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Hari E, Ulasoglu-Yildiz C, Kurt E, Bayram A, Gurvit H, Demiralp T. Volumetric and functional connectivity changes of the thalamic nuclei in different stages of Alzheimer's disease. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 165:127-137. [PMID: 39029273 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.06.018] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Memory processes known to be impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are maintained by a large-scale neurocognitive network with subcortical components, including the thalamus. Therefore, we aimed to examine the volumetric and functional changes of the thalamic nuclei at different scales across AD stages. METHODS MRI data of patients diagnosed with 20 AD dementia (ADD), 30 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 30 subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) were used. Volumetric and functional connectivity analyzes were performed by dividing the thalamus into anterior, medial, posterior, lateral and intralaminar nucleus groups and their specific subnuclei. RESULTS In the course of AD, the volume of the medial group nuclei, especially the mediodorsal medial magnocellular (MDm) nucleus, decreases. Medial group nuclei and MDm functional connectivity with frontal areas were decreased both in ADD and MCI compared to SCI group, while both of them increased their functional connectivity with visual areas in the ADD group compared to the MCI group. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that the medial group of the thalamus, and specifically the MDm, may be affected in AD. SIGNIFICANCE Specific thalamic nuclei may be a critical anatomical region for investigating structural and functional changes in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Hari
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Istanbul University, 34216 Istanbul, Turkey; Department of Physiology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey; Hulusi Behcet Life Sciences Research Laboratory, Neuroimaging Unit, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Cigdem Ulasoglu-Yildiz
- Department of Neuroscience, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey; Hulusi Behcet Life Sciences Research Laboratory, Neuroimaging Unit, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Elif Kurt
- Department of Neuroscience, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey; Hulusi Behcet Life Sciences Research Laboratory, Neuroimaging Unit, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Ali Bayram
- Department of Neuroscience, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey; Hulusi Behcet Life Sciences Research Laboratory, Neuroimaging Unit, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Hakan Gurvit
- Department of Neurology, Behavioral Neurology and Movement Disorders Unit, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Tamer Demiralp
- Department of Physiology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey; Hulusi Behcet Life Sciences Research Laboratory, Neuroimaging Unit, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey.
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2
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Aggleton JP, Nelson AJD, O'Mara SM. Time to retire the serial Papez circuit: Implications for space, memory, and attention. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104813. [PMID: 35940310 PMCID: PMC10804970 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
After more than 80 years, Papez serial circuit remains a hugely influential concept, initially for emotion, but in more recent decades, for memory. Here, we show how this circuit is anatomically and mechanistically naïve as well as outdated. We argue that a new conceptualisation is necessitated by recent anatomical and functional findings that emphasize the more equal, working partnerships between the anterior thalamic nuclei and the hippocampal formation, along with their neocortical interactions in supporting, episodic memory. Furthermore, despite the importance of the anterior thalamic for mnemonic processing, there is growing evidence that these nuclei support multiple aspects of cognition, only some of which are directly associated with hippocampal function. By viewing the anterior thalamic nuclei as a multifunctional hub, a clearer picture emerges of extra-hippocampal regions supporting memory. The reformulation presented here underlines the need to retire Papez serially processing circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK.
| | - Andrew J D Nelson
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK
| | - Shane M O'Mara
- School of Psychology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
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3
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Scharf AC, Gronewold J, Todica O, Moenninghoff C, Doeppner TR, de Haan B, Bassetti CLA, Hermann DM. Evolution of Neuropsychological Deficits in First-Ever Isolated Ischemic Thalamic Stroke and Their Association With Stroke Topography: A Case-Control Study. Stroke 2022; 53:1904-1914. [PMID: 35259928 PMCID: PMC9126267 DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.121.037750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The thalamus plays an essential role in cognition. Cognitive deficits have to date mostly been studied retrospectively in chronic thalamic stroke in small cohorts. Studies prospectively evaluating the evolution of cognitive deficits and their association with thalamic stroke topography are lacking. This knowledge is relevant for targeted patient diagnostics and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Carina Scharf
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. (A.-C.S., J.G., O.T., D.M.H.)
| | - Janine Gronewold
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. (A.-C.S., J.G., O.T., D.M.H.)
| | - Olga Todica
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. (A.-C.S., J.G., O.T., D.M.H.)
| | - Christoph Moenninghoff
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. (C.M.)
| | - Thorsten R Doeppner
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany (T.R.D.)
| | - Bianca de Haan
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, United Kingdom (B.d.H.)
| | | | - Dirk M Hermann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. (A.-C.S., J.G., O.T., D.M.H.)
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4
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Dillingham CM, Milczarek MM, Perry JC, Vann SD. Time to put the mammillothalamic pathway into context. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 121:60-74. [PMID: 33309908 PMCID: PMC8137464 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The medial diencephalon, in particular the mammillary bodies and anterior thalamic nuclei, has long been linked to memory and amnesia. The mammillary bodies provide a dense input into the anterior thalamic nuclei, via the mammillothalamic tract. In both animal models, and in patients, lesions of the mammillary bodies, mammillothalamic tract and anterior thalamic nuclei all produce severe impairments in temporal and contextual memory, yet it is uncertain why these regions are critical. Mounting evidence from electrophysiological and neural imaging studies suggests that mammillothalamic projections exercise considerable distal influence over thalamo-cortical and hippocampo-cortical interactions. Here, we outline how damage to the mammillary body-anterior thalamic axis, in both patients and animal models, disrupts behavioural performance on tasks that relate to contextual ("where") and temporal ("when") processing. Focusing on the medial mammillary nuclei as a possible 'theta-generator' (through their interconnections with the ventral tegmental nucleus of Gudden) we discuss how the mammillary body-anterior thalamic pathway may contribute to the mechanisms via which the hippocampus and neocortex encode representations of experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Dillingham
- School of Psychology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Michal M Milczarek
- School of Psychology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - James C Perry
- School of Psychology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Seralynne D Vann
- School of Psychology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.
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5
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Geier KT, Buchsbaum BR, Parimoo S, Olsen RK. The role of anterior and medial dorsal thalamus in associative memory encoding and retrieval. Neuropsychologia 2020; 148:107623. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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6
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Kafkas A, Mayes AR, Montaldi D. Thalamic-Medial Temporal Lobe Connectivity Underpins Familiarity Memory. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:3827-3837. [PMID: 31989161 PMCID: PMC7232995 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural basis of memory is highly distributed, but the thalamus is known to play a particularly critical role. However, exactly how the different thalamic nuclei contribute to different kinds of memory is unclear. Moreover, whether thalamic connectivity with the medial temporal lobe (MTL), arguably the most fundamental memory structure, is critical for memory remains unknown. We explore these questions using an fMRI recognition memory paradigm that taps familiarity and recollection (i.e., the two types of memory that support recognition) for objects, faces, and scenes. We show that the mediodorsal thalamus (MDt) plays a material-general role in familiarity, while the anterior thalamus plays a material-general role in recollection. Material-specific regions were found for scene familiarity (ventral posteromedial and pulvinar thalamic nuclei) and face familiarity (left ventrolateral thalamus). Critically, increased functional connectivity between the MDt and the parahippocampal (PHC) and perirhinal cortices (PRC) of the MTL underpinned increases in reported familiarity confidence. These findings suggest that familiarity signals are generated through the dynamic interaction of functionally connected MTL-thalamic structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Kafkas
- School of Biological Sciences, Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Andrew R Mayes
- School of Biological Sciences, Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Daniela Montaldi
- School of Biological Sciences, Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, University of Manchester, UK
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7
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Oedekoven CSH, Keidel JL, Anderson S, Nisbet A, Bird CM. Effects of amnesia on processing in the hippocampus and default mode network during a naturalistic memory task: A case study. Neuropsychologia 2019; 132:107104. [PMID: 31260681 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite their severely impaired episodic memory, individuals with amnesia are able to comprehend ongoing events. Online representations of a current event are thought to be supported by a network of regions centred on the posterior midline cortex (PMC). By contrast, episodic memory is widely believed to be supported by interactions between the hippocampus and these cortical regions. In this MRI study, we investigated the encoding and retrieval of real life-like events (video clips) in a patient with severe amnesia likely resulting from a stroke to the right (and possibly the left) thalamus, and a group of 20 age-matched controls. Structural MRI revealed grey matter reductions in left hippocampus and left thalamus in comparison to controls. We first characterised the regions activated in the controls while they watched and retrieved the videos. There were no differences in activation between the patient and controls in any of the regions. We then identified a widespread network of brain regions, including the hippocampus, that were functionally connected with the PMC in controls. However, in the patient there was a specific reduction in functional connectivity between the PMC and a region of left hippocampus when both watching and attempting to retrieve the videos. A follow up analysis of the control group revealed that, when watching the videos, the functional connectivity between these two regions was correlated with memory performance. Taken together, these findings support the view that the interactions between the PMC and the hippocampus enable the encoding and retrieval of naturalistic events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stuart Anderson
- Hurstwood Park Clinical Neurosciences Centre, Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK
| | - Angus Nisbet
- Hurstwood Park Clinical Neurosciences Centre, Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
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8
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Pergola G, Danet L, Pitel AL, Carlesimo GA, Segobin S, Pariente J, Suchan B, Mitchell AS, Barbeau EJ. The Regulatory Role of the Human Mediodorsal Thalamus. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:1011-1025. [PMID: 30236489 PMCID: PMC6198112 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The function of the human mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) has so far eluded a clear definition in terms of specific cognitive processes and tasks. Although it was at first proposed to play a role in long-term memory, a set of recent studies in animals and humans has revealed a more complex, and broader, role in several cognitive functions. The MD seems to play a multifaceted role in higher cognitive functions together with the prefrontal cortex and other cortical and subcortical brain areas. Specifically, we propose that the MD is involved in the regulation of cortical networks especially when the maintenance and temporal extension of persistent activity patterns in the frontal lobe areas are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Pergola
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari 70124, Italy.
| | - Lola Danet
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS 31024, France; CHU Toulouse Purpan, Neurology Department, Toulouse 31059, France
| | - Anne-Lise Pitel
- Normandie University, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Giovanni A Carlesimo
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University and S. Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Shailendra Segobin
- Normandie University, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Jérémie Pariente
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS 31024, France; CHU Toulouse Purpan, Neurology Department, Toulouse 31059, France
| | - Boris Suchan
- Clinical Neuropsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Anna S Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK; Equivalent contribution as last authors.
| | - Emmanuel J Barbeau
- Centre de recherche Cerveau et Cognition, UMR5549, Université de Toulouse - CNRS, Toulouse 31000, France; Equivalent contribution as last authors
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9
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Cai ZJ. The limbic-reticular coupling theory of memory processing in the brain and its greater compatibility over other theories. Dement Neuropsychol 2018; 12:105-113. [PMID: 29988336 PMCID: PMC6022992 DOI: 10.1590/1980-57642018dn12-020002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The limbic-reticular coupling theory suggests that the hippocampus and amygdala regulate such descending limbic structures as the mammillary bodies, septum, hypothalamus and epithalamus to regulate the ascending noradrenergic, serotonergic, dopaminergic and cholinergic systems, performing declarative memory consolidation and recall. Recent studies have revealed that, less sensitive to familiarity, the hippocampus functions via the fornix, mammillary bodies and hypothalamus for memory recall. Lesions to the thalamic nuclei were complicated with damage to adjacent fornix, stria medullaris and habenula, simultaneously destroying two kinds of structures respectively for familiarity and recall. Furthermore, the orbitofrontal cortex was shown to be clinically irrelevant for memory recall. Electrophysiologically, the hippocampus regulates the raphe nuclei in complex ways, and the hippocampal theta wave activates the dopaminergic cells in ventral tegmental area and cholinergic neurons in basal forebrain, while cholinergic-modulated theta-gamma coupling mediates cortical recall. These concurrent advances support the limbic-reticular coupling theory for elucidation of memory recall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Jian Cai
- CaiFortune Consulting, República Popular da China
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10
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Danet L, Pariente J, Eustache P, Raposo N, Sibon I, Albucher JF, Bonneville F, Péran P, Barbeau EJ. Medial thalamic stroke and its impact on familiarity and recollection. eLife 2017; 6:28141. [PMID: 28837019 PMCID: PMC5595429 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Models of recognition memory have postulated that the mammillo-thalamic tract (MTT)/anterior thalamic nucleus (AN) complex would be critical for recollection while the Mediodorsal nucleus (MD) of the thalamus would support familiarity and indirectly also be involved in recollection (Aggleton et al., 2011). 12 patients with left thalamic stroke underwent a neuropsychological assessment, three verbal recognition memory tasks assessing familiarity and recollection each using different procedures and a high-resolution structural MRI. Patients showed poor recollection on all three tasks. In contrast, familiarity was spared in each task. No patient had significant AN lesions. Critically, a subset of 5 patients had lesions of the MD without lesions of the MTT. They also showed impaired recollection but preserved familiarity. Recollection is therefore impaired following MD damage, but familiarity is not. This suggests that models of familiarity, which assign a critical role to the MD, should be reappraised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola Danet
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Toulouse, France.,Brain and Cognition Research Centre, CNRS, University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.,Neurology Department, CHU Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Jérémie Pariente
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Toulouse, France.,Neurology Department, CHU Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Pierre Eustache
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Raposo
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Toulouse, France.,Neurology Department, CHU Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Igor Sibon
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroimaging, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-François Albucher
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Toulouse, France.,Neurology Department, CHU Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Fabrice Bonneville
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Toulouse, France.,Neurology Department, CHU Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Patrice Péran
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Emmanuel J Barbeau
- Brain and Cognition Research Centre, CNRS, University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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11
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Usman S, Oskouian RJ, Loukas M, Tubbs RS. Clinical anatomy of the most common dementias. Clin Anat 2016; 30:53-57. [PMID: 27588364 DOI: 10.1002/ca.22784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sameera Usman
- Seattle Science Foundation, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, Seattle, Washington
| | - Rod J Oskouian
- Seattle Science Foundation, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, Seattle, Washington
| | - Marios Loukas
- Seattle Science Foundation, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, Seattle, Washington
| | - R Shane Tubbs
- Seattle Science Foundation, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, Seattle, Washington
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12
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Onofrj V, Delli Pizzi S, Franciotti R, Taylor JP, Perfetti B, Caulo M, Onofrj M, Bonanni L. Medio-dorsal thalamus and confabulations: Evidence from a clinical case and combined MRI/DTI study. Neuroimage Clin 2016; 12:776-784. [PMID: 27812504 PMCID: PMC5079356 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2016.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Medio-Dorsal Nuclei (MDN) including the thalamic magnocellular and parvocellular thalamic regions has been implicated in verbal memory function. In a 77 year old lady, with a prior history of a clinically silent infarct of the left MDN, we observed the acute onset of spontaneous confabulations when an isolated new infarct occurred in the right MDN. The patient and five age-matched healthy subjects underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). The thalamic lesions were localized by overlapping Morel Thalamic Atlas with structural MRI data. DTI was used to assess: i) white matter alterations (Fractional Anisotropy, FA) within fibers connecting the ischemic areas to cortex; ii) the micro-structural damage (Mean Diffusivity) within the thalamic sub-regions defined by their structural connectivity to the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) and to the temporal lobes. These target regions were chosen because their damage is considered associated with the appearance of confabulations. Thalamic lesions were localized within the parvocellular regions of the right and left MDNs. The structural connectivity study showed that the fiber tracts, connecting the bilaterally damaged thalamic regions with the frontal cortex, corresponded to the anterior thalamic radiations (ATR). FA within these tracts was significantly lower in the patient as compared to controls. Mean diffusivity within the MDNs projecting to Broadman area (BA) 24, BA25 and BA32 of ACC was significantly higher in the patient than in control group. Mean diffusivity values within the MDN projecting to temporal lobes in contrast were not different between patient and controls. Our findings suggest the involvement of bilateral MDNs projections to ACC in the genesis of confabulations and help provide clarity to the longstanding debate on the origin of confabulations.
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Key Words
- ACC, Anterior Cingulate Cortex
- ACoA, Anterior communicating artery
- AN, Anterior thalamic nuclei
- ATR, Anterior thalamic radiations
- Amnesia
- BA, Broadman area
- BEDPOSTX, Bayesian Estimation of Diffusion Parameters obtained using Sampling
- BET, Brain Extraction Tool
- CSF, cerebrospinal fluid
- Confabulation
- DTI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging
- DWI-SE, Diffusion Weighted Image Spin-Echo
- FA, Fractional Anisotropy
- FAST, FMRIB's Automated Segmentation Tool
- FIRST, FMRIB's Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool
- FLIRT, FMRIB's Linear Image Registration Tool
- FNIRT, FMRIB's Non-Linear Registration Tools
- KS, Korsakoff Syndrome
- MDN, Medio-dorsal thalamic nuclei
- MNI, Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI)
- MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Medio-dorsal thalamic region
- SUSAN, Smallest Univalue Segment Assimilating Nucleus
- TE, Echo time
- TR, Repetition time
- W TFE, Weighted Turbo Field-Echo W TFE
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Onofrj
- Radiology Department, Policlinico Agostino Gemelli, Largo Agostino Gemelli 7, 00137 Roma, Italy
| | - Stefano Delli Pizzi
- Department of Neuroscience Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio, Via Vestini, 66103 Chieti Scalo, Italy
| | - Raffaella Franciotti
- Department of Neuroscience Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio, Via Vestini, 66103 Chieti Scalo, Italy
| | - John-Paul Taylor
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
| | - Bernardo Perfetti
- Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Unit, “Fondazione Ospedale San Camillo” - I.R.C.C.S., Venice-Lido, Italy
| | - Massimo Caulo
- Department of Neuroscience Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio, Via Vestini, 66103 Chieti Scalo, Italy
| | - Marco Onofrj
- Department of Neuroscience Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio, Via Vestini, 66103 Chieti Scalo, Italy
| | - Laura Bonanni
- Department of Neuroscience Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio, Via Vestini, 66103 Chieti Scalo, Italy
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13
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Dzieciol AM, Bachevalier J, Saleem KS, Gadian DG, Saunders R, Chong WKK, Banks T, Mishkin M, Vargha-Khadem F. Hippocampal and diencephalic pathology in developmental amnesia. Cortex 2016; 86:33-44. [PMID: 27880886 PMCID: PMC5264402 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Developmental amnesia (DA) is a selective episodic memory disorder associated with hypoxia-induced bilateral hippocampal atrophy of early onset. Despite the systemic impact of hypoxia-ischaemia, the resulting brain damage was previously reported to be largely limited to the hippocampus. However, the thalamus and the mammillary bodies are parts of the hippocampal-diencephalic network and are therefore also at risk of injury following hypoxic-ischaemic events. Here, we report a neuroimaging investigation of diencephalic damage in a group of 18 patients with DA (age range 11-35 years), and an equal number of controls. Importantly, we uncovered a marked degree of atrophy in the mammillary bodies in two thirds of our patients. In addition, as a group, patients had mildly reduced thalamic volumes. The size of the anterior-mid thalamic (AMT) segment was correlated with patients' visual memory performance. Thus, in addition to the hippocampus, the diencephalic structures also appear to play a role in the patients' memory deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Dzieciol
- University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
| | | | | | - David G Gadian
- University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | | | - W K Kling Chong
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Tina Banks
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
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Smirni D, Turriziani P, Mangano GR, Cipolotti L, Oliveri M. Modulating Memory Performance in Healthy Subjects with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144838. [PMID: 26679936 PMCID: PMC4682999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The role of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) in recognition memory has been well documented in lesion, neuroimaging and repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) studies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the left and the right DLPFC during the delay interval of a non-verbal recognition memory task. Method 36 right-handed young healthy subjects participated in the study. The experimental task was an Italian version of Recognition Memory Test for unknown faces. Study included two experiments: in a first experiment, each subject underwent one session of sham tDCS and one session of left or right cathodal tDCS; in a second experiment each subject underwent one session of sham tDCS and one session of left or right anodal tDCS. Results Cathodal tDCS over the right DLPFC significantly improved non verbal recognition memory performance, while cathodal tDCS over the left DLPFC had no effect. Anodal tDCS of both the left and right DLPFC did not modify non verbal recognition memory performance. Conclusion Complementing the majority of previous studies, reporting long term memory facilitations following left prefrontal anodal tDCS, the present findings show that cathodal tDCS of the right DLPFC can also improve recognition memory in healthy subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Smirni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- NeuroTeam Life and Science, Palermo, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Patrizia Turriziani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- NeuroTeam Life and Science, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppa Renata Mangano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- NeuroTeam Life and Science, Palermo, Italy
| | - Lisa Cipolotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- NeuroTeam Life and Science, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Neuropsychology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, United Kingdom
| | - Massimiliano Oliveri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- NeuroTeam Life and Science, Palermo, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione “SantaLucia”, Roma, Italy
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15
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Danet L, Barbeau EJ, Eustache P, Planton M, Raposo N, Sibon I, Albucher JF, Bonneville F, Peran P, Pariente J. Thalamic amnesia after infarct: The role of the mammillothalamic tract and mediodorsal nucleus. Neurology 2015; 85:2107-15. [PMID: 26567269 PMCID: PMC4691690 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000002226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To improve current understanding of the mechanisms behind thalamic amnesia, as it is unclear whether it is directly related to damage to specific nuclei, in particular to the anterior or mediodorsal nuclei, or indirectly related to lesions of the mammillothalamic tract (MTT). Methods: We recruited 12 patients with a left thalamic infarction and 25 healthy matched controls. All underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of verbal and visual memory, executive functions, language, and affect, and a high-resolution structural volumetric MRI scan. Thalamic lesions were manually segmented and automatically localized with a computerized thalamic atlas. As well as comparing patients with controls, we divided patients into subgroups with intact or damaged MTT. Results: Only one patient had a small lesion of the anterior nucleus. Most of the lesions included the mediodorsal (n = 11) and intralaminar nuclei (n = 12). Patients performed worse than controls on the verbal memory tasks, but the 5 patients with intact MTT who showed isolated lesions of the mediodorsal nucleus (MD) only displayed moderate memory impairment. The 7 patients with a damaged MTT performed worse on the verbal memory tasks than those whose MTT was intact. Conclusions: Lesions in the MTT and in the MD result in memory impairment, severely in the case of MTT and to a lesser extent in the case of MD, thus highlighting the roles played by these 2 structures in memory circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola Danet
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France.
| | - Emmanuel J Barbeau
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France
| | - Pierre Eustache
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France
| | - Mélanie Planton
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicolas Raposo
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France
| | - Igor Sibon
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-François Albucher
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France
| | - Fabrice Bonneville
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France
| | - Patrice Peran
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France
| | - Jérémie Pariente
- From Inserm (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.) and Université de Toulouse III, UPS (L.D., P.E., M.P., F.B., P.P., J.P.), Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques, UMR 825, and Service de Neurologie, Pôle Neurosciences, CHU Purpan (L.D., M.P., N.R., J.-F.A., F.B., J.P.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CNRS, CerCO, UMR 5549) (L.D., E.J.B.), Université de Toulouse; and CHU de Bordeaux, Unité Neurovasculaire (I.S.), University of Bordeaux, France
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16
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Recollection and familiarity in the human thalamus. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 54:18-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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17
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What does a comparison of the alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome and thalamic infarction tell us about thalamic amnesia? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 54:46-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Fama R, Sullivan EV. Thalamic structures and associated cognitive functions: Relations with age and aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 54:29-37. [PMID: 25862940 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The thalamus, with its cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar connections, is a critical node in networks supporting cognitive functions known to decline in normal aging, including component processes of memory and executive functions of attention and information processing. The macrostructure, microstructure, and neural connectivity of the thalamus changes across the adult lifespan. Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have demonstrated, regional thalamic volume shrinkage and microstructural degradation, with anterior regions generally more compromised than posterior regions. The integrity of selective thalamic nuclei and projections decline with advancing age, particularly those in thalamofrontal, thalamoparietal, and thalamolimbic networks. This review presents studies that assess the relations between age and aging and the structure, function, and connectivity of the thalamus and associated neural networks and focuses on their relations with processes of attention, speed of information processing, and working and episodic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Fama
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States.
| | - Edith V Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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19
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Dalrymple-Alford JC, Harland B, Loukavenko EA, Perry B, Mercer S, Collings DA, Ulrich K, Abraham WC, McNaughton N, Wolff M. Anterior thalamic nuclei lesions and recovery of function: Relevance to cognitive thalamus. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 54:145-60. [PMID: 25637779 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2014] [Revised: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Injury to the anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN) and their neural connections is the most consistent neuropathology associated with diencephalic amnesia. ATN lesions in rats produce memory impairments that support a key role for this region within an extended hippocampal system of complex overlapping neural connections. Environmental enrichment is a therapeutic tool that produces substantial, although incomplete, recovery of memory function after ATN lesions, even after the lesion-induced deficit has become established. Similarly, the neurotrophic agent cerebrolysin, also counters the negative effects of ATN lesions. ATN lesions substantially reduce c-Fos expression and spine density in the retrosplenial cortex, and reduce spine density on CA1 neurons; only the latter is reversed by enrichment. We discuss the implications of this evidence for the cognitive thalamus, with a proposal that there are genuine interactions among different but allied thalamo-cortical systems that go beyond a simple summation of their separate effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Dalrymple-Alford
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand; Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | - Bruce Harland
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Elena A Loukavenko
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Brook Perry
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Stephanie Mercer
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - David A Collings
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Katharina Ulrich
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Wickliffe C Abraham
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Neil McNaughton
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Mathieu Wolff
- University of Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33400 Talence, France; CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33400 Talence, France
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20
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Tu S, Miller L, Piguet O, Hornberger M. Accelerated forgetting of contextual details due to focal medio-dorsal thalamic lesion. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:320. [PMID: 25309371 PMCID: PMC4163931 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Effects of thalamic nuclei damage and related white matter tracts on memory performance are still debated. This is particularly evident for the medio-dorsal thalamus which has been less clear in predicting amnesia than anterior thalamus changes. The current study addresses this issue by assessing 7 thalamic stroke patients with consistent unilateral lesions focal to the left medio-dorsal nuclei for immediate and delayed memory performance on standard visual and verbal tests of anterograde memory, and over the long-term (>24 h) on an object-location associative memory task. Thalamic patients showed selective impairment to delayed recall, but intact recognition memory. Patients also showed accelerated forgetting of contextual details after a 24 h delay, compared to controls. Importantly, the mammillothalamic tract was intact in all patients, which suggests a role for the medio-dorsal nuclei in recall and early consolidation memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sicong Tu
- Neuroscience Research Australia, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Laurie Miller
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Central Clinical School, Neuropsychology Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Olivier Piguet
- Neuroscience Research Australia, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Hornberger
- Neuroscience Research Australia, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK
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21
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Rosenbaum RS, Gilboa A, Moscovitch M. Case studies continue to illuminate the cognitive neuroscience of memory. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2014; 1316:105-33. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Shayna Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology; York University; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Rotman Research Institute; Baycrest; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Canadian Partnership in Stroke Recovery, Baycrest; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Asaf Gilboa
- Rotman Research Institute; Baycrest; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Canadian Partnership in Stroke Recovery, Baycrest; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Psychology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Morris Moscovitch
- Rotman Research Institute; Baycrest; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Psychology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Psychology, Baycrest; Toronto Ontario Canada
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Chieffo D, Tamburrini G, Caldarelli M, Di Rocco C. Preoperative neuropsychological and behavioral evaluation of children with thalamic tumors. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2014; 13:507-13. [PMID: 24679078 DOI: 10.3171/2014.2.peds13352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECT Functional involvement of the thalamus in cognitive processing has been only anecdotally reported in the literature, and these cases are mostly related to thalamic hemorrhages; there is no available information on cognitive development in children with thalamic tumors. METHODS All children admitted with a diagnosis of thalamic tumor at the authors' institution between January 2008 and January 2011 were considered for the present study. Exclusion criteria were age less than 18 months and the presence of severe neurological deficits, both of which prevented a reliable neuropsychological evaluation. A complete preoperative neuropsychological evaluation was performed. RESULTS Twenty children were selected (mean age 102.4 months). Total IQ was in the normal range in all patients (mean 90.1, SD 13.87) with a significant difference between verbal IQ (mean 97.70, SD 17.77) and performance IQ (mean 84.82, SD 17.01). A significant correlation was found between global cognitive impairment and a histological finding of low-grade tumors (p < 0.001). Children with a mesial thalamic tumor had a higher working memory deficit and delayed recall disorders (p < 0.001). Naming disorders were related to the presence of a bilateral (p < 0.001) or mesial (p < 0.001) thalamic tumor, without a significant difference between left or right hemisphere involvement. A significant correlation was also found between the presence of neurolinguistic disorders and mesially located tumors (p < 0.001). Children with right-sided tumors more frequently had constructional apraxia and executive function disorders (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The present study suggests that thalamic tumors in different locations might have specific neuropsychological profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Chieffo
- Pediatric Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School; and
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Pergola G, Suchan B. Associative learning beyond the medial temporal lobe: many actors on the memory stage. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:162. [PMID: 24312029 PMCID: PMC3832901 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of research have established a model that includes the medial temporal lobe, and particularly the hippocampus, as a critical node for episodic memory. Neuroimaging and clinical studies have shown the involvement of additional cortical and subcortical regions. Among these areas, the thalamus, the retrosplenial cortex, and the prefrontal cortices have been consistently related to episodic memory performance. This article provides evidences that these areas are in different forms and degrees critical for human memory function rather than playing only an ancillary role. First we briefly summarize the functional architecture of the medial temporal lobe with respect to recognition memory and recall. We then focus on the clinical and neuroimaging evidence available on thalamo-prefrontal and thalamo-retrosplenial networks. The role of these networks in episodic memory has been considered secondary, partly because disruption of these areas does not always lead to severe impairments; to account for this evidence, we discuss methodological issues related to the investigation of these regions. We propose that these networks contribute differently to recognition memory and recall, and also that the memory stage of their contribution shows specificity to encoding or retrieval in recall tasks. We note that the same mechanisms may be in force when humans perform non-episodic tasks, e.g., semantic retrieval and mental time travel. Functional disturbance of these networks is related to cognitive impairments not only in neurological disorders, but also in psychiatric medical conditions, such as schizophrenia. Finally we discuss possible mechanisms for the contribution of these areas to memory, including regulation of oscillatory rhythms and long-term potentiation. We conclude that integrity of the thalamo-frontal and the thalamo-retrosplenial networks is necessary for the manifold features of episodic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Pergola
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
- Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Boris Suchan
- Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Aggleton JP, Saunders RC, Wright NF, Vann SD. The origin of projections from the posterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortices to the anterior, medial dorsal and laterodorsal thalamic nuclei of macaque monkeys. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 39:107-23. [PMID: 24134130 PMCID: PMC4112842 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2013] [Revised: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between the posterior cingulate cortex (areas 23 and 31) and the retrosplenial cortex (areas 29 and 30) with the anterior, laterodorsal and dorsal medial thalamic nuclei are thought to support various aspects of cognition, including memory and spatial processing. To detail these interactions better, the present study used retrograde tracers to reveal the origins of the corticothalamic projections in two closely related monkey species (Macaca mulatta, Macaca fascicularis). The medial dorsal thalamic nucleus received only light cortical inputs, which predominantly arose from area 23. Efferents to the anterior medial thalamic nucleus also arose principally from area 23, but these projections proved more numerous than those to the medial dorsal nucleus and also involved additional inputs from areas 29 and 30. The anterior ventral and laterodorsal thalamic nuclei had similar sources of inputs from the posterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortices. For both nuclei, the densest projections arose from areas 29 and 30, with numbers of thalamic inputs often decreasing when going dorsal from area 23a to 23c and to area 31. In all cases, the corticothalamic projections almost always arose from the deepest cortical layer. The different profiles of inputs to the anterior medial and anterior ventral thalamic nuclei reinforce other anatomical and electrophysiological findings suggesting that these adjacent thalamic nuclei serve different, but complementary, functions supporting memory. While the lack of retrosplenial connections singled out the medial dorsal nucleus, the very similar connection patterns shown by the anterior ventral and laterodorsal nuclei point to common roles in cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70, Park Place, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3AT, UK
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Lutkenhoff ES, McArthur DL, Hua X, Thompson PM, Vespa PM, Monti MM. Thalamic atrophy in antero-medial and dorsal nuclei correlates with six-month outcome after severe brain injury. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2013; 3:396-404. [PMID: 24273723 PMCID: PMC3815017 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2013.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2013] [Revised: 09/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The primary and secondary damage to neural tissue inflicted by traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability. The secondary processes, in particular, are of great clinical interest because of their potential susceptibility to intervention. We address the dynamics of tissue degeneration in cortico-subcortical circuits after severe brain injury by assessing volume change in individual thalamic nuclei over the first six-months post-injury in a sample of 25 moderate to severe traumatic brain injury patients. Using tensor-based morphometry, we observed significant localized thalamic atrophy over the six-month period in antero-dorsal limbic nuclei as well as in medio-dorsal association nuclei. Importantly, the degree of atrophy in these nuclei was predictive, even after controlling for full-brain volume change, of behavioral outcome at six-months post-injury. Furthermore, employing a data-driven decision tree model, we found that physiological measures, namely the extent of atrophy in the anterior thalamic nucleus, were the most predictive variables of whether patients had regained consciousness by six-months, followed by behavioral measures. Overall, these findings suggest that the secondary non-mechanical degenerative processes triggered by severe brain injury are still ongoing after the first week post-trauma and target specifically antero-medial and dorsal thalamic nuclei. This result therefore offers a potential window of intervention, and a specific target region, in agreement with the view that specific cortico-thalamo-cortical circuits are crucial to the maintenance of large-scale network neural activity and thereby the restoration of cognitive function after severe brain injury. Performed acute and chronic structural MRI in 25 severe TBI patients Tensor brain morphometry (TBM) shows localized thalamic acute-to-chronic atrophy. Anterior, medio- and lateral-dorsal nuclei are the most significant. Atrophy in these nuclei predicts 6-month outcome scores (GOSe).
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan S Lutkenhoff
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Mitchell AS, Chakraborty S. What does the mediodorsal thalamus do? Front Syst Neurosci 2013; 7:37. [PMID: 23950738 PMCID: PMC3738868 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2013.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Dense amnesia can result from damage to the medial diencephalon in humans and in animals. In humans this damage is diffuse and can include the mediodorsal nuclei of the thalamus. In animal models, lesion studies have confirmed the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) has a role in memory and other cognitive tasks, although the extent of deficits is mixed. Anatomical tracing studies confirm at least three different subgroupings of the MD: medial, central, and lateral, each differentially interconnected to the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Moreover, these subgroupings of the MD also receive differing inputs from other brain structures, including the basal ganglia thus the MD subgroupings form key nodes in interconnected frontal-striatal-thalamic neural circuits, integrating critical information within the PFC. We will provide a review of data collected from non-human primates and rodents after selective brain injury to the whole of the MD as well as these subgroupings to highlight the extent of deficits in various cognitive tasks. This research highlights the neural basis of memory and cognitive deficits associated with the subgroupings of the MD and their interconnected neural networks. The evidence shows that the MD plays a critical role in many varied cognitive processes. In addition, the MD is actively processing information and integrating it across these neural circuits for successful cognition. Having established that the MD is critical for memory and cognition, further research is required to understand how the MD specifically influences these cognitive processing carried out by the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna S. Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford UniversityOxford, UK
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Omizzolo C, Scratch SE, Stargatt R, Kidokoro H, Thompson DK, Lee KJ, Cheong J, Neil J, Inder TE, Doyle LW, Anderson PJ. Neonatal brain abnormalities and memory and learning outcomes at 7 years in children born very preterm. Memory 2013; 22:605-15. [PMID: 23805915 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2013.809765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Using prospective longitudinal data from 198 very preterm and 70 full term children, this study characterised the memory and learning abilities of very preterm children at 7 years of age in both verbal and visual domains. The relationship between the extent of brain abnormalities on neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and memory and learning outcomes at 7 years of age in very preterm children was also investigated. Neonatal MRI scans were qualitatively assessed for global, white-matter, cortical grey-matter, deep grey-matter, and cerebellar abnormalities. Very preterm children performed less well on measures of immediate memory, working memory, long-term memory, and learning compared with term-born controls. Neonatal brain abnormalities, and in particular deep grey-matter abnormality, were associated with poorer memory and learning performance at 7 years in very preterm children. Findings support the importance of cerebral neonatal pathology for predicting later memory and learning function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Omizzolo
- a Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital , Parkville , VIC , Australia
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Markowitsch HJ. Memory and self-neuroscientific landscapes. ISRN NEUROSCIENCE 2013; 2013:176027. [PMID: 24967303 PMCID: PMC4045540 DOI: 10.1155/2013/176027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Relations between memory and the self are framed from a number of perspectives-developmental aspects, forms of memory, interrelations between memory and the brain, and interactions between the environment and memory. The self is seen as dividable into more rudimentary and more advanced aspects. Special emphasis is laid on memory systems and within them on episodic autobiographical memory which is seen as a pure human form of memory that is dependent on a proper ontogenetic development and shaped by the social environment, including culture. Self and episodic autobiographical memory are seen as interlocked in their development and later manifestation. Aside from content-based aspects of memory, time-based aspects are seen along two lines-the division between short-term and long-term memory and anterograde-future-oriented-and retrograde-past-oriented memory. The state dependency of episodic autobiographical is stressed and implications of it-for example, with respect to the occurrence of false memories and forensic aspects-are outlined. For the brain level, structural networks for encoding, consolidation, storage, and retrieval are discussed both by referring to patient data and to data obtained in normal participants with functional brain imaging methods. It is elaborated why descriptions from patients with functional or dissociative amnesia are particularly apt to demonstrate the facets in which memory, self, and personal temporality are interwoven.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans J. Markowitsch
- Physiological Psychology, University of Bielefeld, Universitaetsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Center of Excellence “Cognitive Interaction Technology” (CITEC), University of Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Hanse Institute of Advanced Science, P. O. Box 1344, 27733 Delmenhorst, Germany
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Metzger CD, van der Werf YD, Walter M. Functional mapping of thalamic nuclei and their integration into cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical loops via ultra-high resolution imaging-from animal anatomy to in vivo imaging in humans. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:24. [PMID: 23658535 PMCID: PMC3647142 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2012] [Accepted: 03/15/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamus, a crucial node in the well-described cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical circuits, has been the focus of functional and structural imaging studies investigating human emotion, cognition and memory. Invasive work in animals and post-mortem investigations have revealed the rich cytoarchitectonics and functional specificity of the thalamus. Given current restrictions in the spatial resolution of non-invasive imaging modalities, there is, however, a translational gap between functional and structural information on these circuits in humans and animals as well as between histological and cellular evidence and their relationship to psychological functioning. With the advance of higher field strengths for MR approaches, better spatial resolution is now available promising to overcome this conceptual problem. We here review these two levels, which exist for both neuroscientific and clinical investigations, and then focus on current attempts to overcome conceptual boundaries of these observations with the help of ultra-high resolution imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coraline D Metzger
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany
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Law LM, Smith DM. The anterior thalamus is critical for overcoming interference in a context-dependent odor discrimination task. Behav Neurosci 2013; 126:710-9. [PMID: 23025833 DOI: 10.1037/a0029698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The anterior thalamus (AT) is anatomically interconnected with the hippocampus and other structures known to be involved in memory, and the AT is involved in many of the same learning and memory functions as the hippocampus. For example, like the hippocampus, the AT is involved in spatial cognition and episodic memory. The hippocampus also has a well-documented role in contextual memory processes, but it is not known whether the AT is similarly involved in contextual memory. In the present study, we assessed the role of the AT in contextual memory processes by temporarily inactivating the AT and training rats on a recently developed context-based olfactory list learning task, which was designed to assess the use of contextual information to resolve interference. Rats were trained on one list of odor discrimination problems, followed by training on a second list in either the same context or a different context. In order to induce interference, some of the odors appeared on both lists with their predictive value reversed. Control rats that learned the two lists in different contexts performed significantly better than rats that learned the two lists in the same context. However, AT lesions completely abolished this contextual learning advantage, a result that is very similar to the effects of hippocampal inactivation. These findings demonstrate that the AT, like the hippocampus, is involved in contextual memory and suggest that the hippocampus and AT are part of a functional circuit involved in contextual memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Matthew Law
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Dupire A, Kant P, Mons N, Marchand AR, Coutureau E, Dalrymple-Alford J, Wolff M. A role for anterior thalamic nuclei in affective cognition: Interaction with environmental conditions. Hippocampus 2013; 23:392-404. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2012] [Revised: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Abstract
Memory disturbances frequently occur after brain damage, but can be associated with psychiatric illnesses as well. Amnesia--the most severe form of memory impairment--has several variants, including anterograde and retrograde amnesia, material-specific and modality-specific amnesia, and transient global amnesia. We searched databases to obtain an overview of amnesia research from the past 5 years. Research into amnesia has increased exponentially, probably because of the availability of modern brain-imaging techniques. In line with the view that memory is not a unity but is organised into several systems, amnesia is described as a multifaceted disease with a frequently poor prognosis.
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Pergola G, Güntürkün O, Koch B, Schwarz M, Daum I, Suchan B. Recall deficits in stroke patients with thalamic lesions covary with damage to the parvocellular mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:2477-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2012] [Revised: 06/16/2012] [Accepted: 06/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Turriziani P, Smirni D, Zappalà G, Mangano GR, Oliveri M, Cipolotti L. Enhancing memory performance with rTMS in healthy subjects and individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment: the role of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Front Hum Neurosci 2012; 6:62. [PMID: 22514525 PMCID: PMC3322484 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2011] [Accepted: 03/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A debated question in the literature is the degree of anatomical and functional lateralization of the executive control processes sub-served by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during recognition memory retrieval. We investigated if transient inhibition and excitation of the left and right DLPFC at retrieval by means of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) modulate recognition memory performance in 100 healthy controls (HCs) and in eight patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Recognition memory tasks of faces, buildings, and words were used in different experiments. rTMS-inhibition of the right DLPFC enhanced recognition memory in both HCs and MCIs. rTMS-excitation of the same region in HCs deteriorated memory performance. Inhibition of the right DLPFC could modulate the excitability of a network of brain regions, in the ipsilateral as well as in the contralateral hemisphere, enhancing function in HCs or restoring an adaptive equilibrium in MCI.
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Gos T, Steiner J, Bielau H, Dobrowolny H, Günther K, Mawrin C, Krzyżanowski M, Hauser R, Brisch R, Bernstein HG, Jankowski Z, Braun K, Bogerts B. Differences between unipolar and bipolar I depression in the quantitative analysis of glutamic acid decarboxylase-immunoreactive neuropil. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2012; 262:647-55. [PMID: 22526728 PMCID: PMC3491185 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-012-0315-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 03/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in GABAergic neurotransmission are assumed to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is the key enzyme in GABA synthesis. This study aimed to differentiate between unipolar and bipolar I depression using quantitative evaluation of GAD-immunoreactive (GAD-ir) neuropil in several brain regions known to be involved in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Immunohistochemical staining of GAD 65/67 was performed in the orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the entorhinal cortex, the hippocampal formation and the medial dorsal and lateral dorsal (LD) thalamic nuclei, with a quantitative densitometric analysis of GAD-ir neuropil. The study was performed on paraffin-embedded brains from 9 unipolar and 12 bipolar I depressed patients (8 and 6 suicidal patients, respectively) and 18 matched controls. In unipolar patients, compared with controls, only the increased relative density of GAD-ir neuropil in the right LD was different from the previous results in depressed suicides from the same cohort (Gos et al. in J Affect Disord 113:45-55, 2009). On the other hand, the left DLPFC was the only area where a significant decrease was observed, specific for bipolar I depression. Significant differences between both diagnostic groups were found in these regions. By revealing abnormalities in the relative density of GAD-ir neuropil in brain structures, our study suggests a diathesis of the GABAergic system in mood disorders, which may differentiate the pathophysiology of unipolar from that of bipolar I depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Gos
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Johann Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hendrik Bielau
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Henrik Dobrowolny
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Karoline Günther
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian Mawrin
- Institute of Neuropathology, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Maciej Krzyżanowski
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Roman Hauser
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ralf Brisch
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Zbigniew Jankowski
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katharina Braun
- Department of Zoology, Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Bogerts
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
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Edelstyn NMJ, Mayes AR, Denby C, Ellis SJ. Impairment in material-specific long-term memory following unilateral mediodorsal thalamic damage and presumed partial disconnection of the mammillo-thalamic tract. J Neuropsychol 2011; 6:119-40. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-6653.2011.02019.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Rosenbaum RS, Murphy KJ, Rich JB. The amnesias. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2011; 3:47-63. [DOI: 10.1002/wcs.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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38
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Neural enhancement and attenuation induced by repetitive recall. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2011; 96:143-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2011.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2010] [Revised: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 03/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Carlesimo G, Costa A, Serra L, Bozzali M, Fadda L, Caltagirone C. Prospective memory in thalamic amnesia. Neuropsychologia 2011; 49:2199-208. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2010] [Revised: 11/10/2010] [Accepted: 11/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Aggleton JP, Dumont JR, Warburton EC. Unraveling the contributions of the diencephalon to recognition memory: a review. Learn Mem 2011; 18:384-400. [PMID: 21597044 PMCID: PMC3101772 DOI: 10.1101/lm.1884611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 03/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Both clinical investigations and studies with animals reveal nuclei within the diencephalon that are vital for recognition memory (the judgment of prior occurrence). This review seeks to identify these nuclei and to consider why they might be important for recognition memory. Despite the lack of clinical cases with circumscribed pathology within the diencephalon and apparent species differences, convergent evidence from a variety of sources implicates a subgroup of medial diencephalic nuclei. It is supposed that the key functional interactions of this subgroup of diencephalic nuclei are with the medial temporal lobe, the prefrontal cortex, and with cingulate regions. In addition, some of the clinical evidence most readily supports dual-process models of recognition, which assume two independent cognitive processes (recollective-based and familiarity-based) that combine to direct recognition judgments. From this array of information a "multi-effect multi-nuclei" model is proposed, in which the mammillary bodies and the anterior thalamic nuclei are of preeminent importance for recollective-based recognition. The medial dorsal thalamic nucleus is thought to contribute to familiarity-based recognition, but this nucleus, along with various midline and intralaminar thalamic nuclei, is also assumed to have broader, indirect effects upon both recollective-based and familiarity-based recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, Wales, United Kingdom.
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41
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Mabbott DJ, Monsalves E, Spiegler BJ, Bartels U, Janzen L, Guger S, Laperriere N, Andrews N, Bouffet E. Longitudinal evaluation of neurocognitive function after treatment for central nervous system germ cell tumors in childhood. Cancer 2011; 117:5402-11. [DOI: 10.1002/cncr.26127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2010] [Revised: 01/07/2011] [Accepted: 02/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Carlesimo GA, Lombardi MG, Caltagirone C. Vascular thalamic amnesia: a reappraisal. Neuropsychologia 2011; 49:777-789. [PMID: 21255590 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2010] [Revised: 01/07/2011] [Accepted: 01/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In humans lacunar infarcts in the mesial and anterior regions of the thalami are frequently associated with amnesic syndromes. In this review paper, we scrutinized 41 papers published between 1983 and 2009 that provided data on a total of 83 patients with the critical ischemic lesions (i.e. 17 patients with right-sided lesions, 25 with left-sided lesions and 41 with bilateral lesions). We aimed to find answers to the following questions concerning the vascular thalamic amnesia syndrome: (i) Which qualitative pattern of memory impairment (and associated cognitive and behavioral deficits) do these patients present? (ii) Which lesioned intrathalamic structures are primarily responsible for the amnesic syndrome? (iii) Are the recollection and familiarity components of declarative memory underlain by the same or by different thalamic structures? Results of the review indicate that, similar to patients with amnesic syndromes due to mesio-temporal lobe damage, patients with vascular thalamic amnesia display a prevalent deficit of declarative anterograde long-term memory, a less consistent deficit of declarative retrograde long-term memory and substantially spared short-term and implicit memory. Unlike mesio-temporal lobe patients, however, vascular thalamic amnesics often present dysexecutive and behavioral deficits similar to those observed in patients with frontal damage. The presence of an amnesic syndrome in patients with thalamic lacunar infarcts is strongly predicted by involvement of the mammillo-thalamic tract, which connects the anterior nuclei complex to the hippocampus proper via the fornix and the mammillary bodies. Finally, data reported in a few single cases provide support for the hypothesis that thalamic regions connected to distinct areas of the mesio-temporal lobe play differential roles in recollection and familiarity processes. The mammillo-thalamic tract/anterior nuclei axis seems primarily implicated in recollective processes, whereas the ventroamygdalofugal pathway/medio-dorsal axis primarily underlies familiarity processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Augusto Carlesimo
- Neurology Clinic, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy; Unit of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Neurology Clinic, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy; Unit of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Sewards TV. Neural structures and mechanisms involved in scene recognition: a review and interpretation. Neuropsychologia 2010; 49:277-98. [PMID: 21095199 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2009] [Revised: 11/13/2010] [Accepted: 11/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery in 1996 that a region within caudal parahippocampal cortex subserves learning and recall of topographical information, numerous studies aimed at elucidating the structures and pathways involved in scene recognition have been published. Neuroimaging studies, in particular, have revealed the locations and identities of some of the principal cortical structures that mediate these faculties. In the present study the detailed organization of the system is examined, based on a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies of scene processing in human subjects, combined with reviews of the results of lesions on this type of processing, single neuron studies, and available hodological data in non-human primates. A cortical hierarchy of structures that mediate scene recognition is established based on these data, and an attempt is made to determine the function of the individual components of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terence V Sewards
- Sandia Research Center, 21 Perdiz Canyon Road, Placitas, NM 87043, USA.
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The role of the prefrontal cortex in familiarity and recollection processes during verbal and non-verbal recognition memory: An rTMS study. Neuroimage 2010; 52:348-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2009] [Revised: 03/30/2010] [Accepted: 04/04/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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45
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Vann SD, Erichsen JT, O'Mara SM, Aggleton JP. Selective disconnection of the hippocampal formation projections to the mammillary bodies produces only mild deficits on spatial memory tasks: implications for fornix function. Hippocampus 2010; 21:945-57. [PMID: 20865745 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
It is now clear that the integrity of the fornix is important for normal mnemonic function. The fornix, however, is a major white matter tract, carrying numerous hippocampal formation afferents and efferents, and it is not known which specific components support memory processes. Established theories of extended hippocampal function emphasize the sequential pathway from the hippocampal formation (i.e., subicular complex) to the mammillary bodies and, thence, to the anterior thalamus, as pathology in each of these structures is implicated in anterograde amnesia in humans and spatial memory deficits in rats. The specific importance of the hippocampal formation projections that just innervate the mammillary bodies has, however, never been tested. This study isolated these specific projections in the rat by selectively cutting the descending component of the postcommissural fornix. Two successive, cohorts of rats with these tract lesions were tested on working memory tasks in the water-maze, T-maze, and radial-arm maze. Disconnecting the descending postcommissural fornix had only a mild effect or sometimes no apparent effect on the performance of these spatial memory tasks, even though tracing experiments confirmed the loss of hippocampal formation-mammillary projections. One implication is that the spatial deficits found in rats following standard fornix lesions are only partly attributable to the loss of projections from the hippocampal formation to the mammillary bodies. Perhaps more surprising, the behavioral impact of cutting the descending postcommissural fornix in rats appeared appreciably less than the effect of either mammillary body or mammillothalamic tract lesions. The present experiments show that the mammillary bodies can still effectively support spatial memory in the absence of their dense subicular complex inputs, so revealing the importance of the other afferents for sustaining mammillary body function. This new evidence for independent functions shows that the mammillary bodies are more than just a hippocampal relay.
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Dickerson BC, Eichenbaum H. The episodic memory system: neurocircuitry and disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2010; 35:86-104. [PMID: 19776728 PMCID: PMC2882963 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2009.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 394] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2009] [Revised: 07/31/2009] [Accepted: 08/01/2009] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The ability to encode and retrieve our daily personal experiences, called episodic memory, is supported by the circuitry of the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the hippocampus, which interacts extensively with a number of specific distributed cortical and subcortical structures. In both animals and humans, evidence from anatomical, neuropsychological, and physiological studies indicates that cortical components of this system have key functions in several aspects of perception and cognition, whereas the MTL structures mediate the organization and persistence of the network of memories whose details are stored in those cortical areas. Structures within the MTL, and particularly the hippocampus, have distinct functions in combining information from multiple cortical streams, supporting our ability to encode and retrieve details of events that compose episodic memories. Conversely, selective damage in the hippocampus, MTL, and other structures of the large-scale memory system, or deterioration of these areas in several diseases and disorders, compromises episodic memory. A growing body of evidence is converging on a functional organization of the cortical, subcortical, and MTL structures that support the fundamental features of episodic memory in humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradford C Dickerson
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
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Campbell P, Ophir AG, Phelps SM. Central vasopressin and oxytocin receptor distributions in two species of singing mice. J Comp Neurol 2009; 516:321-33. [PMID: 19637308 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) are key modulators of vertebrate sociality. Although some general behavioral functions of AVP and OT are broadly conserved, the detailed consequences of peptide release seem to be regulated by species-specific patterns of receptor distribution. We used autoradiography to characterize central vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) and OT receptor (OTR) distributions in two species of singing mice, ecologically specialized Central American rodents with a highly developed form of vocal communication. While both species exhibited high V1aR binding in the auditory thalamus (medial geniculate), binding in structures involved in vocal production (periaqueductal gray and anterior hypothalamus) was significantly higher in the more vocal species, Scotinomys teguina. In S. xerampelinus, receptor binding was significantly higher in a suite of interconnected structures implicated in social and spatial memory, including OTR in the hippocampus and medial amygdala, and V1aR in the anterior and laterodorsal thalamus. This pattern is concordant with species differences in population density and social spacing, which should favor enhanced sociospatial memory in S. xerampelinus. We propose that V1aR and OTR distributions in singing mice support an integral role for the AVP/OT system in several aspects of sociality, including vocal communication and sociospatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polly Campbell
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
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Anterior thalamic nucleus stimulation modulates regional cerebral metabolism: an FDG-MicroPET study in rats. Neurobiol Dis 2009; 34:477-83. [PMID: 19303441 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2009.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2008] [Revised: 02/25/2009] [Accepted: 03/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanism underlying the antiepileptic function of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior thalamic nucleus (ATN) remains unknown, presumably related to functional lesioning of target. We measured the regional normalized cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (nCMRglc) with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-MicroPET in animals receiving either ATN stimulation or lesioning. Bilateral ATN stimulation reversibly increased glucose uptake in the target region, the thalamus and hippocampus, and decreased glucose uptake in the cingulate cortex and frontal cortex. However, bilateral ATN lesioning decreased glucose uptake only in the target region. Animals with bilateral ATN lesions showed no metabolic changes after ATN stimulation. Thus, bilateral DBS of the ATN reversibly induces metabolic activation of the target area and modulates energy metabolism in remote brain regions via efferent or afferent fibers in non-epileptic rats. DBS of the ATN may work by a different mechanism than ATN lesioning.
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Soei E, Koch B, Schwarz M, Daum I. Involvement of the human thalamus in relational and non-relational memory. Eur J Neurosci 2008; 28:2533-41. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06536.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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