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Yang Y, Booth V, Zochowski M. Acetylcholine facilitates localized synaptic potentiation and location specific feature binding. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1239096. [PMID: 38033788 PMCID: PMC10684311 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1239096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Forebrain acetylcholine (ACh) signaling has been shown to drive attention and learning. Recent experimental evidence of spatially and temporally constrained cholinergic signaling has sparked interest to investigate how it facilitates stimulus-induced learning. We use biophysical excitatory-inhibitory (E-I) multi-module neural network models to show that external stimuli and ACh signaling can mediate spatially constrained synaptic potentiation patterns. The effects of ACh on neural excitability are simulated by varying the conductance of a muscarinic receptor-regulated hyperpolarizing slow K+ current (m-current). Each network module consists of an E-I network with local excitatory connectivity and global inhibitory connectivity. The modules are interconnected with plastic excitatory synaptic connections, that change via a spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) rule. Our results indicate that spatially constrained ACh release influences the information flow represented by network dynamics resulting in selective reorganization of inter-module interactions. Moreover the information flow depends on the level of synchrony in the network. For highly synchronous networks, the more excitable module leads firing in the less excitable one resulting in strengthening of the outgoing connections from the former and weakening of its incoming synapses. For networks with more noisy firing patterns, activity in high ACh regions is prone to induce feedback firing of synchronous volleys and thus strengthening of the incoming synapses to the more excitable region and weakening of outgoing synapses. Overall, these results suggest that spatially and directionally specific plasticity patterns, as are presumed necessary for feature binding, can be mediated by spatially constrained ACh release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihao Yang
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Victoria Booth
- Departments of Mathematics and Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Michal Zochowski
- Department of Physics and Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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2
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Cammarata C, De Rosa ED. Interaction of cholinergic disruption and age on cognitive flexibility in rats. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:2989-2997. [PMID: 36198843 PMCID: PMC9587929 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06472-x] [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: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Healthy aging is associated with a functional reduction of the basal forebrain (BF) system that supplies the neurochemical acetylcholine (ACh) to the cortex, and concomitant challenges to cognition. It remains unclear how aging and ACh loss interact to shape cognition in the aging brain. We used a proactive interference (PI) odor discrimination task, shown to depend on the BF in young adults, wherein rats acquired new associations that conflicted with past learning or associations that did not conflict. This manipulation allowed independent assessment of encoding alone vs. encoding in the face of interference. Adult (9.8 ± 1.3 months) or aged male Long-Evans rats (20.7 ± 0.5 months) completed the PI task with systemic administration of a muscarinic cholinergic antagonist, scopolamine, or a pharmacological control. Aged rats were less able to resolve PI than adult rats. Moreover, while scopolamine reduced efficient PI resolution in adult rats, this cholinergic antagonism had no additional effect on aged rat performance, counter to our expectation that scopolamine would further increase perseveration in the aged group. Scopolamine did not impair encoding of non-interfering associations regardless of age. These data suggest that natural aging changes the effect of cholinergic pharmacology on encoding efficiency when past learning interferes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Cammarata
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA ,Human Neuroscience Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA ,Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Eve D. De Rosa
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA ,Human Neuroscience Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
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3
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MEG activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during optic flow stimulations detects mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259677. [PMID: 34739526 PMCID: PMC8570504 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dorsal stream, which has a neuronal connection with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), is known to be responsible for detection of motion including optic flow perception. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), this study aimed to examine neural responses to optic flow stimuli with looming motion in the DLPFC in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (AD-MCI) compared with cognitively unimpaired participants (CU). We analyzed the neural responses by evaluating maximum source-localized power for the AD-MCI group (n = 11) and CU (n = 20), focusing on six regions of interest (ROIs) that form the DLPFC: right and left dorsal Brodmann area 9/46 (A9/46d), Brodmann area 46 (A46) and ventral Brodmann area 9/46 (A9/46v). We found significant differences in the maximum power between the groups in the left A46 and A9/46v. Moreover, in the left A9/46v, the maximum power significantly correlated with the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised general memory score and delayed recall score. The maximum power in the left A9/46v also revealed high performance in AD-MCI versus CU classification with the area under the ROC curve of 0.90. This study demonstrated that MEG during the optic flow task can be useful in discriminating AD-MCI from CU.
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4
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Chen Q, Wu S, Li X, Sun Y, Chen W, Lu J, Zhang W, Liu J, Qing Z, Nedelska Z, Hort J, Zhang X, Zhang B. Basal Forebrain Atrophy Is Associated With Allocentric Navigation Deficits in Subjective Cognitive Decline. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:596025. [PMID: 33658916 PMCID: PMC7917187 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.596025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are at higher risk of incipient Alzheimer's disease (AD). Spatial navigation (SN) impairments in AD dementia and mild cognitive impairment patients have been well-documented; however, studies investigating SN deficits in SCD subjects are still lacking. This study aimed to explore whether basal forebrain (BF) and entorhinal cortex (EC) atrophy contribute to spatial disorientation in the SCD stage. In total, 31 SCD subjects and 24 normal controls were enrolled and administered cognitive scales, a 2-dimensional computerized SN test, and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. We computed the differences in navigation distance errors and volumes of BF subfields, EC, and hippocampus between the SCD and control groups. The correlations between MRI volumetry and navigation distance errors were also calculated. Compared with the controls, the SCD subjects performed worse in both egocentric and allocentric navigation. The SCD group showed volume reductions in the whole BF (p < 0.05, uncorrected) and the Ch4p subfield (p < 0.05, Bonferroni corrected), but comparable EC and hippocampal volumes with the controls. In the SCD cohort, the allocentric errors were negatively correlated with total BF (r = −0.625, p < 0.001), Ch4p (r = −0.625, p < 0.001), total EC (r = −0.423, p = 0.031), and left EC volumes (r = −0.442, p = 0.024), adjusting for age, gender, years of education, total intracranial volume, and hippocampal volume. This study demonstrates that SN deficits and BF atrophy may be promising indicators for the early detection of incipient AD patients. The reduced BF volume, especially in the Ch4p subfield, may serve as a structural basis for allocentric disorientation in SCD subjects independent of hippocampal atrophy. Our findings may have further implications for the preclinical diagnosis and intervention for potential AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Chen
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sichu Wu
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenqian Chen
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiaming Lu
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiani Liu
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhao Qing
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Brain Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zuzana Nedelska
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czechia.,International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jakub Hort
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czechia.,International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Brain Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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5
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Abstract
The ability to visually search, quickly and accurately, for designated items in cluttered environments is crucial for many species to ensure survival. Feature integration theory, one of the most influential theories of attention, suggests that certain visual features that facilitate this search are extracted pre-attentively in a parallel fashion across the visual field during early visual processing. Hence, if some objects of interest possess such a feature uniquely, it will pop out from the background during the integration stage and draw visual attention immediately and effortlessly. For years, visual search research has explored these ideas by investigating the conditions (and visual features) that characterize efficient versus inefficient visual searches. The bulk of research has focused on human vision, though ecologically there are many reasons to believe that feature integration theory is applicable to other species as well. Here we review the main findings regarding the relevance of feature integration theory to non-human species and expand it to new research on one particular animal model - the archerfish. Specifically, we study both archerfish and humans in an extensive and comparative set of visual-search experiments. The findings indicate that both species exhibit similar behavior in basic feature searches and in conjunction search tasks. In contrast, performance differed in searches defined by shape. These results suggest that evolution pressured many visual features to pop out for both species despite cardinal differences in brain anatomy and living environment, and strengthens the argument that aspects of feature integration theory may be generalizable across the animal kingdom.
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Dezawa S, Nagasaka K, Watanabe Y, Takashima I. Lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (Meynert) induce enhanced somatosensory responses and tactile hypersensitivity in rats. Exp Neurol 2020; 335:113493. [PMID: 33011194 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We used the immunotoxin 192 immunoglobulin G-saporin to produce a selective cholinergic lesion in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) of rats and investigated whether the NBM lesion led to tactile hypersensitivity in the forepaw. The paw mechanical threshold test showed that the lesioned rats had a decreased threshold compared to the control. Surprisingly, there was a significant positive correlation between mechanical threshold and survival rate of NBM cholinergic neurons. Furthermore, using local field potential (LFP) recordings and voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging, we found that the forepaw-evoked response in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) was significantly enhanced in both amplitude and spatial extent in the NBM-lesioned rats. The neurophysiological measures of S1 response, such as LFP amplitude and maximal activated cortical area depicted by VSD, were also correlated with withdrawal behavior. Additional pharmacological experiments demonstrated that forepaw-evoked responses were increased in naive rats by blocking S1 cholinergic receptors with mecamylamine and scopolamine, while the response decreased in NBM-lesioned rats with the cholinergic agonist carbachol. In addition, NBM burst stimulation, which facilitates acetylcholine release in the S1, suppressed subsequent sensory responses to forepaw stimulation. Taken together, these results suggest that neuronal loss in the NBM diminishes acetylcholine actions in the S1, thereby enhancing the cortical representation of sensory stimuli, which may in turn lead to behavioral hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinnosuke Dezawa
- Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan; Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Nagasaka
- Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan; Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
| | - Yumiko Watanabe
- Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Ichiro Takashima
- Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan; Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan.
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7
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Eck SR, Xu SJ, Telenson A, Duggan MR, Cole R, Wicks B, Bergmann J, Lefebo H, Shore M, Shepard KA, Akins MR, Parikh V, Heller EA, Bangasser DA. Stress Regulation of Sustained Attention and the Cholinergic Attention System. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:566-575. [PMID: 32600739 PMCID: PMC7487022 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress exacerbates symptoms of schizophrenia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which are characterized by impairments in sustained attention. Yet how stress regulates attention remains largely unexplored. We investigated whether a 6-day variable stressor altered sustained attention and the cholinergic attention system in male and female rats. METHODS Sustained attention was tested with the sustained attention task. Successful performance on the sustained attention task relies on the release of acetylcholine (ACh) into the cortex from cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM). Thus, we evaluated whether variable stress (VS) altered the morphology of these neurons with a novel approach using a Cre-dependent virus in genetically modified ChAT::Cre rats, a species used for this manipulation only. Next, electrochemical recordings measured cortical ACh following VS. Finally, we used RNA sequencing to identify VS-induced transcriptional changes in the NBM. RESULTS VS impaired attentional performance in the sustained attention task and increased the dendritic complexity of NBM cholinergic neurons in both sexes. NBM cholinergic neurons are mainly under inhibitory control, so this morphological change could increase inhibition on these neurons, reducing downstream ACh release to impair attention. Indeed, VS decreased ACh release in the prefrontal cortex of male rats. Quantification of global transcriptional changes revealed that although VS induced many sex-specific changes in gene expression, it increased several signaling molecules in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS These studies suggest that VS impairs attention by inducing molecular and morphological changes in the NBM. Identifying mechanisms by which stress regulates attention may guide the development of novel treatments for psychiatric disorders with attention deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Eck
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Song-Jun Xu
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Alexander Telenson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael R Duggan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Robert Cole
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brittany Wicks
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Joy Bergmann
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Hanna Lefebo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Marni Shore
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Michael R Akins
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth A Heller
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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8
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Murray MM, Eardley AF, Edginton T, Oyekan R, Smyth E, Matusz PJ. Sensory dominance and multisensory integration as screening tools in aging. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8901. [PMID: 29891964 PMCID: PMC5995929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27288-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Multisensory information typically confers neural and behavioural advantages over unisensory information. We used a simple audio-visual detection task to compare healthy young (HY), healthy older (HO) and mild-cognitive impairment (MCI) individuals. Neuropsychological tests assessed individuals' learning and memory impairments. First, we provide much-needed clarification regarding the presence of enhanced multisensory benefits in both healthily and abnormally aging individuals. The pattern of sensory dominance shifted with healthy and abnormal aging to favour a propensity of auditory-dominant behaviour (i.e., detecting sounds faster than flashes). Notably, multisensory benefits were larger only in healthy older than younger individuals who were also visually-dominant. Second, we demonstrate that the multisensory detection task offers benefits as a time- and resource-economic MCI screening tool. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that MCI diagnosis could be reliably achieved based on the combination of indices of multisensory integration together with indices of sensory dominance. Our findings showcase the importance of sensory profiles in determining multisensory benefits in healthy and abnormal aging. Crucially, our findings open an exciting possibility for multisensory detection tasks to be used as a cost-effective screening tool. These findings clarify relationships between multisensory and memory functions in aging, while offering new avenues for improved dementia diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah M Murray
- The Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology (The LINE), Department of Radiology, and Neuropsychology and Neurorehabilitation Service, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Fondation Asile des Aveugles and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- EEG Brain Mapping Core, Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | | | - Trudi Edginton
- Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Oyekan
- Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, UK
| | - Emily Smyth
- Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, UK
| | - Pawel J Matusz
- The Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology (The LINE), Department of Radiology, and Neuropsychology and Neurorehabilitation Service, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Information Systems Institute at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO Valais), Sierre, Switzerland
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9
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Segregation of the human basal forebrain using resting state functional MRI. Neuroimage 2018; 173:287-297. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.02.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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10
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Gielow MR, Zaborszky L. The Input-Output Relationship of the Cholinergic Basal Forebrain. Cell Rep 2017; 18:1817-1830. [PMID: 28199851 PMCID: PMC5725195 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons influence cortical state, plasticity, learning, and attention. They collectively innervate the entire cerebral cortex, differentially controlling acetylcholine efflux across different cortical areas and timescales. Such control might be achieved by differential inputs driving separable cholinergic outputs, although no input-output relationship on a brain-wide level has ever been demonstrated. Here, we identify input neurons to cholinergic cells projecting to specific cortical regions by infecting cholinergic axon terminals with a monosynaptically restricted viral tracer. This approach revealed several circuit motifs, such as central amygdala neurons synapsing onto basolateral amygdala-projecting cholinergic neurons or strong somatosensory cortical input to motor cortex-projecting cholinergic neurons. The presence of input cells in the parasympathetic midbrain nuclei contacting frontally projecting cholinergic neurons suggest that the network regulating the inner eye muscles are additionally regulating cortical state via acetylcholine efflux. This dataset enables future circuit-level experiments to identify drivers of known cortical cholinergic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Gielow
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Laszlo Zaborszky
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
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11
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Kerbler GM, Nedelska Z, Fripp J, Laczó J, Vyhnalek M, Lisý J, Hamlin AS, Rose S, Hort J, Coulson EJ. Basal Forebrain Atrophy Contributes to Allocentric Navigation Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Patients. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:185. [PMID: 26441643 PMCID: PMC4585346 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The basal forebrain degenerates in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and this process is believed to contribute to the cognitive decline observed in AD patients. Impairment in spatial navigation is an early feature of the disease but whether basal forebrain dysfunction in AD is responsible for the impaired navigation skills of AD patients is not known. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between basal forebrain volume and performance in real space as well as computer-based navigation paradigms in an elderly cohort comprising cognitively normal controls, subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and those with AD. We also tested whether basal forebrain volume could predict the participants’ ability to perform allocentric- vs. egocentric-based navigation tasks. The basal forebrain volume was calculated from 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and navigation skills were assessed using the human analog of the Morris water maze employing allocentric, egocentric, and mixed allo/egocentric real space as well as computerized tests. When considering the entire sample, we found that basal forebrain volume correlated with spatial accuracy in allocentric (cued) and mixed allo/egocentric navigation tasks but not the egocentric (uncued) task, demonstrating an important role of the basal forebrain in mediating cue-based spatial navigation capacity. Regression analysis revealed that, although hippocampal volume reflected navigation performance across the entire sample, basal forebrain volume contributed to mixed allo/egocentric navigation performance in the AD group, whereas hippocampal volume did not. This suggests that atrophy of the basal forebrain contributes to aspects of navigation impairment in AD that are independent of hippocampal atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg M Kerbler
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD , Australia
| | - Zuzana Nedelska
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital , Prague , Czech Republic ; International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno , Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Jurgen Fripp
- Computational Informatics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation , Brisbane, QLD , Australia
| | - Jan Laczó
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital , Prague , Czech Republic ; International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno , Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Martin Vyhnalek
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital , Prague , Czech Republic ; International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno , Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Lisý
- Department of Radiology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital , Prague , Czech Republic
| | - Adam S Hamlin
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD , Australia
| | - Stephen Rose
- Computational Informatics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation , Brisbane, QLD , Australia
| | - Jakub Hort
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital , Prague , Czech Republic ; International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno , Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Elizabeth J Coulson
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD , Australia
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12
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Jacklin DL, Kelly P, Bianchi C, MacDonald T, Traquair H, Winters BD. Evidence for a specific role for muscarinic receptors in crossmodal object recognition in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 118:125-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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13
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Proulx MJ, Parker MO, Tahir Y, Brennan CH. Parallel mechanisms for visual search in zebrafish. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111540. [PMID: 25353168 PMCID: PMC4213058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Parallel visual search mechanisms have been reported previously only in mammals and birds, and not animals lacking an expanded telencephalon such as bees. Here we report the first evidence for parallel visual search in fish using a choice task where the fish had to find a target amongst an increasing number of distractors. Following two-choice discrimination training, zebrafish were presented with the original stimulus within an increasing array of distractor stimuli. We found that zebrafish exhibit no significant change in accuracy and approach latency as the number of distractors increased, providing evidence of parallel processing. This evidence challenges theories of vertebrate neural architecture and the importance of an expanded telencephalon for the evolution of executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Proulx
- Crossmodal Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew O. Parker
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yasser Tahir
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline H. Brennan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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14
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The neural bases of crossmodal object recognition in non-human primates and rodents: a review. Behav Brain Res 2014; 285:118-30. [PMID: 25286314 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The ability to integrate information from different sensory modalities to form unique multisensory object representations is a highly adaptive cognitive function. Surprisingly, non-human animal studies of the neural substrates of this form of multisensory integration have been somewhat sparse until very recently, and this may be due in part to a relative paucity of viable testing methods. Here we review the historical development and use of various "crossmodal" cognition tasks for non-human primates and rodents, focusing on tests of "crossmodal object recognition", the ability to recognize an object across sensory modalities. Such procedures have great potential to elucidate the cognitive and neural bases of object representation as it pertains to perception and memory. Indeed, these studies have revealed roles in crossmodal cognition for various brain regions (e.g., prefrontal and temporal cortices) and neurochemical systems (e.g., acetylcholine). A recent increase in behavioral and physiological studies of crossmodal cognition in rodents augurs well for the future of this research area, which should provide essential information about the basic mechanisms of object representation in the brain, in addition to fostering a better understanding of the causes of, and potential treatments for, cognitive deficits in human diseases characterized by atypical multisensory integration.
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15
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Abstract
Cholinergic neurotransmission has been shown to play an important role in modulating attentional processing of visual stimuli. However, it is not yet clear whether the neurochemical acetylcholine (ACh) is necessary exclusively for visual attention, or if it also contributes to attentional functions through some modality-independent (supramodal) mechanism. To answer this question, we examined the effects of reduced cortical cholinergic afferentation on both a traditional visual and a novel olfactory five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), the benchmark rodent test of sustained attention in rats. Following the successful acquisition of both modalities of the task, the rats underwent either a cholinergic immunotoxic- or sham-lesion surgery of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM), the basal forebrain nuclei that provide the majority of neocortical ACh. Reduced cholinergic afferentation to the neocortex was induced by bilaterally infusing the cholinergic immunotoxin 192 IgG-saporin into the NBM. After surgery, ACh-NBM-lesioned rats performed comparably to sham-lesioned rats under the conditions of low attentional demand, but displayed behavioral decrements relative to the sham-lesioned rats when the attentional demands of the task were increased. Moreover, this decrement in attentional functioning correlated significantly with the number of choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive cells in the NBM. Importantly, the nature of this behavioral decrement was identical in the visual and olfactory 5-CSRTTs. Together, these data suggest the presence of a supramodal attentional modulatory cortical network whose activity is dependent on cholinergic innervation from the NBM.
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From Freud to acetylcholine: does the AAOM suffice to construct a dream? Behav Brain Sci 2013; 36:626-8; discussion 634-59. [PMID: 24304768 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x13001416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Toward illuminating the structure of Llewellyn's dream theory, I compare it in formal terms to Freud's dream theory. An alternative to both of these dream machines, grounded in the distribution of cholinergic activation in the central nervous system, is presented. It is suggested that neither "high" nor "low" dream theory is sufficient to account for the properties of dreams.
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Silverman JL, Gastrell PT, Karras MN, Solomon M, Crawley JN. Cognitive abilities on transitive inference using a novel touchscreen technology for mice. Cereb Cortex 2013; 25:1133-42. [PMID: 24293564 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities are impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. Preclinical models with strong endophenotypes relevant to cognitive dysfunctions offer a valuable resource for therapeutic development. However, improved assays to test higher order cognition are needed. We employed touchscreen technology to design a complex transitive inference (TI) assay that requires cognitive flexibility and relational learning. C57BL/6J (B6) mice with good cognitive skills and BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR), a model of ASD with cognitive deficits, were evaluated in simple and complex touchscreen assays. Both B6 and BTBR acquired visual discrimination and reversal. BTBR displayed deficits on components of TI, when 4 stimuli pairs were interspersed, which required flexible integrated knowledge. BTBR displayed impairment on the A > E inference, analogous to the A > E deficit in ASD. B6 and BTBR mice both reached criterion on the B > D comparison, unlike the B > D impairment in schizophrenia. These results demonstrate that mice are capable of complex discriminations and higher order tasks using methods and equipment paralleling those used in humans. Our discovery that a mouse model of ASD displays a TI deficit similar to humans with ASD supports the use of the touchscreen technology for complex cognitive tasks in mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Silverman
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD 20892-3730, USA
| | - P T Gastrell
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD 20892-3730, USA
| | - M N Karras
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD 20892-3730, USA
| | - M Solomon
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA Imaging Research Center, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - J N Crawley
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD 20892-3730, USA
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Horner AE, Heath CJ, Hvoslef-Eide M, Kent BA, Kim CH, Nilsson SRO, Alsiö J, Oomen CA, Holmes A, Saksida LM, Bussey TJ. The touchscreen operant platform for testing learning and memory in rats and mice. Nat Protoc 2013; 8:1961-84. [PMID: 24051959 PMCID: PMC3914026 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2013.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
An increasingly popular method of assessing cognitive functions in rodents is the automated touchscreen platform, on which a number of different cognitive tests can be run in a manner very similar to touchscreen methods currently used to test human subjects. This methodology is low stress (using appetitive rather than aversive reinforcement), has high translational potential and lends itself to a high degree of standardization and throughput. Applications include the study of cognition in rodent models of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, Huntington's disease, frontotemporal dementia), as well as the characterization of the role of select brain regions, neurotransmitter systems and genes in rodents. This protocol describes how to perform four touchscreen assays of learning and memory: visual discrimination, object-location paired-associates learning, visuomotor conditional learning and autoshaping. It is accompanied by two further protocols (also published in this issue) that use the touchscreen platform to assess executive function, working memory and pattern separation.
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Paolone G, Mallory CS, Cherian AK, Miller TR, Blakely RD, Sarter M. Monitoring cholinergic activity during attentional performance in mice heterozygous for the choline transporter: a model of cholinergic capacity limits. Neuropharmacology 2013; 75:274-85. [PMID: 23958450 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Reductions in the capacity of the human choline transporter (SLC5A7, CHT) have been hypothesized to diminish cortical cholinergic neurotransmission, leading to risk for cognitive and mood disorders. To determine the acetylcholine (ACh) release capacity of cortical cholinergic projections in a mouse model of cholinergic hypofunction, the CHT+/- mouse, we assessed extracellular ACh levels while mice performed an operant sustained attention task (SAT). We found that whereas SAT-performance-associated increases in extracellular ACh levels of CHT+/- mice were significantly attenuated relative to wildtype littermates, performance on the SAT was normal. Tetrodotoxin-induced blockade of neuronal excitability reduced both dialysate ACh levels and SAT performance similarly in both genotypes. Likewise, lesions of cholinergic neurons abolished SAT performance in both genotypes. However, cholinergic activation remained more vulnerable to the reverse-dialyzed muscarinic antagonist atropine in CHT+/- mice. Additionally, CHT+/- mice displayed greater SAT-disrupting effects of reverse dialysis of the nAChR antagonist mecamylamine. Receptor binding assays revealed a higher density of α4β2* nAChRs in the cortex of CHT+/- mice compared to controls. These findings reveal compensatory mechanisms that, in the context of moderate cognitive challenges, can overcome the performance deficits expected from the significantly reduced ACh capacity of CHT+/- cholinergic terminals. Further analyses of molecular and functional compensations in the CHT+/- model may provide insights into both risk and resiliency factors involved in cognitive and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Paolone
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
| | - Caitlin S Mallory
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
| | - Ajeesh Koshy Cherian
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
| | - Thomas R Miller
- Neuroscience Discovery, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL 60064
| | - Randy D Blakely
- Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232-8548
| | - Martin Sarter
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
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Cellular mechanisms of brain state-dependent gain modulation in visual cortex. Nat Neurosci 2013; 16:1331-9. [PMID: 23872595 PMCID: PMC3786578 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 404] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
During locomotion, visual cortical neurons fire at higher rates to visual stimuli than during immobility while maintaining orientation selectivity. The mechanisms underlying this change in gain are not understood. We performed whole cell recordings from layer 2/3 and layer 4 visual cortical excitatory neurons as well as from parvalbumin-positive and somatostatin-positive inhibitory neurons in mice free to rest or run on a spherical treadmill. We found that the membrane potential of all cell types became more depolarized and (with the exception of somatostatin-positive interneurons) less variable during locomotion. Cholinergic input was essential for maintaining the unimodal membrane potential distribution during immobility, while noradrenergic input was necessary for the tonic depolarization associated with locomotion. Our results provide a mechanism for how neuromodulation controls the gain and signal-to-noise ratio of visual cortical neurons during changes in the state of vigilance.
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