1
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Sherman SM, Usrey WM. Transthalamic Pathways for Cortical Function. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0909242024. [PMID: 39197951 PMCID: PMC11358609 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0909-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex contains multiple, distinct areas that individually perform specific computations. A particular strength of the cortex is the communication of signals between cortical areas that allows the outputs of these compartmentalized computations to influence and build on each other, thereby dramatically increasing the processing power of the cortex and its role in sensation, action, and cognition. Determining how the cortex communicates signals between individual areas is, therefore, critical for understanding cortical function. Historically, corticocortical communication was thought to occur exclusively by direct anatomical connections between areas that often sequentially linked cortical areas in a hierarchical fashion. More recently, anatomical, physiological, and behavioral evidence is accumulating indicating a role for the higher-order thalamus in corticocortical communication. Specifically, the transthalamic pathway involves projections from one area of the cortex to neurons in the higher-order thalamus that, in turn, project to another area of the cortex. Here, we consider the evidence for and implications of having two routes for corticocortical communication with an emphasis on unique processing available in the transthalamic pathway and the consequences of disorders and diseases that affect transthalamic communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Murray Sherman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - W Martin Usrey
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California 95618
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2
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Shah S, Hembrook-Short J, Mock V, Briggs F. Correlated variability and its attentional modulation depend on anatomical connectivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318841121. [PMID: 39172780 PMCID: PMC11363273 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318841121] [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: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Visual cortical neurons show variability in their responses to repeated presentations of a stimulus and a portion of this variability is shared across neurons. Attention may enhance visual perception by reducing shared spiking variability. However, shared variability and its attentional modulation are not consistent within or across cortical areas, and depend on additional factors such as neuronal type. A critical factor that has not been tested is actual anatomical connectivity. We measured spike count correlations among pairs of simultaneously recorded neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) for which anatomical connectivity was inferred from spiking cross-correlations. Neurons were recorded in monkeys performing a contrast-change discrimination task requiring covert shifts in visual spatial attention. Accordingly, spike count correlations were compared across trials in which attention was directed toward or away from the visual stimulus overlapping recorded neuronal receptive fields. Consistent with prior findings, attention did not significantly alter spike count correlations among random pairings of unconnected V1 neurons. However, V1 neurons connected via excitatory synapses showed a significant reduction in spike count correlations with attention. Interestingly, V1 neurons connected via inhibitory synapses demonstrated high spike count correlations overall that were not modulated by attention. Correlated variability in excitatory circuits also depended upon neuronal tuning for contrast, the task-relevant stimulus feature. These results indicate that shared variability depends on the type of connectivity in neuronal circuits. Also, attention significantly reduces shared variability in excitatory circuits, even when attention effects on randomly sampled neurons within the same area are weak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shraddha Shah
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY14627
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | | | - Vanessa Mock
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY14642
| | - Farran Briggs
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY14642
- Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY14642
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY14627
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY14627
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3
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Ma J, O'Malley JJ, Kreiker M, Leng Y, Khan I, Kindel M, Penzo MA. Convergent direct and indirect cortical streams shape avoidance decisions in mice via the midline thalamus. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6598. [PMID: 39097600 PMCID: PMC11297946 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50941-6] [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: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Current concepts of corticothalamic organization in the mammalian brain are mainly based on sensory systems, with less focus on circuits for higher-order cognitive functions. In sensory systems, first-order thalamic relays are driven by subcortical inputs and modulated by cortical feedback, while higher-order relays receive strong excitatory cortical inputs. The applicability of these principles beyond sensory systems is uncertain. We investigated mouse prefronto-thalamic projections to the midline thalamus, revealing distinct top-down control. Unlike sensory systems, this pathway relies on indirect modulation via the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Specifically, the prelimbic area, which influences emotional and motivated behaviors, impacts instrumental avoidance responses through direct and indirect projections to the paraventricular thalamus. Both pathways promote defensive states, but the indirect pathway via the TRN is essential for organizing avoidance decisions through disinhibition. Our findings highlight intra-thalamic circuit dynamics that integrate cortical cognitive signals and their role in shaping complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ma
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - John J O'Malley
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Malaz Kreiker
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yan Leng
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Isbah Khan
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Morgan Kindel
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mario A Penzo
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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4
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McGovern HT, Grimmer HJ, Doss MK, Hutchinson BT, Timmermann C, Lyon A, Corlett PR, Laukkonen RE. An Integrated theory of false insights and beliefs under psychedelics. COMMUNICATIONS PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 2:69. [PMID: 39242747 PMCID: PMC11332244 DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00120-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Psychedelics are recognised for their potential to re-orient beliefs. We propose a model of how psychedelics can, in some cases, lead to false insights and thus false beliefs. We first review experimental work on laboratory-based false insights and false memories. We then connect this to insights and belief formation under psychedelics using the active inference framework. We propose that subjective and brain-based alterations caused by psychedelics increases the quantity and subjective intensity of insights and thence beliefs, including false ones. We offer directions for future research in minimising the risk of false and potentially harmful beliefs arising from psychedelics. Ultimately, knowing how psychedelics may facilitate false insights and beliefs is crucial if we are to optimally leverage their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- H T McGovern
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- The Cairnmillar Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - H J Grimmer
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - M K Doss
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic Research & Therapy, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - B T Hutchinson
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C Timmermann
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - A Lyon
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - P R Corlett
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - R E Laukkonen
- Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
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5
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Mo C, McKinnon C, Murray Sherman S. A transthalamic pathway crucial for perception. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6300. [PMID: 39060240 PMCID: PMC11282105 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50163-w] [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: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Perception is largely supported by cortical processing that involves communication among multiple areas, typically starting with primary sensory cortex and then involving higher order cortices. This communication is served in part by transthalamic (cortico-thalamo-cortical) pathways, which ubiquitously parallel direct corticocortical pathways, but their role in sensory processing has largely remained unexplored. Here, we suggest that transthalamic processing propagates task-relevant information required for correct sensory decisions. Using optogenetics, we specifically inhibited the pathway at its synapse in higher order somatosensory thalamus of mice performing a texture-based discrimination task. We concurrently monitored the cellular effects of inhibition in primary or secondary cortex using two-photon calcium imaging. Inhibition severely impaired performance despite intact direct corticocortical projections, thus challenging the purely corticocentric map of perception. Interestingly, the inhibition did not reduce overall cell responsiveness to texture stimulation in somatosensory cortex, but rather disrupted the texture selectivity of cells, a discriminability that develops over task learning. This discriminability was more disrupted in the secondary than primary somatosensory cortex, emphasizing the feedforward influence of the transthalamic route. Transthalamic pathways may therefore act to deliver performance-relevant information to higher order cortex and are underappreciated hierarchical pathways in perceptual decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Mo
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| | - Claire McKinnon
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - S Murray Sherman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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6
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Ihalainen R, Annen J, Gosseries O, Cardone P, Panda R, Martial C, Thibaut A, Laureys S, Chennu S. Lateral frontoparietal effective connectivity differentiates and predicts state of consciousness in a cohort of patients with traumatic disorders of consciousness. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298110. [PMID: 38968195 PMCID: PMC11226086 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298110] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have suggested an important role for the default mode network (DMN) in disorders of consciousness (DoC). However, the extent to which DMN connectivity can discriminate DoC states-unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS)-is less evident. Particularly, it is unclear whether effective DMN connectivity, as measured indirectly with dynamic causal modelling (DCM) of resting EEG can disentangle UWS from healthy controls and from patients considered conscious (MCS+). Crucially, this extends to UWS patients with potentially "covert" awareness (minimally conscious star, MCS*) indexed by voluntary brain activity in conjunction with partially preserved frontoparietal metabolism as measured with positron emission tomography (PET+ diagnosis; in contrast to PET- diagnosis with complete frontoparietal hypometabolism). Here, we address this gap by using DCM of EEG data acquired from patients with traumatic brain injury in 11 UWS (6 PET- and 5 PET+) and in 12 MCS+ (11 PET+ and 1 PET-), alongside with 11 healthy controls. We provide evidence for a key difference in left frontoparietal connectivity when contrasting UWS PET- with MCS+ patients and healthy controls. Next, in a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation, we tested the classification performance of the DCM models demonstrating that connectivity between medial prefrontal and left parietal sources reliably discriminates UWS PET- from MCS+ patients and controls. Finally, we illustrate that these models generalize to an unseen dataset: models trained to discriminate UWS PET- from MCS+ and controls, classify MCS* patients as conscious subjects with high posterior probability (pp > .92). These results identify specific alterations in the DMN after severe brain injury and highlight the clinical utility of EEG-based effective connectivity for identifying patients with potential covert awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riku Ihalainen
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
- School of Computing, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Jitka Annen
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness Research Unit, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Department of Data Analysis, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Olivia Gosseries
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness Research Unit, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Paolo Cardone
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness Research Unit, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Rajanikant Panda
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness Research Unit, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Martial
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness Research Unit, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Aurore Thibaut
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness Research Unit, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Steven Laureys
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness Research Unit, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, de la Canardière, Québec, Canada
- Consciousness Science Institute, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Srivas Chennu
- School of Computing, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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Koster KP, Sherman SM. Convergence of inputs from the basal ganglia with layer 5 of motor cortex and cerebellum in mouse motor thalamus. eLife 2024; 13:e97489. [PMID: 38856045 PMCID: PMC11208046 DOI: 10.7554/elife.97489] [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: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
A key to motor control is the motor thalamus, where several inputs converge. One excitatory input originates from layer 5 of primary motor cortex (M1L5), while another arises from the deep cerebellar nuclei (Cb). M1L5 terminals distribute throughout the motor thalamus and overlap with GABAergic inputs from the basal ganglia output nuclei, the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi), and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr). In contrast, it is thought that Cb and basal ganglia inputs are segregated. Therefore, we hypothesized that one potential function of the GABAergic inputs from basal ganglia is to selectively inhibit, or gate, excitatory signals from M1L5 in the motor thalamus. Here, we tested this possibility and determined the circuit organization of mouse (both sexes) motor thalamus using an optogenetic strategy in acute slices. First, we demonstrated the presence of a feedforward transthalamic pathway from M1L5 through motor thalamus. Importantly, we discovered that GABAergic inputs from the GPi and SNr converge onto single motor thalamic cells with excitatory synapses from M1L5. Separately, we also demonstrate that, perhaps unexpectedly, GABAergic GPi and SNr inputs converge with those from the Cb. We interpret these results to indicate that a role of the basal ganglia is to gate the thalamic transmission of M1L5 and Cb information to cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Koster
- Department of Neurobiology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - S Murray Sherman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
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8
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Buchan MJ, Gothard G, Mahfooz K, van Rheede JJ, Avery SV, Vourvoukelis A, Demby A, Ellender TJ, Newey SE, Akerman CJ. Higher-order thalamocortical circuits are specified by embryonic cortical progenitor types in the mouse brain. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114157. [PMID: 38678557 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The sensory cortex receives synaptic inputs from both first-order and higher-order thalamic nuclei. First-order inputs relay simple stimulus properties from the periphery, whereas higher-order inputs relay more complex response properties, provide contextual feedback, and modulate plasticity. Here, we reveal that a cortical neuron's higher-order input is determined by the type of progenitor from which it is derived during embryonic development. Within layer 4 (L4) of the mouse primary somatosensory cortex, neurons derived from intermediate progenitors receive stronger higher-order thalamic input and exhibit greater higher-order sensory responses. These effects result from differences in dendritic morphology and levels of the transcription factor Lhx2, which are specified by the L4 neuron's progenitor type. When this mechanism is disrupted, cortical circuits exhibit altered higher-order responses and sensory-evoked plasticity. Therefore, by following distinct trajectories, progenitor types generate diversity in thalamocortical circuitry and may provide a general mechanism for differentially routing information through the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gemma Gothard
- Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, OX1 3QT Oxford, UK
| | - Kashif Mahfooz
- Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, OX1 3QT Oxford, UK
| | | | - Sophie V Avery
- Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, OX1 3QT Oxford, UK
| | | | - Alexander Demby
- Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, OX1 3QT Oxford, UK
| | - Tommas J Ellender
- Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, OX1 3QT Oxford, UK; Experimental Neurobiology Unit, Universiteitsplein, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sarah E Newey
- Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, OX1 3QT Oxford, UK
| | - Colin J Akerman
- Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, OX1 3QT Oxford, UK.
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9
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Billock VA, Dougherty K, Kinney MJ, Preston AM, Winterbottom MD. Multisensory-inspired modeling and neural correlates for two key binocular interactions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11269. [PMID: 38760410 PMCID: PMC11101479 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60926-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Most binocular vision models assume that the two eyes sum incompletely. However, some facilitatory cortical neurons fire for only one eye, but amplify their firing rates if both eyes are stimulated. These 'binocular gate' neurons closely resemble subthreshold multisensory neurons. Binocular amplification for binocular gate neurons follows a power law, with a compressive exponent. Unexpectedly, this rule also applies to facilitatory true binocular neurons; although driven by either eye, binocular neurons are well modeled as gated amplifiers of their strongest monocular response, if both eyes are stimulated. Psychophysical data follows the same power law as the neural data, with a similar exponent; binocular contrast sensitivity can be modeled as a gated amplification of the more sensitive eye. These results resemble gated amplification phenomena in multisensory integration, and other non-driving modulatory interactions that affect sensory processing. Models of incomplete summation seem unnecessary for V1 facilitatory neurons or contrast sensitivity. However, binocular combination of clearly visible monocular stimuli follows Schrödinger's nonlinear magnitude-weighted average. We find that putatively suppressive binocular neurons closely follow Schrödinger's equation. Similar suppressive multisensory neurons are well documented but seldom studied. Facilitatory binocular neurons and mildly suppressive binocular neurons are likely neural correlates of binocular sensitivity and binocular appearance respectively.
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Grants
- 1R01EY027402-02 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Eye Institute (NEI)
- T32EY007135 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Eye Institute (NEI)
- P30EY008126 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Eye Institute (NEI)
- US Navy Aerospace Medical Reseach Laboratory, Leidos, Dayton, OH, United States
- Princeton University, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, NJ, United States
- Naval Air Warfare Center, Human Systems Engineering Department, Patuxent River, MD, United States
- Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, NAMRU-D, Vision and Acceleration, Wright-Patterson AFB
- US Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, United States
- Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Dp_67.2_17_J9_1757 work unit H1814.
- MULTISENSORY-INSPIRED MODELING AND NEURAL CORRELATES FOR TWO KEY BINOCULAR INTERACTIONS
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A Billock
- Leidos, Inc. at the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, NAMRU-D, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA.
| | - Kacie Dougherty
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Micah J Kinney
- Naval Air Warfare Center, NAWCAD, Patuxent River, MD, USA
| | - Adam M Preston
- Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, NAMRU-D, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA
| | - Marc D Winterbottom
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA
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10
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Su C, Mendes-Platt RF, Alonso JM, Swadlow HA, Bereshpolova Y. Visual Corticotectal Neurons in Awake Rabbits: Receptive Fields and Driving Monosynaptic Thalamocortical Inputs. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1945232024. [PMID: 38485258 PMCID: PMC11079980 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1945-23.2024] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The superior colliculus receives powerful synaptic inputs from corticotectal neurons in the visual cortex. The function of these corticotectal neurons remains largely unknown due to a limited understanding of their response properties and connectivity. Here, we use antidromic methods to identify corticotectal neurons in awake male and female rabbits, and measure their axonal conduction times, thalamic inputs and receptive field properties. All corticotectal neurons responded to sinusoidal drifting gratings with a nonlinear (nonsinusoidal) increase in mean firing rate but showed pronounced differences in their ON-OFF receptive field structures that we classified into three groups, Cx, S2, and S1. Cx receptive fields had highly overlapping ON and OFF subfields as classical complex cells, S2 had largely separated ON and OFF subfields as classical simple cells, and S1 had a single ON or OFF subfield. Thus, all corticotectal neurons are homogeneous in their nonlinear spatial summation but very heterogeneous in their spatial integration of ON and OFF inputs. The Cx type had the fastest conducting axons, the highest spontaneous activity, and the strongest and fastest visual responses. The S2 type had the highest orientation selectivity, and the S1 type had the slowest conducting axons. Moreover, our cross-correlation analyses found that a subpopulation of corticotectal neurons with very fast conducting axons and high spontaneous firing rates (largely "Cx" type) receives monosynaptic input from retinotopically aligned thalamic neurons. This previously unrecognized fast-conducting thalamic-mediated corticotectal pathway may provide specialized information to superior colliculus and prime recipient neurons for subsequent corticotectal or retinal synaptic input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuyi Su
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | | | - Jose-Manuel Alonso
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Department of Biological Sciences, SUNY-Optometry, New York, New York
| | - Harvey A Swadlow
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Department of Biological Sciences, SUNY-Optometry, New York, New York
| | - Yulia Bereshpolova
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
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11
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Dimwamwa ED, Pala A, Chundru V, Wright NC, Stanley GB. Dynamic corticothalamic modulation of the somatosensory thalamocortical circuit during wakefulness. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3529. [PMID: 38664415 PMCID: PMC11045850 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47863-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The feedback projections from cortical layer 6 (L6CT) to the sensory thalamus have long been implicated in playing a primary role in gating sensory signaling but remain poorly understood. To causally elucidate the full range of effects of these projections, we targeted silicon probe recordings to the whisker thalamocortical circuit of awake mice selectively expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 in L6CT neurons. Through optogenetic manipulation of L6CT neurons, multi-site electrophysiological recordings, and modeling of L6CT circuitry, we establish L6CT neurons as dynamic modulators of ongoing spiking in the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPm), either suppressing or enhancing VPm spiking depending on L6CT neurons' firing rate and synchrony. Differential effects across the cortical excitatory and inhibitory sub-populations point to an overall influence of L6CT feedback on cortical excitability that could have profound implications for regulating sensory signaling across a range of ethologically relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaida D Dimwamwa
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Aurélie Pala
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vivek Chundru
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nathaniel C Wright
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Garrett B Stanley
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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12
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Soto NN, Gaspar P, Bacci A. Not Just a Mood Disorder─Is Depression a Neurodevelopmental, Cognitive Disorder? Focus on Prefronto-Thalamic Circuits. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1611-1618. [PMID: 38580316 PMCID: PMC11027097 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00828] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is one of the most burdensome psychiatric disorders, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The disease is characterized not only by severe emotional and affective impairments, but also by disturbed vegetative and cognitive functions. Although many candidate mechanisms have been proposed to cause the disease, the pathophysiology of cognitive impairments in depression remains unclear. In this article, we aim to assess the link between cognitive alterations in depression and possible developmental changes in neuronal circuit wiring during critical periods of susceptibility. We review the existing literature and propose a role of serotonin signaling during development in shaping the functional states of prefrontal neuronal circuits and prefronto-thalamic loops. We discuss how early life insults affecting the serotonergic system could be important in the alterations of these local and long-range circuits, thus favoring the emergence of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Nitzan Soto
- ICM−Paris
Brain Institute, CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne
Université, 47 Boulevard de l’Hopital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Patricia Gaspar
- ICM−Paris
Brain Institute, CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne
Université, 47 Boulevard de l’Hopital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Alberto Bacci
- ICM−Paris
Brain Institute, CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne
Université, 47 Boulevard de l’Hopital, 75013 Paris, France
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13
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Adusei M, Callaway EM, Usrey WM, Briggs F. Parallel Streams of Direct Corticogeniculate Feedback from Mid-level Extrastriate Cortex in the Macaque Monkey. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0364-23.2024. [PMID: 38479809 PMCID: PMC10946028 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0364-23.2024] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
First-order thalamic nuclei receive feedforward signals from peripheral receptors and relay these signals to primary sensory cortex. Primary sensory cortex, in turn, provides reciprocal feedback to first-order thalamus. Because the vast majority of sensory thalamocortical inputs target primary sensory cortex, their complementary corticothalamic neurons are assumed to be similarly restricted to primary sensory cortex. We upend this assumption by characterizing morphologically diverse neurons in multiple mid-level visual cortical areas of the primate (Macaca mulatta) brain that provide direct feedback to the primary visual thalamus, the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). Although the majority of geniculocortical neurons project to primary visual cortex (V1), a minority, located mainly in the koniocellular LGN layers, provide direct input to extrastriate visual cortex. These "V1-bypassing" projections may be implicated in blindsight. We hypothesized that geniculocortical inputs directly targeting extrastriate cortex should be complemented by reciprocal corticogeniculate circuits. Using virus-mediated circuit tracing, we discovered corticogeniculate neurons throughout three mid-level extrastriate areas: MT, MST, and V4. Quantitative morphological analyses revealed nonuniform distributions of unique cell types across areas. Many extrastriate corticogeniculate neurons had spiny stellate morphology, suggesting possible targeting of koniocellular LGN layers. Importantly though, multiple morphological types were observed across areas. Such morphological diversity could suggest parallel streams of V1-bypassing corticogeniculate feedback at multiple stages of the visual processing hierarchy. Furthermore, the presence of corticogeniculate neurons across visual cortex necessitates a reevaluation of the LGN as a hub for visual information rather than a simple relay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Adusei
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Edward M Callaway
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - W Martin Usrey
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95618
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95618
| | - Farran Briggs
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
- Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627
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14
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Varela C, Moreira JVS, Kocaoglu B, Dura-Bernal S, Ahmad S. A mechanism for deviance detection and contextual routing in the thalamus: a review and theoretical proposal. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1359180. [PMID: 38486972 PMCID: PMC10938916 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1359180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Predictive processing theories conceptualize neocortical feedback as conveying expectations and contextual attention signals derived from internal cortical models, playing an essential role in the perception and interpretation of sensory information. However, few predictive processing frameworks outline concrete mechanistic roles for the corticothalamic (CT) feedback from layer 6 (L6), despite the fact that the number of CT axons is an order of magnitude greater than that of feedforward thalamocortical (TC) axons. Here we review the functional architecture of CT circuits and propose a mechanism through which L6 could regulate thalamic firing modes (burst, tonic) to detect unexpected inputs. Using simulations in a model of a TC cell, we show how the CT feedback could support prediction-based input discrimination in TC cells by promoting burst firing. This type of CT control can enable the thalamic circuit to implement spatial and context selective attention mechanisms. The proposed mechanism generates specific experimentally testable hypotheses. We suggest that the L6 CT feedback allows the thalamus to detect deviance from predictions of internal cortical models, thereby supporting contextual attention and routing operations, a far more powerful role than traditionally assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Varela
- Psychology Department, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Joao V. S. Moreira
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Basak Kocaoglu
- Center for Connected Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Salvador Dura-Bernal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
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15
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Dimwamwa E, Pala A, Chundru V, Wright NC, Stanley GB. Dynamic corticothalamic modulation of the somatosensory thalamocortical circuit during wakefulness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.18.549491. [PMID: 37503253 PMCID: PMC10370106 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.18.549491] [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
The feedback projections from cortical layer 6 (L6CT) to sensory thalamus have long been implicated in playing a primary role in gating sensory signaling but remain poorly understood. To causally elucidate the full range of effects of these projections, we targeted silicon probe recordings to the whisker thalamocortical circuit of awake mice selectively expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 in L6CT neurons. Through optogenetic manipulation of L6CT neurons, multi-site electrophysiological recordings, and modeling of L6CT circuitry, we establish L6CT neurons as dynamic modulators of ongoing spiking in the ventro-posterior-medial nucleus of thalamus (VPm), either suppressing or enhancing VPm spiking depending on L6CT neurons' firing rate and synchrony. Differential effects across the cortical excitatory and inhibitory sub-populations point to an overall influence of L6CT feedback on cortical excitability that could have profound implications for regulating sensory signaling across a range of ethologically relevant conditions.
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16
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Parameshwarappa V, Norena AJ. The effects of acute and chronic noise trauma on stimulus-evoked activity across primary auditory cortex layers. J Neurophysiol 2024; 131:225-240. [PMID: 38198658 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00427.2022] [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: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure to intense noise environments is a major cause of sensorineural hearing loss and auditory perception disorders, such as tinnitus and hyperacusis, which may have a central origin. The effects of noise-induced hearing loss on the auditory cortex have been documented in many studies. One limitation of these studies, however, is that the effects of noise trauma have been mostly studied at the granular layer (i.e, the main cortical recipient of thalamic input), while the cortex is a very complex structure, with six different layers each having its own pattern of connectivity and role in sensory processing. The present study aims to investigate the effects of acute and chronic noise trauma on the laminar pattern of stimulus-evoked activity in the primary auditory cortex of the anesthetized guinea pig. We show that acute and chronic noise trauma are both followed by an increase in stimulus-evoked cortical responses, mostly in the granular and supragranular layers. The cortical responses are more monotonic as a function of the intensity level after noise trauma. There was minimal change, if any, in local field potential (LFP) amplitude after acute noise trauma, while LFP amplitude was enhanced after chronic noise trauma. Finally, LFP and the current source density analysis suggest that acute but more specifically chronic noise trauma is associated with the emergence of a new sink in the supragranular layer. This result suggests that supragranular layers become a major input recipient. We discuss the possible mechanisms and functional implications of these changes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study shows that cortical activity is enhanced after trauma and that the sequence of cortical column activation during stimulus-evoked response is altered, i.e. the supragranular layer becomes a major input recipient. We speculate that these large cortical changes may play a key role in the auditory hypersensitivity (hyperacusis) that can be triggered after noise trauma in human subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Parameshwarappa
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Arnaud J Norena
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
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17
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Cortes N, Ladret HJ, Abbas-Farishta R, Casanova C. The pulvinar as a hub of visual processing and cortical integration. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:120-134. [PMID: 38143202 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
The pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus is a crucial component of the visual system and plays significant roles in sensory processing and cognitive integration. The pulvinar's extensive connectivity with cortical regions allows for bidirectional communication, contributing to the integration of sensory information across the visual hierarchy. Recent findings underscore the pulvinar's involvement in attentional modulation, feature binding, and predictive coding. In this review, we highlight recent advances in clarifying the pulvinar's circuitry and function. We discuss the contributions of the pulvinar to signal modulation across the global cortical network and place these findings within theoretical frameworks of cortical processing, particularly the global neuronal workspace (GNW) theory and predictive coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Cortes
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Hugo J Ladret
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Reza Abbas-Farishta
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Casanova
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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18
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Sanzeni A, Palmigiano A, Nguyen TH, Luo J, Nassi JJ, Reynolds JH, Histed MH, Miller KD, Brunel N. Mechanisms underlying reshuffling of visual responses by optogenetic stimulation in mice and monkeys. Neuron 2023; 111:4102-4115.e9. [PMID: 37865082 PMCID: PMC10841937 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
The ability to optogenetically perturb neural circuits opens an unprecedented window into mechanisms governing circuit function. We analyzed and theoretically modeled neuronal responses to visual and optogenetic inputs in mouse and monkey V1. In both species, optogenetic stimulation of excitatory neurons strongly modulated the activity of single neurons yet had weak or no effects on the distribution of firing rates across the population. Thus, the optogenetic inputs reshuffled firing rates across the network. Key statistics of mouse and monkey responses lay on a continuum, with mice/monkeys occupying the low-/high-rate regions, respectively. We show that neuronal reshuffling emerges generically in randomly connected excitatory/inhibitory networks, provided the coupling strength (combination of recurrent coupling and external input) is sufficient that powerful inhibitory feedback cancels the mean optogenetic input. A more realistic model, distinguishing tuned visual vs. untuned optogenetic input in a structured network, reduces the coupling strength needed to explain reshuffling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Sanzeni
- Department of Computing Sciences, Bocconi University, 20100 Milan, Italy; Center for Theoretical Neuroscience and Mortimer B Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Agostina Palmigiano
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience and Mortimer B Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Tuan H Nguyen
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience and Mortimer B Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Junxiang Luo
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jonathan J Nassi
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - John H Reynolds
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Mark H Histed
- National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Kenneth D Miller
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience and Mortimer B Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Swartz Program in Theoretical Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, College of Physicians and Surgeons and Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York City, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Nicolas Brunel
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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19
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Sheroziya M, Khazipov R. Synaptic Origin of Early Sensory-evoked Oscillations in the Immature Thalamus. Neuroscience 2023; 532:50-64. [PMID: 37769898 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
During the critical period of postnatal development, brain maturation is extremely sensitive to external stimuli. Newborn rodents already have functional somatosensory pathways and the thalamus, but the cortex is still forming. Immature thalamic synapses may produce large postsynaptic potentials in immature neurons, while non-synaptic membrane currents remain relatively weak and slow. The thalamocortical system generates spontaneous and evoked early gamma and spindle-burst oscillations in newborn rodents. How relatively strong synapses and weak intrinsic currents interact with each other and how they contribute to early thalamic activities remains largely unknown. Here, we performed local field potential (LFP), juxtacellular, and patch-clamp recordings in the somatosensory thalamus of urethane-anesthetized rat pups at postnatal days 6-7 with one whisker stimulation. We removed the overlying cortex and hippocampus to reach the thalamus with electrodes. Deflection of only one (the principal) whisker induced spikes in a particular thalamic cell. Whisker deflection evoked a group of large-amplitude excitatory events, likely originating from lemniscal synapses and multiple inhibitory postsynaptic events in thalamocortical cells. Large-amplitude excitatory events produced a group of spike bursts and could evoke a depolarization block. Juxtacellular recordings confirmed the partial inactivation of spikes. Inhibitory events prevented inactivation of action potentials and gamma-modulated neuronal firing. We conclude that the interplay of strong excitatory and inhibitory synapses and relatively weak intrinsic currents produces sensory-evoked early gamma oscillations in thalamocortical cells. We also propose that sensory-evoked large-amplitude excitatory events contribute to evoked spindle-bursts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Sheroziya
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.
| | - Roustem Khazipov
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia; Aix Marseille University, INSERM, INMED, Marseille, France
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20
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Haley MS, Fontanini A, Maffei A. Inhibitory Gating of Thalamocortical Inputs onto Rat Gustatory Insular Cortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7294-7306. [PMID: 37704374 PMCID: PMC10621769 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2255-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In primary gustatory cortex (GC), a subregion of the insular cortex, neurons show anticipatory activity, encode taste identity and palatability, and their activity is related to decision-making. Inactivation of the gustatory thalamus, the parvicellular region of the ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus (VPMpc), dramatically reduces GC taste responses, consistent with the hypothesis that VPMpc-GC projections carry taste information. Recordings in awake rodents reported that taste-responsive neurons can be found across GC, without segregated spatial mapping, raising the possibility that projections from the taste thalamus may activate GC broadly. In addition, we have shown that cortical inhibition modulates the integration of thalamic and limbic inputs, revealing a potential role for GABA transmission in gating sensory information to GC. Despite this wealth of information at the system level, the synaptic organization of the VPMpc-GC circuit has not been investigated. Here, we used optogenetic activation of VPMpc afferents to GC in acute slice preparations from rats of both sexes to investigate the synaptic properties and organization of VPMpc afferents in GC and their modulation by cortical inhibition. We hypothesized that VPMpc-GC synapses are distributed across GC, but show laminar- and cell-specific properties, conferring computationally flexibility to how taste information is processed. We also found that VPMpc-GC synaptic responses are strongly modulated by the activity regimen of VPMpc afferents, as well as by cortical inhibition activating GABAA and GABAB receptors onto VPMpc terminals. These results provide a novel insight into the complex features of thalamocortical circuits for taste processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We report that the input from the primary taste thalamus to the primary gustatory cortex (GC) shows distinct properties compared with primary thalamocortical synapses onto other sensory areas. Ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus afferents in GC make synapses with excitatory neurons distributed across all cortical layers and display frequency-dependent short-term plasticity to repetitive stimulation; thus, they do not fit the classic distinction between drivers and modulators typical of other sensory thalamocortical circuits. Thalamocortical activation of GC is gated by cortical inhibition, providing local corticothalamic feedback via presynaptic ionotropic and metabotropic GABA receptors. The connectivity and inhibitory control of thalamocortical synapses in GC highlight unique features of the thalamocortical circuit for taste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa S Haley
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - Alfredo Fontanini
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
- Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - Arianna Maffei
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
- Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
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21
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Pace T, Koenig-Robert R, Pearson J. Different Mechanisms for Supporting Mental Imagery and Perceptual Representations: Modulation Versus Excitation. Psychol Sci 2023; 34:1229-1243. [PMID: 37782827 DOI: 10.1177/09567976231198435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent research suggests imagery is functionally equivalent to a weak form of visual perception. Here we report evidence across five independent experiments on adults that perception and imagery are supported by fundamentally different mechanisms: Whereas perceptual representations are largely formed via increases in excitatory activity, imagery representations are largely supported by modulating nonimagined content. We developed two behavioral techniques that allowed us to first put the visual system into a state of adaptation and then probe the additivity of perception and imagery. If imagery drives similar excitatory visual activity to perception, pairing imagery with perceptual adapters should increase the state of adaptation. Whereas pairing weak perception with adapters increased measures of adaptation, pairing imagery reversed their effects. Further experiments demonstrated that these nonadditive effects were due to imagery weakening representations of nonimagined content. Together these data provide empirical evidence that the brain uses categorically different mechanisms to represent imagery and perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pace
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales
| | | | - Joel Pearson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales
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22
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Ueta Y, Miyata M. Functional and structural synaptic remodeling mechanisms underlying somatotopic organization and reorganization in the thalamus. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105332. [PMID: 37524138 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The somatosensory system organizes the topographic representation of body maps, termed somatotopy, at all levels of an ascending hierarchy. Postnatal maturation of somatotopy establishes optimal somatosensation, whereas deafferentation in adults reorganizes somatotopy, which underlies pathological somatosensation, such as phantom pain and complex regional pain syndrome. Here, we focus on the mouse whisker somatosensory thalamus to study how sensory experience shapes the fine topography of afferent connectivity during the critical period and what mechanisms remodel it and drive a large-scale somatotopic reorganization after peripheral nerve injury. We will review our findings that, following peripheral nerve injury in adults, lemniscal afferent synapses onto thalamic neurons are remodeled back to immature configuration, as if the critical period reopens. The remodeling process is initiated with local activation of microglia in the brainstem somatosensory nucleus downstream to injured nerves and heterosynaptically controlled by input from GABAergic and cortical neurons to thalamic neurons. These fruits of thalamic studies complement well-studied cortical mechanisms of somatotopic organization and reorganization and unveil potential intervention points in treating pathological somatosensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Ueta
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Mariko Miyata
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
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23
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Casanova C, Chalupa LM. The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and the pulvinar as essential partners for visual cortical functions. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1258393. [PMID: 37712093 PMCID: PMC10498387 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1258393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In most neuroscience textbooks, the thalamus is presented as a structure that relays sensory signals from visual, auditory, somatosensory, and gustatory receptors to the cerebral cortex. But the function of the thalamic nuclei goes beyond the simple transfer of information. This is especially true for the second-order nuclei, but also applies to first-order nuclei. First order thalamic nuclei receive information from the periphery, like the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), which receives a direct input from the retina. In contrast, second order thalamic nuclei, like the pulvinar, receive minor or no input from the periphery, with the bulk of their input derived from cortical areas. The dLGN refines the information received from the retina by temporal decorrelation, thereby transmitting the most "relevant" signals to the visual cortex. The pulvinar is closely linked to virtually all visual cortical areas, and there is growing evidence that it is necessary for normal cortical processing and for aspects of visual cognition. In this article, we will discuss what we know and do not know about these structures and propose some thoughts based on the knowledge gained during the course of our careers. We hope that these thoughts will arouse curiosity about the visual thalamus and its important role, especially for the next generation of neuroscientists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leo M. Chalupa
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
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24
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Vigué-Guix I, Soto-Faraco S. Using occipital ⍺-bursts to modulate behavior in real-time. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9465-9477. [PMID: 37365814 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad217] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-stimulus endogenous neural activity can influence the processing of upcoming sensory input and subsequent behavioral reactions. Despite it is known that spontaneous oscillatory activity mostly appears in stochastic bursts, typical approaches based on trial averaging fail to capture this. We aimed at relating spontaneous oscillatory bursts in the alpha band (8-13 Hz) to visual detection behavior, via an electroencephalography-based brain-computer interface (BCI) that allowed for burst-triggered stimulus presentation in real-time. According to alpha theories, we hypothesized that visual targets presented during alpha-bursts should lead to slower responses and higher miss rates, whereas targets presented in the absence of bursts (low alpha activity) should lead to faster responses and higher false alarm rates. Our findings support the role of bursts of alpha oscillations in visual perception and exemplify how real-time BCI systems can be used as a test bench for brain-behavioral theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Vigué-Guix
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Departament de Tecnologies de la Informació i les Comunicacions, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08005, Spain
| | - Salvador Soto-Faraco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Departament de Tecnologies de la Informació i les Comunicacions, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08005, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona 08010, Spain
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25
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Danielli E, Simard N, DeMatteo CA, Kumbhare D, Ulmer S, Noseworthy MD. A review of brain regions and associated post-concussion symptoms. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1136367. [PMID: 37602240 PMCID: PMC10435092 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1136367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain is an exceptionally complex organ that is comprised of billions of neurons. Therefore, when a traumatic event such as a concussion occurs, somatic, cognitive, behavioral, and sleep impairments are the common outcome. Each concussion is unique in the sense that the magnitude of biomechanical forces and the direction, rotation, and source of those forces are different for each concussive event. This helps to explain the unpredictable nature of post-concussion symptoms that can arise and resolve. The purpose of this narrative review is to connect the anatomical location, healthy function, and associated post-concussion symptoms of some major cerebral gray and white matter brain regions and the cerebellum. As a non-exhaustive description of post-concussion symptoms nor comprehensive inclusion of all brain regions, we have aimed to amalgamate the research performed for specific brain regions into a single article to clarify and enhance clinical and research concussion assessment. The current status of concussion diagnosis is highly subjective and primarily based on self-report of symptoms, so this review may be able to provide a connection between brain anatomy and the clinical presentation of concussions to enhance medical imaging assessments. By explaining anatomical relevance in terms of clinical concussion symptom presentation, an increased understanding of concussions may also be achieved to improve concussion recognition and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Danielli
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas Simard
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Carol A. DeMatteo
- ARiEAL Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Dinesh Kumbhare
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephan Ulmer
- Neurorad.ch, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael D. Noseworthy
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- ARiEAL Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Radiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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26
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Calligaro H, Shoghi A, Chen X, Kim KY, Yu HL, Khov B, Finander B, Le H, Ellisman MH, Panda S. Ultrastructure of Synaptic Connectivity within Subregions of the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Revealed by a Genetically Encoded Tag and Serial Blockface Electron Microscopy. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0227-23.2023. [PMID: 37500494 PMCID: PMC10449486 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0227-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the central circadian pacemaker in vertebrates. The SCN receives photic information exclusively through melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells (mRGCs) to synchronize circadian rhythms with the environmental light cycles. The SCN is composed of two major peptidergic neuron types in the core and shell regions of the SCN. Determining how mRGCs interact with the network of synaptic connections onto and between SCN neurons is key to understand how light regulates the circadian clock and to elucidate the relevant local circuits within the SCN. To map these connections, we used a newly developed Cre-dependent electron microscopy (EM) reporter, APEX2, to label the mitochondria of mRGC axons. Serial blockface scanning electron microscopy was then used to resolve the fine 3D structure of mRGC axons and synaptic boutons in the SCN of a male mouse. The resulting maps reveal patterns of connectomic organization in the core and shell of the SCN. We show that these regions are composed of different neuronal subtypes and differ with regard to the pattern of mRGC input, as the shell receives denser mRGC synaptic input compared with the core. This finding challenges the present view that photic information coming directly from the retina is received primarily by the core region of the SCN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Calligaro
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Azarin Shoghi
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Xinyue Chen
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Keun-Young Kim
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92161
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161
| | - Hsin Liu Yu
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Brian Khov
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | | | - Hiep Le
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Mark H. Ellisman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92161
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161
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Mo C, McKinnon C, Sherman SM. A transthalamic pathway crucial for perception. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.30.533323. [PMID: 37034798 PMCID: PMC10081228 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.30.533323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Perception arises from activity between cortical areas, first primary cortex and then higher order cortices. This communication is served in part by transthalamic (cortico-thalamo-cortical) pathways, which ubiquitously parallel direct corticocortical pathways, but their role in sensory processing has largely remained unexplored. Here, we show that the transthalamic pathway linking somatosensory cortices propagates task-relevant information required for correct sensory decisions. Using optogenetics, we specifically inhibited the pathway at its synapse in higher order somatosensory thalamus of mice performing a texture-based discrimination task. We concurrently monitored the cellular effects of inhibition in primary or secondary cortex using two-photon calcium imaging. Inhibition severely impaired performance despite intact direct corticocortical projections, thus challenging the purely corticocentric map of perception. Interestingly, the inhibition did not reduce overall cell responsiveness to texture stimulation in somatosensory cortex, but rather disrupted the texture selectivity of cells, a discriminability that develops over task learning. This discriminability was more disrupted in the secondary than primary somatosensory cortex, emphasizing the feedforward influence of the transthalamic route. Transthalamic pathways thus appear critical in delivering performance-relevant information to higher order cortex and are critical hierarchical pathways in perceptual decision-making.
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Lindquist BE, Timbie C, Voskobiynyk Y, Paz JT. Thalamocortical circuits in generalized epilepsy: Pathophysiologic mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 181:106094. [PMID: 36990364 PMCID: PMC10192143 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Generalized epilepsy affects 24 million people globally; at least 25% of cases remain medically refractory. The thalamus, with widespread connections throughout the brain, plays a critical role in generalized epilepsy. The intrinsic properties of thalamic neurons and the synaptic connections between populations of neurons in the nucleus reticularis thalami and thalamocortical relay nuclei help generate different firing patterns that influence brain states. In particular, transitions from tonic firing to highly synchronized burst firing mode in thalamic neurons can cause seizures that rapidly generalize and cause altered awareness and unconsciousness. Here, we review the most recent advances in our understanding of how thalamic activity is regulated and discuss the gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms of generalized epilepsy syndromes. Elucidating the role of the thalamus in generalized epilepsy syndromes may lead to new opportunities to better treat pharmaco-resistant generalized epilepsy by thalamic modulation and dietary therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta E Lindquist
- UCSF Department of Neurology, Division of Neurocritical Care, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, Division of Pediatric Epilepsy, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, United States of America
| | - Clare Timbie
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, Division of Pediatric Epilepsy, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, United States of America
| | - Yuliya Voskobiynyk
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, United States of America
| | - Jeanne T Paz
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, United States of America; UCSF Department of Neurology, United States of America; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, United States of America.
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29
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Basha D, Chauvette S, Sheroziya M, Timofeev I. Respiration organizes gamma synchrony in the prefronto-thalamic network. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8529. [PMID: 37237017 PMCID: PMC10219931 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35516-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple cognitive operations are associated with the emergence of gamma oscillations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) although little is known about the mechanisms that control this rhythm. Using local field potential recordings from cats, we show that periodic bursts of gamma recur with 1 Hz regularity in the wake mPFC and are locked to the exhalation phase of the respiratory cycle. Respiration organizes long-range coherence in the gamma band between the mPFC and the nucleus reuniens the thalamus (Reu), linking the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. In vivo intracellular recordings of the mouse thalamus reveal that respiration timing is propagated by synaptic activity in Reu and likely underlies the emergence of gamma bursts in the prefrontal cortex. Our findings highlight breathing as an important substrate for long-range neuronal synchronization across the prefrontal circuit, a key network for cognitive operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diellor Basha
- Département de Psychiatrie Et de Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Centre de Recherche, Université Laval, 2301 Av. D'Estimauville, Québec, QC, G1E 1T2, Canada
| | - Sylvain Chauvette
- CERVO Centre de Recherche, Université Laval, 2301 Av. D'Estimauville, Québec, QC, G1E 1T2, Canada
| | - Maxim Sheroziya
- Département de Psychiatrie Et de Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Centre de Recherche, Université Laval, 2301 Av. D'Estimauville, Québec, QC, G1E 1T2, Canada
| | - Igor Timofeev
- Département de Psychiatrie Et de Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
- CERVO Centre de Recherche, Université Laval, 2301 Av. D'Estimauville, Québec, QC, G1E 1T2, Canada.
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Brunelle DL, Llano DA. Role of auditory-somatosensory corticothalamic circuit integration in analgesia. Cell Calcium 2023; 111:102717. [PMID: 36931195 PMCID: PMC10755628 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2023.102717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Our sensory environment is permeated by a diverse array of auditory and somatosensory stimuli. The pairing of acoustic signals with concurrent or forthcoming tactile cues are abundant in everyday life and various survival contexts across species, thus deeming the ability to integrate sensory inputs arising from the combination of these stimuli as crucial. The corticothalamic system plays a critical role in orchestrating the construction, integration and distribution of the information extracted from these sensory modalities. In this mini-review, we provide a circuit-level description of the auditory corticothalamic pathway in conjunction with adjacent corticothalamic somatosensory projections. Although the extent of the functional interactions shared by these pathways is not entirely elucidated, activation of each of these systems appears to modulate sensory perception in the complementary domain. Several specific issues are reviewed. Under certain environmental noise conditions, the spectral information of a sound could induce modulations in nociception and even induce analgesia. We begin by discussing recent findings by Zhou et al. (2022) implicating the corticothalamic system in mediating sound-induced analgesia. Next, we describe relevant components of the corticothalamic pathway's functional organization. Additionally, we describe an emerging body of literature pointing to intrathalamic circuitry being optimal for controlling and selecting sensory signals across modalities, with the thalamic reticular nucleus being a candidate mechanism for directing cross-modal interactions. Finally, Ca2+ bursting in thalamic neurons evoked by the thalamic reticular nucleus is explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri L Brunelle
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America.
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Sanchez-Todo R, Bastos AM, Lopez-Sola E, Mercadal B, Santarnecchi E, Miller EK, Deco G, Ruffini G. A physical neural mass model framework for the analysis of oscillatory generators from laminar electrophysiological recordings. Neuroimage 2023; 270:119938. [PMID: 36775081 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119938] [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: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical function emerges from the interactions of multi-scale networks that may be studied at a high level using neural mass models (NMM) that represent the mean activity of large numbers of neurons. Here, we provide first a new framework called laminar NMM, or LaNMM for short, where we combine conduction physics with NMMs to simulate electrophysiological measurements. Then, we employ this framework to infer the location of oscillatory generators from laminar-resolved data collected from the prefrontal cortex in the macaque monkey. We define a minimal model capable of generating coupled slow and fast oscillations, and we optimize LaNMM-specific parameters to fit multi-contact recordings. We rank the candidate models using an optimization function that evaluates the match between the functional connectivity (FC) of the model and data, where FC is defined by the covariance between bipolar voltage measurements at different cortical depths. The family of best solutions reproduces the FC of the observed electrophysiology by selecting locations of pyramidal cells and their synapses that result in the generation of fast activity at superficial layers and slow activity across most depths, in line with recent literature proposals. In closing, we discuss how this hybrid modeling framework can be more generally used to infer cortical circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roser Sanchez-Todo
- Department of Brain Modeling, Neuroelectrics SL, Av. Tibidabo 47b, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; Center of Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - André M Bastos
- Department of Psychology and Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Edmundo Lopez-Sola
- Department of Brain Modeling, Neuroelectrics SL, Av. Tibidabo 47b, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Borja Mercadal
- Department of Brain Modeling, Neuroelectrics SL, Av. Tibidabo 47b, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Precision Neuroscience & Neuromodulation Program, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Earl K Miller
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center of Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Instituci'o Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avan,ats (ICREA), Passeig Llu's Companys 23, Barcelona, 08010, Spain; Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Giulio Ruffini
- Department of Brain Modeling, Neuroelectrics SL, Av. Tibidabo 47b, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; Starlab Barcelona, Av. Tibidabo 47b, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; Haskins Laboratories, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
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32
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Maher EE, Briegel AC, Imtiaz S, Fox MA, Golino H, Erisir A. 3D electron microscopy and volume-based bouton sorting reveal the selectivity of inputs onto geniculate relay cell and interneuron dendrite segments. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1150747. [PMID: 37007643 PMCID: PMC10064015 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1150747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The visual signals evoked at the retinal ganglion cells are modified and modulated by various synaptic inputs that impinge on lateral geniculate nucleus cells before they are sent to the cortex. The selectivity of geniculate inputs for clustering or forming microcircuits on discrete dendritic segments of geniculate cell types may provide the structural basis for network properties of the geniculate circuitry and differential signal processing through the parallel pathways of vision. In our study, we aimed to reveal the patterns of input selectivity on morphologically discernable relay cell types and interneurons in the mouse lateral geniculate nucleus. Methods We used two sets of Scanning Blockface Electron Microscopy (SBEM) image stacks and Reconstruct software to manually reconstruct of terminal boutons and dendrite segments. First, using an unbiased terminal sampling (UTS) approach and statistical modeling, we identified the criteria for volume-based sorting of geniculate boutons into their putative origins. Geniculate terminal boutons that were sorted in retinal and non-retinal categories based on previously described mitochondrial morphology, could further be sorted into multiple subpopulations based on their bouton volume distributions. Terminals deemed non-retinal based on the morphological criteria consisted of five distinct subpopulations, including small-sized putative corticothalamic and cholinergic boutons, two medium-sized putative GABAergic inputs, and a large-sized bouton type that contains dark mitochondria. Retinal terminals also consisted of four distinct subpopulations. The cutoff criteria for these subpopulations were then applied to datasets of terminals that synapse on reconstructed dendrite segments of relay cells or interneurons. Results Using a network analysis approach, we found an almost complete segregation of retinal and cortical terminals on putative X-type cell dendrite segments characterized by grape-like appendages and triads. On these cells, interneuron appendages intermingle with retinal and other medium size terminals to form triads within glomeruli. In contrast, a second, presumed Y-type cell displayed dendrodendritic puncta adherentia and received all terminal types without a selectivity for synapse location; these were not engaged in triads. Furthermore, the contribution of retinal and cortical synapses received by X-, Y- and interneuron dendrites differed such that over 60% of inputs to interneuron dendrites were from the retina, as opposed to 20% and 7% to X- and Y-type cells, respectively. Conclusion The results underlie differences in network properties of synaptic inputs from distinct origins on geniculate cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Maher
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Alex C Briegel
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Shahrozia Imtiaz
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Michael A Fox
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Hudson Golino
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Alev Erisir
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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Thalamic control of sensory processing and spindles in a biophysical somatosensory thalamoreticular circuit model of wakefulness and sleep. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112200. [PMID: 36867532 PMCID: PMC10066598 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Thalamoreticular circuitry plays a key role in arousal, attention, cognition, and sleep spindles, and is linked to several brain disorders. A detailed computational model of mouse somatosensory thalamus and thalamic reticular nucleus has been developed to capture the properties of over 14,000 neurons connected by 6 million synapses. The model recreates the biological connectivity of these neurons, and simulations of the model reproduce multiple experimental findings in different brain states. The model shows that inhibitory rebound produces frequency-selective enhancement of thalamic responses during wakefulness. We find that thalamic interactions are responsible for the characteristic waxing and waning of spindle oscillations. In addition, we find that changes in thalamic excitability control spindle frequency and their incidence. The model is made openly available to provide a new tool for studying the function and dysfunction of the thalamoreticular circuitry in various brain states.
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Higher-order thalamic nuclei facilitate the generalization and maintenance of spike-and-wave discharges of absence seizures. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 178:106025. [PMID: 36731682 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106025] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs), generated by the cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) network, are pathological, large amplitude oscillations and the hallmark of absence seizures (ASs). SWDs begin in a cortical initiation network in both humans and animal models, including the Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS), where it is located in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). The behavioral manifestation of an AS occurs when SWDs spread from the cortical initiation site to the whole brain, however, the mechanisms behind this rapid propagation remain unclear. Here we investigated these processes beyond the principal CTC network, in higher-order (HO) thalamic nuclei (lateral posterior (LP) and posterior (PO) nuclei) since their diffuse connectivity and known facilitation of intracortical communications make these nuclei key candidates to support SWD generation and maintenance. In freely moving GAERS, multi-site LFP in LP, PO and multiple cortical regions revealed a novel feature of SWDs: during SWDs there are short periods (named SWD-breaks) when cortical regions far from S1, such the primary visual cortex (V1), become transiently unsynchronized from the ongoing EEG rhythm. Inactivation of HO nuclei with local muscimol injections or optogenetic perturbation of HO nuclei activity increased the occurrence of SWD-breaks and the former intervention also increased the SWD propagation-time from S1. The neural underpinnings of these findings were explored further by silicon probe recordings from single units of PO which uncovered two previously unknown groups of excitatory neurons based on their burst firing dynamics at SWD onset. Moreover, a switch from tonic to burst firing at SWD onset was shown to be an important feature since it was much less prominent for non-generalized events, i.e. SWDs that remained local to S1. Additionally, one group of neurons showed a reverse of this switch during SWD-breaks, demonstrating the importance of this firing pattern throughout the SWD. In summary, these results support the view that multiple HO thalamic nuclei are utilized at SWD onset and contribute to cortical synchrony throughout the paroxysmal discharge.
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35
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Santana NNM, Silva EHA, dos Santos SF, Costa MSMO, Nascimento Junior ES, Engelberth RCJG, Cavalcante JS. Retinorecipient areas in the common marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus): An image-forming and non-image forming circuitry. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1088686. [PMID: 36817647 PMCID: PMC9932520 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1088686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian retina captures a multitude of diverse features from the external environment and conveys them via the optic nerve to a myriad of retinorecipient nuclei. Understanding how retinal signals act in distinct brain functions is one of the most central and established goals of neuroscience. Using the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a monkey from Northeastern Brazil, as an animal model for parsing how retinal innervation works in the brain, started decades ago due to their marmoset's small bodies, rapid reproduction rate, and brain features. In the course of that research, a large amount of new and sophisticated neuroanatomical techniques was developed and employed to explain retinal connectivity. As a consequence, image and non-image-forming regions, functions, and pathways, as well as retinal cell types were described. Image-forming circuits give rise directly to vision, while the non-image-forming territories support circadian physiological processes, although part of their functional significance is uncertain. Here, we reviewed the current state of knowledge concerning retinal circuitry in marmosets from neuroanatomical investigations. We have also highlighted the aspects of marmoset retinal circuitry that remain obscure, in addition, to identify what further research is needed to better understand the connections and functions of retinorecipient structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelyane Nayara M. Santana
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Eryck H. A. Silva
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Sâmarah F. dos Santos
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Miriam S. M. O. Costa
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Expedito S. Nascimento Junior
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Rovena Clara J. G. Engelberth
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Jeferson S. Cavalcante
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil,*Correspondence: Jeferson S. Cavalcante,
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Kirchberger L, Mukherjee S, Self MW, Roelfsema PR. Contextual drive of neuronal responses in mouse V1 in the absence of feedforward input. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd2498. [PMID: 36662858 PMCID: PMC9858514 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add2498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) respond to stimuli in their receptive field (RF), which is defined by the feedforward input from the retina. However, V1 neurons are also sensitive to contextual information outside their RF, even if the RF itself is unstimulated. Here, we examined the cortical circuits for V1 contextual responses to gray disks superimposed on different backgrounds. Contextual responses began late and were strongest in the feedback-recipient layers of V1. They differed between the three main classes of inhibitory neurons, with particularly strong contextual drive of VIP neurons, indicating a contribution of disinhibitory circuits to contextual drive. Contextual drive was strongest when the gray disk was perceived as figure, occluding its background, rather than a hole. Our results link contextual drive in V1 to perceptual organization and provide previously unknown insight into how recurrent processing shapes the response of sensory neurons to facilitate figure perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Kirchberger
- Department of Vision and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sreedeep Mukherjee
- Department of Vision and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Matthew W. Self
- Department of Vision and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pieter R. Roelfsema
- Department of Vision and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Laboratory of Visual Brain Therapy, Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de la Vision, Paris F-75012, France
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Graham DJ. Nine insights from internet engineering that help us understand brain network communication. FRONTIERS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fcomp.2022.976801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Philosophers have long recognized the value of metaphor as a tool that opens new avenues of investigation. By seeing brains as having the goal of representation, the computer metaphor in its various guises has helped systems neuroscience approach a wide array of neuronal behaviors at small and large scales. Here I advocate a complementary metaphor, the internet. Adopting this metaphor shifts our focus from computing to communication, and from seeing neuronal signals as localized representational elements to seeing neuronal signals as traveling messages. In doing so, we can take advantage of a comparison with the internet's robust and efficient routing strategies to understand how the brain might meet the challenges of network communication. I lay out nine engineering strategies that help the internet solve routing challenges similar to those faced by brain networks. The internet metaphor helps us by reframing neuronal activity across the brain as, in part, a manifestation of routing, which may, in different parts of the system, resemble the internet more, less, or not at all. I describe suggestive evidence consistent with the brain's use of internet-like routing strategies and conclude that, even if empirical data do not directly implicate internet-like routing, the metaphor is valuable as a reference point for those investigating the difficult problem of network communication in the brain and in particular the problem of routing.
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Govindaiah G, Fox MA, Guido W. Pattern of Driver-Like Input onto Neurons of the Mouse Ventral Lateral Geniculate Nucleus. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0386-22.2022. [PMID: 36609305 PMCID: PMC9850909 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0386-22.2022] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) is a retinorecipient region of thalamus that contributes to a number of complex visual behaviors. Retinal axons that target vLGN terminate exclusively in the external subdivision (vLGNe), which is also transcriptionally and cytoarchitectonically distinct from the internal subdivision (vLGNi). While recent studies shed light on the cell types and efferent projections of vLGNe and vLGNi, we have a crude understanding of the source and nature of the excitatory inputs driving postsynaptic activity in these regions. Here, we address this by conducting in vitro whole-cell recordings in acutely prepared thalamic slices and using electrical and optical stimulation techniques to examine the postsynaptic excitatory activity evoked by the activation of retinal or cortical layer V input onto neurons in vLGNe and vLGNi. Activation of retinal afferents by electrical stimulation of optic tract or optical stimulation of retinal terminals resulted in robust driver-like excitatory activity in vLGNe. Optical activation of corticothalamic terminals from layer V resulted in similar driver-like activity in both vLGNe and vLGNi. Using a dual-color optogenetic approach, we found that many vLGNe neurons received convergent input from these two sources. Both individual pathways displayed similar driver-like properties, with corticothalamic stimulation leading to a stronger form of synaptic depression than retinogeniculate stimulation. We found no evidence of convergence in vLGNi, with neurons only responding to corticothalamic stimulation. These data provide insight into the influence of excitatory inputs to vLGN and reveal that only neurons in vLGNe receive convergent input from both sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gubbi Govindaiah
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
| | - Michael A. Fox
- Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, Virginia 24016
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
| | - William Guido
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
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39
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Efficient coding theory of dynamic attentional modulation. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001889. [PMID: 36542662 PMCID: PMC9831638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity of sensory neurons is driven not only by external stimuli but also by feedback signals from higher brain areas. Attention is one particularly important internal signal whose presumed role is to modulate sensory representations such that they only encode information currently relevant to the organism at minimal cost. This hypothesis has, however, not yet been expressed in a normative computational framework. Here, by building on normative principles of probabilistic inference and efficient coding, we developed a model of dynamic population coding in the visual cortex. By continuously adapting the sensory code to changing demands of the perceptual observer, an attention-like modulation emerges. This modulation can dramatically reduce the amount of neural activity without deteriorating the accuracy of task-specific inferences. Our results suggest that a range of seemingly disparate cortical phenomena such as intrinsic gain modulation, attention-related tuning modulation, and response variability could be manifestations of the same underlying principles, which combine efficient sensory coding with optimal probabilistic inference in dynamic environments.
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40
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Govek KW, Chen S, Sgourdou P, Yao Y, Woodhouse S, Chen T, Fuccillo MV, Epstein DJ, Camara PG. Developmental trajectories of thalamic progenitors revealed by single-cell transcriptome profiling and Shh perturbation. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111768. [PMID: 36476860 PMCID: PMC9880597 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is the principal information hub of the vertebrate brain, with essential roles in sensory and motor information processing, attention, and memory. The complex array of thalamic nuclei develops from a restricted pool of neural progenitors. We apply longitudinal single-cell RNA sequencing and regional abrogation of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) to map the developmental trajectories of thalamic progenitors, intermediate progenitors, and post-mitotic neurons as they coalesce into distinct thalamic nuclei. These data reveal that the complex architecture of the thalamus is established early during embryonic brain development through the coordinated action of four cell differentiation lineages derived from Shh-dependent and -independent progenitors. We systematically characterize the gene expression programs that define these thalamic lineages across time and demonstrate how their disruption upon Shh depletion causes pronounced locomotor impairment resembling infantile Parkinson's disease. These results reveal key principles of thalamic development and provide mechanistic insights into neurodevelopmental disorders resulting from thalamic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiya W. Govek
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,These authors contributed equally
| | - Sixing Chen
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,These authors contributed equally
| | - Paraskevi Sgourdou
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yao Yao
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Steven Woodhouse
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tingfang Chen
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marc V. Fuccillo
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Douglas J. Epstein
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Correspondence: (D.J.E.), (P.G.C.)
| | - Pablo G. Camara
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Lead contact,Correspondence: (D.J.E.), (P.G.C.)
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41
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Martinez-Saito M. Discrete scaling and criticality in a chain of adaptive excitable integrators. CHAOS, SOLITONS & FRACTALS 2022; 163:112574. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2022.112574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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42
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Dual counterstream architecture may support separation between vision and predictions. Conscious Cogn 2022; 103:103375. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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43
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Djebbara Z, Jensen OB, Parada FJ, Gramann K. Neuroscience and architecture: Modulating behavior through sensorimotor responses to the built environment. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104715. [PMID: 35654280 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
As we move through the world, natural and built environments implicitly guide behavior by appealing to certain sensory and motor dynamics. This process can be motivated by automatic attention to environmental features that resonate with specific sensorimotor responses. This review aims at providing a psychobiological framework describing how environmental features can lead to automated sensorimotor responses through defined neurophysiological mechanisms underlying attention. Through the use of automated processes in subsets of cortical structures, the goal of this framework is to describe on a neuronal level the functional link between the designed environment and sensorimotor responses. By distinguishing between environmental features and sensorimotor responses we elaborate on how automatic behavior employs the environment for sensorimotor adaptation. This is realized through a thalamo-cortical network integrating environmental features with motor aspects of behavior. We highlight the underlying transthalamic transmission from an Enactive and predictive perspective and review recent studies that effectively modulated behavior by systematically manipulating environmental features. We end by suggesting a promising combination of neuroimaging and computational analysis for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakaria Djebbara
- Department of Architecture, Design, Media, and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark; Biopsychology and Neuroergonomics, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ole B Jensen
- Department of Architecture, Design, Media, and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Francisco J Parada
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - Klaus Gramann
- Biopsychology and Neuroergonomics, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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44
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Dubreuil A, Valente A, Beiran M, Mastrogiuseppe F, Ostojic S. The role of population structure in computations through neural dynamics. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:783-794. [PMID: 35668174 PMCID: PMC9284159 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01088-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Neural computations are currently investigated using two separate approaches: sorting neurons into functional subpopulations or examining the low-dimensional dynamics of collective activity. Whether and how these two aspects interact to shape computations is currently unclear. Using a novel approach to extract computational mechanisms from networks trained on neuroscience tasks, here we show that the dimensionality of the dynamics and subpopulation structure play fundamentally complementary roles. Although various tasks can be implemented by increasing the dimensionality in networks with fully random population structure, flexible input-output mappings instead require a non-random population structure that can be described in terms of multiple subpopulations. Our analyses revealed that such a subpopulation structure enables flexible computations through a mechanism based on gain-controlled modulations that flexibly shape the collective dynamics. Our results lead to task-specific predictions for the structure of neural selectivity, for inactivation experiments and for the implication of different neurons in multi-tasking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Dubreuil
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles, INSERM U960, Ecole Normale Superieure - PSL Research University, Paris, France.
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Adrian Valente
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles, INSERM U960, Ecole Normale Superieure - PSL Research University, Paris, France.
| | - Manuel Beiran
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles, INSERM U960, Ecole Normale Superieure - PSL Research University, Paris, France
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Francesca Mastrogiuseppe
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, UK
- Champalimaud Research, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Srdjan Ostojic
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Computationnelles, INSERM U960, Ecole Normale Superieure - PSL Research University, Paris, France.
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45
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Conserved patterns of functional organization between cortex and thalamus in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201481119. [PMID: 35588455 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201481119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceNeuroanatomical tracing provides just a partial picture of information flow in the brain, because excitatory synapses are not all equal. Some strongly drive postsynaptic targets to transfer information, whereas others weakly modulate their responsiveness. Here, we show conserved patterns of synaptic function across somatosensory and visual thalamocortical circuits in mice involving higher-order thalamic nuclei. These nuclei serve as hubs in transthalamic or cortico-thalamo-cortical pathways. We report that feedforward transthalamic circuits in the somatosensory and visual systems operate to efficiently transmit information, whereas feedback transthalamic circuits act to modulate their target areas. These patterns may generalize to other brain systems and show how methods of synapse physiology and molecular biology can inform the exploration of brain circuitry and information processing.
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46
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Giasafaki C, Grant E, Hoerder‐Suabedissen A, Hayashi S, Lee S, Molnár Z. Cross-hierarchical plasticity of corticofugal projections to dLGN after neonatal monocular enucleation. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:978-997. [PMID: 35078267 PMCID: PMC9305932 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25304] [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: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Perception is the result of interactions between the sensory periphery, thalamus, and cerebral cortex. Inputs from the retina project to the first-order dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), which projects to the primary visual cortex (V1). In return, the cortex innervates the thalamus. While layer 6 projections innervate all thalamic nuclei, cortical layer 5 neurons selectively project to the higher order lateral posterior nucleus (LP) and not to dLGN. It has been demonstrated that a subpopulation of layer 5 (Rbp4-Cre+) projections rewires to dLGN after monocular or binocular enucleation in young postnatal mice. However, the exact cortical regional origin of these projections was not fully determined, and it remained unclear whether these changes persisted into adulthood. In this study, we report gene expression changes observed in the dLGN after monocular enucleation at birth using microarray, qPCR at P6, and in situ hybridization at P8. We report that genes that are normally enriched in dLGN, but not LP during development are preferentially downregulated in dLGN following monocular enucleation. Comparisons with developmental gene expression patters in dLGN suggest more immature and delayed gene expression in enucleated dLGN. Combined tracing and immuno-histochemical analysis revealed that the induced layer 5 fibers that innervate enucleated dLGN originate from putative primary visual cortex and they retain increased VGluT1+ synapse formation into adulthood. Our results indicate a new form of plasticity when layer 5 driver input takes over the innervation of an originally first-order thalamic nucleus after early sensory deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysoula Giasafaki
- Department of PhysiologyAnatomy and GeneticsOxfordUK,Instituto de Neurociencias de AlicanteCSIC‐UMH, Av. Ramon y Cajals/n 03550 San Juan de AlicanteAlicanteSpain
| | - Eleanor Grant
- Department of PhysiologyAnatomy and GeneticsOxfordUK
| | | | - Shuichi Hayashi
- Department of PhysiologyAnatomy and GeneticsOxfordUK,Department of AnatomyKawasaki Medical SchoolKurashikiOkayama701‐0192Japan
| | - Sheena Lee
- Department of PhysiologyAnatomy and GeneticsOxfordUK
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of PhysiologyAnatomy and GeneticsOxfordUK
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47
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Naumann LB, Keijser J, Sprekeler H. Invariant neural subspaces maintained by feedback modulation. eLife 2022; 11:e76096. [PMID: 35442191 PMCID: PMC9106332 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory systems reliably process incoming stimuli in spite of changes in context. Most recent models accredit this context invariance to an extraction of increasingly complex sensory features in hierarchical feedforward networks. Here, we study how context-invariant representations can be established by feedback rather than feedforward processing. We show that feedforward neural networks modulated by feedback can dynamically generate invariant sensory representations. The required feedback can be implemented as a slow and spatially diffuse gain modulation. The invariance is not present on the level of individual neurons, but emerges only on the population level. Mechanistically, the feedback modulation dynamically reorients the manifold of neural activity and thereby maintains an invariant neural subspace in spite of contextual variations. Our results highlight the importance of population-level analyses for understanding the role of feedback in flexible sensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Naumann
- Modelling of Cognitive Processes, Technical University of BerlinBerlinGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceBerlinGermany
| | - Joram Keijser
- Modelling of Cognitive Processes, Technical University of BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Henning Sprekeler
- Modelling of Cognitive Processes, Technical University of BerlinBerlinGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceBerlinGermany
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48
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Spacek MA, Crombie D, Bauer Y, Born G, Liu X, Katzner S, Busse L. Robust effects of corticothalamic feedback and behavioral state on movie responses in mouse dLGN. eLife 2022; 11:e70469. [PMID: 35315775 PMCID: PMC9020820 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus receive a substantial proportion of modulatory inputs from corticothalamic (CT) feedback and brain stem nuclei. Hypothesizing that these modulatory influences might be differentially engaged depending on the visual stimulus and behavioral state, we performed in vivo extracellular recordings from mouse dLGN while optogenetically suppressing CT feedback and monitoring behavioral state by locomotion and pupil dilation. For naturalistic movie clips, we found CT feedback to consistently increase dLGN response gain and promote tonic firing. In contrast, for gratings, CT feedback effects on firing rates were mixed. For both stimulus types, the neural signatures of CT feedback closely resembled those of behavioral state, yet effects of behavioral state on responses to movies persisted even when CT feedback was suppressed. We conclude that CT feedback modulates visual information on its way to cortex in a stimulus-dependent manner, but largely independently of behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Spacek
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
| | - Davide Crombie
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Yannik Bauer
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Gregory Born
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Steffen Katzner
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Bernstein Centre for Computational NeuroscienceMunichGermany
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49
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Liu M, Dai J, Zhou M, Liu J, Ge X, Wang N, Zhang J. Mini-review: The neural circuits of the non-lemniscal inferior colliculus. Neurosci Lett 2022; 776:136567. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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50
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Kirchgessner MA, Franklin AD, Callaway EM. Distinct "driving" versus "modulatory" influences of different visual corticothalamic pathways. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5121-5137.e7. [PMID: 34614389 PMCID: PMC8665059 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Higher-order (HO) thalamic nuclei interact extensively and reciprocally with the cerebral cortex. These corticothalamic (CT) interactions are thought to be important for sensation and perception, attention, and many other important brain functions. CT projections to HO thalamic nuclei, such as the visual pulvinar, originate from two different excitatory populations in cortical layers 5 and 6, whereas first-order nuclei (such as the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus; dLGN) only receive layer 6 CT input. It has been proposed that these layer 5 and layer 6 CT pathways have different functional influences on the HO thalamus, but this has never been directly tested. By optogenetically inactivating different CT populations in the primary visual cortex (V1) and recording single-unit activity from V1, dLGN, and pulvinar of awake mice, we demonstrate that layer 5, but not layer 6, CT projections drive visual responses in the pulvinar, even while both pathways provide retinotopic, baseline excitation to their thalamic targets. Inactivating the superior colliculus also suppressed visual responses in the same subregion of the pulvinar, demonstrating that cortical layer 5 and subcortical inputs both contribute to HO visual thalamic activity-even at the level of putative single neurons. Altogether, these results indicate a functional division of "driver" and "modulator" CT pathways from V1 to the visual thalamus in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Kirchgessner
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alexis D Franklin
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Edward M Callaway
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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