Laminar patterns of local excitatory input to layer 5 neurons in macaque primary visual cortex

Columnar processing of border ownership in primate visual cortex

To understand a visual scene, the brain segregates figures from background by assigning borders to foreground objects. Neurons in primate visual cortex encode which object owns a border (border ownership), but the underlying circuitry is not understood. Here, we used multielectrode probes to record from border ownership-selective units in different layers in macaque visual area V4 to study the laminar organization and timing of border ownership selectivity. We find that border ownership selectivity occurs first in deep layer units, in contrast to spike latency for small stimuli in the classical receptive field. Units on the same penetration typically share the preferred side of border ownership, also across layers, similar to orientation preference. Units are often border ownership-selective for a range of border orientations, where the preferred sides of border ownership are systematically organized in visual space. Together our data reveal a columnar organization of border ownership in V4 where the earliest border ownership signals are not simply inherited from upstream areas, but computed by neurons in deep layers, and may thus be part of signals fed back to upstream cortical areas or the oculomotor system early after stimulus onset. The finding that preferred border ownership is clustered and can cover a wide range of spatially contiguous locations suggests that the asymmetric context integrated by these neurons is provided in a systematically clustered manner, possibly through corticocortical feedback and horizontal connections.

To understand a visual scene, the brain needs to identify objects and distinguish them from background. A border marks the transition from object to background, but to differentiate which side of the border belongs to the object and which to background, the brain must integrate information across space. An early signature of this computation is that brain cells signal which side of a border is ‘owned’ by an object, also known as border ownership. But how the brain computes border ownership remains unknown.

The optic nerve is a cable-like group of nerve cells that transmits information from the eye to the brain’s visual processing areas and into the visual cortex. This flow of information is often described as traveling in a feedforward direction, away from the eyes to progressively more specialized areas in the visual cortex. However, there are also numerous feedback connections in the brain, running backward from more specialized to less specialized cortical areas.

To better understand the role of these feedforward and feedback circuits in the visual processing of object borders, Franken and Reynolds made use of their stereotyped projection patterns across the cortex layers. Feedforward connections terminate in the middle layers of a cortical area, whereas feedback connections terminate in upper and lower layers. Since time is required for information to traverse the cortical layers, dissecting the timing of border ownership signals may reveal if border ownership is computed in a feedforward or feedback manner. To find out more, electrodes were used to record neural activity in the upper, middle and lower layers of the visual cortex of two rhesus monkeys as they were presented with a set of abstract scenes composed of simple shapes on a background.

This revealed that cells signaling border ownership in deep layers of the cortex did so before the signals appeared in the middle layer. This suggests that feedback rather than feedforward is required to compute border ownership. Moreover, Franken and Reynolds found evidence that cells that prefer the same side of border ownership are clustered in columns, showing how these neural circuits are organized within the visual cortex.

In summary, Franken and Reynolds found that the circuits of the primate brain that compute border ownership occur as columns, in which cells in deep layers signal border ownership first, suggesting that border ownership relies on feedback from more specialized areas. A better understanding of how feedback in the brain works to process visual information helps us appreciate what happens when these systems are impaired.

Anatomy and Physiology of Macaque Visual Cortical Areas V1, V2, and V5/MT: Bases for Biologically Realistic Models

The cerebral cortex of primates encompasses multiple anatomically and physiologically distinct areas processing visual information. Areas V1, V2, and V5/MT are conserved across mammals and are central for visual behavior. To facilitate the generation of biologically accurate computational models of primate early visual processing, here we provide an overview of over 350 published studies of these three areas in the genus Macaca, whose visual system provides the closest model for human vision. The literature reports 14 anatomical connection types from the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus to V1 having distinct layers of origin or termination, and 194 connection types between V1, V2, and V5, forming multiple parallel and interacting visual processing streams. Moreover, within V1, there are reports of 286 and 120 types of intrinsic excitatory and inhibitory connections, respectively. Physiologically, tuning of neuronal responses to 11 types of visual stimulus parameters has been consistently reported. Overall, the optimal spatial frequency (SF) of constituent neurons decreases with cortical hierarchy. Moreover, V5 neurons are distinct from neurons in other areas for their higher direction selectivity, higher contrast sensitivity, higher temporal frequency tuning, and wider SF bandwidth. We also discuss currently unavailable data that could be useful for biologically accurate models.

What is a multisensory cortex? A laminar, connectional, and functional study of a ferret temporal cortical multisensory area

Now that examples of multisensory neurons have been observed across the neocortex, this has led to some confusion about the features that actually designate a region as "multisensory." While the documentation of multisensory effects within many different cortical areas is clear, often little information is available about their proportions or net functional effects. To assess the compositional and functional features that contribute to the multisensory nature of a region, the present investigation used multichannel neuronal recording and tract tracing methods to examine the ferret temporal region: the lateral rostral suprasylvian sulcal area. Here, auditory-tactile multisensory neurons were predominant and constituted the majority of neurons across all cortical layers whose responses dominated the net spiking activity of the area. These results were then compared with a literature review of cortical multisensory data and were found to closely resemble multisensory features of other, higher-order sensory areas. Collectively, these observations argue that multisensory processing presents itself in hierarchical and area-specific ways, from regions that exhibit few multisensory features to those whose composition and processes are dominated by multisensory activity. It seems logical that the former exhibit some multisensory features (among many others), while the latter are legitimately designated as "multisensory."

Synergistic Coding of Visual Information in Columnar Networks

Incoming stimuli are encoded collectively by populations of cortical neurons, which transmit information by using a neural code thought to be predominantly redundant. Redundant coding is widely believed to reflect a design choice whereby neurons with overlapping receptive fields sample environmental stimuli to convey similar information. Here, we performed multi-electrode laminar recordings in awake monkey V1 to report significant synergistic interactions between nearby neurons within a cortical column. These interactions are clustered non-randomly across cortical layers to form synergy and redundancy hubs. Homogeneous sub-populations comprising synergy hubs decode stimulus information significantly better compared to redundancy hubs or heterogeneous sub-populations. Mechanistically, synergistic interactions emerge from the stimulus dependence of correlated activity between neurons. Our findings suggest a refinement of the prevailing ideas regarding coding schemes in sensory cortex: columnar populations can efficiently encode information due to synergistic interactions even when receptive fields overlap and shared noise between cells is high.

Neural Elements for Predictive Coding

Predictive coding theories of sensory brain function interpret the hierarchical construction of the cerebral cortex as a Bayesian, generative model capable of predicting the sensory data consistent with any given percept. Predictions are fed backward in the hierarchy and reciprocated by prediction error in the forward direction, acting to modify the representation of the outside world at increasing levels of abstraction, and so to optimize the nature of perception over a series of iterations. This accounts for many ‘illusory’ instances of perception where what is seen (heard, etc.) is unduly influenced by what is expected, based on past experience. This simple conception, the hierarchical exchange of prediction and prediction error, confronts a rich cortical microcircuitry that is yet to be fully documented. This article presents the view that, in the current state of theory and practice, it is profitable to begin a two-way exchange: that predictive coding theory can support an understanding of cortical microcircuit function, and prompt particular aspects of future investigation, whilst existing knowledge of microcircuitry can, in return, influence theoretical development. As an example, a neural inference arising from the earliest formulations of predictive coding is that the source populations of forward and backward pathways should be completely separate, given their functional distinction; this aspect of circuitry – that neurons with extrinsically bifurcating axons do not project in both directions – has only recently been confirmed. Here, the computational architecture prescribed by a generalized (free-energy) formulation of predictive coding is combined with the classic ‘canonical microcircuit’ and the laminar architecture of hierarchical extrinsic connectivity to produce a template schematic, that is further examined in the light of (a) updates in the microcircuitry of primate visual cortex, and (b) rapid technical advances made possible by transgenic neural engineering in the mouse. The exercise highlights a number of recurring themes, amongst them the consideration of interneuron diversity as a spur to theoretical development and the potential for specifying a pyramidal neuron’s function by its individual ‘connectome,’ combining its extrinsic projection (forward, backward or subcortical) with evaluation of its intrinsic network (e.g., unidirectional versus bidirectional connections with other pyramidal neurons).

Primary visual cortex shows laminar-specific and balanced circuit organization of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connectivity

KEY POINTS

Using functional mapping assays, we conducted a quantitative assessment of both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic laminar connections to excitatory neurons in layers 2/3-6 of the mouse visual cortex (V1). Laminar-specific synaptic wiring diagrams of excitatory neurons were constructed on the basis of circuit mapping. The present study reveals that that excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connectivity is spatially balanced across excitatory neuronal networks in V1.

ABSTRACT

In the mammalian neocortex, excitatory neurons provide excitation in both columnar and laminar dimensions, which is modulated further by inhibitory neurons. However, our understanding of intracortical excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs in relation to principal excitatory neurons remains incomplete, and it is unclear how local excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connections to excitatory neurons are spatially organized on a layer-by-layer basis. In the present study, we combined whole cell recordings with laser scanning photostimulation via glutamate uncaging to map excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs to single excitatory neurons throughout cortical layers 2/3-6 in the mouse primary visual cortex (V1). We find that synaptic input sources of excitatory neurons span the radial columns of laminar microcircuits, and excitatory neurons in different V1 laminae exhibit distinct patterns of layer-specific organization of excitatory inputs. Remarkably, the spatial extent of inhibitory inputs of excitatory neurons for a given layer closely mirrors that of their excitatory input sources, indicating that excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connectivity is spatially balanced across excitatory neuronal networks. Strong interlaminar inhibitory inputs are found, particularly for excitatory neurons in layers 2/3 and 5. This differs from earlier studies reporting that inhibitory cortical connections to excitatory neurons are generally localized within the same cortical layer. On the basis of the functional mapping assays, we conducted a quantitative assessment of both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic laminar connections to excitatory cells at single cell resolution, establishing precise layer-by-layer synaptic wiring diagrams of excitatory neurons in the visual cortex.

Physiology and Impact of Horizontal Connections in Rat Neocortex

Cortical information processing at the cellular level has predominantly been studied in local networks, which are dominated by strong vertical connectivity between layers. However, recent studies suggest that the bulk of axons targeting pyramidal neurons most likely originate from outside this local range, emphasizing the importance of horizontal connections. We mapped a subset of these connections to L5B pyramidal neurons in rat somatosensory cortex with photostimulation, identifying intact projections up to a lateral distance of 2 mm. Our estimates of the spatial distribution of cells presynaptic to L5B pyramids support the idea that the majority is located outside the local volume. The synaptic physiology of horizontal connections does not differ markedly from that of local connections, whereas the layer and cell-type-dependent pattern of innervation does. Apart from L2/3, L6A provides a strong source of horizontal connections. Implementing our data into a spiking neuronal network model shows that more horizontal connections promote robust asynchronous ongoing activity states and reduce noise correlations in stimulus-induced activity.

Functional Local Input to Layer 5 Pyramidal Neurons in the Rat Visual Cortex

Pyramidal neurons in layer 5 of the neocortex can be differentiated into 3 cell subtypes: 1) short regular spiking (SH), 2) tall regular spiking (TR), and 3) tall burst spiking (TB), based on their morphological and electrophysiological properties. We characterized the functional excitatory local input to these 3 cell subtypes in rat primary visual cortex using laser-scanning photostimulation. Although all cell types received significant input from all cortical layers, SH neurons received stronger input from layer 4 and weaker input from layer 5 than did tall pyramidal cells. However, the laminar input to the 2 populations of tall pyramidal cells was indistinguishable. Simultaneous paired recording were then used to calculate a correlation probability (CP) to infer the proportion of shared input based on the occurrence of simultaneous synaptic potentials. Tall pairs of matched type had significantly higher CPs compared with unmatched pairs, suggesting that subpopulations of layer 4, 5, and 6 neurons preferentially connect to each tall cell type. Hence, this study shows that unconnected but matching pairs of tall pyramidal neurons, but not short pyramidal neurons, receive functional input from different interconnected networks within layers 4, 5, and 6.

Arm movements induced by electrical microstimulation in the superior colliculus of the macaque monkey

Neuronal activity in the deep layers of the macaque (Macaca mulatta) superior colliculus (SC) and the underlying reticular formation is correlated with the initiation and execution of arm movements (Werner, 1993). Although the correlation of this activity with EMGs of proximal arm muscles is as strong as in motor cortex (Werner et al., 1997a; Stuphorn et al., 1999), little is known about the influence of electrical microstimulation in the SC on the initiation and trajectories of arm movements. Our experiments on three macaque monkeys clearly show that arm movements can be elicited by electrical microstimulation in the deep layers of the lateral SC and underlying reticular formation. The most extensively trained monkey, M1, extended his arm toward the screen in front of him more or less stereotypically upon electrical SC stimulation. In two other monkeys, M2 and M3, a larger repertoire of arm movements were elicited, categorized into three movement types, and compared before (M3) and after (M2 and M3) training: twitch (56% vs. 62%), lift (6% vs. 5%), and extend (37% vs. 32%), respectively. Therefore, arm movements induced by electrical stimulation in the monkey SC represent a further component of the functional repertoire of the SC using its impact on motoneurons in the spinal cord, probably via premotor neurons in the brainstem, as well as on structures involved in executing more complex movements such as target-directed reaching. Therefore, the macaque SC could be involved directly in the initiation, execution, and amendment of arm and hand movements.

The impact of development and sensory deprivation on dendritic protrusions in the mouse barrel cortex

Dendritic protrusions (spines and filopodia) are structural indicators of synapses that have been linked to neuronal learning and memory through their morphological alterations induced by development and experienced-dependent activities. Although previous studies have demonstrated that depriving sensory experience leads to structural changes in neocortical organization, the more subtle effects on dendritic protrusions remain unclear, mostly due to focus on only one specific cell type and/or age of manipulation. Here, we show that sensory deprivation induced by whisker trimming influences the dendritic protrusions of basilar dendrites located in thalamocortical recipient lamina (IV and VI) of the mouse barrel cortex in a layer-specific manner. Following 1 month of whisker trimming after birth, the density of dendritic protrusions increased in layer IV, but decreased in layer VI. Whisker regrowth for 1 month returned protrusion densities to comparable level of age-matched controls in layer VI, but not in layer IV. In adults, chronic sensory deprivation led to an increase in protrusion densities in layer IV, but not in layer VI. In addition, chronic pharmacological blockade of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) increased protrusion density in both layers IV and VI, which returned to the control level after 1 month of drug withdrawal. Our data reveal that different cortical layers respond to chronic sensory deprivation in different ways, with more pronounced effects during developmental critical periods than adulthood. We also show that chronically blocking NMDARs activity during developmental critical period also influences the protrusion density and morphology in the cerebral cortex.

Distinct balance of excitation and inhibition in an interareal feedforward and feedback circuit of mouse visual cortex

Mouse visual cortex is subdivided into multiple distinct, hierarchically organized areas that are interconnected through feedforward (FF) and feedback (FB) pathways. The principal synaptic targets of FF and FB axons that reciprocally interconnect primary visual cortex (V1) with the higher lateromedial extrastriate area (LM) are pyramidal cells (Pyr) and parvalbumin (PV)-expressing GABAergic interneurons. Recordings in slices of mouse visual cortex have shown that layer 2/3 Pyr cells receive excitatory monosynaptic FF and FB inputs, which are opposed by disynaptic inhibition. Most notably, inhibition is stronger in the FF than FB pathway, suggesting pathway-specific organization of feedforward inhibition (FFI). To explore the hypothesis that this difference is due to diverse pathway-specific strengths of the inputs to PV neurons we have performed subcellular Channelrhodopsin-2-assisted circuit mapping in slices of mouse visual cortex. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were obtained from retrobead-labeled FF(V1→LM)- and FB(LM→V1)-projecting Pyr cells, as well as from tdTomato-expressing PV neurons. The results show that the FF(V1→LM) pathway provides on average 3.7-fold stronger depolarizing input to layer 2/3 inhibitory PV neurons than to neighboring excitatory Pyr cells. In the FB(LM→V1) pathway, depolarizing inputs to layer 2/3 PV neurons and Pyr cells were balanced. Balanced inputs were also found in the FF(V1→LM) pathway to layer 5 PV neurons and Pyr cells, whereas FB(LM→V1) inputs to layer 5 were biased toward Pyr cells. The findings indicate that FFI in FF(V1→LM) and FB(LM→V1) circuits are organized in a pathway- and lamina-specific fashion.

Laminar and connectional organization of a multisensory cortex

The transformation of sensory signals as they pass through cortical circuits has been revealed almost exclusively through studies of the primary sensory cortices, for which principles of laminar organization, local connectivity, and parallel processing have been elucidated. In contrast, almost nothing is known about the circuitry or laminar features of multisensory processing in higher order, multisensory cortex. Therefore, using the ferret higher order multisensory rostral posterior parietal (PPr) cortex, the present investigation employed a combination of multichannel recording and neuroanatomical techniques to elucidate the laminar basis of multisensory cortical processing. The proportion of multisensory neurons, the share of neurons showing multisensory integration, and the magnitude of multisensory integration were all found to differ by layer in a way that matched the functional or connectional characteristics of the PPr. Specifically, the supragranular layers (L2/3) demonstrated among the highest proportions of multisensory neurons and the highest incidence of multisensory response enhancement, while also receiving the highest levels of extrinsic inputs, exhibiting the highest dendritic spine densities, and providing a major source of local connectivity. In contrast, layer 6 showed the highest proportion of unisensory neurons while receiving the fewest external and local projections and exhibiting the lowest dendritic spine densities. Coupled with a lack of input from principal thalamic nuclei and a minimal layer 4, these observations indicate that this higher level multisensory cortex shows functional and organizational modifications from the well-known patterns identified for primary sensory cortical regions.

Synaptic mechanisms underlying functional dichotomy between intrinsic-bursting and regular-spiking neurons in auditory cortical layer 5

Corticofugal projections from the primary auditory cortex (A1) have been shown to play a role in modulating subcortical processing. However, functional properties of the corticofugal neurons and their synaptic circuitry mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we performed in vivo whole-cell recordings from layer 5 (L5) pyramidal neurons in the rat A1 and found two distinct neuronal classes according to their functional properties. Intrinsic-bursting (IB) neurons, the L5 corticofugal neurons, exhibited early and rather unselective spike responses to a wide range of frequencies. The exceptionally broad spectral tuning of IB neurons was attributable to their broad excitatory inputs with long temporal durations and inhibitory inputs being more narrowly tuned than excitatory inputs. This uncommon pattern of excitatory-inhibitory interplay was attributed initially to a broad thalamocortical convergence onto IB neurons, which also receive temporally prolonged intracortical excitatory input as well as feedforward inhibitory input at least partially from more narrowly tuned fast-spiking inhibitory neurons. In contrast, regular-spiking neurons, which are mainly corticocortical, exhibited sharp frequency tuning similar to L4 pyramidal cells, underlying which are well-matched purely intracortical excitation and inhibition. The functional dichotomy among L5 pyramidal neurons suggests two distinct processing streams. The spectrally and temporally broad synaptic integration in IB neurons may ensure robust feedback signals to facilitate subcortical function and plasticity in a general manner.

Correlated variability in laminar cortical circuits

Despite the fact that strong trial-to-trial correlated variability in responses has been reported in many cortical areas, recent evidence suggests that neuronal correlations are much lower than previously thought. Here, we used multicontact laminar probes to revisit the issue of correlated variability in primary visual (V1) cortical circuits. We found that correlations between neurons depend strongly on local network context--whereas neurons in the input (granular) layers showed virtually no correlated variability, neurons in the output layers (supragranular and infragranular) exhibited strong correlations. The laminar dependence of noise correlations is consistent with recurrent models in which neurons in the granular layer receive intracortical inputs from nearby cells, whereas supragranular and infragranular layer neurons receive inputs over larger distances. Contrary to expectation that the output cortical layers encode stimulus information most accurately, we found that the input network offers superior discrimination performance compared to the output networks.

Distinct feedforward and intrinsic neurons in posterior inferotemporal cortex revealed by in vivo connection imaging

We investigated circuits for object recognition in macaque anterior (TE) and posterior inferotemporal cortex (TEO), using a two-step method with in vivo anatomical imaging. In step 1, red fluorescent tracer was injected into TE to reveal and Pre-target patches of feedforward neurons in TEO. In step 2, these were visualized on the cortical surface in vivo, and injected with green fluorescent tracer. Histological processing revealed that patches >500 μm from the injection site in TEO consisted of intermingled green TEO intrinsically projecting neurons and red TEO-to-TE neurons, with only few double-labeled neurons. In contrast, patches near the injection site in TEO contained many double-labeled neurons. Two parallel, spatially intermingled circuits are suggested: (1) TEO neurons having very local intrinsic collaterals and projection to TE (2) TEO neurons projecting more widely in the intrinsic network, but not to TE. These parallel systems might be specialized for, respectively, fast vs. highly processed signals.

Canonical microcircuits for predictive coding

This Perspective considers the influential notion of a canonical (cortical) microcircuit in light of recent theories about neuronal processing. Specifically, we conciliate quantitative studies of microcircuitry and the functional logic of neuronal computations. We revisit the established idea that message passing among hierarchical cortical areas implements a form of Bayesian inference-paying careful attention to the implications for intrinsic connections among neuronal populations. By deriving canonical forms for these computations, one can associate specific neuronal populations with specific computational roles. This analysis discloses a remarkable correspondence between the microcircuitry of the cortical column and the connectivity implied by predictive coding. Furthermore, it provides some intuitive insights into the functional asymmetries between feedforward and feedback connections and the characteristic frequencies over which they operate.

Regular spiking and intrinsic bursting pyramidal cells show orthogonal forms of experience-dependent plasticity in layer V of barrel cortex

Most functional plasticity studies in the cortex have focused on layers (L) II/III and IV, whereas relatively little is known of LV. Structural measurements of dendritic spines in vivo suggest some specialization among LV cell subtypes. We therefore studied experience-dependent plasticity in the barrel cortex using intracellular recordings to distinguish regular spiking (RS) and intrinsic bursting (IB) subtypes. Postsynaptic potentials and suprathreshold responses in vivo revealed a remarkable dichotomy in RS and IB cell plasticity; spared whisker potentiation occurred in IB but not RS cells while deprived whisker depression occurred in RS but not IB cells. Similar RS/IB differences were found in the LII/III to V connections in brain slices. Modeling studies showed that subthreshold changes predicted the suprathreshold changes. These studies demonstrate the major functional partition of plasticity within a single cortical layer and reveal the LII/III to LV connection as a major excitatory locus of cortical plasticity.

Morphology of superior colliculus- and middle temporal area-projecting neurons in primate primary visual cortex

Layers 5 and 6 of primate primary visual cortex (V1) harbor morphologically diverse cell groups that have corticocortical and corticosubcortical projections. Layer 6 middle temporal area (MT)-projecting neurons are particularly interesting, as they are the only deep-layer cortical neurons that provide both corticocortical feedforward inputs (to area MT) and corticosubcortical feedback projections (to superior colliculus [SC]) (Fries et al. [1985] Exp Brain Res 58:613-616). However, due to limitations in anatomical tracing techniques, little is known about the detailed morphologies of these cells. We therefore applied a genetically modified rabies virus as a retrograde tracer to fill the dendrites of projection neurons with green fluorescent protein (GFP) (Wickersham et al. [2007] Nat Methods 4:47-49). We injected virus into SC or area MT of macaque monkeys and examined labeled cells in V1. Two-thirds of labeled neurons following SC injections were found in layer 5, consisting of "tall-tufted" and "nontufted" cells; the remaining cells were layer 6 "nontufted." Area MT injections labeled neurons in layers 4B and 6, as previously described (Shipp and Zeki [1989] Eur J Neurosci 1:309-332). The layer 6 neurons projecting to MT were remarkably similar to the layer 6 SC-projecting neurons. In contrast to the dense and focused dendritic arbors of layer 5 "tall-tufted" pyramids, all "nontufted" cells had sparse, but unusually long basal dendrites. The nontufted cells closely resemble Meynert cells (le Gros Clark [1942] J Anat 76:369-376; Winfield et al. [1983] Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 217:129-139), but the full in vivo reconstructions presented here show that their basal dendrites can extend much further (up to 1.2 mm) and are less asymmetric than inferred from Golgi reconstructions.

Cognitive consilience: primate non-primary neuroanatomical circuits underlying cognition

Interactions between the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and basal ganglia form the basis of cognitive information processing in the mammalian brain. Understanding the principles of neuroanatomical organization in these structures is critical to understanding the functions they perform and ultimately how the human brain works. We have manually distilled and synthesized hundreds of primate neuroanatomy facts into a single interactive visualization. The resulting picture represents the fundamental neuroanatomical blueprint upon which cognitive functions must be implemented. Within this framework we hypothesize and detail 7 functional circuits corresponding to psychological perspectives on the brain: consolidated long-term declarative memory, short-term declarative memory, working memory/information processing, behavioral memory selection, behavioral memory output, cognitive control, and cortical information flow regulation. Each circuit is described in terms of distinguishable neuronal groups including the cerebral isocortex (9 pyramidal neuronal groups), parahippocampal gyrus and hippocampus, thalamus (4 neuronal groups), basal ganglia (7 neuronal groups), metencephalon, basal forebrain, and other subcortical nuclei. We focus on neuroanatomy related to primate non-primary cortical systems to elucidate the basis underlying the distinct homotypical cognitive architecture. To display the breadth of this review, we introduce a novel method of integrating and presenting data in multiple independent visualizations: an interactive website (http://www.frontiersin.org/files/cognitiveconsilience/index.html) and standalone iPhone and iPad applications. With these tools we present a unique, annotated view of neuroanatomical consilience (integration of knowledge).

In vitro imaging using laser photostimulation with flavoprotein autofluorescence

Imaging of 300-500 μm mouse brain slices by laser photostimulation with flavoprotein autofluorescence (LFPA) allows the rapid and sensitive mapping of neuronal connectivity. It is accomplished using UV laser-based photo-uncaging of glutamate and imaging neuronal activation by capturing changes in green light (∼520 nm) emitted under blue light (∼460 nm) excitation. This fluorescence is generated by the oxidized form of flavoprotein and is a measure of metabolic activity. LPFA offers several advantages over imaging techniques that rely on dye loading. First, as flavoprotein imaging measures endogenous signals, it avoids the use of heterogeneously loaded and potentially cytotoxic dyes. Second, flavoprotein signals are large (1-20% above baseline), obviating the need for averaging. Third, the use of photostimulation ensures orthodromic neuronal activation and permits the rapid interrogation of multiple stimulation sites of the slice with a high degree of precision (∼50 μm). Here we describe a step-by-step protocol for the incorporation of LPFA into virtually any slice rig, as well as how to do the experiment.

Organizing principles of cortical layer 6

Neurons in the deepest layer of mammalian cerebral cortex are morphologically and physiological diverse and are situated in a strategic position to modulate neuronal activity locally and in other structures. The variety of neuronal circuits within which layer 6 neurons participate differs across species and cortical regions. However even amidst this diversity, common organizational features emerge. Examination of the anatomical and physiological characteristics of different classes of layer 6 neuron, each specialized to participate in distinct circuits, provides insight into the functional contributions of layer 6 neurons toward cortical information processing.

Synaptic circuit abnormalities of motor-frontal layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in an RNA interference model of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 deficiency

Rett syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder with prominent motor and cognitive features, results from mutations in the gene for methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2). Here, to identify cortical circuit abnormalities that are specifically associated with MeCP2 deficiency, we used glutamate uncaging and laser scanning photostimulation to survey intracortical networks in mouse brain slices containing motor-frontal cortex. We used in utero transfection of short hairpin RNA constructs to knock down MeCP2 expression in a sparsely distributed subset of layer (L) 2/3 pyramidal neurons in wild-type mice, and compared input maps recorded from transfected-untransfected pairs of neighboring neurons. The effect of MeCP2 deficiency on local excitatory input pathways was severe, with an average reduction in excitatory synaptic input from middle cortical layers (L3/5A) of >30% compared with MeCP2-replete controls. MeCP2 deficiency primarily affected the strength, rather than the topography, of excitatory intracortical pathways. Inhibitory synaptic inputs and intrinsic eletrophysiological properties were unaffected in the MeCP2-knockdown neurons. These studies indicate that MeCP2 deficiency in individual postsynaptic cortical pyramidal neurons is sufficient to induce a pathological synaptic defect in excitatory intracortical circuits.

Comparison of spatial summation properties of neurons in macaque V1 and V2

In visual cortex, responses to stimulation of the receptive field (RF) are modulated by simultaneous stimulation of the RF surround. The mechanisms for surround modulation remain unidentified. We previously proposed that in the primary visual cortex (V1), near surround modulation is mediated by geniculocortical and horizontal connections and far surround modulation by interareal feedback connections. To understand spatial integration in the secondary visual cortex (V2) and its underlying circuitry, we have characterized spatial summation in different V2 layers and stripe compartments and compared it to that in V1. We used grating stimuli in circular and annular apertures of different sizes to estimate the extent and sensitivity of RF and surround components in V1 and V2. V2 RFs and surrounds were twice as large as those in V1. As in V1, V2 RFs doubled in size when measured at low contrast. In both V1 and V2, surrounds were about fivefold the size of the RF and the far surround could exceed 12.5° in radius, averaging 5.5° in V1 and 9.2° in V2. The strength of surround suppression was similar in both areas. Thus although differing in spatial scale, the interactions among RF components are similar in V1 and V2, suggesting similar underlying mechanisms. As in V1, the extent of V2 horizontal connections matches that of the RF center, but is much smaller than the largest far surrounds, which likely derive from interareal feedback. In V2, we found no laminar or stripe differences in size and magnitude of surround suppression, suggesting conservation across stripes of the basic circuit for surround modulation.

Laminar specificity of functional input to distinct types of inhibitory cortical neurons

Despite the presence of numerous inhibitory cell types, laminar excitatory input has only been characterized for limited identified types, and it is unknown whether there are differences between cell types in their laminar sources of inhibitory input. In the present study, we characterized sources of local input to nine distinct types of layer 2/3 inhibitory neurons in living slices of mouse somatosensory cortex. Whole-cell recordings from identified cell types, facilitated by use of transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein in limited inhibitory neuron populations, were combined with laser scanning photostimulation. We found that each inhibitory cell type received distinct excitatory and inhibitory laminar input patterns. Excitatory inputs could be grouped into three categories. All inhibitory cell types received strong excitation from layer 2/3, and for calretinin (CR)-positive Martinotti cells and burst-spiking interneurons, this was their dominant source of excitatory input. Three other cell types, including fast-spiking basket cells, CR-negative Martinotti cells, and bipolar interneurons, also received strong excitatory input from layer 4. The remaining four inhibitory cell types, including chandelier cells, neurogliaform cells, irregular spiking basket cells, and regular spiking presumptive basket cells, received strong excitatory input from layer 5A and not layer 4. Laminar sources of inhibitory input varied between cell types and could not be predicted from the sources of excitatory input. Thus, there are cell-type specific differences in laminar sources of both excitation and inhibition, and complementary input patterns from layer 4 versus layer 5A suggest cell type differences in their relationships to lemniscal versus paralemniscal pathways.

Differences in intrinsic properties and local network connectivity of identified layer 5 and layer 6 adult mouse auditory corticothalamic neurons support a dual corticothalamic projection hypothesis

Intrinsic properties, morphology, and local network circuitry of identified layer 5 and layer 6 auditory corticothalamic neurons were compared. We injected fluorescent microspheres into the mouse auditory thalamus to prelabel corticothalamic neurons, then recorded and filled labeled layer 5 or layer 6 auditory cortical neurons in vitro. We observed low-threshold bursting in adult, but not juvenile, layer 5 corticothalamic neurons that was voltage and time dependent with nonlinear input-output properties, whereas adult layer 6 corticothalamic neurons demonstrated a regular spiking. Layer 5 corticothalamic neurons had larger somata, thicker apical dendrites and were more likely to have a layer 1 apical dendrite than layer 6 neurons. Using laser photostimulation, identified layer 5 corticothalamic neurons received excitatory input from a wide area of layers 2/3, 4, and 5 with widespread gamma-aminobutyric acidergic input from layer 2/3 and lower layer 5, whereas layer 6 corticothalamic neurons from the same cortical column received circumscribed excitatory input and discrete patches of inhibition derived from layer 6 of adjacent columns. These data demonstrate that layer 5 and layer 6 corticothalamic neurons receive unique sets of inputs and process them in different manners, supporting the hypothesis that layer-specific corticothalamic projections play distinct roles in information processing.

A novel control software that improves the experimental workflow of scanning photostimulation experiments

Optical uncaging of caged compounds is a well-established method to study the functional anatomy of a brain region on the circuit level. We present an alternative approach to existing experimental setups. Using a low-magnification objective we acquire images for planning the spatial patterns of stimulation. Then high-magnification objectives are used during laser stimulation providing a laser spot between 2 microm and 20 microm size. The core of this system is a video-based control software that monitors and controls the connected devices, allows for planning of the experiment, coordinates the stimulation process and manages automatic data storage. This combines a high-resolution analysis of neuronal circuits with flexible and efficient online planning and execution of a grid of spatial stimulation patterns on a larger scale. The software offers special optical features that enable the system to achieve a maximum degree of spatial reliability. The hardware is mainly built upon standard laboratory devices and thus ideally suited to cost-effectively complement existing electrophysiological setups with a minimal amount of additional equipment. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of the system by mapping the excitatory and inhibitory connections of entorhinal cortex layer II stellate neurons and present an approach for the analysis of photo-induced synaptic responses in high spontaneous activity.

How to record a million synaptic weights in a hippocampal slice

A key step toward understanding the function of a brain circuit is to find its wiring diagram. New methods for optical stimulation and optical recording of neurons make it possible to map circuit connectivity on a very large scale. However, single synapses produce small responses that are difficult to measure on a large scale. Here I analyze how single synaptic responses may be detectable using relatively coarse readouts such as optical recording of somatic calcium. I model a network consisting of 10,000 input axons and 100 CA1 pyramidal neurons, each represented using 19 compartments with voltage-gated channels and calcium dynamics. As single synaptic inputs cannot produce a measurable somatic calcium response, I stimulate many inputs as a baseline to elicit somatic action potentials leading to a strong calcium signal. I compare statistics of responses with or without a single axonal input riding on this baseline. Through simulations I show that a single additional input shifts the distribution of the number of output action potentials. Stochastic resonance due to probabilistic synaptic release makes this shift easier to detect. With ∼80 stimulus repetitions this approach can resolve up to 35% of individual activated synapses even in the presence of 20% recording noise. While the technique is applicable using conventional electrical stimulation and extracellular recording, optical methods promise much greater scaling, since the number of synapses scales as the product of the number of inputs and outputs. I extrapolate from current high-speed optical stimulation and recording methods, and show that this approach may scale up to the order of a million synapses in a single two-hour slice-recording experiment.

The circuitry of the brain is defined by the connections (synapses) between its cells. Synapses are very small, so it is difficult to identify more than a few at a time using standard methods like electron microscopy or high-precision electrical recordings from cells. This study shows that it is possible to measure single synapses using low-precision methods such as optical recordings from neuronal cell bodies. I model optical or electrical stimulation of many inputs to trigger a visible response from neurons, and find single synapses by testing how this response is modulated when a single additional input synapse is triggered as well. I predict that it should be possible to record from as many as a million synapses using new optical recording and stimulation methods. It is believed that memories are encoded in synaptic connection patterns, so such connectivity data may give us a picture of how memories are encoded. We now know a great deal about how individual neurons behave, so a synapse-level wiring diagram would go a long way to fill out the picture of how neurons work together in the brain to interpret sensory information and plan actions.

Retrograde tracing with recombinant rabies virus reveals correlations between projection targets and dendritic architecture in layer 5 of mouse barrel cortex

A recombinant rabies virus was used as a retrograde tracer to allow complete filling of the axonal and dendritic arbors of identified projection neurons in layer 5 of mouse primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in vivo. Previous studies have distinguished three types of layer 5 pyramids in S1: tall-tufted, tall-simple, and short. Layer 5 pyramidal neurons were retrogradely labeled from several known targets: contralateral S1, superior colliculus, and thalamus. The complete dendritic arbors of labeled cells were reconstructed to allow for unambiguous classification of cell type. We confirmed that the tall-tufted pyramids project to the superior colliculus and thalamus and that short layer 5 pyramidal neurons project to contralateral cortex, as previously described. We found that tall-simple pyramidal neurons contribute to corticocortical connections. Axonal reconstructions show that corticocortical projection neurons have a large superficial axonal arborization locally, while the subcortically projecting neurons limit axonal arbors to the deep layers. Furthermore, reconstructions of local axons suggest that tall-simple cell axons have extensive lateral spread while those of the short pyramids are more columnar. These differences were revealed by the ability to completely label dendritic and axonal arbors in vivo and have not been apparent in previous studies using labeling in brain slices.

Top-down laminar organization of the excitatory network in motor cortex

Cortical layering is a hallmark of the mammalian neocortex and a major determinant of local synaptic circuit organization in sensory systems. In motor cortex, the laminar organization of cortical circuits has not been resolved, although their input-output operations are crucial for motor control. Here, we developed a general approach for estimating layer-specific connectivity in cortical circuits and applied it to mouse motor cortex. From these data we computed a laminar presynaptic --> postsynaptic connectivity matrix, W(post,pre), revealing a complement of stereotypic pathways dominated by layer 2 outflow to deeper layers. Network modeling predicted, and experiments with disinhibited slices confirmed, that stimuli targeting upper, but not lower, cortical layers effectively evoked network-wide events. Thus, in motor cortex, descending excitation from a preamplifier-like network of upper-layer neurons drives output neurons in lower layers. Our analysis provides a quantitative wiring-diagram framework for further investigation of the excitatory networks mediating cortical mechanisms of motor control.

The network and the synapse: 100 years after Cajal

A century ago, Ramón y Cajal proposed that the brain consisted of huge numbers of neurons that communicated with each other through junctions called synapses. Today we routinely monitor single neuron and single synapse responses, and we have elaborate maps of connections between different regions of the brain. What we lack is a way to bridge these two scales of representing neuronal circuits. The challenges in doing so are formidable: even a small mammalian neuronal circuit has many thousands of neurons and millions of synapses. Can we keep track of individual cells and synapses in this crowd? Here we examine how two recent techniques may complement each other to do so. The recent "Brainbow" method is a way to color-code cells and their projections, so we can see which cells come near each other, but cannot be sure they connect. Functional circuit mapping tells us about connections between cells, but we cannot identify more than a handful at a time. Together these methods may fill in each other's blanks and give us brain wiring diagrams that combine scale and precision.

Nonlinear local electrovascular coupling. II: From data to neuronal masses

In the companion article a local electrovascular coupling (LEVC) model was proposed to explain the continuous dynamics of electrical and vascular states within a cortical unit. These states produce certain mesoscopic reflections whose discrete time series can be reconstructed from electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In this article we develop a recursive optimization algorithm based on the local linearization (LL) filter and an innovation method to make statistical inferences about the LEVC model from both EEG and fMRI data, i.e., to estimate the unobserved states and the unknown parameters of the model. For a better understanding, the LL filter is described from a Bayesian point of view, providing the particulars for the case of hybrid data (e.g., EEG and fMRI), which could be sampled at different rates. The dynamics of the exogenous synaptic inputs going into the cortical unit are also estimated by introducing a set of Gaussian radial basis functions. In order to study the dynamics of the electrical and vascular states in the striate cortex of humans as well as their local interrelationships, we applied this algorithm to EEG and fMRI recordings obtained concurrently from two subjects while passively observing a radial checkerboard with a white/black pattern reversal. The EEG and fMRI data from the first subject was used to estimate the electrical/vascular states and parameters of the LEVC model in V1 for a 4.0 Hz reversion frequency. We used the EEG data from the second subject to investigate the changes in the dynamics of the electrical states when the frequency of reversion is varied from 0.5-4.0 Hz. Then we made use of the estimated electrical states to predict the effects on the vasculature that such variations produce.

Multiple circuits relaying primate parallel visual pathways to the middle temporal area

Parallel pathways in the primate visual system parse the sensory signal into magnocellular (M), parvocellular (P), and koniocellular (K) streams. These pathways remain anatomically separate and distinct from their origination in different retinal ganglion cell types, through distinct layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus, and into primary visual cortex (V1), with the M pathway terminating primarily in layer 4Calpha, the P pathway in layer 4Cbeta, and the K pathway in the cytochrome oxidase blobs of layer 2/3. Recent studies indicate that outputs from V1 are less compartmental than previously thought, making it difficult to assess the contributions of M and P pathways to areas beyond V1 in the dorsal and ventral streams. Here we use rabies virus as a retrograde transsynaptic tracer to study the contributions of M and P pathways to areas middle temporal (MT), V3, and V2 of macaque monkey. We find that, although disynaptic inputs through layer 4C of V1 to dorsal stream area MT are dominated by the M pathway, within an additional three synapses MT receives a substantial P input. This P input is unlikely to reach MT via V3, which we show also receives disynaptic inputs dominated by the M pathway. We find that disynaptic inputs to V2, however, can be more balanced and may carry convergent M and P input to MT. Our observations provide evidence for multiple pathways from V1 to MT, with varying degrees of M and P convergence. Each pathway likely provides functionally specialized information to MT and dorsal stream visual processing.

Local connections to specific types of layer 6 neurons in the rat visual cortex

Because layer 6 of the cerebral cortex receives direct thalamic input and provides projections back to the thalamus, it is in a unique position to influence thalamocortical interactions. Different types of layer 6 pyramidal neurons provide output to different thalamic nuclei, and it is therefore of interest to understand the sources of functional input to these neurons. We studied the morphologies and local excitatory input to individual layer 6 neurons in rat visual cortex by combining intracellular labeling and recording with laser-scanning photostimulation. As in previous photostimulation studies, we found significant differences in the sources of local excitatory input to different cell types. Most notably, there were differences in local input to neurons that, based on analogy to barrel cortex, are likely to project only to the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus versus those that are likely to also project to the lateral posterior nucleus. The more striking finding, however, was the paucity of superficial layer input to layer 6 neurons in the rat visual cortex, contrasting sharply with layer 6 neurons in the primate visual cortex. These observations provide insight into differences in function between cortical projections to first-order versus higher-order thalamic nuclei and also show that these circuits can be organized differently in different species.

The circuitry of V1 and V2: integration of color, form, and motion

Primary and secondary visual cortex (V1 and V2) form the foundation of the cortical visual system. V1 transforms information received from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and distributes it to separate domains in V2 for transmission to higher visual areas. During the past 20 years, schemes for the functional organization of V1 and V2 have been based on a tripartite framework developed by Livingstone & Hubel (1988) . Since then, new anatomical data have accumulated concerning V1's input, its internal circuitry, and its output to V2. These new data, along with physiological and imaging studies, now make it likely that the visual attributes of color, form, and motion are not neatly segregated by V1 into different stripe compartments in V2. Instead, there are just two main streams, originating from cytochrome oxidase patches and interpatches, that project to V2. Each stream is composed of a mixture of magno, parvo, and konio geniculate signals. Further studies are required to elucidate how the patches and interpatches differ in the output they convey to extrastriate cortex.

Single-neuron theory of consciousness

By most accounts, the mind arises from the integrated activity of large populations of neurons distributed across multiple brain regions. A contrasting model is presented in the present paper that places the mind/brain interface not at the whole brain level but at the level of single neurons. Specifically, it is proposed that each neuron in the nervous system is independently conscious, with conscious content corresponding to the spatial pattern of a portion of that neuron's dendritic electrical activity. For most neurons, such as those in the hypothalamus or posterior sensory cortices, the conscious activity would be assumed to be simple and unable to directly affect the organism's macroscopic conscious behavior. For a subpopulation of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortices, however, an arrangement is proposed to be present such that, at any given moment: (i) the spatial pattern of electrical activity in a portion of the dendritic tree of each neuron in the subpopulation individually manifests a complexity and diversity sufficient to account for the complexity and diversity of conscious experience; (ii) the dendritic trees of the neurons in the subpopulation all contain similar spatial electrical patterns; (iii) the spatial electrical pattern in the dendritic tree of each neuron interacts non-linearly with the remaining ambient dendritic electrical activity to determine the neuron's overall axonal response; (iv) the dendritic spatial pattern is reexpressed at the population level by the spatial pattern exhibited by a synchronously firing subgroup of the conscious neurons, thereby providing a mechanism by which conscious activity at the neuronal level can influence overall behavior. The resulting scheme is one in which conscious behavior appears to be the product of a single macroscopic mind, but is actually the integrated output of a chorus of minds, each associated with a different neuron.