1
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Bernklau TW, Righetti B, Mehrke LS, Jacob SN. Striatal dopamine signals reflect perceived cue-action-outcome associations in mice. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:747-757. [PMID: 38291283 PMCID: PMC11001585 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01567-2] [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: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Striatal dopamine drives associative learning by acting as a teaching signal. Much work has focused on simple learning paradigms, including Pavlovian and instrumental learning. However, higher cognition requires that animals generate internal concepts of their environment, where sensory stimuli, actions and outcomes become flexibly associated. Here, we performed fiber photometry dopamine measurements across the striatum of male mice as they learned cue-action-outcome associations based on implicit and changing task rules. Reinforcement learning models of the behavioral and dopamine data showed that rule changes lead to adjustments of learned cue-action-outcome associations. After rule changes, mice discarded learned associations and reset outcome expectations. Cue- and outcome-triggered dopamine signals became uncoupled and dependent on the adopted behavioral strategy. As mice learned the new association, coupling between cue- and outcome-triggered dopamine signals and task performance re-emerged. Our results suggest that dopaminergic reward prediction errors reflect an agent's perceived locus of control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias W Bernklau
- Translational Neurotechnology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Beatrice Righetti
- Translational Neurotechnology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Leonie S Mehrke
- Translational Neurotechnology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon N Jacob
- Translational Neurotechnology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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2
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Caragea VM, Méndez-Couz M, Manahan-Vaughan D. Dopamine receptors of the rodent fastigial nucleus support skilled reaching for goal-directed action. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:609-637. [PMID: 37615757 PMCID: PMC10978667 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02685-0] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The dopaminergic (DA) system regulates both motor function, and learning and memory. The cerebellum supports motor control and the acquisition of procedural memories, including goal-directed behavior, and is subjected to DA control. Its fastigial nucleus (FN) controls and interprets body motion through space. The expression of dopamine receptors has been reported in the deep cerebellar nuclei of mice. However, the presence of dopamine D1-like (D1R) and D2-like (D2R) receptors in the rat FN has not yet been verified. In this study, we first confirmed that DA receptors are expressed in the FN of adult rats and then targeted these receptors to explore to what extent the FN modulates goal-directed behavior. Immunohistochemical assessment revealed expression of both D1R and D2R receptors in the FN, whereby the medial lateral FN exhibited higher receptor expression compared to the other FN subfields. Bilateral treatment of the FN with a D1R antagonist, prior to a goal-directed pellet-reaching task, significantly impaired task acquisition and decreased task engagement. D2R antagonism only reduced late performance post-acquisition. Once task acquisition had occurred, D1R antagonism had no effect on successful reaching, although it significantly decreased reaching speed, task engagement, and promoted errors. Motor coordination and ambulation were, however, unaffected as neither D1R nor D2R antagonism altered rotarod latencies or distance and velocity in an open field. Taken together, these results not only reveal a novel role for the FN in goal-directed skilled reaching, but also show that D1R expressed in FN regulate this process by modulating motivation for action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta-Maria Caragea
- Department of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, MA 4/150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Marta Méndez-Couz
- Department of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, MA 4/150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Denise Manahan-Vaughan
- Department of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, MA 4/150, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
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3
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Mozumder R, Chung S, Li S, Constantinidis C. Contributions of narrow- and broad-spiking prefrontal and parietal neurons on working memory tasks. Front Syst Neurosci 2024; 18:1365622. [PMID: 38577690 PMCID: PMC10991738 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2024.1365622] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurons that generate persistent activity in the primate dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex have been shown to be predictive of behavior in working memory tasks, though subtle differences between them have been observed in how information is represented. The role of different neuron types in each of these areas has not been investigated at depth. We thus compared the activity of neurons classified as narrow-spiking, putative interneurons, and broad-spiking, putative pyramidal neurons, recorded from the dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex of male monkeys, to analyze their role in the maintenance of working memory. Our results demonstrate that narrow-spiking neurons are active during a range of tasks and generate persistent activity during the delay period over which stimuli need to be maintained in memory. Furthermore, the activity of narrow-spiking neurons was predictive of the subject's recall no less than that of broad-spiking neurons, which are exclusively projection neurons in the cortex. Our results show that putative interneurons play an active role during the maintenance of working memory and shed light onto the fundamental neural circuits that determine subjects' memories and judgments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Mozumder
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Sophia Chung
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Sihai Li
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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4
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Ceccarelli F, Ferrucci L, Londei F, Ramawat S, Brunamonti E, Genovesio A. Static and dynamic coding in distinct cell types during associative learning in the prefrontal cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8325. [PMID: 38097560 PMCID: PMC10721651 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43712-2] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex maintains information in memory through static or dynamic population codes depending on task demands, but whether the population coding schemes used are learning-dependent and differ between cell types is currently unknown. We investigate the population coding properties and temporal stability of neurons recorded from male macaques in two mapping tasks during and after stimulus-response associative learning, and then we use a Strategy task with the same stimuli and responses as control. We identify a heterogeneous population coding for stimuli, responses, and novel associations: static for putative pyramidal cells and dynamic for putative interneurons that show the strongest selectivity for all the variables. The population coding of learned associations shows overall the highest stability driven by cell types, with interneurons changing from dynamic to static coding after successful learning. The results support that prefrontal microcircuitry expresses mixed population coding governed by cell types and changes its stability during associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ceccarelli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Ferrucci
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Londei
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy
- PhD program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Surabhi Ramawat
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Brunamonti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Aldo Genovesio
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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5
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Nieder A. Convergent Circuit Computation for Categorization in the Brains of Primates and Songbirds. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2023; 15:a041526. [PMID: 38040453 PMCID: PMC10691494 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Categorization is crucial for behavioral flexibility because it enables animals to group stimuli into meaningful classes that can easily be generalized to new circumstances. A most abstract quantitative category is set size, the number of elements in a set. This review explores how categorical number representations are realized by the operations of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in associative telencephalic microcircuits in primates and songbirds. Despite the independent evolution of the primate prefrontal cortex and the avian nidopallium caudolaterale, the neuronal computations of these associative pallial circuits show surprising correspondence. Comparing cellular functions in distantly related taxa can inform about the evolutionary principles of circuit computations for cognition in distinctly but convergently realized brain structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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6
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Ott T, Stein AM, Nieder A. Dopamine receptor activation regulates reward expectancy signals during cognitive control in primate prefrontal neurons. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7537. [PMID: 37985776 PMCID: PMC10661983 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43271-6] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine neurons respond to reward-predicting cues but also modulate information processing in the prefrontal cortex essential for cognitive control. Whether dopamine controls reward expectation signals in prefrontal cortex that motivate cognitive control is unknown. We trained two male macaques on a working memory task while varying the reward size earned for successful task completion. We recorded neurons in lateral prefrontal cortex while simultaneously stimulating dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) or D2 receptor (D2R) families using micro-iontophoresis. We show that many neurons predict reward size throughout the trial. D1R stimulation showed mixed effects following reward cues but decreased reward expectancy coding during the memory delay. By contrast, D2R stimulation increased reward expectancy coding in multiple task periods, including cueing and memory periods. Stimulation of either dopamine receptors increased the neurons' selective responses to reward size upon reward delivery. The differential modulation of reward expectancy by dopamine receptors suggests that dopamine regulates reward expectancy necessary for successful cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torben Ott
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience and Institute of Biology, Humboldt-University of Berlin, 10099, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anna Marlina Stein
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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7
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Hu H, Zhang M, Wu B, Wu X. Effects of different types of interference on nurses' working memory: An ERP study. J Adv Nurs 2023; 79:4326-4338. [PMID: 37431098 DOI: 10.1111/jan.15784] [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: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
AIM To explore the effects of different types of interference on nurses' working memory, and the role of attention control. DESIGN A repeated measures design. METHODS A single-factor, four-level within-subjects design was adopted. Thirty-one nurses completed a delay-recognition task with four blocks in September 2020: Interrupting Stimulus (stimuli requiring attention), Distracting Stimulus (stimuli to-be-ignored), No Interference and Passively View. Behavioural responses of the participants and EEG data were recorded. MATLAB 21b and EEGLAB 21b were used for electroencephalogram data preprocessing and data extraction. RESULTS Firstly, when nursing information system was used as task material, the accuracy rate and false alarm rate of primary tasks under interruption condition was statistically significantly different with that of distraction and no interference condition. There is a statistically significant difference in electroencephalogram measurement between correct and wrong response under interruption. Secondly, the role of attention control was different under interruption and distraction. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the average amplitude distraction attention control index and task accuracy, and statistically significant negative correlation between the latency interruption attention control index and the accuracy of working memory task. CONCLUSIONS There were different effects of interruptions and distractions on nurses' working memory and the role of attention control were also different. Measures can be designed according to these results to reduce the negative impact of interference on nurses, so as to improve work efficiency and reduce patient risk. IMPACT This study has implications for clinical nursing during human-computer interaction. Resumption of the speed of the target information after an interruption affected task performance. Therefore, interventions should be designed to reduce the time needed for nurses to extract task information after an interruption, such as providing key clues in the information system interface. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION Registered nurses participated in the study as subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiling Hu
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Mingming Zhang
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Bilin Wu
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Xue Wu
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
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8
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Zammit N, Muscat R. Alpha/beta-gamma decoupling in methylphenidate medicated ADHD patients. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1267901. [PMID: 37841679 PMCID: PMC10570420 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1267901] [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: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
There is much interest to understand how different neural rhythms function, interact and are regulated. Here, we focus on WM delay gamma to investigate its coupling with alpha/beta rhythms and its neuromodulation by methylphenidate. We address this through the use of human EEG conducted in healthy and ADHD subjects which revealed ADHD-specific electrophysiological deficits and MPH-induced normalization of gamma amplitude and its coupling with alpha/beta rhythms. Decreased alpha/beta-gamma coupling is known to facilitate memory representations via disinhibition of gamma ensembles coding the maintained stimuli. Here, we present EEG evidence which suggests that these dynamics are sensitive to catecholaminergic neuromodulation. MPH decreased alpha/beta-gamma coupling and this was related to the increase in delay-relevant gamma activity evoked by the same drug. These results add further to the neuromodulatory findings that reflect an electrophysiological dimension to the well-known link between WM delay and catecholaminergic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nowell Zammit
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Richard Muscat
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
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9
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van Kempen J, Brandt C, Distler C, Bellgrove MA, Thiele A. Dopamine influences attentional rate modulation in Macaque posterior parietal cortex. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6914. [PMID: 35484302 PMCID: PMC9050696 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10634-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive neuroscience has made great strides in understanding the neural substrates of attention, but our understanding of its neuropharmacology remains incomplete. Although dopamine has historically been studied in relation to frontal functioning, emerging evidence suggests important dopaminergic influences in parietal cortex. We recorded single- and multi-unit activity whilst iontophoretically administering dopaminergic agonists and antagonists while rhesus macaques performed a spatial attention task. Out of 88 units, 50 revealed activity modulation by drug administration. Dopamine inhibited firing rates according to an inverted-U shaped dose-response curve and increased gain variability. D1 receptor antagonists diminished firing rates according to a monotonic function and interacted with attention modulating gain variability. Finally, both drugs decreased the pupil light reflex. These data show that dopamine shapes neuronal responses and modulates aspects of attentional processing in parietal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochem van Kempen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Christian Brandt
- Research Unit for ORL - Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Claudia Distler
- Allgemeine Zoologie Und Neurobiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Mark A Bellgrove
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Alexander Thiele
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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10
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Puccetti NA, Villano WJ, Fadok JP, Heller AS. Temporal dynamics of affect in the brain: Evidence from human imaging and animal models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 133:104491. [PMID: 34902442 PMCID: PMC8792368 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Emotions are time-varying internal states that promote survival in the face of dynamic environments and shifting homeostatic needs. Research in non-human organisms has recently afforded specific insights into the neural mechanisms that support the emergence, persistence, and decay of affective states. Concurrently, a separate affective neuroscience literature has begun to dissect the neural bases of affective dynamics in humans. However, the circuit-level mechanisms identified in animals lack a clear mapping to the human neuroscience literature. As a result, critical questions pertaining to the neural bases of affective dynamics in humans remain unanswered. To address these shortcomings, the present review integrates findings from humans and non-human organisms to highlight the neural mechanisms that govern the temporal features of emotional states. Using the theory of affective chronometry as an organizing framework, we describe the specific neural mechanisms and modulatory factors that arbitrate the rise-time, intensity, and duration of emotional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki A Puccetti
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - William J Villano
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Jonathan P Fadok
- Department of Psychology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Aaron S Heller
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA.
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11
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Cools R, Arnsten AFT. Neuromodulation of prefrontal cortex cognitive function in primates: the powerful roles of monoamines and acetylcholine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:309-328. [PMID: 34312496 PMCID: PMC8617291 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01100-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) subserves our highest order cognitive operations, and yet is tremendously dependent on a precise neurochemical environment for proper functioning. Depletion of noradrenaline and dopamine, or of acetylcholine from the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC), is as devastating as removing the cortex itself, and serotonergic influences are also critical to proper functioning of the orbital and medial PFC. Most neuromodulators have a narrow inverted U dose response, which coordinates arousal state with cognitive state, and contributes to cognitive deficits with fatigue or uncontrollable stress. Studies in monkeys have revealed the molecular signaling mechanisms that govern the generation and modulation of mental representations by the dlPFC, allowing dynamic regulation of network strength, a process that requires tight regulation to prevent toxic actions, e.g., as occurs with advanced age. Brain imaging studies in humans have observed drug and genotype influences on a range of cognitive tasks and on PFC circuit functional connectivity, e.g., showing that catecholamines stabilize representations in a baseline-dependent manner. Research in monkeys has already led to new treatments for cognitive disorders in humans, encouraging future research in this important field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Cools
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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12
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Roussy M, Mendoza-Halliday D, Martinez-Trujillo JC. Neural Substrates of Visual Perception and Working Memory: Two Sides of the Same Coin or Two Different Coins? Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:764177. [PMID: 34899197 PMCID: PMC8662382 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.764177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual perception occurs when a set of physical signals emanating from the environment enter the visual system and the brain interprets such signals as a percept. Visual working memory occurs when the brain produces and maintains a mental representation of a percept while the physical signals corresponding to that percept are not available. Early studies in humans and non-human primates demonstrated that lesions of the prefrontal cortex impair performance during visual working memory tasks but not during perceptual tasks. These studies attributed a fundamental role in working memory and a lesser role in visual perception to the prefrontal cortex. Indeed, single cell recording studies have found that neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex of macaques encode working memory representations via persistent firing, validating the results of lesion studies. However, other studies have reported that neurons in some areas of the parietal and temporal lobe-classically associated with visual perception-similarly encode working memory representations via persistent firing. This prompted a line of enquiry about the role of the prefrontal and other associative cortices in working memory and perception. Here, we review evidence from single neuron studies in macaque monkeys examining working memory representations across different areas of the visual hierarchy and link them to studies examining the role of the same areas in visual perception. We conclude that neurons in early visual areas of both ventral (V1-V2-V4) and dorsal (V1-V3-MT) visual pathways of macaques mainly encode perceptual signals. On the other hand, areas downstream from V4 and MT contain subpopulations of neurons that encode both perceptual and/or working memory signals. Differences in cortical architecture (neuronal types, layer composition, and synaptic density and distribution) may be linked to the differential encoding of perceptual and working memory signals between early visual areas and higher association areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Roussy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Diego Mendoza-Halliday
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Julio C. Martinez-Trujillo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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13
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Abstract
Working memory (WM) is the ability to maintain and manipulate information in the conscious mind over a timescale of seconds. This ability is thought to be maintained through the persistent discharges of neurons in a network of brain areas centered on the prefrontal cortex, as evidenced by neurophysiological recordings in nonhuman primates, though both the localization and the neural basis of WM has been a matter of debate in recent years. Neural correlates of WM are evident in species other than primates, including rodents and corvids. A specialized network of excitatory and inhibitory neurons, aided by neuromodulatory influences of dopamine, is critical for the maintenance of neuronal activity. Limitations in WM capacity and duration, as well as its enhancement during development, can be attributed to properties of neural activity and circuits. Changes in these factors can be observed through training-induced improvements and in pathological impairments. WM thus provides a prototypical cognitive function whose properties can be tied to the spiking activity of brain neurons. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 11:1-41, 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell J Jaffe
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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14
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Dasilva M, Brandt C, Alwin Gieselmann M, Distler C, Thiele A. Contribution of Ionotropic Glutamatergic Receptors to Excitability and Attentional Signals in Macaque Frontal Eye Field. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3266-3284. [PMID: 33626129 PMCID: PMC8196243 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Top-down attention, controlled by frontal cortical areas, is a key component of cognitive operations. How different neurotransmitters and neuromodulators flexibly change the cellular and network interactions with attention demands remains poorly understood. While acetylcholine and dopamine are critically involved, glutamatergic receptors have been proposed to play important roles. To understand their contribution to attentional signals, we investigated how ionotropic glutamatergic receptors in the frontal eye field (FEF) of male macaques contribute to neuronal excitability and attentional control signals in different cell types. Broad-spiking and narrow-spiking cells both required N-methyl-D-aspartic acid and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor activation for normal excitability, thereby affecting ongoing or stimulus-driven activity. However, attentional control signals were not dependent on either glutamatergic receptor type in broad- or narrow-spiking cells. A further subdivision of cell types into different functional types using cluster-analysis based on spike waveforms and spiking characteristics did not change the conclusions. This can be explained by a model where local blockade of specific ionotropic receptors is compensated by cell embedding in large-scale networks. It sets the glutamatergic system apart from the cholinergic system in FEF and demonstrates that a reduction in excitability is not sufficient to induce a reduction in attentional control signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Dasilva
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.,College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Christian Brandt
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.,Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Claudia Distler
- Allgemeine Zoologie und Neurobiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum 44801 Germany
| | - Alexander Thiele
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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15
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Lorenc ES, Mallett R, Lewis-Peacock JA. Distraction in Visual Working Memory: Resistance is Not Futile. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:228-239. [PMID: 33397602 PMCID: PMC7878345 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Over half a century of research focused on understanding how working memory is capacity constrained has overshadowed the fact that it is also remarkably resistant to interference. Protecting goal-relevant information from distraction is a cornerstone of cognitive function that involves a multifaceted collection of control processes and storage mechanisms. Here, we discuss recent advances in cognitive psychology and neuroscience that have produced new insights into the nature of visual working memory and its ability to resist distraction. We propose that distraction resistance should be an explicit component in any model of working memory and that understanding its behavioral and neural correlates is essential for building a comprehensive understanding of real-world memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S Lorenc
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Remington Mallett
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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16
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Kawai T, Yamada H, Sato N, Takada M, Matsumoto M. Preferential Representation of Past Outcome Information and Future Choice Behavior by Putative Inhibitory Interneurons Rather Than Putative Pyramidal Neurons in the Primate Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:2339-2352. [PMID: 29722795 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) plays crucial roles in monitoring the outcome of a choice and adjusting a subsequent choice behavior based on the outcome information. In the present study, we investigated how different types of dACC neurons, that is, putative pyramidal neurons and putative inhibitory interneurons, contribute to these processes. We analyzed single-unit database obtained from the dACC in monkeys performing a reversal learning task. The monkey was required to adjust choice behavior from past outcome experiences. Depending on their action potential waveforms, the recorded neurons were classified into putative pyramidal neurons and putative inhibitory interneurons. We found that these neurons do not equally contribute to outcome monitoring and behavioral adjustment. Although both neuron types evenly responded to the current outcome, a larger proportion of putative inhibitory interneurons than putative pyramidal neurons stored the information about the past outcome. The putative inhibitory interneurons further represented choice-related signals more frequently, such as whether the monkey would shift the last choice to an alternative at the next choice opportunity. Our findings suggest that putative inhibitory interneurons, which are thought not to project to brain areas outside the dACC, preferentially transmit signals that would adjust choice behavior based on past outcome experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Kawai
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yamada
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.,Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.,Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Nobuya Sato
- Department of Psychological Science, Kwansei Gakuin University, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Masahiko Takada
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama Aichi, Japan
| | - Masayuki Matsumoto
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.,Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.,Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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17
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Liesefeld HR, Liesefeld AM, Sauseng P, Jacob SN, Müller HJ. How visual working memory handles distraction: cognitive mechanisms and electrophysiological correlates. VISUAL COGNITION 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2020.1773594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heinrich R. Liesefeld
- Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
- Munich Center for Neurosciences – Brain & Mind, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Anna M. Liesefeld
- Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Paul Sauseng
- Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Simon N. Jacob
- Department of Neurosurgery, Technische Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Hermann J. Müller
- Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
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18
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Li S, Zhou X, Constantinidis C, Qi XL. Plasticity of Persistent Activity and Its Constraints. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:15. [PMID: 32528254 PMCID: PMC7247814 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulus information is maintained in working memory by action potentials that persist after the stimulus is no longer physically present. The prefrontal cortex is a critical brain area that maintains such persistent activity due to an intrinsic network with unique synaptic connectivity, NMDA receptors, and interneuron types. Persistent activity can be highly plastic depending on task demands but it also appears in naïve subjects, not trained or required to perform a task at all. Here, we review what aspects of persistent activity remain constant and what factors can modify it, focusing primarily on neurophysiological results from non-human primate studies. Changes in persistent activity are constrained by anatomical location, with more ventral and more anterior prefrontal areas exhibiting the greatest capacity for plasticity, as opposed to posterior and dorsal areas, which change relatively little with training. Learning to perform a cognitive task for the first time, further practicing the task, and switching between learned tasks can modify persistent activity. The ability of the prefrontal cortex to generate persistent activity also depends on age, with changes noted between adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Mean firing rates, variability and correlation of persistent discharges, but also time-varying firing rate dynamics are altered by these factors. Plastic changes in the strength of intrinsic network connections can be revealed by the analysis of synchronous spiking between neurons. These results are essential for understanding how the prefrontal cortex mediates working memory and intelligent behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihai Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States.,Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Xue-Lian Qi
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
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19
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Yue L, Iannetti GD, Hu L. The Neural Origin of Nociceptive-Induced Gamma-Band Oscillations. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3478-3490. [PMID: 32241836 PMCID: PMC7178916 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0255-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Gamma-band oscillations (GBOs) elicited by transient nociceptive stimuli are one of the most promising biomarkers of pain across species. Still, whether these GBOs reflect stimulus encoding in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) or nocifensive behavior in the primary motor cortex (M1) is debated. Here we recorded neural activity simultaneously from the brain surface as well as at different depths of the bilateral S1/M1 in freely-moving male rats receiving nociceptive stimulation. GBOs measured from superficial layers of S1 contralateral to the stimulated paw not only had the largest magnitude, but also showed the strongest temporal and phase coupling with epidural GBOs. Also, spiking of superficial S1 interneurons had the strongest phase coherence with epidural GBOs. These results provide the first direct demonstration that scalp GBOs, one of the most promising pain biomarkers, reflect neural activity strongly coupled with the fast spiking of interneurons in the superficial layers of the S1 contralateral to the stimulated side.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Nociceptive-induced gamma-band oscillations (GBOs) measured at population level are one of the most promising biomarkers of pain perception. Our results provide the direct demonstration that these GBOs reflect neural activity coupled with the spike firing of interneurons in the superficial layers of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) contralateral to the side of nociceptive stimulation. These results address the ongoing debate about whether nociceptive-induced GBOs recorded with scalp EEG or epidurally reflect stimulus encoding in the S1 or nocifensive behavior in the primary motor cortex (M1), and will therefore influence how experiments in pain neuroscience will be designed and interpreted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lupeng Yue
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - G D Iannetti
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, 00161, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Li Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
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20
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Stalter M, Westendorff S, Nieder A. Dopamine Gates Visual Signals in Monkey Prefrontal Cortex Neurons. Cell Rep 2020; 30:164-172.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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21
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Guercio GD, Thomas ME, Cisneros-Franco JM, Voss P, Panizzutti R, de Villers-Sidani E. Improving cognitive training for schizophrenia using neuroplasticity enhancers: Lessons from decades of basic and clinical research. Schizophr Res 2019; 207:80-92. [PMID: 29730045 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that schizophrenia is a disorder that stems from maladaptive plasticity within neural circuits and produces broad cognitive deficits leading to loss of autonomy. A large number of studies have identified abnormalities spanning many neurotransmitter systems in schizophrenia, and as a result, a variety of drugs have been developed to attempt to treat these abnormalities and enhance cognition. Unfortunately, positive results have been limited so far. This may be in part because the scope of abnormalities in the schizophrenic brain requires a treatment capable of engaging many different neurotransmitter systems. One approach to achieving this kind of treatment has been to use neuroplasticity-based computerized cognitive training programs to stimulate the formation of more adaptive circuits. Although the number of studies implementing this approach has increased exponentially in recent years, effect sizes for cognitive gains have been modest and adherence to treatment remains an important challenge in many studies, as patients are often required to train for 40 h or more. In the present paper, we argue that cognitive training protocols will benefit from the addition of cognitive enhancers to produce more robust and longer lasting targeted neuroplasticity. Indeed, recent data from animal studies have provided support for combining plasticity-enhancing drugs with tailored behavioral training paradigms to restore normal function within dysfunctioning neural circuits. The advantages and challenges of applying this approach to patients with schizophrenia will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- G D Guercio
- Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - M E Thomas
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - J M Cisneros-Franco
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - P Voss
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - R Panizzutti
- Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - E de Villers-Sidani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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22
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Ott T, Nieder A. Dopamine and Cognitive Control in Prefrontal Cortex. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:213-234. [PMID: 30711326 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control, the ability to orchestrate behavior in accord with our goals, depends on the prefrontal cortex. These cognitive functions are heavily influenced by the neuromodulator dopamine. We review here recent insights exploring the influence of dopamine on neuronal response properties in prefrontal cortex (PFC) during ongoing behaviors in primates. This review suggests three major computational roles of dopamine in cognitive control: (i) gating sensory input, (ii) maintaining and manipulating working memory contents, and (iii) relaying motor commands. For each of these roles, we propose a neuronal microcircuit based on known mechanisms of action of dopamine in PFC, which are corroborated by computational network models. This conceptual approach accounts for the various roles of dopamine in prefrontal executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torben Ott
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Present address: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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23
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Structuring of Abstract Working Memory Content by Fronto-parietal Synchrony in Primate Cortex. Neuron 2018; 99:588-597.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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24
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Jacob SN, Nienborg H. Monoaminergic Neuromodulation of Sensory Processing. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:51. [PMID: 30042662 PMCID: PMC6048220 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
All neuronal circuits are subject to neuromodulation. Modulatory effects on neuronal processing and resulting behavioral changes are most commonly reported for higher order cognitive brain functions. Comparatively little is known about how neuromodulators shape processing in sensory brain areas that provide the signals for downstream regions to operate on. In this article, we review the current knowledge about how the monoamine neuromodulators serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline influence the representation of sensory stimuli in the mammalian sensory system. We review the functional organization of the monoaminergic brainstem neuromodulatory systems in relation to their role for sensory processing and summarize recent neurophysiological evidence showing that monoamines have diverse effects on early sensory processing, including changes in gain and in the precision of neuronal responses to sensory inputs. We also highlight the substantial evidence for complementarity between these neuromodulatory systems with different patterns of innervation across brain areas and cortical layers as well as distinct neuromodulatory actions. Studying the effects of neuromodulators at various target sites is a crucial step in the development of a mechanistic understanding of neuronal information processing in the healthy brain and in the generation and maintenance of mental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon N Jacob
- Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Hendrikje Nienborg
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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25
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Fazio L, Pergola G, Papalino M, Di Carlo P, Monda A, Gelao B, Amoroso N, Tangaro S, Rampino A, Popolizio T, Bertolino A, Blasi G. Transcriptomic context of DRD1 is associated with prefrontal activity and behavior during working memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:5582-5587. [PMID: 29735686 PMCID: PMC6003490 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717135115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) signaling shapes prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity during working memory (WM). Previous reports found higher WM performance associated with alleles linked to greater expression of the gene coding for D1Rs (DRD1). However, there is no evidence on the relationship between genetic modulation of DRD1 expression in PFC and patterns of prefrontal activity during WM. Furthermore, previous studies have not considered that D1Rs are part of a coregulated molecular environment, which may contribute to D1R-related prefrontal WM processing. Thus, we hypothesized a reciprocal link between a coregulated (i.e., coexpressed) molecular network including DRD1 and PFC activity. To explore this relationship, we used three independent postmortem prefrontal mRNA datasets (total n = 404) to characterize a coexpression network including DRD1 Then, we indexed network coexpression using a measure (polygenic coexpression index-DRD1-PCI) combining the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on coexpression. Finally, we associated the DRD1-PCI with WM performance and related brain activity in independent samples of healthy participants (total n = 371). We identified and replicated a coexpression network including DRD1, whose coexpression was correlated with DRD1-PCI. We also found that DRD1-PCI was associated with lower PFC activity and higher WM performance. Behavioral and imaging results were replicated in independent samples. These findings suggest that genetically predicted expression of DRD1 and of its coexpression partners stratifies healthy individuals in terms of WM performance and related prefrontal activity. They also highlight genes and SNPs potentially relevant to pharmacological trials aimed to test cognitive enhancers modulating DRD1 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Fazio
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Sezione di Neuroradiologia, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza," 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
- Contributed Equally
| | - Giulio Pergola
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Contributed Equally
| | - Marco Papalino
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Pasquale Di Carlo
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Anna Monda
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Barbara Gelao
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Nicola Amoroso
- Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica "M. Merlin," Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, 70125 Bari, Italy
- Sezione di Bari, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, 70125 Bari, Italy
| | - Sabina Tangaro
- Sezione di Bari, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, 70125 Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Rampino
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Bari University Hospital, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Teresa Popolizio
- Sezione di Neuroradiologia, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza," 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Bari University Hospital, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Blasi
- Institute of Psychiatry, Bari University Hospital, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy;
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26
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Ott T, Westendorff S, Nieder A. Dopamine Receptors Influence Internally Generated Oscillations during Rule Processing in Primate Prefrontal Cortex. J Cogn Neurosci 2018; 30:770-784. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Neural oscillations in distinct frequency bands in the prefrontal cortex (pFC) are associated with specialized roles during cognitive control. How dopamine modulates oscillations to structure pFC functions remains unknown. We trained macaques to switch between two numerical rules and recorded local field potentials from pFC while applying dopamine receptor targeting drugs using microiontophoresis. We show that the D1 and D2 family receptors (D1Rs and D2Rs, respectively) specifically altered internally generated prefrontal oscillations, whereas sensory-evoked potentials remained unchanged. Blocking D1Rs or stimulating D2Rs increased low-frequency theta and alpha oscillations known to be involved in learning and memory. In contrast, only D1R inhibition enhanced high-frequency beta oscillations, whereas only D2R stimulation increased gamma oscillations linked to top–down and bottom–up attentional processing. These findings suggest that dopamine alters neural oscillations relevant for executive functioning through dissociable actions at the receptor level.
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27
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Differences in reward processing between putative cell types in primate prefrontal cortex. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189771. [PMID: 29261734 PMCID: PMC5736196 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-unit studies in monkeys have demonstrated that neurons in the prefrontal cortex predict the reward type, reward amount or reward availability associated with a stimulus. To examine contributions of pyramidal cells and interneurons in reward processing, single-unit activity was extracellularly recorded in prefrontal cortices of four monkeys performing a reward prediction task. Based on their shapes of spike waveforms, prefrontal neurons were classified into broad-spike and narrow-spike units that represented putative pyramidal cells and interneurons, respectively. We mainly observed that narrow-spike neurons showed higher firing rates but less bursty discharges than did broad-spike neurons. Both narrow-spike and broad-spike cells selectively responded to the stimulus, reward and their interaction, and the proportions of each type of selective neurons were similar between the two cell classes. Moreover, the two types of cells displayed equal reliability of reward or stimulus discrimination. Furthermore, we found that broad-spike and narrow-spike cells showed distinct mechanisms for encoding reward or stimulus information. Broad-spike neurons raised their firing rate relative to the baseline rate to represent the preferred reward or stimulus information, whereas narrow-spike neurons inhibited their firing rate lower than the baseline rate to encode the non-preferred reward or stimulus information. Our results suggest that narrow-spike and broad-spike cells were equally involved in reward and stimulus processing in the prefrontal cortex. They utilized a binary strategy to complementarily represent reward or stimulus information, which was consistent with the task structure in which the monkeys were required to remember two reward conditions and two visual stimuli.
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28
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Vijayraghavan S, Major AJ, Everling S. Neuromodulation of Prefrontal Cortex in Non-Human Primates by Dopaminergic Receptors during Rule-Guided Flexible Behavior and Cognitive Control. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:91. [PMID: 29259545 PMCID: PMC5723345 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is indispensable for several higher-order cognitive and executive capacities of primates, including representation of salient stimuli in working memory (WM), maintenance of cognitive task set, inhibition of inappropriate responses and rule-guided flexible behavior. PFC networks are subject to robust neuromodulation from ascending catecholaminergic systems. Disruption of these systems in PFC has been implicated in cognitive deficits associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders. Over the past four decades, a considerable body of work has examined the influence of dopamine on macaque PFC activity representing spatial WM. There has also been burgeoning interest in neuromodulation of PFC circuits involved in other cognitive functions of PFC, including representation of rules to guide flexible behavior. Here, we review recent neuropharmacological investigations conducted in our laboratory and others of the role of PFC dopamine receptors in regulating rule-guided behavior in non-human primates. Employing iontophoresis, we examined the effects of local manipulation of dopaminergic subtypes on neuronal activity during performance of rule-guided pro- and antisaccades, an experimental paradigm sensitive to PFC integrity, wherein deficits in performance are reliably observed in many neuropsychiatric disorders. We found dissociable effects of dopamine receptors on neuronal activity for rule representation and oculomotor responses and discuss these findings in the context of prior studies that have examined the role of dopamine in spatial delayed response tasks, attention, target selection, abstract rules, visuomotor learning and reward. The findings we describe here highlight the common features, as well as heterogeneity and context dependence of dopaminergic neuromodulation in regulating the efficacy of cognitive functions of PFC in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susheel Vijayraghavan
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Alex J Major
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stefan Everling
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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29
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Alikaya A, Rack-Wildner M, Stauffer WR. Reward and value coding by dopamine neurons in non-human primates. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2017; 125:565-574. [PMID: 29076112 PMCID: PMC5847197 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-017-1793-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Rewards are fundamental to everyday life. They confer pleasure, support learning, and mediate decisions. Dopamine-releasing neurons in the midbrain are critical for reward processing. These neurons receive input from more than 30 brain areas and send widespread projections to the basal ganglia and frontal cortex. Their phasic responses are tuned to rewards. Specifically, dopamine signals code reward prediction error, the difference between received and predicted rewards. Decades of research in awake, behaving non-human primates (NHP), have shown the importance of these neural signals for learning and decision making. In this review, we will provide an overview of the bedrock findings that support the reward prediction error hypothesis and examine evidence that this signal plays a role in learning and decision making. In addition, we will highlight some of the conceptual challenges in dopamine neurophysiology and identify future areas of research to address these challenges. Keeping with the theme of this special issue, we will focus on the role of NHP studies in understanding dopamine neurophysiology and make the argument that primate models are essential to this line of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydin Alikaya
- Systems Neuroscience Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | | | - William R Stauffer
- Systems Neuroscience Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA. .,Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
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Visual Receptive Field Heterogeneity and Functional Connectivity of Adjacent Neurons in Primate Frontoparietal Association Cortices. J Neurosci 2017; 37:8919-8928. [PMID: 28821662 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0829-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The basic organization principles of the primary visual cortex (V1) are commonly assumed to also hold in the association cortex such that neurons within a cortical column share functional connectivity patterns and represent the same region of the visual field. We mapped the visual receptive fields (RFs) of neurons recorded at the same electrode in the ventral intraparietal area (VIP) and the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rhesus monkeys. We report that the spatial characteristics of visual RFs between adjacent neurons differed considerably, with increasing heterogeneity from VIP to PFC. In addition to RF incongruences, we found differential functional connectivity between putative inhibitory interneurons and pyramidal cells in PFC and VIP. These findings suggest that local RF topography vanishes with hierarchical distance from visual cortical input and argue for increasingly modified functional microcircuits in noncanonical association cortices that contrast V1.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our visual field is thought to be represented faithfully by the early visual brain areas; all the information from a certain region of the visual field is conveyed to neurons situated close together within a functionally defined cortical column. We examined this principle in the association areas, PFC, and ventral intraparietal area of rhesus monkeys and found that adjacent neurons represent markedly different areas of the visual field. This is the first demonstration of such noncanonical organization of these brain areas.
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