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Takemura H, Kaneko T, Sherwood CC, Johnson GA, Axer M, Hecht EE, Ye FQ, Leopold DA. A prominent vertical occipital white matter fasciculus unique to primate brains. Curr Biol 2024:S0960-9822(24)00818-2. [PMID: 38991613 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Vision in humans and other primates enlists parallel processing streams in the dorsal and ventral visual cortex, known to support spatial and object processing, respectively. These streams are bridged, however, by a prominent white matter tract, the vertical occipital fasciculus (VOF), identified in both classical neuroanatomy and recent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) studies. Understanding the evolution of the VOF may shed light on its origin, function, and role in visually guided behaviors. To this end, we acquired high-resolution dMRI data from the brains of select mammalian species, including anthropoid and strepsirrhine primates, a tree shrew, rodents, and carnivores. In each species, we attempted to delineate the VOF after first locating the optic radiations in the occipital white matter. In all primate species examined, the optic radiation was flanked laterally by a prominent and coherent white matter fasciculus recognizable as the VOF. By contrast, the equivalent analysis applied to four non-primate species from the same superorder as primates (tree shrew, ground squirrel, paca, and rat) failed to reveal white matter tracts in the equivalent location. Clear evidence for a VOF was also absent in two larger carnivore species (ferret and fox). Although we cannot rule out the existence of minor or differently organized homologous fiber pathways in the non-primate species, the results suggest that the VOF has greatly expanded, or possibly emerged, in the primate lineage. This adaptation likely facilitated the evolution of unique visually guided behaviors in primates, with direct impacts on manual object manipulation, social interactions, and arboreal locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromasa Takemura
- Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka Myodaiji, Okazaki-shi, Aichi 444-8585, Japan; The Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Shonan Village, Hayama-cho, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan; Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Takaaki Kaneko
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama-shi, Aichi 484-8506, Japan; Division of Behavioral Development, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka Myodaiji, Okazaki-shi, Aichi, Japan
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - G Allan Johnson
- Department of Radiology, Duke Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke Medical Center, 311 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 101 Science Dive., Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Markus Axer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich 52425, Germany; Department of Physics, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Wuppertal, Gaußstraße 20 42119, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Frank Q Ye
- Neurophysiology Imaging Facility, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - David A Leopold
- Neurophysiology Imaging Facility, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Systems Neurodevelopment Laboratory, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
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Takemura H, Kruper JA, Miyata T, Rokem A. Tractometry of Human Visual White Matter Pathways in Health and Disease. Magn Reson Med Sci 2024; 23:316-340. [PMID: 38866532 PMCID: PMC11234945 DOI: 10.2463/mrms.rev.2024-0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI) provides a unique non-invasive view of human brain tissue properties. The present review article focuses on tractometry analysis methods that use dMRI to assess the properties of brain tissue within the long-range connections comprising brain networks. We focus specifically on the major white matter tracts that convey visual information. These connections are particularly important because vision provides rich information from the environment that supports a large range of daily life activities. Many of the diseases of the visual system are associated with advanced aging, and tractometry of the visual system is particularly important in the modern aging society. We provide an overview of the tractometry analysis pipeline, which includes a primer on dMRI data acquisition, voxelwise model fitting, tractography, recognition of white matter tracts, and calculation of tract tissue property profiles. We then review dMRI-based methods for analyzing visual white matter tracts: the optic nerve, optic tract, optic radiation, forceps major, and vertical occipital fasciculus. For each tract, we review background anatomical knowledge together with recent findings in tractometry studies on these tracts and their properties in relation to visual function and disease. Overall, we find that measurements of the brain's visual white matter are sensitive to a range of disorders and correlate with perceptual abilities. We highlight new and promising analysis methods, as well as some of the current barriers to progress toward integration of these methods into clinical practice. These barriers, such as variability in measurements between protocols and instruments, are targets for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromasa Takemura
- Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
- Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - John A Kruper
- Department of Psychology and eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Toshikazu Miyata
- Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ariel Rokem
- Department of Psychology and eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Han Y, Jing Y, Shi Y, Mo H, Wan Y, Zhou H, Deng F. The role of language-related functional brain regions and white matter tracts in network plasticity of post-stroke aphasia. J Neurol 2024; 271:3095-3115. [PMID: 38607432 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12358-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The neural mechanisms underlying language recovery after a stroke remain controversial. This review aimed to summarize the plasticity and reorganization mechanisms of the language network through neuroimaging studies. Initially, we discussed the involvement of right language homologues, perilesional tissue, and domain-general networks. Subsequently, we summarized the white matter functional mapping and remodeling mechanisms associated with language subskills. Finally, we explored how non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) promoted language recovery by inducing neural network plasticity. It was observed that the recruitment of right hemisphere language area homologues played a pivotal role in the early stages of frontal post-stroke aphasia (PSA), particularly in patients with larger lesions. Perilesional plasticity correlated with improved speech performance and prognosis. The domain-general networks could respond to increased "effort" in a task-dependent manner from the top-down when the downstream language network was impaired. Fluency, repetition, comprehension, naming, and reading skills exhibited overlapping and unique dual-pathway functional mapping models. In the acute phase, the structural remodeling of white matter tracts became challenging, with recovery predominantly dependent on cortical activation. Similar to the pattern of cortical activation, during the subacute and chronic phases, improvements in language functions depended, respectively, on the remodeling of right white matter tracts and the restoration of left-lateralized language structural network patterns. Moreover, the midline superior frontal gyrus/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex emerged as a promising target for NIBS. These findings offered theoretical insights for the early personalized treatment of aphasia after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Han
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jing
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanmin Shi
- Health Management (Physical Examination) Center, The Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongbin Mo
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yafei Wan
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongwei Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Fang Deng
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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Yoo S, Jang Y, Hong SJ, Park H, Valk SL, Bernhardt BC, Park BY. Whole-brain structural connectome asymmetry in autism. Neuroimage 2024; 288:120534. [PMID: 38340881 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a common neurodevelopmental condition that manifests as a disruption in sensory and social skills. Although it has been shown that the brain morphology of individuals with autism is asymmetric, how this differentially affects the structural connectome organization of each hemisphere remains under-investigated. We studied whole-brain structural connectivity-based brain asymmetry in individuals with autism using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange initiative. By leveraging dimensionality reduction techniques, we constructed low-dimensional representations of structural connectivity and calculated their asymmetry index. Comparing the asymmetry index between individuals with autism and neurotypical controls, we found atypical structural connectome asymmetry in the sensory and default-mode regions, particularly showing weaker asymmetry towards the right hemisphere in autism. Network communication provided topological underpinnings by demonstrating that the inferior temporal cortex and limbic and frontoparietal regions showed reduced global network communication efficiency and decreased send-receive network navigation in the inferior temporal and lateral visual cortices in individuals with autism. Finally, supervised machine learning revealed that structural connectome asymmetry could be used as a measure for predicting communication-related autistic symptoms and nonverbal intelligence. Our findings provide insights into macroscale structural connectome alterations in autism and their topological underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seulki Yoo
- Convergence Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yurim Jang
- Artificial Intelligence Convergence Research Center, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok-Jun Hong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjin Park
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea; School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Forschungszentrum Julich, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bo-Yong Park
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea; Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea; Department of Statistics and Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
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Watson DM, Andrews TJ. Mapping the functional and structural connectivity of the scene network. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26628. [PMID: 38376190 PMCID: PMC10878195 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The recognition and perception of places has been linked to a network of scene-selective regions in the human brain. While previous studies have focussed on functional connectivity between scene-selective regions themselves, less is known about their connectivity with other cortical and subcortical regions in the brain. Here, we determine the functional and structural connectivity profile of the scene network. We used fMRI to examine functional connectivity between scene regions and across the whole brain during rest and movie-watching. Connectivity within the scene network revealed a bias between posterior and anterior scene regions implicated in perceptual and mnemonic aspects of scene perception respectively. Differences between posterior and anterior scene regions were also evident in the connectivity with cortical and subcortical regions across the brain. For example, the Occipital Place Area (OPA) and posterior Parahippocampal Place Area (PPA) showed greater connectivity with visual and dorsal attention networks, while anterior PPA and Retrosplenial Complex showed preferential connectivity with default mode and frontoparietal control networks and the hippocampus. We further measured the structural connectivity of the scene network using diffusion tractography. This indicated both similarities and differences with the functional connectivity, highlighting biases between posterior and anterior regions, but also between ventral and dorsal scene regions. Finally, we quantified the structural connectivity between the scene network and major white matter tracts throughout the brain. These findings provide a map of the functional and structural connectivity of scene-selective regions to each other and the rest of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Watson
- Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging CentreUniversity of YorkYorkUK
| | - Timothy J. Andrews
- Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging CentreUniversity of YorkYorkUK
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Yang T, He Y, Wu L, Wang H, Wang X, Li Y, Guo Y, Wu S, Liu X. The effects of object size on spatial orientation: an eye movement study. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1197618. [PMID: 38027477 PMCID: PMC10668018 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1197618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The processing of visual information in the human brain is divided into two streams, namely, the dorsal and ventral streams, object identification is related to the ventral stream and motion processing is related to the dorsal stream. Object identification is interconnected with motion processing, object size was found to affect the information processing of motion characteristics in uniform linear motion. However, whether the object size affects the spatial orientation is still unknown. Methods Thirty-eight college students were recruited to participate in an experiment based on the spatial visualization dynamic test. Eyelink 1,000 Plus was used to collect eye movement data. The final direction difference (the difference between the final moving direction of the target and the final direction of the moving target pointing to the destination point), rotation angle (the rotation angle of the knob from the start of the target movement to the moment of key pressing) and eye movement indices under conditions of different object sizes and motion velocities were compared. Results The final direction difference and rotation angle under the condition of a 2.29°-diameter moving target and a 0.76°-diameter destination point were significantly smaller than those under the other conditions (a 0.76°-diameter moving target and a 0.76°-diameter destination point; a 0.76°-diameter moving target and a 2.29°-diameter destination point). The average pupil size under the condition of a 2.29°-diameter moving target and a 0.76°-diameter destination point was significantly larger than the average pupil size under other conditions (a 0.76°-diameter moving target and a 0.76°-diameter destination point; a 0.76°-diameter moving target and a 2.29°-diameter destination point). Discussion A relatively large moving target can resist the landmark attraction effect in spatial orientation, and the influence of object size on spatial orientation may originate from differences in cognitive resource consumption. The present study enriches the interaction theory of the processing of object characteristics and motion characteristics and provides new ideas for the application of eye movement technology in the examination of spatial orientation ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Yang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yang He
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Lin Wu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiuchao Wang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yahong Li
- Central Theater Command Air Force Hospital of PLA, Datong, China
| | - Yaning Guo
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shengjun Wu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xufeng Liu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
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Cavanagh P, Caplovitz GP, Lytchenko TK, Maechler MR, Tse PU, Sheinberg DL. The Architecture of Object-Based Attention. Psychon Bull Rev 2023; 30:1643-1667. [PMID: 37081283 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02281-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The allocation of attention to objects raises several intriguing questions: What are objects, how does attention access them, what anatomical regions are involved? Here, we review recent progress in the field to determine the mechanisms underlying object-based attention. First, findings from unconscious priming and cueing suggest that the preattentive targets of object-based attention can be fully developed object representations that have reached the level of identity. Next, the control of object-based attention appears to come from ventral visual areas specialized in object analysis that project downward to early visual areas. How feedback from object areas can accurately target the object's specific locations and features is unknown but recent work in autoencoding has made this plausible. Finally, we suggest that the three classic modes of attention may not be as independent as is commonly considered, and instead could all rely on object-based attention. Specifically, studies show that attention can be allocated to the separated members of a group-without affecting the space between them-matching the defining property of feature-based attention. At the same time, object-based attention directed to a single small item has the properties of space-based attention. We outline the architecture of object-based attention, the novel predictions it brings, and discuss how it works in parallel with other attention pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Cavanagh
- Department of Psychology, Glendon College, 2275 Bayview Avenue, North York, ON, M4N 3M6, Canada.
- CVR, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | | | | | | | | | - David L Sheinberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Murray SO, Kolodny T, Webb SJ. Cortical Surface Area Relates to Distinct Computational Properties in Human Visual Perception. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.16.545373. [PMID: 37398212 PMCID: PMC10312808 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between cortical structure and function is essential for elucidating the neural basis of human behavior. However, the impact of cortical structural features on the computational properties of neural circuits remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that a simple structural feature - cortical surface area (SA) - relates to specific computational properties underlying human visual perception. By combining psychophysical, neuroimaging, and computational modeling approaches, we show that differences in SA in the parietal and frontal cortices are associated with distinct patterns of behavior in a motion perception task. These behavioral differences can be accounted for by specific parameters of a divisive normalization model, suggesting that SA in these regions contributes uniquely to the spatial organization of cortical circuitry. Our findings provide novel evidence linking cortical structure to distinct computational properties and offer a framework for understanding how cortical architecture can impact human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott O. Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA 98195
| | - Tamar Kolodny
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA 98195
| | - Sara Jane Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA 98195
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, Building Cure-03, Seattle WA 98101
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Di Pietro SV, Karipidis II, Pleisch G, Brem S. Neurodevelopmental trajectories of letter and speech sound processing from preschool to the end of elementary school. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 61:101255. [PMID: 37196374 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning to read alphabetic languages starts with learning letter-speech-sound associations. How this process changes brain function during development is still largely unknown. We followed 102 children with varying reading skills in a mixed-longitudinal/cross-sectional design from the prereading stage to the end of elementary school over five time points (n = 46 with two and more time points, of which n = 16 fully-longitudinal) to investigate the neural trajectories of letter and speech sound processing using fMRI. Children were presented with letters and speech sounds visually, auditorily, and audiovisually in kindergarten (6.7yo), at the middle (7.3yo) and end of first grade (7.6yo), and in second (8.4yo) and fifth grades (11.5yo). Activation of the ventral occipitotemporal cortex for visual and audiovisual processing followed a complex trajectory, with two peaks in first and fifth grades. The superior temporal gyrus (STG) showed an inverted U-shaped trajectory for audiovisual letter processing, a development that in poor readers was attenuated in middle STG and absent in posterior STG. Finally, the trajectories for letter-speech-sound integration were modulated by reading skills and showed differing directionality in the congruency effect depending on the time point. This unprecedented study captures the development of letter processing across elementary school and its neural trajectories in children with varying reading skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- S V Di Pietro
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland; URPP Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - I I Karipidis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - G Pleisch
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - S Brem
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland; URPP Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Wang H, Wang X, Wang Y, Zhang D, Yang Y, Zhou Y, Qiu B, Zhang P. White matter BOLD signals at 7 Tesla reveal visual field maps in optic radiation and vertical occipital fasciculus. Neuroimage 2023; 269:119916. [PMID: 36736638 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activity in the white matter (WM) can be detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, the functional relevance and significance of WM BOLD signals remain controversial. Here we investigated whether 7T BOLD fMRI can reveal fine-scale functional organizations of a WM bundle. Population receptive field (pRF) analyses of the 7T retinotopy dataset from the Human Connectome Project revealed clear contralateral retinotopic organizations of two visual WM bundles: the optic radiation (OR) and the vertical occipital fasciculus (VOF). The retinotopic maps of OR are highly consistent with post-mortem dissections and diffusion tractographies, while the VOF maps are compatible with the dorsal and ventral visual areas connected by the WM. Similar to the grey matter (GM) visual areas, both WM bundles show over-representations of the central visual field and increasing pRF size with eccentricity. Hemodynamic response functions of visual WM were slower and wider compared with those of GM areas. These findings clearly demonstrate that WM BOLD at 7 Tesla is closely coupled with neural activity related to axons, encoding highly specific information that can be used to characterize fine-scale functional organizations of a WM bundle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Wang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Wang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Yanming Wang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Du Zhang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Yan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230088, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yifeng Zhou
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Bensheng Qiu
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230088, China; School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China..
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Kubota E, Grotheer M, Finzi D, Natu VS, Gomez J, Grill-Spector K. White matter connections of high-level visual areas predict cytoarchitecture better than category-selectivity in childhood, but not adulthood. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:2485-2506. [PMID: 35671505 PMCID: PMC10016065 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ventral temporal cortex (VTC) consists of high-level visual regions that are arranged in consistent anatomical locations across individuals. This consistency has led to several hypotheses about the factors that constrain the functional organization of VTC. A prevailing theory is that white matter connections influence the organization of VTC, however, the nature of this constraint is unclear. Here, we test 2 hypotheses: (1) white matter tracts are specific for each category or (2) white matter tracts are specific to cytoarchitectonic areas of VTC. To test these hypotheses, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to identify white matter tracts and functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify category-selective regions in VTC in children and adults. We find that in childhood, white matter connections are linked to cytoarchitecture rather than category-selectivity. In adulthood, however, white matter connections are linked to both cytoarchitecture and category-selectivity. These results suggest a rethinking of the view that category-selective regions in VTC have category-specific white matter connections early in development. Instead, these findings suggest that the neural hardware underlying the processing of categorical stimuli may be more domain-general than previously thought, particularly in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Kubota
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mareike Grotheer
- Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35039, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Dawn Finzi
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vaidehi S Natu
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jesse Gomez
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Kalanit Grill-Spector
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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12
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Ayzenberg V, Simmons C, Behrmann M. Temporal asymmetries and interactions between dorsal and ventral visual pathways during object recognition. Cereb Cortex Commun 2023; 4:tgad003. [PMID: 36726794 PMCID: PMC9883614 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgad003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite their anatomical and functional distinctions, there is growing evidence that the dorsal and ventral visual pathways interact to support object recognition. However, the exact nature of these interactions remains poorly understood. Is the presence of identity-relevant object information in the dorsal pathway simply a byproduct of ventral input? Or, might the dorsal pathway be a source of input to the ventral pathway for object recognition? In the current study, we used high-density EEG-a technique with high temporal precision and spatial resolution sufficient to distinguish parietal and temporal lobes-to characterise the dynamics of dorsal and ventral pathways during object viewing. Using multivariate analyses, we found that category decoding in the dorsal pathway preceded that in the ventral pathway. Importantly, the dorsal pathway predicted the multivariate responses of the ventral pathway in a time-dependent manner, rather than the other way around. Together, these findings suggest that the dorsal pathway is a critical source of input to the ventral pathway for object recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav Ayzenberg
- Neuroscience Institute and Psychology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Claire Simmons
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Marlene Behrmann
- Neuroscience Institute and Psychology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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13
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Ayzenberg V, Behrmann M. Does the brain's ventral visual pathway compute object shape? Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:1119-1132. [PMID: 36272937 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
A rich behavioral literature has shown that human object recognition is supported by a representation of shape that is tolerant to variations in an object's appearance. Such 'global' shape representations are achieved by describing objects via the spatial arrangement of their local features, or structure, rather than by the appearance of the features themselves. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the ventral visual pathway - the primary substrate underlying object recognition - may not represent global shape. Instead, ventral representations may be better described as a basis set of local image features. We suggest that this evidence forces a reevaluation of the role of the ventral pathway in object perception and posits a broader network for shape perception that encompasses contributions from the dorsal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav Ayzenberg
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Psychology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Marlene Behrmann
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Psychology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; The Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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14
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Multisensory information about changing object properties can be used to quickly correct predictive force scaling for object lifting. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:2121-2133. [PMID: 35786747 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06404-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Sensory information about object properties, such as size or material, can be used to make an estimate of object weight and to generate an accurate motor plan to lift the object. When object properties change, the motor plan needs to be corrected based on the new information. The current study investigated whether such corrections could be made quickly, after the movement was initiated. Participants had to grasp and lift objects of different weights that could be indicated with different cues. During the reaching phase, the cue could change to indicate a different weight and participants had to quickly adjust their planned forces in order to lift the object skilfully. The object weight was cued with different object sizes (Experiment 1) or materials (Experiment 2) and the cue was presented in different sensory modality conditions: visually, haptically or both (visuohaptic). Results showed that participants could adjust their planned forces based on both size and material. Furthermore, corrections could be made in the visual, haptic and visuohaptic conditions, although the multisensory condition did not outperform the conditions with one sensory modality. These results suggest that motor plans can be quickly corrected based on sensory information about object properties from different sensory modalities. These findings provide insights into the information that can be shared between brain areas for the online control of hand-object interactions.
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15
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Ayzenberg V, Behrmann M. The Dorsal Visual Pathway Represents Object-Centered Spatial Relations for Object Recognition. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4693-4710. [PMID: 35508386 PMCID: PMC9186804 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2257-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there is mounting evidence that input from the dorsal visual pathway is crucial for object processes in the ventral pathway, the specific functional contributions of dorsal cortex to these processes remain poorly understood. Here, we hypothesized that dorsal cortex computes the spatial relations among an object's parts, a process crucial for forming global shape percepts, and transmits this information to the ventral pathway to support object categorization. Using fMRI with human participants (females and males), we discovered regions in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) that were selectively involved in computing object-centered part relations. These regions exhibited task-dependent functional and effective connectivity with ventral cortex, and were distinct from other dorsal regions, such as those representing allocentric relations, 3D shape, and tools. In a subsequent experiment, we found that the multivariate response of posterior (p)IPS, defined on the basis of part-relations, could be used to decode object category at levels comparable to ventral object regions. Moreover, mediation and multivariate effective connectivity analyses further suggested that IPS may account for representations of part relations in the ventral pathway. Together, our results highlight specific contributions of the dorsal visual pathway to object recognition. We suggest that dorsal cortex is a crucial source of input to the ventral pathway and may support the ability to categorize objects on the basis of global shape.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Humans categorize novel objects rapidly and effortlessly. Such categorization is achieved by representing an object's global shape structure, that is, the relations among object parts. Yet, despite their importance, it is unclear how part relations are represented neurally. Here, we hypothesized that object-centered part relations may be computed by the dorsal visual pathway, which is typically implicated in visuospatial processing. Using fMRI, we identified regions selective for the part relations in dorsal cortex. We found that these regions can support object categorization, and even mediate representations of part relations in the ventral pathway, the region typically thought to support object categorization. Together, these findings shed light on the broader network of brain regions that support object categorization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav Ayzenberg
- Neuroscience Institute and Psychology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Marlene Behrmann
- Neuroscience Institute and Psychology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
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16
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Battal C, Gurtubay-Antolin A, Rezk M, Mattioni S, Bertonati G, Occelli V, Bottini R, Targher S, Maffei C, Jovicich J, Collignon O. Structural and Functional Network-Level Reorganization in the Coding of Auditory Motion Directions and Sound Source Locations in the Absence of Vision. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4652-4668. [PMID: 35501150 PMCID: PMC9186796 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1554-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
hMT+/V5 is a region in the middle occipitotemporal cortex that responds preferentially to visual motion in sighted people. In cases of early visual deprivation, hMT+/V5 enhances its response to moving sounds. Whether hMT+/V5 contains information about motion directions and whether the functional enhancement observed in the blind is motion specific, or also involves sound source location, remains unsolved. Moreover, the impact of this cross-modal reorganization of hMT+/V5 on the regions typically supporting auditory motion processing, like the human planum temporale (hPT), remains equivocal. We used a combined functional and diffusion-weighted MRI approach and individual in-ear recordings to study the impact of early blindness on the brain networks supporting spatial hearing in male and female humans. Whole-brain univariate analysis revealed that the anterior portion of hMT+/V5 responded to moving sounds in sighted and blind people, while the posterior portion was selective to moving sounds only in blind participants. Multivariate decoding analysis revealed that the presence of motion direction and sound position information was higher in hMT+/V5 and lower in hPT in the blind group. While both groups showed axis-of-motion organization in hMT+/V5 and hPT, this organization was reduced in the hPT of blind people. Diffusion-weighted MRI revealed that the strength of hMT+/V5-hPT connectivity did not differ between groups, whereas the microstructure of the connections was altered by blindness. Our results suggest that the axis-of-motion organization of hMT+/V5 does not depend on visual experience, but that congenital blindness alters the response properties of occipitotemporal networks supporting spatial hearing in the sighted.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Spatial hearing helps living organisms navigate their environment. This is certainly even more true in people born blind. How does blindness affect the brain network supporting auditory motion and sound source location? Our results show that the presence of motion direction and sound position information was higher in hMT+/V5 and lower in human planum temporale in blind relative to sighted people; and that this functional reorganization is accompanied by microstructural (but not macrostructural) alterations in their connections. These findings suggest that blindness alters cross-modal responses between connected areas that share the same computational goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceren Battal
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Ane Gurtubay-Antolin
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, 20009, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Mohamed Rezk
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Stefania Mattioni
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Giorgia Bertonati
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Valeria Occelli
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, United Kingdom
| | - Roberto Bottini
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Stefano Targher
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Chiara Maffei
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 01129
| | - Jorge Jovicich
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Olivier Collignon
- Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
- School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
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17
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Gurariy G, Mruczek REB, Snow JC, Caplovitz GP. Using High-Density Electroencephalography to Explore Spatiotemporal Representations of Object Categories in Visual Cortex. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:967-987. [PMID: 35286384 PMCID: PMC9169880 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Visual object perception involves neural processes that unfold over time and recruit multiple regions of the brain. Here, we use high-density EEG to investigate the spatiotemporal representations of object categories across the dorsal and ventral pathways. In , human participants were presented with images from two animate object categories (birds and insects) and two inanimate categories (tools and graspable objects). In , participants viewed images of tools and graspable objects from a different stimulus set, one in which a shape confound that often exists between these categories (elongation) was controlled for. To explore the temporal dynamics of object representations, we employed time-resolved multivariate pattern analysis on the EEG time series data. This was performed at the electrode level as well as in source space of two regions of interest: one encompassing the ventral pathway and another encompassing the dorsal pathway. Our results demonstrate shape, exemplar, and category information can be decoded from the EEG signal. Multivariate pattern analysis within source space revealed that both dorsal and ventral pathways contain information pertaining to shape, inanimate object categories, and animate object categories. Of particular interest, we note striking similarities obtained in both ventral stream and dorsal stream regions of interest. These findings provide insight into the spatio-temporal dynamics of object representation and contribute to a growing literature that has begun to redefine the traditional role of the dorsal pathway.
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18
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Vinci-Booher S, Caron B, Bullock D, James K, Pestilli F. Development of white matter tracts between and within the dorsal and ventral streams. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1457-1477. [PMID: 35267078 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02414-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The degree of interaction between the ventral and dorsal visual streams has been discussed in multiple scientific domains for decades. Recently, several white matter tracts that directly connect cortical regions associated with the dorsal and ventral streams have become possible to study due to advancements in automated and reproducible methods. The developmental trajectory of this set of tracts, here referred to as the posterior vertical pathway (PVP), has yet to be described. We propose an input-driven model of white matter development and provide evidence for the model by focusing on the development of the PVP. We used reproducible, cloud-computing methods and diffusion imaging from adults and children (ages 5-8 years) to compare PVP development to that of tracts within the ventral and dorsal pathways. PVP microstructure was more adult-like than dorsal stream microstructure, but less adult-like than ventral stream microstructure. Additionally, PVP microstructure was more similar to the microstructure of the ventral than the dorsal stream and was predicted by performance on a perceptual task in children. Overall, results suggest a potential role for the PVP in the development of the dorsal visual stream that may be related to its ability to facilitate interactions between ventral and dorsal streams during learning. Our results are consistent with the proposed model, suggesting that the microstructural development of major white matter pathways is related, at least in part, to the propagation of sensory information within the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Vinci-Booher
- Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
| | - B Caron
- Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - D Bullock
- Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - K James
- Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - F Pestilli
- Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
- The University of Texas, 108 E Dean Keeton St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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19
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Caspers S, Axer M, Gräßel D, Amunts K. Additional fiber orientations in the sagittal stratum-noise or anatomical fine structure? Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1331-1345. [PMID: 35113243 PMCID: PMC9046345 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02439-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The sagittal stratum is a prominent and macroscopically clearly visible white-matter structure within occipital and parietal lobes with a highly organized structure of parallel fibers running in rostro-caudal direction. Apart from the major tract running through, i.e., the optic radiation, the source and arrangement of other fibers within the sagittal stratum is only partially understood. Recent diffusion imaging studies in-vivo suggest additional minor fiber directions, perpendicular to the major rostro-caudal ones, but the spatial resolution does not allow to resolve them, and to unambiguously distinguish it from noise. Taking this previous evidence as motivation, the present study used 3D polarized light imaging (3D-PLI) for micrometer resolution analysis of nerve fibers in postmortem specimens of a vervet monkey brain. The analysis of coronal occipital and parietal sections revealed that the sagittal stratum consisted of an external and an internal layer, which are joined and crossed by fibers from the surrounding white matter and the tapetum. Fibers from different parietal and occipital regions entered the sagittal stratum in the dorsal, ventral or middle sector, as solid large bundles or as several small fiber aggregations. These patterns were remarkably similar to published results of tracer experiments in macaques. Taking this correspondence as external validation of 3D-PLI enabled translation to the human brain, where a similarly complex fiber architecture within the sagittal stratum could be exemplified in a human hemisphere in our study. We thus argue in favor of a dedicated fiber microstructure within the sagittal stratum as a correlate of the additional fiber directions typically seen in in-vivo diffusion imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Caspers
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Markus Axer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - David Gräßel
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Katrin Amunts
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
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20
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Grotheer M, Kubota E, Grill-Spector K. Establishing the functional relevancy of white matter connections in the visual system and beyond. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1347-1356. [PMID: 34846595 PMCID: PMC9046284 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02423-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
For over a century, researchers have examined the functional relevancy of white matter bundles. Consequently, many large-scale bundles spanning several centimeters have been associated in their entirety with specific brain functions, such as language or attention. However, these coarse structural-functional relationships are at odds with modern understanding of the fine-grained functional organization of human cortex, such as the mosaic of category-selective regions in ventral temporal cortex. Here, we review a multimodal approach that combines fMRI to define functional regions of interest within individual's brains with dMRI tractography to identify the white matter bundles of the same individual. Combining these data allows to determine which subsets of streamlines within a white matter bundle connect to specific functional regions in each individual. That is, this approach identifies the functionally defined white matter sub-bundles of the brain. We argue that this approach not only enhances the accuracy of interpreting the functional relevancy of white matter bundles, but also enables segmentation of these large-scale bundles into meaningful functional units, which can then be linked to behavior with enhanced precision. Importantly, this approach has the potential for making new discoveries of the fine-grained functional relevancy of white matter connections in the visual system and the brain more broadly, akin to the flurry of research that has identified functional regions in cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Grotheer
- Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032, Marburg, Germany.
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior-CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, 35037, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Emily Kubota
- Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kalanit Grill-Spector
- Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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21
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Takemura H, Rosa MGP. Understanding structure-function relationships in the mammalian visual system: part two. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1167-1170. [PMID: 35419751 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02495-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiromasa Takemura
- Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan. .,Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Japan. .,Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Japan.
| | - Marcello G P Rosa
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Neuroscience Program, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University Node, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
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22
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White matter myelination during early infancy is linked to spatial gradients and myelin content at birth. Nat Commun 2022; 13:997. [PMID: 35194018 PMCID: PMC8863985 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28326-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of myelin, a fatty sheath that insulates nerve fibers, is critical for brain function. Myelination during infancy has been studied with histology, but postmortem data cannot evaluate the longitudinal trajectory of white matter development. Here, we obtained longitudinal diffusion MRI and quantitative MRI measures of longitudinal relaxation rate (R1) of white matter in 0, 3 and 6 months-old human infants, and developed an automated method to identify white matter bundles and quantify their properties in each infant's brain. We find that R1 increases from newborns to 6-months-olds in all bundles. R1 development is nonuniform: there is faster development in white matter that is less mature in newborns, and development rate increases along inferior-to-superior as well as anterior-to-posterior spatial gradients. As R1 is linearly related to myelin fraction in white matter bundles, these findings open new avenues to elucidate typical and atypical white matter myelination in early infancy.
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23
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The forgotten tract of vision in multiple sclerosis: vertical occipital fasciculus, its fiber properties, and visuospatial memory. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1479-1490. [PMID: 35174417 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02464-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Visual disturbances are a common disease manifestation in multiple sclerosis (MS) due to lesions damaging white matter tracts involved in vision. Vertical occipital fasciculus (VOF), a tract located vertically in the occipital lobe, was neglected for more than a century. We hypothesize that VOF is involved in integrating information between dorsal and ventral visual streams. Thus, its damage in MS, as well as its probable role in visual processing (by using MS as a VOF damage model) needs to be clarified. To study fiber characteristics of VOF in MS, and their clinical and visual learning associations, 57 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 25 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. We acquired MS Functional Composite, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), and diffusion MRI scans. Tractography of VOF and optic radiation (OR) was done. VOF's metrics were statistically tested for between-group differences and clinical and visual tests associations. Along-tract analysis and laterality were also tested. RRMS patients had higher mean, axial, and radial diffusivity (nearly in all fiber points), and lower fractional anisotropy in bilateral VOFs compared to HC. No laterality was noted. These were associated with poor clinical outcomes, poor visual scores in EDSS, and lower total immediate and delayed recall in BVMT-R in RRMS, after adjusting for age, gender, and fiber metrics of OR. VOF damage is present in RRMS and is associated with visual symptoms and visuospatial learning impairments. It seems VOF is involved in integrating information between visual streams.
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24
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Bullock DN, Hayday EA, Grier MD, Tang W, Pestilli F, Heilbronner SR. A taxonomy of the brain's white matter: twenty-one major tracts for the 21st century. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4524-4548. [PMID: 35169827 PMCID: PMC9574243 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional and computational properties of brain areas are determined, in large part, by their connectivity profiles. Advances in neuroimaging and network neuroscience allow us to characterize the human brain noninvasively, but a comprehensive understanding of the human brain demands an account of the anatomy of brain connections. Long-range anatomical connections are instantiated by white matter, which itself is organized into tracts. These tracts are often disrupted by central nervous system disorders, and they can be targeted by neuromodulatory interventions, such as deep brain stimulation. Here, we characterized the connections, morphology, traversal, and functions of the major white matter tracts in the brain. There are major discrepancies across different accounts of white matter tract anatomy, hindering our attempts to accurately map the connectivity of the human brain. However, we are often able to clarify the source(s) of these discrepancies through careful consideration of both histological tract-tracing and diffusion-weighted tractography studies. In combination, the advantages and disadvantages of each method permit novel insights into brain connectivity. Ultimately, our synthesis provides an essential reference for neuroscientists and clinicians interested in brain connectivity and anatomy, allowing for the study of the association of white matter's properties with behavior, development, and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Bullock
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Elena A Hayday
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Mark D Grier
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | | | - Sarah R Heilbronner
- Address correspondence to Sarah R. Heilbronner, Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 2-164 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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25
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Mahdy Ali K, Avesani P. The vertical superior longitudinal fascicle and the vertical occipital fascicle. J Neurosurg Sci 2022; 65:581-589. [PMID: 35128919 DOI: 10.23736/s0390-5616.21.05368-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Association fibers of the human brain have long been considered to exclusively follow an anterior-posterior direction. Using magnetic resonance imaging techniques that allow in-vivo fiber dissection, vertically oriented association fibers have been rediscovered or newly described. Aside from the frontal aslant tract (FAT) in the frontal lobe, the vertical occipital fascicle (VOF) and the vertical portion of the superior longitudinal fascicle system (vSLF) have been studied in recent years. The aim of this review was to give an overview on the current knowledge regarding these two fiber tracts. A review of the available literature in the Medline database was conducted to gather all available publications dealing with either the VOF or the vSLF. One thousand two hundred seventy-three articles were obtained from the literature search of which a total of 71 articles met the final inclusion criteria of this review. We describe the history of the discovery of the respective fiber tract, its anatomical course and its boundaries integrating blunt fiber dissection studies and functional MRI/tractography studies. We discuss the functional properties of the respective fiber tract and its relevance in neurosurgery. The VOF is a fiber tract that has been discovered in the late XIX century and long been forgotten before being rediscovered in the 1970's. It lies lateral to the fibers of the sagittal stratum and mainly connects the superior and inferior occipital lobe. It plays a major role in reading and visual word and language comprehension and is said to be the main link between dorsal and ventral visual streams. The vSLF has many synonyms and is part of the superior longitudinal fascicle system. Recent studies were able to provide more insight into this set of fiber tracts showing distinct connections running from the superior and inferior parietal lobule to the posterior part of the temporal lobe. Its functional role is still not completely cleared. It is said to play a role in visual and auditory semantic language comprehension. It lies directly lateral to the arcuate fascicle. The VOF and the vSLF are vertically oriented fiber tracts connecting the temporo-parieto-occipital region and play a major role in the communication of dorsal and ventral visual streams (VOF), reading (VOF, vSLF) and visual and auditory semantic language comprehension (vSLF). They can consistently be identified using ex vivo blunt dissection techniques and in-vivo fiber tractography. Because of their localization and orientation these two fiber tracts can be combined to a fiber bundle system called posterior transverse system (PTS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kariem Mahdy Ali
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria -
| | - Paolo Avesani
- Center for Information Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Trento, Italy
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Kaneko T, Komatsu M, Yamamori T, Ichinohe N, Okano H. Cortical neural dynamics unveil the rhythm of natural visual behavior in marmosets. Commun Biol 2022; 5:108. [PMID: 35115680 PMCID: PMC8814246 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03052-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown that the visual system consists of functionally distinct ventral and dorsal streams; however, its exact spatial-temporal dynamics during natural visual behavior remain to be investigated. Here, we report cerebral neural dynamics during active visual exploration recorded by an electrocorticographic array covering the entire lateral surface of the marmoset cortex. We found that the dorsal stream was activated before the primary visual cortex with saccades and followed by the alteration of suppression and activation signals along the ventral stream. Similarly, the signal that propagated from the dorsal to ventral visual areas was accompanied by a travelling wave of low frequency oscillations. Such signal dynamics occurred at an average of 220 ms after saccades, which corresponded to the timing when whole-brain activation returned to background levels. We also demonstrated that saccades could occur at any point of signal flow, indicating the parallel computation of motor commands. Overall, this study reveals the neural dynamics of active vision, which are efficiently linked to the natural rhythms of visual exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Kaneko
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan. .,Systems Neuroscience Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Aichi, Japan.
| | - Misako Komatsu
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, Center for Brain Science, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Yamamori
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, Center for Brain Science, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Noritaka Ichinohe
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan. .,Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
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The structure of the superior and inferior parietal lobes predicts inter-individual suitability for virtual reality. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23688. [PMID: 34880322 PMCID: PMC8654954 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02957-x] [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: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The global virtual reality (VR) market is significantly expanding and being challenged with an increased demand owing to COVID-19. Unfortunately, VR is not useful for everyone due to large interindividual variability existing in VR suitability. To understand the neurobiological basis of this variability, we obtained neural structural and functional data from the participants using 3T magnetic resonance imaging. The participants completed one of two tasks (sports training or cognitive task) using VR, which differed in the time scale (months/minutes) and domain (motor learning/attention task). Behavioral results showed that some participants improved their motor skills in the real world after 1-month training in the virtual space or obtained high scores in the 3D attention task (high suitability for VR), whereas others did not (low suitability for VR). Brain structure analysis revealed that the structural properties of the superior and inferior parietal lobes contain information that can predict an individual’s suitability for VR.
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Sarwar T, Ramamohanarao K, Zalesky A. A critical review of connectome validation studies. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 34:e4605. [PMID: 34516016 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion MRI tractography is the most widely used macroscale method for mapping connectomes in vivo. However, tractography is prone to various errors and biases, and thus tractography-derived connectomes require careful validation. Here, we critically review studies that have developed or utilized phantoms and tracer maps to validate tractography-derived connectomes, either quantitatively or qualitatively. We identify key factors impacting connectome reconstruction accuracy, including streamline seeding, propagation and filtering methods, and consider the strengths and limitations of state-of-the-art connectome phantoms and associated validation studies. These studies demonstrate the inherent limitations of current fiber orientation models and tractography algorithms and their impact on connectome reconstruction accuracy. Reconstructing connectomes with both high sensitivity and high specificity is challenging, given that some tractography methods can generate an abundance of spurious connections, while others can overlook genuine fiber bundles. We argue that streamline filtering can minimize spurious connections and potentially improve the biological plausibility of connectomes derived from tractography. We find that algorithmic choices such as the tractography seeding methodology, angular threshold, and streamline propagation method can substantially impact connectome reconstruction accuracy. Hence, careful application of tractography is necessary to reconstruct accurate connectomes. Improvements in diffusion MRI acquisition techniques will not necessarily overcome current tractography limitations without accompanying modeling and algorithmic advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabinda Sarwar
- School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kotagiri Ramamohanarao
- Department of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Zalesky
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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The contributions of the ventral and the dorsal visual streams to the automatic processing of action relations of familiar and unfamiliar object pairs. Neuroimage 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Caffarra S, Karipidis II, Yablonski M, Yeatman JD. Anatomy and physiology of word-selective visual cortex: from visual features to lexical processing. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:3051-3065. [PMID: 34636985 PMCID: PMC8639194 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02384-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Over the past 2 decades, researchers have tried to uncover how the human brain can extract linguistic information from a sequence of visual symbols. The description of how the brain's visual system processes words and enables reading has improved with the progressive refinement of experimental methodologies and neuroimaging techniques. This review provides a brief overview of this research journey. We start by describing classical models of object recognition in non-human primates, which represent the foundation for many of the early models of visual word recognition in humans. We then review functional neuroimaging studies investigating the word-selective regions in visual cortex. This research led to the differentiation of highly specialized areas, which are involved in the analysis of different aspects of written language. We then consider the corresponding anatomical measurements and provide a description of the main white matter pathways carrying neural signals crucial to word recognition. Finally, in an attempt to integrate structural, functional, and electrophysiological findings, we propose a view of visual word recognition, accounting for spatial and temporal facets of word-selective neural processes. This multi-modal perspective on the neural circuitry of literacy highlights the relevance of a posterior-anterior differentiation in ventral occipitotemporal cortex for visual processing of written language and lexical features. It also highlights unanswered questions that can guide us towards future research directions. Bridging measures of brain structure and function will help us reach a more precise understanding of the transformation from vision to language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sendy Caffarra
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Li Ka Shing Building, Stanford, CA, 94305-5101, USA
- Stanford University Graduate School of Education, 485 Lasuen Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Mikeletegi 69, 20009, San Sebastian, Spain
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Iliana I Karipidis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, School of Medicine, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305-5717, USA.
| | - Maya Yablonski
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Li Ka Shing Building, Stanford, CA, 94305-5101, USA
- Stanford University Graduate School of Education, 485 Lasuen Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jason D Yeatman
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Li Ka Shing Building, Stanford, CA, 94305-5101, USA
- Stanford University Graduate School of Education, 485 Lasuen Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Werth R. Is Developmental Dyslexia Due to a Visual and Not a Phonological Impairment? Brain Sci 2021; 11:1313. [PMID: 34679378 PMCID: PMC8534212 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11101313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is a widely held belief that developmental dyslexia (DD) is a phonological disorder in which readers have difficulty associating graphemes with their corresponding phonemes. In contrast, the magnocellular theory of dyslexia assumes that DD is a visual disorder caused by dysfunctional magnocellular neural pathways. The review explores arguments for and against these theories. Recent results have shown that DD is caused by (1) a reduced ability to simultaneously recognize sequences of letters that make up words, (2) longer fixation times required to simultaneously recognize strings of letters, and (3) amplitudes of saccades that do not match the number of simultaneously recognized letters. It was shown that pseudowords that could not be recognized simultaneously were recognized almost without errors when the fixation time was extended. However, there is an individual maximum number of letters that each reader with DD can recognize simultaneously. Findings on the neurobiological basis of temporal summation have shown that a necessary prolongation of fixation times is due to impaired processing mechanisms of the visual system, presumably involving magnocells and parvocells. An area in the mid-fusiform gyrus also appears to play a significant role in the ability to simultaneously recognize words and pseudowords. The results also contradict the assumption that DD is due to a lack of eye movement control. The present research does not support the assumption that DD is caused by a phonological disorder but shows that DD is due to a visual processing dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinhard Werth
- Institute for Social Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Munich, Haydnstrasse 5, D-80336 Munich, Germany
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Townley RA, Botha H, Graff-Radford J, Whitwell J, Boeve BF, Machulda MM, Fields JA, Drubach DA, Savica R, Petersen RC, Senjem ML, Knopman DS, Lowe VJ, Jack CR, Josephs KA, Jones DT. Posterior cortical atrophy phenotypic heterogeneity revealed by decoding 18F-FDG-PET. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab182. [PMID: 34805993 PMCID: PMC8600283 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Posterior cortical atrophy is a neurodegenerative syndrome with a heterogeneous clinical presentation due to variable involvement of the left, right, dorsal and ventral parts of the visual system, as well as inconsistent involvement of other cognitive domains and systems. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET is a sensitive marker for regional brain damage or dysfunction, capable of capturing the pattern of neurodegeneration at the single-participant level. We aimed to leverage these inter-individual differences on FDG-PET imaging to better understand the associations of heterogeneity of posterior cortical atrophy. We identified 91 posterior cortical atrophy participants with FDG-PET data and abstracted demographic, neurologic, neuropsychological and Alzheimer's disease biomarker data. The mean age at reported symptom onset was 59.3 (range: 45-72 years old), with an average disease duration of 4.2 years prior to FDG-PET scan, and a mean education of 15.0 years. Females were more common than males at 1.6:1. After standard preprocessing steps, the FDG-PET scans for the cohort were entered into an unsupervised machine learning algorithm which first creates a high-dimensional space of inter-individual covariance before performing an eigen-decomposition to arrive at a low-dimensional representation. Participant values ('eigenbrains' or latent vectors which represent principle axes of inter-individual variation) were then compared to the clinical and biomarker data. Eight eigenbrains explained over 50% of the inter-individual differences in FDG-PET uptake with left (eigenbrain 1) and right (eigenbrain 2) hemispheric lateralization representing 24% of the variance. Furthermore, eigenbrain-loads mapped onto clinical and neuropsychological data (i.e. aphasia, apraxia and global cognition were associated with the left hemispheric eigenbrain 1 and environmental agnosia and apperceptive prosopagnosia were associated with the right hemispheric eigenbrain 2), suggesting that they captured important axes of normal and abnormal brain function. We used NeuroSynth to characterize the eigenbrains through topic-based decoding, which supported the idea that the eigenbrains map onto a diverse set of cognitive functions. These eigenbrains captured important biological and pathophysiologic data (i.e. limbic predominant eigenbrain 4 patterns being associated with older age of onset compared to frontoparietal eigenbrain 7 patterns being associated with younger age of onset), suggesting that approaches that focus on inter-individual differences may be important to better understand the variability observed within a neurodegenerative syndrome like posterior cortical atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan A Townley
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Hugo Botha
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Whitwell
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Bradley F Boeve
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Mary M Machulda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
| | - Julie A Fields
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
| | | | - Rodolfo Savica
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | | | - Matthew L Senjem
- Information Technology Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - David S Knopman
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Val J Lowe
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Clifford R Jack
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Keith A Josephs
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - David T Jones
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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33
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Negishi I, Shinomori K. Suppression of Luminance Contrast Sensitivity by Weak Color Presentation. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:668116. [PMID: 34262428 PMCID: PMC8273178 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.668116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The results of psychophysical studies suggest that color in a visual scene affects luminance contrast perception. In our brain imaging studies we have found evidence of an effect of chromatic information on luminance information. The dependency of saturation on brain activity in the visual cortices was measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while the subjects were observing visual stimuli consisting of colored patches of various hues manipulated in saturation (Chroma value in the Munsell color system) on an achromatic background. The results indicate that the patches suppressed luminance driven brain activity. Furthermore, the suppression was stronger rather than weaker for patches with lower saturation colors, although suppression was absent when gray patches were presented instead of colored patches. We also measured brain activity while the subjects observed only the patches (on a uniformly black background) and confirmed that the colored patches alone did not give rise to differences in brain activity for different Chroma values. The chromatic information affects the luminance information in V1, since the effect was observed in early visual cortices (V2 and V3) and the ventral pathway (hV4), as well as in the dorsal pathway (V3A/B). In addition, we conducted a psychophysical experiment in which the ability to discriminate luminance contrast on a grating was measured. Discrimination was worse when weak (less saturated) colored patches were attached to the grating than when strong (saturated) colored patches or achromatic patches were attached. The results of both the fMRI and psychophysical experiments were consistent in that the effects of color were greater in the conditions with low saturation colors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ippei Negishi
- School of Information, Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Japan.,Department of Media Informatics, College of Informatics and Human Communication, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Hakusan, Japan
| | - Keizo Shinomori
- School of Information, Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Japan.,Vision and Affective Science Integrated Laboratory, Research Institute, Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Japan
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Abstract
The scientific study of reading has a rich history that spans disciplines from vision science to linguistics, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, neurology, and education. The study of reading can elucidate important general mechanisms in spatial vision, attentional control, object recognition, and perceptual learning, as well as the principles of plasticity and cortical topography. However, literacy also prompts the development of specific neural circuits to process a unique and artificial stimulus. In this review, we describe the sequence of operations that transforms visual features into language, how the key neural circuits are sculpted by experience during development, and what goes awry in children for whom learning to read is a struggle. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 7 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Yeatman
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California 93405, USA; .,Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Alex L White
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California 93405, USA; .,Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, New York 10027, USA
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Nelli S, Malpani A, Boonjindasup M, Serences JT. Individual Alpha Frequency Determines the Impact of Bottom-Up Drive on Visual Processing. Cereb Cortex Commun 2021; 2:tgab032. [PMID: 34296177 PMCID: PMC8171796 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgab032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous alpha oscillations propagate from higher-order to early visual cortical regions, consistent with the observed modulation of these oscillations by top-down factors. However, bottom-up manipulations also influence alpha oscillations, and little is known about how these top-down and bottom-up processes interact to impact behavior. To address this, participants performed a detection task while viewing a stimulus flickering at multiple alpha band frequencies. Bottom-up drive at a participant's endogenous alpha frequency either impaired or enhanced perception, depending on the frequency, but not amplitude, of their endogenous alpha oscillation. Fast alpha drive impaired perceptual performance in participants with faster endogenous alpha oscillations, while participants with slower oscillations displayed enhanced performance. This interaction was reflected in slower endogenous oscillatory dynamics in participants with fast alpha oscillations and more rapid dynamics in participants with slow endogenous oscillations when receiving high-frequency bottom-up drive. This central tendency may suggest that driving visual circuits at alpha band frequencies that are away from the peak alpha frequency improves perception through dynamical interactions with the endogenous oscillation. As such, studies that causally manipulate neural oscillations via exogenous stimulation should carefully consider interacting effects of bottom-up drive and endogenous oscillations on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Nelli
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | | | | | - John T Serences
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychology, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
- Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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36
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Bugain M, Dimech Y, Torzhenskaya N, Thiebaut de Schotten M, Caspers S, Muscat R, Bajada CJ. Occipital Intralobar fasciculi: a description, through tractography, of three forgotten tracts. Commun Biol 2021; 4:433. [PMID: 33785859 PMCID: PMC8010026 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01935-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Diffusion MRI paired with tractography has facilitated a non-invasive exploration of many association, projection, and commissural fiber tracts. However, there is still a scarcity of research studies related to intralobar association fibers. The Dejerines' (two of the most notable neurologists of 19th century France) gave an in-depth description of the intralobar fibers of the occipital lobe. Unfortunately, their exquisite work has since been sparsely cited in the modern literature. This work gives a modern description of many of the occipital intralobar lobe fibers described by the Dejerines. We perform a virtual dissection and reconstruct the tracts using diffusion MRI tractography. The dissection is guided by the Dejerines' treatise, Anatomie des Centres Nerveux. As an accompaniment to this article, we provided a French-to-English translation of the treatise portion concerning five intra-occipital tracts, namely: the stratum calcarinum, the stratum proprium cunei, the vertical occipital fasciculus of Wernicke, the transverse fasciculus of the cuneus and the transverse fasciculus of the lingual lobule of Vialet. It was possible to reconstruct all but one of these tracts. For completeness, the recently described sledge runner fasciculus, although not one of the Dejerines' tracts, was identified and successfully reconstructed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maeva Bugain
- grid.4462.40000 0001 2176 9482Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, The University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Yana Dimech
- grid.4462.40000 0001 2176 9482Department of Cognitive Sciences, Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences, The University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Natalia Torzhenskaya
- grid.4462.40000 0001 2176 9482Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, The University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- grid.462844.80000 0001 2308 1657Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Groupe d’Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives -UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Svenja Caspers
- grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XInstitute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany ,grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Richard Muscat
- grid.4462.40000 0001 2176 9482Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, The University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Claude J. Bajada
- grid.4462.40000 0001 2176 9482Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, The University of Malta, Msida, Malta ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XInstitute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany
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Direct Structural Connections between Auditory and Visual Motion-Selective Regions in Humans. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2393-2405. [PMID: 33514674 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1552-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, the occipital middle-temporal region (hMT+/V5) specializes in the processing of visual motion, while the planum temporale (hPT) specializes in auditory motion processing. It has been hypothesized that these regions might communicate directly to achieve fast and optimal exchange of multisensory motion information. Here we investigated, for the first time in humans (male and female), the presence of direct white matter connections between visual and auditory motion-selective regions using a combined fMRI and diffusion MRI approach. We found evidence supporting the potential existence of direct white matter connections between individually and functionally defined hMT+/V5 and hPT. We show that projections between hMT+/V5 and hPT do not overlap with large white matter bundles, such as the inferior longitudinal fasciculus and the inferior frontal occipital fasciculus. Moreover, we did not find evidence suggesting the presence of projections between the fusiform face area and hPT, supporting the functional specificity of hMT+/V5-hPT connections. Finally, the potential presence of hMT+/V5-hPT connections was corroborated in a large sample of participants (n = 114) from the human connectome project. Together, this study provides a first indication for potential direct occipitotemporal projections between hMT+/V5 and hPT, which may support the exchange of motion information between functionally specialized auditory and visual regions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Perceiving and integrating moving signal across the senses is arguably one of the most important perceptual skills for the survival of living organisms. In order to create a unified representation of movement, the brain must therefore integrate motion information from separate senses. Our study provides support for the potential existence of direct connections between motion-selective regions in the occipital/visual (hMT+/V5) and temporal/auditory (hPT) cortices in humans. This connection could represent the structural scaffolding for the rapid and optimal exchange and integration of multisensory motion information. These findings suggest the existence of computationally specific pathways that allow information flow between areas that share a similar computational goal.
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Grotheer M, Yeatman J, Grill-Spector K. White matter fascicles and cortical microstructure predict reading-related responses in human ventral temporal cortex. Neuroimage 2021; 227:117669. [PMID: 33359351 PMCID: PMC8416179 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Reading-related responses in the lateral ventral temporal cortex (VTC) show a consistent spatial layout across individuals, which is puzzling, since reading skills are acquired during childhood. Here, we tested the hypothesis that white matter fascicles and gray matter microstructure predict the location of reading-related responses in lateral VTC. We obtained functional (fMRI), diffusion (dMRI), and quantitative (qMRI) magnetic resonance imaging data in 30 adults. fMRI was used to map reading-related responses by contrasting responses in a reading task with those in adding and color tasks; dMRI was used to identify the brain's fascicles and to map their endpoint densities in lateral VTC; qMRI was used to measure proton relaxation time (T1), which depends on cortical tissue microstructure. We fit linear models that predict reading-related responses in lateral VTC from endpoint density and T1 and used leave-one-subject-out cross-validation to assess prediction accuracy. Using a subset of our participants (N=10, feature selection set), we find that i) endpoint densities of the arcuate fasciculus (AF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and vertical occipital fasciculus (VOF) are significant predictors of reading-related responses, and ii) cortical T1 of lateral VTC further improves the predictions of the fascicle model. In the remaining participants (N=20, validation set), we show that a linear model that includes T1, AF, ILF and VOF significantly predicts i) the map of reading-related responses across lateral VTC and ii) the location of the visual word form area, a region critical for reading. Overall, our data-driven approach reveals that the AF, ILF, VOF and cortical microstructure have a consistent spatial relationship with an individual's reading-related responses in lateral VTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Grotheer
- Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA..
| | - Jason Yeatman
- Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.; Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kalanit Grill-Spector
- Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
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Wang Y, Wang X, Shi H, Xia L, Dong J, Nguchu BA, Uwisengeyimana JDD, Liu Y, Zhang D, Feng L, Qiu B. Microstructural properties of major white matter tracts in constant exotropia before and after strabismus surgery. Br J Ophthalmol 2021; 106:870-877. [PMID: 33468491 DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-317948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The purpose of this study was to explore the microstructural properties of the major white matter (WM) tracts in constant exotropia (XT) before and after strabismus surgery, and further investigate the association between microstructural alterations and the ocular dominance (OD). METHODS We collected diffusion tensor imaging data of patients with XT before (n=19) and after (n=15) strabismus surgery and 20 healthy controls and evaluated OD and stereopsis. The probabilistic streamline tractography of the 24 major WM tracts was reconstructed by using the automated fibre quantification package. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity (MD) along each tract were estimated, and their differences between the groups were examined. Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between OD and the absolute value of altered microstructural parameters. RESULTS While all postoperative XT patients restored normal stereopsis, most of their OD remained aberrant (9 out of 11). Compared with that of preoperation, the MD of postoperative patients decreased significantly along left anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), left arcuate fasciculus (AF), left corticospinal tract (CST), left cingulum cingulate (CGC) and left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. Moreover, OD was negatively correlated with the absolute value of MD changes in left ATR, left AF, left CST and left CGC. CONCLUSION Microstructural alterations after surgery in the visuospatial network tracts may contribute to the stereopsis restoration. Additionally, the results of the correlation analysis may signify that the balanced binocular input may be more conducive for the restoration and improvement of binocular visual function, including stereopsis. Thus, restoring normal ocular balance after surgical correction may be necessary to achieve more substantial improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanming Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and the Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and the Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hongmei Shi
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The People's Hospital of Bozhou, Bozhou, Anhui, China
| | - Lin Xia
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jiong Dong
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Benedictor Alexander Nguchu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and the Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jean De Dieu Uwisengeyimana
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and the Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yanpeng Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and the Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Du Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and the Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Lixia Feng
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Bensheng Qiu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and the Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
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40
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Sani I, Stemmann H, Caron B, Bullock D, Stemmler T, Fahle M, Pestilli F, Freiwald WA. The human endogenous attentional control network includes a ventro-temporal cortical node. Nat Commun 2021; 12:360. [PMID: 33452252 PMCID: PMC7810878 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20583-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous attention is the cognitive function that selects the relevant pieces of sensory information to achieve goals and it is known to be controlled by dorsal fronto-parietal brain areas. Here we expand this notion by identifying a control attention area located in the temporal lobe. By combining a demanding behavioral paradigm with functional neuroimaging and diffusion tractography, we show that like fronto-parietal attentional areas, the human posterior inferotemporal cortex exhibits significant attentional modulatory activity. This area is functionally distinct from surrounding cortical areas, and is directly connected to parietal and frontal attentional regions. These results show that attentional control spans three cortical lobes and overarches large distances through fiber pathways that run orthogonally to the dominant anterior-posterior axes of sensory processing, thus suggesting a different organizing principle for cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Sani
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Neural Systems, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 USA ,grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Laboratory of Neurology & Imaging of Cognition, University of Geneva, Chemin de mines 9, 1202 Geneva, CH Switzerland
| | - Heiko Stemmann
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Institute for Brain Research and Center for Advanced Imaging, University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany
| | - Bradley Caron
- grid.411377.70000 0001 0790 959XDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN USA
| | - Daniel Bullock
- grid.411377.70000 0001 0790 959XDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN USA
| | - Torsten Stemmler
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Institute for Brain Research and Center for Advanced Imaging, University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany
| | - Manfred Fahle
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Institute for Brain Research and Center for Advanced Imaging, University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany
| | - Franco Pestilli
- grid.411377.70000 0001 0790 959XDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN USA ,grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Winrich A. Freiwald
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Neural Systems, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 USA ,Center for Brains, Minds & Machines, Cambridge, MA USA
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41
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Popal H, Quimby M, Hochberg D, Dickerson BC, Collins JA. Altered functional connectivity of cortical networks in semantic variant Primary Progressive Aphasia. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 28:102494. [PMID: 33395985 PMCID: PMC7708956 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
As their illness progresses, patients with the semantic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia (svPPA) frequently exhibit peculiar behaviors indicative of altered visual attention or an increased interest in artistic endeavors. In the present study, we examined changes within and between large-scale functional brain networks that may explain this altered visual behavior. We first examined the connectivity of the visual association network, the dorsal attention network, and the default mode network in healthy young adults (n = 89) to understand the typical architecture of these networks in the healthy brain. We then compared the large-scale functional connectivity of these networks in a group of svPPA patients (n = 12) to a group of age-matched cognitively normal controls (n = 30). Our results showed that the between-network connectivity of the dorsal attention and visual association networks was elevated in svPPA patients relative to controls. We further showed that this heightened between-network connectivity was associated with a decrease in the within-network connectivity of the default mode network, possibly due to progressive degeneration of the anterior temporal lobes in svPPA. These results suggest that focal neurodegeneration can lead to the reorganization of large-scale cognitive networks beyond the primarily affected network(s), possibly contributing to cognitive or behavioral changes that are commonly present as part of the clinical phenotype of svPPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haroon Popal
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan Quimby
- Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daisy Hochberg
- Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bradford C Dickerson
- Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Jessica A Collins
- Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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42
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Marneweck M, Grafton ST. Overt and Covert Object Features Mediate Timing of Patterned Brain Activity during Motor Planning. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa080. [PMID: 34296138 PMCID: PMC8152879 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are seamless in their ability to efficiently and reliably generate fingertip forces to gracefully interact with objects. Such interactions rarely end in awkward outcomes like spilling, crushing, or tilting given advanced motor planning. Here we combine multiband imaging with deconvolution- and Bayesian pattern component modeling of functional magnetic resonance imaging data and in-scanner kinematics, revealing compelling evidence that the human brain differentially represents preparatory information for skillful object interactions depending on the saliency of visual cues. Earlier patterned activity was particularly evident in ventral visual processing stream-, but also selectively in dorsal visual processing stream and cerebellum in conditions of heightened uncertainty when an object’s superficial shape was incompatible rather than compatible with a key underlying object feature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Marneweck
- Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1249, USA.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3168, Australia.,Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Scott T Grafton
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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43
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Gallivan JP, Chapman CS, Gale DJ, Flanagan JR, Culham JC. Selective Modulation of Early Visual Cortical Activity by Movement Intention. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:4662-4678. [PMID: 30668674 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The primate visual system contains myriad feedback projections from higher- to lower-order cortical areas, an architecture that has been implicated in the top-down modulation of early visual areas during working memory and attention. Here we tested the hypothesis that these feedback projections also modulate early visual cortical activity during the planning of visually guided actions. We show, across three separate human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies involving object-directed movements, that information related to the motor effector to be used (i.e., limb, eye) and action goal to be performed (i.e., grasp, reach) can be selectively decoded-prior to movement-from the retinotopic representation of the target object(s) in early visual cortex. We also find that during the planning of sequential actions involving objects in two different spatial locations, that motor-related information can be decoded from both locations in retinotopic cortex. Together, these findings indicate that movement planning selectively modulates early visual cortical activity patterns in an effector-specific, target-centric, and task-dependent manner. These findings offer a neural account of how motor-relevant target features are enhanced during action planning and suggest a possible role for early visual cortex in instituting a sensorimotor estimate of the visual consequences of movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason P Gallivan
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Craig S Chapman
- Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
| | - Daniel J Gale
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Randall Flanagan
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jody C Culham
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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44
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Choi SH, Jeong G, Kim YB, Cho ZH. Proposal for human visual pathway in the extrastriate cortex by fiber tracking method using diffusion-weighted MRI. Neuroimage 2020; 220:117145. [PMID: 32650055 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The extrastriate cortex in the human visual cortex is divided into two distinct clusters: the "what-information" processing area and the "where-information" processing area. It is widely accepted that the "what-information" cluster is processed through the ventral stream to the temporal cortex, and the "where-information" cluster through the dorsal stream to the parietal cortex. In human neuroanatomy, fiber bundles for the ventral stream (such as the inferior longitudinal fasciculus) are well defined, whereas fibers for the dorsal stream are poorly understood. In this study, we attempted to trace the dorsal stream fibers using a fiber tracking method using 7.0T diffusion-weighted MRI. We used data from a healthy male subject as well as from an unbiasedly selected nine-subject dataset in the Human Connectome Project. The surface of the visual area, including V1, V2, V3, V4, MT, was determined from the Brainnetome atlas (Fan et al., 2016), which is the connectivity-based parcellation framework of the human brain. The resulting visual pathway indicated that the putative pathway for the classical dorsal stream is unlikely to exist. Instead, we demonstrated that fiber connections exist between the angular gyrus with MT in the visual cortex, and between the angular gyrus and IT in the temporal cortex. Through that, we composed a two-pathway model for where-information processing that passes through the angular gyrus. Finally, we proposed a modified human visual pathway model based on our fiber tracking results in this report. The modified where-information pathway will provide a new aspect for the study of human visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Han Choi
- Neuroscience Convergence Center, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Gangwon Jeong
- Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, 145 Kwangkyo-Ro Yongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16229, South Korea.
| | - Young-Bo Kim
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, 1198 Kuwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, 21565, South Korea.
| | - Zang-Hee Cho
- Neuroscience Convergence Center, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea; Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, 145 Kwangkyo-Ro Yongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16229, South Korea.
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45
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Functional difference between the ventral visual cortex and the intraparietal sulcus in visual working memory of material properties. Neuroreport 2020; 31:1042-1047. [DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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46
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Fujimichi M, Yamamoto H, Saiki J. The limited contribution of early visual cortex in visual working memory for surface roughness. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:2189-2197. [PMID: 32683514 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05881-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Are visual representations in the human early visual cortex necessary for visual working memory (VWM)? Previous studies suggest that VWM is underpinned by distributed representations across several brain regions, including the early visual cortex. Notably, in these studies, participants had to memorize images under consistent visual conditions. However, in our daily lives, we must retain the essential visual properties of objects despite changes in illumination or viewpoint. The role of brain regions-particularly the early visual cortices-in these situations remains unclear. The present study investigated whether the early visual cortex was essential for achieving stable VWM. Focusing on VWM for object surface properties, we conducted fMRI experiments, while male and female participants performed a delayed roughness discrimination task in which sample and probe spheres were presented under varying illumination. By applying multi-voxel pattern analysis to brain activity in regions of interest, we found that the ventral visual cortex and intraparietal sulcus were involved in roughness VWM under changing illumination conditions. In contrast, VWM was not supported as robustly by the early visual cortex. These findings show that visual representations in the early visual cortex alone are insufficient for the robust roughness VWM representation required during changes in illumination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munendo Fujimichi
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihonmatsucho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Hiroki Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihonmatsucho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Jun Saiki
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihonmatsucho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
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47
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Ayzenberg V, Lourenco SF. The relations among navigation, object analysis, and magnitude perception in children: Evidence for a network of Euclidean geometry. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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48
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Takemura H, Palomero-Gallagher N, Axer M, Gräßel D, Jorgensen MJ, Woods R, Zilles K. Anatomy of nerve fiber bundles at micrometer-resolution in the vervet monkey visual system. eLife 2020; 9:e55444. [PMID: 32844747 PMCID: PMC7532002 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the primate visual system has been extensively studied, detailed spatial organization of white matter fiber tracts carrying visual information between areas has not been fully established. This is mainly due to the large gap between tracer studies and diffusion-weighted MRI studies, which focus on specific axonal connections and macroscale organization of fiber tracts, respectively. Here we used 3D polarization light imaging (3D-PLI), which enables direct visualization of fiber tracts at micrometer resolution, to identify and visualize fiber tracts of the visual system, such as stratum sagittale, inferior longitudinal fascicle, vertical occipital fascicle, tapetum and dorsal occipital bundle in vervet monkey brains. Moreover, 3D-PLI data provide detailed information on cortical projections of these tracts, distinction between neighboring tracts, and novel short-range pathways. This work provides essential information for interpretation of functional and diffusion-weighted MRI data, as well as revision of wiring diagrams based upon observations in the vervet visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromasa Takemura
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, and Osaka UniversityOsakaJapan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Nicola Palomero-Gallagher
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-1, Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH AachenAachenGermany
- C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Heinrich-Heine-UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
| | - Markus Axer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-1, Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - David Gräßel
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-1, Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - Matthew J Jorgensen
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Roger Woods
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Departments of Neurology and of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLALos AngelesUnited States
| | - Karl Zilles
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-1, Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
- JARA - Translational Brain MedicineAachenGermany
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49
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Kurzawski JW, Mikellidou K, Morrone MC, Pestilli F. The visual white matter connecting human area prostriata and the thalamus is retinotopically organized. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1839-1853. [PMID: 32535840 PMCID: PMC7321903 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02096-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The human visual system is capable of processing visual information from fovea to the far peripheral visual field. Recent fMRI studies have shown a full and detailed retinotopic map in area prostriata, located ventro-dorsally and anterior to the calcarine sulcus along the parieto-occipital sulcus with strong preference for peripheral and wide-field stimulation. Here, we report the anatomical pattern of white matter connections between area prostriata and the thalamus encompassing the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). To this end, we developed and utilized an automated pipeline comprising a series of Apps that run openly on the cloud computing platform brainlife.io to analyse 139 subjects of the Human Connectome Project (HCP). We observe a continuous and extended bundle of white matter fibers from which two subcomponents can be extracted: one passing ventrally parallel to the optic radiations (OR) and another passing dorsally circumventing the lateral ventricle. Interestingly, the loop travelling dorsally connects the thalamus with the central visual field representation of prostriata located anteriorly, while the other loop travelling more ventrally connects the LGN with the more peripheral visual field representation located posteriorly. We then analyse an additional cohort of 10 HCP subjects using a manual plane extraction method outside brainlife.io to study the relationship between the two extracted white matter subcomponents and eccentricity, myelin and cortical thickness gradients within prostriata. Our results are consistent with a retinotopic segregation recently demonstrated in the OR, connecting the LGN and V1 in humans and reveal for the first time a retinotopic segregation regarding the trajectory of a fiber bundle between the thalamus and an associative visual area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyriaki Mikellidou
- Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- IRCCS Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno, 331, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Translational Research On New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Franco Pestilli
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Program in Neuroscience and Program in Cognitive Science, Indiana University, 1101 E 10th Street, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA.
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50
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Barany DA, Gómez-Granados A, Schrayer M, Cutts SA, Singh T. Perceptual decisions about object shape bias visuomotor coordination during rapid interception movements. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:2235-2248. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00098.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual processing for perception and for action is thought to be mediated by two specialized neural pathways. Using a visuomotor decision-making task, we show that participants differentially utilized online perceptual decision-making in reaching and interception and that eye movements necessary for perception influenced motor decision strategies. These results provide evidence that task complexity modulates how pathways processing perception versus action information interact during the visual control of movement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sarah A. Cutts
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Tarkeshwar Singh
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
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