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Yang FC, Dokovna LB, Burwell RD. Functional Differentiation of Dorsal and Ventral Posterior Parietal Cortex of the Rat: Implications for Controlled and Stimulus-Driven Attention. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1787-1803. [PMID: 34546356 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is important for visuospatial attention. The primate PPC shows functional differentiation such that dorsal areas are implicated in top-down, controlled attention, and ventral areas are implicated in bottom-up, stimulus-driven attention. Whether the rat PPC also shows such functional differentiation is unknown. Here, we address this open question using functional neuroanatomy and in vivo electrophysiology. Using conventional tract-tracing methods, we examined connectivity with other structures implicated in visuospatial attention including the lateral posterior nucleus of the thalamus (LPn) and the postrhinal cortex (POR). We showed that the LPn projects to the entire PPC, preferentially targeting more ventral areas. All parts of the PPC and POR are reciprocally connected with the strongest connections evident between ventral PPC and caudal POR. Next, we simultaneously recorded neuronal activity in dorsal and ventral PPC as rats performed a visuospatial attention (VSA ) task that engages in both bottom-up and top-down attention. Previously, we provided evidence that the dorsal PPC is engaged in multiple cognitive process including controlled attention (Yang et al. 2017). Here, we further showed that ventral PPC cells respond to stimulus onset more rapidly than dorsal PPC cells, providing evidence for a role in stimulus-driven, bottom-up attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Chi Yang
- Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Lisa B Dokovna
- Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Rebecca D Burwell
- Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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2
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Jin Z, Xie K, Ni X, Jin DG, Zhang J, Li L. Transcranial magnetic stimulation over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates visuospatial distractor suppression. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:3394-3403. [PMID: 33650122 PMCID: PMC8252778 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Visual selective attention allows us to filter relevant inputs from irrelevant inputs during visual processing. In contrast to rich research exploring how the brain facilitates task‐relevant inputs, less is known about how the brain suppresses irrelevant inputs. In this study, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate the causal role of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a crucial brain area for attentional control, in distractor suppression. Specifically, 10‐Hz repetitive TMS (rTMS) was applied to the right DLPFC and Vertex at the stimuli onset (stimuli‐onset TMS) or 500 ms prior to the stimuli onset (prestimuli TMS). In a variant of the Posner cueing task, participants were instructed to identify the shape of a white target while ignoring a white or colored distractor whose location was either cued in advance or uncued. As anticipated, either the location cue or the colored distractor led to faster responses. Notably, the location cueing effect was eliminated by stimuli‐onset TMS to the right DLPFC, but not by prestimuli TMS. Further analyses showed that stimuli‐onset TMS quickened responses to uncued trials, and this TMS effect was derived from the inhibition at the distractor in both visual fields. In addition, TMS over the right DLPFC had no specific effect on the colored distractor compared to the white one. Considered collectively, these findings indicate that the DLPFC plays a crucial role in visuospatial distractor suppression and acts upon stimuli presentation. Besides, it seems the DLPFC contributes more to location‐based distractor suppression than to color‐based one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlan Jin
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Ke Xie
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuejin Ni
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Dong-Gang Jin
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Junjun Zhang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Li
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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3
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Chauvière L. Update on temporal lobe‐dependent information processing, in health and disease. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 51:2159-2204. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laëtitia Chauvière
- INSERM U1266 Institut de Psychiatrie et de Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP) Paris France
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4
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Noonan MP, Crittenden BM, Jensen O, Stokes MG. Selective inhibition of distracting input. Behav Brain Res 2018; 355:36-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 09/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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5
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Ljubojevic V, Luu P, Gill PR, Beckett LA, Takehara-Nishiuchi K, De Rosa E. Cholinergic Modulation of Frontoparietal Cortical Network Dynamics Supporting Supramodal Attention. J Neurosci 2018; 38:3988-4005. [PMID: 29572433 PMCID: PMC6705925 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2350-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Revised: 02/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical function of attention is to support a state of readiness to enhance stimulus detection, independent of stimulus modality. The nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) is the major source of the neurochemical acetylcholine (ACh) for frontoparietal cortical networks thought to support attention. We examined a potential supramodal role of ACh in a frontoparietal cortical attentional network supporting target detection. We recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in the prelimbic frontal cortex (PFC) and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) to assess whether ACh contributed to a state of readiness to alert rats to an impending presentation of visual or olfactory targets in one of five locations. Twenty male Long-Evans rats underwent training and then lesions of the NBM using the selective cholinergic immunotoxin 192 IgG-saporin (0.3 μg/μl; ACh-NBM-lesion) to reduce cholinergic afferentation of the cortical mantle. Postsurgery, ACh-NBM-lesioned rats had less correct responses and more omissions than sham-lesioned rats, which changed parametrically as we increased the attentional demands of the task with decreased target duration. This parametric deficit was found equally for both sensory targets. Accurate detection of visual and olfactory targets was associated specifically with increased LFP coherence, in the beta range, between the PFC and PPC, and with increased beta power in the PPC before the target's appearance in sham-lesioned rats. Readiness-associated changes in brain activity and visual and olfactory target detection were attenuated in the ACh-NBM-lesioned group. Accordingly, ACh may support supramodal attention via modulating activity in a frontoparietal cortical network, orchestrating a state of readiness to enhance target detection.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We examined whether the neurochemical acetylcholine (ACh) contributes to a state of readiness for target detection, by engaging frontoparietal cortical attentional networks independent of modality. We show that ACh supported alerting attention to an impending presentation of either visual or olfactory targets. Using local field potentials, enhanced stimulus detection was associated with an anticipatory increase in power in the beta oscillation range before the target's appearance within the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) as well as increased synchrony, also in beta, between the prefrontal cortex and PPC. These readiness-associated changes in brain activity and behavior were attenuated in rats with reduced cortical ACh. Thus, ACh may act, in a supramodal manner, to prepare frontoparietal cortical attentional networks for target detection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul Luu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | | | - Lee-Anne Beckett
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada, and
| | | | - Eve De Rosa
- Department of Human Development and Human Neuroscience Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
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Scott GA, Zabder NK, Greba Q, Howland JG. Performance of the odour span task is not impaired following inactivations of parietal cortex in rats. Behav Brain Res 2018; 341:181-188. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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7
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Yang FC, Jacobson TK, Burwell RD. Single neuron activity and theta modulation in the posterior parietal cortex in a visuospatial attention task. Hippocampus 2017; 27:263-273. [PMID: 27933672 PMCID: PMC5644026 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is implicated in directing and maintaining visual attention to locations in space. We hypothesized that the PPC also engages other cognitive processes in the transformation of behaviorally relevant visual inputs into appropriate actions, for example, monitoring of multiple locations, selection of responses to locations in space, and monitoring the outcome of response selections. We recorded single cells and local field potentials in the rat PPC during performance on a novel visuospatial attention (VSA) task that requires visually monitoring locations in space in order to make appropriate stimulus-guided locomotor responses. In each trial, rats attended to four locations on the floor of a maze. A randomly chosen location was briefly illuminated. Approach to the correct target location was followed by food reward. We observed that PPC activity correlated with multiple phases of the VSA task, including monitoring for stimulus onset, detection of a target, spatial location of the target, and target choice. A substantial proportion of cells with behavioral correlates were also modulated by outcome of the trial. Our analyses of local field potentials revealed strong oscillatory rhythms in the theta frequency band, and more than a third of PPC neurons were phase locked to theta oscillations. As in other brain regions, theta power correlated with running speed. Peak theta power was higher in superficial layers than deep layers providing evidence against volume conduction from the hippocampus. In addition, theta power was sensitive to the outcome of a choice. Theta power was significantly higher following incorrect choices compared with correct choices, possibly providing a prediction error signal. Our study provides evidence that the rat PPC has multiple roles in the translation of visual information into appropriate behavioral actions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Chi Yang
- Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912
| | - Tara K Jacobson
- Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912
| | - Rebecca D Burwell
- Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912
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8
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Wasilewska B, Najdzion J, Równiak M, Bogus-Nowakowska K, Hermanowicz B, Kolenkiewicz M, Żakowski W, Robak A. Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript and calcium binding proteins immunoreactivity in the subicular complex of the guinea pig. Ann Anat 2015; 204:51-62. [PMID: 26617160 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study we present the distribution and colocalization pattern of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and three calcium-binding proteins: calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR) and parvalbumin (PV) in the subicular complex (SC) of the guinea pig. The subiculum (S) and presubiculum (PrS) showed higher CART-immunoreactivity (-IR) than the parasubiculum (PaS) as far as the perikarya and neuropil were concerned. CART- IR cells were mainly observed in the pyramidal layer and occasionally in the molecular layer of the S. In the PrS and PaS, single CART-IR perikarya were dispersed, however with a tendency to be found only in superficial layers. CART-IR fibers were observed throughout the entire guinea pig subicular neuropil. Double-labeling immunofluorescence showed that CART-IR perikarya, as well as fibers, did not stain positively for any of the three CaBPs. CART-IR fibers were only located near the CB-, CR-, PV-IR perikarya, whereas CART-IR fibers occasionally intersected fibers containing one of the three CaBPs. The distribution pattern of CART was more similar to that of CB and CR than to that of PV. In the PrS, the CART, CB and CR immunoreactivity showed a laminar distribution pattern. In the case of the PV, this distribution pattern in the PrS was much less prominent than that of CART, CB and CR. We conclude that a heterogeneous distribution of the CART and CaBPs in the guinea pig SC is in keeping with findings from other mammals, however species specific differences have been observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Wasilewska
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Janusz Najdzion
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Maciej Równiak
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Krystyna Bogus-Nowakowska
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Beata Hermanowicz
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Kolenkiewicz
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Witold Żakowski
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Robak
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
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Bohon KS, Wiest MC. Role of medio-dorsal frontal and posterior parietal neurons during auditory detection performance in rats. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114064. [PMID: 25479194 PMCID: PMC4257565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To further characterize the role of frontal and parietal cortices in rat cognition, we recorded action potentials simultaneously from multiple sites in the medio-dorsal frontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex of rats while they performed a two-choice auditory detection task. We quantified neural correlates of task performance, including response movements, perception of a target tone, and the differentiation between stimuli with distinct features (different pitches or durations). A minority of units--15% in frontal cortex, 23% in parietal cortex--significantly distinguished hit trials (successful detections, response movement to the right) from correct rejection trials (correct leftward response to the absence of the target tone). Estimating the contribution of movement-related activity to these responses suggested that more than half of these units were likely signaling correct perception of the auditory target, rather than merely movement direction. In addition, we found a smaller and mostly not overlapping population of units that differentiated stimuli based on task-irrelevant details. The detection-related spiking responses we observed suggest that correlates of perception in the rat are sparsely represented among neurons in the rat's frontal-parietal network, without being concentrated preferentially in frontal or parietal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin S. Bohon
- Wellesley College Neuroscience Program, Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Michael C. Wiest
- Wellesley College Neuroscience Program, Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Tingley D, Alexander AS, Kolbu S, de Sa VR, Chiba AA, Nitz DA. Task-phase-specific dynamics of basal forebrain neuronal ensembles. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:174. [PMID: 25309352 PMCID: PMC4173808 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortically projecting basal forebrain neurons play a critical role in learning and attention, and their degeneration accompanies age-related impairments in cognition. Despite the impressive anatomical and cell-type complexity of this system, currently available data suggest that basal forebrain neurons lack complexity in their response fields, with activity primarily reflecting only macro-level brain states such as sleep and wake, onset of relevant stimuli and/or reward obtainment. The current study examined the spiking activity of basal forebrain neuron populations across multiple phases of a selective attention task, addressing, in particular, the issue of complexity in ensemble firing patterns across time. Clustering techniques applied to the full population revealed a large number of distinct categories of task-phase-specific activity patterns. Unique population firing-rate vectors defined each task phase and most categories of task-phase-specific firing had counterparts with opposing firing patterns. An analogous set of task-phase-specific firing patterns was also observed in a population of posterior parietal cortex neurons. Thus, consistent with the known anatomical complexity, basal forebrain population dynamics are capable of differentially modulating their cortical targets according to the unique sets of environmental stimuli, motor requirements, and cognitive processes associated with different task phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tingley
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrew S Alexander
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sean Kolbu
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Virginia R de Sa
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrea A Chiba
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Douglas A Nitz
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
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11
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Whitlock JR. Navigating actions through the rodent parietal cortex. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:293. [PMID: 24860475 PMCID: PMC4026689 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) participates in a manifold of cognitive functions, including visual attention, working memory, spatial processing, and movement planning. Given the vast interconnectivity of PPC with sensory and motor areas, it is not surprising that neuronal recordings show that PPC often encodes mixtures of spatial information as well as the movements required to reach a goal. Recent work sought to discern the relative strength of spatial vs. motor signaling in PPC by recording single unit activity in PPC of freely behaving rats during selective changes in either the spatial layout of the local environment or in the pattern of locomotor behaviors executed during navigational tasks. The results revealed unequivocally a predominant sensitivity of PPC neurons to locomotor action structure, with subsets of cells even encoding upcoming movements more than 1 s in advance. In light of these and other recent findings in the field, I propose that one of the key contributions of PPC to navigation is the synthesis of goal-directed behavioral sequences, and that the rodent PPC may serve as an apt system to investigate cellular mechanisms for spatial motor planning as traditionally studied in humans and monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Whitlock
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, Norway
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12
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Herzog L, Salehi K, Bohon KS, Wiest MC. Prestimulus frontal-parietal coherence predicts auditory detection performance in rats. J Neurophysiol 2014; 111:1986-2000. [PMID: 24572093 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00781.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiology in primates has implicated long-range neural coherence as a potential mechanism for enhancing sensory detection. To test whether local synchronization and long-range neural coherence support detection performance in rats, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in frontal and parietal cortex while rats performed an auditory detection task. We observed significantly elevated power at multiple low frequencies (<15 Hz) preceding the target beep when the animal failed to respond to the signal (misses), in both frontal and parietal cortex. In terms of long-range coherence, we observed significantly more frontal-parietal coherence in the beta band (15-30 Hz) before the signal on misses compared with hits. This effect persisted after regressing away linear trends in the coherence values during a session, showing that the excess frontal-parietal beta coherence prior to misses cannot be explained by slow motivational changes during a session. In addition, a trend toward higher low-frequency (<15 Hz) coherence prior to miss trials compared with hits became highly significant when we rereferenced the LFPs to the mean voltage on each recording array, suggesting that the results are specific to our frontal and parietal areas. These results do not support a role for long-range frontal-parietal coherence or local synchronization in facilitating the detection of external stimuli. Rather, they extend to long-range frontal-parietal coherence previous findings that correlate local synchronization of low-frequency (<15 Hz) oscillations with inattention to external stimuli and synchronization of beta rhythms (15-30 Hz) with voluntary or involuntary prolongation of the current cognitive or motor state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnea Herzog
- Neuroscience Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts
| | - Kia Salehi
- Neuroscience Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts
| | - Kaitlin S Bohon
- Neuroscience Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts
| | - Michael C Wiest
- Neuroscience Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts
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13
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Agster KL, Burwell RD. Hippocampal and subicular efferents and afferents of the perirhinal, postrhinal, and entorhinal cortices of the rat. Behav Brain Res 2013; 254:50-64. [PMID: 23872326 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2012] [Revised: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Available evidence suggests there is functional differentiation among hippocampal and parahippocampal subregions and along the dorsoventral (septotemporal) axis of the hippocampus. The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the efferent and afferent connections of perirhinal areas 35 and 36, postrhinal cortex, and the lateral and medial entorhinal areas (LEA and MEA) with dorsal and ventral components of the hippocampal formation (dentate gyrus, hippocampus cornu ammonis fields, and subiculum) as well as the presubiculum, and the parasubiculum. The entorhinal connections were also characterized with respect to the LEA and MEA dentate gyrus-projecting bands. In general, the entorhinal connections with the hippocampal formation are much stronger than the perirhinal and postrhinal connections. The entorhinal cortex projects strongly to all components of the hippocampal formation, whereas the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices project weakly and only to CA1 and the subiculum. In addition, the postrhinal cortex preferentially targets the dorsal CA1 and subiculum, whereas the perirhinal cortex targets ventral subiculum. Similarly, the perirhinal cortex receives more input from ventral hippocampal formation structures and the postrhinal cortex receives more input from dorsal hippocampal structures. The LEA and the MEA medial band are more strongly interconnected with ventral hippocampal structures, whereas the MEA lateral band is more interconnected with dorsal hippocampal structures. With regard to the presubiculum and parasubiculum, the postrhinal cortex and the MEA lateral band receive stronger input from the dorsal presubiculum and caudal parasubiculum. In contrast, the LEA and MEA medial bands receive stronger input from the ventral presubiculum and rostral parasubiculum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara L Agster
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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14
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McKenna BS, Young JW, Dawes SE, Asgaard GL, Eyler LT. Bridging the bench to bedside gap: validation of a reverse-translated rodent continuous performance test using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Psychiatry Res 2013; 212:183-91. [PMID: 23570915 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2012] [Revised: 01/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Vigilance, which requires attending to relevant while ignoring irrelevant stimuli, is a cognitive domain impacted by schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Various continuous performance tests (CPT) have been used to examine neural correlates of vigilance within people with and without severe mental illness, though there are limited cross-species paradigms available. The 5-choice CPT (5C-CPT) was designed for use in rodents as a cross-species translational paradigm. Here, we evaluate construct validity of a reverse-translated human analog of the 5C-CPT in assessing the neural correlates of vigilance. Functional magnetic resonance imaging during the 5C-CPT was used to examine activation of healthy individuals during target and non-target trials separately. We found activation in brain regions implicated in sustained attention processes including premotor cortex, inferior parietal lobe, basal ganglia, and thalamus during target trials. For non-target trials, we found expected activation in inferior frontal cortex, premotor cortex, presupplementary motor area, and inferior parietal lobe. Results support the construct validity of the 5C-CPT in measuring attentional and inhibitory systems within a single task paradigm enabling the assessment of vigilance across species. This task can be used for powerful parallel human and animal investigations of the biological basis of vigilance deficits in populations with severe mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S McKenna
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
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15
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Lippert MT, Takagaki K, Kayser C, Ohl FW. Asymmetric multisensory interactions of visual and somatosensory responses in a region of the rat parietal cortex. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63631. [PMID: 23667650 PMCID: PMC3646793 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception greatly benefits from integrating multiple sensory cues into a unified percept. To study the neural mechanisms of sensory integration, model systems are required that allow the simultaneous assessment of activity and the use of techniques to affect individual neural processes in behaving animals. While rodents qualify for these requirements, little is known about multisensory integration and areas involved for this purpose in the rodent. Using optical imaging combined with laminar electrophysiological recordings, the rat parietal cortex was identified as an area where visual and somatosensory inputs converge and interact. Our results reveal similar response patterns to visual and somatosensory stimuli at the level of current source density (CSD) responses and multi-unit responses within a strip in parietal cortex. Surprisingly, a selective asymmetry was observed in multisensory interactions: when the somatosensory response preceded the visual response, supra-linear summation of CSD was observed, but the reverse stimulus order resulted in sub-linear effects in the CSD. This asymmetry was not present in multi-unit activity however, which showed consistently sub-linear interactions. These interactions were restricted to a specific temporal window, and pharmacological tests revealed significant local intra-cortical contributions to this phenomenon. Our results highlight the rodent parietal cortex as a system to model the neural underpinnings of multisensory processing in behaving animals and at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Lippert
- Department Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Furtak SC, Ahmed OJ, Burwell RD. Single neuron activity and theta modulation in postrhinal cortex during visual object discrimination. Neuron 2013; 76:976-88. [PMID: 23217745 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Postrhinal cortex, rodent homolog of the primate parahippocampal cortex, processes spatial and contextual information. Our hypothesis of postrhinal function is that it serves to encode context, in part, by forming representations that link objects to places. To test this hypothesis, we recorded postrhinal neurons and local field potentials (LFPs) in rats trained on a two-choice, visual discrimination task. As predicted, many postrhinal neurons signaled object-location conjunctions. Another large proportion encoded egocentric motor responses. In addition, postrhinal LFPs exhibited strong oscillatory rhythms in the theta band, and many postrhinal neurons were phase locked to theta. Although correlated with running speed, theta power was lower than predicted by speed alone immediately before and after choice. However, theta power was significantly increased following incorrect decisions, suggesting a role in signaling error. These findings provide evidence that postrhinal cortex encodes representations that link objects to places and suggest postrhinal theta modulation extends to cognitive as well as spatial functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon C Furtak
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistics and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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Broussard JI. Posterior parietal cortex dynamically ranks topographic signals via cholinergic influence. Front Integr Neurosci 2012; 6:32. [PMID: 22712008 PMCID: PMC3375019 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2012.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothesis to be discussed in this review is that posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is directly involved in selecting relevant stimuli and filtering irrelevant distractors. The PPC receives input from several sensory modalities and integrates them in part to direct the allocation of resources to optimize gains. In conjunction with prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and basal forebrain cholinergic nuclei, it comprises a network mediating sustained attentional performance. Numerous anatomical, neurophysiological, and lesion studies have substantiated the notion that the basic functions of the PPC are conserved from rodents to humans. One such function is the detection and selection of relevant stimuli necessary for making optimal choices or responses. The issues to be addressed here are how behaviorally relevant targets recruit oscillatory potentials and spiking activity of posterior parietal neurons compared to similar yet irrelevant stimuli. Further, the influence of cortical cholinergic input to PPC in learning and decision-making is also discussed. I propose that these neurophysiological correlates of attention are transmitted to frontal cortical areas contributing to the top-down selection of stimuli in a timely manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- John I Broussard
- Department of Neuroscience, Center on Addiction, Learning, Memory, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, USA
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Enhanced control of attention by stimulating mesolimbic-corticopetal cholinergic circuitry. J Neurosci 2011; 31:9760-71. [PMID: 21715641 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1902-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustaining and recovering attentional performance requires interactions between the brain's motivation and attention systems. The first experiment demonstrated that in rats performing a sustained attention task (SAT), presentation of a distractor (dSAT) augmented performance-associated increases in cholinergic neurotransmission in prefrontal cortex. Because stimulation of NMDA receptors in the shell of the nucleus accumbens activates PFC cholinergic neurotransmission, a second experiment demonstrated that bilateral infusions of NMDA into the NAc shell, but not core, improved dSAT performance to levels observed in the absence of a distractor. A third experiment demonstrated that removal of prefrontal or posterior parietal cholinergic inputs, by intracortical infusions of the cholinotoxin 192 IgG-saporin, attenuated the beneficial effects of NMDA on dSAT performance. Mesolimbic activation of cholinergic projections to the cortex benefits the cognitive control of attentional performance by enhancing the detection of cues and the filtering of distractors.
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Sarter M, Lustig C, Taylor SF. Cholinergic contributions to the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia and the viability of cholinergic treatments. Neuropharmacology 2010; 62:1544-53. [PMID: 21156184 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2010] [Revised: 10/31/2010] [Accepted: 12/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Effective treatment of the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia has remained an elusive goal. Despite the intense focus on treatments acting at or via cholinergic mechanisms, little remains known about the dynamic cholinergic abnormalities that contribute to the manifestation of the cognitive symptoms in patients. Evidence from basic neuroscientific and psychopharmacological investigations assists in proposing detailed cholinergic mechanisms and treatment targets for enhancement of attentional performance. Dynamic, cognitive performance-dependent abnormalities in cholinergic activity have been observed in animal models of the disorder and serve to further refine such proposals. Finally, the potential usefulness of individual groups of cholinergic drugs and important issues concerning the interactions between pro-cholinergic and antipsychotic treatments are addressed. The limited evidence available from patient studies and animal models indicates pressing research needs in order to guide the development of cholinergic treatments of the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Sarter
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, 530 Church Street, 4032 East Hall, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Broussard JI, Givens B. Low frequency oscillations in rat posterior parietal cortex are differentially activated by cues and distractors. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2010; 94:191-8. [PMID: 20493272 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2010.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2009] [Revised: 04/07/2010] [Accepted: 05/15/2010] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is hypothesized to detect visual cues among competing distractors. Anatomical and neurophysiologic evidence indicates that the rat PPC is part of a network of brain areas involved in directed attention, specifically when new task parameters or conditions are introduced. Here, we test the hypothesis that changes in the local field potential (LFP) of the PPC of rats performing a sustained attention task reflect aspects of detection. Two event-related potentials were observed during detection: the P300 response and the contingent negative variation (CNV). Spectrogram analysis also indicated a detection-specific increase in alpha power in the retention interval of this task. This is consistent with observations from human studies, which indicate that tasks requiring a subject to withhold a response produced a pronounced synchronization of alpha rhythms during the delay, and desynchronization during retrieval. We also found cycles of alpha synchrony and desynchrony in response to a periodic distractor. These cycles were most pronounced in the initial trial block of the distractor when the false alarm rate was highest, and as task performance improved these cycles significantly diminished. This result suggests that alpha cycling in the PPC represent neural activity critical for learning to inhibit distractors. The occurrence of alpha synchronization and desynchronization to attention-demanding stimuli, in addition to the P300 and CNV responses observed during detection, is evidence that rat PPC is involved in sustained attention, particularly in the presence of distractors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John I Broussard
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States.
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Broussard JI, Karelina K, Sarter M, Givens B. Cholinergic optimization of cue-evoked parietal activity during challenged attentional performance. Eur J Neurosci 2009; 29:1711-22. [PMID: 19419433 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2009.06713.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The detection of salient or instrumental stimuli and the selection of cue-evoked responses are mediated by a fronto-parietal network that is modulated by cholinergic inputs originating from the basal forebrain. Visual cues that guide behavior are more strongly represented in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) than are similar cues that are missed or task-irrelevant. Although the crucial role of cholinergic inputs in cue detection has been demonstrated by lesion studies, the role of PPC neurons in the cholinergic modulation of cue detection is unclear. We recorded extracellular spikes from PPC neurons of rats performing a sustained attention task, before and after selective removal of cholinergic inputs to the recording site. Visual cues that were subsequently detected evoked significant increases in the PPC firing rate. In the absence of cholinergic input, the activation of PPC neurons by detected cues was greatly diminished. When a visual distractor was introduced during task performance, a population of PPC neurons selectively responded to the distractor. As a result of cholinergic deafferentation, distractor-related neuronal activity was enhanced, and the detection-related activity was further suppressed. Thus, in deafferented subjects, the distractor lowered the signal-to-noise ratio of cue-evoked responses. This impairment in cue-evoked neuronal activity may have mediated the increased response latencies observed for detected cues in the presence of the distractor. Additional experiments demonstrated that the effects of cholinergic deafferentation were not confounded by extended practice or electrode depth. Collectively, these findings indicate that cholinergic inputs to PPC neurons amplify cue detection, and may also act to suppress irrelevant distractors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John I Broussard
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Using the MATRICS to guide development of a preclinical cognitive test battery for research in schizophrenia. Pharmacol Ther 2009; 122:150-202. [PMID: 19269307 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2009.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2009] [Accepted: 02/17/2009] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are among the core symptoms of the disease, correlate with functional outcome, and are not well treated with current antipsychotic therapies. In order to bring together academic, industrial, and governmental bodies to address this great 'unmet therapeutic need', the NIMH sponsored the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) initiative. Through careful factor analysis and consensus of expert opinion, MATRICS identified seven domains of cognition that are deficient in schizophrenia (attention/vigilance, working memory, reasoning and problem solving, processing speed, visual learning and memory, verbal learning and memory, and social cognition) and recommended a specific neuropsychological test battery to probe these domains. In order to move the field forward and outline an approach for translational research, there is a need for a "preclinical MATRICS" to develop a rodent test battery that is appropriate for drug development. In this review, we outline such an approach and review current rodent tasks that target these seven domains of cognition. The rodent tasks are discussed in terms of their validity for probing each cognitive domain as well as a brief overview of the pharmacology and manipulations relevant to schizophrenia for each task.
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Bucci DJ. Posterior parietal cortex: an interface between attention and learning? Neurobiol Learn Mem 2009; 91:114-20. [PMID: 18675370 PMCID: PMC2664688 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2008.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2008] [Revised: 07/07/2008] [Accepted: 07/07/2008] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) of rats has most recently been defined based on patterns of thalamic and cortical connectivity. The anatomical characteristics of this area suggest that it may be homologous to the PPC of primates and contribute to similar functions. This review summarizes evidence for and against a role for the rat PPC in attention and working memory and evaluates how the function of the rat PPC compares to that of primates on these dimensions. Theories of how the rat PPC contributes to behavior are presented, including the notion that PPC may serve as an interface between attention and learning. Finally, several avenues for future research are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Bucci
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
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Young JW, Light GA, Marston HM, Sharp R, Geyer MA. The 5-choice continuous performance test: evidence for a translational test of vigilance for mice. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4227. [PMID: 19156216 PMCID: PMC2626630 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2008] [Accepted: 12/09/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Attentional dysfunction is related to functional disability in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer's disease. Indeed, sustained attention/vigilance is among the leading targets for new medications designed to improve cognition in schizophrenia. Although vigilance is assessed frequently using the continuous performance test (CPT) in humans, few tests specifically assess vigilance in rodents. Methods We describe the 5-choice CPT (5C-CPT), an elaboration of the 5-choice serial reaction (5CSR) task that includes non-signal trials, thus mimicking task parameters of human CPTs that use signal and non-signal events to assess vigilance. The performances of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice were assessed in the 5C-CPT to determine whether this task could differentiate between strains. C57BL/6J mice were also trained in the 5CSR task and a simple reaction-time (RT) task involving only one choice (1CRT task). We hypothesized that: 1) C57BL/6J performance would be superior to DBA/2J mice in the 5C-CPT as measured by the sensitivity index measure from signal detection theory; 2) a vigilance decrement would be observed in both strains; and 3) RTs would increase across tasks with increased attentional load (1CRT task<5CSR task<5C-CPT). Conclusions C57BL/6J mice exhibited superior SI levels compared to DBA/2J mice, but with no difference in accuracy. A vigilance decrement was observed in both strains, which was more pronounced in DBA/2J mice and unaffected by response bias. Finally, we observed increased RTs with increased attentional load, such that 1CRT task<5CSR task<5C-CPT, consistent with human performance in simple RT, choice RT, and CPT tasks. Thus we have demonstrated construct validity for the 5C-CPT as a measure of vigilance that is analogous to human CPT studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.
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Parikh V, Sarter M. Cholinergic mediation of attention: contributions of phasic and tonic increases in prefrontal cholinergic activity. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2008; 1129:225-35. [PMID: 18591483 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1417.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Contrary to the classic description of acetylcholine (ACh) as a slowly acting neuromodulator that influences arousal states, results from experiments that employed enzyme-selective microelectrodes for the real-time monitoring of ACh release in the cortex of attentional task-performing rats indicate that cholinergic signals manifesting on multiple timescales (seconds, tens of seconds, and minutes) support, and are necessary for, the mediation of defined cognitive operations. Specifically, in the prefrontal cortex, second-based cholinergic signals support the detection of behaviorally significant cues. In contrast to these prefrontal cholinergic transients, performance-associated cholinergic activity that manifested at lower temporal resolution also was observed elsewhere in the cortex. Although tonic cholinergic signal levels were correlated with the amplitudes of cue-evoked cholinergic transients, and the latter with response latencies, the interrelationships and interactions between the multiple cholinergic signaling modes remains unclear. Hypotheses concerning the afferent circuitry contributing to the regulation of second- versus minute-based cholinergic signals are discussed. The discovery of cholinergic transients and their crucial role in cue detection and attentional performance form the basis for new hypotheses about the nature of cholinergic dysfunction in cognitive disorders and offer new targets for the development of treatments for the cognitive symptoms of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA
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Cholinergic deafferentation of prefrontal cortex increases sensitivity to cross-modal distractors during a sustained attention task. J Neurosci 2008; 28:2642-50. [PMID: 18322107 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5112-07.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of restricted cholinergic deafferentation of prefrontal cortex in rats on sustained attention were assessed. Attentional demands were increased by presentation of distractor stimuli in a different modality (auditory) or the same modality (visual) as target stimuli. Additionally, the effects of the regularity of the distractor on rats' ability to disregard this stimulus were assessed by testing different frequencies of stimuli for each modality. Cholinergically lesioned rats were more sensitive to the effects of auditory distractors than nonlesioned rats, whereas visual distractors of any frequency potently impaired the performance of all subjects. The effects of the auditory stimuli on attentional performance varied depending on the frequency of the tone. A tone with a predictable pattern enhanced signal detection in all rats. An irregular tone selectively impaired performance of rats with cholinergic lesions. Additional tests suggest that rats use the regular tone to time when to attend. Lesioned rats were impaired when the regular tone was presented with a more variable intertrial interval in a subsequent testing session, suggesting impairments in top-down control. In addition to changes in top-down control of attention, differential effects on performance based on the regularity of the tone suggest that stimulus properties encoded by bottom-up processes are also altered after lesioning. The current data suggest that cholinergic deafferentation of prefrontal cortex alters top-down and bottom-up processing of stimuli.
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The substantia innominata remains incognita: pressing research themes on basal forebrain neuroanatomy. Brain Struct Funct 2008; 213:11-5. [PMID: 18183419 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-007-0165-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2007] [Accepted: 12/11/2007] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The neuroanatomical research by Heimer and colleagues has focused on the structure of, and connectivity between, basal forebrain regions as well as on the translational significance of this research. By outlining several pressing research themes and questions concerning the neuroanatomy of the basal forebrain, as seen from a biopsychologist's perspective, the importance of continuing and expanding neuroanatomical research on the basal forebrain is illustrated.
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Furtak SC, Wei SM, Agster KL, Burwell RD. Functional neuroanatomy of the parahippocampal region in the rat: the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices. Hippocampus 2008; 17:709-22. [PMID: 17604355 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The parahippocampal region in the rodent brain includes the perirhinal, postrhinal, and entorhinal cortices, the presubiculum, and the parasubiculum. In recent years, the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices have been a focus in memory research because they supply highly processed, polymodal sensory information to the hippocampus, both directly and via the entorhinal cortex. Available evidence indicates that these cortices receive different complements of cortical information, which are then forwarded to the hippocampus via parallel pathways. Here we have summarized the cortical, subcortical, and hippocampal connections of the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices in order to provide further insight into the nature of the information that is processed by these regions prior to arriving in the hippocampus. As has been previously described, the cortical afferents of the rodent postrhinal cortex are dominated by structures known to be involved in the processing of visual and spatial information, whereas the cortical afferents of the perirhinal cortex result in remarkable convergence of polymodal sensory information. The two regions are also differentiated by their cortical efferents. The perirhinal cortex projects more strongly to piriform, frontal, and insular regions, whereas the postrhinal cortex projects preferentially to visual and visuospatial regions. The subcortical connections of the two regions provide further evidence that they have different functions. For example, the perirhinal cortex has strong reciprocal connections with the amygdala, which suggest involvement in processing affective stimuli. Subcortical input to the postrhinal cortex is dominated by projections from dorsal thalamic structures, particularly the lateral posterior nucleus. Although the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices are considered to contribute to the episodic memory system, many questions remain about their particular roles. A detailed description of the anatomical connections of the perirhinal and postrhinal cortices will permit the generation of new, anatomically guided, hypotheses about their role in episodic memory and other cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon C Furtak
- Department of Psychology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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Bucci DJ, Macleod JE. Changes in neural activity associated with a surprising change in the predictive validity of a conditioned stimulus. Eur J Neurosci 2007; 26:2669-76. [PMID: 17970737 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05902.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Changes in how well a conditioned stimulus (CS) predicts future events can alter the amount of attention paid to that cue. For example, the unexpected violation of a previously established relationship between a CS and another stimulus can increase attentional processing and subsequent conditioning to that cue [J.M. Pearce & G. Hall (1980)Psych. Rev., 106, 532-552]. Previous lesion studies have implicated the central nucleus of the amygdala (CN) and basal forebrain corticopetal cholinergic system in mediating surprise-induced changes in attention. Here, expression of the immediate-early gene c-fos was used to determine which cortical targets of the basal forebrain cholinergic system are activated during an increase in attentional processing. Consistent with previous studies, increased Fos expression was observed in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) when a visual stimulus no longer reliably predicted occurrence of a tone. Similar results were observed in the secondary auditory cortex; however, there were no significant changes in Fos expression in other auditory or visual cortices or in other cortical association areas that have been implicated in attentional function (frontal, cingulate or retrosplenial cortex). These findings support the notion that the PPC is the primary cortical component of a neural system mediating incremental changes in attention. In addition, an increase in Fos-positive cells was detected in the substantia innominata/nucleus basalis and the CN at the time of surprise. An opposite pattern of results was observed in the basal lateral nucleus of the amygdala, providing evidence for different stimulus-processing mechanisms in regions of the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Bucci
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
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