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Taylor NL, Whyte CJ, Munn BR, Chang C, Lizier JT, Leopold DA, Turchi JN, Zaborszky L, Műller EJ, Shine JM. Causal evidence for cholinergic stabilization of attractor landscape dynamics. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114359. [PMID: 38870015 PMCID: PMC11255396 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114359] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
There is substantial evidence that neuromodulatory systems critically influence brain state dynamics; however, most work has been purely descriptive. Here, we quantify, using data combining local inactivation of the basal forebrain with simultaneous measurement of resting-state fMRI activity in the macaque, the causal role of long-range cholinergic input to the stabilization of brain states in the cerebral cortex. Local inactivation of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) leads to a decrease in the energy barriers required for an fMRI state transition in cortical ongoing activity. Moreover, the inactivation of particular nbM sub-regions predominantly affects information transfer in cortical regions known to receive direct anatomical projections. We demonstrate these results in a simple neurodynamical model of cholinergic impact on neuronal firing rates and slow hyperpolarizing adaptation currents. We conclude that the cholinergic system plays a critical role in stabilizing macroscale brain state dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha L Taylor
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christopher J Whyte
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Brandon R Munn
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Catie Chang
- Vanderbilt School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Joseph T Lizier
- Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David A Leopold
- Neurophysiology Imaging Facility, National Institute of Mental Health, Washington DC, USA; Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda MD, USA
| | - Janita N Turchi
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda MD, USA
| | - Laszlo Zaborszky
- Centre for Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Eli J Műller
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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2
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Khor KL, Kumarasuriar V, Tan KW, Ooi PB, Chia YC. Effects of fruit and vegetable intake on memory and attention: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Syst Rev 2024; 13:151. [PMID: 38849879 PMCID: PMC11157787 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-024-02547-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Memory and attention are important for daily functioning, and their function deteriorates due to aging. However, fruit and vegetable consumption are one of the protective factors against deterioration in memory and attention. This systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aims to identify the effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on memory and attention. METHODS We conducted a systematic search in EBSCOhost, ProQuest, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception up to 06/09/2022. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles, fruit and vegetable intake measured using randomized controlled trials, and the outcome measures that showed the results of memory and attention scores. Two researchers independently extracted articles that met the selection criteria and evaluated the quality of each study. RESULTS There were 70 articles identified from the databases, of which 13 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. There were 493 participants in total. The results show that consumption of fruit and vegetable intake improved memory and attention in longitudinal studies (10 to 12 weeks). Children showed improvement in immediate recall after supplementation with blueberries. Older adults required a higher dose of fruit and vegetable intake consumption to achieve significant improvement compared with children and younger adults. Furthermore, the effect of fruits and vegetables on memory showed better immediate memory recall than delayed recall. CONCLUSION This systematic review showed that there is an improvement in memory and attention with fruit and vegetable intake consumption. Hence, awareness of fruit and vegetable intake consumption is important to maintain cognitive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khai Ling Khor
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia
- School of Psychology, DISTED College, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Vashnarekha Kumarasuriar
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Malaysia, Iskandar Puteri, Malaysia
| | - Kok Wei Tan
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Malaysia, Iskandar Puteri, Malaysia
| | - Pei Boon Ooi
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yook-Chin Chia
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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3
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Tsotsokou G, Trompoukis G, Papatheodoropoulos C. Muscarinic Modulation of Synaptic Transmission and Short-Term Plasticity in the Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus. Mol Cell Neurosci 2024; 129:103935. [PMID: 38703973 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2024.103935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Muscarinic neurotransmission is fundamentally involved in supporting several brain functions by modulating flow of information in brain neural circuits including the hippocampus which displays a remarkable functional segregation along its longitudinal axis. However, how muscarinic neuromodulation contributes to the functional segregation along the hippocampus remains unclear. In this study we show that the nonselective muscarinic receptor agonist carbachol similarly suppresses basal synaptic transmission in the dorsal and ventral CA1 hippocampal field, in a concentration-depended manner. Furthermore, using a ten-pulse stimulation train of varying frequency we found that carbachol changes the frequency filtering properties more in ventral than dorsal hippocampus by facilitating synaptic inputs at a wide range of input frequencies in the ventral compared with dorsal hippocampus. Using the M2 receptor antagonist gallamine and the M4 receptor antagonist tropicamide, we found that M2 receptors are involved in controlling basal synaptic transmission and short-term synaptic plasticity (STSP) in the ventral but not the dorsal hippocampus, while M4 receptors participate in modulating basal synaptic transmission and STSP in both segments of the hippocampus. These results were corroborated by the higher protein expression levels of M2 receptors in the ventral compared with dorsal hippocampus. We conclude that muscarinic transmission modulates excitatory synaptic transmission and short-term synaptic plasticity along the entire rat hippocampus by acting through M4 receptors and recruiting M2 receptors only in the ventral hippocampus. Furthermore, M4 receptors appear to exert a permissive role on the actions of M2 receptors on STSP in the ventral hippocampus. This dorsoventral differentiation of muscarinic modulation is expected to have important implications in information processing along the endogenous hippocampal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giota Tsotsokou
- Laboratory of Physiology, University of Patras, Department of Medicine, Rion, Greece
| | - George Trompoukis
- Laboratory of Physiology, University of Patras, Department of Medicine, Rion, Greece
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4
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Chakraborty S, Haast RAM, Onuska KM, Kanel P, Prado MAM, Prado VF, Khan AR, Schmitz TW. Multimodal gradients of basal forebrain connectivity across the neocortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.26.541324. [PMID: 37292595 PMCID: PMC10245994 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.26.541324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The cholinergic innervation of the cortex originates almost entirely from populations of neurons in the basal forebrain (BF). Structurally, the ascending BF cholinergic projections are highly branched, with individual cells targeting multiple different cortical regions. However, it is not known whether the structural organization of basal forebrain projections reflects their functional integration with the cortex. We therefore used high-resolution 7T diffusion and resting state functional MRI in humans to examine multimodal gradients of BF cholinergic connectivity with the cortex. Moving from anteromedial to posterolateral BF, we observed reduced tethering between structural and functional connectivity gradients, with the most pronounced dissimilarity localized in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM). The cortical expression of this structure-function gradient revealed progressively weaker tethering moving from unimodal to transmodal cortex, with the lowest tethering in midcingulo-insular cortex. We used human [ 18 F] fluoroethoxy-benzovesamicol (FEOBV) PET to demonstrate that cortical areas with higher concentrations of cholinergic innervation tend to exhibit lower tethering between BF structural and functional connectivity, suggesting a pattern of increasingly diffuse axonal arborization. Anterograde viral tracing of cholinergic projections and [ 18 F] FEOBV PET in mice confirmed a gradient of axonal arborization across individual BF cholinergic neurons. Like humans, cholinergic neurons with the highest arborization project to cingulo-insular areas of the mouse isocortex. Altogether, our findings reveal that BF cholinergic neurons vary in their branch complexity, with certain subpopulations exhibiting greater modularity and others greater diffusivity in the functional integration of their cortical targets.
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5
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Ni S, Harris B, Gong P. Distributed and dynamical communication: a mechanism for flexible cortico-cortical interactions and its functional roles in visual attention. Commun Biol 2024; 7:550. [PMID: 38719883 PMCID: PMC11078951 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06228-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Perceptual and cognitive processing relies on flexible communication among cortical areas; however, the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. Here we report a mechanism based on the realistic spatiotemporal dynamics of propagating wave patterns in neural population activity. Using a biophysically plausible, multiarea spiking neural circuit model, we demonstrate that these wave patterns, characterized by their rich and complex dynamics, can account for a wide variety of empirically observed neural processes. The coordinated interactions of these wave patterns give rise to distributed and dynamic communication (DDC) that enables flexible and rapid routing of neural activity across cortical areas. We elucidate how DDC unifies the previously proposed oscillation synchronization-based and subspace-based views of interareal communication, offering experimentally testable predictions that we validate through the analysis of Allen Institute Neuropixels data. Furthermore, we demonstrate that DDC can be effectively modulated during attention tasks through the interplay of neuromodulators and cortical feedback loops. This modulation process explains many neural effects of attention, underscoring the fundamental functional role of DDC in cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shencong Ni
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Brendan Harris
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Pulin Gong
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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6
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Wiesman AI, da Silva Castanheira J, Fon EA, Baillet S. Alterations of Cortical Structure and Neurophysiology in Parkinson's Disease Are Aligned with Neurochemical Systems. Ann Neurol 2024; 95:802-816. [PMID: 38146745 PMCID: PMC11023768 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26871] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Parkinson's disease (PD) affects the structural integrity and neurophysiological signaling of the cortex. These alterations are related to the motor and cognitive symptoms of the disease. How these changes are related to the neurochemical systems of the cortex is unknown. METHODS We used T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) to measure cortical thickness and task-free neurophysiological activity in patients with idiopathic PD (nMEG = 79, nMRI = 65) and matched healthy controls (nMEG = 65, nMRI = 37). Using linear mixed-effects models, we examined the topographical alignment of cortical structural and neurophysiological alterations in PD with cortical atlases of 19 neurotransmitter receptor and transporter densities. RESULTS We found that neurophysiological alterations in PD occur primarily in brain regions rich in acetylcholinergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic systems, with protective implications for cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. In contrast, cortical thinning occurs preferentially in regions rich in noradrenergic systems, and the strength of this alignment relates to motor deficits. INTERPRETATION This study shows that the spatial organization of neurophysiological and structural alterations in PD is relevant for nonmotor and motor impairments. The data also advance the identification of the neurochemical systems implicated. The approach uses novel nested atlas modeling methodology that is transferrable to research in other neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases and syndromes. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:802-816.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex I. Wiesman
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Edward A. Fon
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sylvain Baillet
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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7
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Chakraborty S, Lee SK, Arnold SM, Haast RAM, Khan AR, Schmitz TW. Focal acetylcholinergic modulation of the human midcingulo-insular network during attention: Meta-analytic neuroimaging and behavioral evidence. J Neurochem 2024; 168:397-413. [PMID: 37864501 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15990] [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: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
The basal forebrain cholinergic neurons provide acetylcholine to the cortex via large projections. Recent molecular imaging work in humans indicates that the cortical cholinergic innervation is not uniformly distributed, but rather may disproportionately innervate cortical areas relevant to supervisory attention. In this study, we therefore reexamined the spatial relationship between acetylcholinergic modulation and attention in the human cortex using meta-analytic strategies targeting both pharmacological and non-pharmacological neuroimaging studies. We found that pharmaco-modulation of acetylcholine evoked both increased activity in the anterior cingulate and decreased activity in the opercular and insular cortex. In large independent meta-analyses of non-pharmacological neuroimaging research, we demonstrate that during attentional engagement these cortical areas exhibit (1) task-related co-activation with the basal forebrain, (2) task-related co-activation with one another, and (3) spatial overlap with dense cholinergic innervations originating from the basal forebrain, as estimated by multimodal positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Finally, we provide meta-analytic evidence that pharmaco-modulation of acetylcholine also induces a speeding of responses to targets with no apparent tradeoff in accuracy. In sum, we demonstrate in humans that acetylcholinergic modulation of midcingulo-insular hubs of the ventral attention/salience network via basal forebrain afferents may coordinate selection of task relevant information, thereby facilitating cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudesna Chakraborty
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sun Kyun Lee
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah M Arnold
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roy A M Haast
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- CRMBM, CNRS UMR 7339, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Ali R Khan
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Taylor W Schmitz
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Novicky F, Parr T, Friston K, Mirza MB, Sajid N. Bistable perception, precision and neuromodulation. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad401. [PMID: 37950879 PMCID: PMC10793076 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad401] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Bistable perception follows from observing a static, ambiguous, (visual) stimulus with two possible interpretations. Here, we present an active (Bayesian) inference account of bistable perception and posit that perceptual transitions between different interpretations (i.e. inferences) of the same stimulus ensue from specific eye movements that shift the focus to a different visual feature. Formally, these inferences are a consequence of precision control that determines how confident beliefs are and change the frequency with which one can perceive-and alternate between-two distinct percepts. We hypothesized that there are multiple, but distinct, ways in which precision modulation can interact to give rise to a similar frequency of bistable perception. We validated this using numerical simulations of the Necker cube paradigm and demonstrate the multiple routes that underwrite the frequency of perceptual alternation. Our results provide an (enactive) computational account of the intricate precision balance underwriting bistable perception. Importantly, these precision parameters can be considered the computational homologs of particular neurotransmitters-i.e. acetylcholine, noradrenaline, dopamine-that have been previously implicated in controlling bistable perception, providing a computational link between the neurochemistry and perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Novicky
- Department of Neurophysics, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 406229 ER, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Thomas Parr
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL, 12 Queen Square London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Karl Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL, 12 Queen Square London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Muammer Berk Mirza
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Pl, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Noor Sajid
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL, 12 Queen Square London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
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9
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Katsanevaki C, Bastos AM, Cagnan H, Bosman CA, Friston KJ, Fries P. Attentional effects on local V1 microcircuits explain selective V1-V4 communication. Neuroimage 2023; 281:120375. [PMID: 37714390 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Selective attention implements preferential routing of attended stimuli, likely through increasing the influence of the respective synaptic inputs on higher-area neurons. As the inputs of competing stimuli converge onto postsynaptic neurons, presynaptic circuits might offer the best target for attentional top-down influences. If those influences enabled presynaptic circuits to selectively entrain postsynaptic neurons, this might explain selective routing. Indeed, when two visual stimuli induce two gamma rhythms in V1, only the gamma induced by the attended stimulus entrains gamma in V4. Here, we modelled induced responses with a Dynamic Causal Model for Cross-Spectral Densities and found that selective entrainment can be explained by attentional modulation of intrinsic V1 connections. Specifically, local inhibition was decreased in the granular input layer and increased in the supragranular output layer of the V1 circuit that processed the attended stimulus. Thus, presynaptic attentional influences and ensuing entrainment were sufficient to mediate selective routing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christini Katsanevaki
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt 60528, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Neural Circuits, Frankfurt 60438, Germany.
| | - André M Bastos
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt 60528, Germany; Department of Psychology and Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Hayriye Cagnan
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK; Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Conrado A Bosman
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, the Netherlands; Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, the Netherlands
| | - Karl J Friston
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Pascal Fries
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt 60528, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Neural Circuits, Frankfurt 60438, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, the Netherlands
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10
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Mieling M, Meier H, Bunzeck N. Structural degeneration of the nucleus basalis of Meynert in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease - Evidence from an MRI-based meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 154:105393. [PMID: 37717861 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggest that neuropathological changes of the medial temporal lobe, especially entorhinal cortex, are preceded by degenerations of the cholinergic Nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM). Evidence from imaging studies in humans, however, is limited. Therefore, we performed an activation-likelihood estimation meta-analysis on whole brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) MRI data from 54 experiments and 2581 subjects in total. It revealed, compared to healthy older controls, reduced gray matter in the bilateral NbM in AD, but only limited evidence for such an effect in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which typically precedes AD. Both patient groups showed less gray matter in the amygdala and hippocampus, with hints towards more pronounced amygdala effects in AD. We discuss our findings in the context of studies that highlight the importance of the cholinergic basal forebrain in learning and memory throughout the lifespan, and conclude that they are partly compatible with pathological staging models suggesting initial and pronounced structural degenerations within the NbM in the progression of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marthe Mieling
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Hannah Meier
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Nico Bunzeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany; Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany.
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11
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Shine JM. Neuromodulatory control of complex adaptive dynamics in the brain. Interface Focus 2023; 13:20220079. [PMID: 37065268 PMCID: PMC10102735 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
How is the massive dimensionality and complexity of the microscopic constituents of the nervous system brought under sufficiently tight control so as to coordinate adaptive behaviour? A powerful means for striking this balance is to poise neurons close to the critical point of a phase transition, at which a small change in neuronal excitability can manifest a nonlinear augmentation in neuronal activity. How the brain could mediate this critical transition is a key open question in neuroscience. Here, I propose that the different arms of the ascending arousal system provide the brain with a diverse set of heterogeneous control parameters that can be used to modulate the excitability and receptivity of target neurons-in other words, to act as control parameters for mediating critical neuronal order. Through a series of worked examples, I demonstrate how the neuromodulatory arousal system can interact with the inherent topological complexity of neuronal subsystems in the brain to mediate complex adaptive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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12
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Orlando IF, Shine JM, Robbins TW, Rowe JB, O'Callaghan C. Noradrenergic and cholinergic systems take centre stage in neuropsychiatric diseases of ageing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105167. [PMID: 37054802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Noradrenergic and cholinergic systems are among the most vulnerable brain systems in neuropsychiatric diseases of ageing, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and progressive supranuclear palsy. As these systems fail, they contribute directly to many of the characteristic cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. However, their contribution to symptoms is not sufficiently understood, and pharmacological interventions targeting noradrenergic and cholinergic systems have met with mixed success. Part of the challenge is the complex neurobiology of these systems, operating across multiple timescales, and with non-linear changes across the adult lifespan and disease course. We address these challenges in a detailed review of the noradrenergic and cholinergic systems, outlining their roles in cognition and behaviour, and how they influence neuropsychiatric symptoms in disease. By bridging across levels of analysis, we highlight opportunities for improving drug therapies and for pursuing personalised medicine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella F Orlando
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Claire O'Callaghan
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia.
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13
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Pines A, Keller AS, Larsen B, Bertolero M, Ashourvan A, Bassett DS, Cieslak M, Covitz S, Fan Y, Feczko E, Houghton A, Rueter AR, Saggar M, Shafiei G, Tapera TM, Vogel J, Weinstein SM, Shinohara RT, Williams LM, Fair DA, Satterthwaite TD. Development of top-down cortical propagations in youth. Neuron 2023; 111:1316-1330.e5. [PMID: 36803653 PMCID: PMC10121821 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Hierarchical processing requires activity propagating between higher- and lower-order cortical areas. However, functional neuroimaging studies have chiefly quantified fluctuations within regions over time rather than propagations occurring over space. Here, we leverage advances in neuroimaging and computer vision to track cortical activity propagations in a large sample of youth (n = 388). We delineate cortical propagations that systematically ascend and descend a cortical hierarchy in all individuals in our developmental cohort, as well as in an independent dataset of densely sampled adults. Further, we demonstrate that top-down, descending hierarchical propagations become more prevalent with greater demands for cognitive control as well as with development in youth. These findings emphasize that hierarchical processing is reflected in the directionality of propagating cortical activity and suggest top-down propagations as a potential mechanism of neurocognitive maturation in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pines
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA; The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arielle S Keller
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bart Larsen
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maxwell Bertolero
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arian Ashourvan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Dani S Bassett
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Departments of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87051, USA
| | - Matthew Cieslak
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sydney Covitz
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yong Fan
- Department of Radiology, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Eric Feczko
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - Audrey Houghton
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - Amanda R Rueter
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - Manish Saggar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Golia Shafiei
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tinashe M Tapera
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacob Vogel
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sarah M Weinstein
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Russell T Shinohara
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Damien A Fair
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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14
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Wiesman AI, da Silva Castanheira J, Fon EA, Baillet S. Structural and neurophysiological alterations in Parkinson's disease are aligned with cortical neurochemical systems. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.04.23288137. [PMID: 37066346 PMCID: PMC10104211 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.04.23288137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) affects cortical structures and neurophysiology. How these deviations from normative variants relate to the neurochemical systems of the cortex in a manner corresponding to motor and cognitive symptoms is unknown. We measured cortical thickness and spectral neurophysiological alterations from structural magnetic resonance imaging and task-free magnetoencephalography in patients with idiopathic PD (NMEG = 79; NMRI = 65), contrasted with similar data from matched healthy controls (NMEG = 65; NMRI = 37). Using linear mixed-effects models and cortical atlases of 19 neurochemical systems, we found that the structural and neurophysiological alterations of PD align with several receptor and transporter systems (acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, and noradrenaline) albeit with different implications for motor and non-motor symptoms. Some neurophysiological alignments are protective of cognitive functions: the alignment of broadband power increases with acetylcholinergic systems is related to better attention function. However, neurochemical alignment with structural and other neurophysiological alterations is associated with motor and psychiatric impairments, respectively. Collectively, the present data advance understanding of the association between the nature of neurophysiological and structural cortical alterations in PD and the symptoms that are characteristic of the disease. They also demonstrate the value of a new nested atlas modeling approach to advance research on neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex I. Wiesman
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Edward A. Fon
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sylvain Baillet
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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15
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Kaldas A. Attention: a descriptive taxonomy. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 44:63. [PMID: 36378355 PMCID: PMC9666314 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-022-00538-3] [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: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The term attention has been used to mean so many different things that some have despaired of it being useful at all. This paper is devoted to bringing a modicum of order to the chaos through the time-honored device of categorization. The chief purpose of this paper is to introduce a comprehensive descriptive taxonomy of the nuanced ways the term attention may be employed. It is presented in table form, followed by elucidations and illustrations of each of its items. But first, I offer reasons why a taxonomy of attention is needed and explore some of its possible benefits. After presenting the taxonomy, I sketch by way of example how it might be applied to two interesting questions: is the umbrella term attention still useful?; and, what is it that ties the subdefinitions of attention together yet distinguishes them from other kinds of cognition?
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Kaldas
- Department of Philosophy, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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16
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Vago DR, Farb N, Spreng RN. Clarifying Internally-Directed Cognition: A Commentary on the Attention to Thoughts Model. PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2022.2141005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David R. Vago
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Contemplative Sciences Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Norman Farb
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - R. Nathan Spreng
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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17
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Michael GA, Salgues S, Plancher G, Duran G. Cues to body-related distortions and hallucinations? Spontaneous sensations correlate with EEG oscillatory activity recorded at rest in the somatosensory cortices. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2022; 324:111506. [PMID: 35688045 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Body awareness may arise in the total absence of sensory input, as suggested by the spontaneous occurrence of normal and pathological (i.e., hallucinatory) bodily sensations. These phenomena may arise due to back-projections from higher-order cortical areas to the primary (SI) and secondary (SII) somatosensory cortices, and would appear to be reflected in cortical oscillatory activity in both SI and SII. Here, we set to investigate the relationship of SI and SII in SPS. Healthy participants underwent an EEG recording session at rest, and then completed an experiment on the perception of spontaneous sensations occurring on the hands. Cortical oscillatory activity was extracted from specified ROIs in the somatosensory cortices. The findings showed that (i) SPS perceived in the fingers correlated positively with alpha-band oscillations recorded in SI, and that (ii) SPS perceived in the palm correlated positively with gamma-band oscillations and negatively with beta-band oscillations recorded in SII. Apart from supporting the idea that the somatosensory cortices are involved in bodily awareness even in the absence of sensory input, these findings also suggest that default oscillatory activity in the somatosensory cortices reflects individual differences in bodily awareness. The results are interpreted in terms of neural and cognitive processes that may give rise to bodily awareness and modulate it, and their importance in understanding body perception distortions and bodily delusions and hallucinations is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A Michael
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France; Université Lyon 2, Unité de Recherche EMC, Lyon, France; Université Lyon 2, Institut de Psychologie, Lyon, France.
| | - Sara Salgues
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France; Université Lyon 2, Unité de Recherche EMC, Lyon, France; Université Lyon 2, Institut de Psychologie, Lyon, France
| | - Gaën Plancher
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France; Université Lyon 2, Unité de Recherche EMC, Lyon, France; Université Lyon 2, Institut de Psychologie, Lyon, France
| | - Geoffrey Duran
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France; Université Lyon 2, Unité de Recherche EMC, Lyon, France; Université Lyon 2, Institut de Psychologie, Lyon, France
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18
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Anil Meera A, Novicky F, Parr T, Friston K, Lanillos P, Sajid N. Reclaiming saliency: Rhythmic precision-modulated action and perception. Front Neurorobot 2022; 16:896229. [PMID: 35966370 PMCID: PMC9368584 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2022.896229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Computational models of visual attention in artificial intelligence and robotics have been inspired by the concept of a saliency map. These models account for the mutual information between the (current) visual information and its estimated causes. However, they fail to consider the circular causality between perception and action. In other words, they do not consider where to sample next, given current beliefs. Here, we reclaim salience as an active inference process that relies on two basic principles: uncertainty minimization and rhythmic scheduling. For this, we make a distinction between attention and salience. Briefly, we associate attention with precision control, i.e., the confidence with which beliefs can be updated given sampled sensory data, and salience with uncertainty minimization that underwrites the selection of future sensory data. Using this, we propose a new account of attention based on rhythmic precision-modulation and discuss its potential in robotics, providing numerical experiments that showcase its advantages for state and noise estimation, system identification and action selection for informative path planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajith Anil Meera
- Department of Cognitive Robotics, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Ajith Anil Meera
| | - Filip Novicky
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Filip Novicky
| | - Thomas Parr
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karl Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pablo Lanillos
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Noor Sajid
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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19
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Shine JM, O’Callaghan C, Walpola IC, Wainstein G, Taylor N, Aru J, Huebner B, John YJ. Understanding the effects of serotonin in the brain through its role in the gastrointestinal tract. Brain 2022; 145:2967-2981. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The neuromodulatory arousal system imbues the nervous system with the flexibility and robustness required to facilitate adaptive behaviour. While there are well-understood mechanisms linking dopamine, noradrenaline and acetylcholine to distinct behavioural states, similar conclusions have not been as readily available for serotonin. Fascinatingly, despite clear links between serotonergic function and cognitive capacities as diverse as reward processing, exploration, and the psychedelic experience, over 95% of the serotonin in the body is released in the gastrointestinal tract, where it controls digestive muscle contractions (peristalsis). Here, we argue that framing neural serotonin as a rostral extension of the gastrointestinal serotonergic system dissolves much of the mystery associated with the central serotonergic system. Specifically, we outline that central serotonin activity mimics the effects of a digestion/satiety circuit mediated by hypothalamic control over descending serotonergic nuclei in the brainstem. We review commonalities and differences between these two circuits, with a focus on the heterogeneous expression of different classes of serotonin receptors in the brain. Much in the way that serotonin-induced peristalsis facilitates the work of digestion, serotonergic influences over cognition can be reframed as performing the work of cognition. Extending this analogy, we argue that the central serotonergic system allows the brain to arbitrate between different cognitive modes as a function of serotonergic tone: low activity facilitates cognitive automaticity, whereas higher activity helps to identify flexible solutions to problems, particularly if and when the initial responses fail. This perspective sheds light on otherwise disparate capacities mediated by serotonin, and also helps to understand why there are such pervasive links between serotonergic pathology and the symptoms of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ishan C Walpola
- Prince of Wales Hospital , Randwick, New South Wales , Australia
| | | | | | - Jaan Aru
- University of Tartu , Tartu , Estonia
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20
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Taylor NL, D'Souza A, Munn BR, Lv J, Zaborszky L, Müller EJ, Wainstein G, Calamante F, Shine JM. Structural connections between the noradrenergic and cholinergic system shape the dynamics of functional brain networks. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119455. [PMID: 35809888 PMCID: PMC10114918 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex cognitive abilities are thought to arise from the ability of the brain to adaptively reconfigure its internal network structure as a function of task demands. Recent work has suggested that this inherent flexibility may in part be conferred by the widespread projections of the ascending arousal systems. While the different components of the ascending arousal system are often studied in isolation, there are anatomical connections between neuromodulatory hubs that we hypothesise are crucial for mediating key features of adaptive network dynamics, such as the balance between integration and segregation. To test this hypothesis, we estimated the strength of structural connectivity between key hubs of the noradrenergic and cholinergic arousal systems (the locus coeruleus [LC] and nucleus basalis of Meynert [nbM], respectively). We then asked whether the strength of structural LC and nbM inter-connectivity was related to individual differences in the emergent, dynamical signatures of functional integration measured from resting state fMRI data, such as network and attractor topography. We observed a significant positive relationship between the strength of white-matter connections between the LC and nbM and the extent of network-level integration following BOLD signal peaks in LC relative to nbM activity. In addition, individuals with denser white-matter streamlines interconnecting neuromodulatory hubs also demonstrated a heightened ability to shift to novel brain states. These results suggest that individuals with stronger structural connectivity between the noradrenergic and cholinergic systems have a greater capacity to mediate the flexible network dynamics required to support complex, adaptive behaviour. Furthermore, our results highlight the underlying static features of the neuromodulatory hubs can impose some constraints on the dynamic features of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- N L Taylor
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - A D'Souza
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Sydney School of Medicine, Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - B R Munn
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - J Lv
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - L Zaborszky
- School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA
| | - E J Müller
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - G Wainstein
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - F Calamante
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Sydney Imaging, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - J M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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21
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Northington FJ, Kratimenos P, Turnbill V, Flock DL, Asafu-Adjaye D, Chavez-Valdez R, Martin LJ. Basal forebrain magnocellular cholinergic systems are damaged in mice following neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:1148-1163. [PMID: 34687459 PMCID: PMC9014889 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) causes lifelong neurologic disability. Despite the use of therapeutic hypothermia, memory deficits and executive functions remain severely affected. Cholinergic neurotransmission from the basal forebrain to neocortex and hippocampus is central to higher cortical functions. We examined the basal forebrain by light microscopy and reported loss of choline acetyltransferase-positive (ChAT)+ neurons, at postnatal day (P) 40, in the ipsilateral medial septal nucleus (MSN) after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in mice. There was no loss of ChAT+ neurons in the ipsilateral nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) and striatum. Ipsilateral striatal and nbM ChAT+ neurons were abnormal with altered immunoreactivity for ChAT, shrunken and crenated somas, and dysmorphic appearing dendrites. Using confocal images with 3D reconstruction, nbM ChAT+ dendrites in HI mice were shorter than sham (p = .0001). Loss of ChAT+ neurons in the MSN directly correlated with loss of ipsilateral hippocampal area. In the nbM and striatum, percentage of abnormal ChAT+ neurons correlated with loss of ipsilateral cerebral cortical and striatal area, respectively. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity increased in adjacent ipsilateral cerebral cortex and hippocampus and the increase was linearly related to loss of cortical and hippocampal area. Numbers and size of cathepsin D+ lysosomes increased in large neurons in the ipsilateral nbM. After neonatal HI, abnormalities were found throughout the major cholinergic systems in relationship to amount of forebrain area loss. There was also an upregulation of cathepsin D+ particles within the nbM. Cholinergic neuropathology may underlie the permanent dysfunction in learning, memory, and executive function after neonatal brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances J. Northington
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA,Corresponding Author: CMSC 6-104, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287,
| | - Panagiotis Kratimenos
- Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Children’s National Hospital & The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C
| | - Victoria Turnbill
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Debra L. Flock
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniella Asafu-Adjaye
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Raul Chavez-Valdez
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lee J. Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Pathology, and Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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22
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Ni AM, Bowes BS, Ruff DA, Cohen MR. Methylphenidate as a causal test of translational and basic neural coding hypotheses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2120529119. [PMID: 35467980 PMCID: PMC9169912 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2120529119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Most systems neuroscience studies fall into one of two categories: basic science work aimed at understanding the relationship between neurons and behavior, or translational work aimed at developing treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we use these two approaches to inform and enhance each other. Our study both tests hypotheses about basic science neural coding principles and elucidates the neuronal mechanisms underlying clinically relevant behavioral effects of systemically administered methylphenidate (Ritalin). We discovered that orally administered methylphenidate, used clinically to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and generally to enhance cognition, increases spatially selective visual attention, enhancing visual performance at only the attended location. Further, we found that this causal manipulation enhances vision in rhesus macaques specifically when it decreases the mean correlated variability of neurons in visual area V4. Our findings demonstrate that the visual system is a platform for understanding the neural underpinnings of both complex cognitive processes (basic science) and neuropsychiatric disorders (translation). Addressing basic science hypotheses, our results are consistent with a scenario in which methylphenidate has cognitively specific effects by working through naturally selective cognitive mechanisms. Clinically, our findings suggest that the often staggeringly specific symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders may be caused and treated by leveraging general mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Ni
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Brittany S. Bowes
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Douglas A. Ruff
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Marlene R. Cohen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
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23
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Carrasco A, Oorschot DE, Barzaghi P, Wickens JR. Three-Dimensional Spatial Analyses of Cholinergic Neuronal Distributions Across The Mouse Septum, Nucleus Basalis, Globus Pallidus, Nucleus Accumbens, and Caudate-Putamen. Neuroinformatics 2022; 20:1121-1136. [PMID: 35792992 PMCID: PMC9588480 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-022-09588-1] [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] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal networks are regulated by three-dimensional spatial and structural properties. Despite robust evidence of functional implications in the modulation of cognition, little is known about the three-dimensional internal organization of cholinergic networks in the forebrain. Cholinergic networks in the forebrain primarily occur in subcortical nuclei, specifically the septum, nucleus basalis, globus pallidus, nucleus accumbens, and the caudate-putamen. Therefore, the present investigation analyzed the three-dimensional spatial organization of 14,000 cholinergic neurons that expressed choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in these subcortical nuclei of the mouse forebrain. Point process theory and graph signal processing techniques identified three topological principles of organization. First, cholinergic interneuronal distance is not uniform across brain regions. Specifically, in the septum, globus pallidus, nucleus accumbens, and the caudate-putamen, the cholinergic neurons were clustered compared with a uniform random distribution. In contrast, in the nucleus basalis, the cholinergic neurons had a spatial distribution of greater regularity than a uniform random distribution. Second, a quarter of the caudate-putamen is composed of axonal bundles, yet the spatial distribution of cholinergic neurons remained clustered when axonal bundles were accounted for. However, comparison with an inhomogeneous Poisson distribution showed that the nucleus basalis and caudate-putamen findings could be explained by density gradients in those structures. Third, the number of cholinergic neurons varies as a function of the volume of a specific brain region but cell body volume is constant across regions. The results of the present investigation provide topographic descriptions of cholinergic somata distribution and axonal conduits, and demonstrate spatial differences in cognitive control networks. The study provides a comprehensive digital database of the total population of ChAT-positive neurons in the reported structures, with the x,y,z coordinates of each neuron at micrometer resolution. This information is important for future digital cellular atlases and computational models of the forebrain cholinergic system enabling models based on actual spatial geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Carrasco
- grid.250464.10000 0000 9805 2626Neurobiology Research Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Dorothy E. Oorschot
- grid.29980.3a0000 0004 1936 7830Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Paolo Barzaghi
- grid.250464.10000 0000 9805 2626Imaging Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Jeffery R. Wickens
- grid.250464.10000 0000 9805 2626Neurobiology Research Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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24
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The ascending arousal system shapes neural dynamics to mediate awareness of cognitive states. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6016. [PMID: 34650039 PMCID: PMC8516926 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26268-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Models of cognitive function typically focus on the cerebral cortex and hence overlook functional links to subcortical structures. This view does not consider the role of the highly-conserved ascending arousal system's role and the computational capacities it provides the brain. We test the hypothesis that the ascending arousal system modulates cortical neural gain to alter the low-dimensional energy landscape of cortical dynamics. Here we use spontaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging data to study phasic bursts in both locus coeruleus and basal forebrain, demonstrating precise time-locked relationships between brainstem activity, low-dimensional energy landscapes, network topology, and spatiotemporal travelling waves. We extend our analysis to a cohort of experienced meditators and demonstrate locus coeruleus-mediated network dynamics were associated with internal shifts in conscious awareness. Together, these results present a view of brain organization that highlights the ascending arousal system's role in shaping both the dynamics of the cerebral cortex and conscious awareness.
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25
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Gundlach C, Forschack N, Müller MM. Suppression of Unattended Features Is Independent of Task Relevance. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2437-2446. [PMID: 34564718 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Feature-based attention serves the separation of relevant from irrelevant features. While global amplification of attended features is coherently described as a key mechanism for feature-based attention, nature and constituting factors of neural suppressive interactions are far less clear. One aspect of global amplification is its flexible modulation by the task relevance of the to-be-attended stimulus. We examined whether suppression is similarly modulated by their respective task relevance or is mandatory for all unattended features. For this purpose, participants saw a display of randomly moving dots with 3 distinct colors and were asked to report brief events of coherent motion for a cued color. Of the 2 unattended colored clouds, one contained distracting motion events while the other was irrelevant and without such motion events throughout the experiment. We used electroencephalography-derived steady-state visual-evoked potentials to investigate early visual processing of the attended, unattended, and irrelevant color under sustained feature-based attention. The analysis revealed a biphasic process with an early amplification of the to-be-attended color followed by suppression of the to-be-ignored color relative to a pre-cue baseline. Importantly, the neural dynamics for the unattended and always irrelevant color were comparable. Suppression is thus a mandatory mechanism affecting all unattended stimuli irrespective of their task relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Gundlach
- Experimental Psychology and Methods, Universität Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Norman Forschack
- Experimental Psychology and Methods, Universität Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias M Müller
- Experimental Psychology and Methods, Universität Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
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Alymov AA, Kapitsa IG, Voronina TA. Neurochemical Mechanisms of Pathogenesis and Pharmacological Correction of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Current Concepts and Prospects. NEUROCHEM J+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712421020033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Martinez JL, Zammit MD, West NR, Christian BT, Bhattacharyya A. Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Neurons: Linking Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:703876. [PMID: 34322015 PMCID: PMC8311593 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.703876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) is characterized by intellectual impairment at birth and Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology in middle age. As individuals with DS age, their cognitive functions decline as they develop AD pathology. The susceptibility to degeneration of a subset of neurons, known as basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs), in DS and AD is a critical link between cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration in both disorders. BFCNs are the primary source of cholinergic innervation to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, as well as the amygdala. They play a critical role in the processing of information related to cognitive function and are directly engaged in regulating circuits of attention and memory throughout the lifespan. Given the importance of BFCNs in attention and memory, it is not surprising that these neurons contribute to dysfunctional neuronal circuitry in DS and are vulnerable in adults with DS and AD, where their degeneration leads to memory loss and disturbance in language. BFCNs are thus a relevant cell target for therapeutics for both DS and AD but, despite some success, efforts in this area have waned. There are gaps in our knowledge of BFCN vulnerability that preclude our ability to effectively design interventions. Here, we review the role of BFCN function and degeneration in AD and DS and identify under-studied aspects of BFCN biology. The current gaps in BFCN relevant imaging studies, therapeutics, and human models limit our insight into the mechanistic vulnerability of BFCNs in individuals with DS and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L. Martinez
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Matthew D. Zammit
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Nicole R. West
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Bradley T. Christian
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Anita Bhattacharyya
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Cellular and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
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Gombkoto P, Gielow M, Varsanyi P, Chavez C, Zaborszky L. Contribution of the basal forebrain to corticocortical network interactions. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:1803-1821. [PMID: 34021788 PMCID: PMC8203523 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02290-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons provide the cerebral cortex with acetylcholine. Despite the long-established involvement of these cells in sensory processing, attention, and memory, the mechanisms by which cholinergic signaling regulates cognitive processes remain elusive. In this study, we recorded spiking and local field potential data simultaneously from several locations in the BF, and sites in the orbitofrontal and visual cortex in transgenic ChAT-Cre rats performing a visual discrimination task. We observed distinct differences in the fine spatial distributions of gamma coherence values between specific basalo-cortical and cortico-cortical sites that shifted across task phases. Additionally, cholinergic firing induced spatial changes in cortical gamma power, and optogenetic activation of BF increased coherence between specific cortico-cortical sites, suggesting that the cholinergic system contributes to selective modulation of cortico-cortical circuits. Furthermore, the results suggest that cells in specific BF locations are dynamically recruited across behavioral epochs to coordinate interregional cortical processes underlying cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Gombkoto
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
- ETH Zurich Institute of Neuroinformatics, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthew Gielow
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Peter Varsanyi
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Candice Chavez
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Laszlo Zaborszky
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA.
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29
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Shine JM, Müller EJ, Munn B, Cabral J, Moran RJ, Breakspear M. Computational models link cellular mechanisms of neuromodulation to large-scale neural dynamics. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:765-776. [PMID: 33958801 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00824-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Decades of neurobiological research have disclosed the diverse manners in which the response properties of neurons are dynamically modulated to support adaptive cognitive functions. This neuromodulation is achieved through alterations in the biophysical properties of the neuron. However, changes in cognitive function do not arise directly from the modulation of individual neurons, but are mediated by population dynamics in mesoscopic neural ensembles. Understanding this multiscale mapping is an important but nontrivial issue. Here, we bridge these different levels of description by showing how computational models parametrically map classic neuromodulatory processes onto systems-level models of neural activity. The ensuing critical balance of systems-level activity supports perception and action, although our knowledge of this mapping remains incomplete. In this way, quantitative models that link microscale neuronal neuromodulation to systems-level brain function highlight gaps in knowledge and suggest new directions for integrating theoretical and experimental work.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Center for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Eli J Müller
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Center for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Brandon Munn
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Center for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joana Cabral
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | | | - Michael Breakspear
- School of Psychology, College of Engineering, Science and the Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia. .,School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
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Wong KLL, Nair A, Augustine GJ. Changing the Cortical Conductor's Tempo: Neuromodulation of the Claustrum. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:658228. [PMID: 34054437 PMCID: PMC8155375 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.658228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The claustrum is a thin sheet of neurons that is densely connected to many cortical regions and has been implicated in numerous high-order brain functions. Such brain functions arise from brain states that are influenced by neuromodulatory pathways from the cholinergic basal forebrain, dopaminergic substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area, and serotonergic raphe. Recent revelations that the claustrum receives dense input from these structures have inspired investigation of state-dependent control of the claustrum. Here, we review neuromodulation in the claustrum-from anatomical connectivity to behavioral manipulations-to inform future analyses of claustral function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L. L. Wong
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aditya Nair
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - George J. Augustine
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
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31
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Fitzgerald PJ, Hale PJ, Ghimire A, Watson BO. Multiple cholinesterase inhibitors have antidepressant-like properties in the mouse forced swim test. Behav Brain Res 2021; 409:113323. [PMID: 33910028 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
There is high clinical interest in improving the pharmacological treatment of individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This neuropsychiatric disorder continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, where existing pharmaceutical treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors often have limited efficacy. In a recent publication, we demonstrated an antidepressant-like role for the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) donepezil in the C57BL/6J mouse forced swim test (FST). Those data added to a limited literature in rodents and human subjects which suggests AChEIs have antidepressant properties, but added the novel finding that donepezil only showed antidepressant-like properties at lower doses (0.02, 0.2 mg/kg). At a high dose (2.0 mg/kg), donepezil tended to promote depression-like behavior, suggesting a u-shaped dose-response curve for FST immobility. Here we investigate the effects of three other AChEIs with varying molecular structures: galantamine, physostigmine, and rivastigmine, to test whether they also exhibit antidepressant-like effects in the FST. We find that these drugs do exhibit therapeutic-like effects at low but not high doses, albeit at lower doses for physostigmine. Further, we find that their antidepressant-like effects are not mediated by generalized hyperactivity in the novel open field test, and are also not accompanied by anxiolytic-like properties. These data further support the hypothesis that acetylcholine has a u-shaped dose-response relationship with immobility in the C57BL/6J mouse FST, and provide a rationale for more thoroughly investigating whether reversible AChEIs as a class can be repurposed for the treatment of MDD in human subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Fitzgerald
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States.
| | - Pho J Hale
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States
| | - Anjesh Ghimire
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States
| | - Brendon O Watson
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States.
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32
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Veith VK, Quigley C, Treue S. Cholinergic manipulations affect sensory responses but not attentional enhancement in macaque MT. BMC Biol 2021; 19:49. [PMID: 33726757 PMCID: PMC7967954 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00993-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attentional modulation in the visual cortex of primates is characterized by multiplicative changes of sensory responses with changes in the attentional state of the animal. The cholinergic system has been linked to such gain changes in V1. Here, we aim to determine if a similar link exists in macaque area MT. While rhesus monkeys performed a top-down spatial attention task, we locally injected a cholinergic agonist or antagonist and recorded single-cell activity. RESULTS Although we confirmed cholinergic influences on sensory responses, there was no additional cholinergic effect on the attentional gain changes. Neither a muscarinic blockage nor a local increase in acetylcholine led to a significant change in the magnitude of spatial attention effects on firing rates. CONCLUSIONS This suggests that the cellular mechanisms of attentional modulation in the extrastriate cortex cannot be directly inferred from those in the primary visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Katharina Veith
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Cliodhna Quigley
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.,Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany. .,Faculty for Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany. .,Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany.
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33
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Spatial topography of the basal forebrain cholinergic projections: Organization and vulnerability to degeneration. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 179:159-173. [PMID: 34225960 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819975-6.00008-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic system constitutes a heterogeneous cluster of large projection neurons that innervate the entire cortical mantle and amygdala. Cholinergic neuromodulation plays a critical role in regulating cognition and behavior, as well as maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Decades of postmortem histology research have demonstrated that the BF cholinergic neurons are selectively vulnerable to aging and age-related neuropathology in degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Emerging evidence from in vivo neuroimaging research, which permits longitudinal tracking of at-risk individuals, indicates that cholinergic neurodegeneration might play an earlier and more pivotal role in these diseases than was previously appreciated. Despite these advances, our understanding of the organization and functions of the BF cholinergic system mostly derives from nonhuman animal research. In this chapter, we begin with a review of the topographical organization of the BF cholinergic system in rodent and nonhuman primate models. We then discuss basic and clinical neuroscience research in humans, which has started to translate and extend the nonhuman animal research using novel noninvasive neuroimaging techniques. We focus on converging evidence indicating that the selective vulnerability of cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases is expressed along a rostral-caudal topography in the BF. We close with a discussion of why this topography of vulnerability in the BF may occur and why it is relevant to the clinician.
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34
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Kuipers JR, Phillips WA. Variations in Pupil Size Related to Memory for Recently Presented Words and Event Related Potentials. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 34:1119-1127. [PMID: 33054551 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Pupillometry has been found to be correlated with activity of cholinergic and noradrenergic neuromodulator systems. These systems regulate the level of cortical arousal and therefore perception, attention, and memory. Here, we tested how different types of pupil size variance (prestimulus baseline and prestimulus hippus power) may correlate with behavioral and electrophysiological brain responses (ERPs). We recorded pupil size and ERPs while participants were presented with a series of words and then asked whether they had been in the initial list when they were later presented intermixed with unpresented words. We found that a smaller prestimulus baseline pupil size during the study phase was associated with better memory performance. Study items also evoked a larger P3 response at presentation and a greater old/new memory ERP effect at test when prestimulus pupil size was small rather than large. Prestimulus hippus power was found to be a between-subjects factor affecting the robustness of memory encoding with less power being associated with a greater old/new memory ERP effect. These results provide evidence relating memory and ERPs to variables defined on pupil size that are thought to reflect varying states of parasympathetic and sympathetic arousal.
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Abstract
How does the brain combine information predictive of the value of a visually guided task (incentive value) with information predictive of where task-relevant stimuli may occur (spatial certainty)? Human behavioural evidence indicates that these two predictions may be combined additively to bias visual selection (Additive Hypothesis), whereas neuroeconomic studies posit that they may be multiplicatively combined (Expected Value Hypothesis). We sought to adjudicate between these two alternatives. Participants viewed two coloured placeholders that specified the potential value of correctly identifying an imminent letter target if it appeared in that placeholder. Then, prior to the target’s presentation, an endogenous spatial cue was presented indicating the target’s more likely location. Spatial cues were parametrically manipulated with regard to the information gained (in bits). Across two experiments, performance was better for targets appearing in high versus low value placeholders and better when targets appeared in validly cued locations. Interestingly, as shown with a Bayesian model selection approach, these effects did not interact, clearly supporting the Additive Hypothesis. Even when conditions were adjusted to increase the optimality of a multiplicative operation, support for it remained. These findings refute recent theories that expected value computations are the singular mechanism driving the deployment of endogenous spatial attention. Instead, incentive value and spatial certainty seem to act independently to influence visual selection.
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36
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Information-Limiting Correlations in Neural Populations: The Devil Is in the Details. J Neurosci 2020; 40:7782-7784. [PMID: 33028626 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0917-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Aru J, Siclari F, Phillips WA, Storm JF. Apical drive-A cellular mechanism of dreaming? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:440-455. [PMID: 33002561 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Dreams are internally generated experiences that occur independently of current sensory input. Here we argue, based on cortical anatomy and function, that dream experiences are tightly related to the workings of a specific part of cortical pyramidal neurons, the apical integration zone (AIZ). The AIZ receives and processes contextual information from diverse sources and could constitute a major switch point for transitioning from externally to internally generated experiences such as dreams. We propose that during dreams the output of certain pyramidal neurons is mainly driven by input into the AIZ. We call this mode of functioning "apical drive". Our hypothesis is based on the evidence that the cholinergic and adrenergic arousal systems, which show different dynamics between waking, slow wave sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep, have specific effects on the AIZ. We suggest that apical drive may also contribute to waking experiences, such as mental imagery. Future studies, investigating the different modes of apical function and their regulation during sleep and wakefulness are likely to be richly rewarded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaan Aru
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Estonia; Institute of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.
| | - Francesca Siclari
- Center for Investigation and Research on Sleep, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland; Faculty of Natural Sciences, Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom.
| | - William A Phillips
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom.
| | - Johan F Storm
- Brain Signalling Group, Section for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Domus Medica, University of Oslo, PB 1104 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
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38
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Forebrain Cholinergic Signaling: Wired and Phasic, Not Tonic, and Causing Behavior. J Neurosci 2020; 40:712-719. [PMID: 31969489 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1305-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Conceptualizations of cholinergic signaling as primarily spatially diffuse and slow-acting are based largely on measures of extracellular brain ACh levels that require several minutes to generate a single data point. In addition, most such studies inhibited the highly potent catalytic enzyme for ACh, AChE, to facilitate measurement of ACh. Absent such inhibition, AChE limits the presence of ambient ACh and thus renders it unlikely that ACh influences target regions via slow changes in extracellular ACh concentrations. We describe an alternative view by which forebrain signaling in cortex driving cognition is largely phasic (milliseconds to perhaps seconds), and unlikely to be volume-transmitted. This alternative is supported by new evidence from real-time amperometric recordings of cholinergic signaling indicating a specific function of rapid, phasic, transient cholinergic signaling in attentional contexts. Previous neurochemical evidence may be reinterpreted in terms of integrated phasic cholinergic activity that mediates specific behavioral and cognitive operations; this reinterpretation fits well with recent computational models. Optogenetic studies support a causal relationship between cholinergic transients and behavior. This occurs in part via transient-evoked muscarinic receptor-mediated high-frequency oscillations in cortical regions. Such oscillations outlast cholinergic transients and thus link transient ACh signaling with more sustained postsynaptic activity patterns to support relatively persistent attentional biases. Reconceptualizing cholinergic function as spatially specific, phasic, and modulating specific cognitive operations is theoretically powerful and may lead to pharmacologic treatments more effective than those based on traditional views.Dual Perspectives Companion Paper: Diverse Spatiotemporal Scales of Cholinergic Signaling in the Neocortex, by Anita A. Disney and Michael J. Higley.
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Oroszi T, van Heuvelen MJ, Nyakas C, van der Zee EA. Vibration detection: its function and recent advances in medical applications. F1000Res 2020; 9:F1000 Faculty Rev-619. [PMID: 32595943 PMCID: PMC7308885 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.22649.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrations are all around us. We can detect vibrations with sensitive skin mechanoreceptors, but our conscious awareness of the presence of vibrations is often limited. Nevertheless, vibrations play a role in our everyday life. Here, we briefly describe the function of vibration detection and how it can be used for medical applications by way of whole body vibration. Strong vibrations can be harmful, but milder vibrations can be beneficial, although to what extent and how large the clinical relevance is are still controversial. Whole body vibration can be applied via a vibrating platform, used in both animal and human research. Recent findings make clear that the mode of action is twofold: next to the rather well-known exercise (muscle) component, it also has a sensory (skin) component. Notably, the sensory (skin) component stimulating the brain has potential for several purposes including improvements in brain-related disorders. Combining these two components by selecting the optimal settings in whole body vibration has clear potential for medical applications. To realize this, the field needs more standardized and personalized protocols. It should tackle what could be considered the "Big Five" variables of whole body vibration designs: vibration amplitude, vibration frequency, method of application, session duration/frequency, and total intervention duration. Unraveling the underlying mechanisms by translational research can help to determine the optimal settings. Many systematic reviews on whole body vibration end with the conclusion that the findings are promising yet inconclusive. This is mainly because of the large variation in the "Big Five" settings between studies and incomplete reporting of methodological details hindering reproducibility. We are of the opinion that when (part of) these optimal settings are being realized, a much better estimate can be given about the true potential of whole body vibration as a medical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Oroszi
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Research Center for Molecular Exercise Science, University of Physical Education, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marieke J.G. van Heuvelen
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Csaba Nyakas
- Research Center for Molecular Exercise Science, University of Physical Education, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eddy A. van der Zee
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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40
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Allegra M, Seyed-Allaei S, Schuck NW, Amati D, Laio A, Reverberi C. Brain network dynamics during spontaneous strategy shifts and incremental task optimization. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116854. [PMID: 32334091 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
With practice, humans improve their performance in a task by either optimizing a known strategy or discovering a novel, potentially more fruitful strategy. We investigated the neural processes underlying these two fundamental abilities by applying fMRI in a task with two possible alternative strategies. For analysis we combined time-resolved network analysis with Coherence Density Peak Clustering (Allegra et al., 2017), univariate GLM, and multivariate pattern classification. Converging evidence showed that the posterior portion of the default network, i.e. the precuneus and the angular gyrus bilaterally, has a central role in the optimization of the current strategy. These regions encoded the relevant spatial information, increased the strength of local connectivity as well as the long-distance connectivity with other relevant regions in the brain (e.g., visual cortex, dorsal attention network). The connectivity increase was proportional to performance optimization. By contrast, the anterior portion of the default network (i.e. medial prefrontal cortex) and the rostral portion of the fronto-parietal network were associated with new strategy discovery: an early increase of local and long-range connectivity centered on these regions was only observed in the subjects who would later shift to a new strategy. Overall, our findings shed light on the dynamic interactions between regions related to attention and with cognitive control, underlying the balance between strategy exploration and exploitation. Results suggest that the default network, far from being "shut-down" during task performance, has a pivotal role in the background exploration and monitoring of potential alternative courses of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Allegra
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, 34136, Trieste, Italy; Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université, UMR 7289 CNRS, 13005, Marseille, France.
| | - Shima Seyed-Allaei
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 19395-5746, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nicolas W Schuck
- Max Planck Research Group NeuroCode, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195, Berlin, Germany; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniele Amati
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Laio
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, 34136, Trieste, Italy; International Centre for Theoretical Physics, 34100, Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlo Reverberi
- Department of Psychology, Università Milano - Bicocca, Milan, Italy; NeuroMI - Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.
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41
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Fernández-Cabello S, Kronbichler M, Van Dijk KRA, Goodman JA, Spreng RN, Schmitz TW. Basal forebrain volume reliably predicts the cortical spread of Alzheimer's degeneration. Brain 2020; 143:993-1009. [PMID: 32203580 PMCID: PMC7092749 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease neurodegeneration is thought to spread across anatomically and functionally connected brain regions. However, the precise sequence of spread remains ambiguous. The prevailing model used to guide in vivo human neuroimaging and non-human animal research assumes that Alzheimer's degeneration starts in the entorhinal cortices, before spreading to the temporoparietal cortex. Challenging this model, we previously provided evidence that in vivo markers of neurodegeneration within the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM), a subregion of the basal forebrain heavily populated by cortically projecting cholinergic neurons, precedes and predicts entorhinal degeneration. There have been few systematic attempts at directly comparing staging models using in vivo longitudinal biomarker data, and none to our knowledge testing if comparative evidence generalizes across independent samples. Here we addressed the sequence of pathological staging in Alzheimer's disease using two independent samples of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (n1 = 284; n2 = 553) with harmonized CSF assays of amyloid-β and hyperphosphorylated tau (pTau), and longitudinal structural MRI data over 2 years. We derived measures of grey matter degeneration in a priori NbM and the entorhinal cortical regions of interest. To examine the spreading of degeneration, we used a predictive modelling strategy that tests whether baseline grey matter volume in a seed region accounts for longitudinal change in a target region. We demonstrated that predictive spread favoured the NbM→entorhinal over the entorhinal→NbM model. This evidence generalized across the independent samples. We also showed that CSF concentrations of pTau/amyloid-β moderated the observed predictive relationship, consistent with evidence in rodent models of an underlying trans-synaptic mechanism of pathophysiological spread. The moderating effect of CSF was robust to additional factors, including clinical diagnosis. We then applied our predictive modelling strategy to an exploratory whole-brain voxel-wise analysis to examine the spatial specificity of the NbM→entorhinal model. We found that smaller baseline NbM volumes predicted greater degeneration in localized regions of the entorhinal and perirhinal cortices. By contrast, smaller baseline entorhinal volumes predicted degeneration in the medial temporal cortex, recapitulating a prior influential staging model. Our findings suggest that degeneration of the basal forebrain cholinergic projection system is a robust and reliable upstream event of entorhinal and neocortical degeneration, calling into question a prevailing view of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Fernández-Cabello
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian-Doppler Medical Centre, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Koene R A Van Dijk
- Clinical and Translational Imaging, Early Clinical Development, Pfizer Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James A Goodman
- Clinical and Translational Imaging, Early Clinical Development, Pfizer Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - R Nathan Spreng
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Taylor W Schmitz
- Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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42
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Bloem IM, Ling S. Normalization governs attentional modulation within human visual cortex. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5660. [PMID: 31827078 PMCID: PMC6906520 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13597-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Although attention is known to increase the gain of visuocortical responses, its underlying neural computations remain unclear. Here, we use fMRI to test the hypothesis that a neural population’s ability to be modulated by attention is dependent on divisive normalization. To do so, we leverage the feature-tuned properties of normalization and find that visuocortical responses to stimuli sharing features normalize each other more strongly. Comparing these normalization measures to measures of attentional modulation, we demonstrate that subpopulations which exhibit stronger normalization also exhibit larger attentional benefits. In a converging experiment, we reveal that attentional benefits are greatest when a subpopulation is forced into a state of stronger normalization. Taken together, these results suggest that the degree to which a subpopulation exhibits normalization plays a role in dictating its potential for attentional benefits. Attention is known to enhance relevant information in our environment, yet its underlying neural computations remain unclear. Here, the authors provide evidence that the degree to which a neural population can normalize itself results in greater potential for attentional benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona M Bloem
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Sam Ling
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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43
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of amyloid β in the form of extracellular plaques and by intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, with eventual neurodegeneration and dementia. There is currently no disease-modifying treatment though several symptomatic medications exist with modest benefit on cognition. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors have a consistent benefit across all stages of dementia; their benefit in mild cognitive impairment and prodromal AD is unproven. Memantine has a smaller benefit on cognition overall which is limited to the moderate to severe stages, and the combination of a cholinesterase inhibitor and memantine may have additional efficacy. Evidence for the efficacy of vitamin E supplementation and medical foods is weak but might be considered in the context of cost, availability, and safety in individual patients. Apparently promising disease-modifying interventions, mostly addressing the amyloid cascade hypothesis of AD, have recently failed to demonstrate efficacy so novel approaches must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Joe
- Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine at USC, 1520 San Pablo Street Suite 3000, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - John M Ringman
- Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine at USC, 1520 San Pablo Street Suite 3000, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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44
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Billig AJ, Herrmann B, Rhone AE, Gander PE, Nourski KV, Snoad BF, Kovach CK, Kawasaki H, Howard MA, Johnsrude IS. A Sound-Sensitive Source of Alpha Oscillations in Human Non-Primary Auditory Cortex. J Neurosci 2019; 39:8679-8689. [PMID: 31533976 PMCID: PMC6820204 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0696-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional organization of human auditory cortex can be probed by characterizing responses to various classes of sound at different anatomical locations. Along with histological studies this approach has revealed a primary field in posteromedial Heschl's gyrus (HG) with pronounced induced high-frequency (70-150 Hz) activity and short-latency responses that phase-lock to rapid transient sounds. Low-frequency neural oscillations are also relevant to stimulus processing and information flow, however, their distribution within auditory cortex has not been established. Alpha activity (7-14 Hz) in particular has been associated with processes that may differentially engage earlier versus later levels of the cortical hierarchy, including functional inhibition and the communication of sensory predictions. These theories derive largely from the study of occipitoparietal sources readily detectable in scalp electroencephalography. To characterize the anatomical basis and functional significance of less accessible temporal-lobe alpha activity we analyzed responses to sentences in seven human adults (4 female) with epilepsy who had been implanted with electrodes in superior temporal cortex. In contrast to primary cortex in posteromedial HG, a non-primary field in anterolateral HG was characterized by high spontaneous alpha activity that was strongly suppressed during auditory stimulation. Alpha-power suppression decreased with distance from anterolateral HG throughout superior temporal cortex, and was more pronounced for clear compared to degraded speech. This suppression could not be accounted for solely by a change in the slope of the power spectrum. The differential manifestation and stimulus-sensitivity of alpha oscillations across auditory fields should be accounted for in theories of their generation and function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To understand how auditory cortex is organized in support of perception, we recorded from patients implanted with electrodes for clinical reasons. This allowed measurement of activity in brain regions at different levels of sensory processing. Oscillations in the alpha range (7-14 Hz) have been associated with functions including sensory prediction and inhibition of regions handling irrelevant information, but their distribution within auditory cortex is not known. A key finding was that these oscillations dominated in one particular non-primary field, anterolateral Heschl's gyrus, and were suppressed when subjects listened to sentences. These results build on our knowledge of the functional organization of auditory cortex and provide anatomical constraints on theories of the generation and function of alpha oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Billig
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada,
| | - Björn Herrmann
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Matthew A Howard
- Department of Neurosurgery
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Pappajohn Biomedical Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, and
| | - Ingrid S Johnsrude
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
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45
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Thonnard D, Callaerts-Vegh Z, D'Hooge R. Differential effects of post-training scopolamine on spatial and non-spatial learning tasks in mice. Brain Res Bull 2019; 152:52-62. [PMID: 31302239 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Muscarinic antagonist scopolamine has been extensively used to model amnesia in lab rodents, but most studies have focused on the effects of pre-training scopolamine administration. Here, we examined post-training scopolamine administration in C57BL/6JRj mice. Learning was assessed in three different procedures: odour discrimination in a digging paradigm, visual discrimination in a touchscreen-based setup, and spatial learning in the Morris water maze. Scopolamine administration affected performance in the odour discrimination task. More specifically, scopolamine decreased perseverance, which facilitated reversal learning. Similar results were obtained in the visual discrimination task, but scopolamine did not affect performance in the spatial learning task. It is unlikely that these results can be explained by non-memory-related cognitive effects (e.g., attention), non-cognitive behaviours (e.g., locomotor activity) or peripheral side-effects (e.g., mydriasis). They likely relate to the various neuropharmacological actions of scopolamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Thonnard
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, University of Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Rudi D'Hooge
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, University of Leuven, Belgium.
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46
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Neuronal Effects of Spatial and Feature Attention Differ Due to Normalization. J Neurosci 2019; 39:5493-5505. [PMID: 31068439 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2106-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although spatial and feature attention have differing effects on neuronal responses in visual cortex, it remains unclear why. Response normalization has been implicated in both types of attention (Carandini and Heeger, 2011), and single-unit studies have demonstrated that the magnitude of spatial attention effects on neuronal responses covaries with the magnitude of normalization effects. However, the relationship between feature attention and normalization remains largely unexplored. We recorded from individual neurons in the middle temporal area of rhesus monkeys using a task that allowed us to isolate the effects of feature attention, spatial attention, and normalization on the responses of each neuron. We found that the magnitudes of neuronal response modulations due to spatial attention and feature attention are correlated; however, whereas modulations due to spatial attention are correlated with normalization strength, those due to feature attention are not. Additionally, spatial attention modulations are stronger with multiple stimuli in the receptive field, whereas feature attention modulations are not. These findings are captured by a model in which spatial and feature attention share common top-down attention signals that nonetheless result in differing sensory neuron response modulations because of a spatially tuned sensory normalization mechanism. This model explains previously reported commonalities and differences between these two types of attention by clarifying the relationship between top-down attention signals and sensory normalization. We conclude that similar top-down signals to visual cortex can have distinct effects on neuronal responses due to distinct interactions with sensory mechanisms.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Subjects use attention to improve their visual perception in several ways, including by attending to a location in space or to a visual feature. Prior studies have found both commonalities and differences between the effects of spatial and feature attention on neuronal responses in visual cortex, although it is unclear what mechanisms could explain this range of effects. Normalization, a computation by which neuronal responses are modified by stimulus context, has been implicated in many neuronal mechanisms throughout the brain. Here we propose that normalization provides a simple explanation for how spatial and feature attention could share common top-down attention signals that still affect sensory neuron responses differently.
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47
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Shine JM. Neuromodulatory Influences on Integration and Segregation in the Brain. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:572-583. [PMID: 31076192 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive function relies on the dynamic cooperation of specialized regions of the brain; however, the elements of the system responsible for coordinating this interaction remain poorly understood. In this Opinion article I argue that this capacity is mediated in part by competitive and cooperative dynamic interactions between two prominent metabotropic neuromodulatory systems - the cholinergic basal forebrain and the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC). I assert that activity in these projection nuclei regulates the amount of segregation and integration within the whole brain network by modulating the activity of a diverse set of specialized regions of the brain on a timescale relevant for cognition and attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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48
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Huang C, Ruff DA, Pyle R, Rosenbaum R, Cohen MR, Doiron B. Circuit Models of Low-Dimensional Shared Variability in Cortical Networks. Neuron 2018; 101:337-348.e4. [PMID: 30581012 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Trial-to-trial variability is a reflection of the circuitry and cellular physiology that make up a neuronal network. A pervasive yet puzzling feature of cortical circuits is that despite their complex wiring, population-wide shared spiking variability is low dimensional. Previous model cortical networks cannot explain this global variability, and rather assume it is from external sources. We show that if the spatial and temporal scales of inhibitory coupling match known physiology, networks of model spiking neurons internally generate low-dimensional shared variability that captures population activity recorded in vivo. Shifting spatial attention into the receptive field of visual neurons has been shown to differentially modulate shared variability within and between brain areas. A top-down modulation of inhibitory neurons in our network provides a parsimonious mechanism for this attentional modulation. Our work provides a critical link between observed cortical circuit structure and realistic shared neuronal variability and its modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Huang
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Douglas A Ruff
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ryan Pyle
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Robert Rosenbaum
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA; Interdisciplinary Center for Network Science and Applications, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Marlene R Cohen
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Brent Doiron
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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49
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Záborszky L, Gombkoto P, Varsanyi P, Gielow MR, Poe G, Role LW, Ananth M, Rajebhosale P, Talmage DA, Hasselmo ME, Dannenberg H, Minces VH, Chiba AA. Specific Basal Forebrain-Cortical Cholinergic Circuits Coordinate Cognitive Operations. J Neurosci 2018; 38:9446-9458. [PMID: 30381436 PMCID: PMC6209837 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1676-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on recent molecular genetics, as well as functional and quantitative anatomical studies, the basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic projections, once viewed as a diffuse system, are emerging as being remarkably specific in connectivity. Acetylcholine (ACh) can rapidly and selectively modulate activity of specific circuits and ACh release can be coordinated in multiple areas that are related to particular aspects of cognitive processing. This review discusses how a combination of multiple new approaches with more established techniques are being used to finally reveal how cholinergic neurons, together with other BF neurons, provide temporal structure for behavior, contribute to local cortical state regulation, and coordinate activity between different functionally related cortical circuits. ACh selectively modulates dynamics for encoding and attention within individual cortical circuits, allows for important transitions during sleep, and shapes the fidelity of sensory processing by changing the correlation structure of neural firing. The importance of this system for integrated and fluid behavioral function is underscored by its disease-modifying role; the demise of BF cholinergic neurons has long been established in Alzheimer's disease and recent studies have revealed the involvement of the cholinergic system in modulation of anxiety-related circuits. Therefore, the BF cholinergic system plays a pivotal role in modulating the dynamics of the brain during sleep and behavior, as foretold by the intricacies of its anatomical map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laszlo Záborszky
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark 07102,
| | - Peter Gombkoto
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark 07102
| | - Peter Varsanyi
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark 07102
| | - Matthew R Gielow
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark 07102
| | - Gina Poe
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles 90095
| | - Lorna W Role
- Department of Neurobiology and Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - Mala Ananth
- Program in Neuroscience and Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - Prithviraj Rajebhosale
- Program in Neuroscience and Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - David A Talmage
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - Michael E Hasselmo
- Center for Systems Neuroscience and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, and
| | - Holger Dannenberg
- Center for Systems Neuroscience and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, and
| | - Victor H Minces
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego 92093
| | - Andrea A Chiba
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego 92093
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50
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Longitudinal Alzheimer’s Degeneration Reflects the Spatial Topography of Cholinergic Basal Forebrain Projections. Cell Rep 2018; 24:38-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
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