1
|
Vattino LG, MacGregor CP, Liu CJ, Sweeney CG, Takesian AE. Primary auditory thalamus relays directly to cortical layer 1 interneurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.16.603741. [PMID: 39071266 PMCID: PMC11275971 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.16.603741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons within cortical layer 1 (L1-INs) integrate inputs from diverse brain regions to modulate sensory processing and plasticity, but the sensory inputs that recruit these interneurons have not been identified. Here we used monosynaptic retrograde tracing and whole-cell electrophysiology to characterize the thalamic inputs onto two major subpopulations of L1-INs in the mouse auditory cortex. We find that the vast majority of auditory thalamic inputs to these L1-INs unexpectedly arise from the ventral subdivision of the medial geniculate body (MGBv), the tonotopically-organized primary auditory thalamus. Moreover, these interneurons receive robust functional monosynaptic MGBv inputs that are comparable to those recorded in the L4 excitatory pyramidal neurons. Our findings identify a direct pathway from the primary auditory thalamus to the L1-INs, suggesting that these interneurons are uniquely positioned to integrate thalamic inputs conveying precise sensory information with top-down inputs carrying information about brain states and learned associations.
Collapse
|
2
|
Oram TB, Tenzer A, Saraf-Sinik I, Yizhar O, Ahissar E. Co-coding of head and whisker movements by both VPM and POm thalamic neurons. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5883. [PMID: 39003286 PMCID: PMC11246487 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50039-z] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Rodents continuously move their heads and whiskers in a coordinated manner while perceiving objects through whisker-touch. Studies in head-fixed rodents showed that the ventroposterior medial (VPM) and posterior medial (POm) thalamic nuclei code for whisker kinematics, with POm involvement reduced in awake animals. To examine VPM and POm involvement in coding head and whisker kinematics in awake, head-free conditions, we recorded thalamic neuronal activity and tracked head and whisker movements in male mice exploring an open arena. Using optogenetic tagging, we found that in freely moving mice, both nuclei equally coded whisker kinematics and robustly coded head kinematics. The fraction of neurons coding head kinematics increased after whisker trimming, ruling out whisker-mediated coding. Optogenetic activation of thalamic neurons evoked overt kinematic changes and increased the fraction of neurons leading changes in head kinematics. Our data suggest that VPM and POm integrate head and whisker information and can influence head kinematics during tactile perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tess Baker Oram
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alon Tenzer
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Inbar Saraf-Sinik
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ofer Yizhar
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ehud Ahissar
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu Y, Feng H, Du J, Yang L, Xue H, Zhang J, Liang YY, Liu Y. Associations between accelerometer-measured circadian rest-activity rhythm, brain structural and genetic mechanisms, and dementia. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024; 78:393-404. [PMID: 38676558 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
AIM Knowledge of how circadian rhythm influences brain health remains limited. We aimed to investigate the associations of accelerometer-measured circadian rest-activity rhythm (CRAR) with incident dementia, cognitive dysfunction, and structural brain abnormalities in the general population and underlying biological mechanisms. METHODS Fifty-seven thousand five hundred and two participants aged over 60 years with accelerometer data were included to investigate the association of CRAR with incidental dementia. Non-parametric CRAR parameters were utilized, including activity level during active periods of the day (M10), activity level during rest periods of the day (L5), and the relative difference between the M10 and L5 (relative amplitude, RA). Associations of CRAR with cognitive dysfunction and brain structure were studied in a subset of participants. Neuroimaging-transcriptomics analysis was utilized to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. RESULTS Over 6.86 (4.94-8.78) years of follow-up, 494 participants developed dementia. The risk of incident dementia was associated with decreasing M10 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.45; 95% conference interval [CI], 1.28-1.64) and RA (HR 1.37; 95% CI, 1.28-1.64), increasing L5 (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21) and advanced L5 onset time (HR 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02-1.23). The detrimental associations were exacerbated by APOE ε4 status and age (>65 years). Decreased RA was associated with lower processing speed (Beta -0.04; SE 0.011), predominantly mediated by abnormalities in subcortical regions and white matter microstructure. The genes underlying CRAR-related brain regional structure variation were enriched for synaptic function. CONCLUSIONS Our study underscores the potential of intervention targeting at maintaining a healthy CRAR pattern to prevent dementia risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Liu
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongliang Feng
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Du
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lulu Yang
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huachen Xue
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jihui Zhang
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yannis Yan Liang
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Psycho-neuroscience, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaping Liu
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sherman SM, Usrey WM. A Reconsideration of the Core and Matrix Classification of Thalamocortical Projections. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0163242024. [PMID: 38866538 PMCID: PMC11170670 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0163-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
In 1998, Jones suggested a classification of thalamocortical projections into core and matrix divisions (Jones, 1998). In this classification, core projections are specific, topographical, innervate middle cortical layers, and serve to transmit specific information to the cortex for further analysis; matrix projections, in contrast, are diffuse, much less topographic, innervate upper layers, especially Layer 1, and serve a more global, modulatory function, such as affecting levels of arousal. This classification has proven especially influential in studies of thalamocortical relationships. Whereas it may be the case that a clear subset of thalamocortical connections fit the core motif, since they are specific, topographic, and innervate middle layers, we argue that there is no clear evidence for any single class that encompasses the remainder of thalamocortical connections as is claimed for matrix. Instead, there is great morphological variation in connections made by thalamocortical projections fitting neither a core nor matrix classification. We thus conclude that the core/matrix classification should be abandoned, because its application is not helpful in providing insights into thalamocortical interactions and can even be misleading. As one example of the latter, recent suggestions indicate that core projections are equivalent to first-order thalamic relays (i.e., those that relay subcortical information to the cortex) and matrix to higher-order relays (i.e., those that relay information from one cortical area to another), but available evidence does not support this relationship. All of this points to a need to replace the core/matrix grouping with a more complete classification of thalamocortical projections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Murray Sherman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - W Martin Usrey
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gardères PM, Le Gal S, Rousseau C, Mamane A, Ganea DA, Haiss F. Coexistence of state, choice, and sensory integration coding in barrel cortex LII/III. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4782. [PMID: 38839747 PMCID: PMC11153558 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49129-9] [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: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
During perceptually guided decisions, correlates of choice are found as upstream as in the primary sensory areas. However, how well these choice signals align with early sensory representations, a prerequisite for their interpretation as feedforward substrates of perception, remains an open question. We designed a two alternative forced choice task (2AFC) in which male mice compared stimulation frequencies applied to two adjacent vibrissae. The optogenetic silencing of individual columns in the primary somatosensory cortex (wS1) resulted in predicted shifts of psychometric functions, demonstrating that perception depends on focal, early sensory representations. Functional imaging of layer II/III single neurons revealed mixed coding of stimuli, choices and engagement in the task. Neurons with multi-whisker suppression display improved sensory discrimination and had their activity increased during engagement in the task, enhancing selectively representation of the signals relevant to solving the task. From trial to trial, representation of stimuli and choice varied substantially, but mostly orthogonally to each other, suggesting that perceptual variability does not originate from wS1 fluctuations but rather from downstream areas. Together, our results highlight the role of primary sensory areas in forming a reliable sensory substrate that could be used for flexible downstream decision processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Marie Gardères
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, F-75015, Paris, France.
- IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Sébastien Le Gal
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Charly Rousseau
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Mamane
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Dan Alin Ganea
- IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- University of Basel, Department of Biomedicine, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florent Haiss
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, F-75015, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kanigowski D, Urban-Ciecko J. Conditioning and pseudoconditioning differently change intrinsic excitability of inhibitory interneurons in the neocortex. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae109. [PMID: 38572735 PMCID: PMC10993172 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae109] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Many studies indicate a broad role of various classes of GABAergic interneurons in the processes related to learning. However, little is known about how the learning process affects intrinsic excitability of specific classes of interneurons in the neocortex. To determine this, we employed a simple model of conditional learning in mice where vibrissae stimulation was used as a conditioned stimulus and a tail shock as an unconditioned one. In vitro whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed an increase in intrinsic excitability of low-threshold spiking somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SST-INs) in layer 4 (L4) of the somatosensory (barrel) cortex after the conditioning paradigm. In contrast, pseudoconditioning reduced intrinsic excitability of SST-LTS, parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV-INs), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons (VIP-INs) with accommodating pattern in L4 of the barrel cortex. In general, increased intrinsic excitability was accompanied by narrowing of action potentials (APs), whereas decreased intrinsic excitability coincided with AP broadening. Altogether, these results show that both conditioning and pseudoconditioning lead to plastic changes in intrinsic excitability of GABAergic interneurons in a cell-specific manner. In this way, changes in intrinsic excitability can be perceived as a common mechanism of learning-induced plasticity in the GABAergic system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Kanigowski
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Urban-Ciecko
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Yonk AJ, Linares-García I, Pasternak L, Juliani SE, Gradwell MA, George AJ, Margolis DJ. Role of Posterior Medial Thalamus in the Modulation of Striatal Circuitry and Choice Behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.21.586152. [PMID: 38585753 PMCID: PMC10996534 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.21.586152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The posterior medial (POm) thalamus is heavily interconnected with sensory and motor circuitry and is likely involved in behavioral modulation and sensorimotor integration. POm provides axonal projections to the dorsal striatum, a hotspot of sensorimotor processing, yet the role of POm-striatal projections has remained undetermined. Using optogenetics with slice electrophysiology, we found that POm provides robust synaptic input to direct and indirect pathway striatal spiny projection neurons (D1- and D2-SPNs, respectively) and parvalbumin-expressing fast spiking interneurons (PVs). During the performance of a whisker-based tactile discrimination task, POm-striatal projections displayed learning-related activation correlating with anticipatory, but not reward-related, pupil dilation. Inhibition of POm-striatal axons across learning caused slower reaction times and an increase in the number of training sessions for expert performance. Our data indicate that POm-striatal inputs provide a behaviorally relevant arousal-related signal, which may prime striatal circuitry for efficient integration of subsequent choice-related inputs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Yonk
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Ivan Linares-García
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Logan Pasternak
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Sofia E. Juliani
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Mark A. Gradwell
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Arlene J. George
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - David J. Margolis
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Petty GH, Bruno RM. Attentional modulation of secondary somatosensory and visual thalamus of mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.22.586242. [PMID: 38585833 PMCID: PMC10996504 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.22.586242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Each sensory modality has its own primary and secondary thalamic nuclei. While the primary thalamic nuclei are well understood to relay sensory information from the periphery to the cortex, the role of secondary sensory nuclei is elusive. One hypothesis has been that secondary nuclei may support feature-based attention. If this is true, one would also expect the activity in different nuclei to reflect the degree to which modalities are or are not behaviorally relevant in a task. We trained head-fixed mice to attend to one sensory modality while ignoring a second modality, namely to attend to touch and ignore vision, or vice versa. Arrays were used to record simultaneously from secondary somatosensory thalamus (POm) and secondary visual thalamus (LP). In mice trained to respond to tactile stimuli and ignore visual stimuli, POm was robustly activated by touch and largely unresponsive to visual stimuli. A different pattern was observed when mice were trained to respond to visual stimuli and ignore touch, with POm now more robustly activated during visual trials. This POm activity was not explained by differences in movements (i.e., whisking, licking, pupil dilation) resulting from the two tasks. Post hoc histological reconstruction of array tracks through POm revealed that subregions varied in their degree of plasticity. LP exhibited similar phenomena. We conclude that behavioral training reshapes activity in secondary thalamic nuclei. Secondary nuclei may respond to behaviorally relevant, reward-predicting stimuli regardless of stimulus modality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gordon H Petty
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Randy M Bruno
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bordoni B, Escher AR. Motor Dysfunctions in Fibromyalgia Patients: The Importance of Breathing. Open Access Rheumatol 2024; 16:55-66. [PMID: 38476512 PMCID: PMC10929242 DOI: 10.2147/oarrr.s442327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The classification of fibromyalgia (FM) is not always immediate and simple, with the time from the first diagnosis, compared to the onset of symptoms, of a few years. Currently, we do not have instrumental or biochemical tests considered as gold standards; the clinician will make a diagnosis of FM based on the patient's medical history and subjective assessment. The symptoms can involve physical, cognitive and psychological disorders, with the presence of pain of different origins and classifications: nociplastic, nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Among the symptoms highlighted, postural disorders and neuromotor uncoordination emerge, whose functional dysfunctions can increase the mortality and morbidity rate. An alteration of the diaphragm muscle could generate such functional motor problems. Considering that the current literature underestimates the importance of breathing in FM, the article aims to highlight the relationship between motor and diaphragmatic difficulties in the patient, soliciting new points of view for the clinical and therapeutic framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Bordoni
- Dipartimento di Cardiologia, Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi IRCCS, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura, S Maria Nascente, Milano, 20100, Italia
| | - Allan R Escher
- Anesthesiology/Pain Medicine, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Taub DG, Jiang Q, Pietrafesa F, Su J, Carroll A, Greene C, Blanchard MR, Jain A, El-Rifai M, Callen A, Yager K, Chung C, He Z, Chen C, Woolf CJ. The secondary somatosensory cortex gates mechanical and heat sensitivity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1289. [PMID: 38346995 PMCID: PMC10861531 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45729-7] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex is vital for the processing and perception of sensory stimuli. In the somatosensory axis, information is received primarily by two distinct regions, the primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory cortices. Top-down circuits stemming from S1 can modulate mechanical and cooling but not heat stimuli such that circuit inhibition causes blunted perception. This suggests that responsiveness to particular somatosensory stimuli occurs in a modality specific fashion and we sought to determine additional cortical substrates. In this work, we identify in a mouse model that inhibition of S2 output increases mechanical and heat, but not cooling sensitivity, in contrast to S1. Combining 2-photon anatomical reconstruction with chemogenetic inhibition of specific S2 circuits, we discover that S2 projections to the secondary motor cortex (M2) govern mechanical and heat sensitivity without affecting motor performance or anxiety. Taken together, we show that S2 is an essential cortical structure that governs mechanical and heat sensitivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G Taub
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Qiufen Jiang
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francesca Pietrafesa
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Junfeng Su
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aloe Carroll
- College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin Greene
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Aakanksha Jain
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mahmoud El-Rifai
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexis Callen
- Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Yager
- Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Clara Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhigang He
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chinfei Chen
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mukherjee A, Halassa MM. The Associative Thalamus: A Switchboard for Cortical Operations and a Promising Target for Schizophrenia. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:132-147. [PMID: 38279699 PMCID: PMC10822032 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221112861] [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] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that profoundly perturbs cognitive processing. Despite the success in treating many of its symptoms, the field lacks effective methods to measure and address its impact on reasoning, inference, and decision making. Prefrontal cortical abnormalities have been well documented in schizophrenia, but additional dysfunction in the interactions between the prefrontal cortex and thalamus have recently been described. This dysfunction may be interpreted in light of parallel advances in neural circuit research based on nonhuman animals, which show critical thalamic roles in maintaining and switching prefrontal activity patterns in various cognitive tasks. Here, we review this basic literature and connect it to emerging innovations in clinical research. We highlight the value of focusing on associative thalamic structures not only to better understand the very nature of cognitive processing but also to leverage these circuits for diagnostic and therapeutic development in schizophrenia. We suggest that the time is right for building close bridges between basic thalamic research and its clinical translation, particularly in the domain of cognition and schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arghya Mukherjee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kawatani M, Horio K, Ohkuma M, Li WR, Yamashita T. Interareal Synaptic Inputs Underlying Whisking-Related Activity in the Primary Somatosensory Barrel Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1148232023. [PMID: 38050130 PMCID: PMC10860602 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1148-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Body movements influence brain-wide neuronal activities. In the sensory cortex, thalamocortical bottom-up inputs and motor-sensory top-down inputs are thought to affect the dynamics of membrane potentials (Vm ) of neurons and change their processing of sensory information during movements. However, direct perturbation of the axons projecting to the sensory cortex from other remote areas during movements has remained unassessed, and therefore the interareal circuits generating motor-related signals in sensory cortices remain unclear. Using a Gi/o -coupled opsin, eOPN3, we here inhibited interareal signals incoming to the whisker primary somatosensory barrel cortex (wS1) of awake male mice and tested their effects on whisking-related changes in neuronal activities in wS1. Spontaneous whisking in air induced the changes in spike rates of a subset of wS1 neurons, which were accompanied by depolarization and substantial reduction of slow-wave oscillatory fluctuations of Vm Despite an extensive innervation, inhibition of inputs from the whisker primary motor cortex (wM1) to wS1 did not alter the spike rates and Vm dynamics of wS1 neurons during whisking. In contrast, inhibition of axons from the whisker-related thalamus (wTLM) and the whisker secondary somatosensory cortex (wS2) to wS1 largely attenuated the whisking-related supra- and sub-threshold Vm dynamics of wS1 neurons. Notably, silencing inputs from wTLM markedly decreased the modulation depth of whisking phase-tuned neurons in wS1, while inhibiting wS2 inputs did not impact the whisking variable tuning of wS1 neurons. Thus, sensorimotor integration in wS1 during spontaneous whisking is predominantly facilitated by direct synaptic inputs from wTLM and wS2 rather than from wM1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Kawatani
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
- Department of Functional Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Kayo Horio
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Mahito Ohkuma
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Wan-Ru Li
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
- Department of Functional Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Takayuki Yamashita
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
- International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), Fujita Health University, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Brunner C, Montaldo G, Urban A. Functional ultrasound imaging of stroke in awake rats. eLife 2023; 12:RP88919. [PMID: 37988288 PMCID: PMC10662948 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Anesthesia is a major confounding factor in preclinical stroke research as stroke rarely occurs in sedated patients. Moreover, anesthesia affects both brain functions and the stroke outcome acting as neurotoxic or protective agents. So far, no approaches were well suited to induce stroke while imaging hemodynamics along with simultaneous large-scale recording of brain functions in awake animals. For this reason, the first critical hours following the stroke insult and associated functional alteration remain poorly understood. Here, we present a strategy to investigate both stroke hemodynamics and stroke-induced functional alterations without the confounding effect of anesthesia, i.e., under awake condition. Functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging was used to continuously monitor variations in cerebral blood volume (CBV) in +65 brain regions/hemispheres for up to 3 hr after stroke onset. The focal cortical ischemia was induced using a chemo-thrombotic agent suited for permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in awake rats and followed by ipsi- and contralesional whiskers stimulation to investigate on the dynamic of the thalamocortical functions. Early (0-3 hr) and delayed (day 5) fUS recording enabled to characterize the features of the ischemia (location, CBV loss), spreading depolarizations (occurrence, amplitude) and functional alteration of the somatosensory thalamocortical circuits. Post-stroke thalamocortical functions were affected at both early and later time points (0-3 hr and 5 days) after stroke. Overall, our procedure facilitates early, continuous, and chronic assessments of hemodynamics and cerebral functions. When integrated with stroke studies or other pathological analyses, this approach seeks to enhance our comprehension of physiopathologies towards the development of pertinent therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clément Brunner
- Neuro-Electronics Research FlandersLeuvenBelgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologieLeuvenBelgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics CentreLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Gabriel Montaldo
- Neuro-Electronics Research FlandersLeuvenBelgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologieLeuvenBelgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics CentreLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Alan Urban
- Neuro-Electronics Research FlandersLeuvenBelgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologieLeuvenBelgium
- Interuniversity Microelectronics CentreLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Domingues AV, Rodrigues AJ, Soares-Cunha C. A novel perspective on the role of nucleus accumbens neurons in encoding associative learning. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2601-2610. [PMID: 37643893 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14727] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been considered a key brain region for encoding reward/aversion and cue-outcome associations. These processes are encoded by medium spiny neurons that express either dopamine receptor D1 (D1-MSNs) or D2 (D2-MSNs). Despite the well-established role of NAc neurons in encoding reward/aversion, the underlying processing by D1-/D2-MSNs remains largely unknown. Recent electrophysiological, optogenetic and calcium imaging studies provided insight on the complex role of D1- and D2-MSNs in these behaviours and helped to clarify their involvement in associative learning. Here, we critically discuss findings supporting an intricate and complementary role of NAc D1- and D2-MSNs in associative learning, emphasizing the need for additional studies in order to fully understand the role of these neurons in behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Verónica Domingues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Markicevic M, Sturman O, Bohacek J, Rudin M, Zerbi V, Fulcher BD, Wenderoth N. Neuromodulation of striatal D1 cells shapes BOLD fluctuations in anatomically connected thalamic and cortical regions. eLife 2023; 12:e78620. [PMID: 37824184 PMCID: PMC10569790 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78620] [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: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how the brain's macroscale dynamics are shaped by underlying microscale mechanisms is a key problem in neuroscience. In animal models, we can now investigate this relationship in unprecedented detail by directly manipulating cellular-level properties while measuring the whole-brain response using resting-state fMRI. Here, we focused on understanding how blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) dynamics, measured within a structurally well-defined striato-thalamo-cortical circuit in mice, are shaped by chemogenetically exciting or inhibiting D1 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the right dorsomedial caudate putamen (CPdm). We characterize changes in both the BOLD dynamics of individual cortical and subcortical brain areas, and patterns of inter-regional coupling (functional connectivity) between pairs of areas. Using a classification approach based on a large and diverse set of time-series properties, we found that CPdm neuromodulation alters BOLD dynamics within thalamic subregions that project back to dorsomedial striatum. In the cortex, changes in local dynamics were strongest in unimodal regions (which process information from a single sensory modality) and weakened along a hierarchical gradient towards transmodal regions. In contrast, a decrease in functional connectivity was observed only for cortico-striatal connections after D1 excitation. Our results show that targeted cellular-level manipulations affect local BOLD dynamics at the macroscale, such as by making BOLD dynamics more predictable over time by increasing its self-correlation structure. This contributes to ongoing attempts to understand the influence of structure-function relationships in shaping inter-regional communication at subcortical and cortical levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marija Markicevic
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH ZürichZurichSwitzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Oliver Sturman
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, HEST, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, HEST, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Markus Rudin
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Valerio Zerbi
- Neuro-X Institute, School of Engineering (STI), EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- CIBM Centre for Biomedical ImagingLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Ben D Fulcher
- School of Physics, The University of SydneyCamperdownAustralia
| | - Nicole Wenderoth
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH ZürichZurichSwitzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE)SingaporeSingapore
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ahn SJ, Anfray A, Anrather J, Iadecola C. Calcium transients in nNOS neurons underlie distinct phases of the neurovascular response to barrel cortex activation in awake mice. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2023; 43:1633-1647. [PMID: 37149758 PMCID: PMC10581240 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x231173175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthase (nNOS), a Ca2+ dependent enzyme, is expressed by distinct populations of neocortical neurons. Although neuronal NO is well known to contribute to the blood flow increase evoked by neural activity, the relationships between nNOS neurons activity and vascular responses in the awake state remain unclear. We imaged the barrel cortex in awake, head-fixed mice through a chronically implanted cranial window. The Ca2+ indicator GCaMP7f was expressed selectively in nNOS neurons using adenoviral gene transfer in nNOScre mice. Air-puffs directed at the contralateral whiskers or spontaneous motion induced Ca2+ transients in 30.2 ± 2.2% or 51.6 ± 3.3% of nNOS neurons, respectively, and evoked local arteriolar dilation. The greatest dilatation (14.8 ± 1.1%) occurred when whisking and motion occurred simultaneously. Ca2+ transients in individual nNOS neurons and local arteriolar dilation showed various degrees of correlation, which was strongest when the activity of whole nNOS neuron ensemble was examined. We also found that some nNOS neurons became active immediately prior to arteriolar dilation, while others were activated gradually after arteriolar dilatation. Discrete nNOS neuron subsets may contribute either to the initiation or to the maintenance of the vascular response, suggesting a previously unappreciated temporal specificity to the role of NO in neurovascular coupling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sung Ji Ahn
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Antoine Anfray
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Josef Anrather
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Costantino Iadecola
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ueta Y, Miyata M. Functional and structural synaptic remodeling mechanisms underlying somatotopic organization and reorganization in the thalamus. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105332. [PMID: 37524138 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The somatosensory system organizes the topographic representation of body maps, termed somatotopy, at all levels of an ascending hierarchy. Postnatal maturation of somatotopy establishes optimal somatosensation, whereas deafferentation in adults reorganizes somatotopy, which underlies pathological somatosensation, such as phantom pain and complex regional pain syndrome. Here, we focus on the mouse whisker somatosensory thalamus to study how sensory experience shapes the fine topography of afferent connectivity during the critical period and what mechanisms remodel it and drive a large-scale somatotopic reorganization after peripheral nerve injury. We will review our findings that, following peripheral nerve injury in adults, lemniscal afferent synapses onto thalamic neurons are remodeled back to immature configuration, as if the critical period reopens. The remodeling process is initiated with local activation of microglia in the brainstem somatosensory nucleus downstream to injured nerves and heterosynaptically controlled by input from GABAergic and cortical neurons to thalamic neurons. These fruits of thalamic studies complement well-studied cortical mechanisms of somatotopic organization and reorganization and unveil potential intervention points in treating pathological somatosensation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Ueta
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Mariko Miyata
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Rowland JM, van der Plas TL, Loidolt M, Lees RM, Keeling J, Dehning J, Akam T, Priesemann V, Packer AM. Propagation of activity through the cortical hierarchy and perception are determined by neural variability. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1584-1594. [PMID: 37640911 PMCID: PMC10471496 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01413-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Brains are composed of anatomically and functionally distinct regions performing specialized tasks, but regions do not operate in isolation. Orchestration of complex behaviors requires communication between brain regions, but how neural dynamics are organized to facilitate reliable transmission is not well understood. Here we studied this process directly by generating neural activity that propagates between brain regions and drives behavior, assessing how neural populations in sensory cortex cooperate to transmit information. We achieved this by imaging two densely interconnected regions-the primary and secondary somatosensory cortex (S1 and S2)-in mice while performing two-photon photostimulation of S1 neurons and assigning behavioral salience to the photostimulation. We found that the probability of perception is determined not only by the strength of the photostimulation but also by the variability of S1 neural activity. Therefore, maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio of the stimulus representation in cortex relative to the noise or variability is critical to facilitate activity propagation and perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James M Rowland
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Thijs L van der Plas
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Matthias Loidolt
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Robert M Lees
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Science and Technology Facilities Council, Octopus Imaging Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Joshua Keeling
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jonas Dehning
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Akam
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Viola Priesemann
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Adam M Packer
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Taub DG, Jiang Q, Pietrafesa F, Su J, Greene C, Blanchard MR, Jain A, El-Rifai M, Callen A, Yager K, Chung C, He Z, Chen C, Woolf CJ. The Secondary Somatosensory Cortex Gates Mechanical and Thermal Sensitivity. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2976953. [PMID: 37461707 PMCID: PMC10350168 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2976953/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex is vital for the perception and processing of sensory stimuli. In the somatosensory axis, information is received by two distinct regions, the primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory cortices. Top-down circuits stemming from S1 can modulate mechanical and cooling but not heat stimuli such that circuit inhibition causes blunted mechanical and cooling perception. Using optogenetics and chemogenetics, we find that in contrast to S1, an inhibition of S2 output increases mechanical and heat, but not cooling sensitivity. Combining 2-photon anatomical reconstruction with chemogenetic inhibition of specific S2 circuits, we discover that S2 projections to the secondary motor cortex (M2) govern mechanical and thermal sensitivity without affecting motor or cognitive function. This suggests that while S2, like S1, encodes specific sensory information, that S2 operates through quite distinct neural substrates to modulate responsiveness to particular somatosensory stimuli and that somatosensory cortical encoding occurs in a largely parallel fashion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G. Taub
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Qiufen Jiang
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francesca Pietrafesa
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Junfeng Su
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin Greene
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Aakanksha Jain
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mahmoud El-Rifai
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexis Callen
- Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Yager
- Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Clara Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhigang He
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chinfei Chen
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Clifford J. Woolf
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Kiritani T, Pala A, Gasselin C, Crochet S, Petersen CCH. Membrane potential dynamics of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in mouse barrel cortex during active whisker sensing. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287174. [PMID: 37311008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neocortical neurons can increasingly be divided into well-defined classes, but their activity patterns during quantified behavior remain to be fully determined. Here, we obtained membrane potential recordings from various classes of excitatory and inhibitory neurons located across different cortical depths in the primary whisker somatosensory barrel cortex of awake head-restrained mice during quiet wakefulness, free whisking and active touch. Excitatory neurons, especially those located superficially, were hyperpolarized with low action potential firing rates relative to inhibitory neurons. Parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons on average fired at the highest rates, responding strongly and rapidly to whisker touch. Vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing inhibitory neurons were excited during whisking, but responded to active touch only after a delay. Somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons had the smallest membrane potential fluctuations and exhibited hyperpolarising responses at whisking onset for superficial, but not deep, neurons. Interestingly, rapid repetitive whisker touch evoked excitatory responses in somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons, but not when the intercontact interval was long. Our analyses suggest that distinct genetically-defined classes of neurons at different subpial depths have differential activity patterns depending upon behavioral state providing a basis for constraining future computational models of neocortical function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taro Kiritani
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aurélie Pala
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Célia Gasselin
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Crochet
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carl C H Petersen
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ahissar E, Nelinger G, Assa E, Karp O, Saraf-Sinik I. Thalamocortical loops as temporal demodulators across senses. Commun Biol 2023; 6:562. [PMID: 37237075 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04881-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory information is coded in space and in time. The organization of neuronal activity in space maintains straightforward relationships with the spatial organization of the perceived environment. In contrast, the temporal organization of neuronal activity is not trivially related to external features due to sensor motion. Still, the temporal organization shares similar principles across sensory modalities. Likewise, thalamocortical circuits exhibit common features across senses. Focusing on touch, vision, and audition, we review their shared coding principles and suggest that thalamocortical systems include circuits that allow analogous recoding mechanisms in all three senses. These thalamocortical circuits constitute oscillations-based phase-locked loops, that translate temporally-coded sensory information to rate-coded cortical signals, signals that can integrate information across sensory and motor modalities. The loop also allows predictive locking to the onset of future modulations of the sensory signal. The paper thus suggests a theoretical framework in which a common thalamocortical mechanism implements temporal demodulation across senses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ehud Ahissar
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
| | - Guy Nelinger
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Eldad Assa
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Ofer Karp
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Inbar Saraf-Sinik
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Taub DG, Jiang Q, Pietrafesa F, Su J, Greene C, Blanchard MR, Jain A, El-Rifai M, Callen A, Yager K, Chung C, He Z, Chen C, Woolf CJ. The Secondary Somatosensory Cortex Gates Mechanical and Thermal Sensitivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.19.541449. [PMID: 37293011 PMCID: PMC10245795 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.19.541449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex is vital for the perception and processing of sensory stimuli. In the somatosensory axis, information is received by two distinct regions, the primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory cortices. Top-down circuits stemming from S1 can modulate mechanical and cooling but not heat stimuli such that circuit inhibition causes blunted mechanical and cooling perception. Using optogenetics and chemogenetics, we find that in contrast to S1, an inhibition of S2 output increases mechanical and heat, but not cooling sensitivity. Combining 2-photon anatomical reconstruction with chemogenetic inhibition of specific S2 circuits, we discover that S2 projections to the secondary motor cortex (M2) govern mechanical and thermal sensitivity without affecting motor or cognitive function. This suggests that while S2, like S1, encodes specific sensory information, that S2 operates through quite distinct neural substrates to modulate responsiveness to particular somatosensory stimuli and that somatosensory cortical encoding occurs in a largely parallel fashion.
Collapse
|
23
|
Lee C, Côté SL, Raman N, Chaudhary H, Mercado BC, Chen SX. Whole-brain mapping of long-range inputs to the VIP-expressing inhibitory neurons in the primary motor cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1093066. [PMID: 37275468 PMCID: PMC10237295 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1093066] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary motor cortex (MOp) is an important site for motor skill learning. Interestingly, neurons in MOp possess reward-related activity, presumably to facilitate reward-based motor learning. While pyramidal neurons (PNs) and different subtypes of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons (INs) in MOp all undergo cell-type specific plastic changes during motor learning, the vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing inhibitory interneurons (VIP-INs) in MOp have been shown to preferentially respond to reward and play a critical role in the early phases of motor learning by triggering local circuit plasticity. To understand how VIP-INs might integrate various streams of information, such as sensory, pre-motor, and reward-related inputs, to regulate local plasticity in MOp, we performed monosynaptic rabies tracing experiments and employed an automated cell counting pipeline to generate a comprehensive map of brain-wide inputs to VIP-INs in MOp. We then compared this input profile to the brain-wide inputs to somatostatin-expressing inhibitory interneurons (SST-INs) and parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory interneurons (PV-INs) in MOp. We found that while all cell types received major inputs from sensory, motor, and prefrontal cortical regions, as well as from various thalamic nuclei, VIP-INs received more inputs from the orbital frontal cortex (ORB) - a region associated with reinforcement learning and value predictions. Our findings provide insight on how the brain leverages microcircuit motifs by both integrating and partitioning different streams of long-range input to modulate local circuit activity and plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Candice Lee
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sandrine L. Côté
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Nima Raman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hritvic Chaudhary
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Bryan C. Mercado
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Simon X. Chen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Center for Neural Dynamics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Yan Y, Zhu M, Cao X, Xu G, Shen W, Li F, Zhang J, Luo L, Zhang X, Zhang D, Liu T. Thalamocortical Circuit Controls Neuropathic Pain via Up-regulation of HCN2 in the Ventral Posterolateral Thalamus. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:774-792. [PMID: 36538279 PMCID: PMC10169982 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00989-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamocortical (TC) circuit is closely associated with pain processing. The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) 2 channel is predominantly expressed in the ventral posterolateral thalamus (VPL) that has been shown to mediate neuropathic pain. However, the role of VPL HCN2 in modulating TC circuit activity is largely unknown. Here, by using optogenetics, neuronal tracing, electrophysiological recordings, and virus knockdown strategies, we showed that the activation of VPL TC neurons potentiates excitatory synaptic transmission to the hindlimb region of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1HL) as well as mechanical hypersensitivity following spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced neuropathic pain in mice. Either pharmacological blockade or virus knockdown of HCN2 (shRNA-Hcn2) in the VPL was sufficient to alleviate SNI-induced hyperalgesia. Moreover, shRNA-Hcn2 decreased the excitability of TC neurons and synaptic transmission of the VPL-S1HL circuit. Together, our studies provide a novel mechanism by which HCN2 enhances the excitability of the TC circuit to facilitate neuropathic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yan
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Mengye Zhu
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Xuezhong Cao
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Gang Xu
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Wei Shen
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Fan Li
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Jinjin Zhang
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Lingyun Luo
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Xuexue Zhang
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China.
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China.
| | - Daying Zhang
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China.
- Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, 330006, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neuropathic Pain, Healthcare Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, 330006, China.
| | - Tao Liu
- Center for Experimental Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Banerjee A, Wang BA, Teutsch J, Helmchen F, Pleger B. Analogous cognitive strategies for tactile learning in the rodent and human brain. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 222:102401. [PMID: 36608783 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102401] [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: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Evolution has molded individual species' sensory capacities and abilities. In rodents, who mostly inhabit dark tunnels and burrows, the whisker-based somatosensory system has developed as the dominant sensory modality, essential for environmental exploration and spatial navigation. In contrast, humans rely more on visual and auditory inputs when collecting information from their surrounding sensory space in everyday life. As a result of such species-specific differences in sensory dominance, cognitive relevance and capacities, the evidence for analogous sensory-cognitive mechanisms across species remains sparse. However, recent research in rodents and humans yielded surprisingly comparable processing rules for detecting tactile stimuli, integrating touch information into percepts, and goal-directed rule learning. Here, we review how the brain, across species, harnesses such processing rules to establish decision-making during tactile learning, following canonical circuits from the thalamus and the primary somatosensory cortex up to the frontal cortex. We discuss concordances between empirical and computational evidence from micro- and mesoscopic circuit studies in rodents to findings from macroscopic imaging in humans. Furthermore, we discuss the relevance and challenges for future cross-species research in addressing mutual context-dependent evaluation processes underpinning perceptual learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Banerjee
- Adaptive Decisions Lab, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.
| | - Bin A Wang
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre 874 "Integration and Representation of Sensory Processes", Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
| | - Jasper Teutsch
- Adaptive Decisions Lab, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Burkhard Pleger
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre 874 "Integration and Representation of Sensory Processes", Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
English G, Ghasemi Nejad N, Sommerfelt M, Yanik MF, von der Behrens W. Bayesian surprise shapes neural responses in somatosensory cortical circuits. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112009. [PMID: 36701237 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous psychophysical studies show that Bayesian inference governs sensory decision-making; however, the specific neural circuitry underlying this probabilistic mechanism remains unclear. We record extracellular neural activity along the somatosensory pathway of mice while delivering sensory stimulation paradigms designed to isolate the response to the surprise generated by Bayesian inference. Our results demonstrate that laminar cortical circuits in early sensory areas encode Bayesian surprise. Systematic sensitivity to surprise is not identified in the somatosensory thalamus, rather emerging in the primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory cortices. Multiunit spiking activity and evoked potentials in layer 6 of these regions exhibit the highest sensitivity to surprise. Gamma power in S1 layer 2/3 exhibits an NMDAR-dependent scaling with surprise, as does alpha power in layers 2/3 and 6 of S2. These results show a precise spatiotemporal neural representation of Bayesian surprise and suggest that Bayesian inference is a fundamental component of cortical processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gwendolyn English
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Newsha Ghasemi Nejad
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Sommerfelt
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mehmet Fatih Yanik
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wolfger von der Behrens
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Xi K, Xiao H, Huang X, Yuan Z, Liu M, Mao H, Liu H, Ma G, Cheng Z, Xie Y, Liu Y, Feng D, Wang W, Guo B, Wu S. Reversal of hyperactive higher-order thalamus attenuates defensiveness in a mouse model of PTSD. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade5987. [PMID: 36735778 PMCID: PMC9897664 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade5987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disease often accompanied by severe defensive behaviors, preventing individuals from integrating into society. However, the neural mechanisms of defensiveness in PTSD remain largely unknown. Here, we identified that the higher-order thalamus, the posteromedial complex of the thalamus (PoM), was overactivated in a mouse model of PTSD, and suppressing PoM activity alleviated excessive defensive behaviors. Moreover, we found that diminished thalamic inhibition derived from the thalamic reticular nucleus was the major cause of thalamic hyperactivity in PTSD mice. Overloaded thalamic innervation to the downstream cortical area, frontal association cortex, drove abnormal defensiveness. Overall, our study revealed that the malfunction of the higher-order thalamus mediates defensive behaviors and highlighted the thalamocortical circuit as a potential target for treating PTSD-related overreactivity symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaiwen Xi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Haoxiang Xiao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Ziduo Yuan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Medical School, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
| | - Mingyue Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Medical School, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
| | - Honghui Mao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Haiying Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Guaiguai Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Medical School, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
| | - Zishuo Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Yuqiao Xie
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Dayun Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Baolin Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Hemodynamic transient and functional connectivity follow structural connectivity and cell type over the brain hierarchy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2202435120. [PMID: 36693103 PMCID: PMC9945945 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202435120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural circuit of the brain is organized as a hierarchy of functional units with wide-ranging connections that support information flow and functional connectivity. Studies using MRI indicate a moderate coupling between structural and functional connectivity at the system level. However, how do connections of different directions (feedforward and feedback) and regions with different excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) neurons shape the hemodynamic activity and functional connectivity over the hierarchy are unknown. Here, we used functional MRI to detect optogenetic-evoked and resting-state activities over a somatosensory pathway in the mouse brain in relation to axonal projection and E/I distribution. Using a highly sensitive ultrafast imaging, we identified extensive activation in regions up to the third order of axonal projections following optogenetic excitation of the ventral posteriomedial nucleus of the thalamus. The evoked response and functional connectivity correlated with feedforward projections more than feedback projections and weakened with the hierarchy. The hemodynamic response exhibited regional and hierarchical differences, with slower and more variable responses in high-order areas and bipolar response predominantly in the contralateral cortex. Electrophysiological recordings suggest that these reflect differences in neural activity rather than neurovascular coupling. Importantly, the positive and negative parts of the hemodynamic response correlated with E/I neuronal densities, respectively. Furthermore, resting-state functional connectivity was more associated with E/I distribution, whereas stimulus-evoked effective connectivity followed structural wiring. These findings indicate that the structure-function relationship is projection-, cell-type- and hierarchy-dependent. Hemodynamic transients could reflect E/I activity and the increased complexity of hierarchical processing.
Collapse
|
29
|
Matteucci G, Guyoton M, Mayrhofer JM, Auffret M, Foustoukos G, Petersen CCH, El-Boustani S. Cortical sensory processing across motivational states during goal-directed behavior. Neuron 2022; 110:4176-4193.e10. [PMID: 36240769 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral states can influence performance of goal-directed sensorimotor tasks. Yet, it is unclear how altered neuronal sensory representations in these states relate to task performance and learning. We trained water-restricted mice in a two-whisker discrimination task to study cortical circuits underlying perceptual decision-making under different levels of thirst. We identified somatosensory cortices as well as the premotor cortex as part of the circuit necessary for task execution. Two-photon calcium imaging in these areas identified populations selective to sensory or motor events. Analysis of task performance during individual sessions revealed distinct behavioral states induced by decreasing levels of thirst-related motivation. Learning was better explained by improvements in motivational state control rather than sensorimotor association. Whisker sensory representations in the cortex were altered across behavioral states. In particular, whisker stimuli could be better decoded from neuronal activity during high task performance states, suggesting that state-dependent changes of sensory processing influence decision-making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Matteucci
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maëlle Guyoton
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Johannes M Mayrhofer
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), EPFL-SV-BMI-LSENS Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthieu Auffret
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), EPFL-SV-BMI-LSENS Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Georgios Foustoukos
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), EPFL-SV-BMI-LSENS Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carl C H Petersen
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), EPFL-SV-BMI-LSENS Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Sami El-Boustani
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland; Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), EPFL-SV-BMI-LSENS Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Qi J, Ye C, Naskar S, Inácio AR, Lee S. Posteromedial thalamic nucleus activity significantly contributes to perceptual discrimination. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001896. [PMID: 36441759 PMCID: PMC9731480 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001896] [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: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher-order sensory thalamic nuclei are densely connected with multiple cortical and subcortical areas, yet the role of these nuclei remains elusive. The posteromedial thalamic nucleus (POm), the higher-order thalamic nucleus in the rodent somatosensory system, is an anatomical hub broadly connected with multiple sensory and motor brain areas yet weakly responds to passive sensory stimulation and whisker movements. To understand the role of POm in sensory perception, we developed a self-initiated, two-alternative forced-choice task in freely moving mice during active sensing. Using optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulation, we show that POm plays a significant role in sensory perception and the projection from the primary somatosensory cortex to POm is critical for the contribution of POm in sensory perception during active sensing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Qi
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Changquan Ye
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shovan Naskar
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ana R. Inácio
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Soohyun Lee
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Xue J, Qian D, Zhang B, Yang J, Li W, Bao Y, Qiu S, Fu Y, Wang S, Yuan TF, Lu W. Midbrain dopamine neurons arbiter OCD-like behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2207545119. [PMID: 36343236 PMCID: PMC9674233 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2207545119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) includes dysregulated frontostriatal circuitry and altered monoamine transmission. Repetitive stereotyped behavior (e.g., grooming), a featured symptom in OCD, has been proposed to be associated with perturbed dopamine (DA) signaling. However, the precise brain circuits participating in DA's control over this behavioral phenotype remain elusive. Here, we identified that DA neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) orchestrate ventromedial striatum (VMS) microcircuits as well as lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) during self-grooming behavior. SNc-VMS and SNc-lOFC dopaminergic projections modulate grooming behaviors and striatal microcircuit function differentially. Specifically, the activity of the SNc-VMS pathway promotes grooming via D1 receptors, whereas the activity of the SNc-lOFC pathway suppresses grooming via D2 receptors. SNc DA neuron activity thus controls the OCD-like behaviors via both striatal and cortical projections as dual gating. These results support both pharmacological and brain-stimulation treatments for OCD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinwen Xue
- Minister of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Dandan Qian
- Minister of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Bingqian Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Jingxuan Yang
- Minister of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Wei Li
- Minister of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yifei Bao
- Minister of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Shi Qiu
- Minister of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yi Fu
- Minister of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Shaoli Wang
- Minister of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ti-Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Minister of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Choi S, Zeng H, Chen Y, Sobczak F, Qian C, Yu X. Laminar-specific functional connectivity mapping with multi-slice line-scanning fMRI. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4492-4501. [PMID: 35107125 PMCID: PMC9574235 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive studies detecting laminar functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals to illustrate the canonical microcircuit, the spatiotemporal characteristics of laminar-specific information flow across cortical regions remain to be fully investigated in both evoked and resting conditions at different brain states. Here, we developed a multislice line-scanning fMRI (MS-LS) method to detect laminar fMRI signals in adjacent cortical regions with high spatial (50 μm) and temporal resolution (100 ms) in anesthetized rats. Across different trials, we detected either laminar-specific positive or negative blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) responses in the surrounding cortical region adjacent to the most activated cortex under the evoked condition. Specifically, in contrast to typical Layer (L) 4 correlation across different regions due to the thalamocortical projections for trials with positive BOLD, a strong correlation pattern specific in L2/3 was detected for trials with negative BOLD in adjacent regions, which indicated brain state-dependent laminar-fMRI responses based on corticocortical interaction. Also, in resting-state (rs-) fMRI study, robust lag time differences in L2/3, 4, and 5 across multiple cortices represented the low-frequency rs-fMRI signal propagation from caudal to rostral slices. In summary, our study provided a unique laminar fMRI mapping scheme to better characterize trial-specific intra- and inter-laminar functional connectivity in evoked and resting-state MS-LS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sangcheon Choi
- Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72074, Germany
| | - Hang Zeng
- Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72074, Germany
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Filip Sobczak
- Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72074, Germany
| | - Chunqi Qian
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Xin Yu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Grienberger C, Giovannucci A, Zeiger W, Portera-Cailliau C. Two-photon calcium imaging of neuronal activity. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2022; 2:67. [PMID: 38124998 PMCID: PMC10732251 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00147-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
In vivo two-photon calcium imaging (2PCI) is a technique used for recording neuronal activity in the intact brain. It is based on the principle that, when neurons fire action potentials, intracellular calcium levels rise, which can be detected using fluorescent molecules that bind to calcium. This Primer is designed for scientists who are considering embarking on experiments with 2PCI. We provide the reader with a background on the basic concepts behind calcium imaging and on the reasons why 2PCI is an increasingly powerful and versatile technique in neuroscience. The Primer explains the different steps involved in experiments with 2PCI, provides examples of what ideal preparations should look like and explains how data are analysed. We also discuss some of the current limitations of the technique, and the types of solutions to circumvent them. Finally, we conclude by anticipating what the future of 2PCI might look like, emphasizing some of the analysis pipelines that are being developed and international efforts for data sharing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Grienberger
- Department of Biology and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Andrea Giovannucci
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - William Zeiger
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Portera-Cailliau
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Cai L, Yang JW, Wang CF, Chou SJ, Luhmann HJ, Karayannis T. Identification of a Developmental Switch in Information Transfer between Whisker S1 and S2 Cortex in Mice. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4435-4448. [PMID: 35501157 PMCID: PMC9172289 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2246-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The whiskers of rodents are a key sensory organ that provides critical tactile information for animal navigation and object exploration throughout life. Previous work has explored the developmental sensory-driven activation of the primary sensory cortex processing whisker information (wS1), also called barrel cortex. This body of work has shown that the barrel cortex is already activated by sensory stimuli during the first postnatal week. However, it is currently unknown when over the course of development these stimuli begin being processed by higher-order cortical areas, such as secondary whisker somatosensory area (wS2). Here we investigate the developmental engagement of wS2 by whisker stimuli and the emergence of corticocortical communication from wS1 to wS2. Using in vivo wide-field imaging and multielectrode recordings in control and conditional KO mice of either sex with thalamocortical innervation defects, we find that wS1 and wS2 are able to process bottom-up information coming from the thalamus from birth. We also identify that it is only at the end of the first postnatal week that wS1 begins to provide functional excitation into wS2, switching to more inhibitory actions after the second postnatal week. Therefore, we have uncovered a developmental window when information transfer between wS1 and wS2 reaches mature function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT At the end of the first postnatal week, the primary whisker somatosensory area starts providing excitatory input to the secondary whisker somatosensory area 2. This excitatory drive weakens during the second postnatal week and switches to inhibition in the adult.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linbi Cai
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute, University of Zürich, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jenq-Wei Yang
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute, University of Zürich, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Chia-Fang Wang
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Shen-Ju Chou
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Heiko J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Theofanis Karayannis
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute, University of Zürich, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Conserved patterns of functional organization between cortex and thalamus in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201481119. [PMID: 35588455 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201481119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceNeuroanatomical tracing provides just a partial picture of information flow in the brain, because excitatory synapses are not all equal. Some strongly drive postsynaptic targets to transfer information, whereas others weakly modulate their responsiveness. Here, we show conserved patterns of synaptic function across somatosensory and visual thalamocortical circuits in mice involving higher-order thalamic nuclei. These nuclei serve as hubs in transthalamic or cortico-thalamo-cortical pathways. We report that feedforward transthalamic circuits in the somatosensory and visual systems operate to efficiently transmit information, whereas feedback transthalamic circuits act to modulate their target areas. These patterns may generalize to other brain systems and show how methods of synapse physiology and molecular biology can inform the exploration of brain circuitry and information processing.
Collapse
|
36
|
Resulaj A, Wu J, Hartmann MJZ, Feinstein P, Zeigler HP. Impaired trigeminal control of ingestive behavior in the Prrxl1-/- mouse is associated with a lemniscal-biased orosensory deafferentation. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0258837. [PMID: 35389991 PMCID: PMC8989224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although peripheral deafferentation studies have demonstrated a critical role for trigeminal afference in modulating the orosensorimotor control of eating and drinking, the central trigeminal pathways mediating that control, as well as the timescale of control, remain to be elucidated. In rodents, three ascending somatosensory pathways process and relay orofacial mechanosensory input: the lemniscal, paralemniscal, and extralemniscal. Two of these pathways (the lemniscal and extralemniscal) exhibit highly structured topographic representations of the orofacial sensory surface, as exemplified by the one-to-one somatotopic mapping between vibrissae on the animals’ face and barrelettes in brainstem, barreloids in thalamus, and barrels in cortex. Here we use the Prrxl1 knockout mouse model (also known as the DRG11 knockout) to investigate ingestive behavior deficits that may be associated with disruption of the lemniscal pathway. The Prrxl1 deletion disrupts somatotopic patterning and axonal projections throughout the lemniscal pathway but spares patterning in the extralemniscal nucleus. Our data reveal an imprecise and inefficient ingestive phenotype. Drinking behavior exhibits deficits on the timescales of milliseconds to seconds. Eating behavior shows deficits over an even broader range of timescales. An analysis of food acquisition and consummatory rate showed deficits on the timescale of seconds, and analysis of body weight suggested deficits on the scale of long term appetitive control. We suggest that ordered assembly of trigeminal sensory information along the lemniscal pathway is critical for the rapid and precise modulation of motor circuits driving eating and drinking action sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Admir Resulaj
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (NUIN), Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jeannette Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Mitra J. Z. Hartmann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Paul Feinstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
- The Graduate Center Programs in Biochemistry, Biology and CUNY Neuroscience Collaborative, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - H. Phillip Zeigler
- The Graduate Center Programs in Biochemistry, Biology and CUNY Neuroscience Collaborative, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Lassagne H, Goueytes D, Shulz DE, Estebanez L, Ego-Stengel V. Continuity within the somatosensory cortical map facilitates learning. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110617. [PMID: 35385729 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The topographic organization is a prominent feature of sensory cortices, but its functional role remains controversial. Particularly, it is not well determined how integration of activity within a cortical area depends on its topography during sensory-guided behavior. Here, we train mice expressing channelrhodopsin in excitatory neurons to track a photostimulation bar that rotated smoothly over the topographic whisker representation of the primary somatosensory cortex. Mice learn to discriminate angular positions of the light bar to obtain a reward. They fail not only when the spatiotemporal continuity of the photostimulation is disrupted in this area but also when cortical areas displaying map discontinuities, such as the trunk and legs, or areas without topographic map, such as the posterior parietal cortex, are photostimulated. In contrast, when cortical topographic continuity enables to predict future sensory activation, mice demonstrate anticipation of reward availability. These findings could be helpful for optimizing feedback while designing cortical neuroprostheses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henri Lassagne
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France
| | - Dorian Goueytes
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France
| | - Daniel E Shulz
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France
| | - Luc Estebanez
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France
| | - Valerie Ego-Stengel
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
La Terra D, Rosier M, Bjerre AS, Masuda R, Ryan TJ, Palmer LM. The role of higher order thalamus during learning and correct performance in goal-directed behavior. eLife 2022; 11:77177. [PMID: 35259091 PMCID: PMC8937217 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is a gateway to the cortex. Cortical encoding of complex behavior can therefore only be understood by considering the thalamic processing of sensory and internally generated information. Here, we use two-photon Ca2+ imaging and optogenetics to investigate the role of axonal projections from the posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (POm) to the forepaw area of the mouse primary somatosensory cortex (forepaw S1). By recording the activity of POm axonal projections within forepaw S1 during expert and chance performance in two tactile goal-directed tasks, we demonstrate that POm axons increase activity in the response and, to a lesser extent, reward epochs specifically during correct HIT performance. When performing at chance level during learning of a new behavior, POm axonal activity was decreased to naive rates and did not correlate with task performance. However, once evoked, the Ca2+ transients were larger than during expert performance, suggesting POm input to S1 differentially encodes chance and expert performance. Furthermore, the POm influences goal-directed behavior, as photoinactivation of archaerhodopsin-expressing neurons in the POm decreased the learning rate and overall success in the behavioral task. Taken together, these findings expand the known roles of the higher-thalamic nuclei, illustrating the POm encodes and influences correct action during learning and performance in a sensory-based goal-directed behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danilo La Terra
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Marius Rosier
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ann-Sofie Bjerre
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rei Masuda
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Lucy Maree Palmer
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
The role of thalamic nuclei in genetic generalized epilepsies. Epilepsy Res 2022; 182:106918. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2022.106918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
40
|
Kitanishi T, Tashiro M, Kitanishi N, Mizuseki K. Intersectional, anterograde transsynaptic targeting of neurons receiving monosynaptic inputs from two upstream regions. Commun Biol 2022; 5:149. [PMID: 35190665 PMCID: PMC8860993 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03096-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A brain region typically receives inputs from multiple upstream areas. However, currently, no method is available to selectively dissect neurons that receive monosynaptic inputs from two upstream regions. Here, we developed a method to genetically label such neurons with a single gene of interest in mice by combining the anterograde transsynaptic spread of adeno-associated virus serotype 1 (AAV1) with intersectional gene expression. Injections of AAV1 expressing either Cre or Flpo recombinases and the Cre/Flpo double-dependent AAV into two upstream regions and the downstream region, respectively, were used to label postsynaptic neurons receiving inputs from the two upstream regions. We demonstrated this labelling in two distinct circuits: the retina/primary visual cortex to the superior colliculus and the bilateral motor cortex to the dorsal striatum. Systemic delivery of the intersectional AAV allowed the unbiased detection of the labelled neurons throughout the brain. This strategy may help analyse the interregional integration of information in the brain. In this paper, a method is developed to genetically label neurons that receive monosynaptic inputs from two upstream regions of the brain. This could improve the analysis of interregional integration of information in neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Kitanishi
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. .,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan.
| | - Mariko Tashiro
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Naomi Kitanishi
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Kenji Mizuseki
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Zingg B, Dong HW, Tao HW, Zhang LI. Application of AAV1 for Anterograde Transsynaptic Circuit Mapping and Input-Dependent Neuronal Cataloging. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e339. [PMID: 35044725 PMCID: PMC8852298 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Viruses that spread transsynaptically provide a powerful means to study interconnected circuits in the brain. Here we describe the use of adeno-associated virus, serotype 1 (AAV1), as a tool to achieve robust, anterograde transsynaptic spread in a variety of unidirectional pathways. A protocol for performing intracranial AAV1 injections in mice is presented, along with additional guidance for planning experiments, sourcing materials, and optimizing the approach to achieve the most successful outcomes. By following the methods presented here, researchers will be able to reveal postsynaptically connected neurons downstream of a given AAV1 injection site and access these input-defined cells for subsequent mapping, recording, and manipulation to characterize their anatomical and functional properties. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: Stereotaxic injection of AAV1 for anterograde transsynaptic spread.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Zingg
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Hong-Wei Dong
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Huizhong Whit Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Li I. Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Kim GT, Bahn S, Kim N, Choi JH, Kim JS, Rah JC. Efficient and Accurate Synapse Detection With Selective Structured Illumination Microscopy on the Putative Regions of Interest of Ultrathin Serial Sections. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:759816. [PMID: 34867216 PMCID: PMC8634652 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.759816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Critical determinants of synaptic functions include subcellular locations, input sources, and specific molecular characteristics. However, there is not yet a reliable and efficient method that can detect synapses. Electron microscopy is a gold-standard method to detect synapses due to its exceedingly high spatial resolution. However, it requires laborious and time-consuming sample preparation and lengthy imaging time with limited labeling methods. Recent advances in various fluorescence microscopy methods have highlighted fluorescence microscopy as a substitute for electron microscopy in reliable synapse detection in a large volume of neural circuits. In particular, array tomography has been verified as a useful tool for neural circuit reconstruction. To further improve array tomography, we developed a novel imaging method, called “structured illumination microscopy on the putative region of interest on ultrathin sections”, which enables efficient and accurate detection of synapses-of-interest. Briefly, based on low-magnification conventional fluorescence microscopy images, synapse candidacy was determined. Subsequently, the coordinates of the regions with candidate synapses were imaged using super-resolution structured illumination microscopy. Using this system, synapses from the high-order thalamic nucleus, the posterior medial nucleus in the barrel cortex were rapidly and accurately imaged.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gyeong Tae Kim
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - Sangkyu Bahn
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Nari Kim
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Joon Ho Choi
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Jinseop S Kim
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea.,Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Jong-Cheol Rah
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Matsubara T, Yamashita T. Remote Optogenetics Using Up/Down-Conversion Phosphors. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:771717. [PMID: 34805279 PMCID: PMC8602066 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.771717] [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: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins widely used for optogenetics are sensitive to light in the visible spectrum. As visible light is heavily scattered and absorbed by tissue, stimulating light for optogenetic control does not reach deep in the tissue irradiated from outside the subject body. Conventional optogenetics employs fiber optics inserted close to the target, which is highly invasive and poses various problems for researchers. Recent advances in material science integrated with neuroscience have enabled remote optogenetic control of neuronal activities in living animals using up- or down-conversion phosphors. The development of these methodologies has stimulated researchers to test novel strategies for less invasive, wireless control of cellular functions in the brain and other tissues. Here, we review recent reports related to these new technologies and discuss the current limitations and future perspectives toward the establishment of non-invasive optogenetics for clinical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Matsubara
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Takayuki Yamashita
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Castejon C, Martin-Cortecero J, Nuñez A. Higher-Order Thalamic Encoding of Somatosensory Patterns and Bilateral Events. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:752804. [PMID: 34759802 PMCID: PMC8573422 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.752804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of the higher-order sensory thalamus remains unclear. Here, the posterior medial (POm) nucleus of the thalamus was examined by in vivo extracellular recordings in anesthetized rats across a variety of contralateral, ipsilateral, and bilateral whisker sensory patterns. We found that POm was highly sensitive to multiwhisker stimuli involving diverse spatiotemporal interactions. Accurate increases in POm activity were produced during the overlapping time between spatial signals reflecting changes in the spatiotemporal structure of sensory patterns. In addition, our results showed for first time that POm was also able to respond to tactile stimulation of ipsilateral whiskers. This finding challenges the notion that the somatosensory thalamus only computes unilateral stimuli. We found that POm also integrates signals from both whisker pads and described how this integration is generated. Our results showed that ipsilateral activity reached one POm indirectly from the other POm and demonstrated a transmission of sensory activity between both nuclei through a functional POm-POm loop formed by thalamocortical, interhemispheric, and corticothalamic projections. The implication of different cortical areas was investigated revealing that S1 plays a central role in this POm-POm loop. Accordingly, the subcortical and cortical inputs allow POm but not the ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus (VPM) to have sensory information from both sides of the body. This finding is in agreement with the higher-order nature of POm and can be considered to functionally differentiate and classify these thalamic nuclei. A possible functional role of these higher-order thalamic patterns of integrated activity in brain function is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Castejon
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesus Martin-Cortecero
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain.,Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angel Nuñez
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Liu Y, Wang W, Xu W, Cheng Q, Ming D. Quantifying the Generation Process of Multi-Level Tactile Sensations via ERP Component Investigation. Int J Neural Syst 2021; 31:2150049. [PMID: 34635035 DOI: 10.1142/s0129065721500490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Humans obtain characteristic information such as texture and weight of external objects, relying on the brain's integration and classification of tactile information; however, the decoding mechanism of multi-level tactile information is relatively elusive from the temporal sequence. In this paper, nonvariant frequency, along with the variant pulse width of electrotactile stimulus, was performed to generate multi-level pressure sensation. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured to investigate the mechanism of whole temporal tactile processing. Five ERP components, containing P100-N140-P200-N200-P300, were observed. By establishing the relationship between stimulation parameters and ERP component amplitudes, we found the following: (1) P200 is the most significant component for distinguishing multi-level tactile sensations; (2) P300 is correlated well with the subjective judgment of tactile sensation. The temporal sequence of brain topographies was implemented to clarify the spatiotemporal characteristics of the tactile process, which conformed to the serial processing model in neurophysiology and cortical network response area described by fMRI. Our results can help further clarify the mechanism of tactile sequential processing, which can be applied to improve the tactile BCI performance, sensory enhancement, and clinical diagnosis for doctors to evaluate the tactile process disorders by examining the temporal ERP components.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Wenjie Wang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Weiguo Xu
- Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 406 South Jiefang Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Qian Cheng
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Dong Ming
- College of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Di Volo M, Férézou I. Nonlinear collision between propagating waves in mouse somatosensory cortex. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19630. [PMID: 34608205 PMCID: PMC8490437 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99057-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
How does cellular organization shape the spatio-temporal patterns of activity in the cortex while processing sensory information? After measuring the propagation of activity in the mouse primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in response to single whisker deflections with Voltage Sensitive Dye (VSD) imaging, we developed a two dimensional model of S1. We designed an inference method to reconstruct model parameters from VSD data, revealing that a spatially heterogeneous organization of synaptic strengths between pyramidal neurons in S1 is likely to be responsible for the heterogeneous spatio-temporal patterns of activity measured experimentally. The model shows that, for strong enough excitatory cortical interactions, whisker deflections generate a propagating wave in S1. Finally, we report that two consecutive stimuli activating different spatial locations in S1 generate two waves which collide sub-linearly, giving rise to a suppressive wave. In the inferred model, the suppressive wave is explained by a lower sensitivity to external perturbations of neural networks during activated states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Di Volo
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modélisation, CY Cergy Paris Université, 95302, Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France.
| | - I Férézou
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Spatiotemporal expression of IgLON family members in the developing mouse nervous system. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19536. [PMID: 34599206 PMCID: PMC8486791 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97768-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Differential expression of cell adhesion molecules in neuronal populations is one of the many mechanisms promoting the formation of functional neural circuits in the developing nervous system. The IgLON family consists of five cell surface immunoglobulin proteins that have been associated with various developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder. However, there is still limited and fragmented information about their patterns of expression in certain regions of the developing nervous system and how their expression contributes to their function. Utilizing an in situ hybridization approach, we have analyzed the spatiotemporal expression of all IgLON family members in the developing mouse brain, spinal cord, eye, olfactory epithelium, and vomeronasal organ. At one prenatal (E16) and two postnatal (P0 and P15) ages, we show that each IgLON displays distinct expression patterns in the olfactory system, cerebral cortex, midbrain, cerebellum, spinal cord, and eye, indicating that they likely contribute to the wiring of specific neuronal circuitry. These analyses will inform future functional studies aimed at identifying additional roles for these proteins in nervous system development.
Collapse
|
48
|
Sippy T, Chaimowitz C, Crochet S, Petersen CCH. Cell Type-Specific Membrane Potential Changes in Dorsolateral Striatum Accompanying Reward-Based Sensorimotor Learning. FUNCTION (OXFORD, ENGLAND) 2021; 2:zqab049. [PMID: 35330797 PMCID: PMC8788857 DOI: 10.1093/function/zqab049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The striatum integrates sensorimotor and motivational signals, likely playing a key role in reward-based learning of goal-directed behavior. However, cell type-specific mechanisms underlying reinforcement learning remain to be precisely determined. Here, we investigated changes in membrane potential dynamics of dorsolateral striatal neurons comparing naïve mice and expert mice trained to lick a reward spout in response to whisker deflection. We recorded from three distinct cell types: (i) direct pathway striatonigral neurons, which express type 1 dopamine receptors; (ii) indirect pathway striatopallidal neurons, which express type 2 dopamine receptors; and (iii) tonically active, putative cholinergic, striatal neurons. Task learning was accompanied by cell type-specific changes in the membrane potential dynamics evoked by the whisker deflection and licking in successfully-performed trials. Both striatonigral and striatopallidal types of striatal projection neurons showed enhanced task-related depolarization across learning. Striatonigral neurons showed a prominent increase in a short latency sensory-evoked depolarization in expert compared to naïve mice. In contrast, the putative cholinergic striatal neurons developed a hyperpolarizing response across learning, driving a pause in their firing. Our results reveal cell type-specific changes in striatal membrane potential dynamics across the learning of a simple goal-directed sensorimotor transformation, helpful for furthering the understanding of the various potential roles of different basal ganglia circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Corryn Chaimowitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Mease RA, Gonzalez AJ. Corticothalamic Pathways From Layer 5: Emerging Roles in Computation and Pathology. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:730211. [PMID: 34566583 PMCID: PMC8458899 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.730211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Large portions of the thalamus receive strong driving input from cortical layer 5 (L5) neurons but the role of this important pathway in cortical and thalamic computations is not well understood. L5-recipient "higher-order" thalamic regions participate in cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuits that are increasingly recognized to be (1) anatomically and functionally distinct from better-studied "first-order" CTC networks, and (2) integral to cortical activity related to learning and perception. Additionally, studies are beginning to elucidate the clinical relevance of these networks, as dysfunction across these pathways have been implicated in several pathological states. In this review, we highlight recent advances in understanding L5 CTC networks across sensory modalities and brain regions, particularly studies leveraging cell-type-specific tools that allow precise experimental access to L5 CTC circuits. We aim to provide a focused and accessible summary of the anatomical, physiological, and computational properties of L5-originating CTC networks, and outline their underappreciated contribution in pathology. We particularly seek to connect single-neuron and synaptic properties to network (dys)function and emerging theories of cortical computation, and highlight information processing in L5 CTC networks as a promising focus for computational studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Mease
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
NMDA receptor-BK channel coupling regulates synaptic plasticity in the barrel cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2107026118. [PMID: 34453004 PMCID: PMC8536339 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107026118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are critical triggers for neuronal plasticity. We show that large-conductance Ca2+- and voltage-gated K+ (BK) channels serve as feedback regulators of NMDA receptor–mediated calcium influx to shape NMDA receptor–mediated synaptic potentials and consequently elevate the threshold for triggering plasticity at a subset of synapses. Postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are crucial mediators of synaptic plasticity due to their ability to act as coincidence detectors of presynaptic and postsynaptic neuronal activity. However, NMDARs exist within the molecular context of a variety of postsynaptic signaling proteins, which can fine-tune their function. Here, we describe a form of NMDAR suppression by large-conductance Ca2+- and voltage-gated K+ (BK) channels in the basal dendrites of a subset of barrel cortex layer 5 pyramidal neurons. We show that NMDAR activation increases intracellular Ca2+ in the vicinity of BK channels, thus activating K+ efflux and strong negative feedback inhibition. We further show that neurons exhibiting such NMDAR–BK coupling serve as high-pass filters for incoming synaptic inputs, precluding the induction of spike timing–dependent plasticity. Together, these data suggest that NMDAR-localized BK channels regulate synaptic integration and provide input-specific synaptic diversity to a thalamocortical circuit.
Collapse
|