1
|
Spyropoulos G, Schneider M, van Kempen J, Gieselmann MA, Thiele A, Vinck M. Distinct feedforward and feedback pathways for cell-type specific attention effects. Neuron 2024; 112:2423-2434.e7. [PMID: 38759641 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.020] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Selective attention is thought to depend on enhanced firing activity in extrastriate areas. Theories suggest that this enhancement depends on selective inter-areal communication via gamma (30-80 Hz) phase-locking. To test this, we simultaneously recorded from different cell types and cortical layers of macaque V1 and V4. We find that while V1-V4 gamma phase-locking between local field potentials increases with attention, the V1 gamma rhythm does not engage V4 excitatory-neurons, but only fast-spiking interneurons in L4 of V4. By contrast, attention enhances V4 spike-rates in both excitatory and inhibitory cells, most strongly in L2/3. The rate increase in L2/3 of V4 precedes V1 in time. These findings suggest enhanced signal transmission with attention does not depend on inter-areal gamma phase-locking and show that the endogenous gamma rhythm has cell-type- and layer-specific effects on downstream target areas. Similar findings were made in the mouse visual system, based on opto-tagging of identified interneurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Spyropoulos
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marius Schneider
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroinformatics, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jochem van Kempen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | | | - Alexander Thiele
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Martin Vinck
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroinformatics, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tsolias A, Zhou Y, Mojica CA, Sakharkar M, Tsolias MZ, Moore TL, Rosene DL, Medalla M. Neuroanatomical Substrates of Circuit-Specific Cholinergic Modulation across the Primate Anterior Cingulate Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0953232024. [PMID: 38719447 PMCID: PMC11170673 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0953-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine is a robust neuromodulator of the limbic system and a critical regulator of arousal and emotions. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the amygdala (AMY) are key limbic structures that are both densely innervated by cholinergic afferents and interact with each other for emotional regulation. The ACC is composed of functionally distinct dorsal (A24), rostral (A32), and ventral (A25) areas that differ in their connections with the AMY. The structural substrates of cholinergic modulation of distinct ACC microcircuits and outputs to AMY are thought to depend on the laminar and subcellular localization of cholinergic receptors. The present study examines the distribution of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, m1 and m2, on distinct excitatory and inhibitory neurons and on AMY-targeting projection neurons within ACC areas, via immunohistochemistry and injections of neural tracers into the basolateral AMY in adult rhesus monkeys of both sexes. We found that laminar densities of m1+ and m2+ expressing excitatory and inhibitory neurons depended on area and cell type. Among the ACC areas, ventral subgenual ACC A25 exhibited greater m2+ localization on presynaptic inhibitory axon terminals and greater density of m1+ and m2+ expressing AMY-targeting (tracer+) pyramidal neurons. These patterns suggest robust cholinergic disinhibition and potentiation of amygdalar outputs from the limbic ventral ACC, which may be linked to the hyperexcitability of this subgenual ACC area in depression. These findings reveal the anatomical substrate of diverse cholinergic modulation of specific ACC microcircuits and amygdalar outputs that mediate cognitive-emotional integration and dysfunctions underlying stress and affective disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Tsolias
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Yuxin Zhou
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Chromewell A Mojica
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Mitali Sakharkar
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Marianna Z Tsolias
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Tara L Moore
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Douglas L Rosene
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Maria Medalla
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mahrach A, Bestue D, Qi XL, Constantinidis C, Compte A. Cholinergic Neuromodulation of Prefrontal Attractor Dynamics Controls Performance in Spatial Working Memory. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1225232024. [PMID: 38641409 PMCID: PMC11154852 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1225-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The behavioral and neural effects of the endogenous release of acetylcholine following stimulation of the nucleus basalis (NB) of Meynert have been recently examined in two male monkeys (Qi et al., 2021). Counterintuitively, NB stimulation enhanced behavioral performance while broadening neural tuning in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The mechanism by which a weaker mnemonic neural code could lead to better performance remains unclear. Here, we show that increased neural excitability in a simple continuous bump attractor model can induce broader neural tuning and decrease bump diffusion, provided neural rates are saturated. Increased memory precision in the model overrides memory accuracy, improving overall task performance. Moreover, we show that bump attractor dynamics can account for the nonuniform impact of neuromodulation on distractibility, depending on distractor distance from the target. Finally, we delve into the conditions under which bump attractor tuning and diffusion balance in biologically plausible heterogeneous network models. In these discrete bump attractor networks, we show that reducing spatial correlations or enhancing excitatory transmission can improve memory precision. Altogether, we provide a mechanistic understanding of how cholinergic neuromodulation controls spatial working memory through perturbed attractor dynamics in the PFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Mahrach
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
| | - David Bestue
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
| | - Xue-Lian Qi
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157
| | | | - Albert Compte
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Glaeser-Khan S, Savalia NK, Cressy J, Feng J, Li Y, Kwan AC, Kaye AP. Spatiotemporal Organization of Prefrontal Norepinephrine Influences Neuronal Activity. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0252-23.2024. [PMID: 38702188 PMCID: PMC11134306 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0252-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Norepinephrine (NE), a neuromodulator released by locus ceruleus (LC) neurons throughout the cortex, influences arousal and learning through extrasynaptic vesicle exocytosis. While NE within cortical regions has been viewed as a homogenous field, recent studies have demonstrated heterogeneous axonal dynamics and advances in GPCR-based fluorescent sensors permit direct observation of the local dynamics of NE at cellular scale. To investigate how the spatiotemporal dynamics of NE release in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) affect neuronal firing, we employed in vivo two-photon imaging of layer 2/3 of the PFC in order to observe fine-scale neuronal calcium and NE dynamics concurrently. In this proof of principle study, we found that local and global NE fields can decouple from one another, providing a substrate for local NE spatiotemporal activity patterns. Optic flow analysis revealed putative release and reuptake events which can occur at the same location, albeit at different times, indicating the potential to create a heterogeneous NE field. Utilizing generalized linear models, we demonstrated that cellular Ca2+ fluctuations are influenced by both the local and global NE field. However, during periods of local/global NE field decoupling, the local field drives cell firing dynamics rather than the global field. These findings underscore the significance of localized, phasic NE fluctuations for structuring cell firing, which may provide local neuromodulatory control of cortical activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Neil K Savalia
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Jianna Cressy
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA National Center for PTSD, West Haven, Connecticut 06515
| | - Jiesi Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Alex C Kwan
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Alfred P Kaye
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA National Center for PTSD, West Haven, Connecticut 06515
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mahrach A, Bestue D, Qi XL, Constantinidis C, Compte A. Cholinergic neuromodulation of prefrontal attractor dynamics controls performance in spatial working memory. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.17.576071. [PMID: 38293215 PMCID: PMC10827212 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.17.576071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The behavioral and neural effects of the endogenous release of acetylcholine following stimulation of the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert (NB) have been recently examined (Qi et al. 2021). Counterintuitively, NB stimulation enhanced behavioral performance while broadening neural tuning in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The mechanism by which a weaker mnemonic neural code could lead to better performance remains unclear. Here, we show that increased neural excitability in a simple continuous bump attractor model can induce broader neural tuning and decrease bump diffusion, provided neural rates are saturated. Increased memory precision in the model overrides memory accuracy, improving overall task performance. Moreover, we show that bump attractor dynamics can account for the nonuniform impact of neuromodulation on distractibility, depending on distractor distance from the target. Finally, we delve into the conditions under which bump attractor tuning and diffusion balance in biologically plausible heterogeneous network models. In these discrete bump attractor networks, we show that reducing spatial correlations or enhancing excitatory transmission can improve memory precision. Altogether, we provide a mechanistic understanding of how cholinergic neuromodulation controls spatial working memory through perturbed attractor dynamics in PFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Mahrach
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Bestue
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xue-Lian Qi
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | | | - Albert Compte
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hüer J, Saxena P, Treue S. Pathway-selective optogenetics reveals the functional anatomy of top-down attentional modulation in the macaque visual cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2304511121. [PMID: 38194453 PMCID: PMC10801865 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304511121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial attention represents a powerful top-down influence on sensory responses in primate visual cortical areas. The frontal eye field (FEF) has emerged as a key candidate area for the source of this modulation. However, it is unclear whether the FEF exerts its effects via its direct axonal projections to visual areas or indirectly through other brain areas and whether the FEF affects both the enhancement of attended and the suppression of unattended sensory responses. We used pathway-selective optogenetics in rhesus macaques performing a spatial attention task to inhibit the direct input from the FEF to area MT, an area along the dorsal visual pathway specialized for the processing of visual motion information. Our results show that the optogenetic inhibition of the FEF input specifically reduces attentional modulation in MT by about a third without affecting the neurons' sensory response component. We find that the direct FEF-to-MT pathway contributes to both the enhanced processing of target stimuli and the suppression of distractors. The FEF, thus, selectively modulates firing rates in visual area MT, and it does so via its direct axonal projections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janina Hüer
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen37077, Germany
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt60528, Germany
| | - Pankhuri Saxena
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen37077, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen37077, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen37073, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen37077, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen37073, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bagheri J, Fallahnezhad S, Alipour N, Babaloo H, Tahmasebi F, Kheradmand H, Sazegar G, Haghir H. Maternal diabetes decreases the expression of α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors in the visual cortex of male rat neonates. J Chem Neuroanat 2023; 132:102326. [PMID: 37619956 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2023.102326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
AIMS This study investigates the impact of maternal diabetes on the expression of α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors in the primary visual cortex of male offspring born to diabetic rats. MAIN METHODS In adult female rats, a single dose of intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce diabetes (Diabetic group). Diabetes was controlled with insulin in the Insulin-treated group. Female rats in the control group received normal saline instead of STZ. Male newborns were euthanized at P0, P7, and P14, and the expression of α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors in the primary visual cortex was determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC). KEY FINDINGS The study showed that α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors were significantly suppressed in all layers of the primary visual cortex of male neonates born to diabetic rats at P0, P7, and P14 compared to the control group. The highest expression was for the Con group at P14 and the lowest one was in the Dia group at P0 for both receptors. The insulin treatment in diabetic mothers modulated the expression of these receptors to normal levels in their newborns. SIGNIFICANCE The results demonstrate maternal diabetes decreases the expression of α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors in the primary visual cortex of male offspring born to diabetic rats. Insulin treatment can offset these effects of diabetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javad Bagheri
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Somaye Fallahnezhad
- Nervous System Stem Cell Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Nasim Alipour
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamideh Babaloo
- Department of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, School of Paramedicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran; Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Yazd Reproductive Science Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Tahmasebi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamed Kheradmand
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghasem Sazegar
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hossein Haghir
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Medical Genetic Research Center (MGRC), School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Glaeser-Khan S, Savalia NK, Cressy J, Feng J, Li Y, Kwan AC, Kaye AP. Spatiotemporal organization of prefrontal norepinephrine influences neuronal activity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.09.544191. [PMID: 37502881 PMCID: PMC10370029 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.09.544191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Norepinephrine (NE), a neuromodulator released by locus coeruleus neurons throughout cortex, influences arousal and learning through extra-synaptic vesicle exocytosis. While NE within cortical regions has been viewed as a homogenous field, recent studies have demonstrated heterogeneous axonal dynamics and advances in GPCR-based fluorescent sensors permit direct observation of the local dynamics of NE at cellular scale. To investigate how the spatiotemporal dynamics of NE release in the PFC affect neuronal firing, we employed in-vivo two-photon imaging of layer 2/3 of PFC in order to observe fine-scale neuronal calcium and NE dynamics concurrently. We found that local and global NE fields can decouple from one another, providing a substrate for local NE spatiotemporal activity patterns. Optic flow analysis revealed putative release and reuptake events which can occur at the same location, albeit at different times, indicating the potential to create a heterogeneous NE field. Utilizing generalized linear models, we demonstrated that cellular Ca2+ fluctuations are influenced by both the local and global NE field. However, during periods of local/global NE field decoupling, the local field drives cell firing dynamics rather than the global field. These findings underscore the significance of localized, phasic NE fluctuations for structuring cell firing, which may provide local neuromodulatory control of cortical activity.
Collapse
|
9
|
Bava JM, Wang Z, Bick SK, Englot DJ, Constantinidis C. Improving Visual Working Memory with Cholinergic Deep Brain Stimulation. Brain Sci 2023; 13:917. [PMID: 37371395 PMCID: PMC10296349 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine is a critical modulatory neurotransmitter for cognitive function. Cholinergic drugs improve cognitive performance and enhance neuronal activity in the sensory and association cortices. An alternative means of improving cognitive function is through the use of deep brain stimulation. Prior animal studies have demonstrated that stimulation of the nucleus basalis of Meynert through DBS improves cognitive performance on a visual working memory task to the same degree as cholinesterase inhibitors. Additionally, unlike current pharmacological treatments for neurocognitive disorders, DBS does not lose efficacy over time and adverse effects are rare. These findings suggest that DBS may be a promising alternative for treating cognitive impairments in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Thus, further research and human trials should be considered to assess the potential of DBS as a therapeutic treatment for these disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janki M. Bava
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.J.E.)
| | - Zhengyang Wang
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA;
| | - Sarah K. Bick
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
| | - Dario J. Englot
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.J.E.)
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.J.E.)
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA;
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Hassani S, Neumann A, Russell J, Jones C, Womelsdorf T. M 1-selective muscarinic allosteric modulation enhances cognitive flexibility and effective salience in nonhuman primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216792120. [PMID: 37104474 PMCID: PMC10161096 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216792120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) in cortical neural circuits mediates how selective attention is sustained in the presence of distractors and how flexible cognition adjusts to changing task demands. The cognitive domains of attention and cognitive flexibility might be differentially supported by the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtype. Understanding how M1 mAChR mechanisms support these cognitive subdomains is of highest importance for advancing novel drug treatments for conditions with altered attention and reduced cognitive control including Alzheimer's disease or schizophrenia. Here, we tested this question by assessing how the subtype-selective M1 mAChR positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0453595 affects visual search and flexible reward learning in nonhuman primates. We found that allosteric potentiation of M1 mAChRs enhanced flexible learning performance by improving extradimensional set shifting, reducing latent inhibition from previously experienced distractors and reducing response perseveration in the absence of adverse side effects. These procognitive effects occurred in the absence of apparent changes of attentional performance during visual search. In contrast, nonselective ACh modulation using the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) donepezil improved attention during visual search at doses that did not alter cognitive flexibility and that already triggered gastrointestinal cholinergic side effects. These findings illustrate that M1 mAChR positive allosteric modulation enhances cognitive flexibility without affecting attentional filtering of distraction, consistent with M1 activity boosting the effective salience of relevant over irrelevant objects specifically during learning. These results suggest that M1 PAMs are versatile compounds for enhancing cognitive flexibility in disorders spanning schizophrenia and Alzheimer's diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seyed A. Hassani
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Adam Neumann
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Jason Russell
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Carrie K. Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Thilo Womelsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Pines A, Keller AS, Larsen B, Bertolero M, Ashourvan A, Bassett DS, Cieslak M, Covitz S, Fan Y, Feczko E, Houghton A, Rueter AR, Saggar M, Shafiei G, Tapera TM, Vogel J, Weinstein SM, Shinohara RT, Williams LM, Fair DA, Satterthwaite TD. Development of top-down cortical propagations in youth. Neuron 2023; 111:1316-1330.e5. [PMID: 36803653 PMCID: PMC10121821 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Hierarchical processing requires activity propagating between higher- and lower-order cortical areas. However, functional neuroimaging studies have chiefly quantified fluctuations within regions over time rather than propagations occurring over space. Here, we leverage advances in neuroimaging and computer vision to track cortical activity propagations in a large sample of youth (n = 388). We delineate cortical propagations that systematically ascend and descend a cortical hierarchy in all individuals in our developmental cohort, as well as in an independent dataset of densely sampled adults. Further, we demonstrate that top-down, descending hierarchical propagations become more prevalent with greater demands for cognitive control as well as with development in youth. These findings emphasize that hierarchical processing is reflected in the directionality of propagating cortical activity and suggest top-down propagations as a potential mechanism of neurocognitive maturation in youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pines
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA; The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arielle S Keller
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bart Larsen
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maxwell Bertolero
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arian Ashourvan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Dani S Bassett
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Departments of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87051, USA
| | - Matthew Cieslak
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sydney Covitz
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yong Fan
- Department of Radiology, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Eric Feczko
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - Audrey Houghton
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - Amanda R Rueter
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - Manish Saggar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Golia Shafiei
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tinashe M Tapera
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacob Vogel
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sarah M Weinstein
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Russell T Shinohara
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Damien A Fair
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- The Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Doostmohammadi J, Gieselmann MA, van Kempen J, Lashgari R, Yoonessi A, Thiele A. Ripples in macaque V1 and V4 are modulated by top-down visual attention. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2210698120. [PMID: 36696442 PMCID: PMC9945997 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2210698120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Sharp-wave ripples (SWRs) are highly synchronous neuronal activity events. They have been predominantly observed in the hippocampus during offline states such as pause in exploration, slow-wave sleep, and quiescent wakefulness. SWRs have been linked to memory consolidation, spatial navigation, and spatial decision-making. Recently, SWRs have been reported during visual search, a form of remote spatial exploration, in macaque hippocampus. However, the association between SWRs and multiple forms of awake conscious and goal-directed behavior is unknown. We report that ripple activity occurs in macaque visual areas V1 and V4 during focused spatial attention. The occurrence of ripples is modulated by stimulus characteristics, increased by attention toward the receptive field, and by the size of the attentional focus. During attention cued to the receptive field, the monkey's reaction time in detecting behaviorally relevant events was reduced by ripples. These results show that ripple activity is not limited to hippocampal activity during offline states, rather they occur in the neocortex during active attentive states and vigilance behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jafar Doostmohammadi
- Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran13, Iran
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon TyneNE1 7RU, United Kingdom
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, IPM, Tehran13, Iran
| | - Marc Alwin Gieselmann
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon TyneNE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Jochem van Kempen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon TyneNE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Reza Lashgari
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran13, Iran
| | - Ali Yoonessi
- Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran13, Iran
| | - Alexander Thiele
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon TyneNE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Muscarinic antagonists impair multiple aspects of operant discrimination learning and performance. Neurosci Lett 2023; 794:137025. [PMID: 36529388 PMCID: PMC9812939 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.137025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Acetylcholine signaling can strengthen associations between environmental cues and reward availability. Diverse subtypes (M1-M5) of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) family may have distinct roles in different learning and memory processes, such as encoding cue-reward associations and consolidating these associations in long-term memory. Using an operant discrimination learning task in which mice are trained to nose poke during a tone to receive a food reward, we found that acquisition of the task requires mAChR signaling in the central nervous system. In addition, post-session injections of a broad mAChR antagonist, scopolamine impaired consolidation of the cue-reward memory. Further, after successful learning of a cue-reward contingency across multiple training sessions, mice that received a single pre-session injection of scopolamine were unable to use the learned cue association to receive rewards. Taken together, these data demonstrate distinct roles for muscarinic signaling in acquisition, consolidation and recall of the operant discrimination learning task. Understanding mechanisms underlying natural reward-related responding may provide insight into other maladaptive forms of reward learning such as addiction.
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Voluntary attention selects behaviorally relevant signals for further processing while filtering out distracter signals. Neural correlates of voluntary visual attention have been reported across multiple areas of the primate visual processing streams, with the earliest and strongest effects isolated in the prefrontal cortex. In this article, I review evidence supporting the hypothesis that signals guiding the allocation of voluntary attention emerge in areas of the prefrontal cortex and reach upstream areas to modulate the processing of incoming visual information according to its behavioral relevance. Areas located anterior and dorsal to the arcuate sulcus and the frontal eye fields produce signals that guide the allocation of spatial attention. Areas located anterior and ventral to the arcuate sulcus produce signals for feature-based attention. Prefrontal microcircuits are particularly suited to supporting voluntary attention because of their ability to generate attentional template signals and implement signal gating and their extensive connectivity with the rest of the brain. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 8 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julio Martinez-Trujillo
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada;
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
van Kempen J, Brandt C, Distler C, Bellgrove MA, Thiele A. Dopamine influences attentional rate modulation in Macaque posterior parietal cortex. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6914. [PMID: 35484302 PMCID: PMC9050696 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10634-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive neuroscience has made great strides in understanding the neural substrates of attention, but our understanding of its neuropharmacology remains incomplete. Although dopamine has historically been studied in relation to frontal functioning, emerging evidence suggests important dopaminergic influences in parietal cortex. We recorded single- and multi-unit activity whilst iontophoretically administering dopaminergic agonists and antagonists while rhesus macaques performed a spatial attention task. Out of 88 units, 50 revealed activity modulation by drug administration. Dopamine inhibited firing rates according to an inverted-U shaped dose-response curve and increased gain variability. D1 receptor antagonists diminished firing rates according to a monotonic function and interacted with attention modulating gain variability. Finally, both drugs decreased the pupil light reflex. These data show that dopamine shapes neuronal responses and modulates aspects of attentional processing in parietal cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jochem van Kempen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Christian Brandt
- Research Unit for ORL - Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Claudia Distler
- Allgemeine Zoologie Und Neurobiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Mark A Bellgrove
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Alexander Thiele
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Tsolias A, Medalla M. Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Localization on Distinct Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons Within the ACC and LPFC of the Rhesus Monkey. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 15:795325. [PMID: 35087381 PMCID: PMC8786743 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.795325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) can act on pre- and post-synaptic muscarinic receptors (mAChR) in the cortex to influence a myriad of cognitive processes. Two functionally-distinct regions of the prefrontal cortex-the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)-are differentially innervated by ascending cholinergic pathways yet, the nature and organization of prefrontal-cholinergic circuitry in primates are not well understood. Using multi-channel immunohistochemical labeling and high-resolution microscopy, we found regional and laminar differences in the subcellular localization and the densities of excitatory and inhibitory subpopulations expressing m1 and m2 muscarinic receptors, the two predominant cortical mAChR subtypes, in the supragranular layers of LPFC and ACC in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). The subset of m1+/m2+ expressing SMI-32+ pyramidal neurons labeled in layer 3 (L3) was denser in LPFC than in ACC, while m1+/m2+ SMI-32+ neurons co-expressing the calcium-binding protein, calbindin (CB) was greater in ACC. Further, we found between-area differences in laminar m1+ dendritic expression, and m2+ presynaptic localization on cortico-cortical (VGLUT1+) and sub-cortical inputs (VGLUT2+), suggesting differential cholinergic modulation of top-down vs. bottom-up inputs in the two areas. While almost all inhibitory interneurons-identified by their expression of parvalbumin (PV+), CB+, and calretinin (CR+)-expressed m1+, the localization of m2+ differed by subtype and area. The ACC exhibited a greater proportion of m2+ inhibitory neurons compared to the LPFC and had a greater density of presynaptic m2+ localized on inhibitory (VGAT+) inputs targeting proximal somatodendritic compartments and axon initial segments of L3 pyramidal neurons. These data suggest a greater capacity for m2+-mediated cholinergic suppression of inhibition in the ACC compared to the LPFC. The anatomical localization of muscarinic receptors on ACC and LPFC micro-circuits shown here contributes to our understanding of diverse cholinergic neuromodulation of functionally-distinct prefrontal areas involved in goal-directed behavior, and how these interactions maybe disrupted in neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Tsolias
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Maria Medalla
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Rhythmicity of Prefrontal Local Field Potentials after Nucleus Basalis Stimulation. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0380-21.2022. [PMID: 35058309 PMCID: PMC8856705 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0380-21.2022] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The action of acetylcholine in the cortex is critical for cognitive functions and cholinergic drugs can improve functions such as attention and working memory. An alternative means of enhancing cholinergic neuromodulation in primates is the intermittent electrical stimulation of the cortical source of acetylcholine, the nucleus basalis (NB) of Meynert. NB stimulation generally increases firing rate of neurons in the prefrontal cortex, however its effects on single neurons are diverse and complex. We sought to understand how NB stimulation affects global measures of neural activity by recording and analyzing local field potentials (LFPs) in monkeys as they performed working memory tasks. NB stimulation primarily decreased power in the alpha frequency range during the delay interval of working memory tasks. The effect was consistent across variants of the task. No consistent modulation in the delay interval of the task was observed in the gamma frequency range, which has previously been implicated in the maintenance of working memory. Our results reveal global effects of cholinergic neuromodulation via deep brain stimulation, an emerging intervention for the improvement of cognitive function.
Collapse
|
18
|
The diversity and specificity of functional connectivity across spatial and temporal scales. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118692. [PMID: 34751153 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroscopic neuroimaging modalities in humans have revealed the organization of brain-wide activity into distributed functional networks that re-organize according to behavioral demands. However, the inherent coarse-graining of macroscopic measurements conceals the diversity and specificity in responses and connectivity of many individual neurons contained in each local region. New invasive approaches in animals enable recording and manipulating neural activity at meso- and microscale resolution, with cell-type specificity and temporal precision down to milliseconds. Determining how brain-wide activity patterns emerge from interactions across spatial and temporal scales will allow us to identify the key circuit mechanisms contributing to global brain states and how the dynamic activity of these states enables adaptive behavior.
Collapse
|
19
|
Cholinergic modulation of sensory processing in awake mouse cortex. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17525. [PMID: 34471145 PMCID: PMC8410938 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96696-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic modulation of brain activity is fundamental for awareness and conscious sensorimotor behaviours, but deciphering the timing and significance of acetylcholine actions for these behaviours is challenging. The widespread nature of cholinergic projections to the cortex means that new insights require access to specific neuronal populations, and on a time-scale that matches behaviourally relevant cholinergic actions. Here, we use fast, voltage imaging of L2/3 cortical pyramidal neurons exclusively expressing the genetically-encoded voltage indicator Butterfly 1.2, in awake, head-fixed mice, receiving sensory stimulation, whilst manipulating the cholinergic system. Altering muscarinic acetylcholine function re-shaped sensory-evoked fast depolarisation and subsequent slow hyperpolarisation of L2/3 pyramidal neurons. A consequence of this re-shaping was disrupted adaptation of the sensory-evoked responses, suggesting a critical role for acetylcholine during sensory discrimination behaviour. Our findings provide new insights into how the cortex processes sensory information and how loss of acetylcholine, for example in Alzheimer's Disease, disrupts sensory behaviours.
Collapse
|
20
|
Qi XL, Liu R, Singh B, Bestue D, Compte A, Vazdarjanova AI, Blake DT, Constantinidis C. Nucleus basalis stimulation enhances working memory by stabilizing stimulus representations in primate prefrontal cortical activity. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109469. [PMID: 34348147 PMCID: PMC8385230 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine plays a critical role in the neocortex. Cholinergic agonists and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can enhance cognitive functioning, as does intermittent electrical stimulation of the cortical source of acetylcholine, the nucleus basalis (NB) of Meynert. Here we show in two male monkeys how NB stimulation affects working memory and alters its neural code. NB stimulation increases dorsolateral prefrontal activity during the delay period of spatial working memory tasks and broadens selectivity for stimuli but does not strengthen phasic responses to each neuron's optimal visual stimulus. Paradoxically, despite this decrease in neuronal selectivity, performance improves in many task conditions, likely indicating increased delay period stability. Performance under NB stimulation does decline if distractors similar to the target are presented, consistent with reduced prefrontal selectivity. Our results indicate that stimulation of the cholinergic forebrain increases prefrontal neural activity, and this neuromodulatory tone can improve cognitive performance, subject to a stability-accuracy tradeoff.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Lian Qi
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Ruifeng Liu
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Balbir Singh
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - David Bestue
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Compte
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Almira I Vazdarjanova
- Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, MCG, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - David T Blake
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Banaie Boroujeni K, Tiesinga P, Womelsdorf T. Interneuron-specific gamma synchronization indexes cue uncertainty and prediction errors in lateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex. eLife 2021; 10:69111. [PMID: 34142661 PMCID: PMC8248985 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69111] [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: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons are believed to realize critical gating functions in cortical circuits, but it has been difficult to ascertain the content of gated information for well-characterized interneurons in primate cortex. Here, we address this question by characterizing putative interneurons in primate prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex while monkeys engaged in attention demanding reversal learning. We find that subclasses of narrow spiking neurons have a relative suppressive effect on the local circuit indicating they are inhibitory interneurons. One of these interneuron subclasses showed prominent firing rate modulations and (35–45 Hz) gamma synchronous spiking during periods of uncertainty in both, lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In LPFC, this interneuron subclass activated when the uncertainty of attention cues was resolved during flexible learning, whereas in ACC it fired and gamma-synchronized when outcomes were uncertain and prediction errors were high during learning. Computational modeling of this interneuron-specific gamma band activity in simple circuit motifs suggests it could reflect a soft winner-take-all gating of information having high degree of uncertainty. Together, these findings elucidate an electrophysiologically characterized interneuron subclass in the primate, that forms gamma synchronous networks in two different areas when resolving uncertainty during adaptive goal-directed behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul Tiesinga
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Thilo Womelsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Biology, Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Dasilva M, Brandt C, Alwin Gieselmann M, Distler C, Thiele A. Contribution of Ionotropic Glutamatergic Receptors to Excitability and Attentional Signals in Macaque Frontal Eye Field. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3266-3284. [PMID: 33626129 PMCID: PMC8196243 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Top-down attention, controlled by frontal cortical areas, is a key component of cognitive operations. How different neurotransmitters and neuromodulators flexibly change the cellular and network interactions with attention demands remains poorly understood. While acetylcholine and dopamine are critically involved, glutamatergic receptors have been proposed to play important roles. To understand their contribution to attentional signals, we investigated how ionotropic glutamatergic receptors in the frontal eye field (FEF) of male macaques contribute to neuronal excitability and attentional control signals in different cell types. Broad-spiking and narrow-spiking cells both required N-methyl-D-aspartic acid and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor activation for normal excitability, thereby affecting ongoing or stimulus-driven activity. However, attentional control signals were not dependent on either glutamatergic receptor type in broad- or narrow-spiking cells. A further subdivision of cell types into different functional types using cluster-analysis based on spike waveforms and spiking characteristics did not change the conclusions. This can be explained by a model where local blockade of specific ionotropic receptors is compensated by cell embedding in large-scale networks. It sets the glutamatergic system apart from the cholinergic system in FEF and demonstrates that a reduction in excitability is not sufficient to induce a reduction in attentional control signals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Dasilva
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.,College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Christian Brandt
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.,Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Claudia Distler
- Allgemeine Zoologie und Neurobiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum 44801 Germany
| | - Alexander Thiele
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wong KLL, Nair A, Augustine GJ. Changing the Cortical Conductor's Tempo: Neuromodulation of the Claustrum. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:658228. [PMID: 34054437 PMCID: PMC8155375 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.658228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The claustrum is a thin sheet of neurons that is densely connected to many cortical regions and has been implicated in numerous high-order brain functions. Such brain functions arise from brain states that are influenced by neuromodulatory pathways from the cholinergic basal forebrain, dopaminergic substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area, and serotonergic raphe. Recent revelations that the claustrum receives dense input from these structures have inspired investigation of state-dependent control of the claustrum. Here, we review neuromodulation in the claustrum-from anatomical connectivity to behavioral manipulations-to inform future analyses of claustral function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L. L. Wong
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aditya Nair
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - George J. Augustine
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Lockhofen DEL, Mulert C. Neurochemistry of Visual Attention. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:643597. [PMID: 34025339 PMCID: PMC8133366 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.643597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual attention is the cognitive process that mediates the selection of important information from the environment. This selection is usually controlled by bottom-up and top-down attentional biasing. Since for most humans vision is the dominant sense, visual attention is critically important for higher-order cognitive functions and related deficits are a core symptom of many neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Here, we summarize the importance and relative contributions of different neuromodulators and neurotransmitters to the neural mechanisms of top-down and bottom-up attentional control. We will not only review the roles of widely accepted neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, dopamine and noradrenaline, but also the contributions of other modulatory substances. In doing so, we hope to shed some light on the current understanding of the role of neurochemistry in shaping neuron properties contributing to the allocation of attention in the visual field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoph Mulert
- Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University, Hessen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Ferro D, van Kempen J, Boyd M, Panzeri S, Thiele A. Directed information exchange between cortical layers in macaque V1 and V4 and its modulation by selective attention. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2022097118. [PMID: 33723059 PMCID: PMC8000025 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022097118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Achieving behavioral goals requires integration of sensory and cognitive information across cortical laminae and cortical regions. How this computation is performed remains unknown. Using local field potential recordings and spectrally resolved conditional Granger causality (cGC) analysis, we mapped visual information flow, and its attentional modulation, between cortical layers within and between macaque brain areas V1 and V4. Stimulus-induced interlaminar information flow within V1 dominated upwardly, channeling information toward supragranular corticocortical output layers. Within V4, information flow dominated from granular to supragranular layers, but interactions between supragranular and infragranular layers dominated downwardly. Low-frequency across-area communication was stronger from V4 to V1, with little layer specificity. Gamma-band communication was stronger in the feedforward V1-to-V4 direction. Attention to the receptive field of V1 decreased communication between all V1 layers, except for granular-to-supragranular layer interactions. Communication within V4, and from V1 to V4, increased with attention across all frequencies. While communication from V4 to V1 was stronger in lower-frequency bands (4 to 25 Hz), attention modulated cGCs from V4 to V1 across all investigated frequencies. Our data show that top-down cognitive processes result in reduced communication within cortical areas, increased feedforward communication across all frequency bands, and increased gamma-band feedback communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Demetrio Ferro
- Neural Computation Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
- Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jochem van Kempen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Boyd
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Panzeri
- Neural Computation Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy;
| | - Alexander Thiele
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
van Kempen J, Gieselmann MA, Boyd M, Steinmetz NA, Moore T, Engel TA, Thiele A. Top-down coordination of local cortical state during selective attention. Neuron 2021; 109:894-904.e8. [PMID: 33406410 PMCID: PMC7927916 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Spontaneous fluctuations in cortical excitability influence sensory processing and behavior. These fluctuations, long thought to reflect global changes in cortical state, were recently found to be modulated locally within a retinotopic map during spatially selective attention. We report that periods of vigorous (On) and faint (Off) spiking activity, the signature of cortical state fluctuations, are coordinated across brain areas with retinotopic precision. Top-down attention enhanced interareal local state coordination, traversing along the reverse cortical hierarchy. The extent of local state coordination between areas was predictive of behavioral performance. Our results show that cortical state dynamics are shared across brain regions, modulated by cognitive demands and relevant for behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jochem van Kempen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Marc A Gieselmann
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Michael Boyd
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Nicholas A Steinmetz
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Tirin Moore
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tatiana A Engel
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Alexander Thiele
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Sarter M, Avila C, Kucinski A, Donovan E. Make a Left Turn: Cortico-Striatal Circuitry Mediating the Attentional Control of Complex Movements. Mov Disord 2021; 36:535-546. [PMID: 33615556 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), cholinergic signaling is disrupted by the loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, as well as aberrant activity in striatal cholinergic interneurons (ChIs). Several lines of evidence suggest that gait imbalance, a key disabling symptom of PD, may be driven by alterations in high-level frontal cortical and cortico-striatal processing more typically associated with cognitive dysfunction. METHODS Here we describe the corticostriatal circuitry that mediates the cognitive-motor interactions underlying such complex movement control. The ability to navigate dynamic, obstacle-rich environments requires the continuous integration of information about the environment with movement selection and sequencing. The cortical-attentional processing of extero- and interoceptive cues requires modulation by cholinergic activity to guide striatal movement control. Cue-derived information is "transferred" to striatal circuitry primarily via fronto-striatal glutamatergic projections. RESULT Evidence from parkinsonian fallers and from a rodent model reproducing the dual cholinergic-dopaminergic losses observed in these patients supports the main hypotheses derived from this neuronal circuitry-guided conceptualization of parkinsonian falls. Furthermore, in the striatum, ChIs constitute a particularly critical node for the integration of cortical with midbrain dopaminergic afferents and thus for cues to control movements. CONCLUSION Procholinergic treatments that enhance or rescue cortical and striatal mechanisms may improve complex movement control in parkinsonian fallers and perhaps also in older persons suffering from gait disorders and a propensity for falls. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Sarter
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Cassandra Avila
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Aaron Kucinski
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Eryn Donovan
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Monosov IE. How Outcome Uncertainty Mediates Attention, Learning, and Decision-Making. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:795-809. [PMID: 32736849 PMCID: PMC8153236 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Animals and humans evolved sophisticated nervous systems that endowed them with the ability to form internal-models or beliefs and make predictions about the future to survive and flourish in a world in which future outcomes are often uncertain. Crucial to this capacity is the ability to adjust behavioral and learning policies in response to the level of uncertainty. Until recently, the neuronal mechanisms that could underlie such uncertainty-guided control have been largely unknown. In this review, I discuss newly discovered neuronal circuits in primates that represent uncertainty about future rewards and propose how they guide information-seeking, attention, decision-making, and learning to help us survive in an uncertain world. Lastly, I discuss the possible relevance of these findings to learning in artificial systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilya E Monosov
- Department of Neuroscience and Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Li S, Zhou X, Constantinidis C, Qi XL. Plasticity of Persistent Activity and Its Constraints. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:15. [PMID: 32528254 PMCID: PMC7247814 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulus information is maintained in working memory by action potentials that persist after the stimulus is no longer physically present. The prefrontal cortex is a critical brain area that maintains such persistent activity due to an intrinsic network with unique synaptic connectivity, NMDA receptors, and interneuron types. Persistent activity can be highly plastic depending on task demands but it also appears in naïve subjects, not trained or required to perform a task at all. Here, we review what aspects of persistent activity remain constant and what factors can modify it, focusing primarily on neurophysiological results from non-human primate studies. Changes in persistent activity are constrained by anatomical location, with more ventral and more anterior prefrontal areas exhibiting the greatest capacity for plasticity, as opposed to posterior and dorsal areas, which change relatively little with training. Learning to perform a cognitive task for the first time, further practicing the task, and switching between learned tasks can modify persistent activity. The ability of the prefrontal cortex to generate persistent activity also depends on age, with changes noted between adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Mean firing rates, variability and correlation of persistent discharges, but also time-varying firing rate dynamics are altered by these factors. Plastic changes in the strength of intrinsic network connections can be revealed by the analysis of synchronous spiking between neurons. These results are essential for understanding how the prefrontal cortex mediates working memory and intelligent behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sihai Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States.,Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Xue-Lian Qi
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|