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Finseth TT, Smith B, Van Steenis AL, Glahn DC, Johnson M, Ruttle P, Shirtcliff BA, Shirtcliff EA. When virtual reality becomes psychoneuroendocrine reality: A stress(or) review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 166:107061. [PMID: 38701607 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
This review article was awarded the Dirk Hellhammer award from ISPNE in 2023. It explores the dynamic relationship between stressors and stress from a historical view as well as a vision towards the future of stress research via virtual reality (VR). We introduce the concept of a "syncytium," a permeable boundary that blurs the distinction between stress and stressor, in order to understand why the field of stress biology continues to inadequately measure stress alone as a proxy for the force of external stressors. Using Virtual Reality (VR) as an illustrative example to explicate the black box of stressors, we examine the distinction between 'immersion' and 'presence' as analogous terms for stressor and stress, respectively. We argue that the conventional psychological approaches to stress measurement and appraisal theory unfortunately fall short in quantifying the force of the stressor, leading to reverse causality fallacies. Further, the concept of affordances is introduced as an ecological or holistic tool to measure and design a stressor's force, bridging the gap between the external environment and an individual's physiological response to stress. Affordances also serve to ameliorate shortcomings in stress appraisal by integrating ecological interdependencies. By combining VR and psychobiological measures, this paper aims to unravel the complexity of the stressor-stress syncytium, highlighting the necessity of assessing both the internal and external facets to gain a holistic understanding of stress physiology and shift away from reverse causality reasoning. We find that the utility of VR extends beyond presence to include affordance-based measures of immersion, which can effectively model stressor force. Future research should prioritize the development of tools that can measure both immersion and presence, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of how external stressors interact with individual psychological states.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brandon Smith
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
| | | | - David C Glahn
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - Megan Johnson
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
| | - Paula Ruttle
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
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2
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Salemi M, Schillaci FA, Lanza G, Marchese G, Salluzzo MG, Cordella A, Caniglia S, Bruccheri MG, Truda A, Greco D, Ferri R, Romano C. Transcriptome Study in Sicilian Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1402. [PMID: 39061976 PMCID: PMC11274004 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12071402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
ASD is a complex condition primarily rooted in genetics, although influenced by environmental, prenatal, and perinatal risk factors, ultimately leading to genetic and epigenetic alterations. These mechanisms may manifest as inflammatory, oxidative stress, hypoxic, or ischemic damage. To elucidate potential variances in gene expression in ASD, a transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was conducted via RNA-seq on 12 ASD patients and 13 healthy controls, all of Sicilian ancestry to minimize environmental confounds. A total of 733 different statistically significant genes were identified between the two cohorts. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Ontology (GO) terms were employed to explore the pathways influenced by differentially expressed mRNAs. GSEA revealed GO pathways strongly associated with ASD, namely the GO Biological Process term "Response to Oxygen-Containing Compound". Additionally, the GO Cellular Component pathway "Mitochondrion" stood out among other pathways, with differentially expressed genes predominantly affiliated with this specific pathway, implicating the involvement of different mitochondrial functions in ASD. Among the differentially expressed genes, FPR2 was particularly highlighted, belonging to three GO pathways. FPR2 can modulate pro-inflammatory responses, with its intracellular cascades triggering the activation of several kinases, thus suggesting its potential utility as a biomarker of pro-inflammatory processes in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Salemi
- Oasi Research Institute—IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (F.A.S.); (G.L.); (M.G.S.); (S.C.); (M.G.B.); (D.G.); (R.F.); (C.R.)
| | - Francesca A. Schillaci
- Oasi Research Institute—IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (F.A.S.); (G.L.); (M.G.S.); (S.C.); (M.G.B.); (D.G.); (R.F.); (C.R.)
| | - Giuseppe Lanza
- Oasi Research Institute—IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (F.A.S.); (G.L.); (M.G.S.); (S.C.); (M.G.B.); (D.G.); (R.F.); (C.R.)
- Department of Surgery and Medical—Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanna Marchese
- Genomix4Life S.r.l., 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (G.M.); (A.C.); (A.T.)
- Genome Research Center for Health—CRGS, 84081 Baronissi, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Salluzzo
- Oasi Research Institute—IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (F.A.S.); (G.L.); (M.G.S.); (S.C.); (M.G.B.); (D.G.); (R.F.); (C.R.)
| | - Angela Cordella
- Genomix4Life S.r.l., 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (G.M.); (A.C.); (A.T.)
- Genome Research Center for Health—CRGS, 84081 Baronissi, Italy
| | - Salvatore Caniglia
- Oasi Research Institute—IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (F.A.S.); (G.L.); (M.G.S.); (S.C.); (M.G.B.); (D.G.); (R.F.); (C.R.)
| | - Maria Grazia Bruccheri
- Oasi Research Institute—IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (F.A.S.); (G.L.); (M.G.S.); (S.C.); (M.G.B.); (D.G.); (R.F.); (C.R.)
| | - Anna Truda
- Genomix4Life S.r.l., 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (G.M.); (A.C.); (A.T.)
- Genome Research Center for Health—CRGS, 84081 Baronissi, Italy
| | - Donatella Greco
- Oasi Research Institute—IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (F.A.S.); (G.L.); (M.G.S.); (S.C.); (M.G.B.); (D.G.); (R.F.); (C.R.)
| | - Raffaele Ferri
- Oasi Research Institute—IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (F.A.S.); (G.L.); (M.G.S.); (S.C.); (M.G.B.); (D.G.); (R.F.); (C.R.)
| | - Corrado Romano
- Oasi Research Institute—IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (F.A.S.); (G.L.); (M.G.S.); (S.C.); (M.G.B.); (D.G.); (R.F.); (C.R.)
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
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3
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Xu X, Yang H, Cong J, Sydnor V, Cui Z. Structural connectivity matures along a sensorimotor-association connectional axis in youth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.17.599267. [PMID: 38948845 PMCID: PMC11212872 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.17.599267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Childhood and adolescence are associated with protracted developmental remodeling of cortico-cortical structural connectivity. However, how heterochronous development in white matter structural connectivity spatially and temporally unfolds across the macroscale human connectome remains unknown. Leveraging non-invasive diffusion MRI data from both cross-sectional (N = 590) and longitudinal (baseline: N = 3,949; two-year follow-up: N = 3,155) developmental datasets, we found that structural connectivity development diverges along a pre-defined sensorimotor-association (S-A) connectional axis from ages 8.1 to 21.9 years. Specifically, we observed a continuum of developmental profiles that spans from an early childhood increase in connectivity strength in sensorimotor-sensorimotor connections to a late adolescent increase in association-association connectional strength. The S-A connectional axis also captured spatial variations in associations between structural connectivity and both higher-order cognition and general psychopathology. Together, our findings reveal a hierarchical axis in the development of structural connectivity across the human connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University; Beijing, 100875, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing; Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Hang Yang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing; Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Jing Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University; Beijing, 100875, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing; Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Valerie Sydnor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Zaixu Cui
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing; Beijing, 102206, China
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Burnett LE, Koppensteiner P, Symonova O, Masson T, Vega-Zuniga T, Contreras X, Rülicke T, Shigemoto R, Novarino G, Joesch M. Shared behavioural impairments in visual perception and place avoidance across different autism models are driven by periaqueductal grey hypoexcitability in Setd5 haploinsufficient mice. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002668. [PMID: 38857283 PMCID: PMC11216578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the diverse genetic origins of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), affected individuals share strikingly similar and correlated behavioural traits that include perceptual and sensory processing challenges. Notably, the severity of these sensory symptoms is often predictive of the expression of other autistic traits. However, the origin of these perceptual deficits remains largely elusive. Here, we show a recurrent impairment in visual threat perception that is similarly impaired in 3 independent mouse models of ASD with different molecular aetiologies. Interestingly, this deficit is associated with reduced avoidance of threatening environments-a nonperceptual trait. Focusing on a common cause of ASDs, the Setd5 gene mutation, we define the molecular mechanism. We show that the perceptual impairment is caused by a potassium channel (Kv1)-mediated hypoexcitability in a subcortical node essential for the initiation of escape responses, the dorsal periaqueductal grey (dPAG). Targeted pharmacological Kv1 blockade rescued both perceptual and place avoidance deficits, causally linking seemingly unrelated trait deficits to the dPAG. Furthermore, we show that different molecular mechanisms converge on similar behavioural phenotypes by demonstrating that the autism models Cul3 and Ptchd1, despite having similar behavioural phenotypes, differ in their functional and molecular alteration. Our findings reveal a link between rapid perception controlled by subcortical pathways and appropriate learned interactions with the environment and define a nondevelopmental source of such deficits in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Burnett
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Olga Symonova
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Tomás Masson
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Tomas Vega-Zuniga
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Ximena Contreras
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Thomas Rülicke
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Hematology and Oncology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ryuichi Shigemoto
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Gaia Novarino
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Maximilian Joesch
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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5
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Hirsch F, Bumanglag Â, Zhang Y, Wohlschlaeger A. Diverging functional connectivity timescales: Capturing distinct aspects of cognitive performance in early psychosis. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.07.24306932. [PMID: 38766002 PMCID: PMC11100938 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.07.24306932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Background Psychosis spectrum disorders (PSDs) are marked by cognitive impairments, the neurobiological correlates of which remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the entropy of time-varying functional connectivity (TVFC) patterns from resting-state fMRI (rfMRI) as potential biomarker for cognitive performance in PSDs. By combining our results with multimodal reference data, we hope to generate new insights into the mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction in PSDs. We hypothesized that low-entropy TVFC patterns (LEN) would be more behaviorally informative than high-entropy TVFC patterns (HEN), especially for tasks that require extensive integration across diverse cognitive subdomains. Methods rfMRI and behavioral data from 97 patients in the early phases of psychosis and 53 controls were analyzed. Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were taken from a public repository (Hansen et al., 2022). Multivariate analyses were conducted to examine relationships between TVFC patterns at multiple spatial scales and cognitive performance in patients. Results Compared to HEN, LEN explained significantly more cognitive variance on average in PSD patients, driven by superior encoding of information on psychometrically more integrated tasks. HEN better captured information in specific subdomains of executive functioning. Nodal HEN-LEN transitions were spatially aligned with neurobiological gradients reflecting monoaminergic transporter densities and MEG beta power. Exploratory analyses revealed a close statistical relationship between LEN and positive PSD symptoms. Conclusion Our entropy-based analysis of TVFC patterns dissociates distinct aspects of cognition in PSDs. By linking topographies of neurotransmission and oscillatory dynamics with cognitive performance, it enhances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits in PSDs. CRediT Authorship Contribution Statement Fabian Hirsch: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Formal analysis, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Visualization; Ângelo Bumanglag: Methodology, Software, Formal analysis, Writing - Review & Editing; Yifei Zhang: Methodology, Software, Formal analysis, Writing - Review & Editing; Afra Wohlschlaeger: Methodology, Writing - Review & Editing, Supervision, Project administration.
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6
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Diaz-Fong JP, Feusner JD. Visual Perceptual Processing Abnormalities in Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38691313 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Phenomenological observations of individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), coupled with evidence from neuropsychological, psychophysical, and neuroimaging studies, support a model of aberrant visual perception characterized by deficient global/holistic, enhanced detail/local processing, and selective visual-attentional biases. These features may contribute to the core symptomatology of distorted perception of their appearance, in addition to misinterpretation of others' facial expressions and poor insight regarding their misperceived appearance defects. Insights from visual processing studies can contribute to the development of novel interventions, such as perceptual retraining and non-invasive neuromodulation. However, much remains to be understood about visual perception in BDD. Future research should leverage brain imaging modalities with high temporal resolutions and employ study designs that induce conflicts in multisensory integration, thereby advancing our mechanistic understanding of distorted visual perception observed in BDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel P Diaz-Fong
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jamie D Feusner
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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7
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Wang N, Wan R, Tang K. Transcriptional regulation in the development and dysfunction of neocortical projection neurons. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:246-254. [PMID: 37488873 PMCID: PMC10503610 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.379039] [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: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamatergic projection neurons generate sophisticated excitatory circuits to integrate and transmit information among different cortical areas, and between the neocortex and other regions of the brain and spinal cord. Appropriate development of cortical projection neurons is regulated by certain essential events such as neural fate determination, proliferation, specification, differentiation, migration, survival, axonogenesis, and synaptogenesis. These processes are precisely regulated in a tempo-spatial manner by intrinsic factors, extrinsic signals, and neural activities. The generation of correct subtypes and precise connections of projection neurons is imperative not only to support the basic cortical functions (such as sensory information integration, motor coordination, and cognition) but also to prevent the onset and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders (such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, and depression). This review mainly focuses on the recent progress of transcriptional regulations on the development and diversity of neocortical projection neurons and the clinical relevance of the failure of transcriptional modulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningxin Wang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Rong Wan
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ke Tang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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8
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Cheung G, Pauler FM, Koppensteiner P, Krausgruber T, Streicher C, Schrammel M, Gutmann-Özgen N, Ivec AE, Bock C, Shigemoto R, Hippenmeyer S. Multipotent progenitors instruct ontogeny of the superior colliculus. Neuron 2024; 112:230-246.e11. [PMID: 38096816 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.009] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC) in the mammalian midbrain is essential for multisensory integration and is composed of a rich diversity of excitatory and inhibitory neurons and glia. However, the developmental principles directing the generation of SC cell-type diversity are not understood. Here, we pursued systematic cell lineage tracing in silico and in vivo, preserving full spatial information, using genetic mosaic analysis with double markers (MADM)-based clonal analysis with single-cell sequencing (MADM-CloneSeq). The analysis of clonally related cell lineages revealed that radial glial progenitors (RGPs) in SC are exceptionally multipotent. Individual resident RGPs have the capacity to produce all excitatory and inhibitory SC neuron types, even at the stage of terminal division. While individual clonal units show no pre-defined cellular composition, the establishment of appropriate relative proportions of distinct neuronal types occurs in a PTEN-dependent manner. Collectively, our findings provide an inaugural framework at the single-RGP/-cell level of the mammalian SC ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle Cheung
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Florian M Pauler
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Peter Koppensteiner
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Thomas Krausgruber
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Austrian Academy of Sciences; 1090 Vienna, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Data Science, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Carmen Streicher
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Martin Schrammel
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Natalie Gutmann-Özgen
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Alexis E Ivec
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Austrian Academy of Sciences; 1090 Vienna, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Data Science, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ryuichi Shigemoto
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Simon Hippenmeyer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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9
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Okada N, Fukunaga M, Miura K, Nemoto K, Matsumoto J, Hashimoto N, Kiyota M, Morita K, Koshiyama D, Ohi K, Takahashi T, Koeda M, Yamamori H, Fujimoto M, Yasuda Y, Hasegawa N, Narita H, Yokoyama S, Mishima R, Kawashima T, Kobayashi Y, Sasabayashi D, Harada K, Yamamoto M, Hirano Y, Itahashi T, Nakataki M, Hashimoto RI, Tha KK, Koike S, Matsubara T, Okada G, van Erp TGM, Jahanshad N, Yoshimura R, Abe O, Onitsuka T, Watanabe Y, Matsuo K, Yamasue H, Okamoto Y, Suzuki M, Turner JA, Thompson PM, Ozaki N, Kasai K, Hashimoto R. Subcortical volumetric alterations in four major psychiatric disorders: a mega-analysis study of 5604 subjects and a volumetric data-driven approach for classification. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:5206-5216. [PMID: 37537281 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02141-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Differential diagnosis is sometimes difficult in practical psychiatric settings, in terms of using the current diagnostic system based on presenting symptoms and signs. The creation of a novel diagnostic system using objective biomarkers is expected to take place. Neuroimaging studies and others reported that subcortical brain structures are the hubs for various psycho-behavioral functions, while there are so far no neuroimaging data-driven clinical criteria overcoming limitations of the current diagnostic system, which would reflect cognitive/social functioning. Prior to the main analysis, we conducted a large-scale multisite study of subcortical volumetric and lateralization alterations in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and autism spectrum disorder using T1-weighted images of 5604 subjects (3078 controls and 2526 patients). We demonstrated larger lateral ventricles volume in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder, smaller hippocampus volume in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia-specific smaller amygdala, thalamus, and accumbens volumes and larger caudate, putamen, and pallidum volumes. In addition, we observed a leftward alteration of lateralization for pallidum volume specifically in schizophrenia. Moreover, as our main objective, we clustered the 5,604 subjects based on subcortical volumes, and explored whether data-driven clustering results can explain cognitive/social functioning in the subcohorts. We showed a four-biotype classification, namely extremely (Brain Biotype [BB] 1) and moderately smaller limbic regions (BB2), larger basal ganglia (BB3), and normal volumes (BB4), being associated with cognitive/social functioning. Specifically, BB1 and BB2-3 were associated with severe and mild cognitive/social impairment, respectively, while BB4 was characterized by normal cognitive/social functioning. Our results may lead to the future creation of novel biological data-driven psychiatric diagnostic criteria, which may be expected to be useful for prediction or therapeutic selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohiro Okada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Fukunaga
- Division of Cerebral Integration, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Miura
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Nemoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Junya Matsumoto
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Hashimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kiyota
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Morita
- Department of Rehabilitation, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Koshiyama
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Ohi
- Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Takahashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Michihiko Koeda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidenaga Yamamori
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Japan Community Health Care Organization Osaka Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Michiko Fujimoto
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuka Yasuda
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
- Life Grow Brilliant Mental Clinic, Medical Corporation Foster, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naomi Hasegawa
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hisashi Narita
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yokoyama
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ryo Mishima
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takahiko Kawashima
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuko Kobayashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Daiki Sasabayashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Harada
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Maeri Yamamoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yoji Hirano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Takashi Itahashi
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahito Nakataki
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Ryu-Ichiro Hashimoto
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Khin K Tha
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
- Global Center for Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), Tokyo, Japan
- University of Tokyo Institute for Diversity & Adaptation of Human Mind (UTIDAHM), Tokyo, Japan
- Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshio Matsubara
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Go Okada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Theo G M van Erp
- Clinical Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Reiji Yoshimura
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Osamu Abe
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yoshiyuki Watanabe
- Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan
| | - Koji Matsuo
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hidenori Yamasue
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Okamoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Michio Suzuki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Jessica A Turner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan
- Pathophysiology of Mental Disorders, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kiyoto Kasai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), Tokyo, Japan
- University of Tokyo Institute for Diversity & Adaptation of Human Mind (UTIDAHM), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryota Hashimoto
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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10
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Hirsch F, Wohlschlaeger A. Subcortical influences on the topology of cortical networks align with functional processing hierarchies. Neuroimage 2023; 283:120417. [PMID: 37866758 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120417] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
fMRI of the human brain reveals spatiotemporal patterns of functional connectivity (FC), forming distinct cortical networks. Lately, subcortical contributions to these configurations are receiving renewed interest, but investigations rarely focus explicitly on their effects on cortico-cortical FC. Here, we employ a straightforward multivariable approach and graph-theoretic tools to assess subcortical impact on topological features of cortical networks. Given recent evidence showing that structures like the thalamus and basal ganglia integrate input from multiple networks, we expect increased segregation between cortical networks after removal of subcortical effects on their FC patterns. We analyze resting state data of young and healthy participants (male and female; N = 100) from the human connectome project. We find that overall, the cortical network architecture becomes less segregated, and more integrated, when subcortical influences are accounted for. Underlying these global effects are the following trends: 'Transmodal' systems become more integrated with the rest of the network, while 'unimodal' networks show the opposite effect. For single nodes this hierarchical organization is reflected by a close correspondence with the spatial layout of the principal gradient of FC (Margulies et al., 2016). Lastly, we show that the limbic system is significantly less coherent with subcortical influences removed. The findings are validated in a (split-sample) replication dataset. Our results provide new insight regarding the interplay between subcortex and cortical networks, by putting the integrative impact of subcortex in the context of macroscale patterns of cortical organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Hirsch
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Klinikum R.d.Isar, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, Munich 81675, Germany.
| | - Afra Wohlschlaeger
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Klinikum R.d.Isar, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, Munich 81675, Germany
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11
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Rowe EG, Zhang Y, Garrido MI. Evidence for adaptive myelination of subcortical shortcuts for visual motion perception in healthy adults. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5641-5654. [PMID: 37608684 PMCID: PMC10619379 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Conscious visual motion information follows a cortical pathway from the retina to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and on to the primary visual cortex (V1) before arriving at the middle temporal visual area (MT/V5). Alternative subcortical pathways that bypass V1 are thought to convey unconscious visual information. One flows from the retina to the pulvinar (PUL) and on to medial temporal visual area (MT); while the other directly connects the LGN to MT. Evidence for these pathways comes from non-human primates and modest-sized studies in humans with brain lesions. Thus, the aim of the current study was to reconstruct these pathways in a large sample of neurotypical individuals and to determine the degree to which these pathways are myelinated, suggesting information flow is rapid. We used the publicly available 7T (N = 98; 'discovery') and 3T (N = 381; 'validation') diffusion magnetic resonance imaging datasets from the Human Connectome Project to reconstruct the PUL-MT (including all subcompartments of the PUL) and LGN-MT pathways. We found more fibre tracts with greater density in the left hemisphere. Although the left PUL-MT path was denser, the bilateral LGN-MT tracts were more heavily myelinated, suggesting faster signal transduction. We suggest that this apparent discrepancy may be due to 'adaptive myelination' caused by more frequent use of the LGN-MT pathway that leads to greater myelination and faster overall signal transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise G. Rowe
- Melbourne School of Psychological SciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Yubing Zhang
- Melbourne School of Psychological SciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Marta I. Garrido
- Melbourne School of Psychological SciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical EngineeringThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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12
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Tseng YT, Schaefke B, Wei P, Wang L. Defensive responses: behaviour, the brain and the body. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:655-671. [PMID: 37730910 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00736-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Most animals live under constant threat from predators, and predation has been a major selective force in shaping animal behaviour. Nevertheless, defence responses against predatory threats need to be balanced against other adaptive behaviours such as foraging, mating and recovering from infection. This behavioural balance in ethologically relevant contexts requires adequate integration of internal and external signals in a complex interplay between the brain and the body. Despite this complexity, research has often considered defensive behaviour as entirely mediated by the brain processing threat-related information obtained via perception of the external environment. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the endocrine, immune, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems have important roles in modulating behavioural responses to threat. In this Review, we focus on how predatory threat defence responses are shaped by threat imminence and review the circuitry between subcortical brain regions involved in mediating defensive behaviours. Then, we discuss the intersection of peripheral systems involved in internal states related to infection, hunger and mating with the neurocircuits that underlie defence responses against predatory threat. Through this process, we aim to elucidate the interconnections between the brain and body as an integrated network that facilitates appropriate defensive responses to threat and to discuss the implications for future behavioural research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Tseng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behaviour, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bernhard Schaefke
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behaviour, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
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13
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Khalil V, Faress I, Mermet-Joret N, Kerwin P, Yonehara K, Nabavi S. Subcortico-amygdala pathway processes innate and learned threats. eLife 2023; 12:e85459. [PMID: 37526552 PMCID: PMC10449383 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility and timely reactions to salient stimuli are essential for survival. The subcortical thalamic-basolateral amygdala (BLA) pathway serves as a shortcut for salient stimuli ensuring rapid processing. Here, we show that BLA neuronal and thalamic axonal activity in mice mirror the defensive behavior evoked by an innate visual threat as well as an auditory learned threat. Importantly, perturbing this pathway compromises defensive responses to both forms of threats, in that animals fail to switch from exploratory to defensive behavior. Despite the shared pathway between the two forms of threat processing, we observed noticeable differences. Blocking β-adrenergic receptors impairs the defensive response to the innate but not the learned threats. This reduced defensive response, surprisingly, is reflected in the suppression of the activity exclusively in the BLA as the thalamic input response remains intact. Our side-by-side examination highlights the similarities and differences between innate and learned threat-processing, thus providing new fundamental insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Khalil
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Islam Faress
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Noëmie Mermet-Joret
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Peter Kerwin
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Multiscale Sensory Structure Laboratory, National Institute of GeneticsMishimaJapan
- Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)MishimaJapan
| | - Sadegh Nabavi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
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14
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Celeghin A, Borriero A, Orsenigo D, Diano M, Méndez Guerrero CA, Perotti A, Petri G, Tamietto M. Convolutional neural networks for vision neuroscience: significance, developments, and outstanding issues. Front Comput Neurosci 2023; 17:1153572. [PMID: 37485400 PMCID: PMC10359983 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2023.1153572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are a class of machine learning models predominately used in computer vision tasks and can achieve human-like performance through learning from experience. Their striking similarities to the structural and functional principles of the primate visual system allow for comparisons between these artificial networks and their biological counterparts, enabling exploration of how visual functions and neural representations may emerge in the real brain from a limited set of computational principles. After considering the basic features of CNNs, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of endorsing CNNs as in silico models of the primate visual system. Specifically, we highlight several emerging notions about the anatomical and physiological properties of the visual system that still need to be systematically integrated into current CNN models. These tenets include the implementation of parallel processing pathways from the early stages of retinal input and the reconsideration of several assumptions concerning the serial progression of information flow. We suggest design choices and architectural constraints that could facilitate a closer alignment with biology provide causal evidence of the predictive link between the artificial and biological visual systems. Adopting this principled perspective could potentially lead to new research questions and applications of CNNs beyond modeling object recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Davide Orsenigo
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Matteo Diano
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Marco Tamietto
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, and CoRPS–Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases–Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
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15
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Chen Y, Chen S, Sun Z, Zhang X, Yuan X, Wang L, Jiang Y. Rapid Unconscious Acquisition of Conditioned Fear with Low-Spatial-Frequency but Emotionally Neutral Stimuli. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 6:0181. [PMID: 37383220 PMCID: PMC10298222 DOI: 10.34133/research.0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
It has long been proposed that emotionally "prepared" (i.e., fear-related) stimuli are privileged in the unconscious acquisition of conditioned fear. However, as fear processing is suggested to highly depend on the coarse, low-spatial-frequency (LSF) components of the fear-related stimuli, it is plausible that LSF may play a unique role in the unconscious fear conditioning even with emotionally neutral stimuli. Here, we provided empirical evidence that, following classical fear conditioning, an invisible, emotionally neutral conditioned stimulus (CS+) with LSF, but not with high spatial frequency (HSF), can rapidly elicit stronger skin conductance responses (SCRs) and larger pupil diameters than its CS- counterpart. In comparison, consciously perceived emotionally neutral CS+ with LSF and HSF elicited comparable SCRs. Taken together, these results support that the unconscious fear conditioning does not necessarily entail emotionally prepared stimuli but prioritizes LSF information processing and highlight the crucial distinctions between the unconscious and the conscious fear learning. These findings not only coincide with the postulation that a rapid, spatial-frequency-dependent subcortical route is engaged in unconscious fear processing but also suggest the existence of multiple routes for conscious fear processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Si Chen
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhongju Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xilei Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiangyong Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
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16
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Tseng YT, Zhao B, Ding H, Liang L, Schaefke B, Wang L. Systematic evaluation of a predator stress model of depression in mice using a hierarchical 3D-motion learning framework. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:178. [PMID: 37231005 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02481-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigation of the neurobiology of depression in humans depends on animal models that attempt to mimic specific features of the human disorder. However, frequently-used paradigms based on social stress cannot be easily applied to female mice which has led to a large sex bias in preclinical studies of depression. Furthermore, most studies focus on one or only a few behavioral assessments, with time and practical considerations prohibiting a comprehensive evaluation. In this study, we demonstrate that predator stress effectively induced depression-like behaviors in both male and female mice. By comparing predator stress and social defeat models, we observed that the former elicited a higher level of behavioral despair and the latter elicited more robust social avoidance. Furthermore, the use of machine learning (ML)-based spontaneous behavioral classification can distinguish mice subjected to one type of stress from another, and from non-stressed mice. We show that related patterns of spontaneous behaviors correspond to depression status as measured by canonical depression-like behaviors, which illustrates that depression-like symptoms can be predicted by ML-classified behavior patterns. Overall, our study confirms that the predator stress induced phenotype in mice is a good reflection of several important aspects of depression in humans and illustrates that ML-supported analysis can simultaneously evaluate multiple behavioral alterations in different animal models of depression, providing a more unbiased and holistic approach for the study of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Tseng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Binghao Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hui Ding
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Lisha Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Bernhard Schaefke
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Liping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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17
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Ince S, Steward T, Harrison BJ, Jamieson AJ, Davey CG, Agathos JA, Moffat BA, Glarin RK, Felmingham KL. Subcortical contributions to salience network functioning during negative emotional processing. Neuroimage 2023; 270:119964. [PMID: 36822252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Core regions of the salience network (SN), including the anterior insula (aINS) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), coordinate rapid adaptive changes in attentional and autonomic processes in response to negative emotional events. In doing so, the SN incorporates bottom-up signals from subcortical brain regions, such as the amygdala and periaqueductal gray (PAG). However, the precise influence of these subcortical regions is not well understood. Using ultra-high field 7-Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging, this study investigated the bottom-up interactions of the amygdala and PAG with the SN during negative emotional salience processing. Thirty-seven healthy participants completed an emotional oddball paradigm designed to elicit a salient negative emotional response via the presentation of random, task-irrelevant negative emotional images. Negative emotional processing was associated with prominent activation in the SN, spanning the amygdala, PAG, aINS, and dACC. Consistent with previous research, analysis using dynamic causal modelling revealed an excitatory influence from the amygdala to the aINS, dACC, and PAG. In contrast, the PAG showed an inhibitory influence on amygdala, aINS and dACC activity. Our findings suggest that the amygdala may amplify the processing of negative emotional stimuli in the SN to enable upstream access to attentional resources. In comparison, the inhibitory influence of the PAG possibly reflects its involvement in modulating sympathetic-parasympathetic autonomic arousal mediated by the SN. This PAG-mediated effect may be driven by amygdala input and facilitate bottom-up processing of negative emotional stimuli. Overall, our results show that the amygdala and PAG modulate divergent functions of the SN during negative emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevil Ince
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
| | - Trevor Steward
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Alec J Jamieson
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Christopher G Davey
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - James A Agathos
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Bradford A Moffat
- The Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Rebecca K Glarin
- The Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Kim L Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
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18
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Rowe EG, Harris CD, Dzafic I, Garrido MI. Anxiety attenuates learning advantages conferred by statistical stability and induces loss of volatility-attuning in brain activity. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:2557-2571. [PMID: 36811216 PMCID: PMC10028666 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety can alter an individual's perception of their external sensory environment. Previous studies suggest that anxiety can increase the magnitude of neural responses to unexpected (or surprising) stimuli. Additionally, surprise responses are reported to be boosted during stable compared to volatile environments. Few studies, however, have examined how learning is impacted by both threat and volatility. To investigate these effects, we used threat-of-shock to transiently increase subjective anxiety in healthy adults while they performed an auditory oddball task under stable and volatile environments and while undergoing functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanning. We then used Bayesian Model Selection (BMS) mapping to identify the brain areas where different models of anxiety displayed the highest evidence. Behaviourally, we found that threat-of-shock eliminated the accuracy advantage conferred by environmental stability over volatility. Neurally, we found that threat-of-shock led to attenuation and loss of volatility-attuning of brain activity evoked by surprising sounds across most subcortical and limbic regions including the thalamus, basal ganglia, claustrum, insula, anterior cingulate, hippocampal gyrus and the superior temporal gyrus. Taken together, our findings suggest that threat eliminates learning advantages conferred by statistical stability compared to volatility. Thus, we propose that anxiety disrupts behavioural adaptation to environmental statistics, and that multiple subcortical and limbic regions are implicated in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise G Rowe
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Clare D Harris
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ilvana Dzafic
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marta I Garrido
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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19
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McFadyen J, Dolan RJ. Spatiotemporal Precision of Neuroimaging in Psychiatry. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:671-680. [PMID: 36376110 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant patterns of cognition, perception, and behavior seen in psychiatric disorders are thought to be driven by a complex interplay of neural processes that evolve at a rapid temporal scale. Understanding these dynamic processes in vivo in humans has been hampered by a trade-off between spatial and temporal resolutions inherent to current neuroimaging technology. A recent trend in psychiatric research has been the use of high temporal resolution imaging, particularly magnetoencephalography, often in conjunction with sophisticated machine learning decoding techniques. Developments here promise novel insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics of cognitive phenomena, including domains relevant to psychiatric illnesses such as reward and avoidance learning, memory, and planning. This review considers recent advances afforded by exploiting this increased spatiotemporal precision, with specific reference to applications that seek to drive a mechanistic understanding of psychopathology and the realization of preclinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica McFadyen
- UCL Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Sha Z, Schijven D, Fisher SE, Francks C. Genetic architecture of the white matter connectome of the human brain. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd2870. [PMID: 36800424 PMCID: PMC9937579 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add2870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
White matter tracts form the structural basis of large-scale brain networks. We applied brain-wide tractography to diffusion images from 30,810 adults (U.K. Biobank) and found significant heritability for 90 node-level and 851 edge-level network connectivity measures. Multivariate genome-wide association analyses identified 325 genetic loci, of which 80% had not been previously associated with brain metrics. Enrichment analyses implicated neurodevelopmental processes including neurogenesis, neural differentiation, neural migration, neural projection guidance, and axon development, as well as prenatal brain expression especially in stem cells, astrocytes, microglia, and neurons. The multivariate association profiles implicated 31 loci in connectivity between core regions of the left-hemisphere language network. Polygenic scores for psychiatric, neurological, and behavioral traits also showed significant multivariate associations with structural connectivity, each implicating distinct sets of brain regions with trait-relevant functional profiles. This large-scale mapping study revealed common genetic contributions to variation in the structural connectome of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Sha
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Dick Schijven
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Simon E. Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Clyde Francks
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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21
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Pulvinar Response Profiles and Connectivity Patterns to Object Domains. J Neurosci 2023; 43:812-826. [PMID: 36596697 PMCID: PMC9899088 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0613-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Distributed cortical regions show differential responses to visual objects belonging to different domains varying by animacy (e.g., animals vs tools), yet it remains unclear whether this is an organization principle also applying to the subcortical structures. Combining multiple fMRI activation experiments (two main experiments and six validation datasets; 12 females and 9 males in the main Experiment 1; 10 females and 10 males in the main Experiment 2), resting-state functional connectivity, and task-based dynamic causal modeling analysis in human subjects, we found that visual processing of images of animals and tools elicited different patterns of response in the pulvinar, with robust left lateralization for tools, and distinct, bilateral (with rightward tendency) clusters for animals. Such domain-preferring activity distribution in the pulvinar was associated with the magnitude with which the voxels were intrinsically connected with the corresponding domain-preferring regions in the cortex. The pulvinar-to-right-amygdala path showed a one-way shortcut supporting the perception of animals, and the modulation connection from pulvinar to parietal showed an advantage to the perception of tools. These results incorporate the subcortical regions into the object processing network and highlight that domain organization appears to be an overarching principle across various processing stages in the brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Viewing objects belonging to different domains elicited different cortical regions, but whether the domain organization applied to the subcortical structures (e.g., pulvinar) was unknown. Multiple fMRI activation experiments revealed that object pictures belonging to different domains elicited differential patterns of response in the pulvinar, with robust left lateralization for tool pictures, and distinct, bilateral (with rightward tendency) clusters for animals. Combining the resting-state functional connectivity and dynamic causal modeling analysis on task-based fMRI data, we found domain-preferring activity distribution in the pulvinar aligned with that in cortical regions. These results highlight the need for coherent visual theories that explain the mechanisms underlying the domain organization across various processing stages.
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Dixon SC, Calder BJ, Lilya SM, Davies BM, Martin A, Peterson M, Hansen JM, Suli A. Valproic acid affects neurogenesis during early optic tectum development in zebrafish. Biol Open 2023; 12:286129. [PMID: 36537579 PMCID: PMC9916031 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian superior colliculus and its non-mammalian homolog, the optic tectum (OT), are midbrain structures that integrate multimodal sensory inputs and guide non-voluntary movements in response to prevalent stimuli. Recent studies have implicated this structure as a possible site affected in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Interestingly, fetal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has also been associated with an increased risk of ASD in humans and animal models. Therefore, we took the approach of determining the effects of VPA treatment on zebrafish OT development as a first step in identifying the mechanisms that allow its formation. We describe normal OT development during the first 5 days of development and show that in VPA-treated embryos, neuronal specification and neuropil formation was delayed. VPA treatment was most detrimental during the first 3 days of development and did not appear to be linked to oxidative stress. In conclusion, our work provides a foundation for research into mechanisms driving OT development, as well as the relationship between the OT, VPA, and ASD. This article has an associated First Person interview with one of the co-first authors of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra C. Dixon
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Bailey J. Calder
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Shane M. Lilya
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Brandon M. Davies
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Annalie Martin
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Maggie Peterson
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Jason M. Hansen
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Arminda Suli
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA,Author for correspondence ()
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Surgent O, Riaz A, Ausderau KK, Adluru N, Kirk GR, Guerrero-Gonzalez J, Skaletski EC, Kecskemeti SR, Dean III DC, Weismer SE, Alexander AL, Travers BG. Brainstem white matter microstructure is associated with hyporesponsiveness and overall sensory features in autistic children. Mol Autism 2022; 13:48. [PMID: 36536467 PMCID: PMC9762648 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00524-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elevated or reduced responses to sensory stimuli, known as sensory features, are common in autistic individuals and often impact quality of life. Little is known about the neurobiological basis of sensory features in autistic children. However, the brainstem may offer critical insights as it has been associated with both basic sensory processing and core features of autism. METHODS Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and parent-report of sensory features were acquired from 133 children (61 autistic children with and 72 non-autistic children, 6-11 years-old). Leveraging novel DWI processing techniques, we investigated the relationship between sensory features and white matter microstructure properties (free-water-elimination-corrected fractional anisotropy [FA] and mean diffusivity [MD]) in precisely delineated brainstem white matter tracts. Follow-up analyses assessed relationships between microstructure and sensory response patterns/modalities and analyzed whole brain white matter using voxel-based analysis. RESULTS Results revealed distinct relationships between brainstem microstructure and sensory features in autistic children compared to non-autistic children. In autistic children, more prominent sensory features were generally associated with lower MD. Further, in autistic children, sensory hyporesponsiveness and tactile responsivity were strongly associated with white matter microstructure in nearly all brainstem tracts. Follow-up voxel-based analyses confirmed that these relationships were more prominent in the brainstem/cerebellum, with additional sensory-brain findings in the autistic group in the white matter of the primary motor and somatosensory cortices, the occipital lobe, the inferior parietal lobe, and the thalamic projections. LIMITATIONS All participants communicated via spoken language and acclimated to the sensory environment of an MRI session, which should be considered when assessing the generalizability of this work to the whole of the autism spectrum. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest unique brainstem white matter contributions to sensory features in autistic children compared to non-autistic children. The brainstem correlates of sensory features underscore the potential reflex-like nature of behavioral responses to sensory stimuli in autism and have implications for how we conceptualize and address sensory features in autistic populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Surgent
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Ali Riaz
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
| | - Karla K. Ausderau
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- Occupational Therapy Program in the Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Gregory R. Kirk
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
| | - Jose Guerrero-Gonzalez
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Emily C. Skaletski
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- Occupational Therapy Program in the Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Steven R. Kecskemeti
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
| | - Douglas C Dean III
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Susan Ellis Weismer
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Andrew L. Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Brittany G. Travers
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- Occupational Therapy Program in the Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
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Male and female mice display consistent lifelong ability to address potential life-threatening cues using different post-threat coping strategies. BMC Biol 2022; 20:281. [PMID: 36522765 PMCID: PMC9753375 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01486-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences ranging from physiological functions to pathological disorders are developmentally hard-wired in a broad range of animals, from invertebrates to humans. These differences ensure that animals can display appropriate behaviors under a variety of circumstances, such as aggression, hunting, sleep, mating, and parental care, which are often thought to be important in the acquisition of resources, including territory, food, and mates. Although there are reports of an absence of sexual dimorphism in the context of innate fear, the question of whether there is sexual dimorphism of innate defensive behavior is still an open question. Therefore, an in-depth investigation to determine whether there are sex differences in developmentally hard-wired innate defensive behaviors in life-threatening circumstances is warranted. RESULTS We found that innate defensive behavioral responses to potentially life-threatening stimuli between males and females were indistinguishable over their lifespan. However, by using 3 dimensional (3D)-motion learning framework analysis, we found that males and females showed different behavioral patterns after escaping to the refuge. Specifically, the defensive "freezing" occurred primarily in males, whereas females were more likely to return directly to exploration. Moreover, there were also no estrous phase differences in innate defensive behavioral responses after looming stimuli. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that visually-evoked innate fear behavior is highly conserved throughout the lifespan in both males and females, while specific post-threat coping strategies depend on sex. These findings indicate that innate fear behavior is essential to both sexes and as such, there are no evolutionary-driven sex differences in defensive ability.
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Dalmaso M. Exploring the Social Environment with the Eyes: A Review of the Impact of Facial Stimuli on Saccadic Trajectories. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16615. [PMID: 36554496 PMCID: PMC9779695 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Eye movement parameters can be highly informative regarding how people explore the social environment around them. This theoretical review examines how human faces and their features (e.g., eye-gaze direction, emotional expressions) can modulate saccadic trajectories. In the first part, studies in which facial stimuli were presented in a central location, such as during a face-to-face social interaction, are illustrated. The second part focuses on studies in which facial stimuli were placed in the periphery. Together, these works confirm the presence of an intriguing link between eye movements and facial processing, and invite consideration of saccadic trajectories as a useful (and still underused) opportunity to track ongoing mechanisms that support the social vision. Some directions for future research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Dalmaso
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy
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Montes-Lourido P, Kar M, Pernia M, Parida S, Sadagopan S. Updates to the guinea pig animal model for in-vivo auditory neuroscience in the low-frequency hearing range. Hear Res 2022; 424:108603. [PMID: 36099806 PMCID: PMC9922531 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
For gaining insight into general principles of auditory processing, it is critical to choose model organisms whose set of natural behaviors encompasses the processes being investigated. This reasoning has led to the development of a variety of animal models for auditory neuroscience research, such as guinea pigs, gerbils, chinchillas, rabbits, and ferrets; but in recent years, the availability of cutting-edge molecular tools and other methodologies in the mouse model have led to waning interest in these unique model species. As laboratories increasingly look to include in-vivo components in their research programs, a comprehensive description of procedures and techniques for applying some of these modern neuroscience tools to a non-mouse small animal model would enable researchers to leverage unique model species that may be best suited for testing their specific hypotheses. In this manuscript, we describe in detail the methods we have developed to apply these tools to the guinea pig animal model to answer questions regarding the neural processing of complex sounds, such as vocalizations. We describe techniques for vocalization acquisition, behavioral testing, recording of auditory brainstem responses and frequency-following responses, intracranial neural signals including local field potential and single unit activity, and the expression of transgenes allowing for optogenetic manipulation of neural activity, all in awake and head-fixed guinea pigs. We demonstrate the rich datasets at the behavioral and electrophysiological levels that can be obtained using these techniques, underscoring the guinea pig as a versatile animal model for studying complex auditory processing. More generally, the methods described here are applicable to a broad range of small mammals, enabling investigators to address specific auditory processing questions in model organisms that are best suited for answering them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Montes-Lourido
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Manaswini Kar
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marianny Pernia
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Satyabrata Parida
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Srivatsun Sadagopan
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Phillipou A, Rossell SL, Gurvich C, Castle DJ, Meyer D, Abel LA. A biomarker and endophenotype for anorexia nervosa? Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2022; 56:985-993. [PMID: 34538115 DOI: 10.1177/00048674211047189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recent research has suggested that a type of atypical eye movement, called square wave jerks, together with anxiety, may distinguish individuals with anorexia nervosa from those without anorexia nervosa and may represent a biomarker and endophenotype for the illness. The aim of this study was to identify the presence of this proposed marker in individuals currently with anorexia nervosa relative to healthy controls, and to identify the state independence and heritability of this putative marker by exploring whether it also exists in individuals who are weight-restored from anorexia nervosa and first-degree relatives (i.e. sisters of people with anorexia nervosa). METHODS Data from 80 female participants (20/group: current anorexia nervosa, weight-restored from anorexia nervosa, sisters of people with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls) were analysed. Square wave jerk rate was acquired during a fixation task, and anxiety was measured with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS Current anorexia nervosa, weight-restored from anorexia nervosa and sisters of people with anorexia nervosa groups made significantly more square wave jerks than healthy controls, but did not differ from one another. Square wave jerk rate and anxiety were found to discriminate groups with exceptionally high accuracy (current anorexia nervosa vs healthy control = 92.5%; weight-restored from anorexia nervosa vs healthy control = 77.5%; sisters of people with anorexia nervosa vs healthy control = 77.5%; p < .001). CONCLUSION The combination of square wave jerk rate and anxiety was found to be a promising two-element marker for anorexia nervosa, and has the potential to be used as a biomarker or endophenotype to identify people at risk of anorexia nervosa and inform future treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Phillipou
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Mental Health, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Mental Health, Austin Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Mental Health, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Caroline Gurvich
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University and The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David J Castle
- Centre for Complex Interventions, Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Denny Meyer
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Larry A Abel
- Optometry, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
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Chen Y, Xu Q, Fan C, Wang Y, Jiang Y. Eye gaze direction modulates nonconscious affective contextual effect. Conscious Cogn 2022; 102:103336. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Huang Y, Vangel M, Chen H, Eshel M, Cheng M, Lu T, Kong J. The Impaired Subcortical Pathway From Superior Colliculus to the Amygdala in Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:666439. [PMID: 35784498 PMCID: PMC9247550 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.666439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectiveIncreasing evidence suggests that a subcortical pathway from the superior colliculus (SC) through the pulvinar to the amygdala plays a crucial role in mediating non-conscious processing in response to emotional visual stimuli. Given the atypical eye gaze and response patterns to visual affective stimuli in autism, we examined the functional and white matter structural difference of the pathway in boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) boys.MethodsA total of 38 boys with ASD and 38 TD boys were included. We reconstructed the SC-pulvinar-amygdala pathway in boys with ASD and TD using tractography and analyzed tract-specific measurements to compare the white matter difference between the two groups. A region of interest-based functional analysis was also applied among the key nodes of the pathway to explore the functional connectivity network.ResultsDiffusion tensor imaging analysis showed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in pathways for boys with ASD compared to TD. The FA change was significantly associated with the atypical communication pattern in boys with ASD. In addition, compared to TD, we found that the ASD group was associated with increased functional connectivity between the right pulvinar and the left SC.ConclusionOur results indicated that the functional and white matter microstructure of the subcortical route to the amygdala might be altered in individuals with autism. This atypical structural change of the SC-pulvinar-amygdala pathway may be related to the abnormal communication patterns in boys with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Mark Vangel
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Helen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Maya Eshel
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Ming Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Tao Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Tao Lu,
| | - Jian Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
- Jian Kong,
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Lin CHS, Garrido MI. Towards a cross-level understanding of Bayesian inference in the brain. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 137:104649. [PMID: 35395333 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104649] [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: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Perception emerges from unconscious probabilistic inference, which guides behaviour in our ubiquitously uncertain environment. Bayesian decision theory is a prominent computational model that describes how people make rational decisions using noisy and ambiguous sensory observations. However, critical questions have been raised about the validity of the Bayesian framework in explaining the mental process of inference. Firstly, some natural behaviours deviate from Bayesian optimum. Secondly, the neural mechanisms that support Bayesian computations in the brain are yet to be understood. Taking Marr's cross level approach, we review the recent progress made in addressing these challenges. We first review studies that combined behavioural paradigms and modelling approaches to explain both optimal and suboptimal behaviours. Next, we evaluate the theoretical advances and the current evidence for ecologically feasible algorithms and neural implementations in the brain, which may enable probabilistic inference. We argue that this cross-level approach is necessary for the worthwhile pursuit to uncover mechanistic accounts of human behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Hsuan Sophie Lin
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Australian Research Council for Integrative Brain Function, Australia.
| | - Marta I Garrido
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Australian Research Council for Integrative Brain Function, Australia
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Jure R. The “Primitive Brain Dysfunction” Theory of Autism: The Superior Colliculus Role. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:797391. [PMID: 35712344 PMCID: PMC9194533 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.797391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of the pathogenesis of autism will help clarify our conception of the complexity of normal brain development. The crucial deficit may lie in the postnatal changes that vision produces in the brainstem nuclei during early life. The superior colliculus is the primary brainstem visual center. Although difficult to examine in humans with present techniques, it is known to support behaviors essential for every vertebrate to survive, such as the ability to pay attention to relevant stimuli and to produce automatic motor responses based on sensory input. From birth to death, it acts as a brain sentinel that influences basic aspects of our behavior. It is the main brainstem hub that lies between the environment and the rest of the higher neural system, making continuous, implicit decisions about where to direct our attention. The conserved cortex-like organization of the superior colliculus in all vertebrates allows the early appearance of primitive emotionally-related behaviors essential for survival. It contains first-line specialized neurons enabling the detection and tracking of faces and movements from birth. During development, it also sends the appropriate impulses to help shape brain areas necessary for social-communicative abilities. These abilities require the analysis of numerous variables, such as the simultaneous evaluation of incoming information sustained by separate brain networks (visual, auditory and sensory-motor, social, emotional, etc.), and predictive capabilities which compare present events to previous experiences and possible responses. These critical aspects of decision-making allow us to evaluate the impact that our response or behavior may provoke in others. The purpose of this review is to show that several enigmas about the complexity of autism might be explained by disruptions of collicular and brainstem functions. The results of two separate lines of investigation: 1. the cognitive, etiologic, and pathogenic aspects of autism on one hand, and two. the functional anatomy of the colliculus on the other, are considered in order to bridge the gap between basic brain science and clinical studies and to promote future research in this unexplored area.
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Liu X, Huang H, Snutch TP, Cao P, Wang L, Wang F. The Superior Colliculus: Cell Types, Connectivity, and Behavior. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:1519-1540. [PMID: 35484472 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00858-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC), one of the most well-characterized midbrain sensorimotor structures where visual, auditory, and somatosensory information are integrated to initiate motor commands, is highly conserved across vertebrate evolution. Moreover, cell-type-specific SC neurons integrate afferent signals within local networks to generate defined output related to innate and cognitive behaviors. This review focuses on the recent progress in understanding of phenotypic diversity amongst SC neurons and their intrinsic circuits and long-projection targets. We further describe relevant neural circuits and specific cell types in relation to behavioral outputs and cognitive functions. The systematic delineation of SC organization, cell types, and neural connections is further put into context across species as these depend upon laminar architecture. Moreover, we focus on SC neural circuitry involving saccadic eye movement, and cognitive and innate behaviors. Overall, the review provides insight into SC functioning and represents a basis for further understanding of the pathology associated with SC dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Liu
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hongren Huang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Terrance P Snutch
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Peng Cao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Feng Wang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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Dinh HT, Meng Y, Matsumoto J, Setogawa T, Nishimaru H, Nishijo H. Fast Detection of Snakes and Emotional Faces in the Macaque Amygdala. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:839123. [PMID: 35386724 PMCID: PMC8979552 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.839123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Primate vision is reported to detect snakes and emotional faces faster than many other tested stimuli. Because the amygdala has been implicated in avoidance and emotional behaviors to biologically relevant stimuli and has neural connections with subcortical nuclei involved with vision, amygdalar neurons would be sensitive to snakes and emotional faces. In this study, neuronal activity in the amygdala was recorded from Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) during discrimination of eight categories of visual stimuli including snakes, monkey faces, human faces, carnivores, raptors, non-predators, monkey hands, and simple figures. Of 527 amygdalar neurons, 95 responded to one or more stimuli. Response characteristics of the amygdalar neurons indicated that they were more sensitive to the snakes and emotional faces than other stimuli. Response magnitudes and latencies of amygdalar neurons to snakes and monkey faces were stronger and faster than those to the other categories of stimuli, respectively. Furthermore, response magnitudes to the low pass-filtered snake images were larger than those to scrambled snake images. Finally, analyses of population activity of amygdalar neurons suggest that snakes and emotional faces were represented separately from the other stimuli during the 50–100 ms period from stimulus onset, and neutral faces during the 100–150 ms period. These response characteristics indicate that the amygdala processes fast and coarse visual information from emotional faces and snakes (but not other predators of primates) among the eight categories of the visual stimuli, and suggest that, like anthropoid primate visual systems, the amygdala has been shaped over evolutionary time to detect appearance of potentially threatening stimuli including both emotional faces and snakes, the first of the modern predators of primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Trong Dinh
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Yang Meng
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Setogawa
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishimaru
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- *Correspondence: Hiroshi Nishimaru,
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Hisao Nishijo,
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Domínguez-Borràs J, Vuilleumier P. Amygdala function in emotion, cognition, and behavior. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 187:359-380. [PMID: 35964983 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823493-8.00015-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a core structure in the anterior medial temporal lobe, with an important role in several brain functions involving memory, emotion, perception, social cognition, and even awareness. As a key brain structure for saliency detection, it triggers and controls widespread modulatory signals onto multiple areas of the brain, with a great impact on numerous aspects of adaptive behavior. Here we discuss the neural mechanisms underlying these functions, as established by animal and human research, including insights provided in both healthy and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Domínguez-Borràs
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology & Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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35
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Cao L, Sun Z. Diagnostic Values of Serum Levels of Homocysteine, Heat Shock Protein 70 and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein for Predicting Vascular Cognitive Impairment. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2022; 18:525-533. [PMID: 35330824 PMCID: PMC8938274 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s354022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vascular cognitive impairment is one of the main clinical manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Reliable molecular markers are needed urgently to predict cognitive impairments in CSVD patients. This study aimed to investigate the possible diagnostic values of serum levels of Hcy, Hsp70 and hs-CRP for predicting vascular cognitive impairment in patients with CSVD. METHODS According to the presence of CSVD and cognitive impairment (CI), healthy patients and CSVD patients were divided into three groups. Serum Hcy, HSP70 and hs-CRP were abnormal in the CI group. Clinical characteristics and MOCA cognitive function score statistics were performed for the three groups: the control group, CSVD without cognitive impairment group and CSVD with cognitive impairment group. Finally, Hcy, HSP70 and hs-CRP were correlated with MOCA to analyze the correlation between serum Hcy, HSP70 and hs-CRP and cognitive dysfunction caused by CSVD. RESULTS The levels of serum Hcy, Hsp70, and hsCRP had significantly higher expression in the CSVD groups than those in the control group (p<0.05). Moreover, basic clinical characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors and other clinical details had no significantly differences among the three groups. Serum Hcy, Hsp70 and hs-CRP levels were negatively correlated with MoCA total scores. CONCLUSION Serum levels of Hcy, HSP70 and hs-CRP were negatively correlated with cognitive impairment caused by CSVD, which could be used as a predictor to predict the risk of cognitive impairment caused by CSVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Cao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People's Republic of China.,Department of Neurology, Anhui No.2 Provincial People's Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, 230041, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongwu Sun
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People's Republic of China
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36
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Caruana N, Seymour K. Objects that induce face pareidolia are prioritized by the visual system. Br J Psychol 2021; 113:496-507. [PMID: 34923634 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The human visual system has evolved specialized neural mechanisms to rapidly detect faces. Its broad tuning for facial features is thought to underlie the illusory perception of faces in inanimate objects, a phenomenon called face pareidolia. Recent studies on face pareidolia suggest that the mechanisms underlying face processing, at least at the early stages of visual encoding, may treat objects that resemble faces as real faces; prioritizing their detection. In our study, we used breaking continuous flash suppression (b-CFS) to examine whether the human visual system prioritizes the detection of objects that induce face pareidolia over stimuli matched for object content. Similar to previous b-CFS results using real face stimuli, we found that participants detected the objects with pareidolia faces faster than object-matched control stimuli. Given that face pareidolia has been more frequently reported amongst individuals prone to hallucinations, we also explored whether this rapid prioritization is intact in individuals with schizophrenia, and found evidence suggesting that it was. Our findings suggest that face pareidolia engages a broadly tuned mechanism that facilitates rapid face detection. This may involve the proposed fast subcortical pathway that operates outside of visual awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Caruana
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Perception in Action Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kiley Seymour
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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Abstract
Rewards exert a deep influence on our cognition and behavior. Here, we used a paradigm in which reward information was provided at either encoding or retrieval of a brief, masked stimulus to show that reward can also rapidly modulate perceptual encoding of visual information. Experiment 1 (n = 30 adults) showed that participants' response accuracy was enhanced when a to-be-encoded grating signaled high reward relative to low reward, but only when the grating was presented very briefly and participants reported that they were not consciously aware of it. Experiment 2 (n = 29 adults) showed that there was no difference in participants' response accuracy when reward information was instead provided at the stage of retrieval, ruling out an explanation of the reward-modulation effect in terms of differences in motivated retrieval. Taken together, our findings provide behavioral evidence consistent with a rapid reward modulation of visual perception, which may not require consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anina N Rich
- Department of Cognitive Science, Perception in Action Research Centre, Macquarie University.,Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise and Training, Macquarie University
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Shen L, Liu D, Huang Y. Hypothesis of subcortical visual pathway impairment in schizophrenia. Med Hypotheses 2021; 156:110686. [PMID: 34583308 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disease involving both neurological and psychiatric abnormalities. Previous studies mainly focus on damage to high-order cognitive dysfunction, which is related to high-level cortical regions such as the prefrontal and temporal lobes. Recent research reveals that impairment of low-level sensory processing occurs in the early stage of schizophrenia, which may be due to impairment of the subcortical magnocellular visual pathway. Moreover, the structure and function of some important nuclei in a subcortical visual pathway are reported to be abnormal in patients with schizophrenia. Inspired by the above evidence, we propose a hypothesis that impairment of the Superior Colliculus-Pulvinar-Amygdala subcortical visual pathway may be involved in the pathological mechanisms of early stages of schizophrenia. And we propose a possible method to detect dysfunction of this subcortical pathway through examining topological processing, which may help early diagnosis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Shen
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dongqiang Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China.
| | - Yan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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39
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Del Lucchese B, Belmonti V, Brovedani P, Caponi MC, Castilla A, Masi G, Tacchi A, Zaoui M, Cioni G, Berthoz A. The Virtual City Paradigm TM for Testing Visuo-Spatial Memory, Executive Functions and Cognitive Strategies in Children With ADHD: A Feasibility Study. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:708434. [PMID: 34475832 PMCID: PMC8406804 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.708434] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Navigation is a complex process, requiring target localization, route planning or retrieval, and physical displacement. Executive functions (EFs) such as working memory, inhibition and planning are fundamental for succeeding in this complex activity and are often impaired in Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Our aim was to analyze the feasibility of a new ecological navigation task, the Virtual City paradigm™ (VC™) to test visuo-spatial memory and EFs in children with ADHD. Visuo-spatial short and working memory, inhibition and planning skills were tested with standardized tasks. The VC™, a new paradigm developed by our group, used the Virtual CarpetTM technology, consisting of a virtual town with houses, streets and crossroads projected on the ground. It includes a motion capture system, tracking body movement in 3D in real time. In one condition, children were required to walk through the city and reach a sequence of houses. In the other, before walking, they had to plan the shortest path to reach the houses, inhibiting the prepotent response to start walking. The results show a good feasibility of the paradigm (feasibility checklist and ad hoc questionnaire), being ecological and motivating. VC™ measures of span positively correlated with visuo-spatial short and working memory measures, suggesting that VC™ heavily relies on efficient spatial memory. Individual subject analyses suggested that children with ADHD may approach this task differently from typically developing children. Larger samples of ADHD and healthy children may further explore the specific role of EFs and memory, potentially opening new avenues for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Alexander Castilla
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Éducation de l'Enfant (LaPsyDÉ, UMR CNRS 8240), Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et de Neurosciences, Institut de Médecine Environnementale, Paris, France
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie, Collège de France, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Mohamed Zaoui
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie, Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alain Berthoz
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie, Collège de France, Paris, France
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40
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Luo S, Zhu Y, Han S. Functional Connectome Fingerprint of Holistic-Analytic Cultural Style. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:172-186. [PMID: 34160613 PMCID: PMC8847908 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although research in the field of cultural psychology and cultural neuroscience has revealed that culture is an important factor related to the human behaviors and neural activities in various tasks, it remains unclear how different brain regions organize together to construct a topological network for the representation of individual's cultural tendency. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that resting-state brain network properties can reflect individual's cultural background or tendency. By combining the methods of resting state MRI and graph theoretical analysis, significant cultural differences between participants from Eastern and Western cultures were found in the degree and global efficiency of regions mainly within the default mode network and subcortical network. Furthermore, the holistic/analytic thinking style, as a cultural value, provided a partial explanation for the cultural differences on various nodal metrics. Validation analyses further confirmed that these network properties effectively predicted the tendency of holistic/analytic cultural style within a group (r = 0.23), and accurately classified cultural groups (65%). The current study establishes a neural connectome representation of holistic/analytic cultural style including the topological brain network properties of regions in the default mode network, the basal ganglia and amygdala, which enable accurate cultural group membership classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyang Luo
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yiyi Zhu
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.,School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100080, China
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41
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Isa T, Marquez-Legorreta E, Grillner S, Scott EK. The tectum/superior colliculus as the vertebrate solution for spatial sensory integration and action. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R741-R762. [PMID: 34102128 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The superior colliculus, or tectum in the case of non-mammalian vertebrates, is a part of the brain that registers events in the surrounding space, often through vision and hearing, but also through electrosensation, infrared detection, and other sensory modalities in diverse vertebrate lineages. This information is used to form maps of the surrounding space and the positions of different salient stimuli in relation to the individual. The sensory maps are arranged in layers with visual input in the uppermost layer, other senses in deeper positions, and a spatially aligned motor map in the deepest layer. Here, we will review the organization and intrinsic function of the tectum/superior colliculus and the information that is processed within tectal circuits. We will also discuss tectal/superior colliculus outputs that are conveyed directly to downstream motor circuits or via the thalamus to cortical areas to control various aspects of behavior. The tectum/superior colliculus is evolutionarily conserved among all vertebrates, but tailored to the sensory specialties of each lineage, and its roles have shifted with the emergence of the cerebral cortex in mammals. We will illustrate both the conserved and divergent properties of the tectum/superior colliculus through vertebrate evolution by comparing tectal processing in lampreys belonging to the oldest group of extant vertebrates, larval zebrafish, rodents, and other vertebrates including primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Isa
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | | | - Sten Grillner
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-17177, Sweden
| | - Ethan K Scott
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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42
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Kosciessa JQ, Lindenberger U, Garrett DD. Thalamocortical excitability modulation guides human perception under uncertainty. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2430. [PMID: 33893294 PMCID: PMC8065126 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22511-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge about the relevance of environmental features can guide stimulus processing. However, it remains unclear how processing is adjusted when feature relevance is uncertain. We hypothesized that (a) heightened uncertainty would shift cortical networks from a rhythmic, selective processing-oriented state toward an asynchronous ("excited") state that boosts sensitivity to all stimulus features, and that (b) the thalamus provides a subcortical nexus for such uncertainty-related shifts. Here, we had young adults attend to varying numbers of task-relevant features during EEG and fMRI acquisition to test these hypotheses. Behavioral modeling and electrophysiological signatures revealed that greater uncertainty lowered the rate of evidence accumulation for individual stimulus features, shifted the cortex from a rhythmic to an asynchronous/excited regime, and heightened neuromodulatory arousal. Crucially, this unified constellation of within-person effects was dominantly reflected in the uncertainty-driven upregulation of thalamic activity. We argue that neuromodulatory processes involving the thalamus play a central role in how the brain modulates neural excitability in the face of momentary uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Q Kosciessa
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany.
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Douglas D Garrett
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany.
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
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43
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Harricharan S, McKinnon MC, Lanius RA. How Processing of Sensory Information From the Internal and External Worlds Shape the Perception and Engagement With the World in the Aftermath of Trauma: Implications for PTSD. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:625490. [PMID: 33935627 PMCID: PMC8085307 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.625490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is triggered by an individual experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, often precipitating persistent flashbacks and severe anxiety that are associated with a fearful and hypervigilant presentation. Approximately 14–30% of traumatized individuals present with the dissociative subtype of PTSD, which is often associated with repeated or childhood trauma. This presentation includes symptoms of depersonalization and derealization, where individuals may feel as if the world or self is “dream-like” and not real and/or describe “out-of-body” experiences. Here, we review putative neural alterations that may underlie how sensations are experienced among traumatized individuals with PTSD and its dissociative subtype, including those from the outside world (e.g., touch, auditory, and visual sensations) and the internal world of the body (e.g., visceral sensations, physical sensations associated with feeling states). We postulate that alterations in the neural pathways important for the processing of sensations originating in the outer and inner worlds may have cascading effects on the performance of higher-order cognitive functions, including emotion regulation, social cognition, and goal-oriented action, thereby shaping the perception of and engagement with the world. Finally, we introduce a theoretical neurobiological framework to account for altered sensory processing among traumatized individuals with and without the dissociative subtype of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherain Harricharan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth A Lanius
- Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.,The Brain and Mind Institute, London, ON, Canada
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Park BY, Hong SJ, Valk SL, Paquola C, Benkarim O, Bethlehem RAI, Di Martino A, Milham MP, Gozzi A, Yeo BTT, Smallwood J, Bernhardt BC. Differences in subcortico-cortical interactions identified from connectome and microcircuit models in autism. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2225. [PMID: 33850128 PMCID: PMC8044226 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21732-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiology of autism has been suggested to involve a combination of both macroscale connectome miswiring and microcircuit anomalies. Here, we combine connectome-wide manifold learning with biophysical simulation models to understand associations between global network perturbations and microcircuit dysfunctions in autism. We studied neuroimaging and phenotypic data in 47 individuals with autism and 37 typically developing controls obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange initiative. Our analysis establishes significant differences in structural connectome organization in individuals with autism relative to controls, with strong between-group effects in low-level somatosensory regions and moderate effects in high-level association cortices. Computational models reveal that the degree of macroscale anomalies is related to atypical increases of recurrent excitation/inhibition, as well as subcortical inputs into cortical microcircuits, especially in sensory and motor areas. Transcriptomic association analysis based on postmortem datasets identifies genes expressed in cortical and thalamic areas from childhood to young adulthood. Finally, supervised machine learning finds that the macroscale perturbations are associated with symptom severity scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Together, our analyses suggest that atypical subcortico-cortical interactions are associated with both microcircuit and macroscale connectome differences in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Yong Park
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea.
| | - Seok-Jun Hong
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York City, NY, USA
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Forschungszentrum, Julich, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Casey Paquola
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Oualid Benkarim
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Richard A I Bethlehem
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Michael P Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Centre for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - B T Thomas Yeo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition (CSC) & Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research (TMR), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jonathan Smallwood
- Department of Psychology, York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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45
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Matamales
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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46
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Fan Z, Guo Y, Hou X, Lv R, Nie S, Xu S, Chen J, Hong Y, Zhao S, Liu X. Selective Impairment of Processing Task-Irrelevant Emotional Faces in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Patients. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021; 17:3693-3703. [PMID: 34938077 PMCID: PMC8687691 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s340680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few reports have implied electrophysiological alterations and neurocognitive abnormalities in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), while no investigation is available regarding emotional processing. In the present study, pre-attentive processing of facial expressions was compared between CSVD sufferers and healthy controls using expression-related visual mismatch negativity (EMMN) as the indicator. METHODS A total of 22 CSVD patients (12 males) and 21 age-matched healthy controls (12 males) were recruited for neuropsychological and emotional assessments, as well as electroencephalogram recording and analysis. We employed an expression-related oddball paradigm to investigate automatic emotional processing, and a series of schematic emotional faces (neutral, happy, sad) unrelated to subject's task were present in the test to avoid low-level processing of facial features. RESULTS Although the distinctions of neuropsychological (MoCA and MMSE), emotional (GAD-7 and PHQ-9) and behavioral parameters (reaction time to target stimuli and response accuracy) did not reach significant levels, mean amplitudes of sad EMMN in time intervals of 150-250 ms and 250-350 ms were remarkably reduced in CSVD patients compared with healthy controls, but not for happy EMMN. Furthermore, in the control group, sad EMMN was demonstrated to be larger (more negative) than happy EMMN, while this interesting phenomenon disappeared in the CSVD group. CONCLUSION Our findings confirmed selective impairment of processing expressions which were task-irrelevant in CSVD patients, without the existence of negative bias (sad superiority) effect. The efficacy of EMMN as an electrophysiological evaluation marker of CSVD should be taken into account in future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyu Fan
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunliang Guo
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xunyao Hou
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Renjun Lv
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanjing Nie
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Song Xu
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Hong
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuo Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueping Liu
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
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Tabas A, Mihai G, Kiebel S, Trampel R, von Kriegstein K. Abstract rules drive adaptation in the subcortical sensory pathway. eLife 2020; 9:64501. [PMID: 33289479 PMCID: PMC7785290 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The subcortical sensory pathways are the fundamental channels for mapping the outside world to our minds. Sensory pathways efficiently transmit information by adapting neural responses to the local statistics of the sensory input. The long-standing mechanistic explanation for this adaptive behaviour is that neural activity decreases with increasing regularities in the local statistics of the stimuli. An alternative account is that neural coding is directly driven by expectations of the sensory input. Here, we used abstract rules to manipulate expectations independently of local stimulus statistics. The ultra-high-field functional-MRI data show that abstract expectations can drive the response amplitude to tones in the human auditory pathway. These results provide first unambiguous evidence of abstract processing in a subcortical sensory pathway. They indicate that the neural representation of the outside world is altered by our prior beliefs even at initial points of the processing hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Tabas
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Research Group Neural Mechanism of Human Communication, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Glad Mihai
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Research Group Neural Mechanism of Human Communication, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefan Kiebel
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Robert Trampel
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katharina von Kriegstein
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Research Group Neural Mechanism of Human Communication, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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48
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Fransson P, Thompson WH. Temporal flow of hubs and connectivity in the human brain. Neuroimage 2020; 223:117348. [PMID: 32898675 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hubs in brain network connectivity have previously been observed using neuroimaging techniques and are generally believed to be of pivotal importance to establish and maintain a functional platform on which cognitively meaningful and energy-efficient neuronal communication can occur. However, little is known if hubs are static (i.e. a brain region is always a hub) or if these properties change over time (i.e. brain regions fluctuate in their 'hubness'). To address this question, we introduce two new methodological concepts, the flow of brain connectivity and node penalized shortest paths which are then applied to time-varying functional connectivity fMRI BOLD data. We show that the constellations of active hubs change over time in a non-trivial way and that activity of hubs is dependent on the temporal scale of investigation. Slower fluctuations in the number of active hubs that exceeded the degree expected by chance alone were detected primarily in subcortical structures. Moreover, we observed faster fluctuations in hub activity residing predominately in the default mode network that suggests dynamic events in brain connectivity. Our results suggest that the temporal behavior of connectivity hubs is a multilayered and complex issue where method-specific properties of temporal sensitivity to time-varying connectivity must be taken into account. We discuss our results in relation to the on-going discussion of the existence of discrete and stable states in the resting-brain and the role of network hubs in providing a scaffold for neuronal communication across time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Fransson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 9, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - William H Thompson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 9, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Stanford University, USA
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49
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Kim JJ, Kent KM, Cunnington R, Gilbert P, Kirby JN. Attachment styles modulate neural markers of threat and imagery when engaging in self-criticism. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13776. [PMID: 32792601 PMCID: PMC7426808 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70772-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Attachment styles hold important downstream consequences for mental health through their contribution to the emergence of self-criticism. To date, no work has extended our understanding of the influence of attachment styles on self-criticism at a neurobiological level. Herein we investigate the relationship between self-reported attachment styles and neural markers of self-criticism using fMRI. A correlation network analysis revealed lingual gyrus activation during self-criticism, a marker of visual mental imagery, correlated with amygdala activity (threat response). It also identified that secure attachment positively correlated with lingual gyrus activation, whilst avoidant attachment was negatively correlated with lingual gyrus activation. Further, at greater levels of amygdala response, more securely attached individuals showed greater lingual gyrus activation, and more avoidantly attached individuals showed less lingual gyrus activation. Our data provide the first evidence that attachment mechanisms may modulate threat responses and mental imagery when engaging in self-criticism, which have important clinical and broader social implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Kim
- Compassionate Mind Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Level 3 Building 24a, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. .,The Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Kirsty M Kent
- Compassionate Mind Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Level 3 Building 24a, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Ross Cunnington
- Compassionate Mind Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Level 3 Building 24a, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Paul Gilbert
- Compassionate Mind Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Level 3 Building 24a, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,School of Allied Health and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, DE22 1GB, UK
| | - James N Kirby
- Compassionate Mind Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Level 3 Building 24a, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
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