1
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Schormans AL, Allman BL. Layer-specific enhancement of visual-evoked activity in the audiovisual cortex following a mild degree of hearing loss in adult rats. Hear Res 2024; 450:109071. [PMID: 38941694 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.109071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Following adult-onset hearing impairment, crossmodal plasticity can occur within various sensory cortices, often characterized by increased neural responses to visual stimulation in not only the auditory cortex, but also in the visual and audiovisual cortices. In the present study, we used an established model of loud noise exposure in rats to examine, for the first time, whether the crossmodal plasticity in the audiovisual cortex that occurs following a relatively mild degree of hearing loss emerges solely from altered intracortical processing or if thalamocortical changes also contribute to the crossmodal effects. Using a combination of an established pharmacological 'cortical silencing' protocol and current source density analysis of the laminar activity recorded across the layers of the audiovisual cortex (i.e., the lateral extrastriate visual cortex, V2L), we observed layer-specific changes post-silencing in the strength of the residual visual, but not auditory, input in the noise exposed rats with mild hearing loss compared to rats with normal hearing. Furthermore, based on a comparison of the laminar profiles pre- versus post-silencing in both groups, we can conclude that noise exposure caused a re-allocation of the strength of visual inputs across the layers of the V2L cortex, including enhanced visual-evoked activity in the granular layer; findings consistent with thalamocortical plasticity. Finally, we confirmed that audiovisual integration within the V2L cortex depends on intact processing within intracortical circuits, and that this form of multisensory processing is vulnerable to disruption by noise-induced hearing loss. Ultimately, the present study furthers our understanding of the contribution of intracortical and thalamocortical processing to crossmodal plasticity as well as to audiovisual integration under both normal and mildly-impaired hearing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Schormans
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
| | - Brian L Allman
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
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2
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He Y, Liu J, Xiao H, Xiao L. Early postnatal whisker deprivation cross-modally modulates prefrontal cortex myelination and leads to social novelty deficit. Brain Res 2024; 1843:149136. [PMID: 39098577 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149136] [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: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Sensory experience affects not only the corresponding primary sensory cortex, but also synaptic and neural circuit functions in other brain regions in a cross-modal manner. However, it remains unclear whether oligodendrocyte (OL) generation and myelination can also undergo cross-modal modulation. Here, we report that while early life short-term whisker deprivation from birth significantly reduces in the number of mature of OLs and the degree of myelination in the primary somatosensory cortex(S1) at postnatal day 14 (P14), it also simultaneously affects the primary visual cortex (V1), but not the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) with a similar reduction. Interestingly, when mice were subjected to long-term early whisker deprivation from birth (P0) to P35, they exhibited dramatically impaired myelination and a deduced number of differentiated OLs in regions including the S1, V1, and mPFC, as detected at P60. Meanwhile, the process complexity of OL precursor cells (OPCs) was also rduced, as detected in the mPFC. However, when whisker deprivation occurred during the mid-late postnatal period (P35 to P50), myelination was unaffected in both V1 and mPFC brain regions at P60. In addition to impaired OL and myelin development in the mPFC, long-term early whisker-deprived mice also showed deficits in social novelty, accompanied by abnormal activation of c-Fos in the mPFC. Thus, our results reveal a novel form of cross-modal modulation of myelination by sensory experience that can lead to abnormalities in social behavioral, suggesting a possible similar mechanism underlying brain pathological conditions that suffer from both sensory and social behavioral deficits, such as autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxiang He
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences of Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, and Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Junhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences of Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, and Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Hanyu Xiao
- Shanghai Pinghe School, Shanghai 200120, PR China
| | - Lin Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences of Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, and Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China.
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3
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Jendrichovsky P, Lee HK, Kanold PO. Dark exposure reduces high-frequency hearing loss in C57BL/6J mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.02.592252. [PMID: 38746420 PMCID: PMC11092591 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.02.592252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Plastic changes in the brain are primarily limited to early postnatal periods. Recovery of adult brain plasticity is critical for the effective development of therapies. A brief (1-2 week) duration of visual deprivation (dark exposure, DE) in adult mice can trigger functional plasticity of thalamocortical and intracortical circuits in the primary auditory cortex suggesting improved sound processing. We tested if DE enhances the ability of adult mice to detect sounds. We trained and continuously evaluated the behavioral performance of mice in control and DE conditions using automated home-cage training. Consistent with age-related peripheral hearing loss present in C57BL/6J mice, we observed decreased performance for high-frequency sounds with age, which was reduced by DE. In CBA mice with preserved peripheral hearing, we also found that DE enhanced auditory performance in low and mid frequencies over time compared to the control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Jendrichovsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
- Kavli NDI, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore, USA
| | - Patrick O. Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
- Kavli NDI, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
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4
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Mesik L, Parkins S, Severin D, Grier BD, Ewall G, Kotha S, Wesselborg C, Moreno C, Jaoui Y, Felder A, Huang B, Johnson MB, Harrigan TP, Knight AE, Lani SW, Lemaire T, Kirkwood A, Hwang GM, Lee HK. Transcranial Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Stimulation of the Visual Thalamus Produces Long-Term Depression of Thalamocortical Synapses in the Adult Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0784232024. [PMID: 38316559 PMCID: PMC10941064 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0784-23.2024] [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: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (tFUS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique, which can penetrate deeper and modulate neural activity with a greater spatial resolution (on the order of millimeters) than currently available noninvasive brain stimulation methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). While there are several studies demonstrating the ability of tFUS to modulate neuronal activity, it is unclear whether it can be used for producing long-term plasticity as needed to modify circuit function, especially in adult brain circuits with limited plasticity such as the thalamocortical synapses. Here we demonstrate that transcranial low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) stimulation of the visual thalamus (dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, dLGN), a deep brain structure, leads to NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term depression of its synaptic transmission onto layer 4 neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) of adult mice of both sexes. This change is not accompanied by large increases in neuronal activity, as visualized using the cFos Targeted Recombination in Active Populations (cFosTRAP2) mouse line, or activation of microglia, which was assessed with IBA-1 staining. Using a model (SONIC) based on the neuronal intramembrane cavitation excitation (NICE) theory of ultrasound neuromodulation, we find that the predicted activity pattern of dLGN neurons upon sonication is state-dependent with a range of activity that falls within the parameter space conducive for inducing long-term synaptic depression. Our results suggest that noninvasive transcranial LIFU stimulation has a potential for recovering long-term plasticity of thalamocortical synapses in the postcritical period adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Mesik
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Samuel Parkins
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Cell Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Daniel Severin
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Bryce D Grier
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Gabrielle Ewall
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Sumasri Kotha
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Christian Wesselborg
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Cell Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Cristian Moreno
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Yanis Jaoui
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Adrianna Felder
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Brian Huang
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Marina B Johnson
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Timothy P Harrigan
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Anna E Knight
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Shane W Lani
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Théo Lemaire
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016
| | - Alfredo Kirkwood
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Grace M Hwang
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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5
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Grier BD, Parkins S, Omar J, Lee HK. Selective plasticity of fast and slow excitatory synapses on somatostatin interneurons in adult visual cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7165. [PMID: 37935668 PMCID: PMC10630508 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42968-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatostatin-positive (SOM) interneurons are integral for shaping cortical processing and their dynamic recruitment is likely necessary for adaptation to sensory experience and contextual information. We found that excitatory synapses on SOMs in layer 2/3 (L2/3) of primary visual cortex (V1) of mice can be categorized into fast (F)- and slow (S)-Types based on the kinetics of the AMPA receptor-mediated current. Each SOM contains both types of synapses in varying proportions. The majority of local pyramidal neurons (PCs) make unitary connections with SOMs using both types, followed by those utilizing only S-Type, and a minority with only F-Type. Sensory experience differentially regulates synapses on SOMs, such that local F-Type synapses change with visual deprivation and S-Type synapses undergo plasticity with crossmodal auditory deprivation. Our results demonstrate that the two types of excitatory synapses add richness to the SOM circuit recruitment and undergo selective plasticity enabling dynamic adaptation of the adult V1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce D Grier
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Bionic Sight, New York, NY, 10022, USA
| | - Samuel Parkins
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Cell Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jarra Omar
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
- Cell Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
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6
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Gay JD, Dangcil E, Nacipucha J, Botrous JE, Suresh N, Tucker A, Carayannopoulos NL, Khan MR, Meng R, Yao JD, Wackym PA, Mowery TM. An Animal Model of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Exposure to Light and Sound in the Preterm Infant. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:585-596. [PMID: 37164937 PMCID: PMC10503467 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad020] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, ∼15 million children are born prematurely each year. Many of these infants end up spending days to weeks in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Infants who are born prematurely are often exposed to noise and light levels that affect their auditory and visual development. Children often have long-term impairments in cognition, visuospatial processing, hearing, and language. We have developed a rodent model of NICU exposure to light and sound using the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), which has a low-frequency human-like audiogram and is altricial. To simulate preterm infancy, the eyes and ears were opened prematurely, and animals were exposed to the NICU-like sensory environment throughout the gerbil's cortical critical period of auditory development. After the animals matured into adults, auditory perceptual testing was carried out followed by auditory brainstem response recordings and then histology to assess the white matter morphology of various brain regions. Compared to normal hearing control animals, NICU sensory-exposed animals had significant impairments in learning at later stages of training, increased auditory thresholds reflecting hearing loss, and smaller cerebellar white matter volumes. These have all been reported in longitudinal studies of preterm infants. These preliminary results suggest that this animal model could provide researchers with an ethical way to explore the effects of the sensory environment in the NICU on the preterm infant's brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D Gay
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Evelynne Dangcil
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jacqueline Nacipucha
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jonathon E Botrous
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Nikhil Suresh
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Aaron Tucker
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Nicolas L Carayannopoulos
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Muhammad R Khan
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Raphael Meng
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Justin D Yao
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - P Ashley Wackym
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Todd M Mowery
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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7
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Sfara E, El-Hani CN. Ecosystem health and malfunctions: an organisational perspective. BIOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY 2023; 38:37. [PMID: 37720550 PMCID: PMC10501940 DOI: 10.1007/s10539-023-09927-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
A recent idea of "ecosystem health" was introduced in the 1970s and 1980s to draws attention to the fact that ecosystems can become ill because of a reduction of properties such as primary productivity, functions and diversity of interactions among system components. Starting from the 1990s, this idea has been deeply criticized by authors who argued that, insofar as ecosystems show many differences with respect to organismic features, these two kinds of systems cannot share a typical organismic property such as health. In recent years, an organisational approach in philosophy of biology and ecology argued that both organisms and ecosystems may share a fundamental characteristic despite their differences, namely, organisational closure. Based on this kind of closure, scholars have also discussed health and malfunctional states in organisms. In this paper, we examine the possibility of expanding such an organisational approach to health and malfunctions to the ecological domain. Firstly, we will see that a malfunction is related to a lower effectiveness in the functional behaviour of some biotic components with respect to other systemic components. We will then show how some introduced species do not satisfactorily interact in an organisational closure with other ecosystem components, thus posing a threat to the self-maintenance of the ecosystem in which they are found. Accordingly, we will argue that an ecosystem can be said to be healthy when it is a vital environment organisationally grounded on its intrinsic capacity to ensure, under favourable conditions, appropriate functional behaviours for ecosystem components and ecosystem self-maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Sfara
- National Institute in Science and Technology in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (INCT IN-TREE), Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Charbel N. El-Hani
- National Institute in Science and Technology in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (INCT IN-TREE), Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
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8
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Mukherjee D, Xue B, Chen CT, Chang M, Kao JPY, Kanold PO. Early retinal deprivation crossmodally alters nascent subplate circuits and activity in the auditory cortex during the precritical period. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9038-9053. [PMID: 37259176 PMCID: PMC10350824 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad180] [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: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory perturbation in one modality results in the adaptive reorganization of neural pathways within the spared modalities, a phenomenon known as "crossmodal plasticity," which has been examined during or after the classic "critical period." Because peripheral perturbations can alter the auditory cortex (ACX) activity and functional connectivity of the ACX subplate neurons (SPNs) even before the critical period, called the precritical period, we investigated if retinal deprivation at birth crossmodally alters the ACX activity and SPN circuits during the precritical period. We deprived newborn mice of visual inputs after birth by performing bilateral enucleation. We performed in vivo widefield imaging in the ACX of awake pups during the first two postnatal weeks to investigate cortical activity. We found that enucleation alters spontaneous and sound-evoked activities in the ACX in an age-dependent manner. Next, we performed whole-cell patch clamp recording combined with laser scanning photostimulation in ACX slices to investigate circuit changes in SPNs. We found that enucleation alters the intracortical inhibitory circuits impinging on SPNs, shifting the excitation-inhibition balance toward excitation and this shift persists after ear opening. Together, our results indicate that crossmodal functional changes exist in the developing sensory cortices at early ages before the onset of the classic critical period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didhiti Mukherjee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Binghan Xue
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Chih-Ting Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Minzi Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Joseph P Y Kao
- Department of Physiology, Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
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9
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Wang JY, Ma GM, Tang XQ, Shi QL, Yu MC, Lou MM, He KW, Wang WY. Brain region-specific synaptic function of FUS underlies the FTLD-linked behavioural disinhibition. Brain 2023; 146:2107-2119. [PMID: 36345573 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic dysfunction is one of the earliest pathological processes that contribute to the development of many neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. However, the synaptic function of many disease-causative genes and their contribution to the pathogenesis of the related diseases remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the synaptic role of fused in sarcoma, an RNA-binding protein linked to frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and its potential pathological role in frontotemporal lobar degeneration using pyramidal neuron-specific conditional knockout mice (FuscKO). We found that FUS regulates the expression of many genes associated with synaptic function in a hippocampal subregion-specific manner, concomitant with the frontotemporal lobar degeneration-linked behavioural disinhibition. Electrophysiological study and molecular pathway analyses further reveal that fused in sarcoma differentially regulates synaptic and neuronal properties in the ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex, respectively. Moreover, fused in sarcoma selectively modulates the ventral hippocampus-prefrontal cortex projection, which is known to mediate the anxiety-like behaviour. Our findings unveil the brain region- and synapse-specific role of fused in sarcoma, whose impairment might lead to the emotional symptoms associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Ying Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guo-Ming Ma
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Qiang Tang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qi-Li Shi
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Ming-Can Yu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Min-Min Lou
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kai-Wen He
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wen-Yuan Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
- Animal Center of Zoology, Institute of Neuroscience, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China
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10
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Mukherjee D, Xue B, Chen CT, Chang M, Kao JPY, Kanold PO. Early retinal deprivation crossmodally alters nascent subplate circuits and activity in the auditory cortex during the precritical period. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.21.529453. [PMID: 36865142 PMCID: PMC9980129 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.21.529453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Sensory perturbation in one modality results in adaptive reorganization of neural pathways within the spared modalities, a phenomenon known as "crossmodal plasticity", which has been examined during or after the classic 'critical period'. Because peripheral perturbations can alter auditory cortex (ACX) activity and functional connectivity of the ACX subplate neurons (SPNs) even before the classic critical period, called the precritical period, we investigated if retinal deprivation at birth crossmodally alters ACX activity and SPN circuits during the precritical period. We deprived newborn mice of visual inputs after birth by performing bilateral enucleation. We performed in vivo imaging in the ACX of awake pups during the first two postnatal weeks to investigate cortical activity. We found that enucleation alters spontaneous and sound-evoked activity in the ACX in an age-dependent manner. Next, we performed whole-cell patch clamp recording combined with laser scanning photostimulation in ACX slices to investigate circuit changes in SPNs. We found that enucleation alters the intracortical inhibitory circuits impinging on SPNs shifting the excitation-inhibition balance towards excitation and this shift persists after ear opening. Together, our results indicate that crossmodal functional changes exist in the developing sensory cortices at early ages before the onset of the classic critical period.
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11
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Lee HK. Metaplasticity framework for cross-modal synaptic plasticity in adults. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 14:1087042. [PMID: 36685084 PMCID: PMC9853192 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.1087042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory loss leads to widespread adaptation of neural circuits to mediate cross-modal plasticity, which allows the organism to better utilize the remaining senses to guide behavior. While cross-modal interactions are often thought to engage multisensory areas, cross-modal plasticity is often prominently observed at the level of the primary sensory cortices. One dramatic example is from functional imaging studies in humans where cross-modal recruitment of the deprived primary sensory cortex has been observed during the processing of the spared senses. In addition, loss of a sensory modality can lead to enhancement and refinement of the spared senses, some of which have been attributed to compensatory plasticity of the spared sensory cortices. Cross-modal plasticity is not restricted to early sensory loss but is also observed in adults, which suggests that it engages or enables plasticity mechanisms available in the adult cortical circuit. Because adult cross-modal plasticity is observed without gross anatomical connectivity changes, it is thought to occur mainly through functional plasticity of pre-existing circuits. The underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms involve activity-dependent homeostatic and Hebbian mechanisms. A particularly attractive mechanism is the sliding threshold metaplasticity model because it innately allows neurons to dynamically optimize their feature selectivity. In this mini review, I will summarize the cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate cross-modal plasticity in the adult primary sensory cortices and evaluate the metaplasticity model as an effective framework to understand the underlying mechanisms.
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12
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Sabourin CJ, Merrikhi Y, Lomber SG. Do blind people hear better? Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:999-1012. [PMID: 36207258 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
For centuries, anecdotal evidence such as the perfect pitch of the blind piano tuner or blind musician has supported the notion that individuals who have lost their sight early in life have superior hearing abilities compared with sighted people. Recently, auditory psychophysical and functional imaging studies have identified that specific auditory enhancements in the early blind can be linked to activation in extrastriate visual cortex, suggesting crossmodal plasticity. Furthermore, the nature of the sensory reorganization in occipital cortex supports the concept of a task-based functional cartography for the cerebral cortex rather than a sensory-based organization. In total, studies of early-blind individuals provide valuable insights into mechanisms of cortical plasticity and principles of cerebral organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina J Sabourin
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada; Biological and Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Yaser Merrikhi
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Stephen G Lomber
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada; Biological and Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada; Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada.
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13
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Han JJ, Noh TS, Suh MW, Kim SH, Kim DH, Kim SJ, Oh SH. Synaptic Remodeling of the Auditory Cortex Following Bilateral Blindness: Evidence of Cross-modal Plasticity. Exp Neurobiol 2022; 31:299-306. [PMID: 36351840 PMCID: PMC9659489 DOI: 10.5607/en22020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to evaluate structural dynamic changes of neurons in the auditory cortex after visual deprivation. We longitudinally tracked dendritic spines for 3 weeks after visual deprivation in vivo using a two-photon microscope. GFP-labeled dendritic spines in the auditory cortex were serially followed after bilateral enucleation. The turnover rate, density, and size of the spines in the dendrites were evaluated 1, 2, and 3 weeks after visual deprivation. The turnover rate of the dendritic spines in the auditory cortex increased at 1 week (20.1±7.3%) after bilateral enucleation compared to baseline (12.5±7.9%); the increase persisted for up to 3 weeks (20.9±11.0%). The spine loss rate was slightly higher than the spine gain rate. The average spine density (number of spines per 1 μm of dendrite) was significantly lower at 2 weeks (2W; 0.22±0.06 1/μm) and 3 W (0.22±0.08 1/μm) post-nucleation compared to baseline (0.026±0.09 1/μm). We evaluated the change of synaptic strength in the stable spines at each time point. The normalized spine size in the auditory cortex was significantly increased after bilateral blindness at 1 W postoperatively (1.36±0.92), 2 W postoperatively (1.40±1.18), and 3 W postoperatively (1.36±0.88) compared to baseline. Sensory deprivation resulted in remodeling of the neural circuitry in the spared cortex, via cross-modal plasticity in the direction of partial breakdown of synapses, and enhanced strength of the remaining synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Joon Han
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul Hospital, Seoul 04401, Korea
| | - Tae-Soo Noh
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Myung-Whan Suh
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Seung Ha Kim
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Doo Hee Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Sang Jeong Kim
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Seung Ha Oh
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
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14
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Whitt JL, Ewall G, Chakraborty D, Adegbesan A, Lee R, Kanold PO, Lee HK. Visual Deprivation Selectively Reduces Thalamic Reticular Nucleus-Mediated Inhibition of the Auditory Thalamus in Adults. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7921-7930. [PMID: 36261269 PMCID: PMC9617613 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2032-21.2022] [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: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory loss leads to widespread cross-modal plasticity across brain areas to allow the remaining senses to guide behavior. While multimodal sensory interactions are often attributed to higher-order sensory areas, cross-modal plasticity has been observed at the level of synaptic changes even across primary sensory cortices. In particular, vision loss leads to widespread circuit adaptation in the primary auditory cortex (A1) even in adults. Here we report using mice of both sexes in which cross-modal plasticity occurs even earlier in the sensory-processing pathway at the level of the thalamus in a modality-selective manner. A week of visual deprivation reduced inhibitory synaptic transmission from the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) to the primary auditory thalamus (MGBv) without changes to the primary visual thalamus (dLGN). The plasticity of TRN inhibition to MGBv was observed as a reduction in postsynaptic gain and short-term depression. There was no observable plasticity of the cortical feedback excitatory synaptic transmission from the primary visual cortex to dLGN or TRN and A1 to MGBv, which suggests that the visual deprivation-induced plasticity occurs predominantly at the level of thalamic inhibition. We provide evidence that visual deprivation-induced change in the short-term depression of TRN inhibition to MGBv involves endocannabinoid CB1 receptors. TRN inhibition is considered critical for sensory gating, selective attention, and multimodal performances; hence, its plasticity has implications for sensory processing. Our results suggest that selective disinhibition and altered short-term dynamics of TRN inhibition in the spared thalamic nucleus support cross-modal plasticity in the adult brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Losing vision triggers adaptation of the brain to enhance the processing of the remaining senses, which can be observed as better auditory performance in blind subjects. We previously found that depriving vision of adult rodents produces widespread circuit reorganization in the primary auditory cortex and enhances auditory processing at a neural level. Here we report that visual deprivation-induced plasticity in adults occurs much earlier in the auditory pathway, at the level of thalamic inhibition. Sensory processing is largely gated at the level of the thalamus via strong cortical feedback inhibition mediated through the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). We found that TRN inhibition of the auditory thalamus is selectively reduced by visual deprivation, thus playing a role in adult cross-modal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Whitt
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Gabrielle Ewall
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Darpan Chakraborty
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Ayorinde Adegbesan
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Rachel Lee
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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15
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Caravaca-Rodriguez D, Gaytan SP, Suaning GJ, Barriga-Rivera A. Implications of Neural Plasticity in Retinal Prosthesis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:11. [PMID: 36251317 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.11.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa cause a progressive loss of photoreceptors that eventually prevents the affected person from perceiving visual sensations. The absence of a visual input produces a neural rewiring cascade that propagates along the visual system. This remodeling occurs first within the retina. Then, subsequent neuroplastic changes take place at higher visual centers in the brain, produced by either the abnormal neural encoding of the visual inputs delivered by the diseased retina or as the result of an adaptation to visual deprivation. While retinal implants can activate the surviving retinal neurons by delivering electric current, the unselective activation patterns of the different neural populations that exist in the retinal layers differ substantially from those in physiologic vision. Therefore, artificially induced neural patterns are being delivered to a brain that has already undergone important neural reconnections. Whether or not the modulation of this neural rewiring can improve the performance for retinal prostheses remains a critical question whose answer may be the enabler of improved functional artificial vision and more personalized neurorehabilitation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Caravaca-Rodriguez
- Department of Applied Physics III, Technical School of Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Susana P Gaytan
- Department of Physiology, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Gregg J Suaning
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alejandro Barriga-Rivera
- Department of Applied Physics III, Technical School of Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.,School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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16
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Francis NA, Mukherjee S, Koçillari L, Panzeri S, Babadi B, Kanold PO. Sequential transmission of task-relevant information in cortical neuronal networks. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110878. [PMID: 35649366 PMCID: PMC9387204 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110878] [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: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical processing of task-relevant information enables recognition of behaviorally meaningful sensory events. It is unclear how task-related information is represented within cortical networks by the activity of individual neurons and their functional interactions. Here, we use two-photon imaging to record neuronal activity from the primary auditory cortex of mice during a pure-tone discrimination task. We find that a subset of neurons transiently encode sensory information used to inform behavioral choice. Using Granger causality analysis, we show that these neurons form functional networks in which information transmits sequentially. Network structures differ for target versus non-target tones, encode behavioral choice, and differ between correct versus incorrect behavioral choices. Correct behavioral choices are associated with shorter communication timescales, larger functional correlations, and greater information redundancy. In summary, specialized neurons in primary auditory cortex integrate task-related information and form functional networks whose structures encode both sensory input and behavioral choice. Francis et al. find that, as mice perform an auditory discrimination task, cortical neurons form functional networks in which task-relevant information transmits sequentially between neurons. Network structures encode behavioral choice, and correct behavioral choices are associated with shorter communication timescales, larger functional correlations, and greater information redundancy between neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolas A Francis
- Department of Biology & Brain and Behavior Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Shoutik Mukherjee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering & Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Loren Koçillari
- Laboratory of Neural Computation, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy; Department of Excellence for Neural Information Processing, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Falkenried 94, D-20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefano Panzeri
- Laboratory of Neural Computation, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy; Department of Excellence for Neural Information Processing, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Falkenried 94, D-20251 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Behtash Babadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering & Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology & Brain and Behavior Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering & Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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17
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Homeostatic plasticity and excitation-inhibition balance: The good, the bad, and the ugly. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 75:102553. [PMID: 35594578 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the significance of the synaptic excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance in the context of homeostatic plasticity, whose primary goal is thought to maintain neuronal firing rates at a set point. We first provide an overview of the processes through which patterned input activity drives synaptic E/I tuning and maturation of circuits during development. Next, we emphasize the importance of the E/I balance at the synaptic level (homeostatic control of message reception) as a means to achieve the goal (homeostatic control of information transmission) at the network level and consider how compromised homeostatic plasticity associated with neurological diseases leads to hyperactivity, network instability, and ultimately improper information processing. Lastly, we highlight several pathological conditions related to sensory deafferentation and describe how, in some cases, homeostatic compensation without appropriate sensory inputs can result in phantom perceptions.
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18
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Valperga G, de Bono M. Impairing one sensory modality enhances another by reconfiguring peptidergic signalling in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2022; 11:68040. [PMID: 35201977 PMCID: PMC8871372 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals that lose one sensory modality often show augmented responses to other sensory inputs. The mechanisms underpinning this cross-modal plasticity are poorly understood. We probe such mechanisms by performing a forward genetic screen for mutants with enhanced O2 perception in Caenorhabditis elegans. Multiple mutants exhibiting increased O2 responsiveness concomitantly show defects in other sensory responses. One mutant, qui-1, defective in a conserved NACHT/WD40 protein, abolishes pheromone-evoked Ca2+ responses in the ADL pheromone-sensing neurons. At the same time, ADL responsiveness to pre-synaptic input from O2-sensing neurons is heightened in qui-1, and other sensory defective mutants, resulting in enhanced neurosecretion although not increased Ca2+ responses. Expressing qui-1 selectively in ADL rescues both the qui-1 ADL neurosecretory phenotype and enhanced escape from 21% O2. Profiling ADL neurons in qui-1 mutants highlights extensive changes in gene expression, notably of many neuropeptide receptors. We show that elevated ADL expression of the conserved neuropeptide receptor NPR-22 is necessary for enhanced ADL neurosecretion in qui-1 mutants, and is sufficient to confer increased ADL neurosecretion in control animals. Sensory loss can thus confer cross-modal plasticity by changing the peptidergic connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Valperga
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Mario de Bono
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
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19
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Kim YH, Schrode KM, Engel J, Vicencio-Jimenez S, Rodriguez G, Lee HK, Lauer AM. Auditory Behavior in Adult-Blinded Mice. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2022; 23:225-239. [PMID: 35084628 PMCID: PMC8964904 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-022-00835-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cross-modal plasticity occurs when the function of remaining senses is enhanced following deprivation or loss of a sensory modality. Auditory neural responses are enhanced in the auditory cortex, including increased sensitivity and frequency selectivity, following short-term visual deprivation in adult mice (Petrus et al. Neuron 81:664-673, 2014). Whether or not these visual deprivation-induced neural changes translate into improved auditory perception and performance remains unclear. As an initial investigation of the effects of adult visual deprivation on auditory behaviors, CBA/CaJ mice underwent binocular enucleation at 3-4 weeks old and were tested on a battery of learned behavioral tasks, acoustic startle response (ASR), and prepulse inhibition (PPI) tests beginning at least 2 weeks after the enucleation procedure. Auditory brain stem responses (ABRs) were also measured to screen for potential effects of visual deprivation on non-behavioral hearing function. Control and enucleated mice showed similar tone detection sensitivity and frequency discrimination in a conditioned lick suppression test. Both groups showed normal reactivity to sound as measured by ASR in a quiet background. However, when startle-eliciting stimuli were presented in noise, enucleated mice showed decreased ASR amplitude relative to controls. Control and enucleated mice displayed no significant differences in ASR habituation, PPI tests, or ABR thresholds, or wave morphology. Our findings suggest that while adult-onset visual deprivation induces cross-modal plasticity at the synaptic and circuit levels, it does not substantially influence simple auditory behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Hyun Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Katrina M Schrode
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - James Engel
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sergio Vicencio-Jimenez
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Gabriela Rodriguez
- Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute and Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amanda M Lauer
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. .,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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20
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21
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Rupasinghe A, Francis N, Liu J, Bowen Z, Kanold PO, Babadi B. Direct extraction of signal and noise correlations from two-photon calcium imaging of ensemble neuronal activity. eLife 2021; 10:68046. [PMID: 34180397 PMCID: PMC8354639 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal activity correlations are key to understanding how populations of neurons collectively encode information. While two-photon calcium imaging has created a unique opportunity to record the activity of large populations of neurons, existing methods for inferring correlations from these data face several challenges. First, the observations of spiking activity produced by two-photon imaging are temporally blurred and noisy. Secondly, even if the spiking data were perfectly recovered via deconvolution, inferring network-level features from binary spiking data is a challenging task due to the non-linear relation of neuronal spiking to endogenous and exogenous inputs. In this work, we propose a methodology to explicitly model and directly estimate signal and noise correlations from two-photon fluorescence observations, without requiring intermediate spike deconvolution. We provide theoretical guarantees on the performance of the proposed estimator and demonstrate its utility through applications to simulated and experimentally recorded data from the mouse auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuththara Rupasinghe
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Nikolas Francis
- The Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Ji Liu
- The Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Zac Bowen
- The Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- The Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States
| | - Behtash Babadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
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22
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Bednaya E, Pavani F, Ricciardi E, Pietrini P, Bottari D. Oscillatory signatures of Repetition Suppression and Novelty Detection reveal altered induced visual responses in early deafness. Cortex 2021; 142:138-153. [PMID: 34265736 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The ability to differentiate between repeated and novel events represents a fundamental property of the visual system. Neural responses are typically reduced upon stimulus repetition, a phenomenon called Repetition Suppression (RS). On the contrary, following a novel visual stimulus, the neural response is generally enhanced, a phenomenon referred to as Novelty Detection (ND). Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of early deafness on the oscillatory signatures of RS and ND brain responses. To this aim, electrophysiological data were acquired in early deaf and hearing control individuals during processing of repeated and novel visual events unattended by participants. By studying evoked and induced oscillatory brain activities, as well as inter-trial phase coherence, we linked response modulations to feedback and/or feedforward processes. Results revealed selective experience-dependent changes on both RS and ND mechanisms. Compared to hearing controls, early deaf individuals displayed: (i) greater attenuation of the response following stimulus repetition, selectively in the induced theta-band (4-7 Hz); (ii) reduced desynchronization following the onset of novel visual stimuli, in the induced alpha and beta bands (8-12 and 13-25 Hz); (iii) comparable modulation of evoked responses and inter-trial phase coherence. The selectivity of the effects in the induced responses parallels findings observed in the auditory cortex of deaf animal models following intracochlear electric stimulation. The present results support the idea that early deafness alters induced oscillatory activity and the functional tuning of basic visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenia Bednaya
- Molecular Mind Laboratory, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy
| | - Francesco Pavani
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Italy; Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Italy
| | | | - Pietro Pietrini
- Molecular Mind Laboratory, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy
| | - Davide Bottari
- Molecular Mind Laboratory, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy.
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23
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Ewall G, Parkins S, Lin A, Jaoui Y, Lee HK. Cortical and Subcortical Circuits for Cross-Modal Plasticity Induced by Loss of Vision. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:665009. [PMID: 34113240 PMCID: PMC8185208 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.665009] [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: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical areas are highly interconnected both via cortical and subcortical pathways, and primary sensory cortices are not isolated from this general structure. In primary sensory cortical areas, these pre-existing functional connections serve to provide contextual information for sensory processing and can mediate adaptation when a sensory modality is lost. Cross-modal plasticity in broad terms refers to widespread plasticity across the brain in response to losing a sensory modality, and largely involves two distinct changes: cross-modal recruitment and compensatory plasticity. The former involves recruitment of the deprived sensory area, which includes the deprived primary sensory cortex, for processing the remaining senses. Compensatory plasticity refers to plasticity in the remaining sensory areas, including the spared primary sensory cortices, to enhance the processing of its own sensory inputs. Here, we will summarize potential cellular plasticity mechanisms involved in cross-modal recruitment and compensatory plasticity, and review cortical and subcortical circuits to the primary sensory cortices which can mediate cross-modal plasticity upon loss of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Ewall
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Samuel Parkins
- Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Amy Lin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yanis Jaoui
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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24
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Development of Auditory Cortex Circuits. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2021; 22:237-259. [PMID: 33909161 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-021-00794-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to process and perceive sensory stimuli is an essential function for animals. Among the sensory modalities, audition is crucial for communication, pleasure, care for the young, and perceiving threats. The auditory cortex (ACtx) is a key sound processing region that combines ascending signals from the auditory periphery and inputs from other sensory and non-sensory regions. The development of ACtx is a protracted process starting prenatally and requires the complex interplay of molecular programs, spontaneous activity, and sensory experience. Here, we review the development of thalamic and cortical auditory circuits during pre- and early post-natal periods.
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Chokshi V, Grier BD, Dykman A, Lantz CL, Niebur E, Quinlan EM, Lee HK. Naturalistic Spike Trains Drive State-Dependent Homeostatic Plasticity in Superficial Layers of Visual Cortex. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:663282. [PMID: 33935679 PMCID: PMC8081846 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.663282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The history of neural activity determines the synaptic plasticity mechanisms employed in the brain. Previous studies report a rapid reduction in the strength of excitatory synapses onto layer 2/3 (L2/3) pyramidal neurons of the primary visual cortex (V1) following two days of dark exposure and subsequent re-exposure to light. The abrupt increase in visually driven activity is predicted to drive homeostatic plasticity, however, the parameters of neural activity that trigger these changes are unknown. To determine this, we first recorded spike trains in vivo from V1 layer 4 (L4) of dark exposed (DE) mice of both sexes that were re-exposed to light through homogeneous or patterned visual stimulation. We found that delivering the spike patterns recorded in vivo to L4 of V1 slices was sufficient to reduce the amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) of V1 L2/3 neurons in DE mice, but not in slices obtained from normal reared (NR) controls. Unexpectedly, the same stimulation pattern produced an up-regulation of mEPSC amplitudes in V1 L2/3 neurons from mice that received 2 h of light re-exposure (LE). A Poisson spike train exhibiting the same average frequency as the patterns recorded in vivo was equally effective at depressing mEPSC amplitudes in L2/3 neurons in V1 slices prepared from DE mice. Collectively, our results suggest that the history of visual experience modifies the responses of V1 neurons to stimulation and that rapid homeostatic depression of excitatory synapses can be driven by non-patterned input activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun Chokshi
- The Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Cell Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Bryce D. Grier
- The Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Andrew Dykman
- The Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Crystal L. Lantz
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Ernst Niebur
- The Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Elizabeth M. Quinlan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, Brain and Behavior Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- The Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Cell Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- The Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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26
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Hori T, Ikuta S, Hattori S, Takao K, Miyakawa T, Koike C. Mice with mutations in Trpm1, a gene in the locus of 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome, display pronounced hyperactivity and decreased anxiety-like behavior. Mol Brain 2021; 14:61. [PMID: 33785025 PMCID: PMC8008678 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00749-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by a wide spectrum of psychiatric disorders that is caused by the deletion of a region containing 7 genes on chromosome 15 (MTMR10, FAN1, TRPM1, MIR211, KLF13, OTUD7A, and CHRNA7). The contribution of each gene in this syndrome has been studied using mutant mouse models, but no single mouse model recapitulates the whole spectrum of human 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome. The behavior of Trpm1-/- mice has not been investigated in relation to 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome due to the visual impairment in these mice, which may confound the results of behavioral tests involving vision. We were able to perform a comprehensive behavioral test battery using Trpm1 null mutant mice to investigate the role of Trpm1, which is thought to be expressed solely in the retina, in the central nervous system and to examine the relationship between TRPM1 and 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome. Our data demonstrate that Trpm1-/- mice exhibit abnormal behaviors that may explain some phenotypes of 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome, including reduced anxiety-like behavior, abnormal social interaction, attenuated fear memory, and the most prominent phenotype of Trpm1 mutant mice, hyperactivity. While the ON visual transduction pathway is impaired in Trpm1-/- mice, we did not detect compensatory high sensitivities for other sensory modalities. The pathway for visual impairment is the same between Trpm1-/- mice and mGluR6-/- mice, but hyperlocomotor activity has not been reported in mGluR6-/- mice. These data suggest that the phenotype of Trpm1-/- mice extends beyond that expected from visual impairment alone. Here, we provide the first evidence associating TRPM1 with impairment of cognitive function similar to that observed in phenotypes of 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tesshu Hori
- Graduate School of Pharmacy, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
- Laboratory for Systems Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Shohei Ikuta
- Laboratory for Systems Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Satoko Hattori
- Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Keizo Takao
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Chieko Koike
- Graduate School of Pharmacy, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan.
- Laboratory for Systems Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan.
- Center for Systems Vision Science, Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan.
- Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan.
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27
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Meng X, Mukherjee D, Kao JPY, Kanold PO. Early peripheral activity alters nascent subplate circuits in the auditory cortex. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabc9155. [PMID: 33579707 PMCID: PMC7880598 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc9155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Cortical function can be shaped by sensory experience during a critical period. The onset of the critical period is thought to coincide with the onset of thalamocortical transmission to the thalamo-recipient layer 4 (L4). In early development, subplate neurons (SPNs), and not L4 neurons, are the first targets of thalamic afferents. SPNs are transiently involved in early development and are largely eliminated during development. Activation of L4 by thalamic afferents coincides with the opening of ear canal (~P11 in mice) and precedes the later critical period. Here, we show in mice that abolishing peripheral function or presenting sound stimuli even before P11 leads to bidirectionally altered functional connectivity of SPNs in auditory cortex. Thus, early sensory experience can sculpt subplate circuits before thalamocortical circuits to L4 are mature. Our results show that peripheral activity shapes cortical circuits in a sequential manner and from earlier ages than has been appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangying Meng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Didhiti Mukherjee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Joseph P Y Kao
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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28
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Röder B, Kekunnaya R, Guerreiro MJS. Neural mechanisms of visual sensitive periods in humans. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:86-99. [PMID: 33242562 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Sensitive periods in brain development are phases of enhanced susceptibility to experience. Here we discuss research from human and non-human neuroscience studies which have demonstrated a) differences in the way infants vs. adults learn; b) how the brain adapts to atypical conditions, in particular a congenital vs. a late onset blindness (sensitive periods for atypical brain development); and c) the extent to which neural systems are capable of acquiring a typical brain organization after sight restoration following a congenital vs. late phase of pattern vision deprivation (sensitive periods for typical brain development). By integrating these three lines of research, we propose neural mechanisms characteristic of sensitive periods vs. adult neuroplasticity and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Röder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Ramesh Kekunnaya
- Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
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29
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Petrus E, Dembling S, Usdin T, Isaac JTR, Koretsky AP. Circuit-Specific Plasticity of Callosal Inputs Underlies Cortical Takeover. J Neurosci 2020; 40:7714-7723. [PMID: 32913109 PMCID: PMC7531555 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1056-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Injury induces synaptic, circuit, and systems reorganization. After unilateral amputation or stroke, this functional loss disrupts the interhemispheric interaction between intact and deprived somatomotor cortices to recruit deprived cortex in response to intact limb stimulation. This recruitment has been implicated in enhanced intact sensory function. In other patients, maladaptive consequences such as phantom limb pain can occur. We used unilateral whisker denervation in male and female mice to detect circuitry alterations underlying interhemispheric cortical reorganization. Enhanced synaptic strength from the intact cortex via the corpus callosum (CC) onto deep neurons in deprived primary somatosensory barrel cortex (S1BC) has previously been detected. It was hypothesized that specificity in this plasticity may depend on to which area these neurons projected. Increased connectivity to somatomotor areas such as contralateral S1BC, primary motor cortex (M1) and secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) may underlie beneficial adaptations, while increased connectivity to pain areas like anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) might underlie maladaptive pain phenotypes. Neurons from the deprived S1BC that project to intact S1BC were hyperexcitable, had stronger responses and reduced inhibitory input to CC stimulation. M1-projecting neurons also showed increases in excitability and CC input strength that was offset with enhanced inhibition. S2 and ACC-projecting neurons showed no changes in excitability or CC input. These results demonstrate that subgroups of output neurons undergo dramatic and specific plasticity after peripheral injury. The changes in S1BC-projecting neurons likely underlie enhanced reciprocal connectivity of S1BC after unilateral deprivation consistent with the model that interhemispheric takeover supports intact whisker processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Amputation, peripheral injury, and stroke patients experience widespread alterations in neural activity after sensory loss. A hallmark of this reorganization is the recruitment of deprived cortical space which likely aids processing and thus enhances performance on intact sensory systems. Conversely, this recruitment of deprived cortical space has been hypothesized to underlie phenotypes like phantom limb pain and hinder recovery. A mouse model of unilateral denervation detected remarkable specificity in alterations in the somatomotor circuit. These changes underlie increased reciprocal connectivity between intact and deprived cortical hemispheres. This increased connectivity may help explain the enhanced intact sensory processing detected in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Petrus
- Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Sarah Dembling
- Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Ted Usdin
- Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - John T R Isaac
- Janssen Neuroscience, J&J Innovations, London W1G 0BG, United Kingdom
| | - Alan P Koretsky
- Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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30
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Dehorter N, Del Pino I. Shifting Developmental Trajectories During Critical Periods of Brain Formation. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:283. [PMID: 33132842 PMCID: PMC7513795 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Critical periods of brain development are epochs of heightened plasticity driven by environmental influence necessary for normal brain function. Recent studies are beginning to shed light on the possibility that timely interventions during critical periods hold potential to reorient abnormal developmental trajectories in animal models of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we re-examine the criteria defining critical periods, highlighting the recently discovered mechanisms of developmental plasticity in health and disease. In addition, we touch upon technological improvements for modeling critical periods in human-derived neural networks in vitro. These scientific advances associated with the use of developmental manipulations in the immature brain of animal models are the basic preclinical systems that will allow the future translatability of timely interventions into clinical applications for neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Dehorter
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Isabel Del Pino
- Principe Felipe Research Center (Centro de Investigación Principe Felipe, CIPF), Valencia, Spain
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31
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Liu J, Whiteway MR, Sheikhattar A, Butts DA, Babadi B, Kanold PO. Parallel Processing of Sound Dynamics across Mouse Auditory Cortex via Spatially Patterned Thalamic Inputs and Distinct Areal Intracortical Circuits. Cell Rep 2020; 27:872-885.e7. [PMID: 30995483 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural sounds have rich spectrotemporal dynamics. Spectral information is spatially represented in the auditory cortex (ACX) via large-scale maps. However, the representation of temporal information, e.g., sound offset, is unclear. We perform multiscale imaging of neuronal and thalamic activity evoked by sound onset and offset in awake mouse ACX. ACX areas differed in onset responses (On-Rs) and offset responses (Off-Rs). Most excitatory L2/3 neurons show either On-Rs or Off-Rs, and ACX areas are characterized by differing fractions of On and Off-R neurons. Somatostatin and parvalbumin interneurons show distinct temporal dynamics, potentially amplifying Off-Rs. Functional network analysis shows that ACX areas contain distinct parallel onset and offset networks. Thalamic (MGB) terminals show either On-Rs or Off-Rs, indicating a thalamic origin of On and Off-R pathways. Thus, ACX areas spatially represent temporal features, and this representation is created by spatial convergence and co-activation of distinct MGB inputs and is refined by specific intracortical connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Matthew R Whiteway
- Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Scientific Computation Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Alireza Sheikhattar
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Daniel A Butts
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Scientific Computation Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Behtash Babadi
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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32
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Cirelli C, Tononi G. Effects of sleep and waking on the synaptic ultrastructure. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190235. [PMID: 32248785 PMCID: PMC7209920 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We summarize here several studies performed in our laboratory, mainly using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBEM), to assess how sleep, spontaneous waking and short sleep deprivation affect the size and number of synapses in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. With SBEM, we reconstructed thousands of cortical and hippocampal excitatory, axospinous synapses and compared the distribution of their size after several hours of sleep relative to several hours of waking. Because stronger synapses are on average also bigger, the goal was to test a prediction of the synaptic homeostasis hypothesis, according to which overall synaptic strength increases during waking, owing to ongoing learning, and needs to be renormalized during sleep, to avoid saturation and to benefit memory consolidation and integration. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that the size of the axon–spine interface (ASI), a morphological measure of synaptic strength, was on average smaller after sleep, but with interesting differences between primary cortex and the CA1 region of the hippocampus. In two-week-old mouse pups, the decline in ASI size after sleep was larger, and affected more cortical synapses, compared with one-month-old adolescent mice, suggesting that synaptic renormalization during sleep may be especially important during early development. This work is still in progress and other brain areas need to be tested after sleep, acute sleep loss and chronic sleep restriction. Still, the current results show that a few hours of sleep or waking lead to significant changes in synaptic morphology that can be linked to changes in synaptic efficacy. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Memory reactivation: replaying events past, present and future’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Cirelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Giulio Tononi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd, Madison, WI 53719, USA
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33
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Feldmann M, Beckmann D, Eysel UT, Manahan-Vaughan D. Early Loss of Vision Results in Extensive Reorganization of Plasticity-Related Receptors and Alterations in Hippocampal Function That Extend Through Adulthood. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:892-905. [PMID: 30535137 PMCID: PMC6319173 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Although by adulthood cortical structures and their capacity for processing sensory information have become established and stabilized, under conditions of cortical injury, or sensory deprivation, rapid reorganization occurs. Little is known as to the impact of this kind of adaptation on cellular processes related to memory encoding. However, imaging studies in humans suggest that following loss or impairment of a sensory modality, not only cortical but also subcortical structures begin to reorganize. It is likely that these processes are supported by neurotransmitter receptors that enable synaptic and cortical plasticity. Here, we explored to what extent the expression of plasticity-related proteins (GABA-A, GABA-B, GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2B) is altered following early vision loss, and whether this impacts on hippocampal function. We observed that in the period of 2-4 months postnatally in CBA/J-mice that experience hereditary postnatal retinal degeneration, systematic changes of GABA-receptor and NMDA-receptor subunit expression occurred that emerged first in the hippocampus and developed later in the cortex, compared to control mice that had normal vision. Changes were accompanied by significant impairments in hippocampal long-term potentiation and hippocampus-dependent learning. These data indicate that during cortical adaptation to early loss of vision, hippocampal information processing is compromised, and this status impacts on the acquisition of spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Feldmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniela Beckmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ulf T Eysel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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34
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Kouvaros S, Kumar M, Tzounopoulos T. Synaptic Zinc Enhances Inhibition Mediated by Somatostatin, but not Parvalbumin, Cells in Mouse Auditory Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:3895-3909. [PMID: 32090251 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical inhibition is essential for brain activity and behavior. Yet, the mechanisms that modulate cortical inhibition and their impact on sensory processing remain less understood. Synaptically released zinc, a neuromodulator released by cortical glutamatergic synaptic vesicles, has emerged as a powerful modulator of sensory processing and behavior. Despite the puzzling finding that the vesicular zinc transporter (ZnT3) mRNA is expressed in cortical inhibitory interneurons, the actions of synaptic zinc in cortical inhibitory neurotransmission remain unknown. Using in vitro electrophysiology and optogenetics in mouse brain slices containing the layer 2/3 (L2/3) of auditory cortex, we discovered that synaptic zinc increases the quantal size of inhibitory GABAergic neurotransmission mediated by somatostatin (SOM)- but not parvalbumin (PV)-expressing neurons. Using two-photon imaging in awake mice, we showed that synaptic zinc is required for the effects of SOM- but not PV-mediated inhibition on frequency tuning of principal neurons. Thus, cell-specific zinc modulation of cortical inhibition regulates frequency tuning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stylianos Kouvaros
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Thanos Tzounopoulos
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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35
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Pernia M, Díaz I, Colmenárez-Raga AC, Rivadulla C, Cudeiro J, Plaza I, Merchán MA. Cross-modal reaction of auditory and visual cortices after long-term bilateral hearing deprivation in the rat. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:129-148. [PMID: 31781971 PMCID: PMC6957565 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01991-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Visual cortex (VC) over-activation analysed by evoked responses has been demonstrated in congenital deafness and after long-term acquired hearing loss in humans. However, permanent hearing deprivation has not yet been explored in animal models. Thus, the present study aimed to examine functional and molecular changes underlying the visual and auditory cross-modal reaction. For such purpose, we analysed cortical visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and the gene expression (RT-qPCR) of a set of markers for neuronal activation (c-Fos) and activity-dependent homeostatic compensation (Arc/Arg3.1). To determine the state of excitation and inhibition, we performed RT-qPCR and quantitative immunocytochemistry for excitatory (receptor subunits GluA2/3) and inhibitory (GABAA-α1, GABAB-R2, GAD65/67 and parvalbumin-PV) markers. VC over-activation was demonstrated by a significant increase in VEPs wave N1 and by up-regulation of the activity-dependent early genes c-Fos and Arc/Arg3.1 (thus confirming, by RT-qPCR, our previously published immunocytochemical results). GluA2 gene and protein expression were significantly increased in the auditory cortex (AC), particularly in layers 2/3 pyramidal neurons, but inhibitory markers (GAD65/67 and PV-GABA interneurons) were also significantly upregulated in the AC, indicating a concurrent increase in inhibition. Therefore, after permanent hearing loss in the rat, the VC is not only over-activated but also potentially balanced by homeostatic regulation, while excitatory and inhibitory markers remain imbalanced in the AC, most likely resulting from changes in horizontal intermodal regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pernia
- Instituto de Neurociencias of Castilla y León-INCyL, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - I Díaz
- Instituto de Neurociencias of Castilla y León-INCyL, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - A C Colmenárez-Raga
- Instituto de Neurociencias of Castilla y León-INCyL, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - C Rivadulla
- Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de A Coruña and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - J Cudeiro
- Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de A Coruña and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - I Plaza
- Instituto de Neurociencias of Castilla y León-INCyL, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - M A Merchán
- Instituto de Neurociencias of Castilla y León-INCyL, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
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36
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Murase S, Winkowski D, Liu J, Kanold PO, Quinlan EM. Homeostatic regulation of perisynaptic matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) activity in the amblyopic visual cortex. eLife 2019; 8:52503. [PMID: 31868167 PMCID: PMC6961978 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dark exposure (DE) followed by light reintroduction (LRx) reactivates robust synaptic plasticity in adult mouse primary visual cortex (V1), which allows subsequent recovery from amblyopia. Previously we showed that perisynaptic proteolysis by MMP9 mediates the enhancement of plasticity by LRx in binocular adult mice (Murase et al., 2017). However, it was unknown if a visual system compromised by amblyopia could engage this pathway. Here we show that LRx to adult amblyopic mice induces perisynaptic MMP2/9 activity and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in deprived and non-deprived V1. Indeed, LRx restricted to the amblyopic eye is sufficient to induce robust MMP2/9 activity at thalamo-cortical synapses and ECM degradation in deprived V1. Two-photon live imaging demonstrates that the history of visual experience regulates MMP2/9 activity in V1, and that DE lowers the threshold for the proteinase activation. The homeostatic reduction of the MMP2/9 activation threshold by DE enables visual input from the amblyopic pathway to trigger robust perisynaptic proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachiko Murase
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Dan Winkowski
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Ji Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Elizabeth M Quinlan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
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Zhou Y, Yin M, Xia C, Wang X, Wu H, Ji Y. Visual deprivation modifies glutamate receptor expression in visual and auditory centers. Am J Transl Res 2019; 11:7523-7537. [PMID: 31934298 PMCID: PMC6943468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the electrical activities of visual and auditory thalamic-cortical regions account for the cross-modal enhancement of auditory perception following visual deprivation, but the molecular regulatory factors mediating these changes remain elusive. In this study, we showed that the expression patterns of five glutamate receptor (GluR) subunits which involved in regulating the synaptic plasticity in mouse primary visual (V1) cortex and primary auditory (A1) cortex undergone elaborate modification with layer-specificity after visual deprivation using dark-exposure (DE). The expression levels of NR1 and NR2B were increased, and those of GluR1 and NR2B in the V1 cortex were decreased after DE. In the A1 cortex, the expression levels of NR1, NR2A and NR2B were increased, and the expression levels of GluR1 and GluR2 were decreased after DE. The altered expression levels of GluR subunits selectively happened in the different layers of V1 and A1 cortices. In addition, the expression level of GluR2 in lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) was decreased. These results provide novel molecular clues for the plastic neural activity in visual and auditory centers in the absence of visual input, and hint the extensive refinement of intracortical circuits and thalamocortical feedback circuits underlying the multisensory cross-modal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Zhou
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200011, China
- Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200125, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose DiseasesShanghai 200125, China
| | - Manli Yin
- Institute of Biomembrane and Biopharmaceutics, Shanghai UniversityShanghai 200444, China
| | - Chenchen Xia
- Institute of Biomembrane and Biopharmaceutics, Shanghai UniversityShanghai 200444, China
| | - Xueling Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200011, China
- Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200125, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose DiseasesShanghai 200125, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200011, China
- Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200125, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose DiseasesShanghai 200125, China
| | - Yonghua Ji
- Institute of Biomembrane and Biopharmaceutics, Shanghai UniversityShanghai 200444, China
- Translational Institute for Cancer Pain, Xinhua Hospital Chongming BranchShanghai 202150, China
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Rodríguez G, Chakraborty D, Schrode KM, Saha R, Uribe I, Lauer AM, Lee HK. Cross-Modal Reinstatement of Thalamocortical Plasticity Accelerates Ocular Dominance Plasticity in Adult Mice. Cell Rep 2019; 24:3433-3440.e4. [PMID: 30257205 PMCID: PMC6233297 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasticity of thalamocortical (TC) synapses is robust during early
development and becomes limited in the adult brain. We previously reported that
a short duration of deafening strengthens TC synapses in the primary visual
cortex (V1) of adult mice. Here, we demonstrate that deafening restores NMDA
receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) of TC synapses onto
principal neurons in V1 layer 4 (L4), which is accompanied by an increase in
NMDAR function. In contrast, deafening did not recover long-term depression
(LTD) at TC synapses. Potentiation of TC synapses by deafening is absent in
parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons, resulting in an increase in feedforward
excitation to inhibition (E/I) ratio. Furthermore, we found that a brief
duration of deafening adult mice recovers rapid ocular dominance plasticity
(ODP) mainly by accelerating potentiation of the open-eye responses. Our results
suggest that cross-modal sensory deprivation promotes adult cortical plasticity
by specifically recovering TC-LTP and increasing the E/I ratio. Plasticity of thalamocortical (TC) synapses is limited in adults.
Rodríguez et al. demonstrate that a brief period of deafening adults
recovers LTP at TC synapses in visual cortex and accelerates ocular dominance
plasticity. These results suggest that cross-modal sensory deprivation may be an
effective way to promote adult cortical plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Rodríguez
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Cellular Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics Program, Johns Hopkins University, Mudd Hall, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Darpan Chakraborty
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Katrina M Schrode
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Traylor Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rinki Saha
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Isabel Uribe
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Amanda M Lauer
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Traylor Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Cellular Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics Program, Johns Hopkins University, Mudd Hall, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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Temporary Visual Deprivation Causes Decorrelation of Spatiotemporal Population Responses in Adult Mouse Auditory Cortex. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0269-19.2019. [PMID: 31744840 PMCID: PMC6901683 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0269-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although within-modality sensory plasticity is limited to early developmental periods, cross-modal plasticity can occur even in adults. In vivo electrophysiological studies have shown that transient visual deprivation (dark exposure, DE) in adult mice improves the frequency selectivity and discrimination of neurons in thalamorecipient layer 4 (L4) of primary auditory cortex (A1). Since sound information is processed hierarchically in A1 by populations of neurons, we investigated whether DE alters network activity in A1 L4 and layer 2/3 (L2/3). We examined neuronal populations in both L4 and L2/3 using in vivo two-photon calcium (Ca2+) imaging of transgenic mice expressing GCaMP6s. We find that one week of DE in adult mice increased the sound evoked responses and frequency selectivity of both L4 and L2/3 neurons. Moreover, after DE the frequency representation changed with L4 and L2/3 showing a reduced representation of cells with best frequencies (BFs) between 8 and 16 kHz and an increased representation of cells with BFs above 32 kHz. Cells in L4 and L2/3 showed decreased pairwise signal correlations (SCs) consistent with sharper tuning curves. The decreases in SCs were larger in L4 than in L2/3. The decreased pairwise correlations indicate a sparsification of A1 responses to tonal stimuli. Thus, cross-modal experience in adults can both alter the sound-evoked responses of A1 neurons and change activity correlations within A1 potentially enhancing the encoding of auditory stimuli.
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Reduced cognitive performance in aged rats correlates with increased excitation/inhibition ratio in the dentate gyrus in response to lateral entorhinal input. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 82:120-127. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Macharadze T, Budinger E, Brosch M, Scheich H, Ohl FW, Henschke JU. Early Sensory Loss Alters the Dendritic Branching and Spine Density of Supragranular Pyramidal Neurons in Rodent Primary Sensory Cortices. Front Neural Circuits 2019; 13:61. [PMID: 31611778 PMCID: PMC6773815 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Multisensory integration in primary auditory (A1), visual (V1), and somatosensory cortex (S1) is substantially mediated by their direct interconnections and by thalamic inputs across the sensory modalities. We have previously shown in rodents (Mongolian gerbils) that during postnatal development, the anatomical and functional strengths of these crossmodal and also of sensory matched connections are determined by early auditory, somatosensory, and visual experience. Because supragranular layer III pyramidal neurons are major targets of corticocortical and thalamocortical connections, we investigated in this follow-up study how the loss of early sensory experience changes their dendritic morphology. Gerbils were sensory deprived early in development by either bilateral sciatic nerve transection at postnatal day (P) 5, ototoxic inner hair cell damage at P10, or eye enucleation at P10. Sholl and branch order analyses of Golgi-stained layer III pyramidal neurons at P28, which demarcates the end of the sensory critical period in this species, revealed that visual and somatosensory deprivation leads to a general increase of apical and basal dendritic branching in A1, V1, and S1. In contrast, dendritic branching, particularly of apical dendrites, decreased in all three areas following auditory deprivation. Generally, the number of spines, and consequently spine density, along the apical and basal dendrites decreased in both sensory deprived and non-deprived cortical areas. Therefore, we conclude that the loss of early sensory experience induces a refinement of corticocortical crossmodal and other cortical and thalamic connections by pruning of dendritic spines at the end of the critical period. Based on present and previous own results and on findings from the literature, we propose a scenario for multisensory development following early sensory loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Macharadze
- Department Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Clinic for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Otto von Guericke University Hospital, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Eike Budinger
- Department Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Brosch
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.,Special Lab Primate Neurobiology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Henning Scheich
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.,Emeritus Group Lifelong Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Frank W Ohl
- Department Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.,Institute for Biology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Julia U Henschke
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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42
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Deaf adolescents have bigger responses for somatosensory and visual stimulations. Neurosci Lett 2019; 707:134283. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Compensatory Plasticity in the Lateral Extrastriate Visual Cortex Preserves Audiovisual Temporal Processing following Adult-Onset Hearing Loss. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:7946987. [PMID: 31223309 PMCID: PMC6541963 DOI: 10.1155/2019/7946987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Partial hearing loss can cause neurons in the auditory and audiovisual cortices to increase their responsiveness to visual stimuli; however, behavioral studies in hearing-impaired humans and rats have found that the perceptual ability to accurately judge the relative timing of auditory and visual stimuli is largely unaffected. To investigate the neurophysiological basis of how audiovisual temporal acuity may be preserved in the presence of hearing loss-induced crossmodal plasticity, we exposed adult rats to loud noise and two weeks later performed in vivo electrophysiological recordings in two neighboring regions within the lateral extrastriate visual (V2L) cortex—a multisensory zone known to be responsive to audiovisual stimuli (V2L-Mz) and a predominantly auditory zone (V2L-Az). To examine the cortical layer-specific effects at the level of postsynaptic potentials, a current source density (CSD) analysis was applied to the local field potential (LFP) data recorded in response to auditory and visual stimuli presented at various stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). As predicted, differential effects were observed in the neighboring cortical regions' postnoise exposure. Most notably, an analysis of the strength of multisensory response interactions revealed that V2L-Mz lost its sensitivity to the relative timing of the auditory and visual stimuli, due to an increased responsiveness to visual stimulation that produced a prominent audiovisual response irrespective of the SOA. In contrast, not only did the V2L-Az in noise-exposed rats become more responsive to visual stimuli but neurons in this region also inherited the capacity to process audiovisual stimuli with the temporal precision and specificity that was previously restricted to the V2L-Mz. Thus, the present study provides the first demonstration that audiovisual temporal processing can be preserved following moderate hearing loss via compensatory plasticity in the higher-order sensory cortices that is ultimately characterized by a functional transition in the cortical region capable of temporal sensitivity.
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Schormans AL, Typlt M, Allman BL. Adult-Onset Hearing Impairment Induces Layer-Specific Cortical Reorganization: Evidence of Crossmodal Plasticity and Central Gain Enhancement. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:1875-1888. [PMID: 29668848 PMCID: PMC6458918 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult-onset hearing impairment can lead to hyperactivity in the auditory pathway (i.e., central gain enhancement) as well as increased cortical responsiveness to nonauditory stimuli (i.e., crossmodal plasticity). However, it remained unclear to what extent hearing loss-induced hyperactivity is relayed beyond the auditory cortex, and thus, whether central gain enhancement competes or coexists with crossmodal plasticity throughout the distinct layers of the audiovisual cortex. To that end, we investigated the effects of partial hearing loss on laminar processing in the auditory, visual and audiovisual cortices of adult rats using extracellular electrophysiological recordings performed 2 weeks after loud noise exposure. Current-source density analyses revealed that central gain enhancement was not relayed to the audiovisual cortex (V2L), and was instead restricted to the granular layer of the higher order auditory area, AuD. In contrast, crossmodal plasticity was evident across multiple cortical layers within V2L, and also manifested in AuD. Surprisingly, despite this coexistence of central gain enhancement and crossmodal plasticity, noise exposure did not disrupt the responsiveness of these neighboring cortical regions to combined audiovisual stimuli. Overall, we have shown for the first time that adult-onset hearing impairment causes a complex assortment of intramodal and crossmodal changes across the layers of higher order sensory cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Schormans
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marei Typlt
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian L Allman
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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45
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Early Blindness Shapes Cortical Representations of Auditory Frequency within Auditory Cortex. J Neurosci 2019; 39:5143-5152. [PMID: 31010853 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2896-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Early loss of vision is classically linked to large-scale cross-modal plasticity within occipital cortex. Much less is known about the effects of early blindness on auditory cortex. Here, we examine the effects of early blindness on the cortical representation of auditory frequency within human primary and secondary auditory areas using fMRI. We observe that 4 individuals with early blindness (2 females), and a group of 5 individuals with anophthalmia (1 female), a condition in which both eyes fail to develop, have lower response amplitudes and narrower voxelwise tuning bandwidths compared with a group of typically sighted individuals. These results provide some of the first evidence in human participants for compensatory plasticity within nondeprived sensory areas as a result of sensory loss.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Early blindness has been linked to enhanced perception of the auditory world, including auditory localization and pitch perception. Here we used fMRI to compare neural responses with auditory stimuli within auditory cortex across sighted, early blind, and anophthalmic individuals, in whom both eyes fail to develop. We find more refined frequency tuning in blind subjects, providing some of the first evidence in human subjects for compensation within nondeprived primary sensory areas as a result of blindness early in life.
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46
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Teichert M, Isstas M, Liebmann L, Hübner CA, Wieske F, Winter C, Lehmann K, Bolz J. Visual deprivation independent shift of ocular dominance induced by cross-modal plasticity. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213616. [PMID: 30856226 PMCID: PMC6411125 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is convincing evidence that the deprivation of one sense can lead to adaptive neuronal changes in spared primary sensory cortices. However, the repercussions of late-onset sensory deprivations on functionality of the remaining sensory cortices are poorly understood. Using repeated intrinsic signal imaging we investigated the effects of whisker or auditory deprivation (WD or AD, respectively) on responsiveness of the binocular primary visual cortex (V1) in fully adult mice. The binocular zone of mice is innervated by both eyes, with the contralateral eye always dominating V1 input over ipsilateral eye input, the normal ocular dominance (OD) ratio. Strikingly, we found that 3 days of WD or AD induced a transient shift of OD, which was mediated by a potentiation of V1 input through the ipsilateral eye. This cross-modal effect was accompanied by strengthening of layer 4 synapses in V1, required visual experience through the ipsilateral eye and was mediated by an increase of the excitation/inhibition ratio in V1. Finally, we demonstrate that both WD and AD induced a long-lasting improvement of visual performance. Our data provide evidence that the deprivation of a non-visual sensory modality cross-modally induces experience dependent V1 plasticity and improves visual behavior, even in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Teichert
- Institute of General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
- Synapses-Circuits-Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Marcel Isstas
- Institute of General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Lutz Liebmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Jena, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian A. Hübner
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Jena, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Franziska Wieske
- Department of Psychiatry, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christine Winter
- Department of Psychiatry, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Konrad Lehmann
- Institute of General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Bolz
- Institute of General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The corpus callosum is a large fiber bundle which connects contralateral brain regions. After unilateral perturbations such as stroke or amputation, interhemispheric connectivity is altered and often leads to bilateral somatomotor cortical hyperactivity in patients with poor recovery. This study reports that callosal targeting of deprived layer 5 neurons is maximally potentiated in mouse primary somatosensory barrel cortex after unilateral whisker denervation. These neurons also experience an increase in excitability and spontaneous excitatory amplitudes. These results should be relevant to the cortical responses observed in human patients after unilateral nerve transection, amputation, or stroke. Central or peripheral injury causes reorganization of the brain’s connections and functions. A striking change observed after unilateral stroke or amputation is a recruitment of bilateral cortical responses to sensation or movement of the unaffected peripheral area. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are described in a mouse model of unilateral whisker deprivation. Stimulation of intact whiskers yields a bilateral blood-oxygen-level−dependent fMRI response in somatosensory barrel cortex. Whole-cell electrophysiology demonstrated that the intact barrel cortex selectively strengthens callosal synapses to layer 5 neurons in the deprived cortex. These synapses have larger AMPA receptor- and NMDA receptor-mediated events. These factors contribute to a maximally potentiated callosal synapse. This potentiation occludes long-term potentiation, which could be rescued, to some extent, with prior long-term depression induction. Excitability and excitation/inhibition balance were altered in a manner consistent with cell-specific callosal changes and support a shift in the overall state of the cortex. This is a demonstration of a cell-specific, synaptic mechanism underlying interhemispheric cortical reorganization.
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48
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The Effects of Visual Cues, Blindfolding, Synesthetic Experience, and Musical Training on Pure-Tone Frequency Discrimination. Behav Sci (Basel) 2018; 9:bs9010002. [PMID: 30586857 PMCID: PMC6358848 DOI: 10.3390/bs9010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
How perceptual limits can be reduced has long been examined by psychologists. This study investigated whether visual cues, blindfolding, visual-auditory synesthetic experience, and musical training could facilitate a smaller frequency difference limen (FDL) in a gliding frequency discrimination test. Ninety university students, with no visual or auditory impairment, were recruited for this one-between (blindfolded/visual cues) and one-within (control/experimental session) designed study. Their FDLs were tested by an alternative forced-choice task (gliding upwards/gliding downwards/no change) and two questionnaires (Vividness of Mental Imagery Questionnaire and Projector⁻Associator Test) were used to assess their tendency to synesthesia. The participants provided with visual cues and with musical training showed a significantly smaller FDL; on the other hand, being blindfolded or having a synesthetic experience before could not significantly reduce the FDL. However, no pattern was found between the perception of the gliding upwards and gliding downwards frequencies. Overall, the current study suggests that the inter-sensory perception can be enhanced through the training and facilitation of visual⁻auditory interaction under the multiple resource model. Future studies are recommended in order to verify the effects of music practice on auditory percepts, and the different mechanisms between perceiving gliding upwards and downwards frequencies.
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49
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How Senses Work Together: Cross-Modal Interactions between Primary Sensory Cortices. Neural Plast 2018; 2018:5380921. [PMID: 30647732 PMCID: PMC6311735 DOI: 10.1155/2018/5380921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
On our way through a town, the things we see can make us change the way we go. The things that we hear can make us stop or walk on, or the things we feel can cause us to wear a warm jacket or just a t-shirt. All these behaviors are mediated by highly complex processing mechanisms in our brain and reflect responses to many important sensory inputs. The mammalian cerebral cortex, which processes the sensory information, consists of largely specialized sensory areas mainly receiving information from their corresponding sensory modalities. The first cortical regions receiving the input from the outer world are the so called primary sensory cortices. Strikingly, there is convincing evidence that primary sensory cortices do not work in isolation but are substantially affected by other sensory modalities. Here, we will review previous and current literature on this cross-modal interplay.
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50
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Abe K, Yawo H. Quantitative study of the somatosensory sensitization underlying cross-modal plasticity. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208089. [PMID: 30517160 PMCID: PMC6281227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of one sensory modality can cause other types to become more perceptive (cross-modal plasticity). To test the hypothesis that the loss of vision changes the perceptual threshold in the somatosensory system, we applied optogenetics to directly manipulate the afferent inputs involved in the whisker-barrel system using a transgenic rat (W-TChR2V4) that expresses channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) selectively in the large mechanoreceptive neurons in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and their peripheral nerve terminals. The licking behavior of W-TChR2V4 rat was conditioned to a blue LED light cue on the whisker area while the magnitude and duration of light pulses were varied. The perceptual threshold was thus quantitatively determined for each rat according to the relationship between the magnitude/duration of light and the reaction time between the LED light cue and the first licking event after it. We found that the perceptual threshold was more significantly reduced than the control non-deprived rats when the rats were visually deprived at postnatal 26-30 days (P26-30, early VD group), but not at P58-66 (late VD group). However, the sensory threshold of a late VD animal was similar to that of a control. Our results suggest the presence of cross-modal plasticity by which the loss of vision at the juvenile period increased the sensitivity of the somatosensory system involved in the touch of whiskers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Abe
- Department of Development Biology and Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Science, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiromu Yawo
- Department of Development Biology and Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Science, Sendai, Japan.,Center for Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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