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Lorentz L, Schüppen A, Suchan B, Binkofski F. Neural correlates of virtual reality-based attention training: An fMRI study. Neuroimage 2023; 284:120454. [PMID: 37979896 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Virtual Reality technology is increasingly used in attention rehabilitation for functional training purposes. However, the neural mechanisms by which Virtual Reality can affect attentional functioning are still unclear. The current study's objective is to examine the effects of stereoscopic vs. monoscopic presentation on neural processing during a visual attention task. METHOD Thirty-two healthy participants performed a visual attention task in an immersive virtual environment that was displayed via MR-compatible video goggles in an MRI scanner. The paradigm altered between trials that required active engagement with the task and mere observation trials. Furthermore, the form of binocular presentation switched between monoscopic and stereoscopic presentation. RESULTS Analyses yielded evidence for increased activation in stereoscopic compared to monoscopic trials in the tertiary visual cortex area V3A as well as elevated activation in the dorsal attention network when engaging in the attention task. An additional ROI analysis of area V3A revealed significantly lower attentional engagement costs in stereoscopic conditions. DISCUSSION Results support previous findings suggesting that V3A is involved in binocular depth perception. Furthermore, heightened activation in V3A following stereoscopic presentation seemed to facilitate attentional engagement with the task. Considering that V3A is the origin of the dorso-dorsal, ventro-dorsal, and ventral visual processing pathways, we regard it as a gating area that decides which kind of visual perception is processed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Lorentz
- Division of Clinical Cognitive Sciences, Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Clinical Neuropsychology, Neuropsychological Therapy Centre, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - André Schüppen
- Division of Clinical Cognitive Sciences, Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Brain Imaging Facility, Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research, RWTH Aachen, Germany
| | - Boris Suchan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Clinical Neuropsychology, Neuropsychological Therapy Centre, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ferdinand Binkofski
- Division of Clinical Cognitive Sciences, Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Research Center Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.
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Bufacchi RJ, Battaglia-Mayer A, Iannetti GD, Caminiti R. Cortico-spinal modularity in the parieto-frontal system: A new perspective on action control. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 231:102537. [PMID: 37832714 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Classical neurophysiology suggests that the motor cortex (MI) has a unique role in action control. In contrast, this review presents evidence for multiple parieto-frontal spinal command modules that can bypass MI. Five observations support this modular perspective: (i) the statistics of cortical connectivity demonstrate functionally-related clusters of cortical areas, defining functional modules in the premotor, cingulate, and parietal cortices; (ii) different corticospinal pathways originate from the above areas, each with a distinct range of conduction velocities; (iii) the activation time of each module varies depending on task, and different modules can be activated simultaneously; (iv) a modular architecture with direct motor output is faster and less metabolically expensive than an architecture that relies on MI, given the slow connections between MI and other cortical areas; (v) lesions of the areas composing parieto-frontal modules have different effects from lesions of MI. Here we provide examples of six cortico-spinal modules and functions they subserve: module 1) arm reaching, tool use and object construction; module 2) spatial navigation and locomotion; module 3) grasping and observation of hand and mouth actions; module 4) action initiation, motor sequences, time encoding; module 5) conditional motor association and learning, action plan switching and action inhibition; module 6) planning defensive actions. These modules can serve as a library of tools to be recombined when faced with novel tasks, and MI might serve as a recombinatory hub. In conclusion, the availability of locally-stored information and multiple outflow paths supports the physiological plausibility of the proposed modular perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Bufacchi
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy; International Center for Primate Brain Research (ICPBR), Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - A Battaglia-Mayer
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Italy
| | - G D Iannetti
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London (UCL), London, UK
| | - R Caminiti
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy.
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Morais PLAG, Rubio-Garrido P, de Lima RM, Córdoba-Claros A, de Nascimento ES, Cavalcante JS, Clascá F. The Arousal-Related "Central Thalamus" Stimulation Site Simultaneously Innervates Multiple High-Level Frontal and Parietal Areas. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7812-7821. [PMID: 37758474 PMCID: PMC10648518 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1216-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In human and nonhuman primates, deep brain stimulation applied at or near the internal medullary lamina of the thalamus [a region referred to as "central thalamus," (CT)], but not at nearby thalamic sites, elicits major changes in the level of consciousness, even in some minimally conscious brain-damaged patients. The mechanisms behind these effects remain mysterious, as the connections of CT had not been specifically mapped in primates. In marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) of both sexes, we labeled the axons originating from each of the various CT neuronal populations and analyzed their arborization patterns in the cerebral cortex and striatum. We report that, together, these CT populations innervate an array of high-level frontal, posterior parietal, and cingulate cortical areas. Some populations simultaneously target the frontal, parietal, and cingulate cortices, while others predominantly target the dorsal striatum. Our data indicate that CT stimulation can simultaneously engage a heterogeneous set of projection systems that, together, target the key nodes of the attention, executive control, and working-memory networks of the brain. Increased functional connectivity in these networks has been previously described as a signature of consciousness.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In human and nonhuman primates, deep brain stimulation at a specific site near the internal medullary lamina of the thalamus ["central thalamus," (CT)] had been shown to restore arousal and awareness in anesthetized animals, as well as in some brain-damaged patients. The mechanisms behind these effects remain mysterious, as CT connections remain poorly defined in primates. In marmoset monkeys, we mapped with sensitive axon-labeling methods the pathways originated from CT. Our data indicate that stimulation applied in CT can simultaneously engage a heterogeneous set of projection systems that, together, target several key nodes of the attention, executive control, and working-memory networks of the brain. Increased functional connectivity in these networks has been previously described as a signature of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo L A G Morais
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, RN CEP 59078-900, Natal, Brazil
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Wang Q, Stepniewska I, Liao CC, Kaas JH. Thalamocortical and corticothalamic connections of multiple functional domains in posterior parietal cortex of galagos. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:25-47. [PMID: 36117273 PMCID: PMC9754705 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In prosimian galagos, the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is subdivided into a number of functional domains where long-train intracortical microstimulation evoked different types of complex movements. Here, we placed anatomical tracers in multiple locations of PPC to reveal the origins and targets of thalamic connections of four PPC domains for different types of hindlimb, forelimb, or face movements. Thalamic connections of all four domains included nuclei of the motor thalamus, ventral anterior and ventral lateral nuclei, as well as parts of the sensory thalamus, the anterior pulvinar, posterior and ventral posterior superior nuclei, consistent with the sensorimotor functions of PPC domains. PPC domains also projected to the thalamic reticular nucleus in a somatotopic pattern. Quantitative differences in the distributions of labeled neurons in thalamic nuclei suggested that connectional patterns of these domains differed from each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qimeng Wang
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Iwona Stepniewska
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Chia-Chi Liao
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jon H Kaas
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Cabrera-Álvarez MJ, Clayton NS. Neural Processes Underlying Tool Use in Humans, Macaques, and Corvids. Front Psychol 2020; 11:560669. [PMID: 33117228 PMCID: PMC7561402 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.560669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It was thought that tool use in animals is an adaptive specialization. Recent studies, however, have shown that some non-tool-users, such as rooks and jays, can use and manufacture tools in laboratory settings. Despite the abundant evidence of tool use in corvids, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying tool use in this family of birds. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the neural processes underlying tool use in humans, macaques and corvids. We suggest a possible neural network for tool use in macaques and hope this might inspire research to discover a similar brain network in corvids. We hope to establish a framework to elucidate the neural mechanisms that supported the convergent evolution of tool use in birds and mammals.
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Mayer A, Baldwin MKL, Cooke DF, Lima BR, Padberg J, Lewenfus G, Franca JG, Krubitzer L. The Multiple Representations of Complex Digit Movements in Primary Motor Cortex Form the Building Blocks for Complex Grip Types in Capuchin Monkeys. J Neurosci 2019; 39:6684-6695. [PMID: 31235643 PMCID: PMC6703879 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0556-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated motor cortex (M1) and a small portion of premotor and parietal cortex using intracortical microstimulation in anesthetized capuchin monkeys. Capuchins are the only New World monkeys that have evolved an opposable thumb and use tools in the wild. Like most Old World monkeys and humans, capuchin monkeys have highly dexterous hands. We surveyed a large extent of M1 and found that ~22% of all evoked movements in M1 involved the digits, and the majority of these consisted of finger flexions and extensions. Different subtypes of movements could be identified, including opposable movements of digits 1 and 2 (D1 and D2). Interestingly, the pattern of such movements varied between animals. In one case, movements involved the adduction of the medial surface of D1 toward the lateral surface of D2, whereas in the other case, the tips of D1 and D2 came in contact. Unlike other primates examined, we also found extensive representations of the prehensile foot and tail. We propose that the manual behavioral repertoire of capuchin monkeys, which includes the use of tools in the wild, is well represented within the motor cortex in the form of muscle synergies between different body parts that compose these larger, complex behaviors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The ability to use tools is a milestone in human evolution. Capuchin monkeys are one of the few non-human primates that use tools in the wild. The present study is the first detailed exploration of the motor cortex of these primates using long-train intracortical microstimulation. Within primary motor cortex, we evoked finger movements involving flexions and extensions of multiple digits, or of the first and second digits alone. Interestingly, flexion of tail and toes could also be evoked. Together, these results suggest that the functional organization of the motor cortex represents not just muscles of the body, but muscle synergies that form the building blocks of the complex behavioral repertoire of these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Mayer
- Department of Physiological Science, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, SC 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Mary K L Baldwin
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616
| | - Dylan F Cooke
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Bruss R Lima
- Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil, and
| | - Jeffrey Padberg
- Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas 72035
| | - Gabriela Lewenfus
- Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil, and
| | - João G Franca
- Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil, and
| | - Leah Krubitzer
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616,
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