1
|
Griggs WS, Norman SL, Tanter M, Liu C, Christopoulos V, Shapiro MG, Andersen RA. Functional ultrasound neuroimaging reveals mesoscopic organization of saccades in the lateral intraparietal area of posterior parietal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.28.600796. [PMID: 39005362 PMCID: PMC11244887 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.28.600796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The lateral intraparietal cortex (LIP) located within the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is an important area for the transformation of spatial information into accurate saccadic eye movements. Despite extensive research, we do not fully understand the functional anatomy of intended movement directions within LIP. This is in part due to technical challenges. Electrophysiology recordings can only record from small regions of the PPC, while fMRI and other whole-brain techniques lack sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we use functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI), an emerging technique with high sensitivity, large spatial coverage, and good spatial resolution, to determine how movement direction is encoded across PPC. We used fUSI to record local changes in cerebral blood volume in PPC as two monkeys performed memory-guided saccades to targets throughout their visual field. We then analyzed the distribution of preferred directional response fields within each coronal plane of PPC. Many subregions within LIP demonstrated strong directional tuning that was consistent across several months to years. These mesoscopic maps revealed a highly heterogenous organization within LIP with many small patches of neighboring cortex encoding different directions. LIP had a rough topography where anterior LIP represented more contralateral upward movements and posterior LIP represented more contralateral downward movements. These results address two fundamental gaps in our understanding of LIP's functional organization: the neighborhood organization of patches and the broader organization across LIP. These findings were achieved by tracking the same LIP populations across many months to years and developing mesoscopic maps of direction specificity previously unattainable with fMRI or electrophysiology methods.
Collapse
|
2
|
Clark IH, Natera D, Grande AW, Low WC. Ex vivo method for rapid quantification of post traumatic brain injury lesion volumes using ultrasound. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 407:110140. [PMID: 38663553 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of traumatic brain injury often involve the quantification of the lesion volume as a major outcome measure. The determination of lesion volume typically employs the cutting and mounting of brain tissue, and the calculation of the cross-sectional area of the lesion within each section of brain after histological staining. This is a time consuming and laborious task often requiring many weeks to determine the lesion volume for an individual brain. METHODS In this report we present a method for determining the lesion volume within the brain following traumatic brain injury that involves the use of ultrasound imaging. With this process the lesion volume can be determined within a time period of 90 min per brain rather than weeks and months. Moreover, we have developed a pipeline that will combine the cross-sectional ultrasound images of the brain with the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas to provide the precise anatomical structures that are affected by traumatic injury to the brain. The anatomical detail was lastly paired with behavioral data showing neurological deficits correlated with specific areas of brain injury. RESULTS The accuracy and precision of this method was shown to be highly consistent with the traditional histological approach. Additionally, the mapping process and behavioral data show that neurological recovery from 1 to 3 weeks post injury is not correlated with gross anatomical recovery of the TBI lesion in our TBI model. CONCLUSION Together these approaches will enhance the pipeline for processing brain tissue in experimental conditions where the lesion volume is an important outcome parameter and provide more high resolution information about the identity of the damaged regions of the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isaac H Clark
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, United States.
| | | | - Andrew W Grande
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, United States; Department of Neurosurgery, United States; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Walter C Low
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, United States; Department of Neurosurgery, United States; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Edelman BJ, Siegenthaler D, Wanken P, Jenkins B, Schmid B, Ressle A, Gogolla N, Frank T, Macé E. The COMBO window: A chronic cranial implant for multiscale circuit interrogation in mice. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002664. [PMID: 38829885 PMCID: PMC11185485 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002664] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroscientists studying the neural correlates of mouse behavior often lack access to the brain-wide activity patterns elicited during a specific task of interest. Fortunately, large-scale imaging is becoming increasingly accessible thanks to modalities such as Ca2+ imaging and functional ultrasound (fUS). However, these and other techniques often involve challenging cranial window procedures and are difficult to combine with other neuroscience tools. We address this need with an open-source 3D-printable cranial implant-the COMBO (ChrOnic Multimodal imaging and Behavioral Observation) window. The COMBO window enables chronic imaging of large portions of the brain in head-fixed mice while preserving orofacial movements. We validate the COMBO window stability using both brain-wide fUS and multisite two-photon imaging. Moreover, we demonstrate how the COMBO window facilitates the combination of optogenetics, fUS, and electrophysiology in the same animals to study the effects of circuit perturbations at both the brain-wide and single-neuron level. Overall, the COMBO window provides a versatile solution for performing multimodal brain recordings in head-fixed mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley J. Edelman
- Brain-Wide Circuits for Behavior Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Planegg, Germany
- Emotion Research Department, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Dynamics of Excitable Cell Networks Research Group, Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dominique Siegenthaler
- Brain-Wide Circuits for Behavior Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Planegg, Germany
- Dynamics of Excitable Cell Networks Research Group, Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Paulina Wanken
- Brain-Wide Circuits for Behavior Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Planegg, Germany
- Dynamics of Excitable Cell Networks Research Group, Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bethan Jenkins
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Olfactory Memory Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Planegg, Germany
- Olfactory Memory and Behavior Research Group, European Neuroscience Institute and Faculty for Biology and Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bianca Schmid
- Emotion Research Department, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Ressle
- Emotion Research Department, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Nadine Gogolla
- Emotion Research Department, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Frank
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Olfactory Memory Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Planegg, Germany
- Olfactory Memory and Behavior Research Group, European Neuroscience Institute and Faculty for Biology and Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Emilie Macé
- Brain-Wide Circuits for Behavior Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Planegg, Germany
- Dynamics of Excitable Cell Networks Research Group, Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rué‐Queralt J, Fluhr H, Tourbier S, Aleman‐Gómez Y, Pascucci D, Yerly J, Glomb K, Plomp G, Hagmann P. Connectome spectrum electromagnetic tomography: A method to reconstruct electrical brain source networks at high-spatial resolution. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26638. [PMID: 38520365 PMCID: PMC10960556 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26638] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Connectome spectrum electromagnetic tomography (CSET) combines diffusion MRI-derived structural connectivity data with well-established graph signal processing tools to solve the M/EEG inverse problem. Using simulated EEG signals from fMRI responses, and two EEG datasets on visual-evoked potentials, we provide evidence supporting that (i) CSET captures realistic neurophysiological patterns with better accuracy than state-of-the-art methods, (ii) CSET can reconstruct brain responses more accurately and with more robustness to intrinsic noise in the EEG signal. These results demonstrate that CSET offers high spatio-temporal accuracy, enabling neuroscientists to extend their research beyond the current limitations of low sampling frequency in functional MRI and the poor spatial resolution of M/EEG.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joan Rué‐Queralt
- Department of RadiologyLausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV‐UNIL)LausanneSwitzerland
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of FribourgFribourgSwitzerland
- Center for ImagingEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Hugo Fluhr
- Department of RadiologyLausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV‐UNIL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Sebastien Tourbier
- Department of RadiologyLausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV‐UNIL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Yasser Aleman‐Gómez
- Department of RadiologyLausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV‐UNIL)LausanneSwitzerland
- Department of PsychiatryLausanne University HospitalLausanneSwitzerland
| | | | - Jérôme Yerly
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional RadiologyLausanne University HospitalLausanneSwitzerland
- Center for Biomedical ImagingEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Katharina Glomb
- Department of NeurologyCharité University Medicine Berlin and Berlin Institute of HealthBerlinGermany
| | - Gijs Plomp
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of FribourgFribourgSwitzerland
| | - Patric Hagmann
- Department of RadiologyLausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne (CHUV‐UNIL)LausanneSwitzerland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Koorliyil H, Sitt J, Rivals I, Liu Y, Bertolo A, Cazzanelli S, Dizeux A, Deffieux T, Tanter M, Pezet S. Specific and Nonuniform Brain States during Cold Perception in Mice. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0909232023. [PMID: 38182417 PMCID: PMC10957214 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0909-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The quest to decode the complex supraspinal mechanisms that integrate cutaneous thermal information in the central system is still ongoing. The dorsal horn of the spinal cord is the first hub that encodes thermal input which is then transmitted to brain regions via the spinothalamic and thalamocortical pathways. So far, our knowledge about the strength of the interplay between the brain regions during thermal processing is limited. To address this question, we imaged the brains of adult awake male mice in resting state using functional ultrasound imaging during plantar exposure to constant and varying temperatures. Our study reveals for the first time the following: (1) a dichotomy in the response of the somatomotor-cingulate cortices and the hypothalamus, which was never described before, due to the lack of appropriate tools to study such regions with both good spatial and temporal resolutions. (2) We infer that cingulate areas may be involved in the affective responses to temperature changes. (3) Colder temperatures (ramped down) reinforce the disconnection between the somatomotor-cingulate and hypothalamus networks. (4) Finally, we also confirm the existence in the mouse brain of a brain mode characterized by low cognitive strength present more frequently at resting neutral temperature. The present study points toward the existence of a common hub between somatomotor and cingulate regions, whereas hypothalamus functions are related to a secondary network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haritha Koorliyil
- Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris 70015, France
| | - Jacobo Sitt
- PICNIC Lab, Inserm U 1127, ICM, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Paris F-75013, France
| | - Isabelle Rivals
- Equipe de Statistique Appliquée, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, UMRS 1158, Paris 75005, France
| | - Yushan Liu
- Equipe de Statistique Appliquée, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, UMRS 1158, Paris 75005, France
| | - Adrien Bertolo
- Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris 70015, France
- Iconeus, Paris 75014, France
| | - Silvia Cazzanelli
- Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris 70015, France
- Iconeus, Paris 75014, France
| | - Alexandre Dizeux
- Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris 70015, France
| | - Thomas Deffieux
- Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris 70015, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris 70015, France
| | - Sophie Pezet
- Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris 70015, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lambert T, Brunner C, Kil D, Wuyts R, D'Hondt E, Montaldo G, Urban A. A deep learning classification task for brain navigation in rodents using micro-Doppler ultrasound imaging. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27432. [PMID: 38495198 PMCID: PMC10943389 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27432] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Positioning and navigation are essential components of neuroimaging as they improve the quality and reliability of data acquisition, leading to advances in diagnosis, treatment outcomes, and fundamental understanding of the brain. Functional ultrasound imaging is an emerging technology providing high-resolution images of the brain vasculature, allowing for the monitoring of brain activity. However, as the technology is relatively new, there is no standardized tool for inferring the position in the brain from the vascular images. In this study, we present a deep learning-based framework designed to address this challenge. Our approach uses an image classification task coupled with a regression on the resulting probabilities to determine the position of a single image. To evaluate its performance, we conducted experiments using a dataset of 51 rat brain scans. The training positions were extracted at intervals of 375 μm, resulting in a positioning error of 176 μm. Further GradCAM analysis revealed that the predictions were primarily driven by subcortical vascular structures. Finally, we assessed the robustness of our method in a cortical stroke where the brain vasculature is severely impaired. Remarkably, no specific increase in the number of misclassifications was observed, confirming the method's reliability in challenging conditions. Overall, our framework provides accurate and flexible positioning, not relying on a pre-registered reference but rather on conserved vascular patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Théo Lambert
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Clément Brunner
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dries Kil
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Aurup C, Bendig J, Blackman SG, McCune EP, Bae S, Jimenez-Gambin S, Ji R, Konofagou EE. Transcranial Functional Ultrasound Imaging Detects Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation Induced Hemodynamic Changes in Mouse and Nonhuman Primate Brains In Vivo. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.08.583971. [PMID: 38559149 PMCID: PMC10979885 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.08.583971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging noinvasive technique for neuromodulation in the central nervous system (CNS). To evaluate the effects of FUS-induced neuromodulation, many studies used behavioral changes, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or electroencephalography (EEG). However, behavioral readouts are often not easily mapped to specific brain activity, EEG has low spatial resolution limited to the surface of the brain and fMRI requires a large importable scanner that limits additional readouts and manipulations. In this context, functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) holds promise to directly monitor the effects of FUS neuromodulation with high spatiotemporal resolution in a large field of view, with a comparatively simple and flexible setup. fUSI uses ultrafast Power Doppler Imaging (PDI) to measure changes in cerebral blood volume, which correlates well with neuronal activity and local field potentials. We designed a setup that aligns a FUS transducer with a linear array to allow immediate subsequent monitoring of the hemodynamic response with fUSI during and after FUS neuromodulation. We established a positive correlation between FUS pressure and the size of the activated area, as well as changes in cerebral blood volume (CBV) and found that unilateral sonications produce bilateral hemodynamic changes with ipsilateral accentuation in mice. We further demonstrated the ability to perform fully noninvasive, transcranial FUS-fUSI in nonhuman primates for the first time by using a lower-frequency transducer configuration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Aurup
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonas Bendig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samuel G. Blackman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erica P. McCune
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sua Bae
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Robin Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa E. Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
El Hady A, Takahashi D, Sun R, Akinwale O, Boyd-Meredith T, Zhang Y, Charles AS, Brody CD. Chronic brain functional ultrasound imaging in freely moving rodents performing cognitive tasks. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 403:110033. [PMID: 38056633 PMCID: PMC10872377 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.110033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional ultrasound imaging (fUS) is an emerging imaging technique that indirectly measures neural activity via changes in blood volume. Chronic fUS imaging during cognitive tasks in freely moving animals faces multiple exceptional challenges: performing large durable craniotomies with chronic implants, designing behavioral experiments matching the hemodynamic timescale, stabilizing the ultrasound probe during freely moving behavior, accurately assessing motion artifacts, and validating that the animal can perform cognitive tasks while tethered. NEW METHOD We provide validated solutions for those technical challenges. In addition, we present standardized step-by-step reproducible protocols, procedures, and data processing pipelines. Finally, we present proof-of-concept analysis of brain dynamics during a decision making task. RESULTS We obtain stable recordings from which we can robustly decode task variables from fUS data over multiple months. Moreover, we find that brain wide imaging through hemodynamic response is nonlinearly related to cognitive variables, such as task difficulty, as compared to sensory responses previously explored. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Computational pipelines in fUS are nascent and we present an initial development of a full processing pathway to correct and segment fUS data. CONCLUSIONS Our methods provide stable imaging and analysis of behavior with fUS that will enable new experimental paradigms in understanding brain-wide dynamics in naturalistic behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed El Hady
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States; Center for advanced study of collective behavior, University of Konstanz, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Daniel Takahashi
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Ruolan Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States
| | - Oluwateniola Akinwale
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States
| | - Tyler Boyd-Meredith
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Yisi Zhang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Adam S Charles
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States; Mathematical Institute for Data Science, Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute & Center for Imaging Science, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States.
| | - Carlos D Brody
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhang J, Gong C, Yang Z, Wei F, Sun X, Ji J, Zeng Y, Chang CF, Liu X, Nair DSR, Thomas BB, Zhou Q. Ultrasound Flow Imaging Study on Rat Brain with Ultrasound and Light Stimulations. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:174. [PMID: 38391660 PMCID: PMC10886342 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11020174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Functional ultrasound (fUS) flow imaging provides a non-invasive method for the in vivo study of cerebral blood flow and neural activity. This study used functional flow imaging to investigate rat brain's response to ultrasound and colored-light stimuli. Male Long-Evan rats were exposed to direct full-field strobe flashes light and ultrasound stimulation to their retinas, while brain activity was measured using high-frequency ultrasound imaging. Our study found that light stimuli, particularly blue light, elicited strong responses in the visual cortex and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), as evidenced by changes in cerebral blood volume (CBV). In contrast, ultrasound stimulation elicited responses undetectable with fUS flow imaging, although these were observable when directly measuring the brain's electrical signals. These findings suggest that fUS flow imaging can effectively differentiate neural responses to visual stimuli, with potential applications in understanding visual processing and developing new diagnostic tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junhang Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Chen Gong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Zihan Yang
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Fan Wei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Xin Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Jie Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Yushun Zeng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Chi-Feng Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Xunan Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Deepthi S Rajendran Nair
- Department of Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Biju B Thomas
- Department of Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Qifa Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Brunner C, Denis NL, Gertz K, Grillet M, Montaldo G, Endres M, Urban A. Brain-wide continuous functional ultrasound imaging for real-time monitoring of hemodynamics during ischemic stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2024; 44:6-18. [PMID: 37503862 PMCID: PMC10905631 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x231191600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Ischemic stroke occurs abruptly causing sudden neurologic deficits, and therefore, very little is known about hemodynamic perturbations in the brain immediately after stroke onset. Here, functional ultrasound imaging was used to monitor variations in relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) compared to baseline. rCBV levels were analyzed brain-wide and continuously at high spatiotemporal resolution (100 μm, 2 Hz) until 70mins after stroke onset in rats. We compared two stroke models, with either a permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAo) or a tandem occlusion of both the common carotid and middle cerebral arteries (CCAo + MCAo). We observed a typical hemodynamic pattern, including a quick drop of the rCBV after MCAo, followed by spontaneous reperfusion of several brain regions located in the vicinity of the ischemic core. The severity and location of the ischemia were variable within groups. On average, the severity of the ischemia was in good agreement with the lesion volume (24 hrs after stroke) for MCAo group, while larger for the CCAo + MCAo model. For both groups, we observed that infarcts extended to initially non-ischemic regions located rostrally to the ischemic core. These regions strongly colocalize with the origin of transient hemodynamic events associated with spreading depolarizations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clément Brunner
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nielsen Lagumersindez Denis
- Department of Neurology and Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Berlin, Germany
| | - Karen Gertz
- Department of Neurology and Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Berlin, Germany
| | - Micheline Grillet
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthias Endres
- Department of Neurology and Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Berlin, Germany
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Li B, Ma C, Huang YA, Ding X, Silverman D, Chen C, Darmohray D, Lu L, Liu S, Montaldo G, Urban A, Dan Y. Circuit mechanism for suppression of frontal cortical ignition during NREM sleep. Cell 2023; 186:5739-5750.e17. [PMID: 38070510 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Conscious perception is greatly diminished during sleep, but the underlying circuit mechanism is poorly understood. We show that cortical ignition-a brain process shown to be associated with conscious awareness in humans and non-human primates-is strongly suppressed during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep in mice due to reduced cholinergic modulation and rapid inhibition of cortical responses. Brain-wide functional ultrasound imaging and cell-type-specific calcium imaging combined with optogenetics showed that activity propagation from visual to frontal cortex is markedly reduced during NREM sleep due to strong inhibition of frontal pyramidal neurons. Chemogenetic activation and inactivation of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons powerfully increased and decreased visual-to-frontal activity propagation, respectively. Furthermore, although multiple subtypes of dendrite-targeting GABAergic interneurons in the frontal cortex are more active during wakefulness, soma-targeting parvalbumin-expressing interneurons are more active during sleep. Chemogenetic manipulation of parvalbumin interneurons showed that sleep/wake-dependent cortical ignition is strongly modulated by perisomatic inhibition of pyramidal neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bing Li
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Chenyan Ma
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Yun-An Huang
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xinlu Ding
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Daniel Silverman
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Changwan Chen
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Dana Darmohray
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lihui Lu
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Siqi Liu
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yang Dan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Hoffmann M, Henninger J, Veith J, Richter L, Judkewitz B. Blazed oblique plane microscopy reveals scale-invariant inference of brain-wide population activity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8019. [PMID: 38049412 PMCID: PMC10695970 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43741-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the size and opacity of vertebrate brains, it has until now been impossible to simultaneously record neuronal activity at cellular resolution across the entire adult brain. As a result, scientists are forced to choose between cellular-resolution microscopy over limited fields-of-view or whole-brain imaging at coarse-grained resolution. Bridging the gap between these spatial scales of understanding remains a major challenge in neuroscience. Here, we introduce blazed oblique plane microscopy to perform brain-wide recording of neuronal activity at cellular resolution in an adult vertebrate. Contrary to common belief, we find that inferences of neuronal population activity are near-independent of spatial scale: a set of randomly sampled neurons has a comparable predictive power as the same number of coarse-grained macrovoxels. Our work thus links cellular resolution with brain-wide scope, challenges the prevailing view that macroscale methods are generally inferior to microscale techniques and underscores the value of multiscale approaches to studying brain-wide activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Hoffmann
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Jörg Henninger
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Veith
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Richter
- Department of Chemistry and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Benjamin Judkewitz
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Generowicz BS, Dijkhuizen S, Bosman LWJ, De Zeeuw CI, Koekkoek SKE, Kruizinga P. Swept-3-D Ultrasound Imaging of the Mouse Brain Using a Continuously Moving 1-D-Array-Part II: Functional Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2023; 70:1726-1738. [PMID: 37938952 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2023.3330343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Functional ultrasound (fUS) using a 1-D-array transducer normally is insufficient to capture volumetric functional activity due to being restricted to imaging a single brain slice at a time. Typically, for volumetric fUS, functional recordings are repeated many times as the transducer is moved to a new location after each recording, resulting in a nonunique average mapping of the brain response and long scan times. Our objective was to perform volumetric 3-D fUS in an efficient and cost-effective manner. This was achieved by mounting a 1-D-array transducer to a high-precision motorized linear stage and continuously translating over the mouse brain in a sweeping manner. We show how the speed at which the 1-D-array is translated over the brain affects the sampling of the hemodynamic response (HR) during visual stimulation as well as the quality of the resulting power Doppler image (PDI). Functional activation maps were compared between stationary recordings, where only one functional slice is obtained for every recording, and our swept-3-D method, where volumetric fUS was achieved in a single functional recording. The results show that the activation maps obtained with our method closely resemble those obtained during a stationary recording for that same location, while our method is not restricted to functional imaging of a single slice. Lastly, a mouse brain subvolume of ~6 mm is scanned at a volume rate of 1.5 s per volume, with a functional PDI reconstructed every [Formula: see text], highlighting swept-3-D's potential for volumetric fUS. Our method provides an affordable alternative to volumetric fUS using 2-D-matrix transducers, with a high SNR due to using a fully sampled 1-D-array transducer, and without the need to repeat functional measurements for every 2-D slice, as is most often the case when using a 1-D-array. This places our swept-3-D method as a potentially valuable addition to conventional 2-D fUS, especially when investigating whole-brain functional connectivity, or when shorter recording durations are desired.
Collapse
|
14
|
Brunner C, Montaldo G, Urban A. Functional ultrasound imaging of stroke in awake rats. eLife 2023; 12:RP88919. [PMID: 37988288 PMCID: PMC10662948 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88919] [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] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Anesthesia is a major confounding factor in preclinical stroke research as stroke rarely occurs in sedated patients. Moreover, anesthesia affects both brain functions and the stroke outcome acting as neurotoxic or protective agents. So far, no approaches were well suited to induce stroke while imaging hemodynamics along with simultaneous large-scale recording of brain functions in awake animals. For this reason, the first critical hours following the stroke insult and associated functional alteration remain poorly understood. Here, we present a strategy to investigate both stroke hemodynamics and stroke-induced functional alterations without the confounding effect of anesthesia, i.e., under awake condition. Functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging was used to continuously monitor variations in cerebral blood volume (CBV) in +65 brain regions/hemispheres for up to 3 hr after stroke onset. The focal cortical ischemia was induced using a chemo-thrombotic agent suited for permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in awake rats and followed by ipsi- and contralesional whiskers stimulation to investigate on the dynamic of the thalamocortical functions. Early (0-3 hr) and delayed (day 5) fUS recording enabled to characterize the features of the ischemia (location, CBV loss), spreading depolarizations (occurrence, amplitude) and functional alteration of the somatosensory thalamocortical circuits. Post-stroke thalamocortical functions were affected at both early and later time points (0-3 hr and 5 days) after stroke. Overall, our procedure facilitates early, continuous, and chronic assessments of hemodynamics and cerebral functions. When integrated with stroke studies or other pathological analyses, this approach seeks to enhance our comprehension of physiopathologies towards the development of pertinent therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clément Brunner
- Neuro-Electronics Research FlandersLeuvenBelgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologieLeuvenBelgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics CentreLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research FlandersLeuvenBelgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologieLeuvenBelgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics CentreLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research FlandersLeuvenBelgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologieLeuvenBelgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics CentreLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Willshaw DJ, Gale NM. Reanalysis of EphA3 Knock-In Double Maps in Mouse Suggests That Stochasticity in Topographic Map Formation Acts at the Retina Rather than between Competing Mechanisms at the Colliculus. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0135-23.2023. [PMID: 37852780 PMCID: PMC10668230 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0135-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that stochasticity acts in the formation of topographically ordered maps in the visual system through the opposing chemoaffinity and neural activity forces acting on the innervating nerve fibers being held in an unstable equilibrium. Evidence comes from the Islet2-EphA3 knock-in mouse, in which ∼50% of the retinal ganglion cells, distributed across the retina, acquire the EphA3 receptor, thus having an enhanced density of EphA which specifies retinotopic order along the rostrocaudal (RC) axis of the colliculus. Sampling EphA3 knock-in maps in heterozygotes at different positions along the mediolateral (ML) extent of the colliculus had found single 1D maps [as in wild types (WTs)], double maps (as in homozygous knock-ins) or both single and double maps. We constructed full 2D maps from the same mouse dataset. We found either single maps or maps where the visual field projects rostrally, with a part-projection more caudally to form a double map, the extent and location of this duplication varying considerably. Contrary to previous analyses, there was no strict demarcation between heterozygous and homozygous maps. These maps were replicated in a computational model where, as the level of EphA3 was increased, there was a smooth transition from single to double maps. Our results suggest that the diversity in these retinotopic maps has its origin in a variability over the retina in the effective amount of EphA3, such as through variability in gene expression or the proportion of EphA3+ retinal ganglion cells, rather than the result of competing mechanisms acting at the colliculus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David J Willshaw
- Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas M Gale
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0WA, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Wang Y, Lowerison MR, You Q, Lin BZ, Llano DA, Song P. Longitudinal Awake Imaging of Deep Mouse Brain Microvasculature with Super-resolution Ultrasound Localization Microscopy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.01.555789. [PMID: 37732191 PMCID: PMC10508721 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.01.555789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Super-resolution ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) is an emerging imaging modality that resolves capillary-scale microvasculature in deep tissues. However, existing preclinical ULM applications are largely constrained to anesthetized animals, introducing confounding vascular effects such as vasodilation and altered hemodynamics. As such, ULM quantifications (e.g., vessel diameter, density, and flow velocity) may be confounded by the use of anesthesia, undermining the usefulness of ULM in practice. Here we introduce a method to address this limitation and achieve ULM imaging in awake mouse brain. Pupillary monitoring was used to confirm the awake state during ULM imaging. ULM revealed that veins showed a greater degree of vascularity reduction from anesthesia to awake states than did arteries. The reduction was most significant in the midbrain and least significant in the cortex. ULM also revealed a significant reduction in venous blood flow velocity across different brain regions under awake conditions. Serial in vivo imaging of the same animal brain at weekly intervals demonstrated the highly robust longitudinal imaging capability of the proposed technique. This is the first study demonstrating longitudinal ULM imaging in the awake mouse brain, which is essential for many ULM brain applications that require awake and behaving animals.
Collapse
|
17
|
Montijn JS, Riguccini V, Levelt CN, Heimel JA. Impaired Direction Selectivity in the Nucleus of the Optic Tract of Albino Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:9. [PMID: 37548962 PMCID: PMC10411648 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.11.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Human albinos have a low visual acuity. This is partially due to the presence of spontaneous erroneous eye movements called pendular nystagmus. This nystagmus is present in other albino vertebrates and has been hypothesized to be caused by aberrant wiring of retinal ganglion axons to the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT), a part of the accessory optic system involved in the optokinetic response to visual motion. The NOT in pigmented rodents is preferentially responsive to ipsiversive motion (i.e., motion in the contralateral visual field in the temporonasal direction). We compared the response to visual motion in the NOT of albino and pigmented mice to understand if motion coding and preference are impaired in the NOT of albino mice. Methods We recorded neuronal spiking activity with Neuropixels probes in the visual cortex and NOT in C57BL/6JRj mice (pigmented) and DBA/1JRj mice with oculocutaneous albinism (albino). Results We found that in pigmented mice, NOT is retinotopically organized, and neurons are direction tuned, whereas in albino mice, neuronal tuning is severely impaired. Neurons in the NOT of albino mice do not have a preference for ipsiversive movement. In contrast, neuronal tuning in visual cortex was preserved in albino mice and did not differ significantly from the tuning in pigmented mice. Conclusions We propose that excessive interhemispheric crossing of retinal projections in albinos may cause the disrupted left/right direction encoding we found in NOT. This, in turn, impairs the normal horizontal optokinetic reflex and leads to pendular albino nystagmus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorrit S. Montijn
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Valentina Riguccini
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan N. Levelt
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J. Alexander Heimel
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ionescu TM, Grohs-Metz G, Hengerer B. Functional ultrasound detects frequency-specific acute and delayed S-ketamine effects in the healthy mouse brain. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1177428. [PMID: 37266546 PMCID: PMC10229773 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1177428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction S-ketamine has received great interest due to both its antidepressant effects and its potential to induce psychosis when administered subchronically. However, no studies have investigated both its acute and delayed effects using in vivo small-animal imaging. Recently, functional ultrasound (fUS) has emerged as a powerful alternative to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), outperforming it in sensitivity and in spatiotemporal resolution. In this study, we employed fUS to thoroughly characterize acute and delayed S-ketamine effects on functional connectivity (FC) within the same cohort at slow frequency bands ranging from 0.01 to 1.25 Hz, previously reported to exhibit FC. Methods We acquired fUS in a total of 16 healthy C57/Bl6 mice split in two cohorts (n = 8 received saline, n = 8 S-ketamine). One day after the first scans, performed at rest, the mice received the first dose of S-ketamine during the second measurement, followed by four further doses administered every 2 days. First, we assessed FC reproducibility and reliability at baseline in six frequency bands. Then, we investigated the acute and delayed effects at day 1 after the first dose and at day 9, 1 day after the last dose, for all bands, resulting in a total of four fUS measurements for every mouse. Results We found reproducible (r > 0.9) and reliable (r > 0.9) group-average readouts in all frequency bands, only the 0.01-0.27 Hz band performing slightly worse. Acutely, S-ketamine induced strong FC increases in five of the six bands, peaking in the 0.073-0.2 Hz band. These increases comprised both cortical and subcortical brain areas, yet were of a transient nature, FC almost returning to baseline levels towards the end of the scan. Intriguingly, we observed robust corticostriatal FC decreases in the fastest band acquired (0.75 Hz-1.25 Hz). These changes persisted to a weaker extent after 1 day and at this timepoint they were accompanied by decreases in the other five bands as well. After 9 days, the decreases in the 0.75-1.25 Hz band were maintained, however no changes between cohorts could be detected in any other bands. Discussion In summary, the study reports that acute and delayed ketamine effects in mice are not only dissimilar but have different directionalities in most frequency bands. The complementary readouts of the employed frequency bands recommend the use of fUS for frequency-specific investigation of pharmacological effects on FC.
Collapse
|
19
|
Stamenkovic S, Li Y, Waters J, Shih A. Deep Imaging to Dissect Microvascular Contributions to White Matter Degeneration in Rodent Models of Dementia. Stroke 2023; 54:1403-1415. [PMID: 37094035 PMCID: PMC10460612 DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.122.037156] [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] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
The increasing socio-economic burden of Alzheimer disease (AD) and AD-related dementias has created a pressing need to define targets for therapeutic intervention. Deficits in cerebral blood flow and neurovascular function have emerged as early contributors to disease progression. However, the cause, progression, and consequence of small vessel disease in AD/AD-related dementias remains poorly understood, making therapeutic targets difficult to pinpoint. Animal models that recapitulate features of AD/AD-related dementias may provide mechanistic insight because microvascular pathology can be studied as it develops in vivo. Recent advances in in vivo optical and ultrasound-based imaging of the rodent brain facilitate this goal by providing access to deeper brain structures, including white matter and hippocampus, which are more vulnerable to injury during cerebrovascular disease. Here, we highlight these novel imaging approaches and discuss their potential for improving our understanding of vascular contributions to AD/AD-related dementias.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Stamenkovic
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yuandong Li
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jack Waters
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andy Shih
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Claron J, Provansal M, Salardaine Q, Tissier P, Dizeux A, Deffieux T, Picaud S, Tanter M, Arcizet F, Pouget P. Co-variations of cerebral blood volume and single neurons discharge during resting state and visual cognitive tasks in non-human primates. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112369. [PMID: 37043356 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
To better understand how the brain allows primates to perform various sets of tasks, the ability to simultaneously record neural activity at multiple spatiotemporal scales is challenging but necessary. However, the contribution of single-unit activities (SUAs) to neurovascular activity remains to be fully understood. Here, we combine functional ultrasound imaging of cerebral blood volume (CBV) and SUA recordings in visual and fronto-medial cortices of behaving macaques. We show that SUA provides a significant estimate of the neurovascular response below the typical fMRI spatial resolution of 2mm3. Furthermore, our results also show that SUAs and CBV activities are statistically uncorrelated during the resting state but correlate during tasks. These results have important implications for interpreting functional imaging findings while one constructs inferences of SUA during resting state or tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Claron
- Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, INSERM U1208, Bron, France; Paris Brain Institute, Institut du Cerveau, INSERM 1127, CNRS 7225 Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | | | - Quentin Salardaine
- Paris Brain Institute, Institut du Cerveau, INSERM 1127, CNRS 7225 Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Tissier
- Paris Brain Institute, Institut du Cerveau, INSERM 1127, CNRS 7225 Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Dizeux
- Physics for Medicine, ESPCI, INSERM, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Deffieux
- Physics for Medicine, ESPCI, INSERM, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Serge Picaud
- Institut de la Vision, CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Physics for Medicine, ESPCI, INSERM, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
| | - Fabrice Arcizet
- Institut de la Vision, CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
| | - Pierre Pouget
- Paris Brain Institute, Institut du Cerveau, INSERM 1127, CNRS 7225 Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Musall S, Sun XR, Mohan H, An X, Gluf S, Li SJ, Drewes R, Cravo E, Lenzi I, Yin C, Kampa BM, Churchland AK. Pyramidal cell types drive functionally distinct cortical activity patterns during decision-making. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:495-505. [PMID: 36690900 PMCID: PMC9991922 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01245-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how cortical circuits generate complex behavior requires investigating the cell types that comprise them. Functional differences across pyramidal neuron (PyN) types have been observed within cortical areas, but it is not known whether these local differences extend throughout the cortex, nor whether additional differences emerge when larger-scale dynamics are considered. We used genetic and retrograde labeling to target pyramidal tract, intratelencephalic and corticostriatal projection neurons and measured their cortex-wide activity. Each PyN type drove unique neural dynamics, both at the local and cortex-wide scales. Cortical activity and optogenetic inactivation during an auditory decision task revealed distinct functional roles. All PyNs in parietal cortex were recruited during perception of the auditory stimulus, but, surprisingly, pyramidal tract neurons had the largest causal role. In frontal cortex, all PyNs were required for accurate choices but showed distinct choice tuning. Our results reveal that rich, cell-type-specific cortical dynamics shape perceptual decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Musall
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Department of Systems Neurophysiology, Institute for Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Xiaonan R Sun
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Hemanth Mohan
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Xu An
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Steven Gluf
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shu-Jing Li
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rhonda Drewes
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emma Cravo
- Department of Systems Neurophysiology, Institute for Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Irene Lenzi
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Systems Neurophysiology, Institute for Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Chaoqun Yin
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Björn M Kampa
- Department of Systems Neurophysiology, Institute for Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- JARA Brain, Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Anne K Churchland
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Zeng W, Yue X, Dai Z. Ultrasound contrast agents from microbubbles to biogenic gas vesicles. MEDICAL REVIEW (2021) 2023; 3:31-48. [PMID: 37724107 PMCID: PMC10471104 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2022-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles have been the earliest and most widely used ultrasound contrast agents by virtue of their unique features: such as non-toxicity, intravenous injectability, ability to cross the pulmonary capillary bed, and significant enhancement of echo signals for the duration of the examination, resulting in essential preclinical and clinical applications. The use of microbubbles functionalized with targeting ligands to bind to specific targets in the bloodstream has further enabled ultrasound molecular imaging. Nevertheless, it is very challenging to utilize targeted microbubbles for molecular imaging of extravascular targets due to their size. A series of acoustic nanomaterials have been developed for breaking free from this constraint. Especially, biogenic gas vesicles, gas-filled protein nanostructures from microorganisms, were engineered as the first biomolecular ultrasound contrast agents, opening the door for more direct visualization of cellular and molecular function by ultrasound imaging. The ordered protein shell structure and unique gas filling mechanism of biogenic gas vesicles endow them with excellent stability and attractive acoustic responses. What's more, their genetic encodability enables them to act as acoustic reporter genes. This article reviews the upgrading progresses of ultrasound contrast agents from microbubbles to biogenic gas vesicles, and the opportunities and challenges for the commercial and clinical translation of the nascent field of biomolecular ultrasound.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Zeng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuli Yue
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Zhifei Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wang Y, LeDue JM, Murphy TH. Multiscale imaging informs translational mouse modeling of neurological disease. Neuron 2022; 110:3688-3710. [PMID: 36198319 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Multiscale neurophysiology reveals that simple motor actions are associated with changes in neuronal firing in virtually every brain region studied. Accordingly, the assessment of focal pathology such as stroke or progressive neurodegenerative diseases must also extend widely across brain areas. To derive mechanistic information through imaging, multiple resolution scales and multimodal factors must be included, such as the structure and function of specific neurons and glial cells and the dynamics of specific neurotransmitters. Emerging multiscale methods in preclinical animal studies that span micro- to macroscale examinations fill this gap, allowing a circuit-based understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms. Combined with high-performance computation and open-source data repositories, these emerging multiscale and large field-of-view techniques include live functional ultrasound, multi- and single-photon wide-scale light microscopy, video-based miniscopes, and tissue-penetrating fiber photometry, as well as variants of post-mortem expansion microscopy. We present these technologies and outline use cases and data pipelines to uncover new knowledge within animal models of stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and movement disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yundi Wang
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jeffrey M LeDue
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Timothy H Murphy
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Erol A, Soloukey C, Generowicz B, van Dorp N, Koekkoek S, Kruizinga P, Hunyadi B. Deconvolution of the Functional Ultrasound Response in the Mouse Visual Pathway Using Block-Term Decomposition. Neuroinformatics 2022; 21:247-265. [PMID: 36378467 PMCID: PMC10085969 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-022-09613-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Functional ultrasound (fUS) indirectly measures brain activity by detecting changes in cerebral blood volume following neural activation. Conventional approaches model such functional neuroimaging data as the convolution between an impulse response, known as the hemodynamic response function (HRF), and a binarized representation of the input signal based on the stimulus onsets, the so-called experimental paradigm (EP). However, the EP may not characterize the whole complexity of the activity-inducing signals that evoke the hemodynamic changes. Furthermore, the HRF is known to vary across brain areas and stimuli. To achieve an adaptable framework that can capture such dynamics of the brain function, we model the multivariate fUS time-series as convolutive mixtures and apply block-term decomposition on a set of lagged fUS autocorrelation matrices, revealing both the region-specific HRFs and the source signals that induce the hemodynamic responses. We test our approach on two mouse-based fUS experiments. In the first experiment, we present a single type of visual stimulus to the mouse, and deconvolve the fUS signal measured within the mouse brain's lateral geniculate nucleus, superior colliculus and visual cortex. We show that the proposed method is able to recover back the time instants at which the stimulus was displayed, and we validate the estimated region-specific HRFs based on prior studies. In the second experiment, we alter the location of the visual stimulus displayed to the mouse, and aim at differentiating the various stimulus locations over time by identifying them as separate sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aybüke Erol
- Circuits and Systems (CAS), Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 5, Delft, 2628 CD, The Netherlands.
| | - Chagajeg Soloukey
- Center for Ultrasound and Brain imaging at Erasmus MC (CUBE), Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Bastian Generowicz
- Center for Ultrasound and Brain imaging at Erasmus MC (CUBE), Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Nikki van Dorp
- Center for Ultrasound and Brain imaging at Erasmus MC (CUBE), Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Koekkoek
- Center for Ultrasound and Brain imaging at Erasmus MC (CUBE), Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter Kruizinga
- Center for Ultrasound and Brain imaging at Erasmus MC (CUBE), Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Borbála Hunyadi
- Circuits and Systems (CAS), Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 5, Delft, 2628 CD, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Active neural coordination of motor behaviors with internal states. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201194119. [PMID: 36122243 PMCID: PMC9522379 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201194119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain continuously coordinates skeletomuscular movements with internal physiological states like arousal, but how is this coordination achieved? One possibility is that the brain simply reacts to changes in external and/or internal signals. Another possibility is that it is actively coordinating both external and internal activities. We used functional ultrasound imaging to capture a large medial section of the brain, including multiple cortical and subcortical areas, in marmoset monkeys while monitoring their spontaneous movements and cardiac activity. By analyzing the causal ordering of these different time series, we found that information flowing from the brain to movements and heart-rate fluctuations were significantly greater than in the opposite direction. The brain areas involved in this external versus internal coordination were spatially distinct, but also extensively interconnected. Temporally, the brain alternated between network states for this regulation. These findings suggest that the brain's dynamics actively and efficiently coordinate motor behavior with internal physiology.
Collapse
|
26
|
Tien NW, Vitale C, Badea TC, Kerschensteiner D. Layer-Specific Developmentally Precise Axon Targeting of Transient Suppressed-by-Contrast Retinal Ganglion Cells. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7213-7221. [PMID: 36002262 PMCID: PMC9512569 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2332-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse retina encodes diverse visual features in the spike trains of >40 retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types. Each RGC type innervates a specific subset of the >50 retinorecipient brain areas. Our catalog of RGC types and feature representations is nearing completion. Yet, we know little about where specific RGC types send their information. Furthermore, the developmental strategies by which RGC axons choose their targets and pattern their terminal arbors remain obscure. Here, we identify a genetic intersection (Cck-Cre and Brn3cCKOAP ) that selectively labels transient Suppressed-by-Contrast (tSbC) RGCs, a member of an evolutionarily conserved functionally mysterious RGC subclass. We find that tSbC RGCs selectively innervate the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) and ventrolateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) of the thalamus, the superior colliculus (SC), and the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT) in mice of either sex. They binocularly innervate dLGN and vLGN but project only contralaterally to SC and NOT. In each target, tSbC RGC axons occupy a specific sublayer, suggesting that they restrict their input to specific circuits. The tSbC RGC axons span the length of the optic tract by birth and remain poised there until they simultaneously innervate their four targets around postnatal day 3. The tSbC RGC axons choose the right targets and establish mature stratification patterns from the outset. This precision is maintained in the absence of Brn3c. Our results provide the first map of SbC inputs to the brain, revealing a narrow target set, unexpected laminar organization, target-specific binocularity, and developmental precision.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In recent years, we have learned a lot about the visual features encoded by RGCs, the output neurons of the eye. In contrast, we know little about where RGCs send their information and how RGC axons, which carry this information, target specific brain areas during development. Here, we develop an intersectional strategy to label a unique RGC type, the tSbC RGC, and map its projections. We find that tSbC RGC axons are highly selective. They innervate few retinal targets and restrict their arbors to specific sublayers within these targets. The selective tSbC RGC projection patterns develop synchronously and without trial and error, suggesting molecular determinism and coordination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Wen Tien
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Carmela Vitale
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Tudor C Badea
- Retinal Circuit Development and Genetics Unit, Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Research and Development Institute, Transilvania University of Braşov, Braşov 500484, Romania
- National Center for Brain Research, Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Romanian Academy, Bucharest 050711, Romania
| | - Daniel Kerschensteiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
- Departments of Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
Functional ultrasound (fUS) is a neuroimaging method that uses ultrasound to track changes in cerebral blood volume as an indirect readout of neuronal activity at high spatiotemporal resolution. fUS is capable of imaging head-fixed or freely behaving rodents and of producing volumetric images of the entire mouse brain. It has been applied to many species, including primates and humans. Now that fUS is reaching maturity, it is being adopted by the neuroscience community. However, the nature of the fUS signal and the different implementations of fUS are not necessarily accessible to nonspecialists. This review aims to introduce these ultrasound concepts to all neuroscientists. We explain the physical basis of the fUS signal and the principles of the method, present the state of the art of its hardware implementation, and give concrete examples of current applications in neuroscience. Finally, we suggest areas for improvement during the next few years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, and Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre, Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, and Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre, Leuven, Belgium; .,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Emilie Macé
- Brain-Wide Circuits for Behavior Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.,Current address: Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, In Foundation, Martinsried, Germany;
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Di Ianni T, Airan RD. Deep-fUS: A Deep Learning Platform for Functional Ultrasound Imaging of the Brain Using Sparse Data. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2022; 41:1813-1825. [PMID: 35108201 PMCID: PMC9247015 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2022.3148728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Functional ultrasound (fUS) is a rapidly emerging modality that enables whole-brain imaging of neural activity in awake and mobile rodents. To achieve sufficient blood flow sensitivity in the brain microvasculature, fUS relies on long ultrasound data acquisitions at high frame rates, posing high demands on the sampling and processing hardware. Here we develop an image reconstruction method based on deep learning that significantly reduces the amount of data necessary while retaining imaging performance. We trained convolutional neural networks to learn the power Doppler reconstruction function from sparse sequences of ultrasound data with compression factors of up to 95%. High-quality images from in vivo acquisitions in rats were used for training and performance evaluation. We demonstrate that time series of power Doppler images can be reconstructed with sufficient accuracy to detect the small changes in cerebral blood volume (~10%) characteristic of task-evoked cortical activation, even though the network was not formally trained to reconstruct such image series. The proposed platform may facilitate the development of this neuroimaging modality in any setting where dedicated hardware is not available or in clinical scanners.
Collapse
|
29
|
Tournissac M, Boido D, Omnès M, Houssen YG, Ciobanu L, Charpak S. Cranial window for longitudinal and multimodal imaging of the whole mouse cortex. NEUROPHOTONICS 2022; 9:031921. [PMID: 36159711 PMCID: PMC9500537 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.9.3.031921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE All functional brain imaging methods have technical drawbacks and specific spatial and temporal resolution limitations. Unraveling brain function requires bridging the data acquired with cellular and mesoscopic functional imaging. This imposes the access to animal preparations, allowing longitudinal and multiscale investigations of brain function in anesthetized and awake animals. Such preparations are optimal to study normal and pathological brain functions while reducing the number of animals used. AIM To fulfill these needs, we developed a chronic and stable preparation for a broad set of imaging modalities and experimental design. APPROACH We describe the detailed protocol for a chronic cranial window, transparent to light and ultrasound, devoid of BOLD functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) artifact and allowing stable and longitudinal multimodal imaging of the entire mouse cortex. RESULTS The inexpensive, transparent, and curved polymethylpentene cranial window preparation gives access to the entire mouse cortex. It is compatible with standard microscopic and mesoscopic neuroimaging methods. We present examples of data on the neurovascular unit and its activation using two-photon, functional ultrasound imaging, and BOLD fMRI. CONCLUSION This preparation is ideal for multimodal imaging in the same animal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marine Tournissac
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Paris, France
- Address all correspondence to Marine Tournissac, ; Davide Boido, ; Serge Charpak,
| | - Davide Boido
- Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin CEA Saclay, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Address all correspondence to Marine Tournissac, ; Davide Boido, ; Serge Charpak,
| | - Manon Omnès
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | | | - Luisa Ciobanu
- Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin CEA Saclay, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Serge Charpak
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Address all correspondence to Marine Tournissac, ; Davide Boido, ; Serge Charpak,
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Functional ultrasound imaging of recent and remote memory recall in the associative fear neural network in mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 428:113862. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
31
|
Nunez-Elizalde AO, Krumin M, Reddy CB, Montaldo G, Urban A, Harris KD, Carandini M. Neural correlates of blood flow measured by ultrasound. Neuron 2022; 110:1631-1640.e4. [PMID: 35278361 PMCID: PMC9235295 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) is an appealing method for measuring blood flow and thus infer brain activity, but it relies on the physiology of neurovascular coupling and requires extensive signal processing. To establish to what degree fUSI trial-by-trial signals reflect neural activity, we performed simultaneous fUSI and neural recordings with Neuropixels probes in awake mice. fUSI signals strongly correlated with the slow (<0.3 Hz) fluctuations in the local firing rate and were closely predicted by the smoothed firing rate of local neurons, particularly putative inhibitory neurons. The optimal smoothing filter had a width of ∼3 s, matched the hemodynamic response function of awake mice, was invariant across mice and stimulus conditions, and was similar in the cortex and hippocampus. fUSI signals also matched neural firing spatially: firing rates were as highly correlated across hemispheres as fUSI signals. Thus, blood flow measured by ultrasound bears a simple and accurate relationship to neuronal firing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Krumin
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London WC1E 6AE, UK
| | - Charu Bai Reddy
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London WC1E 6AE, UK
| | - Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; imec, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; imec, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kenneth D Harris
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1E 6AE, UK
| | - Matteo Carandini
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London WC1E 6AE, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Brunner C, Macé E, Montaldo G, Urban A. Quantitative Hemodynamic Measurements in Cortical Vessels Using Functional Ultrasound Imaging. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:831650. [PMID: 35495056 PMCID: PMC9039668 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.831650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Red blood cell velocity (RBCv), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and volume (CBV) are three key parameters when describing brain hemodynamics. Functional ultrasound imaging is a Doppler-based method allowing for real-time measurement of relative CBV at high spatiotemporal resolution (100 × 110 × 300 μm3, up to 10 Hz) and large scale. Nevertheless, the measure of RBCv and CBF in small cortical vessels with functional ultrasound imaging remains challenging because of their orientation and size, which impairs the ability to perform precise measurements. We designed a directional flow filter to overpass these limitations allowing us to measure RBCv in single vessels using a standard functional ultrasound imaging system without contrast agents (e.g., microbubbles). This method allows to quickly extract the number of vessels in the cortex that was estimated to be approximately 650/cm3 in adult rats, with a 55–45% ratio for penetrating arterioles versus ascending venules. Then, we analyzed the changes in RBCv in these vessels during forepaw stimulation. We observed that ∼40 vessels located in the primary somatosensory forelimb cortex display a significant increase of the RBCv (median ΔRBCv ∼15%, maximal ΔRBCv ∼60%). As expected, we show that RBCv was higher for penetrating arterioles located in the center than in the periphery of the activated area. The proposed approach extends the capabilities of functional ultrasound imaging, which may contribute to a better understanding of the neurovascular coupling at the brain-wide scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clément Brunner
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Emilie Macé
- Brain-Wide Circuits for Behavior Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Alan Urban,
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Réaux-Le-Goazigo A, Beliard B, Delay L, Rahal L, Claron J, Renaudin N, Rivals I, Thibaut M, Nouhoum M, Deffieux T, Tanter M, Pezet S. Ultrasound localization microscopy and functional ultrasound imaging reveal atypical features of the trigeminal ganglion vasculature. Commun Biol 2022; 5:330. [PMID: 35393515 PMCID: PMC8989975 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03273-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional imaging within the trigeminal ganglion (TG) is highly challenging due to its small size and deep localization. This study combined a methodological framework able to dive into the rat trigeminal nociceptive system by jointly providing 1) imaging of the TG blood vasculature at microscopic resolution, and 2) the measurement of hemodynamic responses evoked by orofacial stimulations in anesthetized rats. Despite the small number of sensory neurons within the TG, functional ultrasound imaging was able to image and quantify a strong and highly localized hemodynamic response in the ipsilateral TG, evoked not only by mechanical or chemical stimulations of corneal nociceptive fibers, but also by cutaneous mechanical stimulations of the ophthalmic and maxillary orofacial regions using a von Frey hair. The in vivo quantitative imaging of the TG’s vasculature using ultrasound localization microscopy combined with in toto labelling reveals particular features of the vascularization of the area containing the sensory neurons, that are likely the origin of this strong vaso-trigeminal response. This innovative imaging approach opens the path for future studies on the mechanisms underlying changes in trigeminal local blood flow and evoked hemodynamic responses, key mechanisms for the understanding and treatment of debilitating trigeminal pain conditions. Visualisation of rat trigeminal ganglia activation during ophthalmic or maxillary nociceptive stimulations shows atypical tortuous vascularisation and a somatotopic hemodynamic response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Benoit Beliard
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Lauriane Delay
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Line Rahal
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Julien Claron
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Noémi Renaudin
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Rivals
- Equipe de Statistique Appliquée, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, UMRS 1158, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Miguel Thibaut
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Mohamed Nouhoum
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France.,Iconeus, 27 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Deffieux
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Pezet
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ichinose T, Habib S. ON and OFF Signaling Pathways in the Retina and the Visual System. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2022; 2:989002. [PMID: 36926308 PMCID: PMC10016624 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2022.989002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Visual processing starts at the retina of the eye, and signals are then transferred primarily to the visual cortex and the tectum. In the retina, multiple neural networks encode different aspects of visual input, such as color and motion. Subsequently, multiple neural streams in parallel convey unique aspects of visual information to cortical and subcortical regions. Bipolar cells, which are the second order neurons of the retina, separate visual signals evoked by light and dark contrasts and encode them to ON and OFF pathways, respectively. The interplay between ON and OFF neural signals is the foundation for visual processing for object contrast which underlies higher order stimulus processing. ON and OFF pathways have been classically thought to signal in a mirror-symmetric manner. However, while these two pathways contribute synergistically to visual perception in some instances, they have pronounced asymmetries suggesting independent operation in other cases. In this review, we summarize the role of the ON-OFF dichotomy in visual signaling, aiming to contribute to the understanding of visual recognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Ichinose
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Correspondence: Tomomi Ichinose, MD, PhD,
| | - Samar Habib
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Functional ultrasound imaging: A useful tool for functional connectomics? Neuroimage 2021; 245:118722. [PMID: 34800662 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional ultrasound (fUS) is a hemodynamic-based functional neuroimaging technique, primarily used in animal models, that combines a high spatiotemporal resolution, a large field of view, and compatibility with behavior. These assets make fUS especially suited to interrogating brain activity at the systems level. In this review, we describe the technical capabilities offered by fUS and discuss how this technique can contribute to the field of functional connectomics. First, fUS can be used to study intrinsic functional connectivity, namely patterns of correlated activity between brain regions. In this area, fUS has made the most impact by following connectivity changes in disease models, across behavioral states, or dynamically. Second, fUS can also be used to map brain-wide pathways associated with an external event. For example, fUS has helped obtain finer descriptions of several sensory systems, and uncover new pathways implicated in specific behaviors. Additionally, combining fUS with direct circuit manipulations such as optogenetics is an attractive way to map the brain-wide connections of defined neuronal populations. Finally, technological improvements and the application of new analytical tools promise to boost fUS capabilities. As brain coverage and the range of behavioral contexts that can be addressed with fUS keep on increasing, we believe that fUS-guided connectomics will only expand in the future. In this regard, we consider the incorporation of fUS into multimodal studies combining diverse techniques and behavioral tasks to be the most promising research avenue.
Collapse
|
36
|
Barker AJ. Brains and speciation: Control of behavior. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:158-163. [PMID: 34847485 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
As organisms invade new ecological niches, new species are formed. Simultaneously, behavioral repertoires diverge to adapt to new environments and reproductive partners. Such behavioral modifications require changes in underlying neural circuitry and thus speciation events provide a unique advantage for studying brain evolution: allowing for direct comparisons between homologous neural circuits with distinct functional outputs. Here, I will consider how speciation events can reveal common motifs within brain evolution focusing on recent research across a wide range of phyla.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison J Barker
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Max-Planck-Institut fur Hirnforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
The Role of Ultrasound as a Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tool in Experimental Animal Models of Stroke: A Review. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9111609. [PMID: 34829837 PMCID: PMC8615437 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111609] [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: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound is a noninvasive technique that provides real-time imaging with excellent resolution, and several studies demonstrated the potential of ultrasound in acute ischemic stroke monitoring. However, only a few studies were performed using animal models, of which many showed ultrasound to be a safe and effective tool also in therapeutic applications. The full potential of ultrasound application in experimental stroke is yet to be explored to further determine the limitations of this technique and to ensure the accuracy of translational research. This review covers the current status of ultrasound applied to monitoring and treatment in experimental animal models of stroke and examines the safety, limitations, and future perspectives.
Collapse
|
38
|
Markicevic M, Savvateev I, Grimm C, Zerbi V. Emerging imaging methods to study whole-brain function in rodent models. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:457. [PMID: 34482367 PMCID: PMC8418612 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01575-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, the idea that single populations of neurons support cognition and behavior has gradually given way to the realization that connectivity matters and that complex behavior results from interactions between remote yet anatomically connected areas that form specialized networks. In parallel, innovation in brain imaging techniques has led to the availability of a broad set of imaging tools to characterize the functional organization of complex networks. However, each of these tools poses significant technical challenges and faces limitations, which require careful consideration of their underlying anatomical, physiological, and physical specificity. In this review, we focus on emerging methods for measuring spontaneous or evoked activity in the brain. We discuss methods that can measure large-scale brain activity (directly or indirectly) with a relatively high temporal resolution, from milliseconds to seconds. We further focus on methods designed for studying the mammalian brain in preclinical models, specifically in mice and rats. This field has seen a great deal of innovation in recent years, facilitated by concomitant innovation in gene-editing techniques and the possibility of more invasive recordings. This review aims to give an overview of currently available preclinical imaging methods and an outlook on future developments. This information is suitable for educational purposes and for assisting scientists in choosing the appropriate method for their own research question.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marija Markicevic
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Iurii Savvateev
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christina Grimm
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Valerio Zerbi
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
High-sensitivity detection of optogenetically-induced neural activity with functional ultrasound imaging. Neuroimage 2021; 242:118434. [PMID: 34333106 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-brain imaging approaches and optogenetic manipulations are powerful tools to map brain-wide neural circuits in vivo. To date, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides the most comprehensive evaluation of such large-scale circuitry. However, functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) has recently emerged as a complementary imaging modality that can extend such measurements towards the context of diverse behavioral states and tasks. Nevertheless, in order to properly interpret the fUSI signal during these complicated scenarios, it must first be carefully validated against well-established technologies, such as fMRI, in highly controlled experimental settings. Here, to address this need, we compared subsequent fMRI and fUSI recordings in response to direct neuronal activation via optogenetics in the same animals under an identical anesthetic protocol. Specifically, we applied various intensities of light stimulation to the primary motor cortex (M1) of mice and compared the spatiotemporal dynamics of the elicited fMRI and fUSI signals. Overall, our general linear model analysis (t-scores) and time series analysis (z-scores) revealed that fUSI was more sensitive than fMRI for detecting optogenetically-induced neuronal activation. Local field potential recordings in the bilateral M1 and striatum also better co-localized with fUSI activation patterns than those of fMRI. Finally, the fUSI response contained distinct arterial and venous components that provide vascular readouts of neuronal activity with vessel-type specificity.
Collapse
|
40
|
Nouhoum M, Ferrier J, Osmanski BF, Ialy-Radio N, Pezet S, Tanter M, Deffieux T. A functional ultrasound brain GPS for automatic vascular-based neuronavigation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15197. [PMID: 34312477 PMCID: PMC8313708 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94764-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in ultrasound imaging triggered by transmission of ultrafast plane waves have rendered functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging a valuable neuroimaging modality capable of mapping cerebral vascular networks, but also for the indirect capture of neuronal activity with high sensitivity thanks to the neurovascular coupling. However, the expansion of fUS imaging is still limited by the difficulty to identify cerebral structures during experiments based solely on the Doppler images and the shape of the vessels. In order to tackle this challenge, this study introduces the vascular brain positioning system (BPS), a GPS of the brain. The BPS is a whole-brain neuronavigation system based on the on-the-fly automatic alignment of ultrafast ultrasensitive transcranial Power Doppler volumic images to common templates such as the Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinates Framework. This method relies on the online registration of the complex cerebral vascular fingerprint of the studied animal to a pre-aligned reference vascular atlas, thus allowing rapid matching and identification of brain structures. We quantified the accuracy of the automatic registration using super-resolution vascular images obtained at the microscopic scale using Ultrasound Localization Microscopy and found a positioning error of 44 µm and 96 µm for intra-animal and inter-animal vascular registration, respectively. The proposed BPS approach outperforms the manual vascular landmark recognition performed by expert neuroscientists (inter-annotator errors of 215 µm and 259 µm). Using the online BPS approach coupled with the Allen Atlas, we demonstrated the capability of the system to position itself automatically over chosen anatomical structures and to obtain corresponding functional activation maps even in complex oblique planes. Finally, we show that the system can be used to acquire and estimate functional connectivity matrices automatically. The proposed functional ultrasound on-the-fly neuronavigation approach allows automatic brain navigation and could become a key asset to ensure standardized experiments and protocols for non-expert and expert researchers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Nouhoum
- Physics for Medicine, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, Paris, France
- Iconeus, 6 rue Jean Calvin, Paris, France
| | - J Ferrier
- Iconeus, 6 rue Jean Calvin, Paris, France
| | | | - N Ialy-Radio
- Physics for Medicine, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, Paris, France
| | - S Pezet
- Physics for Medicine, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, Paris, France
| | - M Tanter
- Physics for Medicine, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, Paris, France
| | - T Deffieux
- Physics for Medicine, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Brunner C, Grillet M, Urban A, Roska B, Montaldo G, Macé E. Whole-brain functional ultrasound imaging in awake head-fixed mice. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:3547-3571. [PMID: 34089019 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00548-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Most brain functions engage a network of distributed regions. Full investigation of these functions thus requires assessment of whole brains; however, whole-brain functional imaging of behaving animals remains challenging. This protocol describes how to follow brain-wide activity in awake head-fixed mice using functional ultrasound imaging, a method that tracks cerebral blood volume dynamics. We describe how to set up a functional ultrasound imaging system with a provided acquisition software (miniScan), establish a chronic cranial window (timing surgery: ~3-4 h) and image brain-wide activity associated with a stimulus at high resolution (100 × 110 × 300 µm and 10 Hz per brain slice, which takes ~45 min per imaging session). We include codes that enable data to be registered to a reference atlas, production of 3D activity maps, extraction of the activity traces of ~250 brain regions and, finally, combination of data from multiple sessions (timing analysis averages ~2 h). This protocol enables neuroscientists to observe global brain processes in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clément Brunner
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Micheline Grillet
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Botond Roska
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium.
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium.
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Emilie Macé
- Brain-Wide Circuits for Behavior Lab, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bernier LP, Brunner C, Cottarelli A, Balbi M. Location Matters: Navigating Regional Heterogeneity of the Neurovascular Unit. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:696540. [PMID: 34276312 PMCID: PMC8277940 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.696540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurovascular unit (NVU) of the brain is composed of multiple cell types that act synergistically to modify blood flow to locally match the energy demand of neural activity, as well as to maintain the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). It is becoming increasingly recognized that the functional specialization, as well as the cellular composition of the NVU varies spatially. This heterogeneity is encountered as variations in vascular and perivascular cells along the arteriole-capillary-venule axis, as well as through differences in NVU composition throughout anatomical regions of the brain. Given the wide variations in metabolic demands between brain regions, especially those of gray vs. white matter, the spatial heterogeneity of the NVU is critical to brain function. Here we review recent evidence demonstrating regional specialization of the NVU between brain regions, by focusing on the heterogeneity of its individual cellular components and briefly discussing novel approaches to investigate NVU diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Philippe Bernier
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Clément Brunner
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium.,Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium.,Interuniversity Microeletronics Centre, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Matilde Balbi
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Functional ultrasound imaging of the spreading activity following optogenetic stimulation of the rat visual cortex. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12603. [PMID: 34131223 PMCID: PMC8206208 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91972-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics has revolutionized neurosciences by allowing fine control of neuronal activity. An important aspect for this control is assessing the activation and/or adjusting the stimulation, which requires imaging the entire volume of optogenetically-induced neuronal activity. An ideal technique for this aim is fUS imaging, which allows one to generate brain-wide activation maps with submesoscopic spatial resolution. However, optical stimulation of the brain with blue light might lead to non-specific activations at high irradiances. fUS imaging of optogenetic activations can be obtained at these wavelengths using lower light power (< 2mW) but it limits the depth of directly activatable neurons from the cortical surface. Our main goal was to report that we can detect specific optogenetic activations in V1 even in deep layers following stimulation at the cortical surface. Here, we show the possibility to detect deep optogenetic activations in anesthetized rats expressing the red-shifted opsin ChrimsonR in V1 using fUS imaging. We demonstrate the optogenetic specificity of these activations and their neuronal origin with electrophysiological recordings. Finally, we show that the optogenetic response initiated in V1 spreads to downstream (LGN) and upstream (V2) visual areas.
Collapse
|
44
|
Zych AD, Gogolla N. Expressions of emotions across species. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:57-66. [PMID: 33548631 PMCID: PMC8259711 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
What are emotions and how should we study them? These questions give rise to ongoing controversy amongst scientists in the fields of neuroscience, psychology and philosophy, and have resulted in different views on emotions [1-6]. In this review, we define emotions as functional states that bear essential roles in promoting survival and thus have emerged through evolution. Emotions trigger behavioral, somatic, hormonal, and neurochemical reactions, referred to as expressions of emotion. We discuss recent studies on emotion expression across species and highlight emerging common principles. We argue that detailed and multidimensional analyses of emotion expressions are key to develop biology-based definitions of emotions and to reveal their neuronal underpinnings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna D Zych
- Circuits for Emotion Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany; International Max-Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Nadine Gogolla
- Circuits for Emotion Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Edelman BJ, Macé E. Functional ultrasound brain imaging: Bridging networks, neurons, and behavior. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2021.100286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
|
46
|
Sans-Dublanc A, Chrzanowska A, Reinhard K, Lemmon D, Nuttin B, Lambert T, Montaldo G, Urban A, Farrow K. Optogenetic fUSI for brain-wide mapping of neural activity mediating collicular-dependent behaviors. Neuron 2021; 109:1888-1905.e10. [PMID: 33930307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal cell types are arranged in brain-wide circuits that guide behavior. In mice, the superior colliculus innervates a set of targets that direct orienting and defensive actions. We combined functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) with optogenetics to reveal the network of brain regions functionally activated by four collicular cell types. Stimulating each neuronal group triggered different behaviors and activated distinct sets of brain nuclei. This included regions not previously thought to mediate defensive behaviors, for example, the posterior paralaminar nuclei of the thalamus (PPnT), which we show to play a role in suppressing habituation. Neuronal recordings with Neuropixels probes show that (1) patterns of spiking activity and fUSI signals correlate well in space and (2) neurons in downstream nuclei preferentially respond to innately threatening visual stimuli. This work provides insight into the functional organization of the networks governing innate behaviors and demonstrates an experimental approach to explore the whole-brain neuronal activity downstream of targeted cell types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arnau Sans-Dublanc
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anna Chrzanowska
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katja Reinhard
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dani Lemmon
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium; Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bram Nuttin
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Théo Lambert
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium; imec, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium; imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karl Farrow
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Rasmussen RN, Matsumoto A, Arvin S, Yonehara K. Binocular integration of retinal motion information underlies optic flow processing by the cortex. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1165-1174.e6. [PMID: 33484637 PMCID: PMC7987724 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Locomotion creates various patterns of optic flow on the retina, which provide the observer with information about their movement relative to the environment. However, it is unclear how these optic flow patterns are encoded by the cortex. Here, we use two-photon calcium imaging in awake mice to systematically map monocular and binocular responses to horizontal motion in four areas of the visual cortex. We find that neurons selective to translational or rotational optic flow are abundant in higher visual areas, whereas neurons suppressed by binocular motion are more common in the primary visual cortex. Disruption of retinal direction selectivity in Frmd7 mutant mice reduces the number of translation-selective neurons in the primary visual cortex and translation- and rotation-selective neurons as well as binocular direction-selective neurons in the rostrolateral and anterior visual cortex, blurring the functional distinction between primary and higher visual areas. Thus, optic flow representations in specific areas of the visual cortex rely on binocular integration of motion information from the retina. Translation- and rotation-selective neurons are abundant in higher visual areas Optic-flow-selective neurons in V1 and RL/A rely on retinal direction selectivity Retinal direction selectivity controls functional segregation between V1 and RL/A Binocular integration of retinal motion information underlies optic flow selectivity
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rune Nguyen Rasmussen
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Akihiro Matsumoto
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Simon Arvin
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Deffieux T, Demené C, Tanter M. Functional Ultrasound Imaging: A New Imaging Modality for Neuroscience. Neuroscience 2021; 474:110-121. [PMID: 33727073 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ultrasound sensitivity to slow blood flow motion gained two orders of magnitude in the last decade thanks to the advent of ultrafast ultrasound imaging at thousands of frames per second. In neuroscience, this access to small cerebral vessels flow led to the introduction of ultrasound as a new and full-fledged neuroimaging modality. Much as functional MRI or functional optical imaging, functional Ultrasound (fUS) takes benefit of the neurovascular coupling. Its ease of use, portability, spatial and temporal resolution makes it an attractive tool for functional imaging of brain activity in preclinical imaging. A large and fast-growing number of studies in a wide variety of small to large animal models have demonstrated its potential for neuroscience research. Beyond preclinical imaging, first proof of concept applications in humans are promising and proved a clear clinical interest in particular in human neonates, per-operative surgery, or even for the development of non-invasive brain machine interfaces.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Deffieux
- Institute of Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL Université Recherche, Paris, France.
| | - Charlie Demené
- Institute of Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL Université Recherche, Paris, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Institute of Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL Université Recherche, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Nayak R, Lee J, Chantigian S, Fatemi M, Chang SY, Alizad A. Imaging the response to deep brain stimulation in rodent using functional ultrasound. Phys Med Biol 2021; 66:05LT01. [PMID: 33482648 PMCID: PMC7920924 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/abdee5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we explored the feasibility of using functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging to visualize cerebral activation associated with thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS), in rodents. The ventrolateral (VL) thalamus was stimulated using electrical pulses of low and high frequencies of 10 and 100 Hz, respectively, and multiple voltages (1-7 V) and pulse widths (50-1500 μs). The fUS imaging demonstrated DBS-evoked activation of cerebral cortex based on changes of cerebral blood volume, specifically at the primary motor cortex (PMC). Low frequency stimulation (LFS) demonstrated significantly higher PMC activation compared to higher frequency stimulation (HFS), at intensities (5-7 V). Whereas, at lower intensities (1-3 V), only HFS demonstrated visible PMC activation. Further, LFS-evoked cerebral activation was was primarily located at the PMC. Our data presents the functionality and feasibility of fUS imaging as an investigational tool to identify brain areas associated with DBS. This preliminary study is an important stepping stone towards conducting real-time functional ultrasound imaging of DBS in awake and behaving animal models, which is of significant interest to the community for studying motor-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Nayak
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota 55902, United States
| | - Jeyeon Lee
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota 55902, United States
| | - Siobhan Chantigian
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota 55902, United States
| | - Mostafa Fatemi
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota 55902, United States
| | - Su-Youne Chang
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota 55902, United States
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota 55902, United States
| | - Azra Alizad
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota 55902, United States
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota 55902, United States
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Ruediger S, Scanziani M. Learning speed and detection sensitivity controlled by distinct cortico-fugal neurons in visual cortex. eLife 2020; 9:e59247. [PMID: 33284107 PMCID: PMC7748414 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates can change their behavior upon detection of visual stimuli according to the outcome their actions produce. Such goal-directed behavior involves evolutionary conserved brain structures like the striatum and optic tectum, which receive ascending visual input from the periphery. In mammals, however, these structures also receive descending visual input from visual cortex (VC), via neurons that give rise to cortico-fugal projections. The function of cortico-fugal neurons in visually guided, goal-directed behavior remains unclear. Here, we address the impact of two populations of cortico-fugal neurons in mouse VC in the learning and performance of a visual detection task. We show that the ablation of striatal projecting neurons reduces learning speed, whereas the ablation of superior colliculus projecting neurons does not impact learning but reduces detection sensitivity. This functional dissociation between distinct cortico-fugal neurons in controlling learning speed and detection sensitivity suggests an adaptive contribution of cortico-fugal pathways even in simple goal-directed behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Ruediger
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San DiegoLa JollaUnited States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Massimo Scanziani
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San DiegoLa JollaUnited States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| |
Collapse
|