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Federman N, Romano SA, Amigo-Duran M, Salomon L, Marin-Burgin A. Acquisition of non-olfactory encoding improves odour discrimination in olfactory cortex. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5572. [PMID: 38956072 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49897-4] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is influenced by contextual factors, past experiences, and the animal's internal state. Whether this information is integrated at the initial stages of cortical odour processing is not known, nor how these signals may influence odour encoding. Here we revealed multiple and diverse non-olfactory responses in the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex (PCx), which dynamically enhance PCx odour discrimination according to behavioural demands. We performed recordings of PCx neurons from mice trained in a virtual reality task to associate odours with visual contexts to obtain a reward. We found that learning shifts PCx activity from encoding solely odours to a regime in which positional, contextual, and associative responses emerge on odour-responsive neurons that become mixed-selective. The modulation of PCx activity by these non-olfactory signals was dynamic, improving odour decoding during task engagement and in rewarded contexts. This improvement relied on the acquired mixed-selectivity, demonstrating how integrating extra-sensory inputs in sensory cortices can enhance sensory processing while encoding the behavioural relevance of stimuli.
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Grants
- 108878 Canadian International Development Agency (Agence Canadienne de Développement International)
- PICT2018-0880 Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina | National Agency for Science and Technology, Argentina | Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Fund for Scientific and Technological Research)
- PICT2020-0360 Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina | National Agency for Science and Technology, Argentina | Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Fund for Scientific and Technological Research)
- PICT2020-1536 Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina | National Agency for Science and Technology, Argentina | Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Fund for Scientific and Technological Research)
- PICT2016-2758 Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina | National Agency for Science and Technology, Argentina | Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Fund for Scientific and Technological Research)
- PICT2017-4023 Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina | National Agency for Science and Technology, Argentina | Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Fund for Scientific and Technological Research)
- PIP2787 Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina)
- SPIRIT 216044 Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation)
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel Federman
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET-Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Sebastián A Romano
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET-Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Macarena Amigo-Duran
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET-Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, PhD Program, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucca Salomon
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET-Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, PhD Program, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Antonia Marin-Burgin
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET-Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Godoy Cruz 2390, C1425FQD, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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2
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Sniffen SE, Ryu SE, Kokoska MM, Bhattarai J, Wang Y, Thomas ER, Skates GM, Johnson NL, Chavez AA, Iaconis SR, Janke E, Ma M, Wesson DW. Bidirectional modulation of negative emotional states by parallel genetically-distinct basolateral amygdala pathways to ventral striatum subregions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.19.599749. [PMID: 38948716 PMCID: PMC11213032 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.19.599749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Distinct basolateral amygdala (BLA) cell populations influence emotional responses in manners thought important for anxiety and anxiety disorders. The BLA contains numerous cell types which can broadcast information into structures that may elicit changes in emotional states and behaviors. BLA excitatory neurons can be divided into two main classes, one of which expresses Ppp1r1b (encoding protein phosphatase 1 regulatory inhibitor subunit 1B) which is downstream of the genes encoding the D1 and D2 dopamine receptors ( drd1 and drd2 respectively). The role of drd1+ or drd2+ BLA neurons in learned and unlearned emotional responses is unknown. Here, we identified that the drd1 + and drd2 + BLA neuron populations form two parallel pathways for communication with the ventral striatum. These neurons arise from the basal nucleus of the BLA, innervate the entire space of the ventral striatum, and are capable of exciting ventral striatum neurons. Further, through three separate behavioral assays, we found that the drd1 + and drd2 + parallel pathways bidirectionally influence both learned and unlearned emotional states when they are activated or suppressed, and do so depending upon where they synapse in the ventral striatum - with unique contributions of drd1 + and drd2 + circuitry on negative emotional states. Overall, these results contribute to a model whereby parallel, genetically-distinct BLA to ventral striatum circuits inform emotional states in a projection-specific manner.
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3
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Li W, Wilson DA. Threat Memory in the Sensory Cortex: Insights from Olfaction. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:285-293. [PMID: 36703569 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221148994] [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] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala has long held the center seat in the neural basis of threat conditioning. However, a rapidly growing literature has elucidated extra-amygdala circuits in this process, highlighting the sensory cortex for its critical role in the mnemonic aspect of the process. While this literature is largely focused on the auditory system, substantial human and rodent findings on the olfactory system have emerged. The unique nature of the olfactory neuroanatomy and its intimate association with emotion compels a review of this recent literature to illuminate its special contribution to threat memory. Here, integrating recent evidence in humans and animal models, we posit that the olfactory (piriform) cortex is a primary and necessary component of the distributed threat memory network, supporting mnemonic ensemble coding of acquired threat. We further highlight the basic circuit architecture of the piriform cortex characterized by distributed, auto-associative connections, which is prime for highly efficient content-addressable memory computing to support threat memory. Given the primordial role of the piriform cortex in cortical evolution and its simple, well-defined circuits, we propose that olfaction can be a model system for understanding (transmodal) sensory cortical mechanisms underlying threat memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
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4
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Cai L, Argunşah AÖ, Damilou A, Karayannis T. A nasal chemosensation-dependent critical window for somatosensory development. Science 2024; 384:652-660. [PMID: 38723089 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn5611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Nasal chemosensation is considered the evolutionarily oldest mammalian sense and, together with somatosensation, is crucial for neonatal well-being before auditory and visual pathways start engaging the brain. Using anatomical and functional approaches in mice, we reveal that odor-driven activity propagates to a large part of the cortex during the first postnatal week and enhances whisker-evoked activation of primary whisker somatosensory cortex (wS1). This effect disappears in adult animals, in line with the loss of excitatory connectivity from olfactory cortex to wS1. By performing neonatal odor deprivation, followed by electrophysiological and behavioral work in adult animals, we identify a key transient regulation of nasal chemosensory information necessary for the development of wS1 sensory-driven dynamics and somatosensation. Our work uncovers a cross-modal critical window for nasal chemosensation-dependent somatosensory functional maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linbi Cai
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute (HiFo), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ali Özgür Argunşah
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute (HiFo), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Angeliki Damilou
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute (HiFo), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Theofanis Karayannis
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute (HiFo), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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5
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Wang DC, Santos-Valencia F, Song JH, Franks KM, Luo L. Embryonically Active Piriform Cortex Neurons Promote Intracortical Recurrent Connectivity during Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.08.593265. [PMID: 38766173 PMCID: PMC11100831 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.08.593265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Neuronal activity plays a critical role in the maturation of circuits that propagate sensory information into the brain. How widely does early activity regulate circuit maturation across the developing brain? Here, we used Targeted Recombination in Active Populations (TRAP) to perform a brain-wide survey for prenatally active neurons in mice and identified the piriform cortex as an abundantly TRAPed region. Whole-cell recordings in neonatal slices revealed preferential interconnectivity within embryonically TRAPed piriform neurons and their enhanced synaptic connectivity with other piriform neurons. In vivo Neuropixels recordings in neonates demonstrated that embryonically TRAPed piriform neurons exhibit broad functional connectivity within piriform and lead spontaneous synchronized population activity during a transient neonatal period, when recurrent connectivity is strengthening. Selectively activating or silencing of these neurons in neonates enhanced or suppressed recurrent synaptic strength, respectively. Thus, embryonically TRAPed piriform neurons represent an interconnected hub-like population whose activity promotes recurrent connectivity in early development.
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6
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A Dehaqani A, Michelon F, Patella P, Petrucco L, Piasini E, Iurilli G. A mechanosensory feedback that uncouples external and self-generated sensory responses in the olfactory cortex. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114013. [PMID: 38551962 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Sampling behaviors have sensory consequences that can hinder perceptual stability. In olfaction, sniffing affects early odor encoding, mimicking a sudden change in odor concentration. We examined how the inhalation speed affects the representation of odor concentration in the main olfactory cortex. Neurons combine the odor input with a global top-down signal preceding the sniff and a mechanosensory feedback generated by the air passage through the nose during inhalation. Still, the population representation of concentration is remarkably sniff invariant. This is because the mechanosensory and olfactory responses are uncorrelated within and across neurons. Thus, faster odor inhalation and an increase in concentration change the cortical activity pattern in distinct ways. This encoding strategy affords tolerance to potential concentration fluctuations caused by varying inhalation speeds. Since mechanosensory reafferences are widespread across sensory systems, the coding scheme described here may be a canonical strategy to mitigate the sensory ambiguities caused by movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza A Dehaqani
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; CIMeC, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Filippo Michelon
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; CIMeC, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Paola Patella
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Luigi Petrucco
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Eugenio Piasini
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuliano Iurilli
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy.
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7
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Zak JD, Reddy G, Konanur V, Murthy VN. Distinct information conveyed to the olfactory bulb by feedforward input from the nose and feedback from the cortex. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3268. [PMID: 38627390 PMCID: PMC11021479 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47366-6] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Sensory systems are organized hierarchically, but feedback projections frequently disrupt this order. In the olfactory bulb (OB), cortical feedback projections numerically match sensory inputs. To unravel information carried by these two streams, we imaged the activity of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and cortical axons in the mouse OB using calcium indicators, multiphoton microscopy, and diverse olfactory stimuli. Here, we show that odorant mixtures of increasing complexity evoke progressively denser OSN activity, yet cortical feedback activity is of similar sparsity for all stimuli. Also, representations of complex mixtures are similar in OSNs but are decorrelated in cortical axons. While OSN responses to increasing odorant concentrations exhibit a sigmoidal relationship, cortical axonal responses are complex and nonmonotonic, which can be explained by a model with activity-dependent feedback inhibition in the cortex. Our study indicates that early-stage olfactory circuits have access to local feedforward signals and global, efficiently formatted information about odor scenes through cortical feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Zak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
| | - Gautam Reddy
- Physics & Informatics Laboratories, NTT Research, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, 94085, USA
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Vaibhav Konanur
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Venkatesh N Murthy
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence, Harvard University, Allston, 02134, USA
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8
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Matsuda KI, Takahashi T, Morishita S, Tanaka M. Histological analysis of neuronal changes in the olfactory cortex during pregnancy. Heliyon 2024; 10:e26780. [PMID: 38444488 PMCID: PMC10912243 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26780] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Fluctuations in olfactory sensitivity are widely known to occur during pregnancy and may be responsible for hyperemesis gravidarum. These changes are thought to be caused by structural and functional alterations in neurons in response to marked changes of the hormonal milieu. In this study, we examined changes in neurons in the olfactory cortex during pregnancy and after delivery in rats. Dendritic spine densities were measured in the piriform cortex (PIR) and posterolateral cortical amygdala (COApl), which are involved in olfaction. The results showed increased numbers of dendritic spines in the PIR in mid-pregnancy and in the COApl during early and late pregnancy, but not in the motor area of the cerebral cortex, indicating a correlation with changes in olfactory sensitivity during pregnancy. Immunohistochemical analysis of expression of ovarian hormone receptors in these brain regions revealed a decrease in the number of estrogen receptor α-positive cells during pregnancy in the PIR and during pregnancy and the postpartum period in the COApl. Regarding pregnancy-related peptide hormones, oxytocin receptors were expressed in the PIR and COApl, while prolactin receptors were not found in these regions. Accordingly, oxytocin-containing neurites were distributed in both regions. These results suggest that the balance of these hormonal signals has an effect on olfactory sensitivity in pregnant females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Ichi Matsuda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomoki Takahashi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sae Morishita
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masaki Tanaka
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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9
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Kawai F. Somatic ion channels and action potentials in olfactory receptor cells and vomeronasal receptor cells. J Neurophysiol 2024; 131:455-471. [PMID: 38264787 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00137.2023] [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: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Olfactory receptor cells are primary sensory neurons that catch odor molecules in the olfactory system, and vomeronasal receptor cells catch pheromones in the vomeronasal system. When odor or pheromone molecules bind to receptor proteins expressed on the membrane of the olfactory cilia or vomeronasal microvilli, receptor potentials are generated in their receptor cells. This initial excitation is transmitted to the soma via dendrites, and action potentials are generated in the soma and/or axon and transmitted to the central nervous system. Thus, olfactory and vomeronasal receptor cells play an important role in converting chemical signals into electrical signals. In this review, the electrophysiological characteristics of ion channels in the somatic membrane of olfactory receptor cells and vomeronasal receptor cells in various species are described and the differences between the action potential dynamics of olfactory receptor cells and vomeronasal receptor cells are compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusao Kawai
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
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10
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Iravani B, Frasnelli J, Arshamian A, Lundström JN. Metabolic state modulates neural processing of odors in the human olfactory bulb. Biol Psychol 2024; 187:108770. [PMID: 38460755 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108770] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
The olfactory and endocrine systems have recently been shown to reciprocally shape the homeostatic processes of energy intake. As demonstrated in animal models, the individual's metabolic state dynamically modulates how the olfactory bulb process odor stimuli using a range of endocrine signals. Here we aimed to determine whether the neural processing of odors in human olfactory bulb is modulated by metabolic state. Participants were exposed to food-associated odors, in separate sessions being hungry and sated, while neural responses from the olfactory bulb was obtained using electrobulbogram. We found significantly higher gamma power activity (51-100 Hz) in the OB's response to odors during the Hunger compared to Sated condition. Specifically, EBG gamma power were elevated while hungry already at 100 ms after odor onset, thereby suggesting intra-bulbar modulation according to metabolic state. These results demonstrate that, akin to other animal models, hunger state affects OB activity in humans. Moreover, we show that the EBG method has the potential to measure internal metabolic states and, as such, could be used to study specificities in olfactory processing of individuals suffering from pathologies such as obesity or anorexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Iravani
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Johannes Frasnelli
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada
| | - Artin Arshamian
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan N Lundström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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11
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Awasthi R, Yuan Q, Barkai E. Reversing Aging: Decline in Complex Olfactory Learning Can be Rectified by Restoring Intrinsic Plasticity of Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2300323. [PMID: 38145360 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300323] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
The acquisition of complex rules requires modifications in intrinsic plasticity of excitatory neurons within relevant brain areas. Olfactory discrimination (OD) rule learning occludes slow calcium-dependent potassium current (sIAHP ) in piriform cortex (PC) pyramidal neurons, which increases their intrinsic neuronal excitability. Similar learning-induced sIAHP changes are demonstrated in hippocampal CA1. The shutdown of sIAHP is mediated by the metabotropic activation of the kainate subtype glutamatergic receptor, GluK2. Here, the duration of training required for OD rule learning increased significantly as the mice matured and aged is first shown, which appears earlier in 5xFAD mice. At the cellular biophysical level, aging is accompanied by reduction in the post-burst AHP in these neurons, while neuronal excitability remains stable. This is in contrast to aging CA1 neurons that exhibit enhanced post-burst AHPs in previous reports. Kainate reduces post-burst AHP in adults, but not in aged PC neurons, whereas it reduces post-burst AHPs in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons of both young and aged mice. Overexpression of GluK2 in CA1 neurons restores OD learning capabilities in aged wild-type and 5xFAD mice, to a level comparable to young adults. Activation of GluK2 receptors in selectively vulnerable neurons can prevent aging-related cognitive decline is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Awasthi
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Qi Yuan
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Edi Barkai
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
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12
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Mori K, Sakano H. Circuit formation and sensory perception in the mouse olfactory system. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1342576. [PMID: 38434487 PMCID: PMC10904487 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1342576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
In the mouse olfactory system, odor information is converted to a topographic map of activated glomeruli in the olfactory bulb (OB). Although the arrangement of glomeruli is genetically determined, the glomerular structure is plastic and can be modified by environmental stimuli. If the pups are exposed to a particular odorant, responding glomeruli become larger recruiting the dendrites of connecting projection neurons and interneurons. This imprinting not only increases the sensitivity to the exposed odor, but also imposes the positive quality on imprinted memory. External odor information represented as an odor map in the OB is transmitted to the olfactory cortex (OC) and amygdala for decision making to elicit emotional and behavioral outputs using two distinct neural pathways, innate and learned. Innate olfactory circuits start to work right after birth, whereas learned circuits become functional later on. In this paper, the recent progress will be summarized in the study of olfactory circuit formation and odor perception in mice. We will also propose new hypotheses on the timing and gating of olfactory circuit activity in relation to the respiration cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hitoshi Sakano
- Department of Brain Function, School of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Matsuoka, Japan
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13
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Terral G, Harrell E, Lepousez G, Wards Y, Huang D, Dolique T, Casali G, Nissant A, Lledo PM, Ferreira G, Marsicano G, Roux L. Endogenous cannabinoids in the piriform cortex tune olfactory perception. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1230. [PMID: 38336844 PMCID: PMC10858223 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45161-x] [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: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Sensory perception depends on interactions between external inputs transduced by peripheral sensory organs and internal network dynamics generated by central neuronal circuits. In the sensory cortex, desynchronized network states associate with high signal-to-noise ratio stimulus-evoked responses and heightened perception. Cannabinoid-type-1-receptors (CB1Rs) - which influence network coordination in the hippocampus - are present in anterior piriform cortex (aPC), a sensory paleocortex supporting olfactory perception. Yet, how CB1Rs shape aPC network activity and affect odor perception is unknown. Using pharmacological manipulations coupled with multi-electrode recordings or fiber photometry in the aPC of freely moving male mice, we show that systemic CB1R blockade as well as local drug infusion increases the amplitude of gamma oscillations in aPC, while simultaneously reducing the occurrence of synchronized population events involving aPC excitatory neurons. In animals exposed to odor sources, blockade of CB1Rs reduces correlation among aPC excitatory units and lowers behavioral olfactory detection thresholds. These results suggest that endogenous endocannabinoid signaling promotes synchronized population events and dampen gamma oscillations in the aPC which results in a reduced sensitivity to external sensory inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Terral
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Evan Harrell
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Gabriel Lepousez
- Perception and Memory Unit, CNRS, Joint Research Unit 3571, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Yohan Wards
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Dinghuang Huang
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Giulio Casali
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Antoine Nissant
- Perception and Memory Unit, CNRS, Joint Research Unit 3571, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Pierre-Marie Lledo
- Perception and Memory Unit, CNRS, Joint Research Unit 3571, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Ferreira
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeurO, UMR 1286, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Giovanni Marsicano
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lisa Roux
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000, Bordeaux, France.
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14
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Berg P, Mappes T, Kujala MV. Olfaction in the canine cognitive and emotional processes: From behavioral and neural viewpoints to measurement possibilities. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105527. [PMID: 38160722 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) have excellent olfactory processing capabilities that are utilized widely in human society e.g., working with customs, police, and army; their scent detection is also used in guarding, hunting, mold-sniffing, searching for missing people or animals, and facilitating the life of the disabled. Sniffing and searching for odors is a natural, species-typical behavior and essential for the dog's welfare. While taking advantage of this canine ability widely, we understand its foundations and implications quite poorly. We can improve animal welfare by better understanding their olfactory world. In this review, we outline the olfactory processing of dogs in the nervous system, summarize the current knowledge of scent detection and differentiation; the effect of odors on the dogs' cognitive and emotional processes and the dog-human bond; and consider the methodological advancements that could be developed further to aid in our understanding of the canine world of odors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Päivi Berg
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO BOX 35, FI-40014, Finland; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, PO BOX 35, FI-40014, Finland,.
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO BOX 35, FI-40014, Finland
| | - Miiamaaria V Kujala
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, PO BOX 35, FI-40014, Finland,; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, PO BOX 57, FI-00014, Finland; Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 11000, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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15
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Licht T, Yunerman M, Maor I, Lawabny N, Oz Rokach R, Shiff I, Mizrahi A, Rokni D. Adaptive olfactory circuitry restores function despite severe olfactory bulb degeneration. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4857-4868.e6. [PMID: 37858342 PMCID: PMC10681124 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.061] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The olfactory bulb (OB) is a critical component of mammalian olfactory neuroanatomy. Beyond being the first and sole relay station for olfactory information to the rest of the brain, it also contains elaborate stereotypical circuitry that is considered essential for olfaction. Indeed, substantial lesions of the OB in rodents lead to anosmia. Here, we examined the circuitry that underlies olfaction in a mouse model with severe developmental degeneration of the OB. These mice could perform odor-guided tasks and even responded normally to innate olfactory cues. Despite the near total loss of the OB, piriform cortices in these mice responded to odors, and its neural activity sufficed to decode odor identity. We found that sensory neurons express the full repertoire of olfactory receptors, and their axons project primarily to the rudiments of the OB but also, ectopically, to olfactory cortical regions. Within the OB, the number of principal neurons was greatly reduced, and the morphology of their dendrites was abnormal, extending over large regions within the OB. Glomerular organization was totally lost in the severe cases of OB degeneration and altered in the more conserved OBs. This study shows that olfactory functionality can be preserved despite reduced and aberrant circuitry that is missing many of the elements believed to be essential for olfaction, and it may explain reported retention of olfaction in humans with degenerated OBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Licht
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine and IMRIC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102 Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Michael Yunerman
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine and IMRIC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ido Maor
- Department of Neurobiology, The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Naheel Lawabny
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine and IMRIC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Renana Oz Rokach
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine and IMRIC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Idit Shiff
- Genomics Applications Laboratory, Core Research Facility, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- Department of Neurobiology, The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dan Rokni
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine and IMRIC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102 Jerusalem, Israel.
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16
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Gordon AR, Lundström JN, Kimball BA, Karshikoff B, Sorjonen K, Axelsson J, Lekander M, Olsson MJ. Human scent as a first-line defense against disease. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16709. [PMID: 37794120 PMCID: PMC10550911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43145-3] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals may have a different body odor, when they are sick compared to healthy. In the non-human animal literature, olfactory cues have been shown to predict avoidance of sick individuals. We tested whether the mere experimental activation of the innate immune system in healthy human individuals can make an individuals' body odor be perceived as more aversive (intense, unpleasant, and disgusting). Following an endotoxin injection (lipopolysaccharide; 0.6 ng/kg) that creates a transient systemic inflammation, individuals smelled more unpleasant compared to a placebo group (saline injection). Behavioral and chemical analyses of the body odor samples suggest that the volatile components of samples from "sick" individuals changed qualitatively rather than quantitatively. Our findings support the hypothesis that odor cues of inflammation in axillary sweat are detectable just a few hours after experimental activation of the innate immune system. As such, they may trigger behavioral avoidance, hence constituting a first line of defense against pathogens of infected conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy R Gordon
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan N Lundström
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Lukt och smakmottagningen, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre, Stockholm University, 106 54, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Bianka Karshikoff
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Social Studies, University of Stavanger, 4021, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Kimmo Sorjonen
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Axelsson
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stress Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 106 54, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats Lekander
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stress Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 106 54, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats J Olsson
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
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17
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Silvas-Baltazar M, López-Oropeza G, Durán P, Martínez-Canabal A. Olfactory neurogenesis and its role in fear memory modulation. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1278324. [PMID: 37840547 PMCID: PMC10569173 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1278324] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is a critical sense that allows animals to navigate and understand their environment. In mammals, the critical brain structure to receive and process olfactory information is the olfactory bulb, a structure characterized by a laminated pattern with different types of neurons, some of which project to distant telencephalic structures, like the piriform cortex, the amygdala, and the hippocampal formation. Therefore, the olfactory bulb is the first structure of a complex cognitive network that relates olfaction to different types of memory, including episodic memories. The olfactory bulb continuously adds inhibitory newborn neurons throughout life; these cells locate both in the granule and glomerular layers and integrate into the olfactory circuits, inhibiting projection neurons. However, the roles of these cells modulating olfactory memories are unclear, particularly their role in fear memories. We consider that olfactory neurogenesis might modulate olfactory fear memories by a plastic process occurring in the olfactory bulb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monserrat Silvas-Baltazar
- Licenciatura en Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Grecia López-Oropeza
- Licenciatura en Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Pilar Durán
- Licenciatura en Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Alonso Martínez-Canabal
- Licenciatura en Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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18
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Trejo DH, Ciuparu A, da Silva PG, Velasquez CM, Rebouillat B, Gross MD, Davis MB, Muresan RC, Albeanu DF. Fast updating feedback from piriform cortex to the olfactory bulb relays multimodal reward contingency signals during rule-reversal. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.12.557267. [PMID: 37745564 PMCID: PMC10515864 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.12.557267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
While animals readily adjust their behavior to adapt to relevant changes in the environment, the neural pathways enabling these changes remain largely unknown. Here, using multiphoton imaging, we investigated whether feedback from the piriform cortex to the olfactory bulb supports such behavioral flexibility. To this end, we engaged head-fixed mice in a multimodal rule-reversal task guided by olfactory and auditory cues. Both odor and, surprisingly, the sound cues triggered cortical bulbar feedback responses which preceded the behavioral report. Responses to the same sensory cue were strongly modulated upon changes in stimulus-reward contingency (rule reversals). The re-shaping of individual bouton responses occurred within seconds of the rule-reversal events and was correlated with changes in the behavior. Optogenetic perturbation of cortical feedback within the bulb disrupted the behavioral performance. Our results indicate that the piriform-to-olfactory bulb feedback carries reward contingency signals and is rapidly re-formatted according to changes in the behavioral context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrei Ciuparu
- Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Pedro Garcia da Silva
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- current address – Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cristina M. Velasquez
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- current address – University of Oxford, UK
| | - Benjamin Rebouillat
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- current address –École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Raul C. Muresan
- Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- STAR-UBB Institute, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dinu F. Albeanu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- School for Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
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19
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Shaffer C, Barrett LF, Quigley KS. Signal processing in the vagus nerve: Hypotheses based on new genetic and anatomical evidence. Biol Psychol 2023; 182:108626. [PMID: 37419401 PMCID: PMC10563766 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Each organism must regulate its internal state in a metabolically efficient way as it interacts in space and time with an ever-changing and only partly predictable world. Success in this endeavor is largely determined by the ongoing communication between brain and body, and the vagus nerve is a crucial structure in that dialogue. In this review, we introduce the novel hypothesis that the afferent vagus nerve is engaged in signal processing rather than just signal relay. New genetic and structural evidence of vagal afferent fiber anatomy motivates two hypotheses: (1) that sensory signals informing on the physiological state of the body compute both spatial and temporal viscerosensory features as they ascend the vagus nerve, following patterns found in other sensory architectures, such as the visual and olfactory systems; and (2) that ascending and descending signals modulate one another, calling into question the strict segregation of sensory and motor signals, respectively. Finally, we discuss several implications of our two hypotheses for understanding the role of viscerosensory signal processing in predictive energy regulation (i.e., allostasis) as well as the role of metabolic signals in memory and in disorders of prediction (e.g., mood disorders).
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Shaffer
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Karen S Quigley
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
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20
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Bowers JM, Li CY, Parker CG, Westbrook ME, Juntti SA. Pheromone Perception in Fish: Mechanisms and Modulation by Internal Status. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:407-427. [PMID: 37263784 PMCID: PMC10445421 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad049] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pheromones are chemical signals that facilitate communication between animals, and most animals use pheromones for reproduction and other forms of social behavior. The identification of key ligands and olfactory receptors used for pheromonal communication provides insight into the sensory processing of these important cues. An individual's responses to pheromones can be plastic, as physiological status modulates behavioral outputs. In this review, we outline the mechanisms for pheromone sensation and highlight physiological mechanisms that modify pheromone-guided behavior. We focus on hormones, which regulate pheromonal communication across vertebrates including fish, amphibians, and rodents. This regulation may occur in peripheral olfactory organs and the brain, but the mechanisms remain unclear. While this review centers on research in fish, we will discuss other systems to provide insight into how hormonal mechanisms function across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Bowers
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, 2128 Bioscience Research Bldg, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Cheng-Yu Li
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, 2128 Bioscience Research Bldg, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Coltan G Parker
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, 2128 Bioscience Research Bldg, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Molly E Westbrook
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, 2128 Bioscience Research Bldg, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Scott A Juntti
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, 2128 Bioscience Research Bldg, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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21
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Ekanayake A, Yang Q, Kanekar S, Ahmed B, McCaslin S, Kalra D, Eslinger P, Karunanayaka P. Monorhinal and Birhinal Odor Processing in Humans: an fMRI investigation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.01.551475. [PMID: 37577649 PMCID: PMC10418263 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.01.551475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The olfactory nerve, also known as cranial nerve I, is known to have exclusive ipsilateral projections to primary olfactory cortical structures. It is still unclear whether these projections also correspond to functional pathways of odor processing. In an olfactory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of twenty young healthy subjects with a normal sense of smell, we tested whether nostril specific stimulation with phenyl ethyl alcohol (PEA), a pure olfactory stimulant, asymmetrically activates primary or secondary olfactory-related brain structures such as primary olfactory cortex, entorhinal cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex. The results indicated that without a challenging olfactory task, passive (no sniffing) and active (with sniffing) nostril-specific PEA stimulation did not produce asymmetrical fMRI activation in olfactory cortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupa Ekanayake
- Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, Belarus
- Department of Radiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Qing Yang
- Department of Radiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Sangam Kanekar
- Department of Radiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Biyar Ahmed
- Department of Radiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Silas McCaslin
- Department of Radiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Deepak Kalra
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Paul Eslinger
- Department of Radiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Prasanna Karunanayaka
- Department of Radiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
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22
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Martial C, Poirrier AL, Pottier L, Cassol H, Mortaheb S, Panda R, Lopez M, Perrin T, Boilevin A, Gosseries O, Laureys S. From nose to brain: The effect of lemon inhalation observed by whole brain voxel to voxel functional connectivity. Cortex 2023; 165:119-128. [PMID: 37285762 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.04.012] [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: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Lemon fragrance is known for its stimulating properties, but its mechanisms of action are not well known yet. This study aimed to examine the effect of lemon essential oil inhalation on healthy participants' alertness level and their neural correlates using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Twenty-one healthy men underwent functional MRI scans in different conditions: a resting state condition, a condition where they were exposed to passive lemon smelling (alternating exposure to lemon and breathing fresh air), and a control condition without lemon fragrance diffusion -the order of the last two conditions being randomized. Alertness levels were assessed immediately after each condition using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale. Voxel-wise whole-brain global functional connectivity and graph theory analyses were computed to investigate brain functional connectivity and network topology alterations. After lemon fragrance inhalation, we observed a higher level of alertness as compared to resting state -but not compared to control condition. During lemon fragrance inhalation, we found increased global functional connectivity in the thalamus, paralleled by decreased global connectivity in several cortical regions such as precuneus, postcentral and precentral gyrus, lateral occipital cortex and paracingulate gyrus. Graph theory analysis revealed increased network integration in cortical regions typically involved in olfaction and emotion processing such as olfactory bulb, hypothalamus and thalamus, while decreased network segregation in several regions of the posterior part of the brain during olfaction as compared to resting state. The present findings suggest that lemon essential oil inhalation could increase the level of alertness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Martial
- Coma Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium; Centre Du Cerveau(2), University Hospital of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Anne-Lise Poirrier
- ENT Department, University Hospital of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurence Pottier
- ENT Department, University Hospital of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Héléna Cassol
- Coma Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Sepehr Mortaheb
- Physiology of Cognition, GIGA-CRC in Vivo Imaging Research Unit, University of Liège, Allée Du 6 Août 8, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Rajanikant Panda
- Coma Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Mateo Lopez
- Valeo, Carlab Health & WellBeing, 100 Rue de Courcelles, 75017, Paris, France
| | - Thibault Perrin
- Valeo, Carlab Health & WellBeing, 100 Rue de Courcelles, 75017, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Boilevin
- Valeo, Carlab Health & WellBeing, 100 Rue de Courcelles, 75017, Paris, France; Université Bordeaux Montaigne, UFR Humanités, Département Design Bordeaux, Esplanade des Antilles Domaine Niversitaire, 33607, Pessac, France
| | - Olivia Gosseries
- Coma Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium; Centre Du Cerveau(2), University Hospital of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Steven Laureys
- Coma Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium; Centre Du Cerveau(2), University Hospital of Liège, Avenue de L'hôpital, 11, 4000, Liège, Belgium; Joint International Research Unit on Consciousness, CERVO Brain Research Centre, CIUSS, University Laval, 2301 Av. D'Estimauville, QC, G1E 1T2, Québec, Canada
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23
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Venegas JP, Navarrete M, Orellana-Garcia L, Rojas M, Avello-Duarte F, Nunez-Parra A. Basal Forebrain Modulation of Olfactory Coding In Vivo. Int J Psychol Res (Medellin) 2023; 16:62-86. [PMID: 38106956 PMCID: PMC10723750 DOI: 10.21500/20112084.6486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory perception is one of the most fundamental brain functions, allowing individuals to properly interact and adapt to a constantly changing environment. This process requires the integration of bottom-up and topdown neuronal activity, which is centrally mediated by the basal forebrain, a brain region that has been linked to a series of cognitive processes such as attention and alertness. Here, we review the latest research using optogenetic approaches in rodents and in vivo electrophysiological recordings that are shedding light on the role of this region, in regulating olfactory processing and decisionmaking. Moreover, we summarize evidence highlighting the anatomical and physiological differences in the basal forebrain of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, which could underpin the sensory perception abnormalities they exhibit, and propose this research line as a potential opportunity to understand the neurobiological basis of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pablo Venegas
- Physiology Laboratory, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.Universidad de ChileUniversity of ChileChile
| | - Marcela Navarrete
- Physiology Laboratory, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.Universidad de ChileUniversity of ChileChile
| | - Laura Orellana-Garcia
- Physiology Laboratory, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.Universidad de ChileUniversity of ChileChile
| | - Marcelo Rojas
- Physiology Laboratory, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.Universidad de ChileUniversity of ChileChile
| | - Felipe Avello-Duarte
- Physiology Laboratory, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.Universidad de ChileUniversity of ChileChile
| | - Alexia Nunez-Parra
- Physiology Laboratory, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.Universidad de ChileUniversity of ChileChile
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24
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Rubin JJ, Kawahara AY. A framework for understanding post-detection deception in predator-prey interactions. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15389. [PMID: 37377786 PMCID: PMC10292197 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15389] [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: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Predators and prey exist in persistent conflict that often hinges on deception-the transmission of misleading or manipulative signals-as a means for survival. Deceptive traits are widespread across taxa and sensory systems, representing an evolutionarily successful and common strategy. Moreover, the highly conserved nature of the major sensory systems often extends these traits past single species predator-prey interactions toward a broader set of perceivers. As such, deceptive traits can provide a unique window into the capabilities, constraints and commonalities across divergent and phylogenetically-related perceivers. Researchers have studied deceptive traits for centuries, but a unified framework for categorizing different types of post-detection deception in predator-prey conflict still holds potential to inform future research. We suggest that deceptive traits can be distinguished by their effect on object formation processes. Perceptual objects are composed of physical attributes (what) and spatial (where) information. Deceptive traits that operate after object formation can therefore influence the perception and processing of either or both of these axes. We build upon previous work using a perceiver perspective approach to delineate deceptive traits by whether they closely match the sensory information of another object or create a discrepancy between perception and reality by exploiting the sensory shortcuts and perceptual biases of their perceiver. We then further divide this second category, sensory illusions, into traits that distort object characteristics along either the what or where axes, and those that create the perception of whole novel objects, integrating the what/where axes. Using predator-prey examples, we detail each step in this framework and propose future avenues for research. We suggest that this framework will help organize the many forms of deceptive traits and help generate predictions about selective forces that have driven animal form and behavior across evolutionary time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette J. Rubin
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Akito Y. Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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25
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Brunert D, Quintela RM, Rothermel M. The anterior olfactory nucleus revisited - an emerging role for neuropathological conditions? Prog Neurobiol 2023:102486. [PMID: 37343762 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102486] [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: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Olfaction is an important sensory modality for many species and greatly influences animal and human behavior. Still, much about olfactory perception remains unknown. The anterior olfactory nucleus is one of the brain's central early olfactory processing areas. Located directly posterior to the olfactory bulb in the olfactory peduncle with extensive in- and output connections and unique cellular composition, it connects olfactory processing centers of the left and right hemispheres. Almost 20 years have passed since the last comprehensive review on the anterior olfactory nucleus has been published and significant advances regarding its anatomy, function, and pathophysiology have been made in the meantime. Here we briefly summarize previous knowledge on the anterior olfactory nucleus, give detailed insights into the progress that has been made in recent years, and map out its emerging importance in translational research of neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Brunert
- Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Markus Rothermel
- Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
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26
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Li W, Keil A. Sensing fear: fast and precise threat evaluation in human sensory cortex. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:341-352. [PMID: 36732175 PMCID: PMC10023404 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Animal models of threat processing have evolved beyond the amygdala to incorporate a distributed neural network. In human research, evidence has intensified in recent years to challenge the canonical threat circuitry centered on the amygdala, urging revision of threat conceptualization. A strong surge of research into threat processing in the sensory cortex in the past decade has generated particularly useful insights to inform the reconceptualization. Here, synthesizing findings from both animal and human research, we highlight sensitive, specific, and adaptable threat representations in the sensory cortex, arising from experience-based sculpting of sensory coding networks. We thus propose that the human sensory cortex can drive smart (fast and precise) threat evaluation, producing threat-imbued sensory afferents to elicit network-wide threat responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
| | - Andreas Keil
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL, USA
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27
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Berners-Lee A, Shtrahman E, Grimaud J, Murthy VN. Experience-dependent evolution of odor mixture representations in piriform cortex. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002086. [PMID: 37098044 PMCID: PMC10129003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents can learn from exposure to rewarding odors to make better and quicker decisions. The piriform cortex is thought to be important for learning complex odor associations; however, it is not understood exactly how it learns to remember discriminations between many, sometimes overlapping, odor mixtures. We investigated how odor mixtures are represented in the posterior piriform cortex (pPC) of mice while they learn to discriminate a unique target odor mixture against hundreds of nontarget mixtures. We find that a significant proportion of pPC neurons discriminate between the target and all other nontarget odor mixtures. Neurons that prefer the target odor mixture tend to respond with brief increases in firing rate at odor onset compared to other neurons, which exhibit sustained and/or decreased firing. We allowed mice to continue training after they had reached high levels of performance and find that pPC neurons become more selective for target odor mixtures as well as for randomly chosen repeated nontarget odor mixtures that mice did not have to discriminate from other nontargets. These single unit changes during overtraining are accompanied by better categorization decoding at the population level, even though behavioral metrics of mice such as reward rate and latency to respond do not change. However, when difficult ambiguous trial types are introduced, the robustness of the target selectivity is correlated with better performance on the difficult trials. Taken together, these data reveal pPC as a dynamic and robust system that can optimize for both current and possible future task demands at once.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Berners-Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Shtrahman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Julien Grimaud
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Cell Engineering Laboratory (CellTechs), Sup'Biotech, Villejuif, France
| | - Venkatesh N Murthy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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28
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Takeuchi S, Shimizu K, Fukada Y, Emoto K. The circadian clock in the piriform cortex intrinsically tunes daily changes of odor-evoked neural activity. Commun Biol 2023; 6:332. [PMID: 36973364 PMCID: PMC10043281 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04691-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The daily activity in the brain is typically fine-tuned by the circadian clock in the local neurons as well as by the master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. In the olfactory response, odor-evoked activity in the piriform cortex (PC) and olfactory behavior retain circadian rhythmicity in the absence of the SCN, yet how the circadian rhythm in the PC is achieved independently of the SCN remains elusive. Here, to define neurons regulating the circadian rhythm of the odor-evoked activity in the PC, we knocked out the clock gene Bmal1 in a host of specific neurons along the olfactory circuit. We discovered that Bmal1 knockout in the PC largely abolishes the circadian rhythm of the odor-evoked activity. We further showed that isolated PC exhibits sustained circadian rhythms of the clock gene Per2 expression. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that expression patterns of multiple genes involved in neural activity and synaptic transmission exhibit circadian rhythm in the PC in a BMAL1-dependent manner. Our findings indicate that BMAL1 acts intrinsically in the PC to control the circadian rhythm of the odor-evoked activity in the PC, possibly through regulating expression patterns of multiple genes involved in neural activity and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Takeuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kimiko Shimizu
- Department of Pathological Cell Biology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
- Laboratory of Animal Resources, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Fukada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Laboratory of Animal Resources, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kazuo Emoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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29
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Montanez-Miranda C, Bramlett SN, Hepler JR. RGS14 expression in CA2 hippocampus, amygdala, and basal ganglia: Implications for human brain physiology and disease. Hippocampus 2023; 33:166-181. [PMID: 36541898 PMCID: PMC9974931 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RGS14 is a multifunctional scaffolding protein that is highly expressed within postsynaptic spines of pyramidal neurons in hippocampal area CA2. Known roles of RGS14 in CA2 include regulating G protein, H-Ras/ERK, and calcium signaling pathways to serve as a natural suppressor of synaptic plasticity and postsynaptic signaling. RGS14 also shows marked postsynaptic expression in major structures of the limbic system and basal ganglia, including the amygdala and both the ventral and dorsal subdivisions of the striatum. In this review, we discuss the signaling functions of RGS14 and its role in postsynaptic strength (long-term potentiation) and spine structural plasticity in CA2 hippocampal neurons, and how RGS14 suppression of plasticity impacts linked behaviors such as spatial learning, object memory, and fear conditioning. We also review RGS14 expression in the limbic system and basal ganglia and speculate on its possible roles in regulating plasticity in these regions, with a focus on behaviors related to emotion and motivation. Finally, we explore the functional implications of RGS14 in various brain circuits and speculate on its possible roles in certain disease states such as hippocampal seizures, addiction, and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John R. Hepler
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322-3090
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30
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Marin C, Alobid I, Fuentes M, López-Chacón M, Mullol J. Olfactory Dysfunction in Mental Illness. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2023; 23:153-164. [PMID: 36696016 PMCID: PMC9875195 DOI: 10.1007/s11882-023-01068-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Olfactory dysfunction contributes to the psychopathology of mental illness. In this review, we describe the neurobiology of olfaction, and the most common olfactory alterations in several mental illnesses. We also highlight the role, hitherto underestimated, that the olfactory pathways play in the regulation of higher brain functions and its involvement in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, as well as the effect of inflammation on neurogenesis as a possible mechanism involved in olfactory dysfunction in psychiatric conditions. RECENT FINDINGS The olfactory deficits present in anxiety, depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder consist of specific alterations of different components of the sense of smell, mainly the identification of odours, as well as the qualifications of their hedonic valence (pleasant or unpleasant). Epidemiological findings have shown that both environmental factors, such as air pollutants, and inflammatory disease of the upper respiratory tract, can contribute to an increased risk of mental illness, at least in part, due to peripheral inflammatory mechanisms of the olfactory system. In this review, we describe the neurobiology of olfaction, and the most common olfactory function alterations in several psychiatric conditions and its role as a useful symptom for the differential diagnosis. We also highlight the effect of inflammation on neurogenesis as a possible mechanism involved in olfactory dysfunction in these psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concepció Marin
- INGENIO, IRCE, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CELLEX, Department 2B, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. .,Centre for Biomedical Investigation in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Isam Alobid
- INGENIO, IRCE, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CELLEX, Department 2B, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Investigation in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Rhinology Unit and Smell Clinic, ENT Department, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mireya Fuentes
- INGENIO, IRCE, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CELLEX, Department 2B, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Investigation in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mauricio López-Chacón
- INGENIO, IRCE, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CELLEX, Department 2B, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Investigation in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Rhinology Unit and Smell Clinic, ENT Department, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joaquim Mullol
- INGENIO, IRCE, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CELLEX, Department 2B, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. .,Centre for Biomedical Investigation in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. .,Rhinology Unit and Smell Clinic, ENT Department, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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31
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Organizational Principles of the Centrifugal Projections to the Olfactory Bulb. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054579. [PMID: 36902010 PMCID: PMC10002860 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054579] [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: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Centrifugal projections in the olfactory system are critical to both olfactory processing and behavior. The olfactory bulb (OB), the first relay station in odor processing, receives a substantial number of centrifugal inputs from the central brain regions. However, the anatomical organization of these centrifugal connections has not been fully elucidated, especially for the excitatory projection neurons of the OB, the mitral/tufted cells (M/TCs). Using rabies virus-mediated retrograde monosynaptic tracing in Thy1-Cre mice, we identified that the three most prominent inputs of the M/TCs came from the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), the piriform cortex (PC), and the basal forebrain (BF), similar to the granule cells (GCs), the most abundant population of inhibitory interneurons in the OB. However, M/TCs received proportionally less input from the primary olfactory cortical areas, including the AON and PC, but more input from the BF and contralateral brain regions than GCs. Unlike organizationally distinct inputs from the primary olfactory cortical areas to these two types of OB neurons, inputs from the BF were organized similarly. Furthermore, individual BF cholinergic neurons innervated multiple layers of the OB, forming synapses on both M/TCs and GCs. Taken together, our results indicate that the centrifugal projections to different types of OB neurons may provide complementary and coordinated strategies in olfactory processing and behavior.
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32
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Maziar A, Critch TNRHY, Ghosh S, Rajani V, Flynn CM, Qin T, Reinhardt C, Man KNM, Lee A, Hell JW, Yuan Q. Aging differentially affects LTCC function in hippocampal CA1 and piriform cortex pyramidal neurons. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1489-1503. [PMID: 35437602 PMCID: PMC9930631 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with cognitive decline and memory loss in humans. In rats, aging-associated neuronal excitability changes and impairments in learning have been extensively studied in the hippocampus. Here, we investigated the roles of L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) in the rat piriform cortex (PC), in comparison with those of the hippocampus. We employed spatial and olfactory tasks that involve the hippocampus and PC. LTCC blocker nimodipine administration impaired spontaneous location recognition in adult rats (6-9 months). However, the same blocker rescued the spatial learning deficiency in aged rats (19-23 months). In an odor-associative learning task, infusions of nimodipine into either the PC or dorsal CA1 impaired the ability of adult rats to learn a positive odor association. Again, in contrast, nimodipine rescued odor associative learning in aged rats. Aged CA1 neurons had higher somatic expression of LTCC Cav1.2 subunits, exhibited larger afterhyperpolarization (AHP) and lower excitability compared with adult neurons. In contrast, PC neurons from aged rats showed higher excitability and no difference in AHP. Cav1.2 expression was similar in adult and aged PC somata, but relatively higher in PSD95- puncta in aged dendrites. Our data suggest unique features of aging-associated changes in LTCCs in the PC and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Maziar
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Tristian N R H Y Critch
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Sourav Ghosh
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Vishaal Rajani
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Cassandra M Flynn
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Tian Qin
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Camila Reinhardt
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Kwun Nok Mimi Man
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Amy Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Johannes W Hell
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Qi Yuan
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
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33
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Chae H, Banerjee A, Dussauze M, Albeanu DF. Long-range functional loops in the mouse olfactory system and their roles in computing odor identity. Neuron 2022; 110:3970-3985.e7. [PMID: 36174573 PMCID: PMC9742324 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating the neural circuits supporting odor identification remains an open challenge. Here, we analyze the contribution of the two output cell types of the mouse olfactory bulb (mitral and tufted cells) to decode odor identity and concentration and its dependence on top-down feedback from their respective major cortical targets: piriform cortex versus anterior olfactory nucleus. We find that tufted cells substantially outperform mitral cells in decoding both odor identity and intensity. Cortical feedback selectively regulates the activity of its dominant bulb projection cell type and implements different computations. Piriform feedback specifically restructures mitral responses, whereas feedback from the anterior olfactory nucleus preferentially controls the gain of tufted representations without altering their odor tuning. Our results identify distinct functional loops involving the mitral and tufted cells and their cortical targets. We suggest that in addition to the canonical mitral-to-piriform pathway, tufted cells and their target regions are ideally positioned to compute odor identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honggoo Chae
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Arkarup Banerjee
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School for Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Marie Dussauze
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School for Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Dinu F Albeanu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School for Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
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34
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Chen Y, Chen X, Baserdem B, Zhan H, Li Y, Davis MB, Kebschull JM, Zador AM, Koulakov AA, Albeanu DF. High-throughput sequencing of single neuron projections reveals spatial organization in the olfactory cortex. Cell 2022; 185:4117-4134.e28. [PMID: 36306734 PMCID: PMC9681627 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In most sensory modalities, neuronal connectivity reflects behaviorally relevant stimulus features, such as spatial location, orientation, and sound frequency. By contrast, the prevailing view in the olfactory cortex, based on the reconstruction of dozens of neurons, is that connectivity is random. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing-based neuroanatomical techniques to analyze the projections of 5,309 mouse olfactory bulb and 30,433 piriform cortex output neurons at single-cell resolution. Surprisingly, statistical analysis of this much larger dataset revealed that the olfactory cortex connectivity is spatially structured. Single olfactory bulb neurons targeting a particular location along the anterior-posterior axis of piriform cortex also project to matched, functionally distinct, extra-piriform targets. Moreover, single neurons from the targeted piriform locus also project to the same matched extra-piriform targets, forming triadic circuit motifs. Thus, as in other sensory modalities, olfactory information is routed at early stages of processing to functionally diverse targets in a coordinated manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yushu Chen
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Xiaoyin Chen
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | | | - Huiqing Zhan
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Yan Li
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Martin B Davis
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | | | - Anthony M Zador
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
| | | | - Dinu F Albeanu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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35
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Ngo FY, Li H, Zhang H, Lau CYG. Acute Fasting Modulates Food-Seeking Behavior and Neural Signaling in the Piriform Cortex. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14194156. [PMID: 36235808 PMCID: PMC9572926 DOI: 10.3390/nu14194156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that the state of hunger can modulate hormones and hypothalamic neural circuits to drive food-seeking behavior and consumption. However, the role the sensory cortex plays in regulating foraging is much less explored. Here, we investigated whether acute fasting in mice can alter an odor-guided foraging behavior and how it can alter neurons and synapses in the (olfactory) piriform cortex (PC). Acute hunger enhances the motivation of a mouse to search for food pellets and increases food intake. The foraging behavior strongly activates the PC, as revealed by c-Fos immunostaining. The activation of PC is accompanied by an increase in excitation-inhibition ratio of synaptic density. Fasting also enhances the phosphorylation of AMP kinase, a biochemical energy regulator. Taken together, our results uncover a new regulatory brain region and implicate the PC in controlling foraging behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fung-Yin Ngo
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Huanhuan Li
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Huiqi Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Chun-Yue Geoffrey Lau
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +852-3442-4345
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36
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Farruggia MC, Pellegrino R, Scheinost D. Functional Connectivity of the Chemosenses: A Review. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:865929. [PMID: 35813269 PMCID: PMC9257046 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.865929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity approaches have long been used in cognitive neuroscience to establish pathways of communication between and among brain regions. However, the use of these analyses to better understand how the brain processes chemosensory information remains nascent. In this review, we conduct a literature search of all functional connectivity papers of olfaction, gustation, and chemesthesis, with 103 articles discovered in total. These publications largely use approaches of seed-based functional connectivity and psychophysiological interactions, as well as effective connectivity approaches such as Granger Causality, Dynamic Causal Modeling, and Structural Equation Modeling. Regardless of modality, studies largely focus on elucidating neural correlates of stimulus qualities such as identity, pleasantness, and intensity, with task-based paradigms most frequently implemented. We call for further "model free" or data-driven approaches in predictive modeling to craft brain-behavior relationships that are free from a priori hypotheses and not solely based on potentially irreproducible literature. Moreover, we note a relative dearth of resting-state literature, which could be used to better understand chemosensory networks with less influence from motion artifacts induced via gustatory or olfactory paradigms. Finally, we note a lack of genomics data, which could clarify individual and heritable differences in chemosensory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Farruggia
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States,*Correspondence: Michael C. Farruggia,
| | | | - Dustin Scheinost
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States,Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, New Haven, CT, United States,Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States,Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
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37
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Rajani V, Yuan Q. Noradrenergic Modulation of the Piriform Cortex: A Possible Avenue for Understanding Pre-Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:908758. [PMID: 35722616 PMCID: PMC9204642 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.908758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory dysfunction is one of the biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis and progression. Deficits with odor identification and discrimination are common symptoms of pre-clinical AD, preceding severe memory disorder observed in advanced stages. As a result, understanding mechanisms of olfactory impairment is a major focus in both human studies and animal models of AD. Pretangle tau, a precursor to tau tangles, is first observed in the locus coeruleus (LC). In a recent animal model, LC pretangle tau leads to LC fiber degeneration in the piriform cortex (PC), a cortical area associated with olfactory dysfunction in both human AD and rodent models. Here, we review the role of LC-sourced NE in modulation of PC activity and suggest mechanisms by which pretangle tau-mediated LC dysfunction may impact olfactory processing in preclinical stage of AD. Understanding mechanisms of early olfactory impairment in AD may provide a critical window for detection and intervention of disease progression.
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38
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Guo A, Lau CG. TNF-α Orchestrates Experience-Dependent Plasticity of Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapses in the Anterior Piriform Cortex. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:824454. [PMID: 35557610 PMCID: PMC9086849 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.824454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeostatic synaptic plasticity, which induces compensatory modulation of synapses, plays a critical role in maintaining neuronal circuit function in response to changing activity patterns. Activity in the anterior piriform cortex (APC) is largely driven by ipsilateral neural activity from the olfactory bulb and is a suitable system for examining the effects of sensory experience on cortical circuits. Pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) can modulate excitatory and inhibitory synapses, but its role in APC is unexplored. Here we examined the role of TNF-α in adjusting synapses in the mouse APC after experience deprivation via unilateral naris occlusion. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that activity deprivation increased excitatory, and decreased inhibitory, synaptic density in wild-type mice, consistent with homeostatic regulation. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that naris occlusion increased the expression of Tnf mRNA in APC. Critically, occlusion-induced plasticity of excitatory and inhibitory synapses was completely blocked in the Tnf knockout mouse. Together, these results show that TNF-α is an important orchestrator of experience-dependent plasticity in the APC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Guo
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunyue Geoffrey Lau
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
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You Y, Novak LR, Clancy KJ, Li W. Pattern differentiation and tuning shift in human sensory cortex underlie long-term threat memory. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2067-2075.e4. [PMID: 35325599 PMCID: PMC9090975 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala-prefrontal-cortex circuit has long occupied the center of the threat system,1 but new evidence has rapidly amassed to implicate threat processing outside this canonical circuit.2-4 Through nonhuman research, the sensory cortex has emerged as a critical substrate for long-term threat memory,5-9 underpinned by sensory cortical pattern separation/completion10,11 and tuning shift.12,13 In humans, research has begun to associate the human sensory cortex with long-term threat memory,14,15 but the lack of mechanistic insights obscures a direct linkage. Toward that end, we assessed human olfactory threat conditioning and long-term (9 days) threat memory, combining affective appraisal, olfactory psychophysics, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) over a linear odor-morphing continuum (five levels of binary mixtures of the conditioned stimuli/CS+ and CS- odors). Affective ratings and olfactory perceptual discrimination confirmed (explicit) affective and perceptual learning and memory via conditioning. fMRI representational similarity analysis (RSA) and voxel-based tuning analysis further revealed associative plasticity in the human olfactory (piriform) cortex, including immediate and lasting pattern differentiation between CS and neighboring non-CS and a late onset, lasting tuning shift toward the CS. The two plastic processes were especially salient and lasting in anxious individuals, among whom they were further correlated. These findings thus support an evolutionarily conserved sensory cortical system of long-term threat representation, which can underpin threat perception and memory. Importantly, hyperfunctioning of this sensory mnemonic system of threat in anxiety further implicates a hitherto underappreciated sensory mechanism of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi You
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
| | - Lucas R Novak
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Kevin J Clancy
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Wen Li
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
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40
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Endo K, Kazama H. Central organization of a high-dimensional odor space. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 73:102528. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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41
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Briguglio M, Crespi T, Langella F, Riso P, Porrini M, Scaramuzzo L, Bassani R, Brayda-Bruno M, Berjano P. Perioperative Anesthesia and Acute Smell Alterations in Spine Surgery: A “Sniffing Impairment” Influencing Refeeding? Front Surg 2022; 9:785676. [PMID: 35372489 PMCID: PMC8965841 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.785676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Medications for general anesthesia can cause smell alterations after surgery, with inhalation anesthetics being the most acknowledged drugs. However, spine patients have been poorly studied in past investigations and whether these alterations could influence the refeeding remains unclear. This research aims to observe detectable dysosmias after spine surgery, to explore any amplified affection of halogenates (DESflurane and SEVoflurane) against total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA), and to spot potential repercussions on the refeeding. Fifty patients between 50 and 85 years old were recruited before elective spine procedure and tested for odor acuity and discrimination using the Sniffin' Sticks test. The odor abilities were re-assessed within the first 15 h after surgery together with the monitoring of food intakes. The threshold reduced from 4.92 ± 1.61 to 4.81 ± 1.64 (p = 0.237) and the discrimination ability reduced from 10.50 ± 1.83 to 9.52 ± 1.98 (p = 0.0005). Anesthetic-specific analysis showed a significant reduction of both threshold (p = 0.004) and discrimination (p = 0.004) in the SEV group, and a significant reduction of discrimination abilities (p = 0.016) in the DES group. No dysosmias were observed in TIVA patients after surgery. Food intakes were lower in the TIVA group compared to both DES (p = 0.026) and SEV (p = 0.017). The food consumed was not associated with the sniffing impairment but appeared to be inversely associated with the surgical time. These results confirmed the evidence on inhalation anesthetics to cause smell alterations in spine patients. Furthermore, the poor early oral intake after complex procedures suggests that spinal deformity surgery could be a practical challenge to early oral nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Briguglio
- IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Scientific Direction, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Matteo Briguglio
| | - Tiziano Crespi
- IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Intensive Care Unit, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Patrizia Riso
- University of Milan, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Division of Human Nutrition, Milan, Italy
| | - Marisa Porrini
- University of Milan, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Division of Human Nutrition, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Bassani
- IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Spine Unit 2, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Pedro Berjano
- IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, GSpine 4, Milan, Italy
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42
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Coureaud G, Thomas-Danguin T, Sandoz JC, Wilson DA. Biological constraints on configural odour mixture perception. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274695. [PMID: 35285471 PMCID: PMC8996812 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals, including humans, detect odours and use this information to behave efficiently in the environment. Frequently, odours consist of complex mixtures of odorants rather than single odorants, and mixtures are often perceived as configural wholes, i.e. as odour objects (e.g. food, partners). The biological rules governing this 'configural perception' (as opposed to the elemental perception of mixtures through their components) remain weakly understood. Here, we first review examples of configural mixture processing in diverse species involving species-specific biological signals. Then, we present the original hypothesis that at least certain mixtures can be processed configurally across species. Indeed, experiments conducted in human adults, newborn rabbits and, more recently, in rodents and honeybees show that these species process some mixtures in a remarkably similar fashion. Strikingly, a mixture AB (A, ethyl isobutyrate; B, ethyl maltol) induces configural processing in humans, who perceive a mixture odour quality (pineapple) distinct from the component qualities (A, strawberry; B, caramel). The same mixture is weakly configurally processed in rabbit neonates, which perceive a particular odour for the mixture in addition to the component odours. Mice and honeybees also perceive the AB mixture configurally, as they respond differently to the mixture compared with its components. Based on these results and others, including neurophysiological approaches, we propose that certain mixtures are convergently perceived across various species of vertebrates/invertebrates, possibly as a result of a similar anatomical organization of their olfactory systems and the common necessity to simplify the environment's chemical complexity in order to display adaptive behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gérard Coureaud
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Team Sensory Neuroethology (ENES), CNRS/INSERM/UCBL1/UJM, 69500 Lyon, France
| | - Thierry Thomas-Danguin
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Team Flavor, Food Oral Processing and Perception, INRAE, CNRS, Institut Agro Dijon, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Sandoz
- Evolution, Genomes, Behavior and Ecology, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, IRD, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone School of Medicine and Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York, NY 10016, USA
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43
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Bitzenhofer SH, Westeinde EA, Zhang HXB, Isaacson JS. Rapid odor processing by layer 2 subcircuits in lateral entorhinal cortex. eLife 2022; 11:75065. [PMID: 35129439 PMCID: PMC8860446 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory information is encoded in lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) by two classes of layer 2 (L2) principal neurons: fan and pyramidal cells. However, the functional properties of L2 cells and how they contribute to odor coding are unclear. Here, we show in awake mice that L2 cells respond to odors early during single sniffs and that LEC is essential for rapid discrimination of both odor identity and intensity. Population analyses of L2 ensembles reveal that rate coding distinguishes odor identity, but firing rates are only weakly concentration dependent and changes in spike timing can represent odor intensity. L2 principal cells differ in afferent olfactory input and connectivity with inhibitory circuits and the relative timing of pyramidal and fan cell spikes provides a temporal code for odor intensity. Downstream, intensity is encoded purely by spike timing in hippocampal CA1. Together, these results reveal the unique processing of odor information by LEC subcircuits and highlight the importance of temporal coding in higher olfactory areas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena A Westeinde
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Han-Xiong Bear Zhang
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Jeffry S Isaacson
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
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44
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Smell-induced gamma oscillations in human olfactory cortex are required for accurate perception of odor identity. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001509. [PMID: 34986157 PMCID: PMC8765613 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of neuronal oscillations have contributed substantial insight into the mechanisms of visual, auditory, and somatosensory perception. However, progress in such research in the human olfactory system has lagged behind. As a result, the electrophysiological properties of the human olfactory system are poorly understood, and, in particular, whether stimulus-driven high-frequency oscillations play a role in odor processing is unknown. Here, we used direct intracranial recordings from human piriform cortex during an odor identification task to show that 3 key oscillatory rhythms are an integral part of the human olfactory cortical response to smell: Odor induces theta, beta, and gamma rhythms in human piriform cortex. We further show that these rhythms have distinct relationships with perceptual behavior. Odor-elicited gamma oscillations occur only during trials in which the odor is accurately perceived, and features of gamma oscillations predict odor identification accuracy, suggesting that they are critical for odor identity perception in humans. We also found that the amplitude of high-frequency oscillations is organized by the phase of low-frequency signals shortly following sniff onset, only when odor is present. Our findings reinforce previous work on theta oscillations, suggest that gamma oscillations in human piriform cortex are important for perception of odor identity, and constitute a robust identification of the characteristic electrophysiological response to smell in the human brain. Future work will determine whether the distinct oscillations we identified reflect distinct perceptual features of odor stimuli. Intracranial recordings from human olfactory cortex reveal a characteristic spectrotemporal response to odors, including theta, beta and gamma oscillations, and show that high-frequency responses are critical for accurate perception of odors.
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45
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Hakim M, Beecher K, Jacques A, Chaaya N, Belmer A, Battle AR, Johnson LR, Bartlett SE, Chehrehasa F. Retrieval of olfactory fear memory alters cell proliferation and expression of pCREB and pMAPK in the corticomedial amygdala and piriform cortex. Chem Senses 2022; 47:6673813. [PMID: 35997758 PMCID: PMC9397123 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjac021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain forms robust associations between odors and emotionally salient memories, making odors especially effective at triggering fearful or traumatic memories. Using Pavlovian olfactory fear conditioning (OFC), a variant of the traditional tone-shock paradigm, this study explored the changes involved in its processing. We assessed the expression of neuronal plasticity markers phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (pCREB) and phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase (pMAPK) 24 h and 14 days following OFC, in newborn neurons (EdU+) and in brain regions associated with olfactory memory processing; the olfactory bulb, piriform cortex, amygdale, and hippocampus. Here, we show that all proliferating neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and glomerular layer of the olfactory bulb were colocalized with pCREB at 24 h and 14 days post-conditioning, and the number of proliferating neurons at both time points were statistically similar. This suggests the occurrence of long-term potentiation within the neurons of this pathway. Finally, OFC significantly increased the density of pCREB- and pMAPK-positive immunoreactive neurons in the medial and cortical subnuclei of the amygdala and the posterior piriform cortex, suggesting their key involvement in its processing. Together, our investigation identifies changes in neuroplasticity within critical neural circuits responsible for olfactory fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marziah Hakim
- Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kate Beecher
- Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity Laboratory, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Angela Jacques
- Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity Laboratory, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Nicholas Chaaya
- Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity Laboratory, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Arnauld Belmer
- Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity Laboratory, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrew R Battle
- Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Luke R Johnson
- Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity Laboratory, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,School of Medicine. Division of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS, Australia
| | - Selena E Bartlett
- Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity Laboratory, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Fatemeh Chehrehasa
- Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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46
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Age-Dependent Contributions of NMDA Receptors and L-Type Calcium Channels to Long-Term Depression in the Piriform Cortex. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413551. [PMID: 34948347 PMCID: PMC8706958 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the hippocampus, the contributions of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) to neuronal transmission and synaptic plasticity change with aging, underlying calcium dysregulation and cognitive dysfunction. However, the relative contributions of NMDARs and LTCCs in other learning encoding structures during aging are not known. The piriform cortex (PC) plays a significant role in odor associative memories, and like the hippocampus, exhibits forms of long-term synaptic plasticity. Here, we investigated the expression and contribution of NMDARs and LTCCs in long-term depression (LTD) of the PC associational fiber pathway in three cohorts of Sprague Dawley rats: neonatal (1-2 weeks), young adult (2-3 months) and aged (20-25 months). Using a combination of slice electrophysiology, Western blotting, fluorescent immunohistochemistry and confocal imaging, we observed a shift from an NMDAR to LTCC mediation of LTD in aged rats, despite no difference in the amount of LTD expression. These changes in plasticity are related to age-dependent differential receptor expression in the PC. LTCC Cav1.2 expression relative to postsynaptic density protein 95 is increased in the associational pathway of the aged PC layer Ib. Enhanced LTCC contribution in synaptic depression in the PC may contribute to altered olfactory function and learning with aging.
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47
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Lebovich L, Yunerman M, Scaiewicz V, Loewenstein Y, Rokni D. Paradoxical relationship between speed and accuracy in olfactory figure-background segregation. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009674. [PMID: 34871306 PMCID: PMC8675919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In natural settings, many stimuli impinge on our sensory organs simultaneously. Parsing these sensory stimuli into perceptual objects is a fundamental task faced by all sensory systems. Similar to other sensory modalities, increased odor backgrounds decrease the detectability of target odors by the olfactory system. The mechanisms by which background odors interfere with the detection and identification of target odors are unknown. Here we utilized the framework of the Drift Diffusion Model (DDM) to consider possible interference mechanisms in an odor detection task. We first considered pure effects of background odors on either signal or noise in the decision-making dynamics and showed that these produce different predictions about decision accuracy and speed. To test these predictions, we trained mice to detect target odors that are embedded in random background mixtures in a two-alternative choice task. In this task, the inter-trial interval was independent of behavioral reaction times to avoid motivating rapid responses. We found that increased backgrounds reduce mouse performance but paradoxically also decrease reaction times, suggesting that noise in the decision making process is increased by backgrounds. We further assessed the contributions of background effects on both noise and signal by fitting the DDM to the behavioral data. The models showed that background odors affect both the signal and the noise, but that the paradoxical relationship between trial difficulty and reaction time is caused by the added noise. Sensory systems are constantly stimulated by signals from many objects in the environment. Segmentation of important signals from the cluttered background is therefore a task that is faced by all sensory systems. For many mammalians, the sense of smell is the primary sense that guides many daily behaviors. As such, the olfactory system must be able to detect and identify odors of interest against varying and dynamic backgrounds. Here we studied how background odors interfere with the detection of target odors. We trained mice on a task in which they are presented with odor mixtures and are required to report whether they include either of two target odors. We analyze the behavioral data using a common model of sensory-guided decision-making—the drift-diffusion-model. In this model, decisions are influenced by two elements: a drift which is the signal produced by the stimulus, and noise. We show that the addition of background odors has a dual effect—a reduction in the drift, as well as an increase in the noise. The increased noise also causes more rapid decisions, thereby producing a paradoxical relationship between trial difficulty and decision speed; mice make faster decisions on more difficult trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Lebovich
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michael Yunerman
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine and IMRIC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Viviana Scaiewicz
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine and IMRIC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yonatan Loewenstein
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Cognitive Sciences and The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dan Rokni
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine and IMRIC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- * E-mail:
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48
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Samuelsen CL, Vincis R. Cortical Hub for Flavor Sensation in Rodents. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:772286. [PMID: 34867223 PMCID: PMC8636119 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.772286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The experience of eating is inherently multimodal, combining intraoral gustatory, olfactory, and somatosensory signals into a single percept called flavor. As foods and beverages enter the mouth, movements associated with chewing and swallowing activate somatosensory receptors in the oral cavity, dissolve tastants in the saliva to activate taste receptors, and release volatile odorant molecules to retronasally activate olfactory receptors in the nasal epithelium. Human studies indicate that sensory cortical areas are important for intraoral multimodal processing, yet their circuit-level mechanisms remain unclear. Animal models allow for detailed analyses of neural circuits due to the large number of molecular tools available for tracing and neuronal manipulations. In this review, we concentrate on the anatomical and neurophysiological evidence from rodent models toward a better understanding of the circuit-level mechanisms underlying the cortical processing of flavor. While more work is needed, the emerging view pertaining to the multimodal processing of food and beverages is that the piriform, gustatory, and somatosensory cortical regions do not function solely as independent areas. Rather they act as an intraoral cortical hub, simultaneously receiving and processing multimodal sensory information from the mouth to produce the rich and complex flavor experience that guides consummatory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad L Samuelsen
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Roberto Vincis
- Department of Biological Science and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
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49
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Yan Y, Aierken A, Wang C, Song D, Ni J, Wang Z, Quan Z, Qing H. A potential biomarker of preclinical Alzheimer's disease: The olfactory dysfunction and its pathogenesis-based neural circuitry impairments. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:857-869. [PMID: 34810025 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The olfactory dysfunction can signal and act as a potential biomarker of preclinical AD. However, the precise regulatory mechanism of olfactory function on the neural pathogenesis of AD is still unclear. The impairment of neural networks in olfaction system has been shown to be tightly associated with AD. As key brain regions of the olfactory system, the olfactory bulb (OB) and the piriform cortex (PCx) have a profound influence on the olfactory function. Therefore, this review will explore the mechanism of olfactory dysfunction in preclinical AD in the perspective of abnormal neural networks in the OB and PCx and their associated brain regions, especially from two aspects of aberrant oscillations and synaptic plasticity damages, which help better understand the underlying mechanism of olfactory neural network damages related to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Ailikemu Aierken
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Chunjian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Da Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Junjun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenzhen Quan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
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50
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Kumar A, Barkai E, Schiller J. Plasticity of olfactory bulb inputs mediated by dendritic NMDA-spikes in rodent piriform cortex. eLife 2021; 10:70383. [PMID: 34698637 PMCID: PMC8575458 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The piriform cortex (PCx) is essential for learning of odor information. The current view postulates that odor learning in the PCx is mainly due to plasticity in intracortical (IC) synapses, while odor information from the olfactory bulb carried via the lateral olfactory tract (LOT) is ‘hardwired.’ Here, we revisit this notion by studying location- and pathway-dependent plasticity rules. We find that in contrast to the prevailing view, synaptic and optogenetically activated LOT synapses undergo strong and robust long-term potentiation (LTP) mediated by only a few local NMDA-spikes delivered at theta frequency, while global spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) protocols failed to induce LTP in these distal synapses. In contrast, IC synapses in apical and basal dendrites undergo plasticity with both NMDA-spikes and STDP protocols but to a smaller extent compared with LOT synapses. These results are consistent with a self-potentiating mechanism of odor information via NMDA-spikes that can form branch-specific memory traces of odors that can further associate with contextual IC information via STDP mechanisms to provide cognitive and emotional value to odors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Department of Physiology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Edi Barkai
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jackie Schiller
- Department of Physiology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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