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Oh Y, Kim JS, Lyoo CH, Park G, Kim H. Spatiotemporal Progression Patterns of Dopamine Availability and Deep Gray Matter Volume in Parkinson Disease-Related Cognitive Impairment. Neurology 2024; 103:e209498. [PMID: 38885485 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000209498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Cognitive impairment is a frequent nonmotor symptom in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), and early cognitive decline is often attributed to dopaminergic system dysfunction. We aimed to explore spatiotemporal progression patterns of striatal dopamine availability and regional brain volume based on cognitive status among patients with PD. METHODS This retrospective, cross-sectional study included patients with newly diagnosed PD who were not taking medication for this condition who visited a university-affiliated hospital in Seoul between January 2018 and December 2020. Patients were classified as having normal cognition (PD-NC), mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), or PD dementia (PDD) based on Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery-II, which includes 31 subsets covering activities of daily living and 5 cognitive domains. They all had brain imaging with MRI and PET with 18F-N-(3-fluoropropyl)-2beta-carbon ethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane at baseline. Subsequently, standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) for regional dopamine availability and regional gray matter volumes were obtained using automated segmentation. These metrics were compared across cognitive status groups, and spatiotemporal progression patterns were analyzed using the Subtype and Stage Inference machine learning technique. RESULTS Among 168 patients (mean age, 73.3 ± 6.1 years; 81 [48.2%] women), 65 had PD-NC, 65 had PD-MCI, and 38 had PDD. Patients with PD-MCI exhibited lower SUVRs (3.61 ± 1.31, p < 0.001) in the caudate than patients with PD-NC (4.43 ± 1.21) but higher SUVRs than patients with PDD (2.39 ± 1.06). Patients with PD-NC had higher thalamic SUVRs (1.55 ± 0.16, p < 0.001) than patients with both PD-MCI (1.45 ± 0.16) and PDD (1.38 ± 0.19). Regional deep gray matter volumes of the caudate (p = 0.015), putamen (p = 0.012), globus pallidus (p < 0.001), thalamus (p < 0.001), hippocampus (p < 0.001), and amygdala (p < 0.001) were more reduced in patients with PD-MCI or PDD than in patients with PD-NC, and the SUVR of the caudate correlated with caudate volume (r = 0.187, p = 0.015). Hippocampal atrophy was the initial change influencing cognitive impairment. The reduced dopamine availability of the thalamus preceded reductions in volume across most deep gray matter regions. DISCUSSION Our finding underscores the association between decreased dopamine availability and volume of the caudate and thalamus with cognitive dysfunction in PD. The dopamine availability of the caudate and thalamus was reduced before the volume of the caudate and thalamus was decreased, highlighting the spatiotemporal association between dopaminergic and structural pathology in cognitive impairment in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonsang Oh
- From the Department of Neurology (Y.O., J.-S.K.), College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea; Department of Neurology (C.H.L.), Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; and USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (G.P., H.K.), Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Joong-Seok Kim
- From the Department of Neurology (Y.O., J.-S.K.), College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea; Department of Neurology (C.H.L.), Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; and USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (G.P., H.K.), Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Chul Hyoung Lyoo
- From the Department of Neurology (Y.O., J.-S.K.), College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea; Department of Neurology (C.H.L.), Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; and USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (G.P., H.K.), Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Gilsoon Park
- From the Department of Neurology (Y.O., J.-S.K.), College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea; Department of Neurology (C.H.L.), Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; and USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (G.P., H.K.), Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Hosung Kim
- From the Department of Neurology (Y.O., J.-S.K.), College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea; Department of Neurology (C.H.L.), Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; and USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (G.P., H.K.), Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
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Tu PC, Chang WC, Su TP, Lin WC, Li CT, Bai YM, Tsai SJ, Chen MH. Thalamocortical functional connectivity and rapid antidepressant and antisuicidal effects of low-dose ketamine infusion among patients with treatment-resistant depression. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02640-3. [PMID: 38971895 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02640-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown an association between the thalamocortical dysconnectivity and treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Whether a single subanesthetic dose of ketamine may change thalamocortical connectivity among patients with TRD is unclear. Whether these changes in thalamocortical connectivity is associated with the antidepressant and antisuicidal effects of ketamine treatment is also unclear. Two resting-state functional MRIs were collected in two clinical trials of 48 patients with TRD (clinical trial 1; 32 receiving ketamine, 16 receiving a normal saline placebo) and 48 patients with TRD and strong suicidal ideation (clinical trial 2; 24 receiving ketamine, 24 receiving midazolam), respectively. All participants underwent rs-fMRI before and 3 days after infusion. Seed-based functional connectivity (FC) was analyzed in the left/right thalamus. FCs between the bilateral thalamus and right middle frontal cortex (BA46) and between the left thalamus and left anterior paracingulate gyrus (BA8) increased among patients in the ketamine group in clinical trials 1 and 2, respectively. FCs between the right thalamus and bilateral frontal pole (BA9) and between the right thalamus and left rostral paracingulate gyrus (BA10) decreased among patients in the ketamine group in clinical trials 1 and 2, respectively. However, the associations between those FC changes and clinical symptom changes did not survive statistical significance after multiple comparison corrections. Whether ketamine-related changes in thalamocortical connectivity may be associated with ketamine's antidepressant and antisuicidal effects would need further investigation. Clinical trials registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR): Registration number: UMIN000016985 and UMIN000033916.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Chi Tu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Philosophy of Mind and Cognition, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Chen Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of biomedical engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tung-Ping Su
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, General Cheng Hsin Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chen Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Ta Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Mei Bai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jen Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mu-Hong Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Mofakham S, Robertson J, Lubin N, Cleri NA, Mikell CB. An Unpredictable Brain Is a Conscious, Responsive Brain. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:1643-1652. [PMID: 38579270 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02154] [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] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Severe traumatic brain injuries typically result in loss of consciousness or coma. In deeply comatose patients with traumatic brain injury, cortical dynamics become simple, repetitive, and predictable. We review evidence that this low-complexity, high-predictability state results from a passive cortical state, represented by a stable repetitive attractor, that hinders the flexible formation of neuronal ensembles necessary for conscious experience. Our data and those from other groups support the hypothesis that this cortical passive state is because of the loss of thalamocortical input. We identify the unpredictability and complexity of cortical dynamics captured by local field potential as a sign of recovery from this passive coma attractor. In this Perspective article, we discuss how these electrophysiological biomarkers of the recovery of consciousness could inform the design of closed-loop stimulation paradigms to treat disorders of consciousness.
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龙 仁, 毛 鑫, 高 天, 解 倩, 谈 瀚, 李 子, 韩 鸿, 袁 兰. [Ursolic acid improved demyelination and interstitial fluid drainage disorders in schizophrenia mice]. BEIJING DA XUE XUE BAO. YI XUE BAN = JOURNAL OF PEKING UNIVERSITY. HEALTH SCIENCES 2024; 56:487-494. [PMID: 38864135 PMCID: PMC11167553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To unveil the pathological changes associated with demyelination in schizophrenia (SZ) and its consequential impact on interstitial fluid (ISF) drainage, and to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of ursolic acid (UA) in treating demyelination and the ensuing abnormalities in ISF drainage in SZ. METHODS Female C57BL/6J mice, aged 6-8 weeks and weighing (20±2) g, were randomly divided into three groups: control, SZ model, and UA treatment. The control group received intraperitoneal injection (ip) of physiological saline and intragastric administration (ig) of 1% carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC-Na). The SZ model group was subjected to ip injection of 2 mg/kg dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) and ig administration of 1% CMC-Na. The UA treatment group underwent ig administration of 25 mg/kg UA and ip injection of 2 mg/kg MK-801. The treatment group received UA pretreatment via ig administration for one week, followed by a two-week drug intervention for all the three groups. Behavioral assessments, including the open field test and prepulse inhibition experiment, were conducted post-modeling. Subsequently, changes in the ISF partition drainage were investigated through fluorescent tracer injection into specific brain regions. Immunofluorescence analysis was employed to examine alterations in aquaporin 4 (AQP4) polarity distribution in the brain and changes in protein expression. Myelin reflex imaging using Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM) was utilized to study modifications in myelin within the mouse brain. Quantitative data underwent one-way ANOVA, followed by TukeyHSD for post hoc pairwise comparisons between the groups. RESULTS The open field test revealed a significantly longer total distance [(7 949.39±1 140.55) cm vs. (2 831.01±1 212.72) cm, P < 0.001] and increased central area duration [(88.43±22.06) s vs. (56.85±18.58) s, P=0.011] for the SZ model group compared with the controls. The UA treatment group exhibited signifi-cantly reduced total distance [(2 415.80±646.95) cm vs. (7 949.39±1 140.55) cm, P < 0.001] and increased central area duration [(54.78±11.66) s vs. (88.43±22.06) s, P=0.007] compared with the model group. Prepulse inhibition test results demonstrated a markedly lower inhibition rate of the startle reflex in the model group relative to the controls (P < 0.001 for both), with the treatment group displaying significant improvement (P < 0.001 for both). Myelin sheath analysis indicated significant demyelination in the model group, while UA treatment reversed this effect. Fluorescence tracing exhibited a significantly larger tracer diffusion area towards the rostral cortex and reflux area towards the caudal thalamus in the model group relative to the controls [(13.93±3.35) mm2 vs. (2.79±0.94) mm2, P < 0.001 for diffusion area; (2.48±0.38) mm2 vs. (0.05±0.12) mm2, P < 0.001 for reflux area], with significant impairment of drainage in brain regions. The treatment group demonstrated significantly reduced tracer diffusion and reflux areas [(7.93±2.48) mm2 vs. (13.93±3.35) mm2, P < 0.001 for diffusion area; (0.50±0.30) mm2 vs. (2.48±0.38) mm2, P < 0.001 for reflux area]. Immunofluorescence staining revealed disrupted AQP4 polarity distribution and reduced AQP4 protein expression in the model group compared with the controls [(3 663.88±733.77) μm2 vs. (13 354.92±4 054.05) μm2, P < 0.001]. The treatment group exhibited restored AQP4 polarity distribution and elevated AQP4 protein expression [(11 104.68±3 200.04) μm2 vs. (3 663.88±733.77) μm2, P < 0.001]. CONCLUSION UA intervention ameliorates behavioral performance in SZ mice, Thus alleviating hyperactivity and anxiety symptoms and restoring sensorimotor gating function. The underlying mechanism may involve the improvement of demyelination and ISF drainage dysregulation in SZ mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- 仁 龙
- 北京大学医学技术研究院医学影像技术学系,北京市磁共振成像设备与技术重点实验室,北京 100191Department of Medical Imaging Technology, Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University & Beijing Key Lab of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing 100191, China
| | - 鑫 毛
- 北京大学第三医院放射科,北京 100191Department of Radiology, Peking Univer-sity Third Hispital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - 天姿 高
- 北京大学医学技术研究院医学影像技术学系,北京市磁共振成像设备与技术重点实验室,北京 100191Department of Medical Imaging Technology, Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University & Beijing Key Lab of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing 100191, China
| | - 倩 解
- 北京大学第三医院放射科,北京 100191Department of Radiology, Peking Univer-sity Third Hispital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - 瀚博 谈
- 北京大学医学技术研究院医学影像技术学系,北京市磁共振成像设备与技术重点实验室,北京 100191Department of Medical Imaging Technology, Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University & Beijing Key Lab of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing 100191, China
| | - 子寅 李
- 北京大学医学技术研究院医学影像技术学系,北京市磁共振成像设备与技术重点实验室,北京 100191Department of Medical Imaging Technology, Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University & Beijing Key Lab of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing 100191, China
| | - 鸿宾 韩
- 北京大学医学技术研究院医学影像技术学系,北京市磁共振成像设备与技术重点实验室,北京 100191Department of Medical Imaging Technology, Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University & Beijing Key Lab of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing 100191, China
- 北京大学第三医院放射科,北京 100191Department of Radiology, Peking Univer-sity Third Hispital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - 兰 袁
- 北京大学医学技术研究院医学影像技术学系,北京市磁共振成像设备与技术重点实验室,北京 100191Department of Medical Imaging Technology, Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University & Beijing Key Lab of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing 100191, China
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Campbell PW, Govindaiah G, Guido W. Development of reciprocal connections between the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and the thalamic reticular nucleus. Neural Dev 2024; 19:6. [PMID: 38890758 PMCID: PMC11184795 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-024-00183-5] [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: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) serves as an important node between the thalamus and neocortex, regulating thalamocortical rhythms and sensory processing in a state dependent manner. Disruptions in TRN circuitry also figures prominently in several neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy, autism, and attentional defects. An understanding of how and when connections between TRN and 1st order thalamic nuclei, such as the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), develop is lacking. We used the mouse visual thalamus as a model system to study the organization, pattern of innervation and functional responses between TRN and the dLGN. Genetically modified mouse lines were used to visualize and target the feedforward and feedback components of these intra-thalamic circuits and to understand how peripheral input from the retina impacts their development.Retrograde tracing of thalamocortical (TC) afferents through TRN revealed that the modality-specific organization seen in the adult, is present at perinatal ages and seems impervious to the loss of peripheral input. To examine the formation and functional maturation of intrathalamic circuits between the visual sector of TRN and dLGN, we examined when projections from each nuclei arrive, and used an acute thalamic slice preparation along with optogenetic stimulation to assess the maturation of functional synaptic responses. Although thalamocortical projections passed through TRN at birth, feedforward axon collaterals determined by vGluT2 labeling, emerged during the second postnatal week, increasing in density through the third week. Optogenetic stimulation of TC axon collaterals in TRN showed infrequent, weak excitatory responses near the end of week 1. During weeks 2-4, responses became more prevalent, grew larger in amplitude and exhibited synaptic depression during repetitive stimulation. Feedback projections from visual TRN to dLGN began to innervate dLGN as early as postnatal day 2 with weak inhibitory responses emerging during week 1. During week 2-4, inhibitory responses continued to grow larger, showing synaptic depression during repetitive stimulation. During this time TRN inhibition started to suppress TC spiking, having its greatest impact by week 4-6. Using a mutant mouse that lacks retinofugal projections revealed that the absence of retinal input led to an acceleration of TRN innervation of dLGN but had little impact on the development of feedforward projections from dLGN to TRN. Together, these experiments reveal how and when intrathalamic connections emerge during early postnatal ages and provide foundational knowledge to understand the development of thalamocortical network dynamics as well as neurodevelopmental diseases that involve TRN circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter W Campbell
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 511 S. Floyd St., Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
- Division of Neurology and Developmental Neurosciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA
| | - Gubbi Govindaiah
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 511 S. Floyd St., Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - William Guido
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 511 S. Floyd St., Louisville, KY, 40292, USA.
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Scott DN, Mukherjee A, Nassar MR, Halassa MM. Thalamocortical architectures for flexible cognition and efficient learning. Trends Cogn Sci 2024:S1364-6613(24)00119-0. [PMID: 38886139 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The brain exhibits a remarkable ability to learn and execute context-appropriate behaviors. How it achieves such flexibility, without sacrificing learning efficiency, is an important open question. Neuroscience, psychology, and engineering suggest that reusing and repurposing computations are part of the answer. Here, we review evidence that thalamocortical architectures may have evolved to facilitate these objectives of flexibility and efficiency by coordinating distributed computations. Recent work suggests that distributed prefrontal cortical networks compute with flexible codes, and that the mediodorsal thalamus provides regularization to promote efficient reuse. Thalamocortical interactions resemble hierarchical Bayesian computations, and their network implementation can be related to existing gating, synchronization, and hub theories of thalamic function. By reviewing recent findings and providing a novel synthesis, we highlight key research horizons integrating computation, cognition, and systems neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Scott
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Arghya Mukherjee
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew R Nassar
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Sherman SM, Usrey WM. A Reconsideration of the Core and Matrix Classification of Thalamocortical Projections. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0163242024. [PMID: 38866538 PMCID: PMC11170670 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0163-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
In 1998, Jones suggested a classification of thalamocortical projections into core and matrix divisions (Jones, 1998). In this classification, core projections are specific, topographical, innervate middle cortical layers, and serve to transmit specific information to the cortex for further analysis; matrix projections, in contrast, are diffuse, much less topographic, innervate upper layers, especially Layer 1, and serve a more global, modulatory function, such as affecting levels of arousal. This classification has proven especially influential in studies of thalamocortical relationships. Whereas it may be the case that a clear subset of thalamocortical connections fit the core motif, since they are specific, topographic, and innervate middle layers, we argue that there is no clear evidence for any single class that encompasses the remainder of thalamocortical connections as is claimed for matrix. Instead, there is great morphological variation in connections made by thalamocortical projections fitting neither a core nor matrix classification. We thus conclude that the core/matrix classification should be abandoned, because its application is not helpful in providing insights into thalamocortical interactions and can even be misleading. As one example of the latter, recent suggestions indicate that core projections are equivalent to first-order thalamic relays (i.e., those that relay subcortical information to the cortex) and matrix to higher-order relays (i.e., those that relay information from one cortical area to another), but available evidence does not support this relationship. All of this points to a need to replace the core/matrix grouping with a more complete classification of thalamocortical projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Murray Sherman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - W Martin Usrey
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California 95616
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Kamalova A, Manoocheri K, Liu X, Casello SM, Huang M, Baimel C, Jang EV, Anastasiades PG, Collins DP, Carter AG. CCK+ Interneurons Contribute to Thalamus-Evoked Feed-Forward Inhibition in the Prelimbic Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0957232024. [PMID: 38697841 PMCID: PMC11154858 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0957-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) regulate local neural activity to influence cognitive, motivated, and emotional behaviors. Parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons are the primary mediators of thalamus-evoked feed-forward inhibition across the mouse cortex, including the anterior cingulate cortex, where they are engaged by inputs from the mediodorsal (MD) thalamus. In contrast, in the adjacent prelimbic (PL) cortex, we find that PV+ interneurons are scarce in the principal thalamorecipient layer 3 (L3), suggesting distinct mechanisms of inhibition. To identify the interneurons that mediate MD-evoked inhibition in PL, we combine slice physiology, optogenetics, and intersectional genetic tools in mice of both sexes. We find interneurons expressing cholecystokinin (CCK+) are abundant in L3 of PL, with cells exhibiting fast-spiking (fs) or non-fast-spiking (nfs) properties. MD inputs make stronger connections onto fs-CCK+ interneurons, driving them to fire more readily than nearby L3 pyramidal cells and other interneurons. CCK+ interneurons in turn make inhibitory, perisomatic connections onto L3 pyramidal cells, where they exhibit cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) mediated modulation. Moreover, MD-evoked feed-forward inhibition, but not direct excitation, is also sensitive to CB1R modulation. Our findings indicate that CCK+ interneurons contribute to MD-evoked inhibition in PL, revealing a mechanism by which cannabinoids can modulate MD-PFC communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aichurok Kamalova
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Kasra Manoocheri
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Xingchen Liu
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Sanne M Casello
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Matthew Huang
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Corey Baimel
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Emily V Jang
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | | | - David P Collins
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Adam G Carter
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
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Guo B, Liu T, Choi S, Mao H, Wang W, Xi K, Jones C, Hartley ND, Feng D, Chen Q, Liu Y, Wimmer RD, Xie Y, Zhao N, Ou J, Arias-Garcia MA, Malhotra D, Liu Y, Lee S, Pasqualoni S, Kast RJ, Fleishman M, Halassa MM, Wu S, Fu Z. Restoring thalamocortical circuit dysfunction by correcting HCN channelopathy in Shank3 mutant mice. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101534. [PMID: 38670100 PMCID: PMC11149412 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101534] [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] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Thalamocortical (TC) circuits are essential for sensory information processing. Clinical and preclinical studies of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have highlighted abnormal thalamic development and TC circuit dysfunction. However, mechanistic understanding of how TC dysfunction contributes to behavioral abnormalities in ASDs is limited. Here, our study on a Shank3 mouse model of ASD reveals TC neuron hyperexcitability with excessive burst firing and a temporal mismatch relationship with slow cortical rhythms during sleep. These TC electrophysiological alterations and the consequent sensory hypersensitivity and sleep fragmentation in Shank3 mutant mice are causally linked to HCN2 channelopathy. Restoring HCN2 function early in postnatal development via a viral approach or lamotrigine (LTG) ameliorates sensory and sleep problems. A retrospective case series also supports beneficial effects of LTG treatment on sensory behavior in ASD patients. Our study identifies a clinically relevant circuit mechanism and proposes a targeted molecular intervention for ASD-related behavioral impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baolin Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tiaotiao Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Soonwook Choi
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Honghui Mao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Kaiwen Xi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Carter Jones
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nolan D Hartley
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Dayun Feng
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Qian Chen
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yingying Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Ralf D Wimmer
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yuqiao Xie
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Ningxia Zhao
- Xi'an TCM Hospital of Encephalopathy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Jianjun Ou
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Mario A Arias-Garcia
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Diya Malhotra
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Sihak Lee
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Sammuel Pasqualoni
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ryan J Kast
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Morgan Fleishman
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - Zhanyan Fu
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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10
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Lakshminarasimhan KJ, Xie M, Cohen JD, Sauerbrei BA, Hantman AW, Litwin-Kumar A, Escola S. Specific connectivity optimizes learning in thalamocortical loops. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114059. [PMID: 38602873 PMCID: PMC11104520 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114059] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Thalamocortical loops have a central role in cognition and motor control, but precisely how they contribute to these processes is unclear. Recent studies showing evidence of plasticity in thalamocortical synapses indicate a role for the thalamus in shaping cortical dynamics through learning. Since signals undergo a compression from the cortex to the thalamus, we hypothesized that the computational role of the thalamus depends critically on the structure of corticothalamic connectivity. To test this, we identified the optimal corticothalamic structure that promotes biologically plausible learning in thalamocortical synapses. We found that corticothalamic projections specialized to communicate an efference copy of the cortical output benefit motor control, while communicating the modes of highest variance is optimal for working memory tasks. We analyzed neural recordings from mice performing grasping and delayed discrimination tasks and found corticothalamic communication consistent with these predictions. These results suggest that the thalamus orchestrates cortical dynamics in a functionally precise manner through structured connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marjorie Xie
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jeremy D Cohen
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27559, USA
| | - Britton A Sauerbrei
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Adam W Hantman
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27559, USA
| | - Ashok Litwin-Kumar
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Sean Escola
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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11
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Soto NN, Gaspar P, Bacci A. Not Just a Mood Disorder─Is Depression a Neurodevelopmental, Cognitive Disorder? Focus on Prefronto-Thalamic Circuits. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1611-1618. [PMID: 38580316 PMCID: PMC11027097 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00828] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is one of the most burdensome psychiatric disorders, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The disease is characterized not only by severe emotional and affective impairments, but also by disturbed vegetative and cognitive functions. Although many candidate mechanisms have been proposed to cause the disease, the pathophysiology of cognitive impairments in depression remains unclear. In this article, we aim to assess the link between cognitive alterations in depression and possible developmental changes in neuronal circuit wiring during critical periods of susceptibility. We review the existing literature and propose a role of serotonin signaling during development in shaping the functional states of prefrontal neuronal circuits and prefronto-thalamic loops. We discuss how early life insults affecting the serotonergic system could be important in the alterations of these local and long-range circuits, thus favoring the emergence of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Nitzan Soto
- ICM−Paris
Brain Institute, CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne
Université, 47 Boulevard de l’Hopital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Patricia Gaspar
- ICM−Paris
Brain Institute, CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne
Université, 47 Boulevard de l’Hopital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Alberto Bacci
- ICM−Paris
Brain Institute, CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne
Université, 47 Boulevard de l’Hopital, 75013 Paris, France
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12
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De Martino E, Casali A, Casarotto S, Hassan G, Couto BA, Rosanova M, Graven‐Nielsen T, de Andrade DC. Evoked oscillatory cortical activity during acute pain: Probing brain in pain by transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalogram. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26679. [PMID: 38647038 PMCID: PMC11034005 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26679] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Temporal dynamics of local cortical rhythms during acute pain remain largely unknown. The current study used a novel approach based on transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalogram (TMS-EEG) to investigate evoked-oscillatory cortical activity during acute pain. Motor (M1) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) were probed by TMS, respectively, to record oscillatory power (event-related spectral perturbation and relative spectral power) and phase synchronization (inter-trial coherence) by 63 EEG channels during experimentally induced acute heat pain in 24 healthy participants. TMS-EEG was recorded before, during, and after noxious heat (acute pain condition) and non-noxious warm (Control condition), delivered in a randomized sequence. The main frequency bands (α, β1, and β2) of TMS-evoked potentials after M1 and DLPFC stimulation were recorded close to the TMS coil and remotely. Cold and heat pain thresholds were measured before TMS-EEG. Over M1, acute pain decreased α-band oscillatory power locally and α-band phase synchronization remotely in parietal-occipital clusters compared with non-noxious warm (all p < .05). The remote (parietal-occipital) decrease in α-band phase synchronization during acute pain correlated with the cold (p = .001) and heat pain thresholds (p = .023) and to local (M1) α-band oscillatory power decrease (p = .024). Over DLPFC, acute pain only decreased β1-band power locally compared with non-noxious warm (p = .015). Thus, evoked-oscillatory cortical activity to M1 stimulation is reduced by acute pain in central and parietal-occipital regions and correlated with pain sensitivity, in contrast to DLPFC, which had only local effects. This finding expands the significance of α and β band oscillations and may have relevance for pain therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico De Martino
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of MedicineAalborg UniversityAalborgDenmark
| | - Adenauer Casali
- Institute of Science and TechnologyFederal University of São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Silvia Casarotto
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical SciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo GnocchiMilanItaly
| | - Gabriel Hassan
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical SciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Bruno Andry Couto
- Institute of Science and TechnologyFederal University of São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Mario Rosanova
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical SciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Thomas Graven‐Nielsen
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of MedicineAalborg UniversityAalborgDenmark
| | - Daniel Ciampi de Andrade
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of MedicineAalborg UniversityAalborgDenmark
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13
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Dwivedi D, Dumontier D, Sherer M, Lin S, Mirow AM, Qiu Y, Xu Q, Liebman SA, Joseph D, Datta SR, Fishell G, Pouchelon G. Metabotropic signaling within somatostatin interneurons controls transient thalamocortical inputs during development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.21.558862. [PMID: 37790336 PMCID: PMC10542166 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.21.558862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
During brain development, neural circuits undergo major activity-dependent restructuring. Circuit wiring mainly occurs through synaptic strengthening following the Hebbian "fire together, wire together" precept. However, select connections, essential for circuit development, are transient. They are effectively connected early in development, but strongly diminish during maturation. The mechanisms by which transient connectivity recedes are unknown. To investigate this process, we characterize transient thalamocortical inputs, which depress onto somatostatin inhibitory interneurons during development, by employing optogenetics, chemogenetics, transcriptomics and CRISPR-based strategies. We demonstrate that in contrast to typical activity-dependent mechanisms, transient thalamocortical connectivity onto somatostatin interneurons is non-canonical and involves metabotropic signaling. Specifically, metabotropic-mediated transcription, of guidance molecules in particular, supports the elimination of this connectivity. Remarkably, we found that this developmental process impacts the development of normal exploratory behaviors of adult mice.
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14
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Kampaite A, Gustafsson R, York EN, Foley P, MacDougall NJJ, Bastin ME, Chandran S, Waldman AD, Meijboom R. Brain connectivity changes underlying depression and fatigue in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A systematic review. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299634. [PMID: 38551913 PMCID: PMC10980255 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system, characterised by neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Fatigue and depression are common, debilitating, and intertwined symptoms in people with relapsing-remitting MS (pwRRMS). An increased understanding of brain changes and mechanisms underlying fatigue and depression in RRMS could lead to more effective interventions and enhancement of quality of life. To elucidate the relationship between depression and fatigue and brain connectivity in pwRRMS we conducted a systematic review. Searched databases were PubMed, Web-of-Science and Scopus. Inclusion criteria were: studied participants with RRMS (n ≥ 20; ≥ 18 years old) and differentiated between MS subtypes; published between 2001-01-01 and 2023-01-18; used fatigue and depression assessments validated for MS; included brain structural, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or diffusion MRI (dMRI). Sixty studies met the criteria: 18 dMRI (15 fatigue, 5 depression) and 22 fMRI (20 fatigue, 5 depression) studies. The literature was heterogeneous; half of studies reported no correlation between brain connectivity measures and fatigue or depression. Positive findings showed that abnormal cortico-limbic structural and functional connectivity was associated with depression. Fatigue was linked to connectivity measures in cortico-thalamic-basal-ganglial networks. Additionally, both depression and fatigue were related to altered cingulum structural connectivity, and functional connectivity involving thalamus, cerebellum, frontal lobe, ventral tegmental area, striatum, default mode and attention networks, and supramarginal, precentral, and postcentral gyri. Qualitative analysis suggests structural and functional connectivity changes, possibly due to axonal and/or myelin loss, in the cortico-thalamic-basal-ganglial and cortico-limbic network may underlie fatigue and depression in pwRRMS, respectively, but the overall results were inconclusive, possibly explained by heterogeneity and limited number of studies. This highlights the need for further studies including advanced MRI to detect more subtle brain changes in association with depression and fatigue. Future studies using optimised imaging protocols and validated depression and fatigue measures are required to clarify the substrates underlying these symptoms in pwRRMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agniete Kampaite
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Edinburgh Imaging, Edinburgh Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecka Gustafsson
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth N. York
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Edinburgh Imaging, Edinburgh Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Foley
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Niall J. J. MacDougall
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Mark E. Bastin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Edinburgh Imaging, Edinburgh Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adam D. Waldman
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Edinburgh Imaging, Edinburgh Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rozanna Meijboom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Edinburgh Imaging, Edinburgh Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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15
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Wolff M, Halassa MM. The mediodorsal thalamus in executive control. Neuron 2024; 112:893-908. [PMID: 38295791 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.002] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Executive control, the ability to organize thoughts and action plans in real time, is a defining feature of higher cognition. Classical theories have emphasized cortical contributions to this process, but recent studies have reinvigorated interest in the role of the thalamus. Although it is well established that local thalamic damage diminishes cognitive capacity, such observations have been difficult to inform functional models. Recent progress in experimental techniques is beginning to enrich our understanding of the anatomical, physiological, and computational substrates underlying thalamic engagement in executive control. In this review, we discuss this progress and particularly focus on the mediodorsal thalamus, which regulates the activity within and across frontal cortical areas. We end with a synthesis that highlights frontal thalamocortical interactions in cognitive computations and discusses its functional implications in normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Wolff
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, 33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Patton MH, Thomas KT, Bayazitov IT, Newman KD, Kurtz NB, Robinson CG, Ramirez CA, Trevisan AJ, Bikoff JB, Peters ST, Pruett-Miller SM, Jiang Y, Schild AB, Nityanandam A, Zakharenko SS. Synaptic plasticity in human thalamocortical assembloids. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.01.578421. [PMID: 38352415 PMCID: PMC10862901 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.01.578421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticities, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), tune synaptic efficacy and are essential for learning and memory. Current studies of synaptic plasticity in humans are limited by a lack of adequate human models. Here, we modeled the thalamocortical system by fusing human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived thalamic and cortical organoids. Single-nucleus RNA-sequencing revealed that most cells in mature thalamic organoids were glutamatergic neurons. When fused to form thalamocortical assembloids, thalamic and cortical organoids formed reciprocal long-range axonal projections and reciprocal synapses detectable by light and electron microscopy, respectively. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and two-photon imaging, we characterized glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Thalamocortical and corticothalamic synapses displayed short-term plasticity analogous to that in animal models. LTP and LTD were reliably induced at both synapses; however, their mechanisms differed from those previously described in rodents. Thus, thalamocortical assembloids provide a model system for exploring synaptic plasticity in human circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary H. Patton
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kristen T. Thomas
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ildar T. Bayazitov
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kyle D. Newman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Nathaniel B. Kurtz
- Cell and Tissue Imaging Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Camenzind G. Robinson
- Cell and Tissue Imaging Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Cody A. Ramirez
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Alexandra J. Trevisan
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jay B. Bikoff
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Samuel T. Peters
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Shondra M. Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Yanbo Jiang
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Andrew B. Schild
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Anjana Nityanandam
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stanislav S. Zakharenko
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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17
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Shin D, Kim CN, Ross J, Hennick KM, Wu SR, Paranjape N, Leonard R, Wang JC, Keefe MG, Pavlovic BJ, Donohue KC, Moreau C, Wigdor EM, Larson HH, Allen DE, Cadwell CR, Bhaduri A, Popova G, Bearden CE, Pollen AA, Jacquemont S, Sanders SJ, Haussler D, Wiita AP, Frost NA, Sohal VS, Nowakowski TJ. Thalamocortical organoids enable in vitro modeling of 22q11.2 microdeletion associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:421-432.e8. [PMID: 38382530 PMCID: PMC10939828 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.01.010] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Thalamic dysfunction has been implicated in multiple psychiatric disorders. We sought to study the mechanisms by which abnormalities emerge in the context of the 22q11.2 microdeletion, which confers significant genetic risk for psychiatric disorders. We investigated early stages of human thalamus development using human pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids and show that the 22q11.2 microdeletion underlies widespread transcriptional dysregulation associated with psychiatric disorders in thalamic neurons and glia, including elevated expression of FOXP2. Using an organoid co-culture model, we demonstrate that the 22q11.2 microdeletion mediates an overgrowth of thalamic axons in a FOXP2-dependent manner. Finally, we identify ROBO2 as a candidate molecular mediator of the effects of FOXP2 overexpression on thalamic axon overgrowth. Together, our study suggests that early steps in thalamic development are dysregulated in a model of genetic risk for schizophrenia and contribute to neural phenotypes in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Shin
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Chang N Kim
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jayden Ross
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kelsey M Hennick
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sih-Rong Wu
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Neha Paranjape
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
| | - Rachel Leonard
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jerrick C Wang
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Matthew G Keefe
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Bryan J Pavlovic
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kevin C Donohue
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Clara Moreau
- Sainte Justine Research Center, University of Montréal, 3175 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada; Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Emilie M Wigdor
- Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
| | - H Hanh Larson
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Denise E Allen
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Cathryn R Cadwell
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Aparna Bhaduri
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Galina Popova
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Integrative Center for Neurogenetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Alex A Pollen
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sebastien Jacquemont
- Sainte Justine Research Center, University of Montréal, 3175 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Stephan J Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
| | - David Haussler
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA; Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Arun P Wiita
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Nicholas A Frost
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Vikaas S Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Tomasz J Nowakowski
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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Xiao H, Xi K, Wang K, Zhou Y, Dong B, Xie J, Xie Y, Zhang H, Ma G, Wang W, Feng D, Guo B, Wu S. Restoring the Function of Thalamocortical Circuit Through Correcting Thalamic Kv3.2 Channelopathy Normalizes Fear Extinction Impairments in a PTSD Mouse Model. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305939. [PMID: 38102998 PMCID: PMC10916658 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Impaired extinction of fear memory is one of the most common symptoms in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with limited therapeutic strategies due to the poor understanding of its underlying neural substrates. In this study, functional screening is performed and identified hyperactivity in the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) during fear extinction. Furthermore, the encoding patterns of the hyperactivated MD is investigated during persistent fear responses using multiple machine learning algorithms. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is also identified as a functional downstream region of the MD that mediates the extinction of fear memory. The thalamocortical circuit is comprehensively analyzed and found that the MD-ACC parvalbumin interneurons circuit is preferentially enhanced in PTSD mice, disrupting the local excitatory and inhibitory balance. It is found that decreased phosphorylation of the Kv3.2 channel contributed to the hyperactivated MD, primarily to the malfunctioning thalamocortical circuit. Using a lipid nanoparticle-based RNA therapy strategy, channelopathy is corrected via a methoxylated siRNA targeting the protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit and restored fear memory extinction in PTSD mice. These findings highlight the function of the thalamocortical circuit in PTSD-related impaired extinction of fear memory and provide therapeutic insights into Kv3.2-targeted RNA therapy for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoxiang Xiao
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Kaiwen Xi
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Kaifang Wang
- Department of AnesthesiologyTangdu HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Yongsheng Zhou
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
- Eastern Theater Air Force Hospital of PLANanjing210000China
| | - Baowen Dong
- Department of NeurosurgeryTangdu HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Jinyi Xie
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Yuqiao Xie
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Haifeng Zhang
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Guaiguai Ma
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Dayun Feng
- Department of NeurosurgeryTangdu HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Baolin Guo
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
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19
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Leva T, Whitmire CJ, Sauve I, Bokiniec P, Memler C, Horn BM, Vestergaard M, Carta M, Poulet JFA. The spatial representation of temperature in the thalamus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.13.580167. [PMID: 38405930 PMCID: PMC10888919 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.13.580167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Although distinct thalamic nuclei encode sensory information for almost all sensory modalities, the existence of a thalamic representation of temperature is debated and the role of the thalamus in thermal perception remains unclear. To address this, we used high-density electrophysiological recordings across mouse forepaw somatosensory thalamus, and identified an anterior and a posterior representation of temperature that spans three thalamic nuclei. These parallel representations show fundamental differences in the cellular encoding of temperature that reflect their cortical output targets, with the anterior representation encoding cool only and the posterior both cool and warm. Moreover, their inactivation profoundly altered thermal perception. Together our data identifies a novel posterior thalamic representation of temperature and a principal role of the thalamus in thermal perception.
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Mukherjee A, Halassa MM. The Associative Thalamus: A Switchboard for Cortical Operations and a Promising Target for Schizophrenia. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:132-147. [PMID: 38279699 PMCID: PMC10822032 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221112861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that profoundly perturbs cognitive processing. Despite the success in treating many of its symptoms, the field lacks effective methods to measure and address its impact on reasoning, inference, and decision making. Prefrontal cortical abnormalities have been well documented in schizophrenia, but additional dysfunction in the interactions between the prefrontal cortex and thalamus have recently been described. This dysfunction may be interpreted in light of parallel advances in neural circuit research based on nonhuman animals, which show critical thalamic roles in maintaining and switching prefrontal activity patterns in various cognitive tasks. Here, we review this basic literature and connect it to emerging innovations in clinical research. We highlight the value of focusing on associative thalamic structures not only to better understand the very nature of cognitive processing but also to leverage these circuits for diagnostic and therapeutic development in schizophrenia. We suggest that the time is right for building close bridges between basic thalamic research and its clinical translation, particularly in the domain of cognition and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghya Mukherjee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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21
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Wang J, Zhang H, Fang Y, Dong Y, Chao X, Xiao L, Jiang S, Yin D, Wang P, Sun W, Liu X. Functional connectome hierarchy of thalamus impacts fatigue in acute stroke patients. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad534. [PMID: 38212287 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad534] [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: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the topographic features of thalamic subregions, functional connectomes and hierarchical organizations between thalamus and cortex in poststroke fatigue patients. We consecutively recruited 121 acute ischemic stroke patients (mean age: 59 years) and 46 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and educational level. The mean age was 59 years (range 19-80) and 38% of acute stroke patients were females. Resting-state functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging were conducted on all participants. The fatigue symptoms were measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale. The thalamic functional subdivisions corresponding to the canonical functional network were defined using the winner-take-all parcellation method. Thalamic functional gradients were derived using the diffusion embedding analysis. The results suggested abnormal functional connectivity of thalamic subregions primarily located in the temporal lobe, posterior cingulate gyrus, parietal lobe, and precuneus. The thalamus showed a gradual increase from the medial to the lateral in all groups, but the right thalamus shifted more laterally in poststroke fatigue patients than in non- poststroke fatigue patients. Poststroke fatigue patients also had higher gradient scores in the somatomotor network and the right medial prefrontal and premotor thalamic regions, but lower values in the right lateral prefrontal thalamus. The findings suggested that poststroke fatigue patients had altered functional connectivity and thalamocortical hierarchical organizations, providing new insights into the neural mechanisms of the thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjing Wang
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Hanhong Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Yirong Fang
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Yiran Dong
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Xian Chao
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Lulu Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Shiyi Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Dawei Yin
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Wen Sun
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Xinfeng Liu
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
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22
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Sibille J, Gehr C, Kremkow J. Efficient mapping of the thalamocortical monosynaptic connectivity in vivo by tangential insertions of high-density electrodes in the cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313048121. [PMID: 38241439 PMCID: PMC10823237 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313048121] [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: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The thalamus provides the principal input to the cortex and therefore understanding the mechanisms underlying cortical integration of sensory inputs requires to characterize the thalamocortical connectivity in behaving animals. Here, we propose tangential insertions of high-density electrodes into mouse cortical layer 4 as a method to capture the activity of thalamocortical axons simultaneously with their synaptically connected cortical neurons. This technique can reliably monitor multiple parallel thalamic synaptic inputs to cortical neurons, providing an efficient approach to map thalamocortical connectivity in both awake and anesthetized mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Sibille
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin10117, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Berlin10115, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin10115, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin10117, Germany
| | - Carolin Gehr
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin10117, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Berlin10115, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin10115, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin10117, Germany
| | - Jens Kremkow
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin10117, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Berlin10115, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin10115, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin10117, Germany
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23
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Gonzalo-Martín E, Alonso-Martínez C, Sepúlveda LP, Clasca F. Micropopulation mapping of the mouse parafascicular nucleus connections reveals diverse input-output motifs. Front Neuroanat 2024; 17:1305500. [PMID: 38260117 PMCID: PMC10800635 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1305500] [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: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction In primates, including humans, the centromedian/parafascicular (CM-Pf) complex is a key thalamic node of the basal ganglia system. Deep brain stimulation in CM-Pf has been applied for the treatment of motor disorders such as Parkinson's disease or Tourette syndrome. Rodents have become widely used models for the study of the cellular and genetic mechanisms of these and other motor disorders. However, the equivalence between the primate CM-Pf and the nucleus regarded as analogous in rodents (Parafascicular, Pf) remains unclear. Methods Here, we analyzed the neurochemical architecture and carried out a brain-wide mapping of the input-output motifs in the mouse Pf at micropopulation level using anterograde and retrograde labeling methods. Specifically, we mapped and quantified the sources of cortical and subcortical input to different Pf subregions, and mapped and compared the distribution and terminal structure of their axons. Results We found that projections to Pf arise predominantly (>75%) from the cerebral cortex, with an unusually strong (>45%) Layer 5b component, which is, in part, contralateral. The intermediate layers of the superior colliculus are the main subcortical input source to Pf. On its output side, Pf neuron axons predominantly innervate the striatum. In a sparser fashion, they innervate other basal ganglia nuclei, including the subthalamic nucleus (STN), and the cerebral cortex. Differences are evident between the lateral and medial portions of Pf, both in chemoarchitecture and in connectivity. Lateral Pf axons innervate territories of the striatum, STN and cortex involved in the sensorimotor control of different parts of the contralateral hemibody. In contrast, the mediodorsal portion of Pf innervates oculomotor-limbic territories in the above three structures. Discussion Our data thus indicate that the mouse Pf consists of several neurochemically and connectively distinct domains whose global organization bears a marked similarity to that described in the primate CM-Pf complex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Francisco Clasca
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
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24
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Sui R, Li J, Shi Y, Yuan S, Wang H, Liao J, Gao X, Han D, Li Y, Wang X. Associations Between Sleep Spindle Metrics, Age, Education and Executive Function in Young Adult and Middle-Aged Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Nat Sci Sleep 2024; 16:1-15. [PMID: 38213412 PMCID: PMC10778138 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s436824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between sleep spindle metrics and executive function in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Furthermore, we examined the association of age and education on executive function. Patients and Methods A total of 230 (40.90 ± 8.83 years, F/M = 45/185) participants were enrolled. Overnight electroencephalogram (C3-M2) recording detected sleep spindles by a novel U-Net-type neural network that integrates temporal information with time-frequency images. Sleep spindle metrics, including frequency (Hz), overall density (events/min), fast density (events/min), slow density (events/min), duration (sec) and amplitude (µV), were measured. Executive function was assessed using standardized neuropsychological tests. Associations between sleep spindle metrics, executive function, and demographic factors were analyzed using multivariate linear regression. Results In fully adjusted linear regression models, higher overall sleep spindle density (TMT-A, B=-1.279, p=0.009; TMT-B, B=-1.813, p=0.008), fast sleep spindle density (TMT-A, B=-1.542, p=0.048; TMT-B, B=-2.187, p=0.036) and slow sleep spindle density (TMT-A, B=-1.731, p=0.037; TMT-B, B=-2.449, p=0.034) were associated with better executive function. And the sleep spindle duration both during N2 sleep time (TMT-A, B=-13.932, p=0.027; TMT-B, B=-19.001, p=0.034) and N3 sleep time (TMT-B, B=-29.916, p=0.009; Stroop-incongruous, B=-21.303, p=0.035) was independently associated with better executive function in this population. Additionally, age and education were found to be highly associated with executive function. Conclusion Specific sleep spindle metrics, higher overall density, fast density and slow density during N2 sleep time, and longer duration during N2 and N3 sleep time, are independent and sensitive indicators of better executive function in young adult and middle-aged patients with OSA. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongcui Sui
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy and Research Centre, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yunhan Shi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy and Research Centre, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shizhen Yuan
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy and Research Centre, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huijun Wang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy and Research Centre, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianhong Liao
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy and Research Centre, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy and Research Centre, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Demin Han
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy and Research Centre, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanru Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy and Research Centre, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xingjun Wang
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
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25
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Xie M, Huang Y, Cai W, Zhang B, Huang H, Li Q, Qin P, Han J. Neurobiological Underpinnings of Hyperarousal in Depression: A Comprehensive Review. Brain Sci 2024; 14:50. [PMID: 38248265 PMCID: PMC10813043 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14010050] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibit an abnormal physiological arousal pattern known as hyperarousal, which may contribute to their depressive symptoms. However, the neurobiological mechanisms linking this abnormal arousal to depressive symptoms are not yet fully understood. In this review, we summarize the physiological and neural features of arousal, and review the literature indicating abnormal arousal in depressed patients. Evidence suggests that a hyperarousal state in depression is characterized by abnormalities in sleep behavior, physiological (e.g., heart rate, skin conductance, pupil diameter) and electroencephalography (EEG) features, and altered activity in subcortical (e.g., hypothalamus and locus coeruleus) and cortical regions. While recent studies highlight the importance of subcortical-cortical interactions in arousal, few have explored the relationship between subcortical-cortical interactions and hyperarousal in depressed patients. This gap limits our understanding of the neural mechanism through which hyperarousal affects depressive symptoms, which involves various cognitive processes and the cerebral cortex. Based on the current literature, we propose that the hyperconnectivity in the thalamocortical circuit may contribute to both the hyperarousal pattern and depressive symptoms. Future research should investigate the relationship between thalamocortical connections and abnormal arousal in depression, and explore its implications for non-invasive treatments for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musi Xie
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (M.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Ying Huang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (M.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Wendan Cai
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (W.C.); (B.Z.); (H.H.)
| | - Bingqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (W.C.); (B.Z.); (H.H.)
| | - Haonan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (W.C.); (B.Z.); (H.H.)
| | - Qingwei Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China;
| | - Pengmin Qin
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (M.X.); (Y.H.)
- Pazhou Laboratory, Guangzhou 510330, China
| | - Junrong Han
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (W.C.); (B.Z.); (H.H.)
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26
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Kang K, Fleming K, Sathe A, Muller J, Harrop J, Middleton D, Heller J, Sharan A, Mohamed F, Krisa L, Alizadeh M. Microstructural alterations of major thalamic nuclei in the chronic pediatric spinal cord injured population. World Neurosurg X 2024; 21:100268. [PMID: 38187507 PMCID: PMC10767188 DOI: 10.1016/j.wnsx.2023.100268] [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: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The brain undergoes reorganization following spinal cord injury (SCI), but little is known about how the thalamus is affected in pediatric SCIs. Purpose To characterize microstructural alterations in the thalamus after SCI with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics. Methods 18 pediatric participants with chronic SCI (8-20 years) were stratified using the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) into groups: A, B, and C/D. DTI of the brain used a 3 T Siemens Verio MRI using the parameters: 20 directions, number of averages = 3, b = 1000 s/mm2, voxel size = 1.8 mm × 1.8 mm, slice thickness = 5 mm, TE = 95 ms, TR = 4300 ms, 30 slices, FOV = 230 × 230 mm2, matrix = 128 × 128, acquisition time = 4:45 min. Diffusion data was processed to generate DTI metrics FA, MD, AD, and RD. Data analysis DTI metrics were acquired by superimposing the AAL3 thalamic atlas onto participant diffusion images registered to MNI152 space. We utilized a multiple Mann-Whitney U-test to compare between AIS groups, considering values of p ≤ 0.05 as significant. Results FA, AD, RD, and MD significantly differed in thalamic nuclei between AIS groups A vs B and B vs C/D. Significant nuclei include the right ventral anterior, left intralaminar, bilateral lateral pulvinar, and right lateral geniculate. Conclusion Our findings suggest the presence of microstructural alterations based on SCI severity in pediatric patients. These results are encouraging and warrant further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Kang
- Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - K. Fleming
- Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - A. Sathe
- Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - J. Muller
- Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - J. Harrop
- Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - D. Middleton
- Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - J.E. Heller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - A. Sharan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - F. Mohamed
- Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - L. Krisa
- Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - M. Alizadeh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, 909 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
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Hirsch F, Wohlschlaeger A. Subcortical influences on the topology of cortical networks align with functional processing hierarchies. Neuroimage 2023; 283:120417. [PMID: 37866758 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120417] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
fMRI of the human brain reveals spatiotemporal patterns of functional connectivity (FC), forming distinct cortical networks. Lately, subcortical contributions to these configurations are receiving renewed interest, but investigations rarely focus explicitly on their effects on cortico-cortical FC. Here, we employ a straightforward multivariable approach and graph-theoretic tools to assess subcortical impact on topological features of cortical networks. Given recent evidence showing that structures like the thalamus and basal ganglia integrate input from multiple networks, we expect increased segregation between cortical networks after removal of subcortical effects on their FC patterns. We analyze resting state data of young and healthy participants (male and female; N = 100) from the human connectome project. We find that overall, the cortical network architecture becomes less segregated, and more integrated, when subcortical influences are accounted for. Underlying these global effects are the following trends: 'Transmodal' systems become more integrated with the rest of the network, while 'unimodal' networks show the opposite effect. For single nodes this hierarchical organization is reflected by a close correspondence with the spatial layout of the principal gradient of FC (Margulies et al., 2016). Lastly, we show that the limbic system is significantly less coherent with subcortical influences removed. The findings are validated in a (split-sample) replication dataset. Our results provide new insight regarding the interplay between subcortex and cortical networks, by putting the integrative impact of subcortex in the context of macroscale patterns of cortical organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Hirsch
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Klinikum R.d.Isar, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, Munich 81675, Germany.
| | - Afra Wohlschlaeger
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Klinikum R.d.Isar, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, Munich 81675, Germany
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28
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Wang BA, Drammis S, Hummos A, Halassa MM, Pleger B. Modulation of prefrontal couplings by prior belief-related responses in ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1278096. [PMID: 38033544 PMCID: PMC10684683 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1278096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans and other animals can maintain constant payoffs in an uncertain environment by steadily re-evaluating and flexibly adjusting current strategy, which largely depends on the interactions between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and mediodorsal thalamus (MD). While the ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) represents the level of uncertainty (i.e., prior belief about external states), it remains unclear how the brain recruits the PFC-MD network to re-evaluate decision strategy based on the uncertainty. Here, we leverage non-linear dynamic causal modeling on fMRI data to test how prior belief-dependent activity in vmPFC gates the information flow in the PFC-MD network when individuals switch their decision strategy. We show that the prior belief-related responses in vmPFC had a modulatory influence on the connections from dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) to both, lateral orbitofrontal (lOFC) and MD. Bayesian parameter averaging revealed that only the connection from the dlPFC to lOFC surpassed the significant threshold, which indicates that the weaker the prior belief, the less was the inhibitory influence of the vmPFC on the strength of effective connections from dlPFC to lOFC. These findings suggest that the vmPFC acts as a gatekeeper for the recruitment of processing resources to re-evaluate the decision strategy in situations of high uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin A. Wang
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Collaborative Research Centre 874 "Integration and Representation of Sensory Processes", Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Educational Science, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sabrina Drammis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ali Hummos
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Michael M. Halassa
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Burkhard Pleger
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Collaborative Research Centre 874 "Integration and Representation of Sensory Processes", Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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29
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Boeken OJ, Cieslik EC, Langner R, Markett S. Characterizing functional modules in the human thalamus: coactivation-based parcellation and systems-level functional decoding. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1811-1834. [PMID: 36547707 PMCID: PMC10516793 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02603-w] [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: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The human thalamus relays sensory signals to the cortex and facilitates brain-wide communication. The thalamus is also more directly involved in sensorimotor and various cognitive functions but a full characterization of its functional repertoire, particularly in regard to its internal anatomical structure, is still outstanding. As a putative hub in the human connectome, the thalamus might reveal its functional profile only in conjunction with interconnected brain areas. We therefore developed a novel systems-level Bayesian reverse inference decoding that complements the traditional neuroinformatics approach towards a network account of thalamic function. The systems-level decoding considers the functional repertoire (i.e., the terms associated with a brain region) of all regions showing co-activations with a predefined seed region in a brain-wide fashion. Here, we used task-constrained meta-analytic connectivity-based parcellation (MACM-CBP) to identify thalamic subregions as seed regions and applied the systems-level decoding to these subregions in conjunction with functionally connected cortical regions. Our results confirm thalamic structure-function relationships known from animal and clinical studies and revealed further associations with language, memory, and locomotion that have not been detailed in the cognitive neuroscience literature before. The systems-level decoding further uncovered large systems engaged in autobiographical memory and nociception. We propose this novel decoding approach as a useful tool to detect previously unknown structure-function relationships at the brain network level, and to build viable starting points for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole J Boeken
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Psychology, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Edna C Cieslik
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Robert Langner
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Markett
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Psychology, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489, Berlin, Germany
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30
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Schneider L, Dominguez-Vargas AU, Gibson L, Wilke M, Kagan I. Visual, delay, and oculomotor timing and tuning in macaque dorsal pulvinar during instructed and free choice memory saccades. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10877-10900. [PMID: 37724430 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad333] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Causal perturbations suggest that primate dorsal pulvinar plays a crucial role in target selection and saccade planning, though its basic neuronal properties remain unclear. Some functional aspects of dorsal pulvinar and interconnected frontoparietal areas-e.g. ipsilesional choice bias after inactivation-are similar. But it is unknown if dorsal pulvinar shares oculomotor properties of cortical circuitry, in particular delay and choice-related activity. We investigated such properties in macaque dorsal pulvinar during instructed and free-choice memory saccades. Most recorded units showed visual (12%), saccade-related (30%), or both types of responses (22%). Visual responses were primarily contralateral; diverse saccade-related responses were predominantly post-saccadic with a weak contralateral bias. Memory delay and pre-saccadic enhancement was infrequent (11-9%)-instead, activity was often suppressed during saccade planning (25%) and further during execution (15%). Surprisingly, only few units exhibited classical visuomotor patterns combining cue and continuous delay activity or pre-saccadic ramping; moreover, most spatially-selective neurons did not encode the upcoming decision during free-choice delay. Thus, in absence of a visible goal, the dorsal pulvinar has a limited role in prospective saccade planning, with patterns partially complementing its frontoparietal partners. Conversely, prevalent visual and post-saccadic responses imply its participation in integrating spatial goals with processing across saccades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Schneider
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
| | - Adan-Ulises Dominguez-Vargas
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Lydia Gibson
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
| | - Melanie Wilke
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
- DFG Center for Nanoscale Microscopy & Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
| | - Igor Kagan
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
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31
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Howell AM, Warrington S, Fonteneau C, Cho YT, Sotiropoulos SN, Murray JD, Anticevic A. The spatial extent of anatomical connections within the thalamus varies across the cortical hierarchy in humans and macaques. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.22.550168. [PMID: 37546767 PMCID: PMC10401924 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.22.550168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Each cortical area has a distinct pattern of anatomical connections within the thalamus, a central subcortical structure composed of functionally and structurally distinct nuclei. Previous studies have suggested that certain cortical areas may have more extensive anatomical connections that target multiple thalamic nuclei, which potentially allows them to modulate distributed information flow. However, there is a lack of quantitative investigations into anatomical connectivity patterns within the thalamus. Consequently, it remains unknown if cortical areas exhibit systematic differences in the extent of their anatomical connections within the thalamus. To address this knowledge gap, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) to perform brain-wide probabilistic tractography for 828 healthy adults from the Human Connectome Project. We then developed a framework to quantify the spatial extent of each cortical area's anatomical connections within the thalamus. Additionally, we leveraged resting-state functional MRI, cortical myelin, and human neural gene expression data to test if the extent of anatomical connections within the thalamus varied along the cortical hierarchy. Our results revealed two distinct corticothalamic tractography motifs: 1) a sensorimotor cortical motif characterized by focal thalamic connections targeting posterolateral thalamus, associated with fast, feed-forward information flow; and 2) an associative cortical motif characterized by diffuse thalamic connections targeting anteromedial thalamus, associated with slow, feed-back information flow. These findings were consistent across human subjects and were also observed in macaques, indicating cross-species generalizability. Overall, our study demonstrates that sensorimotor and association cortical areas exhibit differences in the spatial extent of their anatomical connections within the thalamus, which may support functionally-distinct cortico-thalamic information flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M Howell
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Shaun Warrington
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Clara Fonteneau
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Youngsun T Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Stamatios N Sotiropoulos
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - John D Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
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32
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Fan YS, Xu Y, Bayrak Ş, Shine JM, Wan B, Li H, Li L, Yang S, Meng Y, Valk SL, Chen H. Macroscale Thalamic Functional Organization Disturbances and Underlying Core Cytoarchitecture in Early-Onset Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1375-1386. [PMID: 37078906 PMCID: PMC10483446 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Schizophrenia is a polygenetic mental disorder with heterogeneous positive and negative symptom constellations, and is associated with abnormal cortical connectivity. The thalamus has a coordinative role in cortical function and is key to the development of the cerebral cortex. Conversely, altered functional organization of the thalamus might relate to overarching cortical disruptions in schizophrenia, anchored in development. STUDY DESIGN Here, we contrasted resting-state fMRI in 86 antipsychotic-naive first-episode early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) patients and 91 typically developing controls to study whether macroscale thalamic organization is altered in EOS. Employing dimensional reduction techniques on thalamocortical functional connectome (FC), we derived lateral-medial and anterior-posterior thalamic functional axes. STUDY RESULTS We observed increased segregation of macroscale thalamic functional organization in EOS patients, which was related to altered thalamocortical interactions both in unimodal and transmodal networks. Using an ex vivo approximation of core-matrix cell distribution, we found that core cells particularly underlie the macroscale abnormalities in EOS patients. Moreover, the disruptions were associated with schizophrenia-related gene expression maps. Behavioral and disorder decoding analyses indicated that the macroscale hierarchy disturbances might perturb both perceptual and abstract cognitive functions and contribute to negative syndromes in patients. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide mechanistic evidence for disrupted thalamocortical system in schizophrenia, suggesting a unitary pathophysiological framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Shuang Fan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yong Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Şeyma Bayrak
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bin Wan
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity (IMPRS NeuroCom), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Haoru Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Liang Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Siqi Yang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yao Meng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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33
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Alonso-Martínez C, Rubio-Teves M, Porrero C, Clascá F. Cerebellar and basal ganglia inputs define three main nuclei in the mouse ventral motor thalamus. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1242839. [PMID: 37645018 PMCID: PMC10461449 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1242839] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is a central link between cortical and subcortical brain motor systems. Axons from the deep nuclei of the cerebellum (DCN), or the output nuclei of the basal ganglia system (substantia nigra reticulata, SNr; and internal pallidum GPi/ENT) monosynaptically innervate the thalamus, prominently some nuclei of the ventral nuclear group. In turn, axons from these ventral nuclei innervate the motor and premotor areas of the cortex, where their input is critical for planning, execution and learning of rapid and precise movements. Mice have in recent years become a widely used model in motor system research. However, information on the distribution of cerebellar and basal ganglia inputs in the rodent thalamus remains poorly defined. Here, we mapped the distribution of inputs from DCN, SNr, and GPi/ENT to the ventral nuclei of the mouse thalamus. Immunolabeling for glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission markers delineated two distinct main territories, characterized each by the presence of large vesicular glutamate transporter type 2 (vGLUT2) puncta or vesicular GABA transporter (vGAT) puncta. Anterograde labeling of axons from DCN revealed that they reach virtually all parts of the ventral nuclei, albeit its axonal varicosities (putative boutons) in the vGAT-rich sector are consistently smaller than those in the vGLUT2-rich sector. In contrast, the SNr axons innervate the whole vGAT-rich sector, but not the vGLUT2-rich sector. The GPi/ENT axons were found to innervate only a small zone of the vGAT-rich sector which is also targeted by the other two input systems. Because inputs fundamentally define thalamic cell functioning, we propose a new delineation of the mouse ventral motor nuclei that is consistent with the distribution of DCN, SNr and GPi/ENT inputs and resembles the general layout of the ventral motor nuclei in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - César Porrero
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Clascá
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Cabrera-Álvarez J, Doorn N, Maestú F, Susi G. Modeling the role of the thalamus in resting-state functional connectivity: Nature or structure. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011007. [PMID: 37535694 PMCID: PMC10426958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011007] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is a central brain structure that serves as a relay station for sensory inputs from the periphery to the cortex and regulates cortical arousal. Traditionally, it has been regarded as a passive relay that transmits information between brain regions. However, recent studies have suggested that the thalamus may also play a role in shaping functional connectivity (FC) in a task-based context. Based on this idea, we hypothesized that due to its centrality in the network and its involvement in cortical activation, the thalamus may also contribute to resting-state FC, a key neurological biomarker widely used to characterize brain function in health and disease. To investigate this hypothesis, we constructed ten in-silico brain network models based on neuroimaging data (MEG, MRI, and dwMRI), and simulated them including and excluding the thalamus, and raising the noise into thalamus to represent the afferences related to the reticular activating system (RAS) and the relay of peripheral sensory inputs. We simulated brain activity and compared the resulting FC to their empirical MEG counterparts to evaluate model's performance. Results showed that a parceled version of the thalamus with higher noise, able to drive damped cortical oscillators, enhanced the match to empirical FC. However, with an already active self-oscillatory cortex, no impact on the dynamics was observed when introducing the thalamus. We also demonstrated that the enhanced performance was not related to the structural connectivity of the thalamus, but to its higher noisy inputs. Additionally, we highlighted the relevance of a balanced signal-to-noise ratio in thalamus to allow it to propagate its own dynamics. In conclusion, our study sheds light on the role of the thalamus in shaping brain dynamics and FC in resting-state and allowed us to discuss the general role of criticality in the brain at the mesoscale level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Cabrera-Álvarez
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nina Doorn
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Fernando Maestú
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gianluca Susi
- Centre for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Structure of Matter, Thermal Physics and Electronics, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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35
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Dureux A, Zanini A, Selvanayagam J, Menon RS, Everling S. Gaze patterns and brain activations in humans and marmosets in the Frith-Happé theory-of-mind animation task. eLife 2023; 12:e86327. [PMID: 37449983 PMCID: PMC10435231 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86327] [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: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the cognitive ability to attribute mental states to other individuals. This ability extends even to the attribution of mental states to animations featuring simple geometric shapes, such as the Frith-Happé animations in which two triangles move either purposelessly (Random condition), exhibit purely physical movement (Goal-directed condition), or move as if one triangle is reacting to the other triangle's mental states (ToM condition). While this capacity in humans has been thoroughly established, research on nonhuman primates has yielded inconsistent results. This study explored how marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a highly social primate species, process Frith-Happé animations by examining gaze patterns and brain activations of marmosets and humans as they observed these animations. We revealed that both marmosets and humans exhibited longer fixations on one of the triangles in ToM animations, compared to other conditions. However, we did not observe the same pattern of longer overall fixation duration on the ToM animations in marmosets as identified in humans. Furthermore, our findings reveal that both species activated extensive and comparable brain networks when viewing ToM versus Random animations, suggesting that marmosets differentiate between these scenarios similarly to humans. While marmosets did not mimic human overall fixation patterns, their gaze behavior and neural activations indicate a distinction between ToM and non-ToM scenarios. This study expands our understanding of nonhuman primate cognitive abilities, shedding light on potential similarities and differences in ToM processing between marmosets and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Dureux
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western OntarioLondonCanada
| | - Alessandro Zanini
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western OntarioLondonCanada
| | - Janahan Selvanayagam
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western OntarioLondonCanada
| | - Ravi S Menon
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western OntarioLondonCanada
| | - Stefan Everling
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western OntarioLondonCanada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western OntarioLondonCanada
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36
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Shine JM, Lewis LD, Garrett DD, Hwang K. The impact of the human thalamus on brain-wide information processing. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:416-430. [PMID: 37237103 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00701-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus is a small, bilateral structure in the diencephalon that integrates signals from many areas of the CNS. This critical anatomical position allows the thalamus to influence whole-brain activity and adaptive behaviour. However, traditional research paradigms have struggled to attribute specific functions to the thalamus, and it has remained understudied in the human neuroimaging literature. Recent advances in analytical techniques and increased accessibility to large, high-quality data sets have brought forth a series of studies and findings that (re-)establish the thalamus as a core region of interest in human cognitive neuroscience, a field that otherwise remains cortico-centric. In this Perspective, we argue that using whole-brain neuroimaging approaches to investigate the thalamus and its interaction with the rest of the brain is key for understanding systems-level control of information processing. To this end, we highlight the role of the thalamus in shaping a range of functional signatures, including evoked activity, interregional connectivity, network topology and neuronal variability, both at rest and during the performance of cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laura D Lewis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Douglas D Garrett
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Hwang
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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37
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Yazdanbakhsh A, Barbas H, Zikopoulos B. Sleep spindles in primates: Modeling the effects of distinct laminar thalamocortical connectivity in core, matrix, and reticular thalamic circuits. Netw Neurosci 2023; 7:743-768. [PMID: 37397882 PMCID: PMC10312265 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep spindles are associated with the beginning of deep sleep and memory consolidation and are disrupted in schizophrenia and autism. In primates, distinct core and matrix thalamocortical (TC) circuits regulate sleep spindle activity through communications that are filtered by the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN); however, little is known about typical TC network interactions and the mechanisms that are disrupted in brain disorders. We developed a primate-specific, circuit-based TC computational model with distinct core and matrix loops that can simulate sleep spindles. We implemented novel multilevel cortical and thalamic mixing, and included local thalamic inhibitory interneurons, and direct layer 5 projections of variable density to TRN and thalamus to investigate the functional consequences of different ratios of core and matrix node connectivity contribution to spindle dynamics. Our simulations showed that spindle power in primates can be modulated based on the level of cortical feedback, thalamic inhibition, and engagement of model core versus matrix, with the latter having a greater role in spindle dynamics. The study of the distinct spatial and temporal dynamics of core-, matrix-, and mix-generated sleep spindles establishes a framework to study disruption of TC circuit balance underlying deficits in sleep and attentional gating seen in autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Yazdanbakhsh
- Computational Neuroscience and Vision Lab, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Helen Barbas
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston, MA, USA
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Program in Human Physiology, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Sargent College), Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Basilis Zikopoulos
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Human Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Program in Human Physiology, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Sargent College), Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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38
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Ngomba RT, Lüttjohann A, Dexter A, Ray S, van Luijtelaar G. The Metabotropic Glutamate 5 Receptor in Sleep and Wakefulness: Focus on the Cortico-Thalamo-Cortical Oscillations. Cells 2023; 12:1761. [PMID: 37443795 PMCID: PMC10341329 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131761] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep is an essential innate but complex behaviour which is ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. Our knowledge of the distinct neural circuit mechanisms that regulate sleep and wake states in the brain are, however, still limited. It is therefore important to understand how these circuits operate during health and disease. This review will highlight the function of mGlu5 receptors within the thalamocortical circuitry in physiological and pathological sleep states. We will also evaluate the potential of targeting mGlu5 receptors as a therapeutic strategy for sleep disorders that often co-occur with epileptic seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annika Lüttjohann
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Aaron Dexter
- School of Pharmacy, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Swagat Ray
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
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39
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Etemadi L, Enander JM, Jörntell H. Hippocampal output profoundly impacts the interpretation of tactile input patterns in SI cortical neurons. iScience 2023; 26:106885. [PMID: 37260754 PMCID: PMC10227419 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to continuous state variations in neocortical circuits, individual somatosensory cortex (SI) neurons in vivo display a variety of intracellular responses to the exact same spatiotemporal tactile input pattern. To manipulate the internal cortical state, we here used brief electrical stimulation of the output region of the hippocampus, which preceded the delivery of specific tactile afferent input patterns to digit 2 of the anesthetized rat. We find that hippocampal output had a diversified, remarkably strong impact on the intracellular response types displayed by each neuron in the primary SI to each given tactile input pattern. Qualitatively, this impact was comparable to that previously described for cortical output, which was surprising given the widely assumed specific roles of the hippocampus, such as in cortical memory formation. The findings show that hippocampal output can profoundly impact the state-dependent interpretation of tactile inputs and hence influence perception, potentially with affective and semantic components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Etemadi
- Neural Basis of Sensorimotor Control, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jonas M.D. Enander
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Henrik Jörntell
- Neural Basis of Sensorimotor Control, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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40
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Ahissar E, Nelinger G, Assa E, Karp O, Saraf-Sinik I. Thalamocortical loops as temporal demodulators across senses. Commun Biol 2023; 6:562. [PMID: 37237075 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04881-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory information is coded in space and in time. The organization of neuronal activity in space maintains straightforward relationships with the spatial organization of the perceived environment. In contrast, the temporal organization of neuronal activity is not trivially related to external features due to sensor motion. Still, the temporal organization shares similar principles across sensory modalities. Likewise, thalamocortical circuits exhibit common features across senses. Focusing on touch, vision, and audition, we review their shared coding principles and suggest that thalamocortical systems include circuits that allow analogous recoding mechanisms in all three senses. These thalamocortical circuits constitute oscillations-based phase-locked loops, that translate temporally-coded sensory information to rate-coded cortical signals, signals that can integrate information across sensory and motor modalities. The loop also allows predictive locking to the onset of future modulations of the sensory signal. The paper thus suggests a theoretical framework in which a common thalamocortical mechanism implements temporal demodulation across senses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehud Ahissar
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
| | - Guy Nelinger
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Eldad Assa
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Ofer Karp
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Inbar Saraf-Sinik
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
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41
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Seminara L, Dosen S, Mastrogiovanni F, Bianchi M, Watt S, Beckerle P, Nanayakkara T, Drewing K, Moscatelli A, Klatzky RL, Loeb GE. A hierarchical sensorimotor control framework for human-in-the-loop robotic hands. Sci Robot 2023; 8:eadd5434. [PMID: 37196072 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.add5434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Human manual dexterity relies critically on touch. Robotic and prosthetic hands are much less dexterous and make little use of the many tactile sensors available. We propose a framework modeled on the hierarchical sensorimotor controllers of the nervous system to link sensing to action in human-in-the-loop, haptically enabled, artificial hands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Seminara
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Telecommunication Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Strahinja Dosen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Fulvio Mastrogiovanni
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Matteo Bianchi
- Research Center "E. Piaggio" and Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Simon Watt
- School of Human and Behavioural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Philipp Beckerle
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany
- Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany
| | | | - Knut Drewing
- Department of Experimental Psychology, HapLab, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Alessandro Moscatelli
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta L Klatzky
- Department of Psychology and Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gerald E Loeb
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, Keck School of Medicine, and Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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42
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Kiral FR, Cakir B, Tanaka Y, Kim J, Yang WS, Wehbe F, Kang YJ, Zhong M, Sancer G, Lee SH, Xiang Y, Park IH. Generation of ventralized human thalamic organoids with thalamic reticular nucleus. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:677-688.e5. [PMID: 37019105 PMCID: PMC10329908 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Human brain organoids provide unique platforms for modeling several aspects of human brain development and pathology. However, current brain organoid systems mostly lack the resolution to recapitulate the development of finer brain structures with subregional identity, including functionally distinct nuclei in the thalamus. Here, we report a method for converting human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into ventral thalamic organoids (vThOs) with transcriptionally diverse nuclei identities. Notably, single-cell RNA sequencing revealed previously unachieved thalamic patterning with a thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) signature, a GABAergic nucleus located in the ventral thalamus. Using vThOs, we explored the functions of TRN-specific, disease-associated genes patched domain containing 1 (PTCHD1) and receptor tyrosine-protein kinase (ERBB4) during human thalamic development. Perturbations in PTCHD1 or ERBB4 impaired neuronal functions in vThOs, albeit not affecting the overall thalamic lineage development. Together, vThOs present an experimental model for understanding nuclei-specific development and pathology in the thalamus of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdi Ridvan Kiral
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Bilal Cakir
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yoshiaki Tanaka
- Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Jonghun Kim
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Woo Sub Yang
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Fabien Wehbe
- Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Young-Jin Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Mei Zhong
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Gizem Sancer
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sang-Hun Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Yangfei Xiang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
| | - In-Hyun Park
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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43
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Luckey AM, Adcock K, Vanneste S. Peripheral nerve stimulation: A neuromodulation-based approach. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105180. [PMID: 37059406 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent technological improvements have positioned us at the threshold of innovative discoveries that will assist in new perspectives and avenues of research. Increased attention has been directed towards peripheral nerve stimulation, particularly of the vagus, trigeminal, or greater occipital nerve, due to their unique pathway that engages neural circuits within networks involved in higher cognitive processes. Here, we question whether the effects of transcutaneous electrical stimulation are mediated by synergistic interactions of multiple neuromodulatory networks, considering this pathway is shared by more than one neuromodulatory system. By spotlighting this attractive transcutaneous pathway, this opinion piece aims to acknowledge the contributions of four vital neuromodulators and prompt researchers to consider them in future investigations or explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Luckey
- Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Katherine Adcock
- Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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44
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Gao C, Gohel CA, Leng Y, Ma J, Goldman D, Levine AJ, Penzo MA. Molecular and spatial profiling of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. eLife 2023; 12:81818. [PMID: 36867023 PMCID: PMC10014079 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is known to regulate various cognitive and behavioral processes. However, while functional diversity among PVT circuits has often been linked to cellular differences, the molecular identity and spatial distribution of PVT cell types remain unclear. To address this gap, here we used single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and identified five molecularly distinct PVT neuronal subtypes in the mouse brain. Additionally, multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization of top marker genes revealed that PVT subtypes are organized by a combination of previously unidentified molecular gradients. Lastly, comparing our dataset with a recently published single-cell sequencing atlas of the thalamus yielded novel insight into the PVT's connectivity with the cortex, including unexpected innervation of auditory and visual areas. This comparison also revealed that our data contains a largely non-overlapping transcriptomic map of multiple midline thalamic nuclei. Collectively, our findings uncover previously unknown features of the molecular diversity and anatomical organization of the PVT and provide a valuable resource for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Gao
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Chiraag A Gohel
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismRockvilleUnited States
| | - Yan Leng
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jun Ma
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - David Goldman
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismRockvilleUnited States
| | - Ariel J Levine
- National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentBethesdaUnited States
| | - Mario A Penzo
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
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45
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Balcioglu A, Gillani R, Doron M, Burnell K, Ku T, Erisir A, Chung K, Segev I, Nedivi E. Mapping thalamic innervation to individual L2/3 pyramidal neurons and modeling their 'readout' of visual input. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:470-480. [PMID: 36732641 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01253-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus is the main gateway for sensory information from the periphery to the mammalian cerebral cortex. A major conundrum has been the discrepancy between the thalamus's central role as the primary feedforward projection system into the neocortex and the sparseness of thalamocortical synapses. Here we use new methods, combining genetic tools and scalable tissue expansion microscopy for whole-cell synaptic mapping, revealing the number, density and size of thalamic versus cortical excitatory synapses onto individual layer 2/3 (L2/3) pyramidal cells (PCs) of the mouse primary visual cortex. We find that thalamic inputs are not only sparse, but remarkably heterogeneous in number and density across individual dendrites and neurons. Most surprising, despite their sparseness, thalamic synapses onto L2/3 PCs are smaller than their cortical counterparts. Incorporating these findings into fine-scale, anatomically faithful biophysical models of L2/3 PCs reveals how individual neurons with sparse and weak thalamocortical synapses, embedded in small heterogeneous neuronal ensembles, may reliably 'read out' visually driven thalamic input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aygul Balcioglu
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca Gillani
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Doron
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kendyll Burnell
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Taeyun Ku
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Alev Erisir
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kwanghun Chung
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Idan Segev
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Elly Nedivi
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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46
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Banerjee A, Wang BA, Teutsch J, Helmchen F, Pleger B. Analogous cognitive strategies for tactile learning in the rodent and human brain. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 222:102401. [PMID: 36608783 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Evolution has molded individual species' sensory capacities and abilities. In rodents, who mostly inhabit dark tunnels and burrows, the whisker-based somatosensory system has developed as the dominant sensory modality, essential for environmental exploration and spatial navigation. In contrast, humans rely more on visual and auditory inputs when collecting information from their surrounding sensory space in everyday life. As a result of such species-specific differences in sensory dominance, cognitive relevance and capacities, the evidence for analogous sensory-cognitive mechanisms across species remains sparse. However, recent research in rodents and humans yielded surprisingly comparable processing rules for detecting tactile stimuli, integrating touch information into percepts, and goal-directed rule learning. Here, we review how the brain, across species, harnesses such processing rules to establish decision-making during tactile learning, following canonical circuits from the thalamus and the primary somatosensory cortex up to the frontal cortex. We discuss concordances between empirical and computational evidence from micro- and mesoscopic circuit studies in rodents to findings from macroscopic imaging in humans. Furthermore, we discuss the relevance and challenges for future cross-species research in addressing mutual context-dependent evaluation processes underpinning perceptual learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Banerjee
- Adaptive Decisions Lab, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.
| | - Bin A Wang
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre 874 "Integration and Representation of Sensory Processes", Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
| | - Jasper Teutsch
- Adaptive Decisions Lab, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Burkhard Pleger
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre 874 "Integration and Representation of Sensory Processes", Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
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47
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Sabetta Z, Krishna G, Curry T, Adelson PD, Thomas TC. Aging with TBI vs. Aging: 6-month temporal profiles for neuropathology and astrocyte activation converge in behaviorally relevant thalamocortical circuitry of male and female rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.06.527058. [PMID: 36798182 PMCID: PMC9934568 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.06.527058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) manifests late-onset and persisting clinical symptoms with implications for sex differences and increased risk for the development of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Few studies have evaluated chronic temporal profiles of neuronal and glial pathology that include sex as a biological variable. After experimental diffuse TBI, late-onset and persisting somatosensory hypersensitivity to whisker stimulation develops at one-month post-injury and persists to at least two months post-injury in male rats, providing an in vivo model to evaluate the temporal profile of pathology responsible for morbidity. Whisker somatosensation is dependent on signaling through the thalamocortical relays of the whisker barrel circuit made up of glutamatergic projections between the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPM) and primary somatosensory barrel cortex (S1BF) with inhibitory (GABA) innervation from the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) to the VPM. To evaluate the temporal profiles of pathology, male and female Sprague Dawley rats ( n = 5-6/group) were subjected to sham surgery or midline fluid percussion injury (FPI). At 7-, 56-, and 168-days post-injury (DPI), brains were processed for amino-cupric silver stain and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity, where pixel density of staining was quantified to determine the temporal profile of neuropathology and astrocyte activation in the VPM, S1BF, and TRN. FPI induced significant neuropathology in all brain regions at 7 DPI. At 168 DPI, neuropathology remained significantly elevated in the VPM and TRN, but returned to sham levels in the S1BF. GFAP immunoreactivity was increased as a function of FPI and DPI, with an FPI × DPI interaction in all regions and an FPI × Sex interaction in the S1BF. The interactions were driven by increased GFAP immunoreactivity in shams over time in the VPM and TRN. In the S1BF, GFAP immunoreactivity increased at 7 DPI and declined to age-matched sham levels by 168 DPI, while GFAP immunoreactivity in shams significantly increased between 7 and 168 days. The FPI × Sex interaction was driven by an overall greater level of GFAP immunoreactivity in FPI males compared to FPI females. Increased GFAP immunoreactivity was associated with an increased number of GFAP-positive soma, predominantly at 7 DPI. Overall, these findings indicate that FPI, time post-injury, sex, region, and aging with injury differentially contribute to chronic changes in neuronal pathology and astrocyte activation after diffuse brain injury. Thus, our results highlight distinct patterns of pathological alterations associated with the development and persistence of morbidity that supports chronic neuropathology, especially within the thalamus. Further, data indicate a convergence between TBI-induced and age-related pathology where further investigation may reveal a role for divergent astrocytic phenotypes associated with increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Huerga-Gómez I, Martini FJ, López-Bendito G. Building thalamic neuronal networks during mouse development. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1098913. [PMID: 36817644 PMCID: PMC9936079 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1098913] [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: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamic nuclear complex contains excitatory projection neurons and inhibitory local neurons, the two cell types driving the main circuits in sensory nuclei. While excitatory neurons are born from progenitors that reside in the proliferative zone of the developing thalamus, inhibitory local neurons are born outside the thalamus and they migrate there during development. In addition to these cell types, which occupy most of the thalamus, there are two small thalamic regions where inhibitory neurons target extra-thalamic regions rather than neighboring neurons, the intergeniculate leaflet and the parahabenular nucleus. Like excitatory thalamic neurons, these inhibitory neurons are derived from progenitors residing in the developing thalamus. The assembly of these circuits follows fine-tuned genetic programs and it is coordinated by extrinsic factors that help the cells find their location, associate with thalamic partners, and establish connections with their corresponding extra-thalamic inputs and outputs. In this review, we bring together what is currently known about the development of the excitatory and inhibitory components of the thalamocortical sensory system, in particular focusing on the visual pathway and thalamic interneurons in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Huerga-Gómez
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UMH-CSIC), Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
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Xi K, Xiao H, Huang X, Yuan Z, Liu M, Mao H, Liu H, Ma G, Cheng Z, Xie Y, Liu Y, Feng D, Wang W, Guo B, Wu S. Reversal of hyperactive higher-order thalamus attenuates defensiveness in a mouse model of PTSD. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade5987. [PMID: 36735778 PMCID: PMC9897664 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade5987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disease often accompanied by severe defensive behaviors, preventing individuals from integrating into society. However, the neural mechanisms of defensiveness in PTSD remain largely unknown. Here, we identified that the higher-order thalamus, the posteromedial complex of the thalamus (PoM), was overactivated in a mouse model of PTSD, and suppressing PoM activity alleviated excessive defensive behaviors. Moreover, we found that diminished thalamic inhibition derived from the thalamic reticular nucleus was the major cause of thalamic hyperactivity in PTSD mice. Overloaded thalamic innervation to the downstream cortical area, frontal association cortex, drove abnormal defensiveness. Overall, our study revealed that the malfunction of the higher-order thalamus mediates defensive behaviors and highlighted the thalamocortical circuit as a potential target for treating PTSD-related overreactivity symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiwen Xi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Haoxiang Xiao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Ziduo Yuan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Medical School, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
| | - Mingyue Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Medical School, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
| | - Honghui Mao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Haiying Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Guaiguai Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Medical School, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
| | - Zishuo Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Yuqiao Xie
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Dayun Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Baolin Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
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Vertes RP, Hoover WB, Witter MP, Yanik MF, Rojas AKP, Linley SB. Projections from the five divisions of the orbital cortex to the thalamus in the rat. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:217-237. [PMID: 36226328 PMCID: PMC9772129 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The orbital cortex (ORB) of the rat consists of five divisions: the medial (MO), ventral (VO), ventrolateral (VLO), lateral (LO), and dorsolateral (DLO) orbital cortices. No previous report has comprehensively examined and compared projections from each division of the ORB to the thalamus. Using the anterograde anatomical tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin, we describe the efferent projections from the five divisions of the ORB to the thalamus in the rat. We demonstrated that, with some overlap, each division of the ORB distributed in a distinct (and unique) manner to nuclei of the thalamus. Overall, ORB projected to a relatively restricted number of sites in the thalamus, and strikingly distributed entirely to structures of the medial/midline thalamus, while completely avoiding lateral regions or principal nuclei of the thalamus. The main termination sites in the thalamus were the paratenial nucleus (PT) and nucleus reuniens (RE) of the midline thalamus, the medial (MDm) and central (MDc) divisions of the mediodorsal nucleus, the intermediodorsal nucleus, the central lateral, paracentral, and central medial nuclei of the rostral intralaminar complex and the submedial nucleus (SM). With some exceptions, medial divisions of the ORB (MO, VO) mainly targeted "limbic-associated" nuclei such as PT, RE, and MDm, whereas lateral division (VLO, LO, DLO) primarily distributed to "sensorimotor-associated" nuclei including MDc, SM, and the rostral intralaminar complex. As discussed herein, the medial/midline thalamus may represent an important link (or bridge) between the orbital cortex and the hippocampus and between the ORB and medial prefrontal cortex. In summary, the present results demonstrate that each division of the orbital cortex projects in a distinct manner to nuclei of the thalamus which suggests unique functions for each division of the orbital cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Walter B Hoover
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Menno P Witter
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mehmet Fatih Yanik
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, D-ITET, ETH, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Amanda K P Rojas
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Stephanie B Linley
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
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