1
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Furutachi S, Franklin AD, Aldea AM, Mrsic-Flogel TD, Hofer SB. Cooperative thalamocortical circuit mechanism for sensory prediction errors. Nature 2024; 633:398-406. [PMID: 39198646 PMCID: PMC11390482 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07851-w] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
The brain functions as a prediction machine, utilizing an internal model of the world to anticipate sensations and the outcomes of our actions. Discrepancies between expected and actual events, referred to as prediction errors, are leveraged to update the internal model and guide our attention towards unexpected events1-10. Despite the importance of prediction-error signals for various neural computations across the brain, surprisingly little is known about the neural circuit mechanisms responsible for their implementation. Here we describe a thalamocortical disinhibitory circuit that is required for generating sensory prediction-error signals in mouse primary visual cortex (V1). We show that violating animals' predictions by an unexpected visual stimulus preferentially boosts responses of the layer 2/3 V1 neurons that are most selective for that stimulus. Prediction errors specifically amplify the unexpected visual input, rather than representing non-specific surprise or difference signals about how the visual input deviates from the animal's predictions. This selective amplification is implemented by a cooperative mechanism requiring thalamic input from the pulvinar and cortical vasoactive-intestinal-peptide-expressing (VIP) inhibitory interneurons. In response to prediction errors, VIP neurons inhibit a specific subpopulation of somatostatin-expressing inhibitory interneurons that gate excitatory pulvinar input to V1, resulting in specific pulvinar-driven response amplification of the most stimulus-selective neurons in V1. Therefore, the brain prioritizes unpredicted sensory information by selectively increasing the salience of unpredicted sensory features through the synergistic interaction of thalamic input and neocortical disinhibitory circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Furutachi
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK.
| | | | - Andreea M Aldea
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Sonja B Hofer
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK.
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2
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Schmidt KE. Equalizing transcallosal inhibition in the mouse anterior cingulate mitigates visuospatial neglect. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:395-397. [PMID: 38658244 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
A recent study by Wang and colleagues disentangled a transcallosal inhibitory circuit in mouse anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which modulates excitatory ipsilateral tonus and contralateral inhibition by exciting contralateral parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons. The authors conclude that the identified circuit mediates interhemispheric balance for visuospatial attention and provides top-down modulation of visual cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Erika Schmidt
- Neurobiology of Vision Lab, Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil; Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany.
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3
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Xia R, Chen X, Engel TA, Moore T. Common and distinct neural mechanisms of attention. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:554-567. [PMID: 38388258 PMCID: PMC11153008 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Despite a constant deluge of sensory stimulation, only a fraction of it is used to guide behavior. This selective processing is generally referred to as attention, and much research has focused on the neural mechanisms controlling it. Recently, research has broadened to include more ways by which different species selectively process sensory information, whether due to the sensory input itself or to different behavioral and brain states. This work has produced a complex and disjointed body of evidence across different species and forms of attention. However, it has also provided opportunities to better understand the breadth of attentional mechanisms. Here, we summarize the evidence that suggests that different forms of selective processing are supported by mechanisms both common and distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruobing Xia
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xiaomo Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Tatiana A Engel
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Tirin Moore
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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4
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Liu Y, Zhang J, Jiang Z, Qin M, Xu M, Zhang S, Ma G. Organization of corticocortical and thalamocortical top-down inputs in the primary visual cortex. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4495. [PMID: 38802410 PMCID: PMC11130321 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48924-8] [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: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Unified visual perception requires integration of bottom-up and top-down inputs in the primary visual cortex (V1), yet the organization of top-down inputs in V1 remains unclear. Here, we used optogenetics-assisted circuit mapping to identify how multiple top-down inputs from higher-order cortical and thalamic areas engage V1 excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Top-down inputs overlap in superficial layers yet segregate in deep layers. Inputs from the medial secondary visual cortex (V2M) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACA) converge on L6 Pyrs, whereas ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (ORBvl) and lateral posterior thalamic nucleus (LP) inputs are processed in parallel in Pyr-type-specific subnetworks (Pyr←ORBvl and Pyr←LP) and drive mutual inhibition between them via local interneurons. Our study deepens understanding of the top-down modulation mechanisms of visual processing and establishes that V2M and ACA inputs in L6 employ integrated processing distinct from the parallel processing of LP and ORBvl inputs in L5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmei Liu
- Songjiang Hospital and Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201600, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Jiahe Zhang
- Songjiang Hospital and Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201600, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Zhishan Jiang
- Songjiang Hospital and Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201600, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Meiling Qin
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Min Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Songjiang Hospital and Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201600, China.
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Guofen Ma
- Songjiang Hospital and Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201600, China.
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
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5
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Kong Y, Zhao C, Li D, Li B, Hu Y, Liu H, Woolgar A, Guo J, Song Y. Auditory change detection and visual selective attention: association between MMN and N2pc. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae175. [PMID: 38700440 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae175] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
While the auditory and visual systems each provide distinct information to our brain, they also work together to process and prioritize input to address ever-changing conditions. Previous studies highlighted the trade-off between auditory change detection and visual selective attention; however, the relationship between them is still unclear. Here, we recorded electroencephalography signals from 106 healthy adults in three experiments. Our findings revealed a positive correlation at the population level between the amplitudes of event-related potential indices associated with auditory change detection (mismatch negativity) and visual selective attention (posterior contralateral N2) when elicited in separate tasks. This correlation persisted even when participants performed a visual task while disregarding simultaneous auditory stimuli. Interestingly, as visual attention demand increased, participants whose posterior contralateral N2 amplitude increased the most exhibited the largest reduction in mismatch negativity, suggesting a within-subject trade-off between the two processes. Taken together, our results suggest an intimate relationship and potential shared mechanism between auditory change detection and visual selective attention. We liken this to a total capacity limit that varies between individuals, which could drive correlated individual differences in auditory change detection and visual selective attention, and also within-subject competition between the two, with task-based modulation of visual attention causing within-participant decrease in auditory change detection sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjun Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Chenguang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Dongwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, 18 Jinfeng Road, Zhuhai 519087, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Bingkun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yiqing Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hongyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Alexandra Woolgar
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Jialiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
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6
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Cortes N, Ladret HJ, Abbas-Farishta R, Casanova C. The pulvinar as a hub of visual processing and cortical integration. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:120-134. [PMID: 38143202 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.11.008] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
The pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus is a crucial component of the visual system and plays significant roles in sensory processing and cognitive integration. The pulvinar's extensive connectivity with cortical regions allows for bidirectional communication, contributing to the integration of sensory information across the visual hierarchy. Recent findings underscore the pulvinar's involvement in attentional modulation, feature binding, and predictive coding. In this review, we highlight recent advances in clarifying the pulvinar's circuitry and function. We discuss the contributions of the pulvinar to signal modulation across the global cortical network and place these findings within theoretical frameworks of cortical processing, particularly the global neuronal workspace (GNW) theory and predictive coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Cortes
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Hugo J Ladret
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Reza Abbas-Farishta
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Casanova
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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7
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Cazemier JL, Haak R, Tran TKL, Hsu ATY, Husic M, Peri BD, Kirchberger L, Self MW, Roelfsema P, Heimel JA. Involvement of superior colliculus in complex figure detection of mice. eLife 2024; 13:e83708. [PMID: 38270590 PMCID: PMC10810606 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Object detection is an essential function of the visual system. Although the visual cortex plays an important role in object detection, the superior colliculus can support detection when the visual cortex is ablated or silenced. Moreover, it has been shown that superficial layers of mouse SC (sSC) encode visual features of complex objects, and that this code is not inherited from the primary visual cortex. This suggests that mouse sSC may provide a significant contribution to complex object vision. Here, we use optogenetics to show that mouse sSC is involved in figure detection based on differences in figure contrast, orientation, and phase. Additionally, our neural recordings show that in mouse sSC, image elements that belong to a figure elicit stronger activity than those same elements when they are part of the background. The discriminability of this neural code is higher for correct trials than for incorrect trials. Our results provide new insight into the behavioral relevance of the visual processing that takes place in sSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Leonie Cazemier
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Robin Haak
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
| | - TK Loan Tran
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Ann TY Hsu
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Medina Husic
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Brandon D Peri
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Lisa Kirchberger
- Department of Vision and Cognition, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Matthew W Self
- Department of Vision and Cognition, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Pieter Roelfsema
- Department of Vision and Cognition, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, VU UniversityAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical CentreAmsterdamNetherlands
- Laboratory of Visual Brain Therapy, Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de la VisionParisFrance
| | - J Alexander Heimel
- Department of Circuits, Structure & Function, The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)AmsterdamNetherlands
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8
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Braine A, Georges F. Emotion in action: When emotions meet motor circuits. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 155:105475. [PMID: 37996047 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The brain is a remarkably complex organ responsible for a wide range of functions, including the modulation of emotional states and movement. Neuronal circuits are believed to play a crucial role in integrating sensory, cognitive, and emotional information to ultimately guide motor behavior. Over the years, numerous studies employing diverse techniques such as electrophysiology, imaging, and optogenetics have revealed a complex network of neural circuits involved in the regulation of emotional or motor processes. Emotions can exert a substantial influence on motor performance, encompassing both everyday activities and pathological conditions. The aim of this review is to explore how emotional states can shape movements by connecting the neural circuits for emotional processing to motor neural circuits. We first provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of different emotional states on motor control in humans and rodents. In line with behavioral studies, we set out to identify emotion-related structures capable of modulating motor output, behaviorally and anatomically. Neuronal circuits involved in emotional processing are extensively connected to the motor system. These circuits can drive emotional behavior, essential for survival, but can also continuously shape ongoing movement. In summary, the investigation of the intricate relationship between emotion and movement offers valuable insights into human behavior, including opportunities to enhance performance, and holds promise for improving mental and physical health. This review integrates findings from multiple scientific approaches, including anatomical tracing, circuit-based dissection, and behavioral studies, conducted in both animal and human subjects. By incorporating these different methodologies, we aim to present a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the emotional modulation of movement in both physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaelle Braine
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
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9
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Wu K, Wang D, Wang Y, Tang P, Li X, Pan Y, Tao HW, Zhang LI, Liang F. Distinct circuits in anterior cingulate cortex encode safety assessment and mediate flexibility of fear reactions. Neuron 2023; 111:3650-3667.e6. [PMID: 37652003 PMCID: PMC10990237 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Safety assessment and threat evaluation are crucial for animals to live and survive in the wilderness. However, neural circuits underlying safety assessment and their transformation to mediate flexibility of fear-induced defensive behaviors remain largely unknown. Here, we report that distinct neuronal populations in mouse anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) encode safety status by selectively responding under different contexts of auditory threats, with one preferably activated when an animal staysing in a self-deemed safe zone and another specifically activated in more dangerous environmental settings that led to escape behavior. The safety-responding neurons preferentially target the zona incerta (ZI), which suppresses the superior colliculus (SC) via its GABAergic projection, while the danger-responding neurons preferentially target and excite SC. These distinct corticofugal pathways antagonistically modulate SC responses to threat, resulting in context-dependent expression of fear reactions. Thus, ACC serves as a critical node to encode safety/danger assessment and mediate behavioral flexibility through differential top-down circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaibin Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Dijia Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Peiwen Tang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xuan Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yidi Pan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Center for Neural Circuits & Sensory Processing Disorders, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Li I Zhang
- Center for Neural Circuits & Sensory Processing Disorders, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Feixue Liang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510220, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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10
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Li C, Kühn NK, Alkislar I, Sans-Dublanc A, Zemmouri F, Paesmans S, Calzoni A, Ooms F, Reinhard K, Farrow K. Pathway-specific inputs to the superior colliculus support flexible responses to visual threat. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade3874. [PMID: 37647395 PMCID: PMC10468139 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade3874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility requires directing feedforward sensory information to appropriate targets. In the superior colliculus, divergent outputs orchestrate different responses to visual threats, but the circuit organization enabling the flexible routing of sensory information remains unknown. To determine this structure, we focused on inhibitory projection (Gad2) neurons. Trans-synaptic tracing and neuronal recordings revealed that Gad2 neurons projecting to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and the parabigeminal nucleus (PBG) form two separate populations, each receiving a different set of non-retinal inputs. Inhibiting the LGN- or PBG-projecting Gad2 neurons resulted in opposing effects on behavior; increasing freezing or escape probability to visual looming, respectively. Optogenetic activation of selected inputs to the LGN- and PBG-projecting Gad2 cells predictably regulated responses to visual threat. These data suggest that projection-specific sampling of brain-wide inputs provides a circuit design principle that enables visual inputs to be selectively routed to produce context-specific behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Li
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Norma K. Kühn
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ilayda Alkislar
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arnau Sans-Dublanc
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Firdaouss Zemmouri
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Soraya Paesmans
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alex Calzoni
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frédérique Ooms
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katja Reinhard
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karl Farrow
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Imec, Leuven, Belgium
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11
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Wang Y, Chen Z, Ma G, Wang L, Liu Y, Qin M, Fei X, Wu Y, Xu M, Zhang S. A frontal transcallosal inhibition loop mediates interhemispheric balance in visuospatial processing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5213. [PMID: 37626171 PMCID: PMC10457336 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40985-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Interhemispheric communication through the corpus callosum is required for both sensory and cognitive processes. Impaired transcallosal inhibition causing interhemispheric imbalance is believed to underlie visuospatial bias after frontoparietal cortical damage, but the synaptic circuits involved remain largely unknown. Here, we show that lesions in the mouse anterior cingulate area (ACA) cause severe visuospatial bias mediated by a transcallosal inhibition loop. In a visual-change-detection task, ACA callosal-projection neurons (CPNs) were more active with contralateral visual field changes than with ipsilateral changes. Unilateral CPN inactivation impaired contralateral change detection but improved ipsilateral detection by altering interhemispheric interaction through callosal projections. CPNs strongly activated contralateral parvalbumin-positive (PV+) neurons, and callosal-input-driven PV+ neurons preferentially inhibited ipsilateral CPNs, thus mediating transcallosal inhibition. Unilateral PV+ neuron activation caused a similar behavioral bias to contralateral CPN activation and ipsilateral CPN inactivation, and bilateral PV+ neuron activation eliminated this bias. Notably, restoring interhemispheric balance by activating contralesional PV+ neurons significantly improved contralesional detection in ACA-lesioned animals. Thus, a frontal transcallosal inhibition loop comprising CPNs and callosal-input-driven PV+ neurons mediates interhemispheric balance in visuospatial processing, and enhancing contralesional transcallosal inhibition restores interhemispheric balance while also reversing lesion-induced bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Wang
- Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Zhaonan Chen
- Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Guofen Ma
- Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Lizhao Wang
- Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Yanmei Liu
- Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Meiling Qin
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiang Fei
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Yifan Wu
- Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Min Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.
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12
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Liang Y, Lu R, Borges K, Ji N. Stimulus edges induce orientation tuning in superior colliculus. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4756. [PMID: 37553352 PMCID: PMC10409754 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40444-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Orientation columns exist in the primary visual cortex (V1) of cat and primates but not mouse. Intriguingly, some recent studies reported the presence of orientation and direction columns in the mouse superficial superior colliculus (sSC), while others reported a lack of columnar organization therein. Using in vivo calcium imaging of sSC in the awake mouse brain, we found that the presence of columns is highly stimulus dependent. Specifically, we observed orientation and direction columns formed by sSC neurons retinotopically mapped to the edge of grating stimuli. For both excitatory and inhibitory neurons in sSC, orientation selectivity can be induced by the edge with their preferred orientation perpendicular to the edge orientation. Furthermore, we found that this edge-induced orientation selectivity is associated with saliency encoding. These findings indicate that the tuning properties of sSC neurons are not fixed by circuit architecture but rather dependent on the spatiotemporal properties of the stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Liang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, 20148, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Rongwen Lu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, 20148, USA
| | - Katharine Borges
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Na Ji
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, 20148, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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13
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Gao L, Liu S, Wang Y, Wu Q, Gou L, Yan J. Single-neuron analysis of dendrites and axons reveals the network organization in mouse prefrontal cortex. Nat Neurosci 2023:10.1038/s41593-023-01339-y. [PMID: 37217724 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01339-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The structures of dendrites and axons form the basis for the connectivity of neural network, but their precise relationship at single-neuron level remains unclear. Here we report the complete dendrite and axon morphology of nearly 2,000 neurons in mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC). We identified morphological variations of somata, dendrites and axons across laminar layers and PFC subregions and the general rules of somatodendritic scaling with cytoarchitecture. We uncovered 24 morphologically distinguishable dendrite subtypes in 1,515 pyramidal projection neurons and 405 atypical pyramidal projection neurons and spiny stellate neurons with unique axon projection patterns. Furthermore, correspondence analysis among dendrites, local axons and long-range axons revealed coherent morphological changes associated with electrophysiological phenotypes. Finally, integrative dendrite-axon analysis uncovered the organization of potential intra-column, inter-hemispheric and inter-column connectivity among projection neuron types in PFC. Together, our study provides a comprehensive structural repertoire for the reconstruction and analysis of PFC neural network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Gao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Sang Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanzhi Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiwen Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingfeng Gou
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.
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14
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Hanganu-Opatz IL, Klausberger T, Sigurdsson T, Nieder A, Jacob SN, Bartos M, Sauer JF, Durstewitz D, Leibold C, Diester I. Resolving the prefrontal mechanisms of adaptive cognitive behaviors: A cross-species perspective. Neuron 2023; 111:1020-1036. [PMID: 37023708 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.017] [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: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) enables a staggering variety of complex behaviors, such as planning actions, solving problems, and adapting to new situations according to external information and internal states. These higher-order abilities, collectively defined as adaptive cognitive behavior, require cellular ensembles that coordinate the tradeoff between the stability and flexibility of neural representations. While the mechanisms underlying the function of cellular ensembles are still unclear, recent experimental and theoretical studies suggest that temporal coordination dynamically binds prefrontal neurons into functional ensembles. A so far largely separate stream of research has investigated the prefrontal efferent and afferent connectivity. These two research streams have recently converged on the hypothesis that prefrontal connectivity patterns influence ensemble formation and the function of neurons within ensembles. Here, we propose a unitary concept that, leveraging a cross-species definition of prefrontal regions, explains how prefrontal ensembles adaptively regulate and efficiently coordinate multiple processes in distinct cognitive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Thomas Klausberger
- Center for Brain Research, Division of Cognitive Neurobiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Torfi Sigurdsson
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon N Jacob
- Translational Neurotechnology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlene Bartos
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Jonas-Frederic Sauer
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Daniel Durstewitz
- Department of Theoretical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health & Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Faculty of Biology, Bernstein Center Freiburg, BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Ilka Diester
- Optophysiology - Optogenetics and Neurophysiology, IMBIT // BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
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15
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Zhang N, Xu NL. Reshaping sensory representations by task-specific brain states: Toward cortical circuit mechanisms. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 77:102628. [PMID: 36116166 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Perception is internally constructed by integrating brain states with external sensory inputs, a process depending on the topdown modulation of sensory representations. A wealth of earlier studies described task-dependent modulations of sensory cortex corroborating perceptual and behavioral phenomena. But only with recent technological advancements, the underlying circuit-level mechanisms began to be unveiled. We review recent progress along this line of research. It begins to be appreciated that topdown signals can encode various types of task-related information, ranging from task engagement, and category knowledge to decision execution; these signals are transferred via feedback pathways originating from distinct association cortices and interact with sensory cortical circuits. These plausible mechanisms support a broad range of computations from predictive coding to inference making, ultimately form dynamic percepts and endow behavioral flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningyu Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Ning-Long Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 201210, China.
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16
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Qi J, Ye C, Naskar S, Inácio AR, Lee S. Posteromedial thalamic nucleus activity significantly contributes to perceptual discrimination. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001896. [PMID: 36441759 PMCID: PMC9731480 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher-order sensory thalamic nuclei are densely connected with multiple cortical and subcortical areas, yet the role of these nuclei remains elusive. The posteromedial thalamic nucleus (POm), the higher-order thalamic nucleus in the rodent somatosensory system, is an anatomical hub broadly connected with multiple sensory and motor brain areas yet weakly responds to passive sensory stimulation and whisker movements. To understand the role of POm in sensory perception, we developed a self-initiated, two-alternative forced-choice task in freely moving mice during active sensing. Using optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulation, we show that POm plays a significant role in sensory perception and the projection from the primary somatosensory cortex to POm is critical for the contribution of POm in sensory perception during active sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Qi
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Changquan Ye
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shovan Naskar
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ana R. Inácio
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Soohyun Lee
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Safron A. Integrated world modeling theory expanded: Implications for the future of consciousness. Front Comput Neurosci 2022; 16:642397. [PMID: 36507308 PMCID: PMC9730424 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2022.642397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrated world modeling theory (IWMT) is a synthetic theory of consciousness that uses the free energy principle and active inference (FEP-AI) framework to combine insights from integrated information theory (IIT) and global neuronal workspace theory (GNWT). Here, I first review philosophical principles and neural systems contributing to IWMT's integrative perspective. I then go on to describe predictive processing models of brains and their connections to machine learning architectures, with particular emphasis on autoencoders (perceptual and active inference), turbo-codes (establishment of shared latent spaces for multi-modal integration and inferential synergy), and graph neural networks (spatial and somatic modeling and control). Future directions for IIT and GNWT are considered by exploring ways in which modules and workspaces may be evaluated as both complexes of integrated information and arenas for iterated Bayesian model selection. Based on these considerations, I suggest novel ways in which integrated information might be estimated using concepts from probabilistic graphical models, flow networks, and game theory. Mechanistic and computational principles are also considered with respect to the ongoing debate between IIT and GNWT regarding the physical substrates of different kinds of conscious and unconscious phenomena. I further explore how these ideas might relate to the "Bayesian blur problem," or how it is that a seemingly discrete experience can be generated from probabilistic modeling, with some consideration of analogies from quantum mechanics as potentially revealing different varieties of inferential dynamics. I go on to describe potential means of addressing critiques of causal structure theories based on network unfolding, and the seeming absurdity of conscious expander graphs (without cybernetic symbol grounding). Finally, I discuss future directions for work centered on attentional selection and the evolutionary origins of consciousness as facilitated "unlimited associative learning." While not quite solving the Hard problem, this article expands on IWMT as a unifying model of consciousness and the potential future evolution of minds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Safron
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies (IACS), Santa Monica, CA, United States
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18
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Jure R. The “Primitive Brain Dysfunction” Theory of Autism: The Superior Colliculus Role. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:797391. [PMID: 35712344 PMCID: PMC9194533 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.797391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of the pathogenesis of autism will help clarify our conception of the complexity of normal brain development. The crucial deficit may lie in the postnatal changes that vision produces in the brainstem nuclei during early life. The superior colliculus is the primary brainstem visual center. Although difficult to examine in humans with present techniques, it is known to support behaviors essential for every vertebrate to survive, such as the ability to pay attention to relevant stimuli and to produce automatic motor responses based on sensory input. From birth to death, it acts as a brain sentinel that influences basic aspects of our behavior. It is the main brainstem hub that lies between the environment and the rest of the higher neural system, making continuous, implicit decisions about where to direct our attention. The conserved cortex-like organization of the superior colliculus in all vertebrates allows the early appearance of primitive emotionally-related behaviors essential for survival. It contains first-line specialized neurons enabling the detection and tracking of faces and movements from birth. During development, it also sends the appropriate impulses to help shape brain areas necessary for social-communicative abilities. These abilities require the analysis of numerous variables, such as the simultaneous evaluation of incoming information sustained by separate brain networks (visual, auditory and sensory-motor, social, emotional, etc.), and predictive capabilities which compare present events to previous experiences and possible responses. These critical aspects of decision-making allow us to evaluate the impact that our response or behavior may provoke in others. The purpose of this review is to show that several enigmas about the complexity of autism might be explained by disruptions of collicular and brainstem functions. The results of two separate lines of investigation: 1. the cognitive, etiologic, and pathogenic aspects of autism on one hand, and two. the functional anatomy of the colliculus on the other, are considered in order to bridge the gap between basic brain science and clinical studies and to promote future research in this unexplored area.
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19
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Chen S, McDunn BA. Metacognition: History, measurements, and the role in early childhood development and education. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2022.101786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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20
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Wheatcroft T, Saleem AB, Solomon SG. Functional Organisation of the Mouse Superior Colliculus. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:792959. [PMID: 35601532 PMCID: PMC9118347 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.792959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC) is a highly conserved area of the mammalian midbrain that is widely implicated in the organisation and control of behaviour. SC receives input from a large number of brain areas, and provides outputs to a large number of areas. The convergence and divergence of anatomical connections with different areas and systems provides challenges for understanding how SC contributes to behaviour. Recent work in mouse has provided large anatomical datasets, and a wealth of new data from experiments that identify and manipulate different cells within SC, and their inputs and outputs, during simple behaviours. These data offer an opportunity to better understand the roles that SC plays in these behaviours. However, some of the observations appear, at first sight, to be contradictory. Here we review this recent work and hypothesise a simple framework which can capture the observations, that requires only a small change to previous models. Specifically, the functional organisation of SC can be explained by supposing that three largely distinct circuits support three largely distinct classes of simple behaviours-arrest, turning towards, and the triggering of escape or capture. These behaviours are hypothesised to be supported by the optic, intermediate and deep layers, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Samuel G. Solomon
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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21
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Leow YN, Zhou B, Sullivan HA, Barlowe AR, Wickersham IR, Sur M. Brain-wide mapping of inputs to the mouse lateral posterior (LP/Pulvinar) thalamus-anterior cingulate cortex network. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:1992-2013. [PMID: 35383929 PMCID: PMC9167239 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The rodent homolog of the primate pulvinar, the lateral posterior (LP) thalamus, is extensively interconnected with multiple cortical areas. While these cortical interactions can span the entire LP, subdivisions of the LP are characterized by differential connections with specific cortical regions. In particular, the medial LP has reciprocal connections with frontoparietal cortical areas, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The ACC plays an integral role in top‐down sensory processing and attentional regulation, likely exerting some of these functions via the LP. However, little is known about how ACC and LP interact, and about the information potentially integrated in this reciprocal network. Here, we address this gap by employing a projection‐specific monosynaptic rabies tracing strategy to delineate brain‐wide inputs to bottom‐up LP→ACC and top‐down ACC→LP neurons. We find that LP→ACC neurons receive inputs from widespread cortical regions, including primary and higher order sensory and motor cortical areas. LP→ACC neurons also receive extensive subcortical inputs, particularly from the intermediate and deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC). Sensory inputs to ACC→LP neurons largely arise from visual cortical areas. In addition, ACC→LP neurons integrate cross‐hemispheric prefrontal cortex inputs as well as inputs from higher order medial cortex. Our brain‐wide anatomical mapping of inputs to the reciprocal LP‐ACC pathways provides a roadmap for understanding how LP and ACC communicate different sources of information to mediate attentional control and visuomotor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ning Leow
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Blake Zhou
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Heather A Sullivan
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexandria R Barlowe
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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22
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Gao L, Liu S, Gou L, Hu Y, Liu Y, Deng L, Ma D, Wang H, Yang Q, Chen Z, Liu D, Qiu S, Wang X, Wang D, Wang X, Ren B, Liu Q, Chen T, Shi X, Yao H, Xu C, Li CT, Sun Y, Li A, Luo Q, Gong H, Xu N, Yan J. Single-neuron projectome of mouse prefrontal cortex. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:515-529. [PMID: 35361973 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01041-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the cognitive center that integrates and regulates global brain activity. However, the whole-brain organization of PFC axon projections remains poorly understood. Using single-neuron reconstruction of 6,357 mouse PFC projection neurons, we identified 64 projectome-defined subtypes. Each of four previously known major cortico-cortical subnetworks was targeted by a distinct group of PFC subtypes defined by their first-order axon collaterals. Further analysis unraveled topographic rules of soma distribution within PFC, first-order collateral branch point-dependent target selection and terminal arbor distribution-dependent target subdivision. Furthermore, we obtained a high-precision hierarchical map within PFC and three distinct functionally related PFC modules, each enriched with internal recurrent connectivity. Finally, we showed that each transcriptome subtype corresponds to multiple projectome subtypes found in different PFC subregions. Thus, whole-brain single-neuron projectome analysis reveals organization principles of axon projections within and outside PFC and provides the essential basis for elucidating neuronal connectivity underlying diverse PFC functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Gao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Sang Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingfeng Gou
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yachuang Hu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhe Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Deng
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Danyi Ma
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Haifang Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaoqin Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Dechen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Shou Qiu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Danying Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinran Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Biyu Ren
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingxu Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianzhi Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoxue Shi
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Haishan Yao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengyu T Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yangang Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Anan Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI Institute for Brainsmatics, Suzhou, China
| | - Qingming Luo
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI Institute for Brainsmatics, Suzhou, China.,School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Hui Gong
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. .,HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI Institute for Brainsmatics, Suzhou, China.
| | - Ninglong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jun Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.
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23
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Zhang Q, Cramer SR, Ma Z, Turner KL, Gheres KW, Liu Y, Drew PJ, Zhang N. Brain-wide ongoing activity is responsible for significant cross-trial BOLD variability. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:5311-5329. [PMID: 35179203 PMCID: PMC9712744 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A notorious issue of task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is its large cross-trial variability. To quantitatively characterize this variability, the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal can be modeled as a linear summation of a stimulation-relevant and an ongoing (i.e. stimulation-irrelevant) component. However, systematic investigation on the spatiotemporal features of the ongoing BOLD component and how these features affect the BOLD response is still lacking. Here we measured fMRI responses to light onsets and light offsets in awake rats. The neuronal response was simultaneously recorded with calcium-based fiber photometry. We established that between-region BOLD signals were highly correlated brain-wide at zero time lag, including regions that did not respond to visual stimulation, suggesting that the ongoing activity co-fluctuates across the brain. Removing this ongoing activity reduced cross-trial variability of the BOLD response by ~30% and increased its coherence with the Ca2+ signal. Additionally, the negative ongoing BOLD activity sometimes dominated over the stimulation-driven response and contributed to the post-stimulation BOLD undershoot. These results suggest that brain-wide ongoing activity is responsible for significant cross-trial BOLD variability, and this component can be reliably quantified and removed to improve the reliability of fMRI response. Importantly, this method can be generalized to virtually all fMRI experiments without changing stimulation paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Samuel R Cramer
- Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,The Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Zilu Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Kevin L Turner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Kyle W Gheres
- Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,Graduate Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Yikang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Patrick J Drew
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,The Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,Graduate Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States,Department of Neurosurgery, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, United States
| | - Nanyin Zhang
- Corresponding author: Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, Lloyd & Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair in Brain Imaging, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, W-341 Millennium Science Complex, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
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24
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Wang L, Herman JP, Krauzlis RJ. Neuronal modulation in the mouse superior colliculus during covert visual selective attention. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2482. [PMID: 35169189 PMCID: PMC8847498 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06410-5] [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: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Covert visual attention is accomplished by a cascade of mechanisms distributed across multiple brain regions. Visual cortex is associated with enhanced representations of relevant stimulus features, whereas the contributions of subcortical circuits are less well understood but have been associated with selection of relevant spatial locations and suppression of distracting stimuli. As a step toward understanding these subcortical circuits, here we identified how neuronal activity in the intermediate layers of the superior colliculus (SC) of head-fixed mice is modulated during covert visual attention. We found that spatial cues modulated both firing rate and spike-count correlations. Crucially, the cue-related modulation in firing rate was due to enhancement of activity at the cued spatial location rather than suppression at the uncued location, indicating that SC neurons in our task were modulated by an excitatory or disinhibitory circuit mechanism focused on the relevant location, rather than broad inhibition of irrelevant locations. This modulation improved the neuronal discriminability of visual-change-evoked activity, but only when assessed for neuronal activity between the contralateral and ipsilateral SC. Together, our findings indicate that neurons in the mouse SC can contribute to covert visual selective attention by biasing processing in favor of locations expected to contain task-relevant information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lupeng Wang
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - James P Herman
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Richard J Krauzlis
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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25
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Chevée M, Finkel EA, Kim SJ, O’Connor DH, Brown SP. Neural activity in the mouse claustrum in a cross-modal sensory selection task. Neuron 2022; 110:486-501.e7. [PMID: 34863367 PMCID: PMC8829966 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The claustrum, a subcortical nucleus forming extensive connections with the neocortex, has been implicated in sensory selection. Sensory-evoked claustrum activity is thought to modulate the neocortex's context-dependent response to sensory input. Recording from claustrum neurons while mice performed a tactile-visual sensory-selection task, we found that neurons in the anterior claustrum, including putative optotagged claustrocortical neurons projecting to the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), were rarely modulated by sensory input. Rather, they exhibited different types of direction-tuned motor responses. Furthermore, we found that claustrum neurons encoded upcoming movement during intertrial intervals and that pairs of claustrum neurons exhibiting synchronous firing were enriched for pairs preferring contralateral lick directions, suggesting that the activity of specific ensembles of similarly tuned claustrum neurons may modulate cortical activity. Chemogenetic inhibition of claustrocortical neurons decreased lick responses to inappropriate sensory stimuli. Altogether, our data indicate that the claustrum is integrated into higher-order premotor circuits recently implicated in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Chevée
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Eric A. Finkel
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Su-Jeong Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Daniel H. O’Connor
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Solange P. Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Lead contact,Correspondence:
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26
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Goldstein S, Wang L, McAlonan K, Torres-Cruz M, Krauzlis RJ. Stimulus-driven visual attention in mice. J Vis 2022; 22:11. [PMID: 35044435 PMCID: PMC8787543 DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.1.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In primates, stimulus-driven changes in visual attention can facilitate or hinder perceptual performance, depending on the location and timing of the stimulus event. Mice have emerged as a powerful model for studying visual circuits and behavior; however, it is unclear whether mice show similar interactions between stimulus events and visual attention during perceptual decisions. To investigate this, we trained head-fixed mice to detect a near-threshold change in visual orientation and tested how performance was altered by task-irrelevant stimuli that occurred at different times and locations with respect to the orientation change. We found that task-irrelevant stimuli strongly affected mouse performance. Specifically, stimulus-driven attention in mice followed a similar time course as that in other species: The decreases in reaction times fully emerged between 250 and 400 ms after the stimulus event, and detection accuracy was not affected. However, the effects of stimulus-driven attention on behavior in mice were insensitive to stimulus-event location, an aspect different from what is known in primates. In contrast, reaction times in mice were reduced at longer delays after the task-irrelevant stimulus event regardless of its spatial congruence to the target. These results highlight the strengths and limitations of using mice as a model for studying higher-order visual functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheridan Goldstein
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lupeng Wang
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kerry McAlonan
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mateus Torres-Cruz
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Laboratory for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7571-0072
| | - Richard J Krauzlis
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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27
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An inferior-superior colliculus circuit controls auditory cue-directed visual spatial attention. Neuron 2021; 110:109-119.e3. [PMID: 34699777 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Selective attention modulates neuronal activity in multiple brain regions, but the origins of attention signals remain unclear. We show that, during a visual task requiring spatial attention directed by an auditory cue, an inferior-superior colliculus circuit provides the key attention signal. In mice performing a task based on a visual stimulus in the cued hemifield while ignoring a conflicting stimulus on the uncued side, the visual cortex (V1) and superior colliculus (SC) showed strong attentional modulation, with a shorter latency in the SC. The nucleus of the brachium of the inferior colliculus (nBIC), which provides auditory inputs to the SC, was activated not only at auditory cue onset but also during the delay period before the visual stimulus. The delay activity, but not cue onset activity, was crucial for task performance and attentional modulation in the SC and V1. These results establish a new behavioral paradigm for studying visual attention in mice and identify a midbrain signal controlling auditory cue-directed spatial attention.
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28
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Gated feedforward inhibition in the frontal cortex releases goal-directed action. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1452-1464. [PMID: 34413512 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00910-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cortical circuits process both sensory and motor information in animals performing perceptual tasks. However, it is still unclear how sensory inputs are transformed into motor signals in the cortex to initiate goal-directed actions. In this study, we found that a visual-to-motor inhibitory circuit in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) triggers precise action in mice performing visual Go/No-go tasks. Three distinct features of ACC neurons-visual amplitudes of sensory neurons, suppression times of motor neurons and network activity from other neurons-predicted response times of the mice. Moreover, optogenetic activation of visual inputs in the ACC, which drives fast-spiking sensory neurons, prompted task-relevant actions in mice by suppressing ACC motor neurons and disinhibiting downstream striatal neurons. Notably, when mice terminated actions in response to stop signals, both motor neuron and network activity increased. Collectively, our data demonstrate that visual inputs to the frontal cortex trigger gated feedforward inhibition to initiate goal-directed actions.
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29
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Jiang H, Stanford TR, Rowland BA, Stein BE. Association Cortex Is Essential to Reverse Hemianopia by Multisensory Training. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:5015-5023. [PMID: 34056645 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemianopia induced by unilateral visual cortex lesions can be resolved by repeatedly exposing the blinded hemifield to auditory-visual stimuli. This rehabilitative "training" paradigm depends on mechanisms of multisensory plasticity that restore the lost visual responsiveness of multisensory neurons in the ipsilesional superior colliculus (SC) so that they can once again support vision in the blinded hemifield. These changes are thought to operate via the convergent visual and auditory signals relayed to the SC from association cortex (the anterior ectosylvian sulcus [AES], in cat). The present study tested this assumption by cryogenically deactivating ipsilesional AES in hemianopic, anesthetized cats during weekly multisensory training sessions. No signs of visual recovery were evident in this condition, even after providing animals with up to twice the number of training sessions required for effective rehabilitation. Subsequent training under the same conditions, but with AES active, reversed the hemianopia within the normal timeframe. These results indicate that the corticotectal circuit that is normally engaged in SC multisensory plasticity has to be operational for the brain to use visual-auditory experience to resolve hemianopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huai Jiang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Terrence R Stanford
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Benjamin A Rowland
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Barry E Stein
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
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30
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Li G, Chen Y, Tang X, Li CSR. Alcohol use severity and the neural correlates of the effects of sleep disturbance on sustained visual attention. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 142:302-311. [PMID: 34416549 PMCID: PMC8429210 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol misuse is associated with sleep disturbance and cognitive dysfunction. However, the neural processes inter-relating the severity of alcohol use, sleep disturbance and cognitive performance remain under-investigated. We addressed this issue with a dataset of 964 subjects (504 women) curated from the Human Connectome Project. Participants were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and fMRI while identifying relational dimension pictures and matching dimension pictures (as a control) in alternating blocks. Imaging data were analyzed with published routines and the results were evaluated at a corrected threshold. Subjects showed lower accuracy rate and longer reaction time (RT) in relational than control blocks. The difference in RT between the two blocks (RTRel-Con) was driven primarily by the RT and correlated positively with performance accuracy of relational trials, suggesting that a more cautious response (i.e., longer RTRel-Con) improved accuracy. The severity of alcohol use, identified from principal component analysis of drinking metrics, was positively correlated with sleep disturbance. Further, whole-brain regression identified activity of the superior colliculus (SC) during relational vs. control blocks in positive and negative correlation with RTRel-Con and PSQI score, respectively. Mediation and path analyses demonstrated a significant model: more severe alcohol use → greater sleep disturbance → diminished SC activity → impaired performance. These findings support the influences of alcohol misuse on sleep and suggest neural correlates that mediate the relationship between sleep disturbance and altered sustained attention in young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangfei Li
- Department of Biomedical engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
| | - Chiang-Shan R. Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Address correspondence to: C.-S. Ray Li, Connecticut Mental Health Center S112, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519-1109, U.S.A. Phone: +1 203-974-7354, or Xiaoying Tang, 815-2 Teaching Building No.5, Beijing Institute of technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China Phone: +86 010-68915998,
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31
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Cohen-Kashi Malina K, Tsivourakis E, Kushinsky D, Apelblat D, Shtiglitz S, Zohar E, Sokoletsky M, Tasaka GI, Mizrahi A, Lampl I, Spiegel I. NDNF interneurons in layer 1 gain-modulate whole cortical columns according to an animal's behavioral state. Neuron 2021; 109:2150-2164.e5. [PMID: 34038743 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Processing of sensory information in neural circuits is modulated by an animal's behavioral state, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are not well understood. Focusing on the mouse visual cortex, here we analyze the role of GABAergic interneurons that are located in layer 1 and express Ndnf (L1 NDNF INs) in the state-dependent control over sensory processing. We find that the ongoing and sensory-evoked activity of L1 NDNF INs is strongly enhanced when an animal is aroused and that L1 NDNF INs gain-modulate local excitatory neurons selectively during high-arousal states by inhibiting their apical dendrites while disinhibiting their somata via Parvalbumin-expressing interneurons. Because active NDNF INs are evenly spread in L1 and can affect excitatory neurons across all cortical layers, this indicates that the state-dependent activation of L1 NDNF INs and the subsequent shift of inhibition in excitatory neurons toward their apical dendrites gain-modulate sensory processing in whole cortical columns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dahlia Kushinsky
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Daniella Apelblat
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Stav Shtiglitz
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eran Zohar
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michael Sokoletsky
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gen-Ichi Tasaka
- Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ilan Lampl
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ivo Spiegel
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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32
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Isa T, Marquez-Legorreta E, Grillner S, Scott EK. The tectum/superior colliculus as the vertebrate solution for spatial sensory integration and action. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R741-R762. [PMID: 34102128 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The superior colliculus, or tectum in the case of non-mammalian vertebrates, is a part of the brain that registers events in the surrounding space, often through vision and hearing, but also through electrosensation, infrared detection, and other sensory modalities in diverse vertebrate lineages. This information is used to form maps of the surrounding space and the positions of different salient stimuli in relation to the individual. The sensory maps are arranged in layers with visual input in the uppermost layer, other senses in deeper positions, and a spatially aligned motor map in the deepest layer. Here, we will review the organization and intrinsic function of the tectum/superior colliculus and the information that is processed within tectal circuits. We will also discuss tectal/superior colliculus outputs that are conveyed directly to downstream motor circuits or via the thalamus to cortical areas to control various aspects of behavior. The tectum/superior colliculus is evolutionarily conserved among all vertebrates, but tailored to the sensory specialties of each lineage, and its roles have shifted with the emergence of the cerebral cortex in mammals. We will illustrate both the conserved and divergent properties of the tectum/superior colliculus through vertebrate evolution by comparing tectal processing in lampreys belonging to the oldest group of extant vertebrates, larval zebrafish, rodents, and other vertebrates including primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Isa
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | | | - Sten Grillner
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-17177, Sweden
| | - Ethan K Scott
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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33
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Ewall G, Parkins S, Lin A, Jaoui Y, Lee HK. Cortical and Subcortical Circuits for Cross-Modal Plasticity Induced by Loss of Vision. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:665009. [PMID: 34113240 PMCID: PMC8185208 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.665009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical areas are highly interconnected both via cortical and subcortical pathways, and primary sensory cortices are not isolated from this general structure. In primary sensory cortical areas, these pre-existing functional connections serve to provide contextual information for sensory processing and can mediate adaptation when a sensory modality is lost. Cross-modal plasticity in broad terms refers to widespread plasticity across the brain in response to losing a sensory modality, and largely involves two distinct changes: cross-modal recruitment and compensatory plasticity. The former involves recruitment of the deprived sensory area, which includes the deprived primary sensory cortex, for processing the remaining senses. Compensatory plasticity refers to plasticity in the remaining sensory areas, including the spared primary sensory cortices, to enhance the processing of its own sensory inputs. Here, we will summarize potential cellular plasticity mechanisms involved in cross-modal recruitment and compensatory plasticity, and review cortical and subcortical circuits to the primary sensory cortices which can mediate cross-modal plasticity upon loss of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Ewall
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Samuel Parkins
- Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Amy Lin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yanis Jaoui
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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34
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Blot A, Roth MM, Gasler I, Javadzadeh M, Imhof F, Hofer SB. Visual intracortical and transthalamic pathways carry distinct information to cortical areas. Neuron 2021; 109:1996-2008.e6. [PMID: 33979633 PMCID: PMC8221812 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Sensory processing involves information flow between neocortical areas, assumed to rely on direct intracortical projections. However, cortical areas may also communicate indirectly via higher-order nuclei in the thalamus, such as the pulvinar or lateral posterior nucleus (LP) in the visual system of rodents. The fine-scale organization and function of these cortico-thalamo-cortical pathways remains unclear. We find that responses of mouse LP neurons projecting to higher visual areas likely derive from feedforward input from primary visual cortex (V1) combined with information from many cortical and subcortical areas, including superior colliculus. Signals from LP projections to different higher visual areas are tuned to specific features of visual stimuli and their locomotor context, distinct from the signals carried by direct intracortical projections from V1. Thus, visual transthalamic pathways are functionally specific to their cortical target, different from feedforward cortical pathways, and combine information from multiple brain regions, linking sensory signals with behavioral context. Transthalamic pathway through pulvinar indirectly connects lower to higher cortical areas This pathway combines input from V1 with that of many cortical and subcortical areas Pulvinar conveys distinct visual and motor information to different higher visual areas Direct intracortical and transthalamic pathways convey different information
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonin Blot
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, London, UK; Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Ioana Gasler
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, London, UK; Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mitra Javadzadeh
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, London, UK; Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fabia Imhof
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sonja B Hofer
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, London, UK; Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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35
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Sidorov MS, Kim H, Rougie M, Williams B, Siegel JJ, Gavornik JP, Philpot BD. Visual Sequences Drive Experience-Dependent Plasticity in Mouse Anterior Cingulate Cortex. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108152. [PMID: 32937128 PMCID: PMC7536640 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity have been well characterized in mouse primary visual cortex (V1), including a form of potentiation driven by repeated presentations of a familiar visual sequence (“sequence plasticity”). The prefrontal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) responds to visual stimuli, yet little is known about if and how visual experience modifies ACC circuits. We find that mouse ACC exhibits sequence plasticity, but in contrast to V1, the plasticity expresses as a change in response timing, rather than a change in response magnitude. Sequence plasticity is absent in ACC, but not V1, in a mouse model of a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with intellectual disability and autism-like features. Our results demonstrate that simple sensory stimuli can be used to reveal how experience functionally (or dysfunctionally) modifies higher-order prefrontal circuits and suggest a divergence in how ACC and V1 encode familiarity. Sidorov et al. demonstrate that patterned visual input can drive experience-dependent plasticity in the timing of neural responses in mouse anterior cingulate cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Sidorov
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Pharmacology & Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
| | - Hyojin Kim
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Marie Rougie
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Brittany Williams
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jennifer J Siegel
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Benjamin D Philpot
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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36
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Ma G, Liu Y, Wang L, Xiao Z, Song K, Wang Y, Peng W, Liu X, Wang Z, Jin S, Tao Z, Li CT, Xu T, Xu F, Xu M, Zhang S. Hierarchy in sensory processing reflected by innervation balance on cortical interneurons. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/20/eabf5676. [PMID: 33990327 PMCID: PMC8121429 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf5676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sensory processing is subjected to modulation by behavioral contexts that are often mediated by long-range inputs to cortical interneurons, but their selectivity to different types of interneurons remains largely unknown. Using rabies-virus tracing and optogenetics-assisted recording, we analyzed the long-range connections to various brain regions along the hierarchy of visual processing, including primary visual cortex, medial association cortices, and frontal cortices. We found that hierarchical corticocortical and thalamocortical connectivity is reflected by the relative weights of inputs to parvalbumin-positive (PV+) and vasoactive intestinal peptide-positive (VIP+) neurons within the conserved local circuit motif, with bottom-up and top-down inputs preferring PV+ and VIP+ neurons, respectively. Our algorithms based on innervation weights for these two types of local interneurons generated testable predictions of the hierarchical position of many brain areas. These results support the notion that preferential long-range inputs to specific local interneurons are essential for the hierarchical information flow in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guofen Ma
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yanmei Liu
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Lizhao Wang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zhongyi Xiao
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Kun Song
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yanjie Wang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Wanling Peng
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaotong Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Ziyue Wang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Sen Jin
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zi Tao
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Chengyu T Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Tianle Xu
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Min Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai 201210, China
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37
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Sachuriga, Nishimaru H, Takamura Y, Matsumoto J, Ferreira Pereira de Araújo M, Ono T, Nishijo H. Neuronal Representation of Locomotion During Motivated Behavior in the Mouse Anterior Cingulate Cortex. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:655110. [PMID: 33994964 PMCID: PMC8116624 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.655110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is located within the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), and processes and facilitates goal-directed behaviors relating to emotion, reward, and motor control. However, it is unclear how ACC neurons dynamically encode motivated behavior during locomotion. In this study, we examined how information for locomotion and behavioral outcomes is temporally represented by individual and ensembles of ACC neurons in mice during a self-paced locomotor reward-based task. By recording and analyzing the activity of ACC neurons with a microdrive tetrode array while the mouse performed the locomotor task, we found that more than two-fifths of the neurons showed phasic activity relating to locomotion or the reward behavior. Some of these neurons showed significant differences in their firing rate depending on the behavioral outcome. Furthermore, by applying a demixed principal component analysis, the ACC population activity was decomposed into components representing locomotion and the previous/future outcome. These results indicated that ACC neurons dynamically integrate motor and behavioral inputs during goal-directed behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachuriga
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.,Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishimaru
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.,Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yusaku Takamura
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.,Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | | | - Taketoshi Ono
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.,Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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38
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Le Merre P, Ährlund-Richter S, Carlén M. The mouse prefrontal cortex: Unity in diversity. Neuron 2021; 109:1925-1944. [PMID: 33894133 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is considered to constitute the highest stage of neural integration and to be devoted to representation and production of actions. Studies in primates have laid the foundation for theories regarding the principles of prefrontal function and provided mechanistic insights. The recent surge of studies of the PFC in mice holds promise for evolvement of present theories and development of novel concepts, particularly regarding principles shared across mammals. Here we review recent empirical work on the mouse PFC capitalizing on the experimental toolbox currently privileged to studies in this species. We conclude that this line of research has revealed cellular and structural distinctions of the PFC and neuronal activity with direct relevance to theories regarding the functions of the PFC. We foresee that data-rich mouse studies will be key to shed light on the general prefrontal architecture and mechanisms underlying cognitive aspects of organized actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Le Merre
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Marie Carlén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden.
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39
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Schnabel UH, Van der Bijl T, Roelfsema PR, Lorteije JAM. A Direct Comparison of Spatial Attention and Stimulus-Response Compatibility between Mice and Humans. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:771-783. [PMID: 33544053 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Mice are becoming an increasingly popular model for investigating the neural substrates of visual processing and higher cognitive functions. To validate the translation of mouse visual attention and sensorimotor processing to humans, we compared their performance in the same visual task. Mice and human participants judged the orientation of a grating presented on either the right or left side in the visual field. To induce shifts of spatial attention, we varied the stimulus probability on each side. As expected, human participants showed faster RTs and a higher accuracy for the side with a higher probability, a well-established effect of visual attention. The attentional effect was only present in mice when their response was slow. Although the task demanded a judgment of grating orientation, the accuracy of the mice was strongly affected by whether the side of the stimulus corresponded to the side of the behavioral response. This stimulus-response compatibility (Simon) effect was much weaker in humans and only significant for their fastest responses. Both species exhibited a speed-accuracy trade-off in their responses, because slower responses were more accurate than faster responses. We found that mice typically respond very fast, which contributes to the stronger stimulus-response compatibility and weaker attentional effects, which were only apparent in the trials with slowest responses. Humans responded slower and had stronger attentional effects, combined with a weak influence of stimulus-response compatibility, which was only apparent in trials with fast responses. We conclude that spatial attention and stimulus-response compatibility influence the responses of humans and mice but that strategy differences between species determine the dominance of these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pieter R Roelfsema
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience.,University of Amsterdam.,Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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40
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Huda R, Sipe GO, Breton-Provencher V, Cruz KG, Pho GN, Adam E, Gunter LM, Sullins A, Wickersham IR, Sur M. Distinct prefrontal top-down circuits differentially modulate sensorimotor behavior. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6007. [PMID: 33243980 PMCID: PMC7691329 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19772-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensorimotor behaviors require processing of behaviorally relevant sensory cues and the ability to select appropriate responses from a vast behavioral repertoire. Modulation by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is thought to be key for both processes, but the precise role of specific circuits remains unclear. We examined the sensorimotor function of anatomically distinct outputs from a subdivision of the mouse PFC, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Using a visually guided two-choice behavioral paradigm with multiple cue-response mappings, we dissociated the sensory and motor response components of sensorimotor control. Projection-specific two-photon calcium imaging and optogenetic manipulations show that ACC outputs to the superior colliculus, a key midbrain structure for response selection, principally coordinate specific motor responses. Importantly, ACC outputs exert control by reducing the innate response bias of the superior colliculus. In contrast, ACC outputs to the visual cortex facilitate sensory processing of visual cues. Our results ascribe motor and sensory roles to ACC projections to the superior colliculus and the visual cortex and demonstrate for the first time a circuit motif for PFC function wherein anatomically non-overlapping output pathways coordinate complementary but distinct aspects of visual sensorimotor behavior. The neural circuit mechanisms for sensorimotor control by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are unclear. Here, the authors show that PFC outputs to the visual cortex and superior colliculus respectively facilitate sensory processing and action selection, allowing the PFC to independently control complementary but distinct behavioral functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafiq Huda
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Grayson O Sipe
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Vincent Breton-Provencher
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - K Guadalupe Cruz
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Gerald N Pho
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Elie Adam
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Liadan M Gunter
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Austin Sullins
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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41
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Tu Y, Huang P, Mao C, Liu X, Gao J. Abnormal functional connectivity density in patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy. Ophthalmic Res 2020; 65:171-179. [PMID: 33142292 DOI: 10.1159/000512755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
[Objective] Functional connectivity density (FCD) mapping was used to investigate abnormalities and factors related to brain functional connectivity (F.C.) in cortical regions of patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) and to analyze the pathogenesis of DON further. [Methods] Patients diagnosed with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) in the Eye Hospital were enrolled. All patients underwent comprehensive eye examinations and best-corrected visual acuity, visual field(V.F.) test. MRI data collection and analysis were completed in the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The patients were divided into two groups: the DON group, with an average visual field, mean deviation (M.D.) of both eyes < -5 dB, and the non-DON group (nDON group), with an average visual field M.D. of both eyes ≥ -2 dB. [Results] A total of 30 TAO patients (14 men, 16 women) with complete data who met the experimental requirements were enrolled. The average age was 48.79 (40~ 57) years. There were 16 patients in the DON group and 14 patients in the nDON group. No significant differences in age, gender, education level, and the maximum horizontal diameter of either medial rectus muscle were found between the two groups. The difference of brain FCD between the two groups showed significant abnormal connectivity in the right orbital gyri of the frontal lobe (Frontal_Inf_Orb_R) and the left precuneus in the DON group compared with the nDON group. As demonstrated by decreased FCD values in the right inferior frontal gyrus/orbital part, the relevant brain regions were the left middle temporal gyrus, left precuneus, left middle frontal gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and brain gyri (excluding the supramarginal gyrus and angular gyrus) below the left parietal bone. The FCD associated with the left precuneus was increased, and the relevant brain areas were the left middle temporal gyrus, right cuneus, superior occipital gyrus, and right fusiform gyrus. A significant correlation was identified between the MD. of the binocular visual field and brain FCD. [Conclusion] The abnormal FCD in the cortex of DON patients suggests that a central nervous system mechanism may be related to the pathogenesis of the DON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhai Tu
- Liaocheng People's Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine Shandong University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Pingping Huang
- The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chuanwan Mao
- Department of Radiology, Yuying Children's Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaozheng Liu
- Department of Radiology, Yuying Children's Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jianlu Gao
- Liaocheng People's Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine Shandong University, Liaocheng, China
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42
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Koropouli E, Melanitis N, Dimitriou VI, Grigoriou A, Karavasilis E, Nikita KS, Tzavellas E, Paparrigopoulos T. New-Onset Psychosis Associated With a Lesion Localized in the Rostral Tectum: Insights Into Pathway-Specific Connectivity Disrupted in Psychosis. Schizophr Bull 2020; 46:1296-1305. [PMID: 32103274 PMCID: PMC7505199 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate pathway-specific connectivity disrupted in psychosis. METHODS We carried out a case study of a middle-aged patient who presented with new-onset psychosis associated with a space-occupying lesion localized in the right superior colliculus/periaqueductal gray. The study sought to investigate potential connectivity deficits related to the lesion by the use of diffusion tensor imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. To this aim, we generated a functional connectivity map of the patient's brain, centered on the lesion area, and compared this map with the corresponding map of 10 sex- and age-matched control individuals identified from the Max Planck Institute-Leipzig Mind-Brain-Body database. RESULTS Our analysis revealed a discrete area in the right rostral tectum, in the immediate vicinity of the lesion, whose activity is inversely correlated with the activity of left amygdala, whereas left amygdala is functionally associated with select areas of the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Based on a comparative analysis of the patient with 10 control individuals, the lesion has impacted on the connectivity of rostral tectum (superior colliculus/periaqueductal gray) with left amygdala as well as on the connectivity of left amygdala with subcortical and cortical areas. CONCLUSIONS The superior colliculus/periaqueductal gray might play important roles in the initiation and perpetuation of psychosis, at least partially through dysregulation of left amygdala activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleftheria Koropouli
- First Department of Psychiatry, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Neurology, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikos Melanitis
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasileios I Dimitriou
- First Department of Psychiatry, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
| | - Asimina Grigoriou
- First Department of Psychiatry, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratios Karavasilis
- Second Department of Radiology, Attikon Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina S Nikita
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Elias Tzavellas
- First Department of Psychiatry, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
| | - Thomas Paparrigopoulos
- First Department of Psychiatry, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
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43
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Wang L, McAlonan K, Goldstein S, Gerfen CR, Krauzlis RJ. A Causal Role for Mouse Superior Colliculus in Visual Perceptual Decision-Making. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3768-3782. [PMID: 32253361 PMCID: PMC7204078 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2642-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC) is arguably the most important visual structure in the mouse brain and is well known for its involvement in innate responses to visual threats and prey items. In other species, the SC plays a central role in voluntary as well as innate visual functions, including crucial contributions to selective attention and perceptual decision-making. In the mouse, the possible role of the SC in voluntary visual choice behaviors has not been established. Here, we demonstrate that the mouse SC of both sexes plays a causal role in visual perceptual decision-making by transiently inhibiting SC activity during an orientation change detection task. First, unilateral SC inhibition-induced spatially specific deficits in detection. Hit rates were reduced, and reaction times increased for orientation changes in the contralateral but not ipsilateral visual field. Second, the deficits caused by SC inhibition were specific to a temporal epoch coincident with early visual burst responses in the SC. Inhibiting SC during this 100-ms period caused a contralateral detection deficit, whereas inhibition immediately before or after did not. Third, SC inhibition reduced visual detection sensitivity. Psychometric analysis revealed that inhibiting SC visual activity significantly increased detection thresholds for contralateral orientation changes. In addition, effects on detection thresholds and lapse rates caused by SC inhibition were larger in the presence of a competing visual stimulus, indicating a role for the mouse SC in visual target selection. Together, our results demonstrate that the mouse SC is necessary for the normal performance of voluntary visual choice behaviors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The mouse superior colliculus (SC) has become a popular model for studying the circuit organization and development of the visual system. Although the SC is a fundamental component of the visual pathways in mice, its role in visual perceptual decision-making is not clear. By investigating how temporally precise SC inhibition influenced behavioral performance during a visually guided orientation change detection task, we identified a 100-ms temporal epoch of SC visual activity that is crucial for the ability of mice to detect behaviorally relevant visual changes. In addition, we found that SC inhibition also caused deficits in visual target selection. Thus, our findings highlight the importance of the SC for visual perceptual choice behavior in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lupeng Wang
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Kerry McAlonan
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Sheridan Goldstein
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Charles R Gerfen
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Richard J Krauzlis
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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44
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You WK, Mysore SP. Endogenous and exogenous control of visuospatial selective attention in freely behaving mice. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1986. [PMID: 32332741 PMCID: PMC7181831 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15909-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Visuospatial selective attention has been investigated primarily in head-fixed animals and almost exclusively in primates. Here, we develop two human-inspired, discrimination-based behavioral paradigms for studying selective visuospatial attention in freely behaving mice. In the ‘spatial probability’ task, we find enhanced accuracy, sensitivity, and rate of evidence accumulation at the location with higher probability of target occurrence, and opposite effects at the lower probability location. Together with video-based 3D head-tracking, these results demonstrate endogenous expectation-driven shifts of spatial attention. In the ‘flanker’ task, we find that a second stimulus presented with the target, but with conflicting information, causes switch-like decrements in accuracy and sensitivity as a function of its contrast, and slower evidence accumulation, demonstrating exogenous capture of spatial attention. The ability to study primate-like selective attention rigorously in unrestrained mice opens a rich avenue for research into neural circuit mechanisms underlying this critical executive function in a naturalistic setting. The authors describe behavioural tasks for the study of primate-like, endogenous and exogenous control of visuospatial selective attention in freely behaving mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Kai You
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Shreesh P Mysore
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA. .,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
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45
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Pulvinar Modulates Synchrony across Visual Cortical Areas. Vision (Basel) 2020; 4:vision4020022. [PMID: 32290073 PMCID: PMC7357165 DOI: 10.3390/vision4020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The cortical visual hierarchy communicates in different oscillatory ranges. While gamma waves influence the feedforward processing, alpha oscillations travel in the feedback direction. Little is known how this oscillatory cortical communication depends on an alternative route that involves the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus. We investigated whether the oscillatory coupling between the primary visual cortex (area 17) and area 21a depends on the transthalamic pathway involving the pulvinar in cats. To that end, visual evoked responses were recorded in areas 17 and 21a before, during and after inactivation of the pulvinar. Local field potentials were analyzed with Wavelet and Granger causality tools to determine the oscillatory coupling between layers. The results indicate that cortical oscillatory activity was enhanced during pulvinar inactivation, in particular for area 21a. In area 17, alpha band responses were represented in layers II/III. In area 21a, gamma oscillations, except for layer I, were significantly increased, especially in layer IV. Granger causality showed that the pulvinar modulated the oscillatory information between areas 17 and 21a in gamma and alpha bands for the feedforward and feedback processing, respectively. Together, these findings indicate that the pulvinar is involved in the mechanisms underlying oscillatory communication along the visual cortex.
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Knudsen EI. Evolution of neural processing for visual perception in vertebrates. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2888-2901. [PMID: 32003466 PMCID: PMC7586818 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Visual perception requires both visual information and attention. This review compares, across classes of vertebrates, the functional and anatomical characteristics of (a) the neural pathways that process visual information about objects, and (b) stimulus selection pathways that determine the objects to which an animal attends. Early in the evolution of vertebrate species, visual perception was dominated by information transmitted via the midbrain (retinotectal) visual pathway, and attention was probably controlled primarily by a selection network in the midbrain. In contrast, in primates, visual perception is dominated by information transmitted via the forebrain (retinogeniculate) visual pathway, and attention is mediated largely by networks in the forebrain. In birds and nonprimate mammals, both the retinotectal and retinogeniculate pathways contribute critically to visual information processing, and both midbrain and forebrain networks play important roles in controlling attention. The computations and processing strategies in birds and mammals share some strikingly similar characteristics despite over 300 million years of independent evolution and being implemented by distinct brain architectures. The similarity of these functional characteristics suggests that they provide valuable advantages to visual perception in advanced visual systems. A schema is proposed that describes the evolution of the pathways and computations that enable visual perception in vertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric I Knudsen
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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Li R, Wang X, Lin F, Song T, Zhu X, Lei H. Mapping accumulative whole-brain activities during environmental enrichment with manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimage 2020; 210:116588. [PMID: 32004718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
An enriched environment (EE) provides multi-dimensional stimuli to the brain. EE exposure for days to months induces functional and structural neuroplasticity. In this study, manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) was used to map the accumulative whole-brain activities associated with a 7-day EE exposure in freely-moving adult male mice, followed by c-Fos immunochemical assessments. Relative to the mice residing in a standard environment (SE), the mice subjected to EE treatment had significantly enhanced regional MEMRI signal intensities in the prefrontal cortex, somatosensory cortices, basal ganglia, amygdala, motor thalamus, lateral hypothalamus, ventral hippocampus and midbrain dopaminergic areas at the end of the 7-day exposure, likely attributing to enhanced Mn2+ uptake/transport associated with brain activities at both the regional and macroscale network levels. Some of, but not all, the brain regions in the EE-treated mice showing enhanced MEMRI signal intensity had accompanying increases in c-Fos expression. The EE-treated mice were also found to have significantly increased overall amount of food consumption, decreased body weight gain and upregulated tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the midbrain dopaminergic areas. Taken together, these results demonstrated that the 7-day EE exposure was associated with elevated cumulative activities in the nigrostriatal, mesolimbic and corticostriatal circuits underpinning reward, motivation, cognition, motor control and appetite regulation. Such accumulative activities might have served as the substrate of EE-related neuroplasticity and the beneficial effects of EE treatment on neurological/psychiatric conditions including drug addiction, Parkinson's disease and eating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghui Li
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Xuxia Wang
- National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Fuchun Lin
- National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Tao Song
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Xutao Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hao Lei
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China.
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