1
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Zhang Z, Tang F, Li Y, Feng X. A spatial transformation-based CAN model for information integration within grid cell modules. Cogn Neurodyn 2024; 18:1861-1876. [PMID: 39104694 PMCID: PMC11297887 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-023-10047-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The hippocampal-entorhinal circuit is considered to play an important role in the spatial cognition of animals. However, the mechanism of the information flow within the circuit and its contribution to the function of the grid-cell module are still topics of discussion. Prevailing theories suggest that grid cells are primarily influenced by self-motion inputs from the Medial Entorhinal Cortex, with place cells serving a secondary role by contributing to the visual calibration of grid cells. However, recent evidence suggests that both self-motion inputs and visual cues may collaboratively contribute to the formation of grid-like patterns. In this paper, we introduce a novel Continuous Attractor Network model based on a spatial transformation mechanism. This mechanism enables the integration of self-motion inputs and visual cues within grid-cell modules, synergistically driving the formation of grid-like patterns. From the perspective of individual neurons within the network, our model successfully replicates grid firing patterns. From the view of neural population activity within the network, the network can form and drive the activated bump, which describes the characteristic feature of grid-cell modules, namely, path integration. Through further exploration and experimentation, our model can exhibit significant performance in path integration. This study provides a new insight into understanding the mechanism of how the self-motion and visual inputs contribute to the neural activity within grid-cell modules. Furthermore, it provides theoretical support for achieving accurate path integration, which holds substantial implications for various applications requiring spatial navigation and mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.114, Nanta Street Heping District, Shenyang, 110016 Liaoning China
- University of Science and Technology of China, No.96, JinZhai Road Baohe District, Hefei, 230026 Anhui China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.135, Chuangxin Road Hunnan District, Shenyang, 110169 Liaoning China
| | - Fengzhen Tang
- The State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.114, Nanta Street Heping District, Shenyang, 110016 Liaoning China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.135, Chuangxin Road Hunnan District, Shenyang, 110169 Liaoning China
| | - Yiping Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.114, Nanta Street Heping District, Shenyang, 110016 Liaoning China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.135, Chuangxin Road Hunnan District, Shenyang, 110169 Liaoning China
| | - Xisheng Feng
- The State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.114, Nanta Street Heping District, Shenyang, 110016 Liaoning China
- University of Science and Technology of China, No.96, JinZhai Road Baohe District, Hefei, 230026 Anhui China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.135, Chuangxin Road Hunnan District, Shenyang, 110169 Liaoning China
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2
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Dong LL, Fiete IR. Grid Cells in Cognition: Mechanisms and Function. Annu Rev Neurosci 2024; 47:345-368. [PMID: 38684081 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-101323-112047] [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] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The activity patterns of grid cells form distinctively regular triangular lattices over the explored spatial environment and are largely invariant to visual stimuli, animal movement, and environment geometry. These neurons present numerous fascinating challenges to the curious (neuro)scientist: What are the circuit mechanisms responsible for creating spatially periodic activity patterns from the monotonic input-output responses of single neurons? How and why does the brain encode a local, nonperiodic variable-the allocentric position of the animal-with a periodic, nonlocal code? And, are grid cells truly specialized for spatial computations? Otherwise, what is their role in general cognition more broadly? We review efforts in uncovering the mechanisms and functional properties of grid cells, highlighting recent progress in the experimental validation of mechanistic grid cell models, and discuss the coding properties and functional advantages of the grid code as suggested by continuous attractor network models of grid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling L Dong
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Ila R Fiete
- McGovern Institute and K. Lisa Yang Integrative Computational Neuroscience Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
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3
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Dubanet O, Higley MJ. Retrosplenial inputs drive visual representations in the medial entorhinal cortex. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114470. [PMID: 38985682 PMCID: PMC11300029 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114470] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The importance of visual cues for navigation and goal-directed behavior is well established, although the neural mechanisms supporting sensory representations in navigational circuits are largely unknown. Navigation is fundamentally dependent on the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), which receives direct projections from neocortical visual areas, including the retrosplenial cortex (RSC). Here, we perform high-density recordings of MEC neurons in awake, head-fixed mice presented with simple visual stimuli and assess the dynamics of sensory-evoked activity. We find that a large fraction of neurons exhibit robust responses to visual input. Visually responsive cells are located primarily in layer 3 of the dorsal MEC and can be separated into subgroups based on functional and molecular properties. Furthermore, optogenetic suppression of RSC afferents within the MEC strongly reduces visual responses. Overall, our results demonstrate that the MEC can encode simple visual cues in the environment that may contribute to neural representations of location necessary for accurate navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Dubanet
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Michael J Higley
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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4
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Rolls ET, Treves A. A theory of hippocampal function: New developments. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 238:102636. [PMID: 38834132 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102636] [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: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
We develop further here the only quantitative theory of the storage of information in the hippocampal episodic memory system and its recall back to the neocortex. The theory is upgraded to account for a revolution in understanding of spatial representations in the primate, including human, hippocampus, that go beyond the place where the individual is located, to the location being viewed in a scene. This is fundamental to much primate episodic memory and navigation: functions supported in humans by pathways that build 'where' spatial view representations by feature combinations in a ventromedial visual cortical stream, separate from those for 'what' object and face information to the inferior temporal visual cortex, and for reward information from the orbitofrontal cortex. Key new computational developments include the capacity of the CA3 attractor network for storing whole charts of space; how the correlations inherent in self-organizing continuous spatial representations impact the storage capacity; how the CA3 network can combine continuous spatial and discrete object and reward representations; the roles of the rewards that reach the hippocampus in the later consolidation into long-term memory in part via cholinergic pathways from the orbitofrontal cortex; and new ways of analysing neocortical information storage using Potts networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund T Rolls
- Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience, Oxford, UK; Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
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5
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Hamad MIK, Daoud S, Petrova P, Rabaya O, Jbara A, Al Houqani S, BaniYas S, Alblooshi M, Almheiri A, Nakhal MM, Ali BR, Shehab S, Allouh MZ, Emerald BS, Schneider-Lódi M, Bataineh MF, Herz J, Förster E. Reelin differentially shapes dendrite morphology of medial entorhinal cortical ocean and island cells. Development 2024; 151:dev202449. [PMID: 38856043 PMCID: PMC11234379 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The function of medial entorhinal cortex layer II (MECII) excitatory neurons has been recently explored. MECII dysfunction underlies deficits in spatial navigation and working memory. MECII neurons comprise two major excitatory neuronal populations, pyramidal island and stellate ocean cells, in addition to the inhibitory interneurons. Ocean cells express reelin and surround clusters of island cells that lack reelin expression. The influence of reelin expression by ocean cells and interneurons on their own morphological differentiation and that of MECII island cells has remained unknown. To address this, we used a conditional reelin knockout (RelncKO) mouse to induce reelin deficiency postnatally in vitro and in vivo. Reelin deficiency caused dendritic hypertrophy of ocean cells, interneurons and only proximal dendritic compartments of island cells. Ca2+ recording showed that both cell types exhibited an elevation of calcium frequencies in RelncKO, indicating that the hypertrophic effect is related to excessive Ca2+ signalling. Moreover, pharmacological receptor blockade in RelncKO mouse revealed malfunctioning of GABAB, NMDA and AMPA receptors. Collectively, this study emphasizes the significance of reelin in neuronal growth, and its absence results in dendrite hypertrophy of MECII neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad I. K. Hamad
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Solieman Daoud
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Petya Petrova
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Obada Rabaya
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Abdalrahim Jbara
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Shaikha Al Houqani
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shamsa BaniYas
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Meera Alblooshi
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ayesha Almheiri
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammed M. Nakhal
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam R. Ali
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Safa Shehab
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammed Z. Allouh
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bright Starling Emerald
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mária Schneider-Lódi
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Mo'ath F. Bataineh
- Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Joachim Herz
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, Neuroscience, Neurology and Neurotherapeutics; Center for Translational Neurodegeneration Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Eckart Förster
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum 44801, Germany
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6
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Zhang Z, Tang F, Li Y, Feng X. Modeling the grid cell activity based on cognitive space transformation. Cogn Neurodyn 2024; 18:1227-1243. [PMID: 38826659 PMCID: PMC11143158 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-023-09972-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex are widely recognized as a critical component of spatial cognition within the entorhinal-hippocampal neuronal circuits. To account for the hexagonal patterns, several computational models have been proposed. However, there is still considerable debate regarding the interaction between grid cells and place cells. In response, we have developed a novel grid-cell computational model based on cognitive space transformation, which established a theoretical framework of the interaction between place cells and grid cells for encoding and transforming positions between the local frame and global frame. Our model not only can generate the firing patterns of the grid cells but also reproduces the biological experiment results about the grid-cell global representation of connected environments and supports the conjecture about the underlying reason. Moreover, our model provides new insights into how grid cells and place cells integrate external and self-motion cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Zhang
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026 China
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China
| | - Fengzhen Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China
| | - Yiping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China
| | - Xisheng Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China
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7
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Sutton NM, Gutiérrez-Guzmán BE, Dannenberg H, Ascoli GA. A Continuous Attractor Model with Realistic Neural and Synaptic Properties Quantitatively Reproduces Grid Cell Physiology. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6059. [PMID: 38892248 PMCID: PMC11173171 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Computational simulations with data-driven physiological detail can foster a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in cognition. Here, we utilize the wealth of cellular properties from Hippocampome.org to study neural mechanisms of spatial coding with a spiking continuous attractor network model of medial entorhinal cortex circuit activity. The primary goal is to investigate if adding such realistic constraints could produce firing patterns similar to those measured in real neurons. Biological characteristics included in the work are excitability, connectivity, and synaptic signaling of neuron types defined primarily by their axonal and dendritic morphologies. We investigate the spiking dynamics in specific neuron types and the synaptic activities between groups of neurons. Modeling the rodent hippocampal formation keeps the simulations to a computationally reasonable scale while also anchoring the parameters and results to experimental measurements. Our model generates grid cell activity that well matches the spacing, size, and firing rates of grid fields recorded in live behaving animals from both published datasets and new experiments performed for this study. Our simulations also recreate different scales of those properties, e.g., small and large, as found along the dorsoventral axis of the medial entorhinal cortex. Computational exploration of neuronal and synaptic model parameters reveals that a broad range of neural properties produce grid fields in the simulation. These results demonstrate that the continuous attractor network model of grid cells is compatible with a spiking neural network implementation sourcing data-driven biophysical and anatomical parameters from Hippocampome.org. The software (version 1.0) is released as open source to enable broad community reuse and encourage novel applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nate M. Sutton
- Bioengineering Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (N.M.S.); (B.E.G.-G.); (H.D.)
| | - Blanca E. Gutiérrez-Guzmán
- Bioengineering Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (N.M.S.); (B.E.G.-G.); (H.D.)
| | - Holger Dannenberg
- Bioengineering Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (N.M.S.); (B.E.G.-G.); (H.D.)
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Giorgio A. Ascoli
- Bioengineering Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (N.M.S.); (B.E.G.-G.); (H.D.)
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
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8
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Shao Q, Chen L, Li X, Li M, Cui H, Li X, Zhao X, Shi Y, Sun Q, Yan K, Wang G. A non-canonical visual cortical-entorhinal pathway contributes to spatial navigation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4122. [PMID: 38750027 PMCID: PMC11096324 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48483-y] [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: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Visual information is important for accurate spatial coding and memory-guided navigation. As a crucial area for spatial cognition, the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) harbors diverse spatially tuned cells and functions as the major gateway relaying sensory inputs to the hippocampus containing place cells. However, how visual information enters the MEC has not been fully understood. Here, we identify a pathway originating in the secondary visual cortex (V2) and directly targeting MEC layer 5a (L5a). L5a neurons served as a network hub for visual processing in the MEC by routing visual inputs from multiple V2 areas to other local neurons and hippocampal CA1. Interrupting this pathway severely impaired visual stimulus-evoked neural activity in the MEC and performance of mice in navigation tasks. These observations reveal a visual cortical-entorhinal pathway highlighting the role of MEC L5a in sensory information transmission, a function typically attributed to MEC superficial layers before.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiming Shao
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Ligu Chen
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xiaowan Li
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Miao Li
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Hui Cui
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xiaoyue Li
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xinran Zhao
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yuying Shi
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Qiang Sun
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Kaiyue Yan
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Guangfu Wang
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
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9
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Piza DB, Corrigan BW, Gulli RA, Do Carmo S, Cuello AC, Muller L, Martinez-Trujillo J. Primacy of vision shapes behavioral strategies and neural substrates of spatial navigation in marmoset hippocampus. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4053. [PMID: 38744848 PMCID: PMC11093997 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48374-2] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The role of the hippocampus in spatial navigation has been primarily studied in nocturnal mammals, such as rats, that lack many adaptations for daylight vision. Here we demonstrate that during 3D navigation, the common marmoset, a new world primate adapted to daylight, predominantly uses rapid head-gaze shifts for visual exploration while remaining stationary. During active locomotion marmosets stabilize the head, in contrast to rats that use low-velocity head movements to scan the environment as they locomote. Pyramidal neurons in the marmoset hippocampus CA3/CA1 regions predominantly show mixed selectivity for 3D spatial view, head direction, and place. Exclusive place selectivity is scarce. Inhibitory interneurons are predominantly mixed selective for angular head velocity and translation speed. Finally, we found theta phase resetting of local field potential oscillations triggered by head-gaze shifts. Our findings indicate that marmosets adapted to their daylight ecological niche by modifying exploration/navigation strategies and their corresponding hippocampal specializations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego B Piza
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Benjamin W Corrigan
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Sonia Do Carmo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - A Claudio Cuello
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lyle Muller
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Julio Martinez-Trujillo
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
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10
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Sutton N, Gutiérrez-Guzmán B, Dannenberg H, Ascoli GA. A Continuous Attractor Model with Realistic Neural and Synaptic Properties Quantitatively Reproduces Grid Cell Physiology. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.29.591748. [PMID: 38746202 PMCID: PMC11092518 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.591748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Computational simulations with data-driven physiological detail can foster a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in cognition. Here, we utilize the wealth of cellular properties from Hippocampome.org to study neural mechanisms of spatial coding with a spiking continuous attractor network model of medial entorhinal cortex circuit activity. The primary goal was to investigate if adding such realistic constraints could produce firing patterns similar to those measured in real neurons. Biological characteristics included in the work are excitability, connectivity, and synaptic signaling of neuron types defined primarily by their axonal and dendritic morphologies. We investigate the spiking dynamics in specific neuron types and the synaptic activities between groups of neurons. Modeling the rodent hippocampal formation keeps the simulations to a computationally reasonable scale while also anchoring the parameters and results to experimental measurements. Our model generates grid cell activity that well matches the spacing, size, and firing rates of grid fields recorded in live behaving animals from both published datasets and new experiments performed for this study. Our simulations also recreate different scales of those properties, e.g., small and large, as found along the dorsoventral axis of the medial entorhinal cortex. Computational exploration of neuronal and synaptic model parameters reveals that a broad range of neural properties produce grid fields in the simulation. These results demonstrate that the continuous attractor network model of grid cells is compatible with a spiking neural network implementation sourcing data-driven biophysical and anatomical parameters from Hippocampome.org. The software is released as open source to enable broad community reuse and encourage novel applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nate Sutton
- Bioengineering Department, at George Mason University
| | | | - Holger Dannenberg
- Bioengineering Department, at George Mason University
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at George Mason University
| | - Giorgio A. Ascoli
- Bioengineering Department, at George Mason University
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at George Mason University
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11
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Herber CS, Pratt KJ, Shea JM, Villeda SA, Giocomo LM. Spatial Coding Dysfunction and Network Instability in the Aging Medial Entorhinal Cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.12.588890. [PMID: 38659809 PMCID: PMC11042240 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.12.588890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Across species, spatial memory declines with age, possibly reflecting altered hippocampal and medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) function. However, the integrity of cellular and network-level spatial coding in aged MEC is unknown. Here, we leveraged in vivo electrophysiology to assess MEC function in young, middle-aged, and aged mice navigating virtual environments. In aged grid cells, we observed impaired stabilization of context-specific spatial firing, correlated with spatial memory deficits. Additionally, aged grid networks shifted firing patterns often but with poor alignment to context changes. Aged spatial firing was also unstable in an unchanging environment. In these same mice, we identified 458 genes differentially expressed with age in MEC, 61 of which had expression correlated with spatial firing stability. These genes were enriched among interneurons and related to synaptic transmission. Together, these findings identify coordinated transcriptomic, cellular, and network changes in MEC implicated in impaired spatial memory in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte S. Herber
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Karishma J.B. Pratt
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0452, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Jeremy M. Shea
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0452, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Saul A. Villeda
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0452, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Bakar Aging Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Lisa M. Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Lead contact
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12
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Barnstedt O, Mocellin P, Remy S. A hippocampus-accumbens code guides goal-directed appetitive behavior. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3196. [PMID: 38609363 PMCID: PMC11015045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47361-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) is a key brain region for the expression of spatial memories, such as navigating towards a learned reward location. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a prominent projection target of dHPC and implicated in value-based action selection. Yet, the contents of the dHPC→NAc information stream and their acute role in behavior remain largely unknown. Here, we found that optogenetic stimulation of the dHPC→NAc pathway while mice navigated towards a learned reward location was both necessary and sufficient for spatial memory-related appetitive behaviors. To understand the task-relevant coding properties of individual NAc-projecting hippocampal neurons (dHPC→NAc), we used in vivo dual-color two-photon imaging. In contrast to other dHPC neurons, the dHPC→NAc subpopulation contained more place cells, with enriched spatial tuning properties. This subpopulation also showed enhanced coding of non-spatial task-relevant behaviors such as deceleration and appetitive licking. A generalized linear model revealed enhanced conjunctive coding in dHPC→NAc neurons which improved the identification of the reward zone. We propose that dHPC routes specific reward-related spatial and behavioral state information to guide NAc action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Barnstedt
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Institute for Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Petra Mocellin
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany
- International Max Planck Research, School for Brain & Behavior (IMPRS), 53175, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3370, USA
| | - Stefan Remy
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), 39106, Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZGP), partner site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany.
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13
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Clark BJ, LaChance PA, Winter SS, Mehlman ML, Butler W, LaCour A, Taube JS. Comparison of head direction cell firing characteristics across thalamo-parahippocampal circuitry. Hippocampus 2024; 34:168-196. [PMID: 38178693 PMCID: PMC10950528 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Head direction (HD) cells, which fire persistently when an animal's head is pointed in a particular direction, are widely thought to underlie an animal's sense of spatial orientation and have been identified in several limbic brain regions. Robust HD cell firing is observed throughout the thalamo-parahippocampal system, although recent studies report that parahippocampal HD cells exhibit distinct firing properties, including conjunctive aspects with other spatial parameters, which suggest they play a specialized role in spatial processing. Few studies, however, have quantified these apparent differences. Here, we performed a comparative assessment of HD cell firing characteristics across the anterior dorsal thalamus (ADN), postsubiculum (PoS), parasubiculum (PaS), medial entorhinal (MEC), and postrhinal (POR) cortices. We report that HD cells with a high degree of directional specificity were observed in all five brain regions, but ADN HD cells display greater sharpness and stability in their preferred directions, and greater anticipation of future headings compared to parahippocampal regions. Additional analysis indicated that POR HD cells were more coarsely modulated by other spatial parameters compared to PoS, PaS, and MEC. Finally, our analyses indicated that the sharpness of HD tuning decreased as a function of laminar position and conjunctive coding within the PoS, PaS, and MEC, with cells in the superficial layers along with conjunctive firing properties showing less robust directional tuning. The results are discussed in relation to theories of functional organization of HD cell tuning in thalamo-parahippocampal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Patrick A LaChance
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Shawn S Winter
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Max L Mehlman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Will Butler
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Ariyana LaCour
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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14
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Farrell JS, Hwaun E, Dudok B, Soltesz I. Neural and behavioural state switching during hippocampal dentate spikes. Nature 2024; 628:590-595. [PMID: 38480889 PMCID: PMC11023929 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07192-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Distinct brain and behavioural states are associated with organized neural population dynamics that are thought to serve specific cognitive functions1-3. Memory replay events, for example, occur during synchronous population events called sharp-wave ripples in the hippocampus while mice are in an 'offline' behavioural state, enabling cognitive mechanisms such as memory consolidation and planning4-11. But how does the brain re-engage with the external world during this behavioural state and permit access to current sensory information or promote new memory formation? Here we found that the hippocampal dentate spike, an understudied population event that frequently occurs between sharp-wave ripples12, may underlie such a mechanism. We show that dentate spikes are associated with distinctly elevated brain-wide firing rates, primarily observed in higher order networks, and couple to brief periods of arousal. Hippocampal place coding during dentate spikes aligns to the mouse's current spatial location, unlike the memory replay accompanying sharp-wave ripples. Furthermore, inhibiting neural activity during dentate spikes disrupts associative memory formation. Thus, dentate spikes represent a distinct brain state and support memory during non-locomotor behaviour, extending the repertoire of cognitive processes beyond the classical offline functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan S Farrell
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Ernie Hwaun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Barna Dudok
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ivan Soltesz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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15
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Feng Y, Diego KS, Dong Z, Wick ZC, Page-Harley L, Page-Harley V, Schnipper J, Lamsifer SI, Pennington ZT, Vetere LM, Philipsberg PA, Soler I, Jurkowski A, Rosado CJ, Khan NN, Cai DJ, Shuman T. Distinct changes to hippocampal and medial entorhinal circuits emerge across the progression of cognitive deficits in epilepsy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.12.584697. [PMID: 38559224 PMCID: PMC10979962 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.584697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) causes pervasive and progressive memory impairments, yet the specific circuit changes that drive these deficits remain unclear. To investigate how hippocampal-entorhinal dysfunction contributes to progressive memory deficits in epilepsy, we performed simultaneous in vivo electrophysiology in hippocampus (HPC) and medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) of control and epileptic mice 3 or 8 weeks after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (Pilo-SE). We found that HPC synchronization deficits (including reduced theta power, coherence, and altered interneuron spike timing) emerged within 3 weeks of Pilo-SE, aligning with early-onset, relatively subtle memory deficits. In contrast, abnormal synchronization within MEC and between HPC-MEC emerged later, by 8 weeks after Pilo-SE, when spatial memory impairment was more severe. Furthermore, a distinct subpopulation of MEC layer 3 excitatory neurons (active at theta troughs) was specifically impaired in epileptic mice. Together, these findings suggest that hippocampal-entorhinal circuit dysfunction accumulates and shifts as cognitive impairment progresses in TLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Feng
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | - Zhe Dong
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ivan Soler
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | | | - Nadia N Khan
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Denise J Cai
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
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16
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Gonzalez A, Giocomo LM. Parahippocampal neurons encode task-relevant information for goal-directed navigation. eLife 2024; 12:RP85646. [PMID: 38363198 PMCID: PMC10942598 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85646] [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] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
A behavioral strategy crucial to survival is directed navigation to a goal, such as a food or home location. One potential neural substrate for supporting goal-directed navigation is the parahippocampus, which contains neurons that represent an animal's position, orientation, and movement through the world, and that change their firing activity to encode behaviorally relevant variables such as reward. However, little prior work on the parahippocampus has considered how neurons encode variables during goal-directed navigation in environments that dynamically change. Here, we recorded single units from rat parahippocampal cortex while subjects performed a goal-directed task. The maze dynamically changed goal-locations via a visual cue on a trial-to-trial basis, requiring subjects to use cue-location associations to receive reward. We observed a mismatch-like signal, with elevated neural activity on incorrect trials, leading to rate-remapping. The strength of this remapping correlated with task performance. Recordings during open-field foraging allowed us to functionally define navigational coding for a subset of the neurons recorded in the maze. This approach revealed that head-direction coding units remapped more than other functional-defined units. Taken together, this work thus raises the possibility that during goal-directed navigation, parahippocampal neurons encode error information reflective of an animal's behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Gonzalez
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
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17
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Ding SS, Fox JL, Gordus A, Joshi A, Liao JC, Scholz M. Fantastic beasts and how to study them: rethinking experimental animal behavior. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247003. [PMID: 38372042 PMCID: PMC10911175 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247003] [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] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Humans have been trying to understand animal behavior at least since recorded history. Recent rapid development of new technologies has allowed us to make significant progress in understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying behavior, a key goal of neuroethology. However, there is a tradeoff when studying animal behavior and its underlying biological mechanisms: common behavior protocols in the laboratory are designed to be replicable and controlled, but they often fail to encompass the variability and breadth of natural behavior. This Commentary proposes a framework of 10 key questions that aim to guide researchers in incorporating a rich natural context into their experimental design or in choosing a new animal study system. The 10 questions cover overarching experimental considerations that can provide a template for interspecies comparisons, enable us to develop studies in new model organisms and unlock new experiments in our quest to understand behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Serena Ding
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jessica L. Fox
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Andrew Gordus
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Abhilasha Joshi
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - James C. Liao
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Monika Scholz
- Max Planck Research Group Neural Information Flow, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – caesar, 53175 Bonn, Germany
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18
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George TM, Rastogi M, de Cothi W, Clopath C, Stachenfeld K, Barry C. RatInABox, a toolkit for modelling locomotion and neuronal activity in continuous environments. eLife 2024; 13:e85274. [PMID: 38334473 PMCID: PMC10857787 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85274] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Generating synthetic locomotory and neural data is a useful yet cumbersome step commonly required to study theoretical models of the brain's role in spatial navigation. This process can be time consuming and, without a common framework, makes it difficult to reproduce or compare studies which each generate test data in different ways. In response, we present RatInABox, an open-source Python toolkit designed to model realistic rodent locomotion and generate synthetic neural data from spatially modulated cell types. This software provides users with (i) the ability to construct one- or two-dimensional environments with configurable barriers and visual cues, (ii) a physically realistic random motion model fitted to experimental data, (iii) rapid online calculation of neural data for many of the known self-location or velocity selective cell types in the hippocampal formation (including place cells, grid cells, boundary vector cells, head direction cells) and (iv) a framework for constructing custom cell types, multi-layer network models and data- or policy-controlled motion trajectories. The motion and neural models are spatially and temporally continuous as well as topographically sensitive to boundary conditions and walls. We demonstrate that out-of-the-box parameter settings replicate many aspects of rodent foraging behaviour such as velocity statistics and the tendency of rodents to over-explore walls. Numerous tutorial scripts are provided, including examples where RatInABox is used for decoding position from neural data or to solve a navigational reinforcement learning task. We hope this tool will significantly streamline computational research into the brain's role in navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom M George
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Mehul Rastogi
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - William de Cothi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Claudia Clopath
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Caswell Barry
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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19
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Reinshagen A. Grid cells: the missing link in understanding Parkinson's disease? Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1276714. [PMID: 38389787 PMCID: PMC10881698 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1276714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease (PD) are complex and not fully understood, and the box-and-arrow model among other current models present significant challenges. This paper explores the potential role of the allocentric brain and especially its grid cells in several PD motor symptoms, including bradykinesia, kinesia paradoxa, freezing of gait, the bottleneck phenomenon, and their dependency on cueing. It is argued that central hubs, like the locus coeruleus and the pedunculopontine nucleus, often narrowly interpreted in the context of PD, play an equally important role in governing the allocentric brain as the basal ganglia. Consequently, the motor and secondary motor (e.g., spatially related) symptoms of PD linked with dopamine depletion may be more closely tied to erroneous computation by grid cells than to the basal ganglia alone. Because grid cells and their associated central hubs introduce both spatial and temporal information to the brain influencing velocity perception they may cause bradykinesia or hyperkinesia as well. In summary, PD motor symptoms may primarily be an allocentric disturbance resulting from virtual faulty computation by grid cells revealed by dopamine depletion in PD.
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20
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Chen Y, Branch A, Shuai C, Gallagher M, Knierim JJ. Object-place-context learning impairment correlates with spatial learning impairment in aged Long-Evans rats. Hippocampus 2024; 34:88-99. [PMID: 38073523 PMCID: PMC10843702 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23591] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The hippocampal formation is vulnerable to the process of normal aging. In humans, the extent of this age-related deterioration varies among individuals. Long-Evans rats replicate these individual differences as they age, and therefore they serve as a valuable model system to study aging in the absence of neurodegenerative diseases. In the Morris water maze, aged memory-unimpaired (AU) rats navigate to remembered goal locations as effectively as young rats and demonstrate minimal alterations in physiological markers of synaptic plasticity, whereas aged memory-impaired (AI) rats show impairments in both spatial navigation skills and cellular and molecular markers of plasticity. The present study investigates whether another cognitive domain is affected similarly to navigation in aged Long-Evans rats. We tested the ability of young, AU, and AI animals to recognize novel object-place-context (OPC) configurations and found that performance on the novel OPC recognition paradigm was significantly correlated with performance on the Morris water maze. In the first OPC test, young and AU rats, but not AI rats, successfully recognized and preferentially explored objects in novel OPC configurations. In a second test with new OPC configurations, all age groups showed similar OPC associative recognition memory. The results demonstrated similarities in the behavioral expression of associative, episodic-like memory between young and AU rats and revealed age-related, individual differences in functional decline in both navigation and episodic-like memory abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Chen
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Audrey Branch
- Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Cecelia Shuai
- Undergraduate Studies, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michela Gallagher
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - James J Knierim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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21
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Wang C, Lee H, Rao G, Knierim JJ. Multiplexing of temporal and spatial information in the lateral entorhinal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578307. [PMID: 38352543 PMCID: PMC10862918 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory involves the processing of spatial and temporal aspects of personal experiences. The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) plays an essential role in subserving memory. However, the specific mechanism by which LEC integrates spatial and temporal information remains elusive. Here, we recorded LEC neurons while rats performed foraging and shuttling behaviors on one-dimensional, linear or circular tracks. Unlike open-field foraging tasks, many LEC cells displayed spatial firing fields in these tasks and demonstrated selectivity for traveling directions. Furthermore, some LEC neurons displayed changes in the firing rates of their spatial rate maps during a session, a phenomenon referred to as rate remapping. Importantly, this temporal modulation was consistent across sessions, even when the spatial environment was altered. Notably, the strength of temporal modulation was found to be greater in LEC compared to other brain regions, such as the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), CA1, and CA3. Thus, the spatial rate mapping observed in LEC neurons may serve as a coding mechanism for temporal context, allowing for flexible multiplexing of spatial and temporal information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Heekyung Lee
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Geeta Rao
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - James J Knierim
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Lead contact
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22
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Viana da Silva S, Haberl MG, Gaur K, Patel R, Narayan G, Ledakis M, Fu ML, de Castro Vieira M, Koo EH, Leutgeb JK, Leutgeb S. Localized APP expression results in progressive network dysfunction by disorganizing spike timing. Neuron 2024; 112:124-140.e6. [PMID: 37909036 PMCID: PMC10877582 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.001] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Progressive cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease could either be caused by a spreading molecular pathology or by an initially focal pathology that causes aberrant neuronal activity in a larger network. To distinguish between these possibilities, we generated a mouse model with expression of mutant human amyloid precursor protein (APP) in only hippocampal CA3 cells. We found that performance in a hippocampus-dependent memory task was impaired in young adult and aged mutant mice. In both age groups, we then recorded from the CA1 region, which receives inputs from APP-expressing CA3 cells. We observed that theta oscillation frequency in CA1 was reduced along with disrupted relative timing of principal cells. Highly localized pathology limited to the presynaptic CA3 cells is thus sufficient to cause aberrant firing patterns in postsynaptic neuronal networks, which indicates that disease progression is not only from spreading pathology but also mediated by progressively advancing physiological dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Viana da Silva
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; NeuroCure Excellence Cluster and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias G Haberl
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Neuroscience Research Center, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kshitij Gaur
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rina Patel
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gautam Narayan
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Max Ledakis
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maylin L Fu
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Miguel de Castro Vieira
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Neuroscience Research Center, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Edward H Koo
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jill K Leutgeb
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Stefan Leutgeb
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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23
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Rosario MA, Kern KL, Mumtaz S, Storer TW, Schon K. Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with cortical thickness of medial temporal brain areas associated with spatial cognition in young but not older adults. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:82-100. [PMID: 38056827 PMCID: PMC10979765 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16200] [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: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Cardiorespiratory fitness has a potent effect on neurocognitive health, especially regarding the hippocampal memory system. However, less is known about the impact of cardiorespiratory fitness on medial temporal lobe extrahippocampal neocortical regions. Specifically, it is unclear how cardiorespiratory fitness modulates these brain regions in young adulthood and if these regions are differentially related to cardiorespiratory fitness in young versus older adults. The primary goal of this study was to investigate if cardiorespiratory fitness predicted medial temporal lobe cortical thickness which, with the hippocampus, are critical for spatial learning and memory. Additionally, given the established role of these cortices in spatial navigation, we sought to determine if cardiorespiratory fitness and medial temporal lobe cortical thickness would predict greater subjective sense of direction in both young and older adults. Cross-sectional data from 56 young adults (20-35 years) and 44 older adults (55-85 years) were included. FreeSurfer 6.0 was used to automatically segment participants' 3T T1-weighted images. Using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, we confirmed significant associations between greater cardiorespiratory fitness and greater left entorhinal, left parahippocampal, and left perirhinal cortical thickness in young, but not older, adults. Left parahippocampal cortical thickness interacted with age group to differentially predict subjective sense of direction in young and older adults. Young adults displayed a positive, and older adults a negative, correlation between left parahippocampal cortical thickness and sense of direction. Our findings extend previous work on the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and hippocampal subfield structure in young adults to left medial temporal lobe neocortical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Rosario
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathryn L. Kern
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shiraz Mumtaz
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas W. Storer
- Men’s Health, Aging, and Metabolism Unit, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Karin Schon
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Memory and Brain, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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24
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Bowler JC, Losonczy A. Direct cortical inputs to hippocampal area CA1 transmit complementary signals for goal-directed navigation. Neuron 2023; 111:4071-4085.e6. [PMID: 37816349 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
The subregions of the entorhinal cortex (EC) are conventionally thought to compute dichotomous representations for spatial processing, with the medial EC (MEC) providing a global spatial map and the lateral EC (LEC) encoding specific sensory details of experience. Yet, little is known about the specific types of information EC transmits downstream to the hippocampus. Here, we exploit in vivo sub-cellular imaging to record from EC axons in CA1 while mice perform navigational tasks in virtual reality (VR). We uncover distinct yet overlapping representations of task, location, and context in both MEC and LEC axons. MEC transmitted highly location- and context-specific codes; LEC inputs were biased by ongoing navigational goals. However, during tasks with reliable reward locations, the animals' position could be accurately decoded from either subregion. Our results revise the prevailing dogma about EC information processing, revealing novel ways spatial and non-spatial information is routed and combined upstream of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Bowler
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Attila Losonczy
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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25
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Mazzara C, Migliore M. A realistic computational model for the formation of a Place Cell. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21763. [PMID: 38066014 PMCID: PMC10709575 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48183-5] [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: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal Place Cells (PCs) are pyramidal neurons showing spatially localized firing when an animal gets into a specific area within an environment. Because of their obvious and clear relation with specific cognitive functions, Place Cells operations and modulations are intensely studied experimentally. However, although a lot of data have been gathered since their discovery, the cellular processes that interplay to turn a hippocampal pyramidal neuron into a Place Cell are still not completely understood. Here, we used a morphologically and biophysically detailed computational model of a CA1 pyramidal neuron to show how, and under which conditions, it can turn into a neuron coding for a specific cue location, through the self-organization of its synaptic inputs in response to external signals targeting different dendritic layers. Our results show that the model is consistent with experimental findings demonstrating PCs stability within the same spatial context over different trajectories, environment rotations, and place field remapping to adapt to changes in the environment. To date, this is the only biophysically and morphologically accurate cellular model of PCs formation, which can be directly used in physiologically accurate microcircuits and large-scale model networks to study cognitive functions and dysfunctions at cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Mazzara
- Department of Promoting Health, Maternal-Infant. Excellence and Internal and Specialized Medicine (PROMISE) G. D'Alessandro, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Michele Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy.
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26
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Gönner L, Baeuchl C, Glöckner F, Riedel P, Smolka MN, Li SC. Levodopa suppresses grid-like activity and impairs spatial learning in novel environments in healthy young adults. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:11247-11256. [PMID: 37782941 PMCID: PMC10690865 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulated evidence from animal studies suggests a role for the neuromodulator dopamine in memory processes, particularly under conditions of novelty or reward. Our understanding of how dopaminergic modulation impacts spatial representations and spatial memory in humans remains limited. Recent evidence suggests age-specific regulation effects of dopamine pharmacology on activity in the medial temporal lobe, a key region for spatial memory. To which degree this modulation affects spatially patterned medial temporal representations remains unclear. We reanalyzed recent data from a pharmacological dopamine challenge during functional brain imaging combined with a virtual object-location memory paradigm to assess the effect of Levodopa, a dopamine precursor, on grid-like activity in the entorhinal cortex. We found that Levodopa impaired grid cell-like representations in a sample of young adults (n = 55, age = 26-35 years) in a novel environment, accompanied by reduced spatial memory performance. We observed no such impairment when Levodopa was delivered to participants who had prior experience with the task. These results are consistent with a role of dopamine in modulating the encoding of novel spatial experiences. Our results suggest that dopamine signaling may play a larger role in shaping ongoing spatial representations than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenz Gönner
- Faculty of Psychology, Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Baeuchl
- Faculty of Psychology, Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Franka Glöckner
- Faculty of Psychology, Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Philipp Riedel
- Department of Psychiatry, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Shu-Chen Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
- Centre for Tactile Internet With Human-in-the-Loop, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
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27
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Byun S, Lee HJ, Kim JS, Choi E, Lee S, Kim TH, Kim JH, Han JW, Kim KW. Exploring shared neural substrates underlying cognition and gait variability in adults without dementia. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:206. [PMID: 38012628 PMCID: PMC10680297 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01354-y] [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: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High gait variability is associated with neurodegeneration and cognitive impairments and is predictive of cognitive impairment and dementia. The objective of this study was to identify cortical or subcortical structures of the brain shared by gait variability measured using a body-worn tri-axial accelerometer (TAA) and cognitive function. METHODS This study is a part of a larger population-based cohort study on cognitive aging and dementia. The study included 207 participants without dementia, with a mean age of 72.6, and 45.4% of them are females. We conducted standardized diagnostic interview including a detailed medical history, physical and neurological examinations, and laboratory tests for cognitive impairment. We obtained gait variability during walking using a body-worn TAA along and measured cortical thickness and subcortical volume from brain magnetic resonance (MR) images. We cross-sectionally investigated the cortical and subcortical neural structures associated with gait variability and the shared neural substrates of gait variability and cognitive function. RESULTS Higher gait variability was associated with the lower cognitive function and thinner cortical gray matter but not smaller subcortical structures. Among the clusters exhibiting correlations with gait variability, one that included the inferior temporal, entorhinal, parahippocampal, fusiform, and lingual regions in the left hemisphere was also associated with global cognitive and verbal memory function. Mediation analysis results revealed that the cluster's cortical thickness played a mediating role in the association between gait variability and cognitive function. CONCLUSION Gait variability and cognitive function may share neural substrates, specifically in regions related to memory and visuospatial navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seonjeong Byun
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Uijeongbu St Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyang Jun Lee
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 82 Gumiro 173 Beongil, Bundanggu, Seongnamsi, Gyeonggido, 463-707, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Sung Kim
- Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Euna Choi
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Subin Lee
- Laboratory for Imaging Science and Technology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hui Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Hyoung Kim
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Won Han
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 82 Gumiro 173 Beongil, Bundanggu, Seongnamsi, Gyeonggido, 463-707, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Woong Kim
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 82 Gumiro 173 Beongil, Bundanggu, Seongnamsi, Gyeonggido, 463-707, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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28
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Castegnaro A, Ji Z, Rudzka K, Chan D, Burgess N. Overestimation in angular path integration precedes Alzheimer's dementia. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4650-4661.e7. [PMID: 37827151 PMCID: PMC10957396 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Path integration (PI) is impaired early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but reflects multiple sub-processes that may be differentially sensitive to AD. To characterize these sub-processes, we developed a novel generative linear-angular model of PI (GLAMPI) to fit the inbound paths of healthy elderly participants performing triangle completion, a popular PI task, in immersive virtual reality with real movement. The model fits seven parameters reflecting the encoding, calculation, and production errors associated with inaccuracies in PI. We compared these parameters across younger and older participants and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), including those with (MCI+) and without (MCI-) cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of AD neuropathology. MCI patients showed overestimation of the angular turn in the outbound path and more variable inbound distances and directions compared with healthy elderly. MCI+ were best distinguished from MCI- patients by overestimation of outbound turns and more variable inbound directions. Our results suggest that overestimation of turning underlies the PI errors seen in patients with early AD, indicating specific neural pathways and diagnostic behaviors for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Castegnaro
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK; UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Zilong Ji
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Katarzyna Rudzka
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Dennis Chan
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Neil Burgess
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK; UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
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29
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Chapman GW, Hasselmo ME. Predictive learning by a burst-dependent learning rule. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107826. [PMID: 37696414 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Humans and other animals are able to quickly generalize latent dynamics of spatiotemporal sequences, often from a minimal number of previous experiences. Additionally, internal representations of external stimuli must remain stable, even in the presence of sensory noise, in order to be useful for informing behavior. In contrast, typical machine learning approaches require many thousands of samples, and generalize poorly to unexperienced examples, or fail completely to predict at long timescales. Here, we propose a novel neural network module which incorporates hierarchy and recurrent feedback terms, constituting a simplified model of neocortical microcircuits. This microcircuit predicts spatiotemporal trajectories at the input layer using a temporal error minimization algorithm. We show that this module is able to predict with higher accuracy into the future compared to traditional models. Investigating this model we find that successive predictive models learn representations which are increasingly removed from the raw sensory space, namely as successive temporal derivatives of the positional information. Next, we introduce a spiking neural network model which implements the rate-model through the use of a recently proposed biological learning rule utilizing dual-compartment neurons. We show that this network performs well on the same tasks as the mean-field models, by developing intrinsic dynamics that follow the dynamics of the external stimulus, while coordinating transmission of higher-order dynamics. Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that hierarchical temporal abstraction of sequences, rather than feed-forward reconstruction, may be responsible for the ability of neural systems to quickly adapt to novel situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- G William Chapman
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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30
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Dubanet O, Higley MJ. Retrosplenial inputs drive diverse visual representations in the medial entorhinal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.03.560642. [PMID: 37873152 PMCID: PMC10592898 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The ability of rodents to use visual cues for successful navigation and goal-directed behavior has been long appreciated, although the neural mechanisms supporting sensory representations in navigational circuits are largely unknown. Navigation is fundamentally dependent on the hippocampus and closely connected entorhinal cortex, whose neurons exhibit characteristic firing patterns corresponding to the animal's location. The medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) receives direct projections from sensory areas in the neocortex, suggesting the ability to encode sensory information. To examine this possibility, we performed high-density recordings of MEC neurons in awake, head-fixed mice presented with simple visual stimuli and assessed the dynamics of sensory-evoked activity. We found a large fraction of neurons exhibited robust responses to visual input that shaped activity relative to ongoing network dynamics. Visually responsive cells could be separated into subgroups based on functional and molecular properties within deep layers of the dorsal MEC, suggesting diverse populations within the MEC contribute to sensory encoding. We then showed that optogenetic suppression of retrosplenial cortex afferents within the MEC strongly reduced visual responses. Overall, our results demonstrate the the MEC can encode simple visual cues in the environment that can contribute to neural representations of location necessary for accurate navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Dubanet
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Michael J Higley
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
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31
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Huang X, Schlesiger MI, Barriuso-Ortega I, Leibold C, MacLaren DAA, Bieber N, Monyer H. Distinct spatial maps and multiple object codes in the lateral entorhinal cortex. Neuron 2023; 111:3068-3083.e7. [PMID: 37478849 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) is a major cortical input area to the hippocampus, and it is crucial for associative object-place-context memories. An unresolved question is whether these associations are performed exclusively in the hippocampus or also upstream of it. Anatomical evidence suggests that the LEC processes both object and spatial information. We describe here a gradient of spatial selectivity along the antero-posterior axis of the LEC. We demonstrate that the LEC generates distinct spatial maps for different contexts that are independent of object coding and vice versa, thus providing evidence for pure spatial and pure object codes upstream of the hippocampus. While space and object coding occur by and large separately in the LEC, we identified neurons that encode for space and objects conjunctively. Together, these findings point to a scenario in which the LEC sustains both distinct space and object coding and associative space-object coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Huang
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Magdalene Isabell Schlesiger
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Isabel Barriuso-Ortega
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Institute Biology III & Bernstein Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Duncan Archibald Allan MacLaren
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nina Bieber
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hannah Monyer
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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32
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Fenton AA, Hurtado JR, Broek JAC, Park E, Mishra B. Do Place Cells Dream of Deceptive Moves in a Signaling Game? Neuroscience 2023; 529:129-147. [PMID: 37591330 PMCID: PMC10592151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.012] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
We consider the possibility of applying game theory to analysis and modeling of neurobiological systems. Specifically, the basic properties and features of information asymmetric signaling games are considered and discussed as having potential to explain diverse neurobiological phenomena; we focus on neuronal action potential discharge that can represent cognitive variables in memory and purposeful behavior. We begin by arguing that there is a pressing need for conceptual frameworks that can permit analysis and integration of information and explanations across many scales of biological function including gene regulation, molecular and biochemical signaling, cellular and metabolic function, neuronal population, and systems level organization to generate plausible hypotheses across these scales. Developing such integrative frameworks is crucial if we are to understand cognitive functions like learning, memory, and perception. The present work focuses on systems neuroscience organized around the connected brain regions of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. These areas are intensely studied in rodent subjects as model neuronal systems that undergo activity-dependent synaptic plasticity to form neuronal circuits and represent memories and spatial knowledge used for purposeful navigation. Examples of cognition-related spatial information in the observed neuronal discharge of hippocampal place cell populations and medial entorhinal head-direction cell populations are used to illustrate possible challenges to information maximization concepts. It may be natural to explain these observations using the ideas and features of information asymmetric signaling games.
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Affiliation(s)
- André A Fenton
- Neurobiology of Cognition Laboratory, Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Institute at the NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - José R Hurtado
- Neurobiology of Cognition Laboratory, Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jantine A C Broek
- Departments of Computer Science and Mathematics, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - EunHye Park
- Neurobiology of Cognition Laboratory, Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bud Mishra
- Departments of Computer Science and Mathematics, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Cell Biology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Simon Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
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33
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Nayebi A, Kong NCL, Zhuang C, Gardner JL, Norcia AM, Yamins DLK. Mouse visual cortex as a limited resource system that self-learns an ecologically-general representation. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011506. [PMID: 37782673 PMCID: PMC10569538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of the mouse visual system have revealed a variety of visual brain areas that are thought to support a multitude of behavioral capacities, ranging from stimulus-reward associations, to goal-directed navigation, and object-centric discriminations. However, an overall understanding of the mouse's visual cortex, and how it supports a range of behaviors, remains unknown. Here, we take a computational approach to help address these questions, providing a high-fidelity quantitative model of mouse visual cortex and identifying key structural and functional principles underlying that model's success. Structurally, we find that a comparatively shallow network structure with a low-resolution input is optimal for modeling mouse visual cortex. Our main finding is functional-that models trained with task-agnostic, self-supervised objective functions based on the concept of contrastive embeddings are much better matches to mouse cortex, than models trained on supervised objectives or alternative self-supervised methods. This result is very much unlike in primates where prior work showed that the two were roughly equivalent, naturally leading us to ask the question of why these self-supervised objectives are better matches than supervised ones in mouse. To this end, we show that the self-supervised, contrastive objective builds a general-purpose visual representation that enables the system to achieve better transfer on out-of-distribution visual scene understanding and reward-based navigation tasks. Our results suggest that mouse visual cortex is a low-resolution, shallow network that makes best use of the mouse's limited resources to create a light-weight, general-purpose visual system-in contrast to the deep, high-resolution, and more categorization-dominated visual system of primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aran Nayebi
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Neurosciences Ph.D. Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nathan C. L. Kong
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Chengxu Zhuang
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Justin L. Gardner
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony M. Norcia
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel L. K. Yamins
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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34
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Liu X, Tang J, Shen C, Wang C, Zhao D, Guo X, Li J, Liu J. Brain-like position measurement method based on improved optical flow algorithm. ISA TRANSACTIONS 2023:S0019-0578(23)00412-3. [PMID: 37730462 DOI: 10.1016/j.isatra.2023.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, a brain-like navigation scheme based on fuzzy kernel C-means (FKCM) clustering assisted pyramid Lucas Kanade (LK) optical flow algorithm is developed to measure the position of vehicle. The Speed Cell and Place Cell in animals' brain are introduced to construct the brain-like navigation mechanism which involves the optical flow method and image template matching to imitate the cells above-mentioned separately. To eliminate the singular values during optical flow calculation, the output of pyramid LK algorithm is clustered by FKCM algorithm firstly. Then, the velocity is calculated and integrated to get the position of the vehicle, and the brain-like navigation scheme is introduced to correct the position measurement errors by eliminating the accumulated errors resulting from velocity integration. The prominent advantages of the presented method are: (i) a pure visual brain-like position measurement method based on the concept of speed cells and place cells is proposed, making visual navigation more accurate and intelligent; (ii) the FKCM algorithm is used to eliminate the singular value of the pyramid LK algorithm, which improves the calculated velocity accuracy. Also, experimental comparison with classical pyramid LK algorithm is given to illustrate the superiority of the proposed method in position measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science & Dynamic Measurement, Ministry of Education, School of Instrument and Electronics, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, PR China; Key Laboratory of Micro-Inertial Instrument and Advanced Navigation Technology, Ministry of Education, School of Instrument Science & Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, PR China
| | - Jun Tang
- Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science & Dynamic Measurement, Ministry of Education, School of Instrument and Electronics, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, PR China
| | - Chong Shen
- Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science & Dynamic Measurement, Ministry of Education, School of Instrument and Electronics, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, PR China.
| | - Chenguang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science & Dynamic Measurement, Ministry of Education, School of Instrument and Electronics, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, PR China
| | - Donghua Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science & Dynamic Measurement, Ministry of Education, School of Instrument and Electronics, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, PR China
| | - Xiaoting Guo
- Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science & Dynamic Measurement, Ministry of Education, School of Instrument and Electronics, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, PR China
| | - Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science & Dynamic Measurement, Ministry of Education, School of Instrument and Electronics, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, PR China
| | - Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science & Dynamic Measurement, Ministry of Education, School of Instrument and Electronics, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, PR China
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35
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Robinson JC, Wilmot JH, Hasselmo ME. Septo-hippocampal dynamics and the encoding of space and time. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:712-725. [PMID: 37479632 PMCID: PMC10538955 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Encoding an event in memory requires neural activity to represent multiple dimensions of behavioral experience in space and time. Recent experiments have explored the influence of neural dynamics regulated by the medial septum on the functional encoding of space and time by neurons in the hippocampus and associated structures. This review addresses these dynamics, focusing on the role of theta rhythm, the differential effects of septal inactivation and activation on the functional coding of space and time by individual neurons, and the influence on phase coding that appears as phase precession. We also discuss data indicating that theta rhythm plays a role in timing the internal dynamics of memory encoding and retrieval, as well as the behavioral influences of these neuronal manipulations with regard to memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Robinson
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Jacob H Wilmot
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Michael E Hasselmo
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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36
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Parra-Barrero E, Vijayabaskaran S, Seabrook E, Wiskott L, Cheng S. A map of spatial navigation for neuroscience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105200. [PMID: 37178943 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105200] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Spatial navigation has received much attention from neuroscientists, leading to the identification of key brain areas and the discovery of numerous spatially selective cells. Despite this progress, our understanding of how the pieces fit together to drive behavior is generally lacking. We argue that this is partly caused by insufficient communication between behavioral and neuroscientific researchers. This has led the latter to under-appreciate the relevance and complexity of spatial behavior, and to focus too narrowly on characterizing neural representations of space-disconnected from the computations these representations are meant to enable. We therefore propose a taxonomy of navigation processes in mammals that can serve as a common framework for structuring and facilitating interdisciplinary research in the field. Using the taxonomy as a guide, we review behavioral and neural studies of spatial navigation. In doing so, we validate the taxonomy and showcase its usefulness in identifying potential issues with common experimental approaches, designing experiments that adequately target particular behaviors, correctly interpreting neural activity, and pointing to new avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloy Parra-Barrero
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sandhiya Vijayabaskaran
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Eddie Seabrook
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Laurenz Wiskott
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sen Cheng
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
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37
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Bai T, Zhan L, Zhang N, Lin F, Saur D, Xu C. Learning-prolonged maintenance of stimulus information in CA1 and subiculum during trace fear conditioning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112853. [PMID: 37481720 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112853] [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: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal associative learning binds discontiguous conditional stimuli (CSs) and unconditional stimuli (USs), possibly by maintaining CS information in the hippocampus after its offset. Yet, how learning regulates such maintenance of CS information in hippocampal circuits remains largely unclear. Using the auditory trace fear conditioning (TFC) paradigm, we identify a projection from the CA1 to the subiculum critical for TFC. Deep-brain calcium imaging shows that the peak of trace activity in the CA1 and subiculum is extended toward the US and that the CS representation during the trace period is enhanced during learning. Interestingly, such plasticity is consolidated only in the CA1, not the subiculum, after training. Moreover, CA1 neurons, but not subiculum neurons, increasingly become active during CS-and-trace and shock periods, respectively, and correlate with CS-evoked fear retrieval afterward. These results indicate that learning dynamically enhances stimulus information maintenance in the CA1-subiculum circuit during learning while storing CS and US memories primarily in the CA1 area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Bai
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lijie Zhan
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Na Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Feikai Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Dieter Saur
- Department of Internal Medicine 2, Technische Universität München, Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Chun Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai 201210, China.
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38
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Levcik D, Sugi AH, Aguilar-Rivera M, Pochapski JA, Baltazar G, Pulido LN, Villas-Boas CA, Fuentes-Flores R, Nicola SM, Da Cunha C. Nucleus Accumbens Shell Neurons Encode the Kinematics of Reward Approach Locomotion. Neuroscience 2023; 524:181-196. [PMID: 37330195 PMCID: PMC10527230 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is considered an interface between motivation and action, with NAc neurons playing an important role in promoting reward approach. However, the encoding by NAc neurons that contributes to this role remains unknown. We recorded 62 NAc neurons in male Wistar rats (n = 5) running towards rewarded locations in an 8-arm radial maze. Variables related to locomotor approach kinematics were the best predictors of the firing rate for most NAc neurons. Nearly 18% of the recorded neurons were inhibited during the entire approach run (locomotion-off cells), suggesting that reduction in firing of these neurons promotes initiation of locomotor approach. 27% of the neurons presented a peak of activity during acceleration followed by a valley during deceleration (acceleration-on cells). Together, these neurons accounted for most of the speed and acceleration encoding identified in our analysis. In contrast, a further 16% of neurons presented a valley during acceleration followed by a peak just prior to or after reaching reward (deceleration-on cells). These findings suggest that these three classes of NAc neurons influence the time course of speed changes during locomotor approach to reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Levcik
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Adam H Sugi
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Aguilar-Rivera
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0412, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, USA
| | - José A Pochapski
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Baltazar
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Laura N Pulido
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Cyrus A Villas-Boas
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Romulo Fuentes-Flores
- Departamento de Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Av. Independencia 1027, Independencia 8380453, Santiago, Chile
| | - Saleem M Nicola
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Claudio Da Cunha
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
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Lomi E, Jeffery KJ, Mitchell AS. Convergence of location, direction, and theta in the rat anteroventral thalamic nucleus. iScience 2023; 26:106993. [PMID: 37448560 PMCID: PMC10336163 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamus and cortex are anatomically interconnected, with the thalamus providing integral information for cortical functions. The anteroventral thalamic nucleus (AV) is reciprocally connected to retrosplenial cortex (RSC). Two distinct AV subfields, dorsomedial (AVDM) and ventrolateral (AVVL), project differentially to granular vs. dysgranular RSC, respectively. To probe if functional responses of AV neurons differ, we recorded single neurons and local field potentials from AVDM and AVVL in rats during foraging. We observed place cells (neurons modulated by spatial location) in both AVDM and AVVL. Additionally, we characterized neurons modulated by theta oscillations, heading direction, and a conjunction of these. Place cells and conjunctive Theta-by-Head direction cells were more prevalent in AVVL; more non-conjunctive theta and directional neurons were prevalent in AVDM. These findings add further evidence that there are two thalamocortical circuits connecting AV and RSC, and reveal that the signaling involves place information in addition to direction and theta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Lomi
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, OX1 3SR Oxford, UK
| | - Kate J. Jeffery
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8QB Glasgow, UK
| | - Anna S. Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, OX1 3SR Oxford, UK
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40
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Lian Y, Williams S, Alexander AS, Hasselmo ME, Burkitt AN. Learning the Vector Coding of Egocentric Boundary Cells from Visual Data. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5180-5190. [PMID: 37286350 PMCID: PMC10342228 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1071-22.2023] [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: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of spatial maps to navigate through the world requires a complex ongoing transformation of egocentric views of the environment into position within the allocentric map. Recent research has discovered neurons in retrosplenial cortex and other structures that could mediate the transformation from egocentric views to allocentric views. These egocentric boundary cells respond to the egocentric direction and distance of barriers relative to an animal's point of view. This egocentric coding based on the visual features of barriers would seem to require complex dynamics of cortical interactions. However, computational models presented here show that egocentric boundary cells can be generated with a remarkably simple synaptic learning rule that forms a sparse representation of visual input as an animal explores the environment. Simulation of this simple sparse synaptic modification generates a population of egocentric boundary cells with distributions of direction and distance coding that strikingly resemble those observed within the retrosplenial cortex. Furthermore, some egocentric boundary cells learnt by the model can still function in new environments without retraining. This provides a framework for understanding the properties of neuronal populations in the retrosplenial cortex that may be essential for interfacing egocentric sensory information with allocentric spatial maps of the world formed by neurons in downstream areas, including the grid cells in entorhinal cortex and place cells in the hippocampus.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The computational model presented here demonstrates that the recently discovered egocentric boundary cells in retrosplenial cortex can be generated with a remarkably simple synaptic learning rule that forms a sparse representation of visual input as an animal explores the environment. Additionally, our model generates a population of egocentric boundary cells with distributions of direction and distance coding that strikingly resemble those observed within the retrosplenial cortex. This transformation between sensory input and egocentric representation in the navigational system could have implications for the way in which egocentric and allocentric representations interface in other brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Lian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Simon Williams
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew S Alexander
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Michael E Hasselmo
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Anthony N Burkitt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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41
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Shi Y, Cui H, Li X, Chen L, Zhang C, Zhao X, Li X, Shao Q, Sun Q, Yan K, Wang G. Laminar and dorsoventral organization of layer 1 interneuronal microcircuitry in superficial layers of the medial entorhinal cortex. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112782. [PMID: 37436894 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Layer 1 (L1) interneurons (INs) participate in various brain functions by gating information flow in the neocortex, but their role in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) is still unknown, largely due to scant knowledge of MEC L1 microcircuitry. Using simultaneous triple-octuple whole-cell recordings and morphological reconstructions, we comprehensively depict L1IN networks in the MEC. We identify three morphologically distinct types of L1INs with characteristic electrophysiological properties. We dissect intra- and inter-laminar cell-type-specific microcircuits of L1INs, showing connectivity patterns different from those in the neocortex. Remarkably, motif analysis reveals transitive and clustered features of L1 networks, as well as over-represented trans-laminar motifs. Finally, we demonstrate the dorsoventral gradient of L1IN microcircuits, with dorsal L1 neurogliaform cells receiving fewer intra-laminar inputs but exerting more inhibition on L2 principal neurons. These results thus present a more comprehensive picture of L1IN microcircuitry, which is indispensable for deciphering the function of L1INs in the MEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuying Shi
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Hui Cui
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Xiaoyue Li
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Ligu Chen
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Xinran Zhao
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Xiaowan Li
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Qiming Shao
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Qiang Sun
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Kaiyue Yan
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Guangfu Wang
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
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42
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Donato F, Xu Schwartzlose A, Viana Mendes RA. How Do You Build a Cognitive Map? The Development of Circuits and Computations for the Representation of Space in the Brain. Annu Rev Neurosci 2023; 46:281-299. [PMID: 37428607 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-090922-010618] [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] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, the activity of neurons in the entorhinal-hippocampal network is modulated by the animal's position and its movement through space. At multiple stages of this distributed circuit, distinct populations of neurons can represent a rich repertoire of navigation-related variables like the animal's location, the speed and direction of its movements, or the presence of borders and objects. Working together, spatially tuned neurons give rise to an internal representation of space, a cognitive map that supports an animal's ability to navigate the world and to encode and consolidate memories from experience. The mechanisms by which, during development, the brain acquires the ability to create an internal representation of space are just beginning to be elucidated. In this review, we examine recent work that has begun to investigate the ontogeny of circuitry, firing patterns, and computations underpinning the representation of space in the mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio Donato
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland;
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43
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Keshavarzi S, Velez-Fort M, Margrie TW. Cortical Integration of Vestibular and Visual Cues for Navigation, Visual Processing, and Perception. Annu Rev Neurosci 2023; 46:301-320. [PMID: 37428601 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-120722-100503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing evidence of its involvement in several key functions of the cerebral cortex, the vestibular sense rarely enters our consciousness. Indeed, the extent to which these internal signals are incorporated within cortical sensory representation and how they might be relied upon for sensory-driven decision-making, during, for example, spatial navigation, is yet to be understood. Recent novel experimental approaches in rodents have probed both the physiological and behavioral significance of vestibular signals and indicate that their widespread integration with vision improves both the cortical representation and perceptual accuracy of self-motion and orientation. Here, we summarize these recent findings with a focus on cortical circuits involved in visual perception and spatial navigation and highlight the major remaining knowledge gaps. We suggest that vestibulo-visual integration reflects a process of constant updating regarding the status of self-motion, and access to such information by the cortex is used for sensory perception and predictions that may be implemented for rapid, navigation-related decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepiedeh Keshavarzi
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Mateo Velez-Fort
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Troy W Margrie
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
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44
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Nagelhus A, Andersson SO, Cogno SG, Moser EI, Moser MB. Object-centered population coding in CA1 of the hippocampus. Neuron 2023; 111:2091-2104.e14. [PMID: 37148872 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Objects and landmarks are crucial for guiding navigation and must be integrated into the cognitive map of space. Studies of object coding in the hippocampus have primarily focused on activity of single cells. Here, we record simultaneously from large numbers of hippocampal CA1 neurons to determine how the presence of a salient object in the environment alters single-neuron and neural-population activity of the area. The majority of the cells showed some change in their spatial firing patterns when the object was introduced. At the neural-population level, these changes were systematically organized according to the animal's distance from the object. This organization was widely distributed across the cell sample, suggesting that some features of cognitive maps-including object representation-are best understood as emergent properties of neural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Nagelhus
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sebastian O Andersson
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Soledad Gonzalo Cogno
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Edvard I Moser
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
| | - May-Britt Moser
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
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45
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Chaudhuri-Vayalambrone P, Rule ME, Bauza M, Krstulovic M, Kerekes P, Burton S, O'Leary T, Krupic J. Simultaneous representation of multiple time horizons by entorhinal grid cells and CA1 place cells. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112716. [PMID: 37402167 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Grid cells and place cells represent the spatiotemporal continuum of an animal's past, present, and future locations. However, their spatiotemporal relationship is unclear. Here, we co-record grid and place cells in freely foraging rats. We show that average time shifts in grid cells tend to be prospective and are proportional to their spatial scale, providing a nearly instantaneous readout of a spectrum of progressively increasing time horizons ranging hundreds of milliseconds. Average time shifts of place cells are generally larger compared to grid cells and also increase with place field sizes. Moreover, time horizons display nonlinear modulation by the animal's trajectories in relation to the local boundaries and locomotion cues. Finally, long and short time horizons occur at different parts of the theta cycle, which may facilitate their readout. Together, these findings suggest that population activity of grid and place cells may represent local trajectories essential for goal-directed navigation and planning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marius Bauza
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London W1T4JG, UK; Cambridge Phenotyping Limited, London NW1 9ND, UK
| | - Marino Krstulovic
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Pauline Kerekes
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Stephen Burton
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London W1T4JG, UK
| | - Timothy O'Leary
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Julija Krupic
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Cambridge Phenotyping Limited, London NW1 9ND, UK.
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46
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Allison EAMA, Moore JW, Arkell D, Thomas J, Dudchenko PA, Wood ER. The medial entorhinal cortex is necessary for the stimulus control over hippocampal place fields by distal, but not proximal, landmarks. Hippocampus 2023; 33:811-829. [PMID: 36808771 PMCID: PMC10946748 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23506] [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: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental property of place cells in the hippocampus is the anchoring of their firing fields to salient landmarks within the environment. However, it is unclear how such information reaches the hippocampus. In the current experiment, we tested the hypothesis that the stimulus control exerted by distal visual landmarks requires input from the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). Place cells were recorded from mice with ibotenic acid lesions of the MEC (n = 7) and from sham-lesioned mice (n = 6) following 90° rotations of either distal landmarks or proximal cues in a cue- controlled environment. We found that lesions of the MEC impaired the anchoring of place fields to distal landmarks, but not proximal cues. We also observed that, relative to sham-lesioned mice, place cells in animals with MEC lesions exhibited significantly reduced spatial information and increased sparsity. These results support the view that distal landmark information reaches the hippocampus via the MEC, but that proximal cue information can do so via an alternative neural pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joe W. Moore
- Centre for Discovery Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Daisy Arkell
- Centre for Discovery Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Julia Thomas
- Centre for Discovery Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | | | - Emma R. Wood
- Centre for Discovery Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
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47
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Osanai H, Nair IR, Kitamura T. Dissecting cell-type-specific pathways in medial entorhinal cortical-hippocampal network for episodic memory. J Neurochem 2023; 166:172-188. [PMID: 37248771 PMCID: PMC10538947 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Episodic memory, which refers to our ability to encode and recall past events, is essential to our daily lives. Previous research has established that both the entorhinal cortex (EC) and hippocampus (HPC) play a crucial role in the formation and retrieval of episodic memories. However, to understand neural circuit mechanisms behind these processes, it has become necessary to monitor and manipulate the neural activity in a cell-type-specific manner with high temporal precision during memory formation, consolidation, and retrieval in the EC-HPC networks. Recent studies using cell-type-specific labeling, monitoring, and manipulation have demonstrated that medial EC (MEC) contains multiple excitatory neurons that have differential molecular markers, physiological properties, and anatomical features. In this review, we will comprehensively examine the complementary roles of superficial layers of neurons (II and III) and the roles of deeper layers (V and VI) in episodic memory formation and recall based on these recent findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisayuki Osanai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Indrajith R Nair
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Takashi Kitamura
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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48
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Ginosar G, Aljadeff J, Las L, Derdikman D, Ulanovsky N. Are grid cells used for navigation? On local metrics, subjective spaces, and black holes. Neuron 2023; 111:1858-1875. [PMID: 37044087 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The symmetric, lattice-like spatial pattern of grid-cell activity is thought to provide a neuronal global metric for space. This view is compatible with grid cells recorded in empty boxes but inconsistent with data from more naturalistic settings. We review evidence arguing against the global-metric notion, including the distortion and disintegration of the grid pattern in complex and three-dimensional environments. We argue that deviations from lattice symmetry are key for understanding grid-cell function. We propose three possible functions for grid cells, which treat real-world grid distortions as a feature rather than a bug. First, grid cells may constitute a local metric for proximal space rather than a global metric for all space. Second, grid cells could form a metric for subjective action-relevant space rather than physical space. Third, distortions may represent salient locations. Finally, we discuss mechanisms that can underlie these functions. These ideas may transform our thinking about grid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gily Ginosar
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Johnatan Aljadeff
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Liora Las
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Dori Derdikman
- Department of Neuroscience, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel.
| | - Nachum Ulanovsky
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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Applegate MC, Gutnichenko KS, Mackevicius EL, Aronov D. An entorhinal-like region in food-caching birds. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2465-2477.e7. [PMID: 37295426 PMCID: PMC10329498 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian entorhinal cortex routes inputs from diverse sources into the hippocampus. This information is mixed and expressed in the activity of many specialized entorhinal cell types, which are considered indispensable for hippocampal function. However, functionally similar hippocampi exist even in non-mammals that lack an obvious entorhinal cortex or, generally, any layered cortex. To address this dilemma, we mapped extrinsic hippocampal connections in chickadees, whose hippocampi are used for remembering numerous food caches. We found a well-delineated structure in these birds that is topologically similar to the entorhinal cortex and interfaces between the hippocampus and other pallial regions. Recordings of this structure revealed entorhinal-like activity, including border and multi-field grid-like cells. These cells were localized to the subregion predicted by anatomical mapping to match the dorsomedial entorhinal cortex. Our findings uncover an anatomical and physiological equivalence of vastly different brains, suggesting a fundamental nature of entorhinal-like computations for hippocampal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa C Applegate
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Konstantin S Gutnichenko
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Emily L Mackevicius
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Dmitriy Aronov
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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50
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Ying J, Reboreda A, Yoshida M, Brandon MP. Grid cell disruption in a mouse model of early Alzheimer's disease reflects reduced integration of self-motion cues. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00547-X. [PMID: 37220744 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence from human and rodent studies suggests that disrupted grid cell coding in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) underlies path integration behavioral deficits during early Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, grid cell firing relies on both self-motion cues and environmental features, and it remains unclear whether disrupted grid coding can account for specific path integration deficits reported during early AD. Here, we report in the J20 transgenic amyloid beta (Aβ) mouse model of early AD that grid cells were spatially unstable toward the center of the arena, had qualitatively different spatial components that aligned parallel to the borders of the environment, and exhibited impaired integration of distance traveled via reduced theta phase precession. Our results suggest that disrupted early AD grid coding reflects reduced integration of self-motion cues but not environmental information via geometric boundaries, providing evidence that grid cell impairments underlie path integration deficits during early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnson Ying
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Antonio Reboreda
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Motoharu Yoshida
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg 39106, Germany
| | - Mark P Brandon
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.
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