1
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Ghazanfar AA, Gomez-Marin A. The central role of the individual in the history of brains. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105744. [PMID: 38825259 PMCID: PMC11246226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Every species' brain, body and behavior is shaped by the contingencies of their evolutionary history; these exert pressures that change their developmental trajectories. There is, however, another set of contingencies that shape us and other animals: those that occur during a lifetime. In this perspective piece, we show how these two histories are intertwined by focusing on the individual. We suggest that organisms--their brains and behaviors--are not solely the developmental products of genes and neural circuitry but individual centers of action unfolding in time. To unpack this idea, we first emphasize the importance of variation and the central role of the individual in biology. We then go over "errors in time" that we often make when comparing development across species. Next, we reveal how an individual's development is a process rather than a product by presenting a set of case studies. These show developmental trajectories as emerging in the contexts of the "the actual now" and "the presence of the past". Our consideration reveals that individuals are slippery-they are never static; they are a set of on-going, creative activities. In light of this, it seems that taking individual development seriously is essential if we aspire to make meaningful comparisons of neural circuits and behavior within and across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Alex Gomez-Marin
- Behavior of Organisms Laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH, Alicante 03550, Spain.
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2
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Brown RE. Measuring the replicability of our own research. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 406:110111. [PMID: 38521128 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110111] [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: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
In the study of transgenic mouse models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, we use batteries of tests to measure deficits in behaviour and from the results of these tests, we make inferences about the mental states of the mice that we interpret as deficits in "learning", "memory", "anxiety", "depression", etc. This paper discusses the problems of determining whether a particular transgenic mouse is a valid mouse model of disease X, the problem of background strains, and the question of whether our behavioural tests are measuring what we say they are. The problem of the reliability of results is then discussed: are they replicable between labs and can we replicate our results in our own lab? This involves the study of intra- and inter- experimenter reliability. The variables that influence replicability and the importance of conducting a complete behavioural phenotype: sensory, motor, cognitive and social emotional behaviour are discussed. Then the thorny question of failure to replicate is examined: Is it a curse or a blessing? Finally, the role of failure in research and what it tells us about our research paradigms is examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
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3
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Cisek P, Green AM. Toward a neuroscience of natural behavior. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 86:102859. [PMID: 38583263 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
One of the most exciting new developments in systems neuroscience is the progress being made toward neurophysiological experiments that move beyond simplified laboratory settings and address the richness of natural behavior. This is enabled by technological advances such as wireless recording in freely moving animals, automated quantification of behavior, and new methods for analyzing large data sets. Beyond new empirical methods and data, however, there is also a need for new theories and concepts to interpret that data. Such theories need to address the particular challenges of natural behavior, which often differ significantly from the scenarios studied in traditional laboratory settings. Here, we discuss some strategies for developing such novel theories and concepts and some example hypotheses being proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Cisek
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
| | - Andrea M Green
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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4
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Tamis-LeMonda CS, Swirbul MS, Lai KH. Natural behavior in everyday settings. ADVANCES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2024; 66:1-27. [PMID: 39074918 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Infant behaviors-walking, vocalizing, playing, interacting with others, and so on-offer an unparalleled window into learning and development. The study of infants requires strategic choices about what to observe, where, when, and how. We argue that loosening study constraints-by allowing infants and caregivers to do whatever they choose, wherever they choose, and with whatever materials they choose-promises to reveal a deep understanding of the everyday data on which learning builds. We show that observations of infants' natural behavior yield unique insights into the nature of visual exploration, object play, posture and locomotion, proximity to caregiver, and communication. Furthermore, we show that by situating the study of behavior in ecologically-valid settings, researchers can gain purchase on the contextual regularities that frame learning. We close by underscoring the value of studies at every point on the research continuum-from cleverly controlled lab-based tasks to fully natural observations in everyday environments. Acceleration in the science of behavior rests on leveraging expertise across disciplines, theoretical positions, and methodological approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mackenzie S Swirbul
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kristy H Lai
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
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5
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Ahmed SH. The importance of choice and agency in animal models of addiction. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:487-489. [PMID: 37906290 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02712-8] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this short commentary is twofold. First, it uncovers and outlines in broad strokes a historical, albeit oft-overlooked, trend toward a growing place for choice and agency in the design of animal models of addiction. Next, it tries to draw from this historical trend some perspectives and implications for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge H Ahmed
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
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6
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Kastner DB, Williams G, Holobetz C, Romano JP, Dayan P. The choice-wide behavioral association study: data-driven identification of interpretable behavioral components. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582115. [PMID: 38464037 PMCID: PMC10925091 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Behavior contains rich structure across many timescales, but there is a dearth of methods to identify relevant components, especially over the longer periods required for learning and decision-making. Inspired by the goals and techniques of genome-wide association studies, we present a data-driven method-the choice-wide behavioral association study: CBAS-that systematically identifies such behavioral features. CBAS uses a powerful, resampling-based, method of multiple comparisons correction to identify sequences of actions or choices that either differ significantly between groups or significantly correlate with a covariate of interest. We apply CBAS to different tasks and species (flies, rats, and humans) and find, in all instances, that it provides interpretable information about each behavioral task.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Kastner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Lead Contact
| | - Greer Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Cristofer Holobetz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Joseph P Romano
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Peter Dayan
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen 72076, Germany
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7
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Hasnain MA, Birnbaum JE, Nunez JLU, Hartman EK, Chandrasekaran C, Economo MN. Separating cognitive and motor processes in the behaving mouse. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.23.554474. [PMID: 37662199 PMCID: PMC10473744 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.23.554474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The cognitive processes supporting complex animal behavior are closely associated with ubiquitous movements responsible for our posture, facial expressions, ability to actively sample our sensory environments, and other critical processes. These movements are strongly related to neural activity across much of the brain and are often highly correlated with ongoing cognitive processes, making it challenging to dissociate the neural dynamics that support cognitive processes from those supporting related movements. In such cases, a critical issue is whether cognitive processes are separable from related movements, or if they are driven by common neural mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate how the separability of cognitive and motor processes can be assessed, and, when separable, how the neural dynamics associated with each component can be isolated. We establish a novel two-context behavioral task in mice that involves multiple cognitive processes and show that commonly observed dynamics taken to support cognitive processes are strongly contaminated by movements. When cognitive and motor components are isolated using a novel approach for subspace decomposition, we find that they exhibit distinct dynamical trajectories. Further, properly accounting for movement revealed that largely separate populations of cells encode cognitive and motor variables, in contrast to the 'mixed selectivity' often reported. Accurately isolating the dynamics associated with particular cognitive and motor processes will be essential for developing conceptual and computational models of neural circuit function and evaluating the function of the cell types of which neural circuits are composed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munib A. Hasnain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA
- Center for Neurophotonics, Boston University, Boston, MA
| | - Jaclyn E. Birnbaum
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA
- Center for Neurophotonics, Boston University, Boston, MA
| | | | - Emma K. Hartman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA
| | - Chandramouli Chandrasekaran
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Boston University, Boston, MA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA
| | - Michael N. Economo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA
- Center for Neurophotonics, Boston University, Boston, MA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA
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8
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Adolph KE, Froemke RC. How to get rich quick: Using video to enrich psychology and neuroscience research Comment on "Beyond simple laboratory studies: Developing sophisticated models to study rich behavior" by Maselli et al. Phys Life Rev 2024; 48:16-18. [PMID: 38061248 PMCID: PMC11078011 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Adolph
- Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Applied Psychology, New York University, United States; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, United States.
| | - Robert C Froemke
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, United States; Departments of Otolaryngology, and Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, United States
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9
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Ding SS, Fox JL, Gordus A, Joshi A, Liao JC, Scholz M. Fantastic beasts and how to study them: rethinking experimental animal behavior. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247003. [PMID: 38372042 PMCID: PMC10911175 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Humans have been trying to understand animal behavior at least since recorded history. Recent rapid development of new technologies has allowed us to make significant progress in understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying behavior, a key goal of neuroethology. However, there is a tradeoff when studying animal behavior and its underlying biological mechanisms: common behavior protocols in the laboratory are designed to be replicable and controlled, but they often fail to encompass the variability and breadth of natural behavior. This Commentary proposes a framework of 10 key questions that aim to guide researchers in incorporating a rich natural context into their experimental design or in choosing a new animal study system. The 10 questions cover overarching experimental considerations that can provide a template for interspecies comparisons, enable us to develop studies in new model organisms and unlock new experiments in our quest to understand behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Serena Ding
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jessica L. Fox
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Andrew Gordus
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Abhilasha Joshi
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - James C. Liao
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Monika Scholz
- Max Planck Research Group Neural Information Flow, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – caesar, 53175 Bonn, Germany
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10
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Abbaspoor S, Rahman K, Zinke W, Hoffman KL. Learning of object-in-context sequences in freely-moving macaques. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.11.571113. [PMID: 38168449 PMCID: PMC10760043 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.11.571113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Flexible learning is a hallmark of primate cognition, which arises through interactions with changing environments. Studies of the neural basis for this flexibility are typically limited by laboratory settings that use minimal environmental cues and restrict interactions with the environment, including active sensing and exploration. To address this, we constructed a 3-D enclosure containing touchscreens on its walls, for studying cognition in freely moving macaques. To test flexible learning, two monkeys completed trials consisting of a regular sequence of object selections across four touchscreens. On each screen, the monkeys had to select by touching the sole correct object item ('target') among a set of four items, irrespective of their positions on the screen. Each item was the target on exactly one screen of the sequence, making correct performance conditioned on the spatiotemporal sequence rule across screens. Both monkeys successfully learned multiple 4-item sets (N=14 and 22 sets), totaling over 50 and 80 unique, conditional item-context memoranda, with no indication of capacity limits. The enclosure allowed freedom of movements leading up to and following the touchscreen interactions. To determine whether movement economy changed with learning, we reconstructed 3D position and movement dynamics using markerless tracking software and gyroscopic inertial measurements. Whereas general body positions remained consistent across repeated sequences, fine head movements varied as monkeys learned, within and across sequence sets, demonstrating learning set or "learning to learn". These results demonstrate monkeys' rapid, capacious, and flexible learning within an integrated, multisensory 3-D space. Furthermore, this approach enables the measurement of continuous behavior while ensuring precise experimental control and behavioral repetition of sequences over time. Overall, this approach harmonizes the design features that are needed for electrophysiological studies with tasks that showcase fully situated, flexible cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Abbaspoor
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - K Rahman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - W Zinke
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - K L Hoffman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
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11
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Suarez-Rivera C, Pinheiro-Mehta N, Tamis-LeMonda CS. Within arms reach: Physical proximity shapes mother-infant language exchanges in real-time. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 64:101298. [PMID: 37774641 PMCID: PMC10534257 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101298] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
During everyday interactions, mothers and infants achieve behavioral synchrony at multiple levels. The ebb-and-flow of mother-infant physical proximity may be a central type of synchrony that establishes a common ground for infant-mother interaction. However, the role of proximity in language exchanges is relatively unstudied, perhaps because structured tasks-the common setup for observing infant-caregiver interactions-establish proximity by design. We videorecorded 100 mothers (U.S. Hispanic N = 50, U.S. Non-Hispanic N = 50) and their 13- to 23-month-old infants during natural activity at home (1-to-2 h per dyad), transcribed mother and infant speech, and coded proximity continuously (i.e., infants and mother within arms reach). In both samples, dyads entered proximity in a bursty temporal pattern, with bouts of proximity interspersed with bouts of physical distance. As hypothesized, Non-Hispanic and Hispanic mothers produced more words and a greater variety of words when within arms reach than out of arms reach. Similarly, infants produced more utterances that contained words when close to mother than when not. However, infants babbled equally often regardless of proximity, generating abundant opportunities to play with sounds. Physical proximity expands opportunities for language exchanges and infants' communicative word use, although babies accumulate massive practice babbling even when caregivers are not proximal.
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12
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Calhoun AJ, El Hady A. Everyone knows what behavior is but they just don't agree on it. iScience 2023; 26:108210. [PMID: 37953955 PMCID: PMC10638025 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying "behavior" lies at the heart of many disciplines. Nevertheless, academics rarely provide an explicit definition of what "behavior" actually is. What range of definitions do people use, and how does that vary across disciplines? To answer these questions, we have developed a survey to probe what constitutes "behavior." We find that academics adopt different definitions of behavior according to their academic discipline, animal model that they work with, and level of academic seniority. Using hierarchical clustering, we identify at least six distinct types of "behavior" which are used in seven distinct operational archetypes of "behavior." Individual respondents have clear consistent definitions of behavior, but these definitions are not consistent across the population. Our study is a call for academics to clarify what they mean by "behavior" wherever they study it, with the hope that this will foster interdisciplinary studies that will improve our understanding of behavioral phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Calhoun
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Ahmed El Hady
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Cluster for Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
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13
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Garcia M, Gupta S, Wikenheiser AM. Sex differences in patch-leaving foraging decisions in rats. OXFORD OPEN NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 2:kvad011. [PMID: 38596244 PMCID: PMC11003400 DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvad011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
The ubiquity, importance, and sophistication of foraging behavior makes it an ideal platform for studying naturalistic decision making in animals. We developed a spatial patch-foraging task for rats, in which subjects chose how long to remain in one foraging patch as the rate of food earnings steadily decreased. The cost of seeking out a new location was varied across sessions. The behavioral task was designed to mimic the structure of natural foraging problems, where distinct spatial locations are associated with different reward statistics, and decisions require navigation and movement through space. Male and female Long-Evans rats generally followed the predictions of theoretical models of foraging, albeit with a consistent tendency to persist with patches for too long compared to behavioral strategies that maximize food intake rate. The tendency to choose overly-long patch residence times was stronger in male rats. We also observed sex differences in locomotion as rats performed the task, but these differences in movement only partially accounted for the differences in patch residence durations observed between male and female rats. Together, these results suggest a nuanced relationship between movement, sex, and foraging decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Garcia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sukriti Gupta
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Andrew M Wikenheiser
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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14
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Garcia M, Gupta S, Wikenheiser AM. Sex differences in patch-leaving foraging decisions in rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.19.529135. [PMID: 36824852 PMCID: PMC9949151 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.19.529135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquity, importance, and sophistication of foraging behavior makes it an ideal platform for studying naturalistic decision making in animals. We developed a spatial patch-foraging task for rats, in which subjects chose how long to remain in one foraging patch as the rate of food earnings steadily decreased. The cost of seeking out a new location was varied across sessions. The behavioral task was designed to mimic the structure of natural foraging problems, where distinct spatial locations are associated with different reward statistics, and decisions require navigation and movement through space. Male and female Long-Evans rats generally followed the predictions of theoretical models of foraging, albeit with a consistent tendency to persist with patches for too long compared to behavioral strategies that maximize food intake rate. The tendency to choose overly-long patch residence times was stronger in male rats. We also observed sex differences in locomotion as rats performed the task, but these differences in movement only partially accounted for the differences in patch residence durations observed between male and female rats. Together, these results suggest a nuanced relationship between movement, sex, and foraging decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Garcia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Current address: Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093
| | - Sukriti Gupta
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Andrew M. Wikenheiser
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
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15
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Robbe D. Lost in time: Relocating the perception of duration outside the brain. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105312. [PMID: 37467906 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105312] [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: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
It is well-accepted in neuroscience that animals process time internally to estimate the duration of intervals lasting between one and several seconds. More than 100 years ago, Henri Bergson nevertheless remarked that, because animals have memory, their inner experience of time is ever-changing, making duration impossible to measure internally and time a source of change. Bergson proposed that quantifying the inner experience of time requires its externalization in movements (observed or self-generated), as their unfolding leaves measurable traces in space. Here, studies across species are reviewed and collectively suggest that, in line with Bergson's ideas, animals spontaneously solve time estimation tasks through a movement-based spatialization of time. Moreover, the well-known scalable anticipatory responses of animals to regularly spaced rewards can be explained by the variable pressure of time on reward-oriented actions. Finally, the brain regions linked with time perception overlap with those implicated in motor control, spatial navigation and motivation. Thus, instead of considering time as static information processed by the brain, it might be fruitful to conceptualize it as a kind of force to which animals are more or less sensitive depending on their internal state and environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Robbe
- Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), INSERM, Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
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16
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Voloh B, Maisson DJN, Cervera RL, Conover I, Zambre M, Hayden B, Zimmermann J. Hierarchical action encoding in prefrontal cortex of freely moving macaques. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113091. [PMID: 37656619 PMCID: PMC10591875 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Our natural behavioral repertoires include coordinated actions of characteristic types. To better understand how neural activity relates to the expression of actions and action switches, we studied macaques performing a freely moving foraging task in an open environment. We developed a novel analysis pipeline that can identify meaningful units of behavior, corresponding to recognizable actions such as sitting, walking, jumping, and climbing. On the basis of transition probabilities between these actions, we found that behavior is organized in a modular and hierarchical fashion. We found that, after regressing out many potential confounders, actions are associated with specific patterns of firing in each of six prefrontal brain regions and that, overall, encoding of action category is progressively stronger in more dorsal and more caudal prefrontal regions. Together, these results establish a link between selection of units of primate behavior on one hand and neuronal activity in prefrontal regions on the other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Voloh
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David J-N Maisson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Indirah Conover
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Mrunal Zambre
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Benjamin Hayden
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jan Zimmermann
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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17
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Wood A, Coan JA. Beyond Nature Versus Nurture: the Emergence of Emotion. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2023; 4:443-452. [PMID: 37744982 PMCID: PMC10513962 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-023-00212-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Affective science is stuck in a version of the nature-versus-nurture debate, with theorists arguing whether emotions are evolved adaptations or psychological constructions. We do not see these as mutually exclusive options. Many adaptive behaviors that humans have evolved to be good at, such as walking, emerge during development - not according to a genetically dictated program, but through interactions between the affordances of the body, brain, and environment. We suggest emotions are the same. As developing humans acquire increasingly complex goals and learn optimal strategies for pursuing those goals, they are inevitably pulled to particular brain-body-behavior states that maximize outcomes and self-reinforce via positive feedback loops. We call these recurring, self-organized states emotions. Emotions display many of the hallmark features of self-organized attractor states, such as hysteresis (prior events influence the current state), degeneracy (many configurations of the underlying variables can produce the same global state), and stability. Because most bodily, neural, and environmental affordances are shared by all humans - we all have cardiovascular systems, cerebral cortices, and caregivers who raised us - similar emotion states emerge in all of us. This perspective helps reconcile ideas that, at first glance, seem contradictory, such as emotion universality and neural degeneracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne Wood
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA USA
| | - James A. Coan
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA USA
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18
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Maselli A, Gordon J, Eluchans M, Lancia GL, Thiery T, Moretti R, Cisek P, Pezzulo G. Beyond simple laboratory studies: Developing sophisticated models to study rich behavior. Phys Life Rev 2023; 46:220-244. [PMID: 37499620 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Psychology and neuroscience are concerned with the study of behavior, of internal cognitive processes, and their neural foundations. However, most laboratory studies use constrained experimental settings that greatly limit the range of behaviors that can be expressed. While focusing on restricted settings ensures methodological control, it risks impoverishing the object of study: by restricting behavior, we might miss key aspects of cognitive and neural functions. In this article, we argue that psychology and neuroscience should increasingly adopt innovative experimental designs, measurement methods, analysis techniques and sophisticated computational models to probe rich, ecologically valid forms of behavior, including social behavior. We discuss the challenges of studying rich forms of behavior as well as the novel opportunities offered by state-of-the-art methodologies and new sensing technologies, and we highlight the importance of developing sophisticated formal models. We exemplify our arguments by reviewing some recent streams of research in psychology, neuroscience and other fields (e.g., sports analytics, ethology and robotics) that have addressed rich forms of behavior in a model-based manner. We hope that these "success cases" will encourage psychologists and neuroscientists to extend their toolbox of techniques with sophisticated behavioral models - and to use them to study rich forms of behavior as well as the cognitive and neural processes that they engage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Maselli
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Jeremy Gordon
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94704, United States
| | - Mattia Eluchans
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy; University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Lancia
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy; University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Thomas Thiery
- Department of Psychology, University of Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Riccardo Moretti
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy; University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Paul Cisek
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Giovanni Pezzulo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
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19
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Kohsaka H. Linking neural circuits to the mechanics of animal behavior in Drosophila larval locomotion. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1175899. [PMID: 37711343 PMCID: PMC10499525 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1175899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The motions that make up animal behavior arise from the interplay between neural circuits and the mechanical parts of the body. Therefore, in order to comprehend the operational mechanisms governing behavior, it is essential to examine not only the underlying neural network but also the mechanical characteristics of the animal's body. The locomotor system of fly larvae serves as an ideal model for pursuing this integrative approach. By virtue of diverse investigation methods encompassing connectomics analysis and quantification of locomotion kinematics, research on larval locomotion has shed light on the underlying mechanisms of animal behavior. These studies have elucidated the roles of interneurons in coordinating muscle activities within and between segments, as well as the neural circuits responsible for exploration. This review aims to provide an overview of recent research on the neuromechanics of animal locomotion in fly larvae. We also briefly review interspecific diversity in fly larval locomotion and explore the latest advancements in soft robots inspired by larval locomotion. The integrative analysis of animal behavior using fly larvae could establish a practical framework for scrutinizing the behavior of other animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
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20
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Beer RD. On the Proper Treatment of Dynamics in Cognitive Science. Top Cogn Sci 2023. [PMID: 37531569 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12686] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
This essay examines the relevance of dynamical ideas for cognitive science. On its own, the mere mathematical idea of a dynamical system is too weak to serve as a scientific theory of anything, and dynamical approaches within cognitive science are too rich and varied to be subsumed under a single "dynamical hypothesis." Instead, after first attempting to dissect the different notions of "dynamics" and "cognition" at play, a more specific theoretical framework for cognitive science broadly construed is sketched. This framework draws upon not only dynamical ideas, but also such contemporaneous perspectives as situatedness, embodiment, ecological psychology, enaction, neuroethology/neuroscience, artificial life, and biogenic approaches. The paper ends with some methodological suggestions for pursuing this theoretical framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall D Beer
- Cognitive Science Program, Informatics Department, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University
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21
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Buzsáki G, Tingley D. Cognition from the Body-Brain Partnership: Exaptation of Memory. Annu Rev Neurosci 2023; 46:191-210. [PMID: 36917822 PMCID: PMC10793243 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-101222-110632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Examination of cognition has historically been approached from language and introspection. However, human language-dependent definitions ignore the evolutionary roots of brain mechanisms and constrain their study in experimental animals. We promote an alternative view, namely that cognition, including memory, can be explained by exaptation and expansion of the circuits and algorithms serving bodily functions. Regulation and protection of metabolic and energetic processes require time-evolving brain computations enabling the organism to prepare for altered future states. Exaptation of such circuits was likely exploited for exploration of the organism's niche. We illustrate that exploration gives rise to a cognitive map, and in turn, environment-disengaged computation allows for mental travel into the past (memory) and the future (planning). Such brain-body interactions not only occur during waking but also persist during sleep. These exaptation steps are illustrated by the dual, endocrine-homeostatic and memory, contributions of the hippocampal system, particularly during hippocampal sharp-wave ripples.
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Affiliation(s)
- György Buzsáki
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, USA;
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Tingley
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, USA;
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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22
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Kay K, Bonnen K, Denison RN, Arcaro MJ, Barack DL. Tasks and their role in visual neuroscience. Neuron 2023; 111:1697-1713. [PMID: 37040765 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Vision is widely used as a model system to gain insights into how sensory inputs are processed and interpreted by the brain. Historically, careful quantification and control of visual stimuli have served as the backbone of visual neuroscience. There has been less emphasis, however, on how an observer's task influences the processing of sensory inputs. Motivated by diverse observations of task-dependent activity in the visual system, we propose a framework for thinking about tasks, their role in sensory processing, and how we might formally incorporate tasks into our models of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendrick Kay
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Kathryn Bonnen
- School of Optometry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Rachel N Denison
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mike J Arcaro
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA
| | - David L Barack
- Departments of Neuroscience and Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA
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23
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Ravens A, Stacher-Hörndli CN, Emery J, Steinwand S, Shepherd JD, Gregg C. Arc regulates a second-guessing cognitive bias during naturalistic foraging through effects on discrete behavior modules. iScience 2023; 26:106761. [PMID: 37216088 PMCID: PMC10196573 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging in animals relies on innate decision-making heuristics that can result in suboptimal cognitive biases in some contexts. The mechanisms underlying these biases are not well understood, but likely involve strong genetic effects. To explore this, we studied fasted mice using a naturalistic foraging paradigm and discovered an innate cognitive bias called "second-guessing." This involves repeatedly investigating an empty former food patch instead of consuming available food, which hinders the mice from maximizing feeding benefits. The synaptic plasticity gene Arc is revealed to play a role in this bias, as Arc-deficient mice did not exhibit second-guessing and consumed more food. In addition, unsupervised machine learning decompositions of foraging identified specific behavior sequences, or "modules", that are affected by Arc. These findings highlight the genetic basis of cognitive biases in decision making, show links between behavior modules and cognitive bias, and provide insight into the ethological roles of Arc in naturalistic foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Ravens
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Jared Emery
- Storyline Health Inc., Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Susan Steinwand
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jason D. Shepherd
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- University of Utah, Department of Biochemistry School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- University of Utah, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Christopher Gregg
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- University of Utah, Department of Human Genetics, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Storyline Health Inc., Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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24
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Ehlman SM, Scherer U, Bierbach D, Francisco FA, Laskowski KL, Krause J, Wolf M. Leveraging big data to uncover the eco-evolutionary factors shaping behavioural development. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222115. [PMID: 36722081 PMCID: PMC9890127 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mapping the eco-evolutionary factors shaping the development of animals' behavioural phenotypes remains a great challenge. Recent advances in 'big behavioural data' research-the high-resolution tracking of individuals and the harnessing of that data with powerful analytical tools-have vastly improved our ability to measure and model developing behavioural phenotypes. Applied to the study of behavioural ontogeny, the unfolding of whole behavioural repertoires can be mapped in unprecedented detail with relative ease. This overcomes long-standing experimental bottlenecks and heralds a surge of studies that more finely define and explore behavioural-experiential trajectories across development. In this review, we first provide a brief guide to state-of-the-art approaches that allow the collection and analysis of high-resolution behavioural data across development. We then outline how such approaches can be used to address key issues regarding the ecological and evolutionary factors shaping behavioural development: developmental feedbacks between behaviour and underlying states, early life effects and behavioural transitions, and information integration across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Ehlman
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Scherer
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Bierbach
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Fritz A. Francisco
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kate L. Laskowski
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California – Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jens Krause
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Max Wolf
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
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25
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Monaco JD, Hwang GM. Neurodynamical Computing at the Information Boundaries of Intelligent Systems. Cognit Comput 2022; 16:1-13. [PMID: 39129840 PMCID: PMC11306504 DOI: 10.1007/s12559-022-10081-9] [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: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence has not achieved defining features of biological intelligence despite models boasting more parameters than neurons in the human brain. In this perspective article, we synthesize historical approaches to understanding intelligent systems and argue that methodological and epistemic biases in these fields can be resolved by shifting away from cognitivist brain-as-computer theories and recognizing that brains exist within large, interdependent living systems. Integrating the dynamical systems view of cognition with the massive distributed feedback of perceptual control theory highlights a theoretical gap in our understanding of nonreductive neural mechanisms. Cell assemblies-properly conceived as reentrant dynamical flows and not merely as identified groups of neurons-may fill that gap by providing a minimal supraneuronal level of organization that establishes a neurodynamical base layer for computation. By considering information streams from physical embodiment and situational embedding, we discuss this computational base layer in terms of conserved oscillatory and structural properties of cortical-hippocampal networks. Our synthesis of embodied cognition, based in dynamical systems and perceptual control, aims to bypass the neurosymbolic stalemates that have arisen in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and computational neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Monaco
- Dept of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Grace M. Hwang
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
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26
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Sounding the Alarm: Sex Differences in Rat Ultrasonic Vocalizations during Pavlovian Fear Conditioning and Extinction. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0382-22.2022. [PMID: 36443006 PMCID: PMC9797209 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0382-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning is a prevalent tool in the study of aversive learning, which is a key component of stress-related psychiatric disorders. Adult rats can exhibit various threat-related behaviors, including freezing, motor responses, and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). While these responses can all signal aversion, we know little about how they relate to one another. Here we characterize USVs emitted by male and female rats during cued fear acquisition and extinction, and assess the relationship between different threat-related behaviors. We found that males consistently emitted >22 kHz calls (referred to here as "alarm calls") than females, and that alarm call frequency in males, but not females, related to the intensity of the shock stimulus. Interestingly, 25% of males and 45% of females did not emit any alarm calls at all. Males that did make alarm calls had significantly higher levels of freezing than males who did not, while no differences in freezing were observed between female Alarm callers and Non-alarm callers. Alarm call emission was also affected by the predictability of the shock; when unpaired from a tone cue, both males and females started emitting alarm calls significantly later. During extinction learning and retrieval sessions, males were again more likely than females to emit alarm calls, which followed an extinction-like reduction in frequency. Collectively these data suggest sex dependence in how behavioral readouts relate to innate and conditioned threat responses. Importantly, we suggest that the same behaviors can signal sex-dependent features of aversion.
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27
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Thura D, Cabana JF, Feghaly A, Cisek P. Integrated neural dynamics of sensorimotor decisions and actions. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001861. [PMID: 36520685 PMCID: PMC9754259 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent theoretical models suggest that deciding about actions and executing them are not implemented by completely distinct neural mechanisms but are instead two modes of an integrated dynamical system. Here, we investigate this proposal by examining how neural activity unfolds during a dynamic decision-making task within the high-dimensional space defined by the activity of cells in monkey dorsal premotor (PMd), primary motor (M1), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) as well as the external and internal segments of the globus pallidus (GPe, GPi). Dimensionality reduction shows that the four strongest components of neural activity are functionally interpretable, reflecting a state transition between deliberation and commitment, the transformation of sensory evidence into a choice, and the baseline and slope of the rising urgency to decide. Analysis of the contribution of each population to these components shows meaningful differences between regions but no distinct clusters within each region, consistent with an integrated dynamical system. During deliberation, cortical activity unfolds on a two-dimensional "decision manifold" defined by sensory evidence and urgency and falls off this manifold at the moment of commitment into a choice-dependent trajectory leading to movement initiation. The structure of the manifold varies between regions: In PMd, it is curved; in M1, it is nearly perfectly flat; and in dlPFC, it is almost entirely confined to the sensory evidence dimension. In contrast, pallidal activity during deliberation is primarily defined by urgency. We suggest that these findings reveal the distinct functional contributions of different brain regions to an integrated dynamical system governing action selection and execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Thura
- Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie, Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-François Cabana
- Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie, Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Albert Feghaly
- Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie, Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Paul Cisek
- Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie, Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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28
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Liu X, Wang F, Ramakrishna S. Hippocampus-guided engineering of memory prosthesis. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2022.100415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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29
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Kirwan CB, Vance A, Jenkins JL, Anderson BB. Embracing brain and behaviour: Designing programs of complementary neurophysiological and behavioural studies. INFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/isj.12402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Brock Kirwan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA
| | - Anthony Vance
- Department of Business Information Technology Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Jenkins
- Information Systems Department, Marriott School of Business Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA
| | - Bonnie Brinton Anderson
- Information Systems Department, Marriott School of Business Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA
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30
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Baratta AM, Brandner AJ, Plasil SL, Rice RC, Farris SP. Advancements in Genomic and Behavioral Neuroscience Analysis for the Study of Normal and Pathological Brain Function. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:905328. [PMID: 35813067 PMCID: PMC9259865 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.905328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric and neurological disorders are influenced by an undetermined number of genes and molecular pathways that may differ among afflicted individuals. Functionally testing and characterizing biological systems is essential to discovering the interrelationship among candidate genes and understanding the neurobiology of behavior. Recent advancements in genetic, genomic, and behavioral approaches are revolutionizing modern neuroscience. Although these tools are often used separately for independent experiments, combining these areas of research will provide a viable avenue for multidimensional studies on the brain. Herein we will briefly review some of the available tools that have been developed for characterizing novel cellular and animal models of human disease. A major challenge will be openly sharing resources and datasets to effectively integrate seemingly disparate types of information and how these systems impact human disorders. However, as these emerging technologies continue to be developed and adopted by the scientific community, they will bring about unprecedented opportunities in our understanding of molecular neuroscience and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa M. Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Adam J. Brandner
- Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Sonja L. Plasil
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Rachel C. Rice
- Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Sean P. Farris
- Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Sean P. Farris,
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31
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Sun X, Liu Y, Liu C, Mayumi K, Ito K, Nose A, Kohsaka H. A neuromechanical model for Drosophila larval crawling based on physical measurements. BMC Biol 2022; 20:130. [PMID: 35701821 PMCID: PMC9199175 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01336-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal locomotion requires dynamic interactions between neural circuits, the body (typically muscles), and surrounding environments. While the neural circuitry of movement has been intensively studied, how these outputs are integrated with body mechanics (neuromechanics) is less clear, in part due to the lack of understanding of the biomechanical properties of animal bodies. Here, we propose an integrated neuromechanical model of movement based on physical measurements by taking Drosophila larvae as a model of soft-bodied animals. RESULTS We first characterized the kinematics of forward crawling in Drosophila larvae at a segmental and whole-body level. We then characterized the biomechanical parameters of fly larvae, namely the contraction forces generated by neural activity, and passive elastic and viscosity of the larval body using a stress-relaxation test. We established a mathematical neuromechanical model based on the physical measurements described above, obtaining seven kinematic values characterizing crawling locomotion. By optimizing the parameters in the neural circuit, our neuromechanical model succeeded in quantitatively reproducing the kinematics of larval locomotion that were obtained experimentally. This model could reproduce the observation of optogenetic studies reported previously. The model predicted that peristaltic locomotion could be exhibited in a low-friction condition. Analysis of floating larvae provided results consistent with this prediction. Furthermore, the model predicted a significant contribution of intersegmental connections in the central nervous system, which contrasts with a previous study. This hypothesis allowed us to make a testable prediction for the variability in intersegmental connection in sister species of the genus Drosophila. CONCLUSIONS We generated a neurochemical model based on physical measurement to provide a new foundation to study locomotion in soft-bodied animals and soft robot engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyang Sun
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, the University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Yingtao Liu
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 133-0033, Japan
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Advanced Materials Science, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Koichi Mayumi
- Department of Advanced Materials Science, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Kohzo Ito
- Department of Advanced Materials Science, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Akinao Nose
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, the University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan.,Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 133-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, the University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan. .,Division of General Education, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1, Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan.
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A mechanism for punctuating equilibria during mammalian vocal development. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010173. [PMID: 35696441 PMCID: PMC9232141 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution and development are typically characterized as the outcomes of gradual changes, but sometimes (states of equilibrium can be punctuated by sudden change. Here, we studied the early vocal development of three different mammals: common marmoset monkeys, Egyptian fruit bats, and humans. Consistent with the notion of punctuated equilibria, we found that all three species undergo at least one sudden transition in the acoustics of their developing vocalizations. To understand the mechanism, we modeled different developmental landscapes. We found that the transition was best described as a shift in the balance of two vocalization landscapes. We show that the natural dynamics of these two landscapes are consistent with the dynamics of energy expenditure and information transmission. By using them as constraints for each species, we predicted the differences in transition timing from immature to mature vocalizations. Using marmoset monkeys, we were able to manipulate both infant energy expenditure (vocalizing in an environment with lighter air) and information transmission (closed-loop contingent parental vocal playback). These experiments support the importance of energy and information in leading to punctuated equilibrium states of vocal development. Species can sometimes evolve suddenly; their appearance is preceded and followed by long periods of stability. This process is known as “punctuated equilibrium”. Our data show that for three mammalian species—marmoset monkeys, fruit bats, and humans—early vocal development trajectories can also be characterized as different equilibrium states punctuated by sharp transitions; transitions indicate the advent of a new vocal behavior. To better understand the putative mechanism behind such transitions, we show that a balance model, in which variables trade-off in their importance over time, captured this change by accurately simulating the shape of the developmental trajectory and predicting the timing of the transition between immature and mature vocal states for all three species. Two variables—energy and information—were hypothesized to trade-off during development. We tested and found support for this hypothesis in analyses of two marmoset monkey experiments, one which manipulated energy metabolic costs and another which manipulated information transmission.
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Miller CT, Gire D, Hoke K, Huk AC, Kelley D, Leopold DA, Smear MC, Theunissen F, Yartsev M, Niell CM. Natural behavior is the language of the brain. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R482-R493. [PMID: 35609550 PMCID: PMC10082559 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The breadth and complexity of natural behaviors inspires awe. Understanding how our perceptions, actions, and internal thoughts arise from evolved circuits in the brain has motivated neuroscientists for generations. Researchers have traditionally approached this question by focusing on stereotyped behaviors, either natural or trained, in a limited number of model species. This approach has allowed for the isolation and systematic study of specific brain operations, which has greatly advanced our understanding of the circuits involved. At the same time, the emphasis on experimental reductionism has left most aspects of the natural behaviors that have shaped the evolution of the brain largely unexplored. However, emerging technologies and analytical tools make it possible to comprehensively link natural behaviors to neural activity across a broad range of ethological contexts and timescales, heralding new modes of neuroscience focused on natural behaviors. Here we describe a three-part roadmap that aims to leverage the wealth of behaviors in their naturally occurring distributions, linking their variance with that of underlying neural processes to understand how the brain is able to successfully navigate the everyday challenges of animals' social and ecological landscapes. To achieve this aim, experimenters must harness one challenge faced by all neurobiological systems, namely variability, in order to gain new insights into the language of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory T Miller
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92039, USA.
| | - David Gire
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Guthrie Hall, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Kim Hoke
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Alexander C Huk
- Center for Perceptual Systems, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 116 Inner Campus Drive, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Darcy Kelley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, 1212 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - David A Leopold
- Section of Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging, National Institute of Mental Health, 49 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Matthew C Smear
- Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1227 University Street, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Frederic Theunissen
- Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michael Yartsev
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, 306 Stanley Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Cristopher M Niell
- Department of Biology and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 222 Huestis Hall, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
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Ferreiro DN, Winhart VR, Grothe B, Bahrami B, Pecka M. An Active Sensing Paradigm for Studying Human Auditory Perception. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:892951. [PMID: 35662831 PMCID: PMC9159912 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.892951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Our perception is based on active sensing, i.e., the relationship between self-motion and resulting changes to sensory inputs. Yet, traditional experimental paradigms are characterized by delayed reactions to a predetermined stimulus sequence. To increase the engagement of subjects and potentially provide richer behavioral responses, we developed Sensory Island Task for humans (SITh), a freely-moving search paradigm to study auditory perception. In SITh, subjects navigate an arena in search of an auditory target, relying solely on changes in the presented stimulus frequency, which is controlled by closed-loop position tracking. A “target frequency” was played when subjects entered a circular sub-area of the arena, the “island”, while different frequencies were presented outside the island. Island locations were randomized across trials, making stimulus frequency the only informative cue for task completion. Two versions of SITh were studied: binary discrimination, and gradual change of the stimulus frequency. The latter version allowed determining frequency discrimination thresholds based on the subjects’ report of the perceived island location (i.e., target frequency). Surprisingly, subjects exhibited similar thresholds as reported in traditional “stationary” forced-choice experiments after performing only 30 trials, highlighting the intuitive nature of SITh. Notably, subjects spontaneously employed a small variety of stereotypical search patterns, and their usage proportions varied between task versions. Moreover, frequency discrimination performance depended on the search pattern used. Overall, we demonstrate that the use of an ecologically driven paradigm is able to reproduce established findings while simultaneously providing rich behavioral data for the description of sensory ethology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dardo N. Ferreiro
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Department of General Psychology and Education, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Dardo N. Ferreiro
| | - Valentin R. Winhart
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Benedikt Grothe
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Bahador Bahrami
- Department of General Psychology and Education, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Pecka
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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35
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Cuevas-López A, Pérez-Montoyo E, López-Madrona VJ, Canals S, Moratal D. Low-Power Lossless Data Compression for Wireless Brain Electrophysiology. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22103676. [PMID: 35632085 PMCID: PMC9147146 DOI: 10.3390/s22103676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Wireless electrophysiology opens important possibilities for neuroscience, especially for recording brain activity in more natural contexts, where exploration and interaction are not restricted by the usual tethered devices. The limiting factor is transmission power and, by extension, battery life required for acquiring large amounts of neural electrophysiological data. We present a digital compression algorithm capable of reducing electrophysiological data to less than 65.5% of its original size without distorting the signals, which we tested in vivo in experimental animals. The algorithm is based on a combination of delta compression and Huffman codes with optimizations for neural signals, which allow it to run in small, low-power Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), requiring few hardware resources. With this algorithm, a hardware prototype was created for wireless data transmission using commercially available devices. The power required by the algorithm itself was less than 3 mW, negligible compared to the power saved by reducing the transmission bandwidth requirements. The compression algorithm and its implementation were designed to be device-agnostic. These developments can be used to create a variety of wired and wireless neural electrophysiology acquisition systems with low power and space requirements without the need for complex or expensive specialized hardware.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena Pérez-Montoyo
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, 03550 Sant Joan d’Alacant, Alicante, Spain; (E.P.-M.); (V.J.L.-M.); (S.C.)
| | - Víctor J. López-Madrona
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, 03550 Sant Joan d’Alacant, Alicante, Spain; (E.P.-M.); (V.J.L.-M.); (S.C.)
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, 03550 Sant Joan d’Alacant, Alicante, Spain; (E.P.-M.); (V.J.L.-M.); (S.C.)
| | - David Moratal
- Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Valencia, Spain;
- Correspondence:
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Schreiner DC, Cazares C, Renteria R, Gremel CM. Information normally considered task-irrelevant drives decision-making and affects premotor circuit recruitment. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2134. [PMID: 35440120 PMCID: PMC9018678 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29807-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Decision-making is a continuous and dynamic process with prior experience reflected in and used by the brain to guide adaptive behavior. However, most neurobiological studies constrain behavior and/or analyses to task-related variables, not accounting for the continuous internal and temporal space in which they occur. We show mice rely on information learned through recent and longer-term experience beyond just prior actions and reward - including checking behavior and the passage of time - to guide self-initiated, self-paced, and self-generated actions. These experiences are represented in secondary motor cortex (M2) activity and its projections into dorsal medial striatum (DMS). M2 integrates this information to bias strategy-level decision-making, and DMS projections reflect specific aspects of this recent experience to guide actions. This suggests diverse aspects of experience drive decision-making and its neural representation, and shows premotor corticostriatal circuits are crucial for using selective aspects of experiential information to guide adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew C Schreiner
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Christian Cazares
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Rafael Renteria
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Christina M Gremel
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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37
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Gilmore RO. Show your work: Tools for open developmental science. ADVANCES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 62:37-59. [PMID: 35249685 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Since grade school, students of many subjects have learned to "show their work" in order to receive full credit for assignments. Many of the reasons for students to show their work extend to the conduct of scientific research. And yet multiple barriers make it challenging to share and show the products of scientific work beyond published findings. This chapter discusses some of these barriers and how web-based data repositories help overcome them. The focus is on Databrary.org, a data library specialized for storing and sharing video data with a restricted community of institutionally approved investigators. Databrary was designed by and for developmental researchers, and so its features and policies reflect many of the specific challenges faced by this community, especially those associated with sharing video and related identifiable data. The chapter argues that developmental science poses some of the most interesting, challenging, and important questions in all of science, and that by openly sharing much more of the products and processes of our work, developmental scientists can accelerate discovery while making our scholarship much more robust and reproducible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick O Gilmore
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, Databrary.org, University Park, PA, United States.
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38
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Bonthuis PJ, Steinwand S, Stacher Hörndli CN, Emery J, Huang WC, Kravitz S, Ferris E, Gregg C. Noncanonical genomic imprinting in the monoamine system determines naturalistic foraging and brain-adrenal axis functions. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110500. [PMID: 35263575 PMCID: PMC9128000 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Noncanonical genomic imprinting can cause biased expression of one parental allele in a tissue; however, the functional relevance of such biases is unclear. To investigate ethological roles for noncanonical imprinting in dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) and tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), we use machine learning to decompose naturalistic foraging in maternal and paternal allele mutant heterozygous mice. We uncover distinct roles for the maternal versus paternal alleles on foraging, where maternal alleles affect sons while daughters are under paternal allelic control. Each parental allele controls specific action sequences reflecting decisions in naive or familiar contexts. The maternal Ddc allele is preferentially expressed in subsets of hypothalamic GABAergic neurons, while the paternal allele predominates in subsets of adrenal cells. Each Ddc allele affects distinct molecular and endocrine components of the brain-adrenal axis. Thus, monoaminergic noncanonical imprinting has ethological roles in foraging and endocrine functions and operates by affecting discrete subsets of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Bonthuis
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Susan Steinwand
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Room 408B, Biopolymers Research Building, Bld. 570, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Cornelia N Stacher Hörndli
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Room 408B, Biopolymers Research Building, Bld. 570, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jared Emery
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Room 408B, Biopolymers Research Building, Bld. 570, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Wei-Chao Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Room 408B, Biopolymers Research Building, Bld. 570, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Stephanie Kravitz
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Room 408B, Biopolymers Research Building, Bld. 570, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Room 408B, Biopolymers Research Building, Bld. 570, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Elliott Ferris
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Room 408B, Biopolymers Research Building, Bld. 570, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Christopher Gregg
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Room 408B, Biopolymers Research Building, Bld. 570, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Room 408B, Biopolymers Research Building, Bld. 570, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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39
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Zlomuzica A, Dere E. Towards an animal model of consciousness based on the platform theory. Behav Brain Res 2022; 419:113695. [PMID: 34856300 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of intellectual capacities has brought forth a continuum of consciousness levels subserved by neuronal networks of varying complexity. Brain pathologies, neurodegenerative, and mental diseases affect conscious cognition and behavior. Although impairments in consciousness are among the most devastating consequences of neurological and mental diseases, valid and reliable animal models of consciousness, that could be used for preclinical research are missing. The platform theory holds that the brain enters a conscious operation mode, whenever mental representations of stimuli, associations, concepts, memories, and experiences are effortfully maintained (in working memory) and actively manipulated. We used the platform theory as a framework and evaluation standard to categorize behavioral paradigms with respect to the level of consciousness involved in task performance. According to the platform theory, a behavioral paradigm involves conscious cognitive operations, when the problem posed is unexpected, novel or requires the maintenance and manipulation of a large amount of information to perform cognitive operations on them. Conscious cognitive operations are associated with a relocation of processing resources and the redirection of attentional focus. A consciousness behavioral test battery is proposed that is composed of tests which are assumed to require higher levels of consciousness as compared to other tasks and paradigms. The consciousness test battery for rodents includes the following tests: Working memory in the radial arm maze, episodic-like memory, prospective memory, detour test, and operant conditioning with concurrent variable-interval variable-ratio schedules. Performance in this test battery can be contrasted with the performance in paradigms and tests that require lower levels of consciousness. Additionally, a second more comprehensive behavioral test battery is proposed to control for behavioral phenotypes not related to consciousness. Our theory could serve as a guidance for the decryption of the neurobiological basis of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Zlomuzica
- Department of Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB), Massenbergstraße 9-13, D-44787 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Ekrem Dere
- Department of Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB), Massenbergstraße 9-13, D-44787 Bochum, Germany; Sorbonne Université. Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, (IBPS), Département UMR 8256: Adaptation Biologique et Vieillissement, UFR des Sciences de la Vie, Campus Pierre et Marie Curie, Bâtiment B, 9 quai Saint Bernard, F-75005 Paris, France.
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40
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Abstract
The nervous system is a product of evolution. That is, it was constructed through a long series of modifications, within the strong constraints of heredity, and continuously subjected to intense selection pressures. As a result, the organization and functions of the brain are shaped by its history. We believe that this fact, underappreciated in contemporary systems neuroscience, offers an invaluable aid for helping us resolve the brain's mysteries. Indeed, we think that the consideration of evolutionary history ought to take its place alongside other intellectual tools used to understand the brain, such as behavioural experiments, studies of anatomical structure and functional characterization based on recordings of neural activity. In this introduction, we argue for the importance of evolution by highlighting specific examples of ways that evolutionary theory can enhance neuroscience. The rest of the theme issue elaborates this point, emphasizing the conservative nature of neural evolution, the important consequences of specific transitions that occurred in our history, and the ways in which considerations of evolution can shed light on issues ranging from specific mechanisms to fundamental principles of brain organization. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Cisek
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montréal, 2960 chemin de la tour, local 1107 Montréal, QC H3T 1J4 Canada
| | - Benjamin Y Hayden
- Department of Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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41
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Sosa R, Alcalá E. The nervous system as a solution for implementing closed negative feedback control loops. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 117:279-300. [PMID: 35119112 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Behavior can be regarded as the output of a system (action), as a function linking stimulus to response (reaction), or as an abstraction of the bidirectional relationship between the environment and the organism (interaction). When considering the latter possibility, a relevant question arises concerning how an organism can materially and continuously implement such a relationship during its lifetime in order to perpetuate itself. The feedback control approach has taken up the task of answering just that question. During the last several decades, said approach has been progressing and has started to be recognized as a paradigm shift, superseding certain canonical notions in mainstream behavior analysis, cognitive psychology, and even neuroscience. In this paper, we describe the main features of feedback control theory and its associated techniques, concentrating on its critiques of behavior analysis, as well as the commonalities they share. While some of feedback control theory's major critiques of behavior analysis arise from the fact that they focus on different levels of organization, we believe that some are legitimate and meaningful. Moreover, feedback control theory seems to blend with neurobiology more smoothly as compared to canonical behavior analysis, which only subsists in a scattered handful of fields. If this paradigm shift truly takes place, behavior analysts-whether they accept or reject this new currency-should be mindful of the basics of the feedback control approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emmanuel Alcalá
- Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente, Guadalajara, México
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42
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Towards the next generation of recurrent network models for cognitive neuroscience. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 70:182-192. [PMID: 34844122 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) trained with machine learning techniques on cognitive tasks have become a widely accepted tool for neuroscientists. In this short opinion piece, we discuss fundamental challenges faced by the early work of this approach and recent steps to overcome such challenges and build next-generation RNN models for cognition. We propose several essential questions that practitioners of this approach should address to continue to build future generations of RNN models.
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43
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Bell HC, Hsiung K, Pasberg P, Broccard FD, Nieh JC. Responsiveness to inhibitory signals changes as a function of colony size in honeybees ( Apis mellifera). J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210570. [PMID: 34753311 PMCID: PMC8580440 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological collectives, like honeybee colonies, can make intelligent decisions and robustly adapt to changing conditions via intricate systems of excitatory and inhibitory signals. In this study, we explore the role of behavioural plasticity and its relationship to network size by manipulating honeybee colony exposure to an artificial inhibitory signal. As predicted, inhibition was strongest in large colonies and weakest in small colonies. This is ecologically relevant for honeybees, for which reduced inhibitory effects may increase robustness in small colonies that must maintain a minimum level of foraging and food stores. We discuss evidence for size-dependent plasticity in other types of biological networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather C Bell
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution and, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kevin Hsiung
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution and, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Patrick Pasberg
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution and, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Section of Biomimetics, Westphalian University of Applied Sciences, Münsterstrasse 265, 46397 Bocholt, Germany
| | - Frédéric D Broccard
- Institute for Neural Computation, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - James C Nieh
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution and, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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44
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Abstract
Movement vigor provides a window on action valuation. But what is vigor, and how to measure it in the first place? Strikingly, many different co-varying vigor-related metrics can be found in the literature. I believe this is because vigor, just like the neural circuits that determine it, is an integrated, low-dimensional parameter. As such, it can only be roughly estimated.
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45
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Lameira AR, Alexandre A, Gamba M, Nowak MG, Vicente R, Wich S. Orangutan information broadcast via consonant-like and vowel-like calls breaches mathematical models of linguistic evolution. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210302. [PMID: 34582737 PMCID: PMC8478518 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of language is one of the most significant evolutionary milestones of life on Earth, but one of the most persevering scientific unknowns. Two decades ago, game theorists and mathematicians predicted that the first words and grammar emerged as a response to transmission errors and information loss in language's precursor system, however, empirical proof is lacking. Here, we assessed information loss in proto-consonants and proto-vowels in human pre-linguistic ancestors as proxied by orangutan consonant-like and vowel-like calls that compose syllable-like combinations. We played back and re-recorded calls at increasing distances across a structurally complex habitat (i.e. adverse to sound transmission). Consonant-like and vowel-like calls degraded acoustically over distance, but no information loss was detected regarding three distinct classes of information (viz. individual ID, context and population ID). Our results refute prevailing mathematical predictions and herald a turning point in language evolution theory and heuristics. Namely, explaining how the vocal–verbal continuum was crossed in the hominid family will benefit from future mathematical and computational models that, in order to enjoy empirical validity and superior explanatory power, will be informed by great ape behaviour and repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano R Lameira
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Matthew G Nowak
- Sumatran Orangutan Research Programme, PanEco-YEL, North Sumatra, Indonesia.,Department of Anthropology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Raquel Vicente
- Independent researcher, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Serge Wich
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.,Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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McCullough MH, Goodhill GJ. Unsupervised quantification of naturalistic animal behaviors for gaining insight into the brain. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 70:89-100. [PMID: 34482006 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Neural computation has evolved to optimize the behaviors that enable our survival. Although much previous work in neuroscience has focused on constrained task behaviors, recent advances in computer vision are fueling a trend toward the study of naturalistic behaviors. Automated tracking of fine-scale behaviors is generating rich datasets for animal models including rodents, fruit flies, zebrafish, and worms. However, extracting meaning from these large and complex data often requires sophisticated computational techniques. Here we review the latest methods and modeling approaches providing new insights into the brain from behavior. We focus on unsupervised methods for identifying stereotyped behaviors and for resolving details of the structure and dynamics of behavioral sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H McCullough
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Geoffrey J Goodhill
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia; School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia.
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Abstract
Olfaction is fundamentally distinct from other sensory modalities. Natural odor stimuli are complex mixtures of volatile chemicals that interact in the nose with a receptor array that, in rodents, is built from more than 1,000 unique receptors. These interactions dictate a peripheral olfactory code, which in the brain is transformed and reformatted as it is broadcast across a set of highly interconnected olfactory regions. Here we discuss the problems of characterizing peripheral population codes for olfactory stimuli, of inferring the specific functions of different higher olfactory areas given their extensive recurrence, and of ultimately understanding how odor representations are linked to perception and action. We argue that, despite the differences between olfaction and other sensory modalities, addressing these specific questions will reveal general principles underlying brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Brann
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
| | - Sandeep Robert Datta
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
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Stevenson P, Casenhiser DM, Lau BY, Krishnan K. Systematic analysis of goal-related movement sequences during maternal behaviour in a female mouse model for Rett syndrome. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:4528-4549. [PMID: 34043854 PMCID: PMC8450021 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Rodent dams seek and gather scattered pups back to the nest (pup retrieval), an essential aspect of maternal care. Systematic analysis of the dynamic sequences of goal-related movements that comprise the entire behavioural sequence, which would be ultimately essential for understanding the underlying neurobiology, is not well-characterized. Here, we present such analysis across 3 days in alloparental female mice (Surrogates or Sur) of two genotypes; Mecp2Heterozygotes (Het), a female mouse model for Rett syndrome and their wild type (WT) siblings. We analysed CBA/CaJ and C57BL/6J WT surrogates for within-strain comparisons. Frame-by-frame analysis over different phases was performed manually using DataVyu software. We previously showed that surrogate Het are inefficient at pup retrieval, by end-point analysis such as latency index and errors. Here, the sequence of searching, pup-approach and successful retrieval streamlines over days for WT, while Het exhibits variations in this pattern. Goal-related movements between Het and WT are similar in other phases, suggesting context-driven atypical patterns in Het during the pup retrieval phase. We identified proximal pup approach and pup grooming as atypical tactile interactions between pups and Het. Day-by-day analysis showed dynamic changes in goal-related movements in individual animals across genotypes and strains. Overall, our approach (1) highlights natural variation in individual mice on different days, (2) establishes a "gold-standard" manually curated dataset to help build behavioural repertoires using machine learning approaches, and (3) suggests atypical tactile sensory processing and possible regression in a female mouse model for Rett syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker Stevenson
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
| | - Devin M. Casenhiser
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Department, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Knoxville, TN 37996
| | - Billy Y.B. Lau
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
| | - Keerthi Krishnan
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
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Brette R. Integrative Neuroscience of Paramecium, a "Swimming Neuron". eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0018-21.2021. [PMID: 33952615 PMCID: PMC8208649 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0018-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Paramecium is a unicellular organism that swims in fresh water by beating thousands of cilia. When it is stimulated (mechanically, chemically, optically, thermally…), it often swims backward then turns and swims forward again. This "avoiding reaction" is triggered by a calcium-based action potential. For this reason, some authors have called Paramecium a "swimming neuron." This review summarizes current knowledge about the physiological basis of behavior of Paramecium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Brette
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France
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The Kainic Acid Models of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0337-20.2021. [PMID: 33658312 PMCID: PMC8174050 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0337-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental models of epilepsy are useful to identify potential mechanisms of epileptogenesis, seizure genesis, comorbidities, and treatment efficacy. The kainic acid (KA) model is one of the most commonly used. Several modes of administration of KA exist, each producing different effects in a strain-, species-, gender-, and age-dependent manner. In this review, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the various forms of KA administration (systemic, intrahippocampal, and intranasal), as well as the histologic, electrophysiological, and behavioral outcomes in different strains and species. We attempt a personal perspective and discuss areas where work is needed. The diversity of KA models and their outcomes offers researchers a rich palette of phenotypes, which may be relevant to specific traits found in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.
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