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Clark BJ, LaChance PA, Winter SS, Mehlman ML, Butler W, LaCour A, Taube JS. Comparison of head direction cell firing characteristics across thalamo-parahippocampal circuitry. Hippocampus 2024; 34:168-196. [PMID: 38178693 PMCID: PMC10950528 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Head direction (HD) cells, which fire persistently when an animal's head is pointed in a particular direction, are widely thought to underlie an animal's sense of spatial orientation and have been identified in several limbic brain regions. Robust HD cell firing is observed throughout the thalamo-parahippocampal system, although recent studies report that parahippocampal HD cells exhibit distinct firing properties, including conjunctive aspects with other spatial parameters, which suggest they play a specialized role in spatial processing. Few studies, however, have quantified these apparent differences. Here, we performed a comparative assessment of HD cell firing characteristics across the anterior dorsal thalamus (ADN), postsubiculum (PoS), parasubiculum (PaS), medial entorhinal (MEC), and postrhinal (POR) cortices. We report that HD cells with a high degree of directional specificity were observed in all five brain regions, but ADN HD cells display greater sharpness and stability in their preferred directions, and greater anticipation of future headings compared to parahippocampal regions. Additional analysis indicated that POR HD cells were more coarsely modulated by other spatial parameters compared to PoS, PaS, and MEC. Finally, our analyses indicated that the sharpness of HD tuning decreased as a function of laminar position and conjunctive coding within the PoS, PaS, and MEC, with cells in the superficial layers along with conjunctive firing properties showing less robust directional tuning. The results are discussed in relation to theories of functional organization of HD cell tuning in thalamo-parahippocampal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Patrick A LaChance
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Shawn S Winter
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Max L Mehlman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Will Butler
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Ariyana LaCour
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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2
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Duszkiewicz AJ, Orhan P, Skromne Carrasco S, Brown EH, Owczarek E, Vite GR, Wood ER, Peyrache A. Local origin of excitatory-inhibitory tuning equivalence in a cortical network. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:782-792. [PMID: 38491324 PMCID: PMC11001581 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01588-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The interplay between excitation and inhibition determines the fidelity of cortical representations. The receptive fields of excitatory neurons are often finely tuned to encoded features, but the principles governing the tuning of inhibitory neurons remain elusive. In this study, we recorded populations of neurons in the mouse postsubiculum (PoSub), where the majority of excitatory neurons are head-direction (HD) cells. We show that the tuning of fast-spiking (FS) cells, the largest class of cortical inhibitory neurons, was broad and frequently radially symmetrical. By decomposing tuning curves using the Fourier transform, we identified an equivalence in tuning between PoSub-FS and PoSub-HD cell populations. Furthermore, recordings, optogenetic manipulations of upstream thalamic populations and computational modeling provide evidence that the tuning of PoSub-FS cells has a local origin. These findings support the notion that the equivalence of neuronal tuning between excitatory and inhibitory cell populations is an intrinsic property of local cortical networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian J Duszkiewicz
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
| | - Pierre Orhan
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Ecole normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Sofia Skromne Carrasco
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eleanor H Brown
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eliott Owczarek
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gilberto R Vite
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emma R Wood
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adrien Peyrache
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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3
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Venkatesh P, Wolfe C, Lega B. Neuromodulation of the anterior thalamus: Current approaches and opportunities for the future. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 5:100109. [PMID: 38020810 PMCID: PMC10663132 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2023.100109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of thalamocortical circuits in memory has driven a recent burst of scholarship, especially in animal models. Investigating this circuitry in humans is more challenging. And yet, the development of new recording and stimulation technologies deployed for clinical indications has created novel opportunities for data collection to elucidate the cognitive roles of thalamic structures. These technologies include stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), deep brain stimulation (DBS), and responsive neurostimulation (RNS), all of which have been applied to memory-related thalamic regions, specifically for seizure localization and treatment. This review seeks to summarize the existing applications of neuromodulation of the anterior thalamic nuclei (ANT) and highlight several devices and their capabilities that can allow cognitive researchers to design experiments to assay its functionality. Our goal is to introduce to investigators, who may not be familiar with these clinical devices, the capabilities, and limitations of these tools for understanding the neurophysiology of the ANT as it pertains to memory and other behaviors. We also briefly cover the targeting of other thalamic regions including the centromedian (CM) nucleus, dorsomedial (DM) nucleus, and pulvinar, with associated potential avenues of experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Venkatesh
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Cody Wolfe
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Bradley Lega
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
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4
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Duszkiewicz AJ, Rossato JI, Moreno A, Takeuchi T, Yamasaki M, Genzel L, Spooner P, Canals S, Morris RGM. Execution of new trajectories toward a stable goal without a functional hippocampus. Hippocampus 2023; 33:769-786. [PMID: 36798045 PMCID: PMC10946713 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus is a critical component of a mammalian spatial navigation system, with the firing sequences of hippocampal place cells during sleep or immobility constituting a "replay" of an animal's past trajectories. A novel spatial navigation task recently revealed that such "replay" sequences of place fields can also prospectively map onto imminent new paths to a goal that occupies a stable location during each session. It was hypothesized that such "prospective replay" sequences may play a causal role in goal-directed navigation. In the present study, we query this putative causal role in finding only minimal effects of muscimol-induced inactivation of the dorsal and intermediate hippocampus on the same spatial navigation task. The concentration of muscimol used demonstrably inhibited hippocampal cell firing in vivo and caused a severe deficit in a hippocampal-dependent "episodic-like" spatial memory task in a watermaze. These findings call into question whether "prospective replay" of an imminent and direct path is actually necessary for its execution in certain navigational tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian J. Duszkiewicz
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh NeuroscienceUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of StirlingStirlingScotlandUK
| | - Janine I. Rossato
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh NeuroscienceUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Department of PhysiologyUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do NorteRio Grande do NorteBrazil
| | - Andrea Moreno
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh NeuroscienceUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Instituto de Neurociencias, CSIC‐UMHSan Juan de AlicanteSpain
- Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE)Aarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Tomonori Takeuchi
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh NeuroscienceUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE)Aarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Miwako Yamasaki
- Department of Anatomy, Graduate School of MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Lisa Genzel
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh NeuroscienceUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and BehaviourRadboud University and RadboudumcNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Patrick Spooner
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh NeuroscienceUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias, CSIC‐UMHSan Juan de AlicanteSpain
| | - Richard G. M. Morris
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh NeuroscienceUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Instituto de Neurociencias, CSIC‐UMHSan Juan de AlicanteSpain
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Hirai T, Abe O, Nakamura M, Inui S, Uetani H, Ueda M, Azuma M. Brain structural changes in patients with chronic methylmercury poisoning in Minamata. Brain Res 2023; 1805:148278. [PMID: 36775085 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Exploratory whole-brain studies in patients suffering from methylmercury (MeHg) poisoning have not been conducted. We aimed to evaluate the neuroanatomical differences between patients with chronic MeHg poisoning and healthy volunteers via magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Patients included in this case-control study were divided into three categories based on whether MeHg exposure occurred in utero, under 15 years of age, or over 15 years of age, as fetal-, pediatric-, and adult-type patients, respectively. This study analyzed MR imaging data from 10 patients each of fetal, pediatric, and adult types of chronic MeHg poisoning in Minamata and corresponding 53, 37, and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was used to determine the volumetric gray and white matter (GM and WM) differences in patients with chronic MeHg poisoning. Compared to healthy individuals, VBM revealed a significant reduction in GM in the cerebellar and calcarine areas in pediatric- and adult-type cases and in the thalamus of fetal-type cases. A significant reduction in WM volume was also noted in the cerebral and the cerebellar regions, especially in pediatric-type cases. Patients with chronic MeHg poisoning develop structural differences in the GM of the calcarine, the cerebellum, and the thalamus and in the WM of the cerebrum and cerebellum. These changes can appear, depending on the timing of MeHg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshinori Hirai
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
| | - Osamu Abe
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaaki Nakamura
- Department of Clinical Medicine, National Institute for Minamata Disease, Minamata, Japan
| | - Shohei Inui
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Uetani
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Mitsuharu Ueda
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Minako Azuma
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
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6
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Szabó JP, Fabó D, Pető N, Sákovics A, Bódizs R. Role of anterior thalamic circuitry during sleep. Epilepsy Res 2022; 186:106999. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2022.106999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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7
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Cooke JI, Guven O, Abarca PC, Ibitoye RT, Pettorossi VE, Bronstein AM. Electroencephalographic response to transient adaptation of vestibular perception. J Physiol 2022; 600:3517-3535. [PMID: 35713975 PMCID: PMC9544486 DOI: 10.1113/jp282470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract When given a series of sinusoidal oscillations in which the two hemicycles have equal amplitude but asymmetric velocity, healthy subjects lose perception of the slower hemicycle (SHC), reporting a drift towards the faster hemicycle (FHC). This response is not reflected in the vestibular–ocular reflex, suggesting that the adaptation is of higher order. This study aimed to define EEG correlates of this adaptive response. Twenty‐five subjects underwent a series of symmetric or asymmetric oscillations and reported their perceived head orientation at the end using landmarks in the testing room; this was converted into total position error (TPE). Thirty‐two channel EEG was recorded before, during and after adaptation. Spectral power and coherence were calculated for the alpha, beta, delta and theta frequency bands. Linear mixed models were used to determine a region‐by‐condition effect of the adaptation. TPE was significantly greater in the asymmetric condition and reported error was always in the direction of the FHC. Regardless of condition, alpha desynchronised in response to stimulation, then rebounded back toward baseline values. This pattern was accelerated and attenuated in the prefrontal and occipital regions, respectively, in the asymmetric condition. Functional connectivity networks were identified in the beta and delta frequency bands; these networks, primarily comprising frontoparietal connections, were more coherent during asymmetric stimulation. These findings suggest that the temporary vestibulo‐perceptual ‘neglect’ induced by asymmetric vestibular stimulation may be mediated by alpha rhythms and frontoparietal attentional networks. The results presented further our understanding of brain rhythms and cortical networks involved in vestibular perception and adaptation.
![]() Key points Whole‐body asymmetric sinusoidal oscillations, which consist of hemicycles with equal amplitude but differing velocities, can induce transient ‘neglect’ of the slower hemicycle in the vestibular perception of healthy subjects. In this study, we aimed to elucidate EEG correlates of this ‘neglect’, thereby identifying a cortical role in vestibular perception and adaptation. We identified a desynchronisation–resynchronisation response in the alpha frequency band (8–14 Hz) that was accelerated in the prefrontal region and attenuated in the occipital region when exposed to asymmetric, as compared to symmetric, rotations. We additionally identified functional connectivity networks in the beta (14–30 Hz) and delta (1–4 Hz) frequency bands consisting primarily of frontoparietal connections. These results suggest a prominent role of alpha rhythms and frontoparietal attentional networks in vestibular perception and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine I Cooke
- Neuro-otology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK
| | - Onur Guven
- Neuro-otology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK
| | - Patricia Castro Abarca
- Neuro-otology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK.,Escuela de Fonoaudiología, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Richard T Ibitoye
- Neuro-otology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK
| | - Vito E Pettorossi
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Sezione di Fisiologia Umana e Biochemica, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Adolfo M Bronstein
- Neuro-otology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK
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8
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Long X, Deng B, Young CK, Liu G, Zhong Z, Chen Q, Yang H, Lv S, Chen ZS, Zhang S. Sharp Tuning of Head Direction and Angular Head Velocity Cells in the Somatosensory Cortex. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2200020. [PMID: 35297541 PMCID: PMC9109065 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202200020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Head direction (HD) cells form a fundamental component in the brain's spatial navigation system and are intricately linked to spatial memory and cognition. Although HD cells have been shown to act as an internal neuronal compass in various cortical and subcortical regions, the neural substrate of HD cells is incompletely understood. It is reported that HD cells in the somatosensory cortex comprise regular-spiking (RS, putative excitatory) and fast-spiking (FS, putative inhibitory) neurons. Surprisingly, somatosensory FS HD cells fire in bursts and display much sharper head-directionality than RS HD cells. These FS HD cells are nonconjunctive, rarely theta rhythmic, sparsely connected and enriched in layer 5. Moreover, sharply tuned FS HD cells, in contrast with RS HD cells, maintain stable tuning in darkness; FS HD cells' coexistence with RS HD cells and angular head velocity (AHV) cells in a layer-specific fashion through the somatosensory cortex presents a previously unreported configuration of spatial representation in the neocortex. Together, these findings challenge the notion that FS interneurons are weakly tuned to sensory stimuli, and offer a local circuit organization relevant to the generation and transmission of HD signaling in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Long
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Bin Deng
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Calvin K. Young
- Department of PsychologyBrain Health Research CentreUniversity of OtagoDunedin9054New Zealand
| | - Guo‐Long Liu
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Zeqi Zhong
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Qian Chen
- Center for Biomedical AnalysisCollege of Basic MedicineArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Hui Yang
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Sheng‐Qing Lv
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of PsychiatryDepartment of Neuroscience and PhysiologyNeuroscience InstituteNew York University School of MedicineNew YorkNY10016USA
| | - Sheng‐Jia Zhang
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
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9
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Smith DM, Yang YY, Subramanian DL, Miller AMP, Bulkin DA, Law LM. The limbic memory circuit and the neural basis of contextual memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 187:107557. [PMID: 34808337 PMCID: PMC8755583 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex and anterior thalamus are key components of a neural circuit known to be involved in a variety of memory functions, including spatial, contextual and episodic memory. In this review, we focus on the role of this circuit in contextual memory processes. The background environment, or context, is a powerful cue for memory retrieval, and neural representations of the context provide a mechanism for efficiently retrieving relevant memories while avoiding interference from memories that belong to other contexts. Data from experimental lesions and neural manipulation techniques indicate that each of these regions is critical for contextual memory. Neurophysiological evidence from the hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex suggest that contextual information is represented within this circuit by population-level neural firing patterns that reliably differentiate each context a subject encounters. These findings indicate that encoding contextual information to support context-dependent memory retrieval is a key function of this circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Smith
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
| | - Yan Yu Yang
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | | | - Adam M P Miller
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - David A Bulkin
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - L Matthew Law
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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10
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Keshavarzi S, Bracey EF, Faville RA, Campagner D, Tyson AL, Lenzi SC, Branco T, Margrie TW. Multisensory coding of angular head velocity in the retrosplenial cortex. Neuron 2021; 110:532-543.e9. [PMID: 34788632 PMCID: PMC8823706 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
To successfully navigate the environment, animals depend on their ability to continuously track their heading direction and speed. Neurons that encode angular head velocity (AHV) are fundamental to this process, yet the contribution of various motion signals to AHV coding in the cortex remains elusive. By performing chronic single-unit recordings in the retrosplenial cortex (RSP) of the mouse and tracking the activity of individual AHV cells between freely moving and head-restrained conditions, we find that vestibular inputs dominate AHV signaling. Moreover, the addition of visual inputs onto these neurons increases the gain and signal-to-noise ratio of their tuning during active exploration. Psychophysical experiments and neural decoding further reveal that vestibular-visual integration increases the perceptual accuracy of angular self-motion and the fidelity of its representation by RSP ensembles. We conclude that while cortical AHV coding requires vestibular input, where possible, it also uses vision to optimize heading estimation during navigation. Angular head velocity (AHV) coding is widespread in the retrosplenial cortex (RSP) AHV cells maintain their tuning during passive motion and require vestibular input The perception of angular self-motion is improved when visual cues are present AHV coding is similarly improved when both vestibular and visual stimuli are used
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepiedeh Keshavarzi
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom.
| | - Edward F Bracey
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A Faville
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Dario Campagner
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom; Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Adam L Tyson
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen C Lenzi
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Troy W Margrie
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom.
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11
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Plasticity between visual input pathways and the head direction system. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:60-68. [PMID: 34619578 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Animals can maintain a stable sense of direction even when they navigate in novel environments, but how the animal's brain interprets and encodes unfamiliar sensory information in its navigation system to maintain a stable sense of direction is a mystery. Recent studies have suggested that distinct brain structures of mammals and insects have evolved to solve this common problem with strategies that share computational principles; specifically, a network structure called a ring attractor maintains the sense of direction. Initially, in a novel environment, the animal's sense of direction relies on self-motion cues. Over time, the mapping from visual inputs to head direction cells, responsible for the sense of direction, is established via experience-dependent plasticity. Yet the mechanisms that facilitate acquiring a world-centered sense of direction, how many environments can be stored in memory, and what visual features are selected, all remain unknown. Thanks to recent advances in large scale physiological recording, genetic tools, and theory, these mechanisms may soon be revealed.
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12
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Frost BE, Martin SK, Cafalchio M, Islam MN, Aggleton JP, O'Mara SM. Anterior Thalamic Inputs Are Required for Subiculum Spatial Coding, with Associated Consequences for Hippocampal Spatial Memory. J Neurosci 2021; 41:6511-6525. [PMID: 34131030 PMCID: PMC8318085 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2868-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Just as hippocampal lesions are principally responsible for "temporal lobe" amnesia, lesions affecting the anterior thalamic nuclei seem principally responsible for a similar loss of memory, "diencephalic" amnesia. Compared with the former, the causes of diencephalic amnesia have remained elusive. A potential clue comes from how the two sites are interconnected, as within the hippocampal formation, only the subiculum has direct, reciprocal connections with the anterior thalamic nuclei. We found that both permanent and reversible anterior thalamic nuclei lesions in male rats cause a cessation of subicular spatial signaling, reduce spatial memory performance to chance, but leave hippocampal CA1 place cells largely unaffected. We suggest that a core element of diencephalic amnesia stems from the information loss in hippocampal output regions following anterior thalamic pathology.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT At present, we know little about interactions between temporal lobe and diencephalic memory systems. Here, we focused on the subiculum, as the sole hippocampal formation region directly interconnected with the anterior thalamic nuclei. We combined reversible and permanent lesions of the anterior thalamic nuclei, electrophysiological recordings of the subiculum, and behavioral analyses. Our results were striking and clear: following permanent thalamic lesions, the diverse spatial signals normally found in the subiculum (including place cells, grid cells, and head-direction cells) all disappeared. Anterior thalamic lesions had no discernible impact on hippocampal CA1 place fields. Thus, spatial firing activity within the subiculum requires anterior thalamic function, as does successful spatial memory performance. Our findings provide a key missing part of the much bigger puzzle concerning why anterior thalamic damage is so catastrophic for spatial memory in rodents and episodic memory in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany E Frost
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Sean K Martin
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Matheus Cafalchio
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Md Nurul Islam
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AS, United Kingdom
| | - Shane M O'Mara
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
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13
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Peng Y, Barreda Tomas FJ, Pfeiffer P, Drangmeister M, Schreiber S, Vida I, Geiger JRP. Spatially structured inhibition defined by polarized parvalbumin interneuron axons promotes head direction tuning. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/25/eabg4693. [PMID: 34134979 PMCID: PMC8208710 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg4693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
In cortical microcircuits, it is generally assumed that fast-spiking parvalbumin interneurons mediate dense and nonselective inhibition. Some reports indicate sparse and structured inhibitory connectivity, but the computational relevance and the underlying spatial organization remain unresolved. In the rat superficial presubiculum, we find that inhibition by fast-spiking interneurons is organized in the form of a dominant super-reciprocal microcircuit motif where multiple pyramidal cells recurrently inhibit each other via a single interneuron. Multineuron recordings and subsequent 3D reconstructions and analysis further show that this nonrandom connectivity arises from an asymmetric, polarized morphology of fast-spiking interneuron axons, which individually cover different directions in the same volume. Network simulations assuming topographically organized input demonstrate that such polarized inhibition can improve head direction tuning of pyramidal cells in comparison to a "blanket of inhibition." We propose that structured inhibition based on asymmetrical axons is an overarching spatial connectivity principle for tailored computation across brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangfan Peng
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Federico J Barreda Tomas
- Institute for Integrative Neuroanatomy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Pfeiffer
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Moritz Drangmeister
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Schreiber
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Imre Vida
- Institute for Integrative Neuroanatomy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jörg R P Geiger
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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14
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A Thalamic Reticular Circuit for Head Direction Cell Tuning and Spatial Navigation. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107747. [PMID: 32521272 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
As we navigate in space, external landmarks and internal information guide our movement. Circuit and synaptic mechanisms that integrate these cues with head-direction (HD) signals remain, however, unclear. We identify an excitatory synaptic projection from the presubiculum (PreS) and the multisensory-associative retrosplenial cortex (RSC) to the anterodorsal thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), so far classically implied in gating sensory information flow. In vitro, projections to TRN involve AMPA/NMDA-type glutamate receptors that initiate TRN cell burst discharge and feedforward inhibition of anterior thalamic nuclei. In vivo, chemogenetic anterodorsal TRN inhibition modulates PreS/RSC-induced anterior thalamic firing dynamics, broadens the tuning of thalamic HD cells, and leads to preferential use of allo- over egocentric search strategies in the Morris water maze. TRN-dependent thalamic inhibition is thus an integral part of limbic navigational circuits wherein it coordinates external sensory and internal HD signals to regulate the choice of search strategies during spatial navigation.
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15
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Sweeney-Reed CM, Buentjen L, Voges J, Schmitt FC, Zaehle T, Kam JWY, Kaufmann J, Heinze HJ, Hinrichs H, Knight RT, Rugg MD. The role of the anterior nuclei of the thalamus in human memory processing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:146-158. [PMID: 33737103 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Extensive neuroanatomical connectivity between the anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN) and hippocampus and neocortex renders them well-placed for a role in memory processing, and animal, lesion, and neuroimaging studies support such a notion. The deep location and small size of the ATN have precluded their real-time electrophysiological investigation during human memory processing. However, ATN electrophysiological recordings from patients receiving electrodes implanted for deep brain stimulation for pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy have enabled high temporal resolution study of ATN activity. Theta frequency synchronization of ATN and neocortical oscillations during successful memory encoding, enhanced phase alignment, and coupling between ATN local gamma frequency activity and frontal neocortical and ATN theta oscillations provide evidence of an active role for the ATN in memory encoding, potentially integrating information from widespread neocortical sources. Greater coupling of a broader gamma frequency range with theta oscillations at rest than during memory encoding provides additional support for the hypothesis that the ATN play a role in selecting local, task-relevant high frequency activity associated with particular features of a memory trace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Sweeney-Reed
- Neurocybernetics and Rehabilitation, Dept. of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Lars Buentjen
- Dept. of Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Voges
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Dept. of Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Tino Zaehle
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Julia W Y Kam
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jörn Kaufmann
- Dept. of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Jochen Heinze
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Dept. of Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hermann Hinrichs
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Dept. of Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Robert T Knight
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michael D Rugg
- Center for Vital Longevity and School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA
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16
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Bermudez-Contreras E, Clark BJ, Wilber A. The Neuroscience of Spatial Navigation and the Relationship to Artificial Intelligence. Front Comput Neurosci 2020; 14:63. [PMID: 32848684 PMCID: PMC7399088 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2020.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroscience are impressive. In AI, this includes the development of computer programs that can beat a grandmaster at GO or outperform human radiologists at cancer detection. A great deal of these technological developments are directly related to progress in artificial neural networks-initially inspired by our knowledge about how the brain carries out computation. In parallel, neuroscience has also experienced significant advances in understanding the brain. For example, in the field of spatial navigation, knowledge about the mechanisms and brain regions involved in neural computations of cognitive maps-an internal representation of space-recently received the Nobel Prize in medicine. Much of the recent progress in neuroscience has partly been due to the development of technology used to record from very large populations of neurons in multiple regions of the brain with exquisite temporal and spatial resolution in behaving animals. With the advent of the vast quantities of data that these techniques allow us to collect there has been an increased interest in the intersection between AI and neuroscience, many of these intersections involve using AI as a novel tool to explore and analyze these large data sets. However, given the common initial motivation point-to understand the brain-these disciplines could be more strongly linked. Currently much of this potential synergy is not being realized. We propose that spatial navigation is an excellent area in which these two disciplines can converge to help advance what we know about the brain. In this review, we first summarize progress in the neuroscience of spatial navigation and reinforcement learning. We then turn our attention to discuss how spatial navigation has been modeled using descriptive, mechanistic, and normative approaches and the use of AI in such models. Next, we discuss how AI can advance neuroscience, how neuroscience can advance AI, and the limitations of these approaches. We finally conclude by highlighting promising lines of research in which spatial navigation can be the point of intersection between neuroscience and AI and how this can contribute to the advancement of the understanding of intelligent behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin J. Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Aaron Wilber
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
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Viejo G, Peyrache A. Precise coupling of the thalamic head-direction system to hippocampal ripples. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2524. [PMID: 32433538 PMCID: PMC7239903 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15842-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The anterior thalamus is a key relay of neuronal signals within the limbic system. During sleep, the occurrence of hippocampal sharp wave-ripples (SWRs), believed to mediate consolidation of explicit memories, is modulated by thalamocortical network activity, yet how information is routed around SWRs and how this communication depends on neuronal dynamics remains unclear. Here, by simultaneously recording ensembles of neurons in the anterior thalamus and local field potentials in the CA1 area of the hippocampus, we show that the head-direction (HD) cells of the anterodorsal nucleus are set in stable directions immediately before SWRs. This response contrasts with other thalamic cells that exhibit diverse couplings to the hippocampus related to their intrinsic dynamics but independent of their anatomical location. Thus, our data suggest a specific and homogeneous contribution of the HD signal to hippocampal activity and a diverse and cell-specific coupling of non-HD neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Viejo
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Adrien Peyrache
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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18
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Angelaki DE, Laurens J. The head direction cell network: attractor dynamics, integration within the navigation system, and three-dimensional properties. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 60:136-144. [PMID: 31877492 PMCID: PMC7002189 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge of head direction cell function has progressed remarkably in recent years. The predominant theory that they form an attractor has been confirmed by several experiments. Candidate pathways that may convey visual input have been identified. The pre-subicular circuitry that conveys head direction signals to the medial entorhinal cortex, potentially sustaining path integration by grid cells, has been resolved. Although the neuronal substrate of the attractor remains unknown in mammals, a simple head direction network, whose structure is astoundingly similar to neuronal models theorized decades earlier, has been identified in insects. Finally, recent experiments have revealed that these cells do not encode head direction in the horizontal plane only, but also in vertical planes, thus providing a 3D orientation signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora E Angelaki
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Center for Neural Science and Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, NY, USA
| | - Jean Laurens
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, Frankfurt, Germany.
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