursts of vagus nerve stimulation paired with auditory rehabilitation fail to improve speech sound perception in rats with hearing loss. iScience 2024; 27:109527. [PMID: 38585658 PMCID: PMC10995867 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Hearing loss can lead to long-lasting effects on the central nervous system, and current therapies, such as auditory training and rehabilitation, show mixed success in improving perception and speech comprehension. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an adjunctive therapy that can be paired with rehabilitation to facilitate behavioral recovery after neural injury. However, VNS for auditory recovery has not been tested after severe hearing loss or significant damage to peripheral receptors. This study investigated the utility of pairing VNS with passive or active auditory rehabilitation in a rat model of noise-induced hearing loss. Although auditory rehabilitation helped rats improve their frequency discrimination, learn novel speech discrimination tasks, and achieve speech-in-noise performance similar to normal hearing controls, VNS did not enhance recovery of speech sound perception. These results highlight the limitations of VNS as an adjunctive therapy for hearing loss rehabilitation and suggest that optimal benefits from neuromodulation may require restored peripheral signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan M. Carroll
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Jonathan R. Riley
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Michael S. Borland
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Tanya T. Danaphongse
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Seth A. Hays
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Michael P. Kilgard
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Crystal T. Engineer
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
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5
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Wikman P, Salmela V, Sjöblom E, Leminen M, Laine M, Alho K. Attention to audiovisual speech shapes neural processing through feedback-feedforward loops between different nodes of the speech network. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002534. [PMID: 38466713 PMCID: PMC10957087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Selective attention-related top-down modulation plays a significant role in separating relevant speech from irrelevant background speech when vocal attributes separating concurrent speakers are small and continuously evolving. Electrophysiological studies have shown that such top-down modulation enhances neural tracking of attended speech. Yet, the specific cortical regions involved remain unclear due to the limited spatial resolution of most electrophysiological techniques. To overcome such limitations, we collected both electroencephalography (EEG) (high temporal resolution) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (high spatial resolution), while human participants selectively attended to speakers in audiovisual scenes containing overlapping cocktail party speech. To utilise the advantages of the respective techniques, we analysed neural tracking of speech using the EEG data and performed representational dissimilarity-based EEG-fMRI fusion. We observed that attention enhanced neural tracking and modulated EEG correlates throughout the latencies studied. Further, attention-related enhancement of neural tracking fluctuated in predictable temporal profiles. We discuss how such temporal dynamics could arise from a combination of interactions between attention and prediction as well as plastic properties of the auditory cortex. EEG-fMRI fusion revealed attention-related iterative feedforward-feedback loops between hierarchically organised nodes of the ventral auditory object related processing stream. Our findings support models where attention facilitates dynamic neural changes in the auditory cortex, ultimately aiding discrimination of relevant sounds from irrelevant ones while conserving neural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Wikman
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Viljami Salmela
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Eetu Sjöblom
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Miika Leminen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- AI and Analytics Unit, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matti Laine
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Kimmo Alho
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
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6
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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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7
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Tseng CT, Welch HF, Gi AL, Kang EM, Mamidi T, Pydimarri S, Ramesh K, Sandoval A, Ploski JE, Thorn CA. Frequency Specific Optogenetic Stimulation of the Locus Coeruleus Induces Task-Relevant Plasticity in the Motor Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1528232023. [PMID: 38124020 PMCID: PMC10869157 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1528-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The locus ceruleus (LC) is the primary source of neocortical noradrenaline, which is known to be involved in diverse brain functions including sensory perception, attention, and learning. Previous studies have shown that LC stimulation paired with sensory experience can induce task-dependent plasticity in the sensory neocortex and in the hippocampus. However, it remains unknown whether LC activation similarly impacts neural representations in the agranular motor cortical regions that are responsible for movement planning and production. In this study, we test whether optogenetic stimulation of the LC paired with motor performance is sufficient to induce task-relevant plasticity in the somatotopic cortical motor map. Male and female TH-Cre + rats were trained on a skilled reaching lever-pressing task emphasizing the use of the proximal forelimb musculature, and a viral approach was used to selectively express ChR2 in noradrenergic LC neurons. Once animals reached criterial behavioral performance, they received five training sessions in which correct task performance was paired with optogenetic stimulation of the LC delivered at 3, 10, or 30 Hz. After the last stimulation session, motor cortical mapping was performed using intracortical microstimulation. Our results show that lever pressing paired with LC stimulation at 10 Hz, but not at 3 or 30 Hz, drove the expansion of the motor map representation of the task-relevant proximal FL musculature. These findings demonstrate that phasic, training-paired activation of the LC is sufficient to induce experience-dependent plasticity in the agranular motor cortex and that this LC-driven plasticity is highly dependent on the temporal dynamics of LC activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Tzu Tseng
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson 75080, Texas
| | - Hailey F Welch
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson 75080, Texas
| | - Ashley L Gi
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson 75080, Texas
| | - Erica Mina Kang
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson 75080, Texas
| | - Tanushree Mamidi
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson 75080, Texas
| | - Sahiti Pydimarri
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson 75080, Texas
| | - Kritika Ramesh
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson 75080, Texas
| | - Alfredo Sandoval
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555, Texas
| | - Jonathan E Ploski
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey 17033-0850, Pennsylvania
| | - Catherine A Thorn
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson 75080, Texas,
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8
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Olszewska AM, Gaca M, Droździel D, Widlarz A, Herman AM, Marchewka A. Understanding functional brain reorganization for naturalistic piano playing in novice pianists. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25312. [PMID: 38400578 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Learning to play the piano is a unique complex task, integrating multiple sensory modalities and higher order cognitive functions. Longitudinal neuroimaging studies on adult novice musicians show training-related functional changes in music perception tasks. The reorganization of brain activity while actually playing an instrument was studied only on a very short time frame of a single fMRI session, and longer interventions have not yet been performed. Thus, our aim was to investigate the dynamic complexity of functional brain reorganization while playing the piano within the first half year of musical training. We scanned 24 novice keyboard learners (female, 18-23 years old) using fMRI while they played increasingly complex musical pieces after 1, 6, 13, and 26 weeks of training. Playing music evoked responses bilaterally in the auditory, inferior frontal, and supplementary motor areas, and the left sensorimotor cortex. The effect of training over time, however, invoked widespread changes encompassing the right sensorimotor cortex, cerebellum, superior parietal cortex, anterior insula and hippocampus, among others. As the training progressed, the activation of these regions decreased while playing music. Post hoc analysis revealed region-specific time-courses for independent auditory and motor regions of interest. These results suggest that while the primary sensory, motor, and frontal regions are associated with playing music, the training decreases the involvement of higher order cognitive control and integrative regions, and basal ganglia. Moreover, training might affect distinct brain regions in different ways, providing evidence in favor of the dynamic nature of brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja M Olszewska
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Gaca
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dawid Droździel
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Widlarz
- Department of Choir Conducting and Singing, Music Education and Rhythmics, The Chopin University of Music, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra M Herman
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Artur Marchewka
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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9
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Kobayashi K, Shiba Y, Honda S, Nakajima S, Fujii S, Mimura M, Noda Y. Short-Term Effect of Auditory Stimulation on Neural Activities: A Scoping Review of Longitudinal Electroencephalography and Magnetoencephalography Studies. Brain Sci 2024; 14:131. [PMID: 38391706 PMCID: PMC10887208 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14020131] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Explored through EEG/MEG, auditory stimuli function as a suitable research probe to reveal various neural activities, including event-related potentials, brain oscillations and functional connectivity. Accumulating evidence in this field stems from studies investigating neuroplasticity induced by long-term auditory training, specifically cross-sectional studies comparing musicians and non-musicians as well as longitudinal studies with musicians. In contrast, studies that address the neural effects of short-term interventions whose duration lasts from minutes to hours are only beginning to be featured. Over the past decade, an increasing body of evidence has shown that short-term auditory interventions evoke rapid changes in neural activities, and oscillatory fluctuations can be observed even in the prestimulus period. In this scoping review, we divided the extracted neurophysiological studies into three groups to discuss neural activities with short-term auditory interventions: the pre-stimulus period, during stimulation, and a comparison of before and after stimulation. We show that oscillatory activities vary depending on the context of the stimuli and are greatly affected by the interplay of bottom-up and top-down modulational mechanisms, including attention. We conclude that the observed rapid changes in neural activitiesin the auditory cortex and the higher-order cognitive part of the brain are causally attributed to short-term auditory interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanon Kobayashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yasushi Shiba
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan
| | - Shiori Honda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Nakajima
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Shinya Fujii
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0816, Japan
| | - Masaru Mimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Noda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
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10
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Grootjans Y, Byczynski G, Vanneste S. The use of non-invasive brain stimulation in auditory perceptual learning: A review. Hear Res 2023; 439:108881. [PMID: 37689034 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Auditory perceptual learning is an experience-dependent form of auditory learning that can improve substantially throughout adulthood with practice. A key mechanism associated with perceptual learning is synaptic plasticity. In the last decades, an increasingly better understanding has formed about the neural mechanisms related to auditory perceptual learning. Research in animal models found an association between the functional organization of the primary auditory cortex and frequency discrimination ability. Several studies observed an increase in the area of representation to be associated with improved frequency discrimination. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques have been related to the promotion of plasticity. Despite its popularity in other fields, non-invasive brain stimulation has not been used much in auditory perceptual learning. The present review has discussed the application of non-invasive brain stimulation methods in auditory perceptual learning by discussing the mechanisms, current evidence and challenges, and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette Grootjans
- Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, Trinity Institute for Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gabriel Byczynski
- Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, Trinity Institute for Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, Trinity Institute for Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
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11
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Borland MS, Buell EP, Riley JR, Carroll AM, Moreno NA, Sharma P, Grasse KM, Buell JM, Kilgard MP, Engineer CT. Precise sound characteristics drive plasticity in the primary auditory cortex with VNS-sound pairing. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1248936. [PMID: 37732302 PMCID: PMC10508341 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1248936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Repeatedly pairing a tone with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) alters frequency tuning across the auditory pathway. Pairing VNS with speech sounds selectively enhances the primary auditory cortex response to the paired sounds. It is not yet known how altering the speech sounds paired with VNS alters responses. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the sounds that are presented and paired with VNS will influence the neural plasticity observed following VNS-sound pairing. Methods To explore the relationship between acoustic experience and neural plasticity, responses were recorded from primary auditory cortex (A1) after VNS was repeatedly paired with the speech sounds 'rad' and 'lad' or paired with only the speech sound 'rad' while 'lad' was an unpaired background sound. Results Pairing both sounds with VNS increased the response strength and neural discriminability of the paired sounds in the primary auditory cortex. Surprisingly, pairing only 'rad' with VNS did not alter A1 responses. Discussion These results suggest that the specific acoustic contrasts associated with VNS can powerfully shape neural activity in the auditory pathway. Methods to promote plasticity in the central auditory system represent a new therapeutic avenue to treat auditory processing disorders. Understanding how different sound contrasts and neural activity patterns shape plasticity could have important clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Borland
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Elizabeth P. Buell
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan R. Riley
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Alan M. Carroll
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Nicole A. Moreno
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Pryanka Sharma
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Katelyn M. Grasse
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - John M. Buell
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Michael P. Kilgard
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Crystal T. Engineer
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
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12
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Kunnath AJ, Gifford RH, Wallace MT. Cholinergic modulation of sensory perception and plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105323. [PMID: 37467908 PMCID: PMC10424559 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Sensory systems are highly plastic, but the mechanisms of sensory plasticity remain unclear. People with vision or hearing loss demonstrate significant neural network reorganization that promotes adaptive changes in other sensory modalities as well as in their ability to combine information across the different senses (i.e., multisensory integration. Furthermore, sensory network remodeling is necessary for sensory restoration after a period of sensory deprivation. Acetylcholine is a powerful regulator of sensory plasticity, and studies suggest that cholinergic medications may improve visual and auditory abilities by facilitating sensory network plasticity. There are currently no approved therapeutics for sensory loss that target neuroplasticity. This review explores the systems-level effects of cholinergic signaling on human visual and auditory perception, with a focus on functional performance, sensory disorders, and neural activity. Understanding the role of acetylcholine in sensory plasticity will be essential for developing targeted treatments for sensory restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansley J Kunnath
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - René H Gifford
- Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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13
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Willmore BDB, King AJ. Adaptation in auditory processing. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:1025-1058. [PMID: 36049112 PMCID: PMC9829473 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00011.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptation is an essential feature of auditory neurons, which reduces their responses to unchanging and recurring sounds and allows their response properties to be matched to the constantly changing statistics of sounds that reach the ears. As a consequence, processing in the auditory system highlights novel or unpredictable sounds and produces an efficient representation of the vast range of sounds that animals can perceive by continually adjusting the sensitivity and, to a lesser extent, the tuning properties of neurons to the most commonly encountered stimulus values. Together with attentional modulation, adaptation to sound statistics also helps to generate neural representations of sound that are tolerant to background noise and therefore plays a vital role in auditory scene analysis. In this review, we consider the diverse forms of adaptation that are found in the auditory system in terms of the processing levels at which they arise, the underlying neural mechanisms, and their impact on neural coding and perception. We also ask what the dynamics of adaptation, which can occur over multiple timescales, reveal about the statistical properties of the environment. Finally, we examine how adaptation to sound statistics is influenced by learning and experience and changes as a result of aging and hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben D. B. Willmore
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J. King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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14
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Quantitative Fluorescence Analysis Reveals Dendrite-Specific Thalamocortical Plasticity in L5 Pyramidal Neurons during Learning. J Neurosci 2023; 43:584-600. [PMID: 36639912 PMCID: PMC9888508 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1372-22.2022] [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: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput anatomic data can stimulate and constrain new hypotheses about how neural circuits change in response to experience. Here, we use fluorescence-based reagents for presynaptic and postsynaptic labeling to monitor changes in thalamocortical synapses onto different compartments of layer 5 (L5) pyramidal (Pyr) neurons in somatosensory (barrel) cortex from mixed-sex mice during whisker-dependent learning (Audette et al., 2019). Using axonal fills and molecular-genetic tags for synapse identification in fixed tissue from Rbp4-Cre transgenic mice, we found that thalamocortical synapses from the higher-order posterior medial thalamic nucleus showed rapid morphologic changes in both presynaptic and postsynaptic structures at the earliest stages of sensory association training. Detected increases in thalamocortical synaptic size were compartment specific, occurring selectively in the proximal dendrites onto L5 Pyr and not at inputs onto their apical tufts in L1. Both axonal and dendritic changes were transient, normalizing back to baseline as animals became expert in the task. Anatomical measurements were corroborated by electrophysiological recordings at different stages of training. Thus, fluorescence-based analysis of input- and target-specific synapses can reveal compartment-specific changes in synapse properties during learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Synaptic changes underlie the cellular basis of learning, experience, and neurologic diseases. Neuroanatomical methods to assess synaptic plasticity can provide critical spatial information necessary for building models of neuronal computations during learning and experience but are technically and fiscally intensive. Here, we describe a confocal fluorescence microscopy-based analytical method to assess input, cell type, and dendritic location-specific synaptic plasticity in a sensory learning assay. Our method not only confirms prior electrophysiological measurements but allows us to predict functional strength of synapses in a pathway-specific manner. Our findings also indicate that changes in primary sensory cortices are transient, occurring during early learning. Fluorescence-based synapse identification can be an efficient and easily adopted approach to study synaptic changes in a variety of experimental paradigms.
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15
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Zheng W, Guan X, Zhang X, Gong J. Early recovery of cognition and brain plasticity after surgery in children with low-grade frontal lobe tumors. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1127098. [PMID: 36969297 PMCID: PMC10036824 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1127098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Low-grade frontal lobe tumors (LGFLT) can be cured through total resection, but surgical trauma could impair higher-order cognitive function. We aim to characterize the short-term natural cognitive recovery and brain plasticity in surgically-treated pediatric patients with LGFLT. Methods Ten pediatric patients with LGFLT were enrolled. Their cognitive function was assessed before the surgery (S0), in the first month post-surgery (S1), and 3-6 months post-surgery (S2), using the CNS Vital Signs battery. DTI and rs-fMRI were performed during the same time periods. Changes of cognition and image metrics between S1>S0 and S2>S1 were analyzed. Results The Motor Speed (MotSp) and Reaction Time (RT) scores significantly decreased in S1 and recovered in S2. Rs-fMRI showed decreased functional connectivity (FC) between the bilateral frontal lobes and bilateral caudates, putamina, and pallidi in S1>S0 (voxel threshold p -unc < 0.001 , cluster threshold p -FDR < 0.05 ). In S2>S1, FC recovery was observed in the neighboring frontal cortex areas ( p -unc < 0.001 , p -FDR < 0.05 ). Among them, the FC in the caudates-right inferior frontal gyri was positively correlated to the RT ( p -FDR < 0.05 ). A DTI Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis showed decreased fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity mainly in the corticospinal tracts, cingulum, internal capsule, and external capsule at 0-6 months post-surgery (TFCE- p < 0.05 ). The DTI metrics were not associated with the cognitive data. Conclusion Processing speed impairment after an LGFLT resection can recover naturally within 3-6 months in school-age children. Rs-fMRI is more sensitive to short-term brain plasticity than DTI TBSS analysis. "Map expansion" plasticity in the frontal-basal ganglia circuit may contribute to the recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjian Zheng
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute and Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xueyi Guan
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute and Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Beijing, China
| | | | - Jian Gong
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute and Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Beijing, China
- Correspondence: Jian Gong
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16
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Jiang Y, Yuan TS, Chen YC, Guo P, Lian TH, Liu YY, Liu W, Bai YT, Zhang Q, Zhang W, Zhang JG. Deep brain stimulation of the nucleus basalis of Meynert modulates hippocampal-frontoparietal networks in patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease. Transl Neurodegener 2022; 11:51. [PMID: 36471370 PMCID: PMC9721033 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-022-00327-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) has shown potential for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there is little evidence of whether NBM-DBS can improve cognitive functioning in patients with advanced AD. In addition, the mechanisms underlying the modulation of brain networks remain unclear. This study was aimed to assess the cognitive function and the resting-state connectivity following NBM-DBS in patients with advanced AD. METHODS Eight patients with advanced AD underwent bilateral NBM-DBS and were followed up for 12 months. Clinical outcomes were assessed by neuropsychological examinations using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography data were also collected. RESULTS The cognitive functioning of AD patients did not change from baseline to the 12-month follow-up. Interestingly, the MMSE score indicated clinical efficacy at 1 month of follow-up. At this time point, the connectivity between the hippocampal network and frontoparietal network tended to increase in the DBS-on state compared to the DBS-off state. Additionally, the increased functional connectivity between the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) and the parietal cortex was associated with cognitive improvement. Further dynamic functional network analysis showed that NBM-DBS increased the proportion of the PHG-related connections, which was related to improved cognitive performance. CONCLUSION The results indicated that NBM-DBS improves short-term cognitive performance in patients with advanced AD, which may be related to the modulation of multi-network connectivity patterns, and the hippocampus plays an important role within these networks. TRIAL REGISTRATION ChiCTR, ChiCTR1900022324. Registered 5 April 2019-Prospective registration. https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=37712.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Jiang
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Tian-Shuo Yuan
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Ying-Chuan Chen
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Peng Guo
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XCenter for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Teng-Hong Lian
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XCenter for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Yu-Ye Liu
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Wei Liu
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Yu-Tong Bai
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Quan Zhang
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Wei Zhang
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XCenter for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China
| | - Jian-Guo Zhang
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China ,grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XDepartment of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070 China ,grid.413259.80000 0004 0632 3337Beijing Key Laboratory of Neurostimulation, Beijing, 100070 China
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17
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Bowles S, Hickman J, Peng X, Williamson WR, Huang R, Washington K, Donegan D, Welle CG. Vagus nerve stimulation drives selective circuit modulation through cholinergic reinforcement. Neuron 2022; 110:2867-2885.e7. [PMID: 35858623 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a neuromodulation therapy for a broad and expanding set of neurologic conditions. However, the mechanism through which VNS influences central nervous system circuitry is not well described, limiting therapeutic optimization. VNS leads to widespread brain activation, but the effects on behavior are remarkably specific, indicating plasticity unique to behaviorally engaged neural circuits. To understand how VNS can lead to specific circuit modulation, we leveraged genetic tools including optogenetics and in vivo calcium imaging in mice learning a skilled reach task. We find that VNS enhances skilled motor learning in healthy animals via a cholinergic reinforcement mechanism, producing a rapid consolidation of an expert reach trajectory. In primary motor cortex (M1), VNS drives precise temporal modulation of neurons that respond to behavioral outcome. This suggests that VNS may accelerate motor refinement in M1 via cholinergic signaling, opening new avenues for optimizing VNS to target specific disease-relevant circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer Bowles
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Jordan Hickman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Peng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - W Ryan Williamson
- IDEA Core, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Rongchen Huang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Kayden Washington
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Dane Donegan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Cristin G Welle
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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18
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Moorjani S, Walvekar S, Fetz EE, Perlmutter SI. Movement-dependent electrical stimulation for volitional strengthening of cortical connections in behaving monkeys. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2116321119. [PMID: 35759657 PMCID: PMC9271159 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116321119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Correlated activity of neurons can lead to long-term strengthening or weakening of the connections between them. In addition, the behavioral context, imparted by execution of physical movements or the presence of a reward, can modulate the plasticity induced by Hebbian mechanisms. In the present study, we have combined behavior and induced neuronal correlations to strengthen connections in the motor cortex of adult behaving monkeys. Correlated activity was induced using an electrical-conditioning protocol in which stimuli gated by voluntary movements were used to produce coactivation of neurons at motor-cortical sites involved in those movements. Delivery of movement-dependent stimulation resulted in small increases in the strength of associated cortical connections immediately after conditioning. Remarkably, when paired with further repetition of the movements that gated the conditioning stimuli, there were substantially larger gains in the strength of cortical connections, which occurred in a use-dependent manner, without delivery of additional conditioning stimulation. In the absence of such movements, little change was observed in the strength of motor-cortical connections. Performance of the motor behavior in the absence of conditioning also did not produce any changes in connectivity. Our results show that combining movement-gated stimulation with further natural use of the "conditioned" pathways after stimulation ends can produce use-dependent strengthening of connections in adult primates, highlighting an important role for behavior in cortical plasticity. Our data also provide strong support for combining movement-gated stimulation with use-dependent physical rehabilitation for strengthening connections weakened by a stroke or spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Moorjani
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Sarita Walvekar
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Eberhard E Fetz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Steve I Perlmutter
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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19
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Polley DB, Schiller D. The promise of low-tech intervention in a high-tech era: Remodeling pathological brain circuits using behavioral reverse engineering. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 137:104652. [PMID: 35385759 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
As an academic pursuit, neuroscience is enjoying a golden age. From a clinical perspective, our field is failing. Conventional 20th century drugs and devices are not well-matched to the heterogeneity, scale, and connectivity of neural circuits that produce aberrant mental states and behavior. Laboratory-based methods for editing neural genomes and sculpting activity patterns are exciting, but their applications for hundreds of millions of people with mental health disorders is uncertain. We argue that mechanisms for regulating adult brain plasticity and remodeling pathological activity are substantially pre-wired, and we suggest new minimally invasive strategies to harness and direct these endogenous systems. Drawing from studies across the neuroscience literature, we describe approaches that identify neural biomarkers more closely linked to upstream causes-rather than downstream consequences-of disordered behavioral states. We highlight the potential for innovation and discovery in reverse engineering approaches that refine bespoke behavioral "agonists" to drive upstream neural biomarkers in normative directions and reduce clinical symptoms for select classes of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Daniela Schiller
- Department of Psychiatry, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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20
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Wang W, Yang J, Yu Y, Li H, Liu Y, Yu Y, Yu J, Tang X, Yang J, Takahashi S, Ejima Y, Wu J. Tactile angle discriminability improvement: Contributions of working memory training and continuous attended sensory input. J Neurophysiol 2022; 127:1398-1406. [PMID: 35443143 PMCID: PMC9255707 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00529.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceptual learning is commonly assumed to enhance perception through continuous attended sensory input. However, learning is generalizable to performance in untrained stimuli and tasks. Although previous studies have observed a possible generalization effect across tasks as a result of working memory (WM) training, comparisons of the contributions of WM training and continuous attended sensory input to perceptual learning generalization are still rare. Therefore, we compared which factors contributed most to perceptual generalization and investigated which skills acquired during WM training led to tactile generalization across tasks. Here, a Braille-like dot pattern matching n-back WM task was used as the WM training task, with four workload levels (0, 1, 2, and 3-back levels). A tactile angle discrimination (TAD) task was used as a pre- and posttest to assess improvements in tactile perception. Between tests, four subject groups were randomly assigned to four different workload n-back tasks to consecutively complete three sessions of training. The results showed that tactile n-back WM training could enhance TAD performance, with the 3-back training group having the highest TAD threshold improvement rate. Furthermore, the rate of WM capacity improvement on the 3-back level across training sessions was correlated with the rate of TAD threshold improvement. These findings suggest that continuous attended sensory input and enhanced WM capacity can lead to improvements in TAD ability, and that greater improvements in WM capacity can predict greater improvements in TAD performance. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Perceptual learning is not always specific to the trained task and stimuli. We demonstrate that both continuous attended sensory input and improved WM capacity can be used to enhance tactile angle discrimination (TAD) ability. Moreover, WM capacity improvement is important in generalizing the training effect to the TAD ability. These findings contribute to understanding the mechanism of perceptual learning generalization across tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajia Yang
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.,Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yinghua Yu
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.,Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Huazhi Li
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yulong Liu
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yiyang Yu
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.,Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jiabin Yu
- College of Information Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Tang
- School of Psychology, Liaoning Collaborative Innovation Center of Children and Adolescents Healthy Personality Assessment and Cultivation, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Jingjing Yang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Satoshi Takahashi
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yoshimichi Ejima
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Jinglong Wu
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.,Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
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21
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Inhibition in the auditory cortex. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:61-75. [PMID: 34822879 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The auditory system provides us with extremely rich and precise information about the outside world. Once a sound reaches our ears, the acoustic information it carries travels from the cochlea all the way to the auditory cortex, where its complexity and nuances are integrated. In the auditory cortex, functional circuits are formed by subpopulations of intermingled excitatory and inhibitory cells. In this review, we discuss recent evidence of the specific contributions of inhibitory neurons in sound processing and integration. We first examine intrinsic properties of three main classes of inhibitory interneurons in the auditory cortex. Then, we describe how inhibition shapes the responsiveness of the auditory cortex to sound. Finally, we discuss how inhibitory interneurons contribute to the sensation and perception of sounds. Altogether, this review points out the crucial role of cortical inhibitory interneurons in integrating information about the context, history, or meaning of a sound. It also highlights open questions to be addressed for increasing our understanding of the staggering complexity leading to the subtlest auditory perception.
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22
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Tseng CT, Gaulding SJ, Dancel CLE, Thorn CA. Local activation of α2 adrenergic receptors is required for vagus nerve stimulation induced motor cortical plasticity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21645. [PMID: 34737352 PMCID: PMC8568982 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00976-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with rehabilitation training is emerging as a potential treatment for improving recovery of motor function following stroke. In rats, VNS paired with skilled forelimb training results in significant reorganization of the somatotopic cortical motor map; however, the mechanisms underlying this form of VNS-dependent plasticity remain unclear. Recent studies have shown that VNS-driven cortical plasticity is dependent on noradrenergic innervation of the neocortex. In the central nervous system, noradrenergic α2 receptors (α2-ARs) are widely expressed in the motor cortex and have been critically implicated in synaptic communication and plasticity. In current study, we examined whether activation of cortical α2-ARs is necessary for VNS-driven motor cortical reorganization to occur. Consistent with previous studies, we found that VNS paired with motor training enlarges the map representation of task-relevant musculature in the motor cortex. Infusion of α2-AR antagonists into M1 blocked VNS-driven motor map reorganization from occurring. Our results suggest that local α2-AR activation is required for VNS-induced cortical reorganization to occur, providing insight into the mechanisms that may underlie the neuroplastic effects of VNS therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Tzu Tseng
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Solomon J Gaulding
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Canice Lei E Dancel
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Catherine A Thorn
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA.
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Barr HJ, Wall EM, Woolley SC. Dopamine in the songbird auditory cortex shapes auditory preference. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4547-4559.e5. [PMID: 34450091 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Vocal communication signals can provide listeners with information about the signaler and elicit motivated responses. Auditory cortical and mesolimbic reward circuits are often considered to have distinct roles in these processes, with auditory cortical circuits responsible for detecting and discriminating sounds and mesolimbic circuits responsible for ascribing salience and modulating preference for those sounds. Here, we investigated whether dopamine within auditory cortical circuits themselves can shape the incentive salience of a vocal signal. Female zebra finches demonstrate natural preferences for vocal signals produced by males ("songs"), and we found that brief pairing of passive song playback with pharmacological dopamine manipulations in the secondary auditory cortex significantly altered song preferences. In particular, pairing passive song playback with retrodialysis of dopamine agonists into the auditory cortex enhanced preferences for less-preferred songs. Plasticity of song preferences by dopamine persisted for at least 1 week and was mediated by D1 receptors. In contrast, song preferences were not shaped by norepinephrine. In line with this, while we found that the ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra pars compacta, and locus coeruleus all project to the secondary auditory cortex, only dopamine-producing neurons in the ventral tegmental area differentially responded to preferred versus less-preferred songs. In contrast, norepinephrine neurons in the locus coeruleus increased expression of activity-dependent neural markers for both preferred and less-preferred songs. These data suggest that dopamine acting directly in sensory-processing areas can shape the incentive salience of communication signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena J Barr
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Center for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Erin M Wall
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Center for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sarah C Woolley
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Center for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Brougher J, Sanchez CA, Aziz US, Gove KF, Thorn CA. Vagus Nerve Stimulation Induced Motor Map Plasticity Does Not Require Cortical Dopamine. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:693140. [PMID: 34497484 PMCID: PMC8420970 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.693140] [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: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with motor rehabilitation is an emerging therapeutic strategy to enhance functional recovery after neural injuries such as stroke. Training-paired VNS drives significant neuroplasticity within the motor cortex (M1), which is thought to underlie the therapeutic effects of VNS. Though the mechanisms are not fully understood, VNS-induced cortical plasticity is known to depend on intact signaling from multiple neuromodulatory nuclei that innervate M1. Cortical dopamine (DA) plays a key role in mediating M1 synaptic plasticity and is critical for motor skill acquisition, but whether cortical DA contributes to VNS efficacy has not been tested. Objective: To determine the impact of cortical DA depletion on VNS-induced cortical plasticity. Methods: Rats were trained on a skilled reaching lever press task prior to implantation of VNS electrodes and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) mediated DA depletion in M1. Rats then underwent training-paired VNS treatment, followed by cortical motor mapping and lesion validation. Results: In both intact and DA-depleted rats, VNS significantly increased the motor map representation of task-relevant proximal forelimb musculature and reduced task-irrelevant distal forelimb representations. VNS also significantly increased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH+) fiber density in intact M1, but this effect was not observed in lesioned hemispheres. Conclusion: Our results reveal that though VNS likely upregulates catecholaminergic signaling in intact motor cortices, DA itself is not required for VNS-induced plasticity to occur. As DA is known to critically support M1 plasticity during skill acquisition, our findings suggest that VNS may engage a unique set of neuromodulatory signaling pathways to promote neocortical plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Brougher
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Camilo A Sanchez
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Umaymah S Aziz
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Kiree F Gove
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Catherine A Thorn
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
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25
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Over-representation of fundamental decision variables in the prefrontal cortex underlies decision bias. Neurosci Res 2021; 173:1-13. [PMID: 34274406 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2021.07.002] [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: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The brain is organized into anatomically distinct structures consisting of a variety of projection neurons. While such evolutionarily conserved neural circuit organization underlies the innate ability of animals to swiftly adapt to environments, they can cause biased cognition and behavior. Although recent studies have begun to address the causal importance of projection-neuron types as distinct computational units, it remains unclear how projection types are functionally organized in encoding variables during cognitive tasks. This review focuses on the neural computation of decision making in the prefrontal cortex and discusses what decision variables are encoded by single neurons, neuronal populations, and projection type, alongside how specific projection types constrain decision making. We focus particularly on "over-representations" of distinct decision variables in the prefrontal cortex that reflect the biological and subjective significance of the variables for the decision makers. We suggest that task-specific over-representation in the prefrontal cortex involves the refinement of the given decision making, while generalized over-representation of fundamental decision variables is associated with suboptimal decision biases, including pathological ones such as those in patients with psychiatric disorders. Such over-representation of the fundamental decision variables in the prefrontal cortex appear to be tightly constrained by afferent and efferent connections that can be optogenetically intervened on. These ideas may provide critical insights into potential therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders, including addiction and depression.
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Electrical stimulation of the nucleus basalis of meynert: a systematic review of preclinical and clinical data. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11751. [PMID: 34083732 PMCID: PMC8175342 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91391-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) has been clinically investigated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD). However, the clinical effects are highly variable, which questions the suggested basic principles underlying these clinical trials. Therefore, preclinical and clinical data on the design of NBM stimulation experiments and its effects on behavioral and neurophysiological aspects are systematically reviewed here. Animal studies have shown that electrical stimulation of the NBM enhanced cognition, increased the release of acetylcholine, enhanced cerebral blood flow, released several neuroprotective factors, and facilitates plasticity of cortical and subcortical receptive fields. However, the translation of these outcomes to current clinical practice is hampered by the fact that mainly animals with an intact NBM were used, whereas most animals were stimulated unilaterally, with different stimulation paradigms for only restricted timeframes. Future animal research has to refine the NBM stimulation methods, using partially lesioned NBM nuclei, to better resemble the clinical situation in AD, and LBD. More preclinical data on the effect of stimulation of lesioned NBM should be present, before DBS of the NBM in human is explored further.
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27
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Boebinger D, Norman-Haignere SV, McDermott JH, Kanwisher N. Music-selective neural populations arise without musical training. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:2237-2263. [PMID: 33596723 PMCID: PMC8285655 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00588.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent work has shown that human auditory cortex contains neural populations anterior and posterior to primary auditory cortex that respond selectively to music. However, it is unknown how this selectivity for music arises. To test whether musical training is necessary, we measured fMRI responses to 192 natural sounds in 10 people with almost no musical training. When voxel responses were decomposed into underlying components, this group exhibited a music-selective component that was very similar in response profile and anatomical distribution to that previously seen in individuals with moderate musical training. We also found that musical genres that were less familiar to our participants (e.g., Balinese gamelan) produced strong responses within the music component, as did drum clips with rhythm but little melody, suggesting that these neural populations are broadly responsive to music as a whole. Our findings demonstrate that the signature properties of neural music selectivity do not require musical training to develop, showing that the music-selective neural populations are a fundamental and widespread property of the human brain.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that music-selective neural populations are clearly present in people without musical training, demonstrating that they are a fundamental and widespread property of the human brain. Additionally, we show music-selective neural populations respond strongly to music from unfamiliar genres as well as music with rhythm but little pitch information, suggesting that they are broadly responsive to music as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Boebinger
- Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Sam V Norman-Haignere
- Laboratoire des Sytèmes Perceptifs, Département d'Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, Paris France
- Zuckerman Institute for Brain Research, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Josh H McDermott
- Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Nancy Kanwisher
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Abstract
Stroke is a debilitating disease. Current effective therapies for stroke recovery are limited to neurorehabilitation. Most stroke recovery occurs in a limited and early time window. Many of the mechanisms of spontaneous recovery after stroke parallel mechanisms of normal learning and memory. While various efforts are in place to identify potential drug targets, an emerging approach is to understand biological correlates between learning and stroke recovery. This review assesses parallels between biological changes at the molecular, structural, and functional levels during learning and recovery after stroke, with a focus on drug and cellular targets for therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Teena Joy
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - S. Thomas Carmichael
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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29
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Homma NY, Hullett PW, Atencio CA, Schreiner CE. Auditory Cortical Plasticity Dependent on Environmental Noise Statistics. Cell Rep 2021; 30:4445-4458.e5. [PMID: 32234479 PMCID: PMC7326484 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
During critical periods, neural circuits develop to form receptive fields that adapt to the sensory environment and enable optimal performance of relevant tasks. We hypothesized that early exposure to background noise can improve signal-in-noise processing, and the resulting receptive field plasticity in the primary auditory cortex can reveal functional principles guiding that important task. We raised rat pups in different spectro-temporal noise statistics during their auditory critical period. As adults, they showed enhanced behavioral performance in detecting vocalizations in noise. Concomitantly, encoding of vocalizations in noise in the primary auditory cortex improves with noise-rearing. Significantly, spectro-temporal modulation plasticity shifts cortical preferences away from the exposed noise statistics, thus reducing noise interference with the foreground sound representation. Auditory cortical plasticity shapes receptive field preferences to optimally extract foreground information in noisy environments during noise-rearing. Early noise exposure induces cortical circuits to implement efficient coding in the joint spectral and temporal modulation domain. After rearing rats in moderately loud spectro-temporally modulated background noise, Homma et al. investigated signal-in-noise processing in the primary auditory cortex. Noise-rearing improved vocalization-in-noise performance in both behavioral testing and neural decoding. Cortical plasticity shifted neuronal spectro-temporal modulation preferences away from the exposed noise statistics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Y Homma
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Patrick W Hullett
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Craig A Atencio
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Christoph E Schreiner
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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30
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Chen YS, Shu K, Kang HC. Deep Brain Stimulation in Alzheimer's Disease: Targeting the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 80:53-70. [PMID: 33492288 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201141] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming a prevalent disease in the elderly population. Past decades have witnessed the development of drug therapies with varying targets. However, all drugs with a single molecular target fail to reverse or ameliorate AD progression, which ultimately results in cortical and subcortical network dysregulation. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been proven effective for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and other neurological diseases. As such, DBS has also been gradually acknowledged as a potential therapy for AD. The current review focuses on DBS of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM). As a critical component of the cerebral cholinergic system and the Papez circuit in the basal ganglia, the NBM plays an indispensable role in the subcortical regulation of memory, attention, and arousal state, which makes the NBM a promising target for modulation of neural network dysfunction and AD treatment. We summarized the intricate projection relations and functionality of the NBM, current approaches for stereotactic localization and evaluation of the NBM, and the therapeutic effects of NBM-DBS both in patients and animal models. Furthermore, the current shortcomings of NBM-DBS, such as variations in cortical blood flow, increased temperature in the target area, and stimulation-related neural damage, were presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Si Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Kai Shu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hui-Cong Kang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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31
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Distributed coding in auditory thalamus and basolateral amygdala upon associative fear learning. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 67:183-189. [PMID: 33373858 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Associative fear learning is a fundamental learning mechanism that is crucial for an animal's survival. The amygdala's role in fear memory formation has been studied extensively and molecular, cell type and circuit-specific learning mechanisms as well as population level encoding of threatful stimuli within the amygdala are at the core of fear learning. Nevertheless, increasing evidence suggests that fear memories are acquired, stored and modulated by a distributed neuronal network across many brain areas. Here we review recent studies that particularly re-assessed the role of auditory/lateral thalamus, which is one synapse upstream of the lateral amygdala, required for fear learning and exhibits a striking functional resemblance and plasticity pattern to downstream amygdala neurons on the single cell level, yet distinct population level coding.
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32
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Gorin A, Krugliakova E, Nikulin V, Kuznetsova A, Moiseeva V, Klucharev V, Shestakova A. Cortical plasticity elicited by acoustically cued monetary losses: an ERP study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21161. [PMID: 33273646 PMCID: PMC7713235 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78211-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Both human and animal studies have demonstrated remarkable findings of experience-induced plasticity in the cortex. Here, we investigated whether the widely used monetary incentive delay (MID) task changes the neural processing of incentive cues that code expected monetary outcomes. We used a novel auditory version of the MID task, where participants responded to acoustic cues that coded expected monetary losses. To investigate task-induced brain plasticity, we presented incentive cues as deviants during passive oddball tasks before and after two sessions of the MID task. During the oddball task, we recorded the mismatch-related negativity (MMN) as an index of cortical plasticity. We found that two sessions of the MID task evoked a significant enhancement of MMN for incentive cues that predicted large monetary losses, specifically when monetary cue discrimination was essential for maximising monetary outcomes. The task-induced plasticity correlated with the learning-related neural activity recorded during the MID task. Thus, our results confirm that the processing of (loss)incentive auditory cues is dynamically modulated by previously learned monetary outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei Gorin
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20, Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russia.
| | - Elena Krugliakova
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20, Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russia
| | - Vadim Nikulin
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20, Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russia
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Aleksandra Kuznetsova
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20, Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russia
| | - Victoria Moiseeva
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20, Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russia
| | - Vasily Klucharev
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20, Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russia
| | - Anna Shestakova
- International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20, Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russia
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33
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Tseng CT, Brougher J, Gaulding SJ, Hassan BS, Thorn CA. Vagus nerve stimulation promotes cortical reorganization and reduces task-dependent calorie intake in male and female rats. Brain Res 2020; 1748:147099. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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34
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Beitel RE, Schreiner CE, Vollmer M. Spectral plasticity in monkey primary auditory cortex limits performance generalization in a temporal discrimination task. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:1798-1814. [PMID: 32997564 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00278.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory experience and behavioral training can modify perceptual performance. However, the consequences of temporal perceptual learning for temporal and spectral neural processing remain unclear. Specifically, the attributes of neural plasticity that underlie task generalization in behavioral performance remain uncertain. To assess the relationship between behavioral and neural plasticity, we evaluated neuronal temporal processing and spectral tuning in primary auditory cortex (AI) of anesthetized owl monkeys trained to discriminate increases in the envelope frequency (e.g., 4-Hz standard vs. >5-Hz targets) of sinusoidally amplitude-modulated (SAM) 1-kHz or 2-kHz carriers. Behavioral and neuronal performance generalization was evaluated for carriers ranging from 0.5 kHz to 8 kHz. Psychophysical thresholds revealed high SAM discrimination acuity for carriers from one octave below to ∼0.6 octave above the trained carrier frequency. However, generalization of SAM discrimination learning progressively declined for carrier frequencies >0.6 octave above the trained carrier frequency. Neural responses in AI showed that SAM discrimination training resulted in 1) increases in temporal modulation preference, especially at carriers close to the trained frequency, 2) narrowing of spectral tuning for neurons with characteristic frequencies near the trained carrier frequency, potentially limiting spectral generalization of temporal training effects, and 3) enhancement of firing-rate contrast for rewarded versus nonrewarded SAM frequencies, providing a potential cue for behavioral temporal discrimination near the trained carrier frequency. Our findings suggest that temporal training at a specific spectral location sharpens local frequency tuning, thus, confining the training effects to a narrow frequency range and limiting generalization of temporal discrimination learning across a wider frequency range.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Monkeys' ability to generalize amplitude modulation discrimination to nontrained carriers was limited to one octave below and 0.6 octave above the trained carrier frequency. Asymmetric generalization was paralleled by sharpening in cortical spectral tuning and enhanced firing-rate contrast between rewarded and nonrewarded SAM stimuli at carriers near the trained frequency. The spectral content of the training stimulus specified spectral and temporal plasticity that may provide a neural substrate for limitations in generalization of temporal discrimination learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph E Beitel
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Christoph E Schreiner
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Maike Vollmer
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Learning and Memory Research, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
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35
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Lövdén M, Garzón B, Lindenberger U. Human skill learning: expansion, exploration, selection, and refinement. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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36
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Campelo T, Augusto E, Chenouard N, de Miranda A, Kouskoff V, Camus C, Choquet D, Gambino F. AMPAR-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity Initiates Cortical Remapping and Adaptive Behaviors during Sensory Experience. Cell Rep 2020; 32:108097. [PMID: 32877679 PMCID: PMC7487777 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical plasticity improves behaviors and helps recover lost functions after injury. However, the underlying synaptic mechanisms remain unclear. In mice, we show that trimming all but one whisker enhances sensory responses from the spared whisker in the barrel cortex and occludes whisker-mediated synaptic potentiation (w-Pot) in vivo. In addition, whisker-dependent behaviors that are initially impaired by single-whisker experience (SWE) rapidly recover when associated cortical regions remap. Cross-linking the surface GluA2 subunit of AMPA receptors (AMPARs) suppresses the expression of w-Pot, presumably by blocking AMPAR surface diffusion, in mice with all whiskers intact, indicating that synaptic potentiation in vivo requires AMPAR trafficking. We use this approach to demonstrate that w-Pot is required for SWE-mediated strengthening of synaptic inputs and initiates the recovery of previously learned skills during the early phases of SWE. Taken together, our data reveal that w-Pot mediates cortical remapping and behavioral improvement upon partial sensory deafferentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Campelo
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Elisabete Augusto
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicolas Chenouard
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Aron de Miranda
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Vladimir Kouskoff
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Come Camus
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Daniel Choquet
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, 33000 Bordeaux, France; University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, Bordeaux Imaging Center, BIC, UMS 3420, US 4, 33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Frédéric Gambino
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, 33000 Bordeaux, France.
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37
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Irmen F, Karabanov AN, Bögemann SA, Andersen KW, Madsen KH, Bisgaard T, Dyrby TB, Siebner HR. Functional and Structural Plasticity Co-express in a Left Premotor Region During Early Bimanual Skill Learning. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:310. [PMID: 32922275 PMCID: PMC7456840 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Motor skill learning already triggers the functional reorganization of regional brain activity after short periods of training. Recent studies suggest that microstructural change may emerge at similar timescales, but the spatiotemporal profiles of functional and structural plasticity have rarely been traced in parallel. Recently, we demonstrated that 5 days of endoscopic skill training induces changes in task-related brain activity in the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and other areas of the frontoparietal grasping network. Here, we analyzed microstructural data, collected during the same experiment to investigate if microstructural plasticity overlaps temporally and spatially with the training-induced changes in task-related brain activity. Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine students were divided into a full-routine group (n = 20), that underwent three endoscopy training sessions in the MR-scanner as well as a 5-day virtual reality (VR)-endoscopy training and a brief-routine group (n = 19), that only performed the in-scanner endoscopy training sessions. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)-derived fractional anisotropy (FA) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were collected at baseline, after the first and after the last VR-training session. Results: The full-routine group showed significant FA changes in a left-hemispheric subcortical cluster underlying the PMv region, for which we previously demonstrated functional plasticity during endoscopy training in the same sample. Functional (task-related fMRI) and structural (FA) changes showed the largest change from the first to the second scan, suggesting similar temporal dynamics. In the full-routine group, the FA change in the subcortical cluster underlying the left PMv scaled positively with the individual improvement in endoscopic surgery. Conclusion: Microstructural white-matter plasticity mirrors the spatiotemporal profile of task-dependent plasticity during a 5-day course of endoscopy skill training. The observed similarities motivate future research on the interplay between functional and structural plasticity during early skill acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Irmen
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anke Ninija Karabanov
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sophie Alida Bögemann
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Kasper Winther Andersen
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Kristoffer Hougaard Madsen
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thue Bisgaard
- Surgical Department, Centre for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital Køge, Køge, Denmark
| | - Tim B. Dyrby
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Hartwig Roman Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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38
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Neural correlates of motor expertise: Extensive motor training and cortical changes. Brain Res 2020; 1739:146323. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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39
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Ribic A. Stability in the Face of Change: Lifelong Experience-Dependent Plasticity in the Sensory Cortex. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:76. [PMID: 32372915 PMCID: PMC7186337 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasticity is a fundamental property of the nervous system that enables its adaptations to the ever-changing environment. Heightened plasticity typical for developing circuits facilitates their robust experience-dependent functional maturation. This plasticity wanes during adolescence to permit the stabilization of mature brain function, but abundant evidence supports that adult circuits exhibit both transient and long-term experience-induced plasticity. Cortical plasticity has been extensively studied throughout the life span in sensory systems and the main distinction between development and adulthood arising from these studies is the concept that passive exposure to relevant information is sufficient to drive robust plasticity early in life, while higher-order attentional mechanisms are necessary to drive plastic changes in adults. Recent work in the primary visual and auditory cortices began to define the circuit mechanisms that govern these processes and enable continuous adaptation to the environment, with transient circuit disinhibition emerging as a common prerequisite for both developmental and adult plasticity. Drawing from studies in visual and auditory systems, this review article summarizes recent reports on the circuit and cellular mechanisms of experience-driven plasticity in the developing and adult brains and emphasizes the similarities and differences between them. The benefits of distinct plasticity mechanisms used at different ages are discussed in the context of sensory learning, as well as their relationship to maladaptive plasticity and neurodevelopmental brain disorders. Knowledge gaps and avenues for future work are highlighted, and these will hopefully motivate future research in these areas, particularly those about the learning of complex skills during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adema Ribic
- Department of Psychology, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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40
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Persic D, Thomas ME, Pelekanos V, Ryugo DK, Takesian AE, Krumbholz K, Pyott SJ. Regulation of auditory plasticity during critical periods and following hearing loss. Hear Res 2020; 397:107976. [PMID: 32591097 PMCID: PMC8546402 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.107976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sensory input has profound effects on neuronal organization and sensory maps in the brain. The mechanisms regulating plasticity of the auditory pathway have been revealed by examining the consequences of altered auditory input during both developmental critical periods—when plasticity facilitates the optimization of neural circuits in concert with the external environment—and in adulthood—when hearing loss is linked to the generation of tinnitus. In this review, we summarize research identifying the molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms regulating neuronal organization and tonotopic map plasticity during developmental critical periods and in adulthood. These mechanisms are shared in both the juvenile and adult brain and along the length of the auditory pathway, where they serve to regulate disinhibitory networks, synaptic structure and function, as well as structural barriers to plasticity. Regulation of plasticity also involves both neuromodulatory circuits, which link plasticity with learning and attention, as well as ascending and descending auditory circuits, which link the auditory cortex and lower structures. Further work identifying the interplay of molecular and cellular mechanisms associating hearing loss-induced plasticity with tinnitus will continue to advance our understanding of this disorder and lead to new approaches to its treatment. During CPs, brain plasticity is enhanced and sensitive to acoustic experience. Enhanced plasticity can be reinstated in the adult brain following hearing loss. Molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms regulate CP and adult plasticity. Plasticity resulting from hearing loss may contribute to the emergence of tinnitus. Modifying plasticity in the adult brain may offer new treatments for tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Persic
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Maryse E Thomas
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye & Ear and Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vassilis Pelekanos
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - David K Ryugo
- Hearing Research, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Department of Otolaryngology, Head, Neck & Skull Base Surgery, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Anne E Takesian
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye & Ear and Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katrin Krumbholz
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Sonja J Pyott
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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41
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Carrasco A, Tamura A, Pommer S, Chouinard JA, Kurima K, Barzaghi P, Wickens JR. Multiparametric assessment of the impact of opsin expression and anesthesia on striatal cholinergic neurons and auditory brainstem activity. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:787-804. [PMID: 31625606 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24795] [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: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recent developments in genetic engineering have established murine models that permit the selective control of cholinergic neurons via optical stimulation. Despite copious benefits granted by these experimental advances, the sensory physiognomy of these organisms has remained poorly understood. Therefore, the present study evaluates sensory and neuronal response properties of animal models developed for the study of optically induced acetylcholine release regulation. Auditory brainstem responses, fluorescence imaging, and patch clamp recording techniques were used to assess the impact of viral infection, sex, age, and anesthetic agents across the ascending auditory pathway of ChAT-Cre and ChAT-ChR2(Ai32) mice. Data analyses revealed that neither genetic configuration nor adeno-associated viral infection alters the early stages of auditory processing or the cellular response properties of cholinergic neurons. However, anesthetic agent and dosage amount profoundly modulate the response properties of brainstem neurons. Last, analyses of age-related hearing loss in virally infected ChAT-Cre mice did not differ from those reported in wild type animals. This investigation demonstrates that ChAT-Cre and ChAT-ChR2(Ai32) mice are viable models for the study of cholinergic modulation in auditory processing, and it emphasizes the need for prudence in the selection of anesthetic procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Carrasco
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Atsushi Tamura
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Stefan Pommer
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Julie A Chouinard
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Kiyoto Kurima
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Paolo Barzaghi
- Imaging Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Jeffery R Wickens
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
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42
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Modifying the Adult Rat Tonotopic Map with Sound Exposure Produces Frequency Discrimination Deficits That Are Recovered with Training. J Neurosci 2020; 40:2259-2268. [PMID: 32024780 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1445-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Frequency discrimination learning is often accompanied by an expansion of the functional region corresponding to the target frequency within the auditory cortex. Although the perceptual significance of this plastic functional reorganization remains debated, greater cortical representation is generally thought to improve perception for a stimulus. Recently, the ability to expand functional representations through passive sound experience has been demonstrated in adult rats, suggesting that it may be possible to design passive sound exposures to enhance specific perceptual abilities in adulthood. To test this hypothesis, we exposed adult female Long-Evans rats to 2 weeks of moderate-intensity broadband white noise followed by 1 week of 7 kHz tone pips, a paradigm that results in the functional over-representation of 7 kHz within the adult tonotopic map. We then tested the ability of exposed rats to identify 7 kHz among distractor tones on an adaptive tone discrimination task. Contrary to our expectations, we found that map expansion impaired frequency discrimination and delayed perceptual learning. Rats exposed to noise followed by 15 kHz tone pips were not impaired at the same task. Exposed rats also exhibited changes in auditory cortical responses consistent with reduced discriminability of the exposure tone. Encouragingly, these deficits were completely recovered with training. Our results provide strong evidence that map expansion alone does not imply improved perception. Rather, plastic changes in frequency representation induced by bottom-up processes can worsen perceptual faculties, but because of the very nature of plasticity these changes are inherently reversible.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The potent ability of our acoustic environment to shape cortical sensory representations throughout life has led to a growing interest in harnessing both passive sound experience and operant perceptual learning to enhance mature cortical function. We use sound exposure to induce targeted expansions in the adult rat tonotopic map and find that these bottom-up changes unexpectedly impair performance on an adaptive tone discrimination task. Encouragingly, however, we also show that training promotes the recovery of electrophysiological measures of reduced neural discriminability following sound exposure. These results provide support for future neuroplasticity-based treatments that take into account both the sensory statistics of our external environment and perceptual training strategies to improve learning and memory in the adult auditory system.
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43
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Maor I, Shwartz-Ziv R, Feigin L, Elyada Y, Sompolinsky H, Mizrahi A. Neural Correlates of Learning Pure Tones or Natural Sounds in the Auditory Cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 13:82. [PMID: 32047424 PMCID: PMC6997498 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative learning of pure tones is known to cause tonotopic map expansion in the auditory cortex (ACx), but the function this plasticity sub-serves is unclear. We developed an automated training platform called the “Educage,” which was used to train mice on a go/no-go auditory discrimination task to their perceptual limits, for difficult discriminations among pure tones or natural sounds. Spiking responses of excitatory and inhibitory parvalbumin (PV+) L2/3 neurons in mouse ACx revealed learning-induced overrepresentation of the learned frequencies, as expected from previous literature. The coordinated plasticity of excitatory and inhibitory neurons supports a role for PV+ neurons in homeostatic maintenance of excitation–inhibition balance within the circuit. Using a novel computational model to study auditory tuning curves, we show that overrepresentation of the learned tones does not necessarily improve discrimination performance of the network to these tones. In a separate set of experiments, we trained mice to discriminate among natural sounds. Perceptual learning of natural sounds induced “sparsening” and decorrelation of the neural response, consequently improving discrimination of these complex sounds. This signature of plasticity in A1 highlights its role in coding natural sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Maor
- Department of Neurobiology, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ravid Shwartz-Ziv
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Libi Feigin
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yishai Elyada
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Haim Sompolinsky
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- Department of Neurobiology, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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44
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Laroy M, Bouckaert F, Vansteelandt K, Obbels J, Dols A, Emsell L, Stek M, Vandenbulcke M, Sienaert P. Association between hippocampal volume change and change in memory following electroconvulsive therapy in late-life depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2019; 140:435-445. [PMID: 31411340 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-induced hippocampal volume change (HVC) has been repeatedly described in recent years. The similar time course of HVC and ECT-related cognitive effects suggest a relation, that is to date, understudied. This study investigates whether HVC following ECT predicts the change in memory performance six months after the end of the ECT treatment. METHODS Hippocampal volume (HV) was measured via high-resolution 3D T1-weighted images in 88 patients with late-life depression, within 1 week before and after ECT. Memory performance was assessed before and six months after ECT. Multiple linear regression was used to examine whether change in memory performance could be predicted based on ECT-induced changes in HV. RESULTS Larger right absolute HVC predicts less pronounced improvement on the VAT (visual memory) in the whole sample. For the 8-Word Test (verbal memory), Category Fluency Test (semantic memory), and MMSE, the effect is only present in patients who switched from right unilateral to bitemporal stimulation after six ECT sessions. Absolute HVC in the left hemisphere was not significantly related to cognitive change. CONCLUSION A larger absolute change in right HV during ECT is associated with less improvement in memory performance up to 6 months post-ECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Laroy
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Academic Center for ECT and Neuromodulation (AcCENT), University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium
| | - F Bouckaert
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Academic Center for ECT and Neuromodulation (AcCENT), University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium.,Old Age Psychiatry, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium
| | - K Vansteelandt
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Academic Center for ECT and Neuromodulation (AcCENT), University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium
| | - J Obbels
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Academic Center for ECT and Neuromodulation (AcCENT), University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium
| | - A Dols
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam Neuroscience, GGZ inGeest/VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L Emsell
- Old Age Psychiatry, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium
| | - M Stek
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam Neuroscience, GGZ inGeest/VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Vandenbulcke
- Old Age Psychiatry, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium
| | - P Sienaert
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Academic Center for ECT and Neuromodulation (AcCENT), University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium
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45
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Thomas ME, Guercio GD, Drudik KM, de Villers-Sidani É. Evidence of Hyperacusis in Adult Rats Following Non-traumatic Sound Exposure. Front Syst Neurosci 2019; 13:55. [PMID: 31708754 PMCID: PMC6819503 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2019.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Manipulations that enhance neuroplasticity may inadvertently create opportunities for maladaptation. We have previously used passive exposures to non-traumatic white noise to open windows of plasticity in the adult rat auditory cortex and induce frequency-specific functional reorganizations of the tonotopic map. However, similar reorganizations in the central auditory pathway are thought to contribute to the generation of hearing disorders such as tinnitus and hyperacusis. Here, we investigate whether noise-induced reorganizations are accompanied by electrophysiological or behavioral evidence of tinnitus or hyperacusis in adult Long-Evans rats. We used a 2-week passive exposure to moderate-intensity (70 dB SPL) broadband white noise to reopen a critical period for spectral tuning such that a second 1-week exposure to 7 kHz tone pips produced an expansion of the 7 kHz frequency region in the primary auditory cortex (A1). We demonstrate for the first time that this expansion also takes place in the ventral auditory field (VAF). Sound exposure also led to spontaneous and sound-evoked hyperactivity in the anterior auditory field (AAF). Rats were assessed for behavioral evidence of tinnitus or hyperacusis using gap and tone prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response. We found that sound exposure did not affect gap-prepulse inhibition. However, sound exposure led to an improvement in prepulse inhibition when the prepulse was a 7 kHz tone, showing that exposed rats had enhanced sensorimotor gating for the exposure frequency. Together, our electrophysiological and behavioral results provide evidence of hyperacusis but not tinnitus in sound-exposed animals. Our findings demonstrate that periods of prolonged noise exposure may open windows of plasticity that can also be understood as windows of vulnerability, potentially increasing the likelihood for maladaptive plasticity to take place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryse E Thomas
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gerson D Guercio
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janiero, Brazil
| | - Kristina M Drudik
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Étienne de Villers-Sidani
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, QC, Canada
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46
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Guo W, Robert B, Polley DB. The Cholinergic Basal Forebrain Links Auditory Stimuli with Delayed Reinforcement to Support Learning. Neuron 2019; 103:1164-1177.e6. [PMID: 31351757 PMCID: PMC7927272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Animals learn to fear conditioned sound stimuli (CSs) that accompany aversive unconditioned stimuli (USs). Auditory cortex (ACx) circuits reorganize to support auditory fear learning when CS-evoked activity temporally overlaps with US-evoked acetylcholine release from the basal forebrain. Here we describe robust fear learning and acetylcholine-dependent ACx plasticity even when the US is delayed by several seconds following CS offset. A 5-s CS-US gap was not bridged by persistent CS-evoked spiking throughout the trace period. Instead, within minutes following the start of conditioning, optogenetically identified basal forebrain neurons that encode the aversive US scaled up responses to the CS and increased functional coupling with the ACx. Over several days of conditioning, bulk imaging of cholinergic basal forebrain neurons revealed sustained sound-evoked activity that filled in the 5-s silent gap preceding the US. These findings identify a plasticity in the basal forebrain that supports learned associations between sensory stimuli and delayed reinforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Blaise Robert
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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47
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Ventral midbrain stimulation induces perceptual learning and cortical plasticity in primates. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3591. [PMID: 31399570 PMCID: PMC6689065 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11527-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Practice improves perception and enhances neural representations of trained visual stimuli, a phenomenon known as visual perceptual learning (VPL). While attention to task-relevant stimuli plays an important role in such learning, Pavlovian stimulus-reinforcer associations are sufficient to drive VPL, even subconsciously. It has been proposed that reinforcement facilitates perceptual learning through the activation of neuromodulatory centers, but this has not been directly confirmed in primates. Here, we paired task-irrelevant visual stimuli with microstimulation of a dopaminergic center, the ventral tegmental area (VTA), in macaques. Pairing VTA microstimulation with a task-irrelevant visual stimulus increased fMRI activity and improved classification of fMRI activity patterns selectively for the microstimulation-paired stimulus. Moreover, pairing VTA microstimulation with a task-irrelevant visual stimulus improved the subject’s capacity to discriminate that stimulus. This is the first causal demonstration of the role of neuromodulatory centers in VPL in primates. Practice can improve the perception of stimuli used to achieve a task (perceptual learning). Here, the authors show in monkeys that perceptual learning can be produced even for irrelevant stimuli if the stimuli are paired with stimulation of a dopaminergic centre, the ventral tegmental area (VTA).
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48
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Bajo VM, Nodal FR, Korn C, Constantinescu AO, Mann EO, Boyden ES, King AJ. Silencing cortical activity during sound-localization training impairs auditory perceptual learning. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3075. [PMID: 31300665 PMCID: PMC6625986 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10770-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain has a remarkable capacity to adapt to changes in sensory inputs and to learn from experience. However, the neural circuits responsible for this flexible processing remain poorly understood. Using optogenetic silencing of ArchT-expressing neurons in adult ferrets, we show that within-trial activity in primary auditory cortex (A1) is required for training-dependent recovery in sound-localization accuracy following monaural deprivation. Because localization accuracy under normal-hearing conditions was unaffected, this highlights a specific role for cortical activity in learning. A1-dependent plasticity appears to leave a memory trace that can be retrieved, facilitating adaptation during a second period of monaural deprivation. However, in ferrets in which learning was initially disrupted by perturbing A1 activity, subsequent optogenetic suppression during training no longer affected localization accuracy when one ear was occluded. After the initial learning phase, the reweighting of spatial cues that primarily underpins this plasticity may therefore occur in A1 target neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Bajo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK.
| | - Fernando R Nodal
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Clio Korn
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK.,UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0410, USA
| | - Alexandra O Constantinescu
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK.,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Edward O Mann
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Edward S Boyden
- Departments of Biological Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK.
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49
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Borland MS, Vrana WA, Moreno NA, Fogarty EA, Buell EP, Vanneste S, Kilgard MP, Engineer CT. Pairing vagus nerve stimulation with tones drives plasticity across the auditory pathway. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:659-671. [PMID: 31215351 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00832.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that pairing vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with sounds can enhance the primary auditory cortex (A1) response to the paired sound. The neural response to sounds following VNS-sound pairing in other subcortical and cortical auditory fields has not been documented. We predicted that VNS-tone pairing would increase neural responses to the paired tone frequency across the auditory pathway. In this study, we paired VNS with the presentation of a 9-kHz tone 300 times a day for 20 days. We recorded neural responses to tones from 2,950 sites in the inferior colliculus (IC), A1, anterior auditory field (AAF), and posterior auditory field (PAF) 24 h after the last pairing session in anesthetized rats. We found that VNS-tone pairing increased the percentage of IC, A1, AAF, and PAF that responds to the paired tone frequency. Across all tested auditory fields, the response strength to tones was strengthened in VNS-tone paired rats compared with control rats. VNS-tone pairing reduced spontaneous activity, frequency selectivity, and response threshold across the auditory pathway. This is the first study to document both cortical and subcortical plasticity following VNS-sound pairing. Our findings suggest that VNS paired with sound presentation is an effective method to enhance auditory processing.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previous studies have reported primary auditory cortex plasticity following vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with a sound. This study extends previous findings by documenting that fields across the auditory pathway are altered by VNS-tone pairing. VNS-tone pairing increases the percentage of each field that responds to the paired tone frequency. This is the first study to document both cortical and subcortical plasticity following VNS-sound pairing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Borland
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, Richardson, Texas.,The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas
| | - Will A Vrana
- The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas
| | - Nicole A Moreno
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, Richardson, Texas.,The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas
| | - Elizabeth A Fogarty
- The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas
| | - Elizabeth P Buell
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, Richardson, Texas.,The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas
| | - Sven Vanneste
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, Richardson, Texas.,The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas
| | - Michael P Kilgard
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, Richardson, Texas.,The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas
| | - Crystal T Engineer
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, Richardson, Texas.,The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Richardson, Texas
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Tone frequency representation beyond the tonotopic map: Cross-correlation between ongoing activity in the rat auditory cortex. Neuroscience 2019; 409:35-42. [PMID: 31026562 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.04.026] [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: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Functional maps play crucial roles in the neural representations of the sensory cortices, although such representations occasionally extend beyond these maps. For example, the auditory cortex exhibits distinct tonotopic activation at the onset of tone, which is followed by rapid decays in the majority of neuronal signals and ongoing activities in only a small number of neurons. Such ongoing activity should be maintained by the cortical states. To better understand maintenance of ongoing activity beyond that triggered directly by stimuli, we used a rat model. Here, we hypothesized that neural correlations between local field potentials (LFPs) within a local area of the auditory cortex may serve as a measure of the cortical state underlying ongoing activity. We densely mapped the auditory cortex of rats and demonstrated that cross-correlation patterns of ongoing activity were highly decodable. Informative features were widely distributed over the auditory cortex and across multiple frequency bands. Furthermore, acoustic trauma disrupted tonotopic representation at the onset but did not affect neural representations by the correlation of ongoing activities. These results suggest that cross-correlations of LFP within the auditory cortex represent frequencies of sustained auditory stimuli, and that these representations are made beyond direct tonotopic activation at stimulus onset.
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