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Kaduk K, Wilke M, Kagan I. Dorsal pulvinar inactivation leads to spatial selection bias without perceptual deficit. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12852. [PMID: 38834578 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62056-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The dorsal pulvinar has been implicated in visuospatial attentional and perceptual confidence processing. Pulvinar lesions in humans and monkeys lead to spatial neglect symptoms, including an overt spatial saccade bias during free choices. However, it remains unclear whether disrupting the dorsal pulvinar during target selection that relies on a perceptual decision leads to a perceptual impairment or a more general spatial orienting and choice deficit. To address this question, we reversibly inactivated the unilateral dorsal pulvinar by injecting GABA-A agonist THIP while two macaque monkeys performed a color discrimination saccade task with varying perceptual difficulty. We used Signal Detection Theory and simulations to dissociate perceptual sensitivity (d-prime) and spatial selection bias (response criterion) effects. We expected a decrease in d-prime if dorsal pulvinar affects perceptual discrimination and a shift in response criterion if dorsal pulvinar is mainly involved in spatial orienting. After the inactivation, we observed response criterion shifts away from contralesional stimuli, especially when two competing stimuli in opposite hemifields were present. Notably, the d-prime and overall accuracy remained largely unaffected. Our results underline the critical contribution of the dorsal pulvinar to spatial orienting and action selection while showing it to be less important for visual perceptual discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Kaduk
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Melanie Wilke
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Neurology Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Igor Kagan
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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2
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Maldonado IL, Descoteaux M, Rheault F, Zemmoura I, Benn A, Margulies D, Boré A, Duffau H, Mandonnet E. Multimodal study of multilevel pulvino-temporal connections: a new piece in the puzzle of lexical retrieval networks. Brain 2024; 147:2245-2257. [PMID: 38243610 PMCID: PMC11146422 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Advanced methods of imaging and mapping the healthy and lesioned brain have allowed for the identification of the cortical nodes and white matter tracts supporting the dual neurofunctional organization of language networks in a dorsal phonological and a ventral semantic stream. Much less understood are the anatomical correlates of the interaction between the two streams; one hypothesis being that of a subcortically mediated interaction, through crossed cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical and cortico-thalamo-cortical loops. In this regard, the pulvinar is the thalamic subdivision that has most regularly appeared as implicated in the processing of lexical retrieval. However, descriptions of its connections with temporal (language) areas remain scarce. Here we assess this pulvino-temporal connectivity using a combination of state-of-the-art techniques: white matter stimulation in awake surgery and postoperative diffusion MRI (n = 4), virtual dissection from the Human Connectome Project 3 and 7 T datasets (n = 172) and operative microscope-assisted post-mortem fibre dissection (n = 12). We demonstrate the presence of four fundamental fibre contingents: (i) the anterior component (Arnold's bundle proper) initially described by Arnold in the 19th century and destined to the anterior temporal lobe; (ii) the optic radiations-like component, which leaves the pulvinar accompanying the optical radiations and reaches the posterior basal temporal cortices; (iii) the lateral component, which crosses the temporal stem orthogonally and reaches the middle temporal gyrus; and (iv) the auditory radiations-like component, which leaves the pulvinar accompanying the auditory radiations to the superomedial aspect of the temporal operculum, just posteriorly to Heschl's gyrus. Each of those components might correspond to a different level of information processing involved in the lexical retrieval process of picture naming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Lima Maldonado
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37000 Tours, France
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHRU de Tours, 37000 Tours, France
| | - Maxime Descoteaux
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, J1K 2X9 Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Imeka Solutions, J1H 4A7 Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Ilyess Zemmoura
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37000 Tours, France
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHRU de Tours, 37000 Tours, France
| | - Austin Benn
- CNRS, Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (UMR 8002), Université de Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, OX1 3QD Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel Margulies
- CNRS, Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (UMR 8002), Université de Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Boré
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, J1K 2X9 Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hugues Duffau
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, 34090 Montpellier, France
- Team ‘Plasticity of Central Nervous System, Stem Cells and Glial Tumors’, U1191 Laboratory, Institute of Functional Genomics, National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), University of Montpellier, 34000, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Mandonnet
- Department of Neurosurgery, Lariboisière Hospital, AP-HP, 75010 Paris, France
- Frontlab, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM U1127, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), 75013 Paris, France
- UFR Médecine, Université de Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
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3
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Cortes N, Ladret HJ, Abbas-Farishta R, Casanova C. The pulvinar as a hub of visual processing and cortical integration. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:120-134. [PMID: 38143202 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.11.008] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
The pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus is a crucial component of the visual system and plays significant roles in sensory processing and cognitive integration. The pulvinar's extensive connectivity with cortical regions allows for bidirectional communication, contributing to the integration of sensory information across the visual hierarchy. Recent findings underscore the pulvinar's involvement in attentional modulation, feature binding, and predictive coding. In this review, we highlight recent advances in clarifying the pulvinar's circuitry and function. We discuss the contributions of the pulvinar to signal modulation across the global cortical network and place these findings within theoretical frameworks of cortical processing, particularly the global neuronal workspace (GNW) theory and predictive coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Cortes
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Hugo J Ladret
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Reza Abbas-Farishta
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Casanova
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Guo F, Zou J, Wang Y, Fang B, Zhou H, Wang D, He S, Zhang P. Human subcortical pathways automatically detect collision trajectory without attention and awareness. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002375. [PMID: 38236815 PMCID: PMC10795999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Detecting imminent collisions is essential for survival. Here, we used high-resolution fMRI at 7 Tesla to investigate the role of attention and consciousness for detecting collision trajectory in human subcortical pathways. Healthy participants can precisely discriminate collision from near-miss trajectory of an approaching object, with pupil size change reflecting collision sensitivity. Subcortical pathways from the superior colliculus (SC) to the ventromedial pulvinar (vmPul) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) exhibited collision-sensitive responses even when participants were not paying attention to the looming stimuli. For hemianopic patients with unilateral lesions of the geniculostriate pathway, the ipsilesional SC and VTA showed significant activation to collision stimuli in their scotoma. Furthermore, stronger SC responses predicted better behavioral performance in collision detection even in the absence of awareness. Therefore, human tectofugal pathways could automatically detect collision trajectories without the observers' attention to and awareness of looming stimuli, supporting "blindsight" detection of impending visual threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanhua Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinyou Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Aier Institute of Optometry and Vision Science, Aier Eye Hospital Group, Changsha, China
| | - Ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Boyan Fang
- Neurological Rehabilitation Center, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Huanfen Zhou
- Division of Ophthalmology, The Third Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dajiang Wang
- Division of Ophthalmology, The Third Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng He
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
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5
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Schneider L, Dominguez-Vargas AU, Gibson L, Wilke M, Kagan I. Visual, delay, and oculomotor timing and tuning in macaque dorsal pulvinar during instructed and free choice memory saccades. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10877-10900. [PMID: 37724430 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad333] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Causal perturbations suggest that primate dorsal pulvinar plays a crucial role in target selection and saccade planning, though its basic neuronal properties remain unclear. Some functional aspects of dorsal pulvinar and interconnected frontoparietal areas-e.g. ipsilesional choice bias after inactivation-are similar. But it is unknown if dorsal pulvinar shares oculomotor properties of cortical circuitry, in particular delay and choice-related activity. We investigated such properties in macaque dorsal pulvinar during instructed and free-choice memory saccades. Most recorded units showed visual (12%), saccade-related (30%), or both types of responses (22%). Visual responses were primarily contralateral; diverse saccade-related responses were predominantly post-saccadic with a weak contralateral bias. Memory delay and pre-saccadic enhancement was infrequent (11-9%)-instead, activity was often suppressed during saccade planning (25%) and further during execution (15%). Surprisingly, only few units exhibited classical visuomotor patterns combining cue and continuous delay activity or pre-saccadic ramping; moreover, most spatially-selective neurons did not encode the upcoming decision during free-choice delay. Thus, in absence of a visible goal, the dorsal pulvinar has a limited role in prospective saccade planning, with patterns partially complementing its frontoparietal partners. Conversely, prevalent visual and post-saccadic responses imply its participation in integrating spatial goals with processing across saccades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Schneider
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
| | - Adan-Ulises Dominguez-Vargas
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Lydia Gibson
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
| | - Melanie Wilke
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
- DFG Center for Nanoscale Microscopy & Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
| | - Igor Kagan
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
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6
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Chen N, Ai H, Lu X. Context-dependent attentional spotlight in pulvinar-V1 interaction. Neuroimage 2023; 279:120341. [PMID: 37619793 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120341] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatial attention is often described as a mental spotlight that enhances information processing at the attended location. Using fMRI, we investigated background connectivity between the pulvinar and V1 in relation to focused versus diffused attention allocation, in weak and strong crowding contexts. Our findings revealed that focused attention led to enhanced correlations between the pulvinar and V1. Notably, this modulation was initiated by the pulvinar, and the strength of the modulation was dependent on the saliency of the target. These findings suggest that the pulvinar initiates information reweighting to V1, which underlies attentional selection in cluttered scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihong Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China; THU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hailin Ai
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Xincheng Lu
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
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7
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Li B, Solanas MP, Marrazzo G, Raman R, Taubert N, Giese M, Vogels R, de Gelder B. A large-scale brain network of species-specific dynamic human body perception. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 221:102398. [PMID: 36565985 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102398] [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: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
This ultrahigh field 7 T fMRI study addressed the question of whether there exists a core network of brain areas at the service of different aspects of body perception. Participants viewed naturalistic videos of monkey and human faces, bodies, and objects along with mosaic-scrambled videos for control of low-level features. Independent component analysis (ICA) based network analysis was conducted to find body and species modulations at both the voxel and the network levels. Among the body areas, the highest species selectivity was found in the middle frontal gyrus and amygdala. Two large-scale networks were highly selective to bodies, dominated by the lateral occipital cortex and right superior temporal sulcus (STS) respectively. The right STS network showed high species selectivity, and its significant human body-induced node connectivity was focused around the extrastriate body area (EBA), STS, temporoparietal junction (TPJ), premotor cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). The human body-specific network discovered here may serve as a brain-wide internal model of the human body serving as an entry point for a variety of processes relying on body descriptions as part of their more specific categorization, action, or expression recognition functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baichen Li
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200 MD, the Netherlands
| | - Marta Poyo Solanas
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200 MD, the Netherlands
| | - Giuseppe Marrazzo
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200 MD, the Netherlands
| | - Rajani Raman
- Laboratory for Neuro, and Psychophysiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven Medical School, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Nick Taubert
- Section for Computational Sensomotorics, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience & Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Clinic Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Martin Giese
- Section for Computational Sensomotorics, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience & Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Clinic Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Rufin Vogels
- Laboratory for Neuro, and Psychophysiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven Medical School, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Beatrice de Gelder
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200 MD, the Netherlands; Department of Computer Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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8
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Pulvinar Response Profiles and Connectivity Patterns to Object Domains. J Neurosci 2023; 43:812-826. [PMID: 36596697 PMCID: PMC9899088 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0613-22.2022] [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: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Distributed cortical regions show differential responses to visual objects belonging to different domains varying by animacy (e.g., animals vs tools), yet it remains unclear whether this is an organization principle also applying to the subcortical structures. Combining multiple fMRI activation experiments (two main experiments and six validation datasets; 12 females and 9 males in the main Experiment 1; 10 females and 10 males in the main Experiment 2), resting-state functional connectivity, and task-based dynamic causal modeling analysis in human subjects, we found that visual processing of images of animals and tools elicited different patterns of response in the pulvinar, with robust left lateralization for tools, and distinct, bilateral (with rightward tendency) clusters for animals. Such domain-preferring activity distribution in the pulvinar was associated with the magnitude with which the voxels were intrinsically connected with the corresponding domain-preferring regions in the cortex. The pulvinar-to-right-amygdala path showed a one-way shortcut supporting the perception of animals, and the modulation connection from pulvinar to parietal showed an advantage to the perception of tools. These results incorporate the subcortical regions into the object processing network and highlight that domain organization appears to be an overarching principle across various processing stages in the brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Viewing objects belonging to different domains elicited different cortical regions, but whether the domain organization applied to the subcortical structures (e.g., pulvinar) was unknown. Multiple fMRI activation experiments revealed that object pictures belonging to different domains elicited differential patterns of response in the pulvinar, with robust left lateralization for tool pictures, and distinct, bilateral (with rightward tendency) clusters for animals. Combining the resting-state functional connectivity and dynamic causal modeling analysis on task-based fMRI data, we found domain-preferring activity distribution in the pulvinar aligned with that in cortical regions. These results highlight the need for coherent visual theories that explain the mechanisms underlying the domain organization across various processing stages.
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9
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Kurzawski JW, Lunghi C, Biagi L, Tosetti M, Morrone MC, Binda P. Short-term plasticity in the human visual thalamus. eLife 2022; 11:74565. [PMID: 35384840 PMCID: PMC9020816 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While there is evidence that the visual cortex retains a potential for plasticity in adulthood, less is known about the subcortical stages of visual processing. Here we asked whether short-term ocular dominance plasticity affects the human visual thalamus. We addressed this question in normally sighted adult humans, using ultra-high field (7T) magnetic resonance imaging combined with the paradigm of short-term monocular deprivation. With this approach, we previously demonstrated transient shifts of perceptual eye dominance and ocular dominance in visual cortex (Binda et al., 2018). Here we report evidence for short-term plasticity in the ventral division of the pulvinar (vPulv), where the deprived eye representation was enhanced over the non-deprived eye. This ventral-pulvinar plasticity was similar as previously seen in visual cortex and it was correlated with the ocular dominance shift measured behaviorally. In contrast, there was no effect of monocular deprivation in two adjacent thalamic regions: dorsal pulvinar (dPulv), and Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN). We conclude that the visual thalamus retains potential for short-term plasticity in adulthood; the plasticity effect differs across thalamic subregions, possibly reflecting differences in their cortico-fugal connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claudia Lunghi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Binda
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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10
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Behrmann M, Avidan G. Face perception: computational insights from phylogeny. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:350-363. [PMID: 35232662 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.01.006] [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: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies of face perception in primates elucidate the psychological and neural mechanisms that support this critical and complex ability. Recent progress in characterizing face perception across species, for example in insects and reptiles, has highlighted the ubiquity over phylogeny of this key ability for social interactions and survival. Here, we review the competence in face perception across species and the types of computation that support this behavior. We conclude that the computational complexity of face perception evinced by a species is not related to phylogenetic status and is, instead, largely a product of environmental context and social and adaptive pressures. Integrating findings across evolutionary data permits the derivation of computational principles that shed further light on primate face perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Behrmann
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Galia Avidan
- Department of Psychology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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11
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Kletenik I, Ferguson MA, Bateman JR, Cohen AL, Lin C, Tetreault A, Pelak VS, Anderson CA, Prasad S, Darby RR, Fox MD. Network Localization of Unconscious Visual Perception in Blindsight. Ann Neurol 2022; 91:217-224. [PMID: 34961965 PMCID: PMC10013845 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Blindsight is a disorder where brain injury causes loss of conscious but not unconscious visual perception. Prior studies have produced conflicting results regarding the neuroanatomical pathways involved in this unconscious perception. METHODS We performed a systematic literature search to identify lesion locations causing visual field loss in patients with blindsight (n = 34) and patients without blindsight (n = 35). Resting state functional connectivity between each lesion location and all other brain voxels was computed using a large connectome database (n = 1,000). Connections significantly associated with blindsight (vs no blindsight) were identified. RESULTS Functional connectivity between lesion locations and the ipsilesional medial pulvinar was significantly associated with blindsight (family wise error p = 0.029). No significant connectivity differences were found to other brain regions previously implicated in blindsight. This finding was independent of methods (eg, flipping lesions to the left or right) and stimulus type (moving vs static). INTERPRETATION Connectivity to the ipsilesional medial pulvinar best differentiates lesion locations associated with blindsight versus those without blindsight. Our results align with recent data from animal models and provide insight into the neuroanatomical substrate of unconscious visual abilities in patients. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:217-224.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaiah Kletenik
- Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Michael A Ferguson
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - James R Bateman
- Department of Neurology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - Alexander L Cohen
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Neurology, and Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Christopher Lin
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Aaron Tetreault
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Victoria S Pelak
- Behavioral Neurology Section, Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Clark Alan Anderson
- Behavioral Neurology Section, Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Sashank Prasad
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard Ryan Darby
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Michael D Fox
- Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
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12
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Sampathkumar V, Miller-Hansen A, Sherman SM, Kasthuri N. Integration of signals from different cortical areas in higher order thalamic neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2104137118. [PMID: 34282018 PMCID: PMC8325356 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2104137118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher order thalamic neurons receive driving inputs from cortical layer 5 and project back to the cortex, reflecting a transthalamic route for corticocortical communication. To determine whether or not individual neurons integrate signals from different cortical populations, we combined electron microscopy "connectomics" in mice with genetic labeling to disambiguate layer 5 synapses from somatosensory and motor cortices to the higher order thalamic posterior medial nucleus. A significant convergence of these inputs was found on 19 of 33 reconstructed thalamic cells, and as a population, the layer 5 synapses were larger and located more proximally on dendrites than were unlabeled synapses. Thus, many or most of these thalamic neurons do not simply relay afferent information but instead integrate signals as disparate in this case as those emanating from sensory and motor cortices. These findings add further depth and complexity to the role of the higher order thalamus in overall cortical functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vandana Sampathkumar
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439
| | | | - S Murray Sherman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637;
| | - Narayanan Kasthuri
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637;
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439
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13
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Kragel PA, Čeko M, Theriault J, Chen D, Satpute AB, Wald LW, Lindquist MA, Feldman Barrett L, Wager TD. A human colliculus-pulvinar-amygdala pathway encodes negative emotion. Neuron 2021; 109:2404-2412.e5. [PMID: 34166604 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Animals must rapidly respond to threats to survive. In rodents, threat-related signals are processed through a subcortical pathway from the superior colliculus to the amygdala, a putative "low road" to affective behavior. This pathway has not been well characterized in humans. We developed a novel pathway identification framework that uses pattern recognition to identify connected neural populations and optimize measurement of inter-region connectivity. We first verified that the model identifies known thalamocortical pathways with high sensitivity and specificity in 7 T (n = 56) and 3 T (n = 48) fMRI experiments. Then we identified a human functional superior colliculus-pulvinar-amygdala pathway. Activity in this pathway encodes the intensity of normative emotional responses to negative images and sounds but not pleasant images or painful stimuli. These results provide a functional description of a human "low road" pathway selective for negative exteroceptive events and demonstrate a promising method for characterizing human functional brain pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Kragel
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Marta Čeko
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Jordan Theriault
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Danlei Chen
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ajay B Satpute
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lawrence W Wald
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA 02129, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Martin A Lindquist
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA 02129, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Tor D Wager
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
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14
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Kagan I, Gibson L, Spanou E, Wilke M. Effective connectivity and spatial selectivity-dependent fMRI changes elicited by microstimulation of pulvinar and LIP. Neuroimage 2021; 240:118283. [PMID: 34147628 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamic pulvinar and the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) share reciprocal anatomical connections and are part of an extensive cortical and subcortical network involved in spatial attention and oculomotor processing. The goal of this study was to compare the effective connectivity of dorsal pulvinar (dPul) and LIP and to probe the dependency of microstimulation effects on task demands and spatial tuning properties of a given brain region. To this end, we applied unilateral electrical microstimulation in the dPul (mainly medial pulvinar) and LIP in combination with event-related BOLD fMRI in monkeys performing fixation and memory-guided saccade tasks. Microstimulation in both dPul and LIP enhanced task-related activity in monosynaptically-connected fronto-parietal cortex and along the superior temporal sulcus (STS) including putative face patch locations, as well as in extrastriate cortex. LIP microstimulation elicited strong activity in the opposite homotopic LIP while no homotopic activation was found with dPul stimulation. Both dPul and LIP stimulation also elicited activity in several heterotopic cortical areas in the opposite hemisphere, implying polysynaptic propagation of excitation. Despite extensive activation along the intraparietal sulcus evoked by LIP stimulation, there was a difference in frontal and occipital connectivity elicited by posterior and anterior LIP stimulation sites. Comparison of dPul stimulation with the adjacent but functionally dissimilar ventral pulvinar also showed distinct connectivity. On the level of single trial timecourses within each region of interest (ROI), most ROIs did not show task-dependence of stimulation-elicited response modulation. Across ROIs, however, there was an interaction between task and stimulation, and task-specific correlations between the initial spatial selectivity and the magnitude of stimulation effect were observed. Consequently, stimulation-elicited modulation of task-related activity was best fitted by an additive model scaled down by the initial response amplitude. In summary, we identified overlapping and distinct patterns of thalamocortical and corticocortical connectivity of pulvinar and LIP, highlighting the dorsal bank and fundus of STS as a prominent node of shared circuitry. Spatial task-specific and partly polysynaptic modulations of cue and saccade planning delay period activity in both hemispheres exerted by unilateral pulvinar and parietal stimulation provide insight into the distributed interhemispheric processing underlying spatial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Kagan
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany; Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany.
| | - Lydia Gibson
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany; Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
| | - Elena Spanou
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
| | - Melanie Wilke
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany; Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
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15
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Trufanov A, Bisaga G, Skulyabin D, Temniy A, Poplyak M, Chakchir O, Efimtsev A, Dmitriy T, Odinak M, Litvinenko I. Thalamic nuclei degeneration in multiple sclerosis. J Clin Neurosci 2021; 89:375-380. [PMID: 34090763 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.05.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To define both the severity and extent of structural alteration in certain thalamic nuclei by means of MR morphometry and to compare these findings with clinical performance in different phenotypes of multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS We comparatively measured the thalamus nuclei volumes of patients with remitting-relapsing (RRMS) and secondary-progressive (SPMS) phenotypes of multiple sclerosis and healthy control subjects (HC). The evaluation of neurological performance was based on the results of Expanded Disability Status Scale and Multiple Sclerosis Severity Scale. Cognitive and mental state was rated according to the results of Mini-Mental State Examination, Frontal Assessment Battery, Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Freesurfer 6.0 was used for thalamic nuclei volumes calculation. RESULTS The median volume decline in thalamic pulvinar nuclei in RRMS group on the left side (anterior nucleus - 186,6 mm3, posterior nucleus - 149,4 mm3, medial nucleus 852,4 mm3) compared to HC (anterior nucleus - 229,2 mm3, posterior nucleus - 187,5 mm3, medical nucleus - 1081,3 mm3). Same group, right side - anterior nucleus - 219,5 mm3, posterior nucleus 187,1 mm3, medial nucleus - 989,6 mm3; HC group - anterior nucleus 261,1 mm3, posterior nucleus 240,5 mm3, medial nucleus - 1196,7 mm3 (p < 0,05). The highest correlation of the written section of SDMT was observed with the left ventral anterior nucleus (r = 0,71). CONCLUSION These findings indicate the credible correlation between clinical progression of neurological and cognitive impairment in MS patients with asymmetry left-sided thalamic nuclei atrophy and may be considered a potential predicting tool of MS progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Trufanov
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Autonomous Non-profit Higher Education Organization (University associated with the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Eurasian Economic Community), 14/1, letter B, Smolyachkova Street, 194044 Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Department of Neurology, Kirov Military Medical Academy, 6, Lebedeva Street, 194044 Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Gennady Bisaga
- Department of Neurology, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 2, Akkuratova Street, 197341 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dmitry Skulyabin
- Department of Neurology, Kirov Military Medical Academy, 6, Lebedeva Street, 194044 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexandr Temniy
- Department of Neurology, Kirov Military Medical Academy, 6, Lebedeva Street, 194044 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Mariya Poplyak
- Department of Neurology, Kirov Military Medical Academy, 6, Lebedeva Street, 194044 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Oleg Chakchir
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Autonomous Non-profit Higher Education Organization (University associated with the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Eurasian Economic Community), 14/1, letter B, Smolyachkova Street, 194044 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Aleksandr Efimtsev
- Department of Radiology, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 2, Akkuratova Street, 197341 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tarumov Dmitriy
- Department of Psychiatry, Kirov Military Medical Academy, 6, Lebedeva Street, 194044 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Miroslav Odinak
- Department of Neurology, Kirov Military Medical Academy, 6, Lebedeva Street, 194044 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Igor Litvinenko
- Department of Neurology, Kirov Military Medical Academy, 6, Lebedeva Street, 194044 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
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16
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The genetic architecture of the human thalamus and its overlap with ten common brain disorders. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2909. [PMID: 34006833 PMCID: PMC8131358 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23175-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is a vital communication hub in the center of the brain and consists of distinct nuclei critical for consciousness and higher-order cortical functions. Structural and functional thalamic alterations are involved in the pathogenesis of common brain disorders, yet the genetic architecture of the thalamus remains largely unknown. Here, using brain scans and genotype data from 30,114 individuals, we identify 55 lead single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 42 genetic loci and 391 genes associated with volumes of the thalamus and its nuclei. In an independent validation sample (n = 5173) 53 out of the 55 lead SNPs of the discovery sample show the same effect direction (sign test, P = 8.6e-14). We map the genetic relationship between thalamic nuclei and 180 cerebral cortical areas and find overlapping genetic architectures consistent with thalamocortical connectivity. Pleiotropy analyses between thalamic volumes and ten psychiatric and neurological disorders reveal shared variants for all disorders. Together, these analyses identify genetic loci linked to thalamic nuclei and substantiate the emerging view of the thalamus having central roles in cortical functioning and common brain disorders.
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17
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A multisensory perspective onto primate pulvinar functions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:231-243. [PMID: 33662442 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Perception in ambiguous environments relies on the combination of sensory information from various sources. Most associative and primary sensory cortical areas are involved in this multisensory active integration process. As a result, the entire cortex appears as heavily multisensory. In this review, we focus on the contribution of the pulvinar to multisensory integration. This subcortical thalamic nucleus plays a central role in visual detection and selection at a fast time scale, as well as in the regulation of visual processes, at a much slower time scale. However, the pulvinar is also densely connected to cortical areas involved in multisensory integration. In spite of this, little is known about its multisensory properties and its contribution to multisensory perception. Here, we review the anatomical and functional organization of multisensory input to the pulvinar. We describe how visual, auditory, somatosensory, pain, proprioceptive and olfactory projections are differentially organized across the main subdivisions of the pulvinar and we show that topography is central to the organization of this complex nucleus. We propose that the pulvinar combines multiple sources of sensory information to enhance fast responses to the environment, while also playing the role of a general regulation hub for adaptive and flexible cognition.
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18
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Development of lateral pulvinar resting state functional connectivity and its role in attention. Cortex 2020; 136:77-88. [PMID: 33486158 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The lateral pulvinar nucleus (LPN) has a well-established role in visual attention. Oscillatory activity of the LPN is critical for cortico-cortical communication within and among occipital and temporal visual processing regions. However, the functional development of the LPN and its role in attention deficits is not understood. This study examined the development of thalamic functional connectivity and its relation to attention abilities. METHOD Resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging images from 950 participants (ages 8-21) in the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC) were used to examine age effects. Follow-up General Linear Models were performed to examine brain-behavior effects with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptom ratings and D-prime scores from the Penn Continuous Performance Task, a behavioral measure of selective attention. RESULTS LPN functional connectivity with ventral visual stream regions of the occipital and temporal cortices decreased with age, while LPN functional connectivity with the supplementary motor area increased with age. Weaker LPN connectivity in the inferior parietal lobule, supramarginal gyrus, posterior insula, and inferior frontal gyrus was associated with more ADHD symptoms; stronger pulvinar-cerebellar connectivity was also associated with more ADHD symptoms. Better D-prime scores were associated with greater connectivity between the pulvinar and superior parietal gyrus; better D-prime scores were associated with weaker pulvinar connectivity with striatal, middle temporal gyrus, and medial prefrontal cortex regions. CONCLUSION These findings implicate the LPN in the development of the ventral visual processing stream between late childhood and early adulthood and suggest that LPN connectivity with higher order attention networks is important for attention abilities.
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19
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Kastner S, Fiebelkorn IC, Eradath MK. Dynamic pulvino-cortical interactions in the primate attention network. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 65:10-19. [PMID: 32942125 PMCID: PMC7770054 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
While research in previous decades demonstrated a link between the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus and visual selective attention, the pulvinar's specific functional role has remained elusive. However, methodological advances in electrophysiological recordings in non-human primates, including simultaneous recordings in multiple brain regions, have recently begun to reveal the pulvinar's functional contributions to selective attention. These new findings suggest that the pulvinar is critical for the efficient transmission of sensory information within and between cortical regions, both synchronizing cortical activity across brain regions and controlling cortical excitability. These new findings further suggest that the pulvinar's influence on cortical processing is embedded in a dynamic selection process that balances sensory and motor functions within the large-scale network that directs selective attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Kastner
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, United States.
| | - Ian C Fiebelkorn
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, United States
| | - Manoj K Eradath
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, United States
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20
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Hierarchical dynamics as a macroscopic organizing principle of the human brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20890-20897. [PMID: 32817467 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2003383117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Multimodal evidence suggests that brain regions accumulate information over timescales that vary according to anatomical hierarchy. Thus, these experimentally defined "temporal receptive windows" are longest in cortical regions that are distant from sensory input. Interestingly, spontaneous activity in these regions also plays out over relatively slow timescales (i.e., exhibits slower temporal autocorrelation decay). These findings raise the possibility that hierarchical timescales represent an intrinsic organizing principle of brain function. Here, using resting-state functional MRI, we show that the timescale of ongoing dynamics follows hierarchical spatial gradients throughout human cerebral cortex. These intrinsic timescale gradients give rise to systematic frequency differences among large-scale cortical networks and predict individual-specific features of functional connectivity. Whole-brain coverage permitted us to further investigate the large-scale organization of subcortical dynamics. We show that cortical timescale gradients are topographically mirrored in striatum, thalamus, and cerebellum. Finally, timescales in the hippocampus followed a posterior-to-anterior gradient, corresponding to the longitudinal axis of increasing representational scale. Thus, hierarchical dynamics emerge as a global organizing principle of mammalian brains.
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21
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Guedj C, Vuilleumier P. Functional connectivity fingerprints of the human pulvinar: Decoding its role in cognition. Neuroimage 2020; 221:117162. [PMID: 32659353 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The pulvinar is the largest thalamic nucleus in the brain and considered as a key structure in sensory processing and attention. Although its anatomy is well known, in particular thanks to studies in non-human primates, its role in perception and cognition remains poorly understood. Here, we used resting-state functional connectivity from a large sample of high-resolution data provided by the Human Connectome Project, combined with a large-scale meta-analysis approach to segregate and characterize the functional organization of the pulvinar nucleus. We identified five clusters per pulvinar with distinct connectivity profiles and determined their respective co-activation patterns. Using the Neurosynth database, we then investigated the functional significance of these co-activation networks. Our results confirm the functional heterogeneity of the pulvinar, revealing clearcut differences across clusters in terms of their connectivity patterns and associated cognitive domains. While the anterior and lateral clusters appear to be involved in action and attention domains, the ventromedial and dorsomedial clusters may preferentially subserve emotional processes and saliency detection. In contrast, the inferior cluster shows less specificity but correlates with perception and memory processes. Collectively, our results suggest that the pulvinar underwrites different components of cognition, supporting a central role in the coordination of cortico-subcortical processes mediated by distributed brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Guedj
- Neuroscience Department, Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, University Medical School of Geneva, Campus BIOTECH H8, 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Neuroscience Department, Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, University Medical School of Geneva, Campus BIOTECH H8, 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
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22
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Local and whole-network topologies reveal that pulvinar and semantic hub interactions correlate with picture vocabulary. Neuroreport 2020; 31:590-596. [PMID: 32366811 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from cognitive neuroscience indicates that subcortical regions, especially the pulvinar region of the thalamus, are involved in semantic processing. In the current study, graph-based methods were used to investigate whether a cortical-subcortical network is involved in vocabulary processing. In addition to traditional resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analysis between local brain areas, we applied a novel method to validate the interaction between semantic network hubs and the pulvinar. Unlike the traditional rsFC, the new metrics assessed rsFC pattern similarity (rsFCS), which was calculated with a cosine similarity algorithm based on whole-network topological information. We also applied a support vector regression program based on left pulvinar connectivity patterns. A brain-behavior analysis was conducted based on 100 randomly selected unrelated participants from the Human Connectome Project S1200 database. After controlling for the visuospatial and attention test scores, the rsFC between the left middle temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, and left pulvinar was significantly positively correlated with age-adjusted picture vocabulary scores. Similar results were confirmed based on the new rsFCS analysis. The support vector regression procedures also showed a clearly relationship between picture vocabulary scores and left pulvinar-related rsFCs. Our study verified a role for a subcortical-cortical network in vocabulary processing that is based on local and whole-network topologies.
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23
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Schneider L, Dominguez-Vargas AU, Gibson L, Kagan I, Wilke M. Eye position signals in the dorsal pulvinar during fixation and goal-directed saccades. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:367-391. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00432.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensorimotor cortical areas contain eye position information thought to ensure perceptual stability across saccades and underlie spatial transformations supporting goal-directed actions. One pathway by which eye position signals could be relayed to and across cortical areas is via the dorsal pulvinar. Several studies have demonstrated saccade-related activity in the dorsal pulvinar, and we have recently shown that many neurons exhibit postsaccadic spatial preference. In addition, dorsal pulvinar lesions lead to gaze-holding deficits expressed as nystagmus or ipsilesional gaze bias, prompting us to investigate the effects of eye position. We tested three starting eye positions (−15°, 0°, 15°) in monkeys performing a visually cued memory saccade task. We found two main types of gaze dependence. First, ~50% of neurons showed dependence on static gaze direction during initial and postsaccadic fixation, and might be signaling the position of the eyes in the orbit or coding foveal targets in a head/body/world-centered reference frame. The population-derived eye position signal lagged behind the saccade. Second, many neurons showed a combination of eye-centered and gaze-dependent modulation of visual, memory, and saccadic responses to a peripheral target. A small subset showed effects consistent with eye position-dependent gain modulation. Analysis of reference frames across task epochs from visual cue to postsaccadic fixation indicated a transition from predominantly eye-centered encoding to representation of final gaze or foveated locations in nonretinocentric coordinates. These results show that dorsal pulvinar neurons carry information about eye position, which could contribute to steady gaze during postural changes and to reference frame transformations for visually guided eye and limb movements. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Work on the pulvinar focused on eye-centered visuospatial representations, but position of the eyes in the orbit is also an important factor that needs to be taken into account during spatial orienting and goal-directed reaching. We show that dorsal pulvinar neurons are influenced by eye position. Gaze direction modulated ongoing firing during stable fixation, as well as visual and saccade responses to peripheral targets, suggesting involvement of the dorsal pulvinar in spatial coordinate transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Schneider
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Adan-Ulises Dominguez-Vargas
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad-León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, León, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Lydia Gibson
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Igor Kagan
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Melanie Wilke
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
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24
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van den Brink RL, Pfeffer T, Donner TH. Brainstem Modulation of Large-Scale Intrinsic Cortical Activity Correlations. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:340. [PMID: 31649516 PMCID: PMC6794422 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain activity fluctuates continuously, even in the absence of changes in sensory input or motor output. These intrinsic activity fluctuations are correlated across brain regions and are spatially organized in macroscale networks. Variations in the strength, topography, and topology of correlated activity occur over time, and unfold upon a backbone of long-range anatomical connections. Subcortical neuromodulatory systems send widespread ascending projections to the cortex, and are thus ideally situated to shape the temporal and spatial structure of intrinsic correlations. These systems are also the targets of the pharmacological treatment of major neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, depression, and schizophrenia. Here, we review recent work that has investigated how neuromodulatory systems shape correlations of intrinsic fluctuations of large-scale cortical activity. We discuss studies in the human, monkey, and rodent brain, with a focus on non-invasive recordings of human brain activity. We provide a structured but selective overview of this work and distil a number of emerging principles. Future efforts to chart the effect of specific neuromodulators and, in particular, specific receptors, on intrinsic correlations may help identify shared or antagonistic principles between different neuromodulatory systems. Such principles can inform models of healthy brain function and may provide an important reference for understanding altered cortical dynamics that are evident in neurological and psychiatric disorders, potentially paving the way for mechanistically inspired biomarkers and individualized treatments of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. L. van den Brink
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T. Pfeffer
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T. H. Donner
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Center for Brain and Cognition, Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Moyal R, Edelman S. Dynamic Computation in Visual Thalamocortical Networks. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 21:E500. [PMID: 33267214 PMCID: PMC7514988 DOI: 10.3390/e21050500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Contemporary neurodynamical frameworks, such as coordination dynamics and winnerless competition, posit that the brain approximates symbolic computation by transitioning between metastable attractive states. This article integrates these accounts with electrophysiological data suggesting that coherent, nested oscillations facilitate information representation and transmission in thalamocortical networks. We review the relationship between criticality, metastability, and representational capacity, outline existing methods for detecting metastable oscillatory patterns in neural time series data, and evaluate plausible spatiotemporal coding schemes based on phase alignment. We then survey the circuitry and the mechanisms underlying the generation of coordinated alpha and gamma rhythms in the primate visual system, with particular emphasis on the pulvinar and its role in biasing visual attention and awareness. To conclude the review, we begin to integrate this perspective with longstanding theories of consciousness and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Moyal
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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26
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Noah S, Mangun GR. Recent evidence that attention is necessary, but not sufficient, for conscious perception. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1464:52-63. [PMID: 30883785 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Early descriptions of attention in the psychological literature highlighted its interdependence with conscious awareness. As the study of attention developed, consciousness and attention began to be considered separable phenomena, experimentally and theoretically. In recent years, an energetic debate has developed concerning the extent to which the two phenomena are related. One school of thought considers the two to be doubly dissociable, whereas the other considers them to be necessarily linked. In this review, we highlight experimental findings from the last 5 years that contribute to the leading consensus view: attention is necessary, but not sufficient, for conscious perception. We review studies that show attention operating in conjunction with unconscious information, and other evidence linking attention necessarily to conscious perception. By drawing upon evidence that attention comprises many cognitive and neural processes, we argue that by studying how different forms of attention are related to conscious perception, it is possible to gain new insights about the neural states or processes that are necessary for conscious perception to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Noah
- Department of Psychology, and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, California
| | - George R Mangun
- Department of Psychology, and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, California
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