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Schmid C, Haziq M, Baese-Berk MM, Murray JM, Jaramillo S. Passive exposure to task-relevant stimuli enhances categorization learning. eLife 2024; 12:RP88406. [PMID: 38265440 PMCID: PMC10945695 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88406] [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: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Learning to perform a perceptual decision task is generally achieved through sessions of effortful practice with feedback. Here, we investigated how passive exposure to task-relevant stimuli, which is relatively effortless and does not require feedback, influences active learning. First, we trained mice in a sound-categorization task with various schedules combining passive exposure and active training. Mice that received passive exposure exhibited faster learning, regardless of whether this exposure occurred entirely before active training or was interleaved between active sessions. We next trained neural-network models with different architectures and learning rules to perform the task. Networks that use the statistical properties of stimuli to enhance separability of the data via unsupervised learning during passive exposure provided the best account of the behavioral observations. We further found that, during interleaved schedules, there is an increased alignment between weight updates from passive exposure and active training, such that a few interleaved sessions can be as effective as schedules with long periods of passive exposure before active training, consistent with our behavioral observations. These results provide key insights for the design of efficient training schedules that combine active learning and passive exposure in both natural and artificial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schmid
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
| | - Muhammad Haziq
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
| | | | - James M Murray
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
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Coppola DM, Reisert J. The Role of the Stimulus in Olfactory Plasticity. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1553. [PMID: 38002512 PMCID: PMC10669894 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13111553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasticity, the term we use to describe the ability of a nervous system to change with experience, is the evolutionary adaptation that freed animal behavior from the confines of genetic determinism. This capacity, which increases with brain complexity, is nowhere more evident than in vertebrates, especially mammals. Though the scientific study of brain plasticity dates back at least to the mid-19th century, the last several decades have seen unprecedented advances in the field afforded by new technologies. Olfaction is one system that has garnered particular attention in this realm because it is the only sensory modality with a lifelong supply of new neurons, from two niches no less! Here, we review some of the classical and contemporary literature dealing with the role of the stimulus or lack thereof in olfactory plasticity. We have restricted our comments to studies in mammals that have used dual tools of the field: stimulus deprivation and stimulus enrichment. The former manipulation has been implemented most frequently by unilateral naris occlusion and, thus, we have limited our comments to research using this technique. The work reviewed on deprivation provides substantial evidence of activity-dependent processes in both developing and adult mammals at multiple levels of the system from olfactory sensory neurons through to olfactory cortical areas. However, more recent evidence on the effects of deprivation also establishes several compensatory processes with mechanisms at every level of the system, whose function seems to be the restoration of information flow in the face of an impoverished signal. The results of sensory enrichment are more tentative, not least because of the actual manipulation: What odor or odors? At what concentrations? On what schedule? All of these have frequently not been sufficiently rationalized or characterized. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that discrepant results are common in sensory enrichment studies. Despite this problem, evidence has accumulated that even passively encountered odors can "teach" olfactory cortical areas to better detect, discriminate, and more efficiently encode them for future encounters. We discuss these and other less-established roles for the stimulus in olfactory plasticity, culminating in our recommended "aspirations" for the field going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Coppola
- Biology Department, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005, USA
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Schmid C, Haziq M, Baese-Berk MM, Murray JM, Jaramillo S. Passive exposure to task-relevant stimuli enhances categorization learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.04.535463. [PMID: 37066276 PMCID: PMC10104059 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.04.535463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
Learning to perform a perceptual decision task is generally achieved through sessions of effortful practice with feedback. Here, we investigated how passive exposure to task-relevant stimuli, which is relatively effortless and does not require feedback, influences active learning. First, we trained mice in a sound-categorization task with various schedules combining passive exposure and active training. Mice that received passive exposure exhibited faster learning, regardless of whether this exposure occurred entirely before active training or was interleaved between active sessions. We next trained neural-network models with different architectures and learning rules to perform the task. Networks that use the statistical properties of stimuli to enhance separability of the data via unsupervised learning during passive exposure provided the best account of the behavioral observations. We further found that, during interleaved schedules, there is an increased alignment between weight updates from passive exposure and active training, such that a few interleaved sessions can be as effective as schedules with long periods of passive exposure before active training, consistent with our behavioral observations. These results provide key insights for the design of efficient training schedules that combine active learning and passive exposure in both natural and artificial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schmid
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon. Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Muhammad Haziq
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon. Eugene, OR 97403
| | | | - James M Murray
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon. Eugene, OR 97403
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Fu H, Zhou J, Li S, Zhang Y, Chen Z, Yang Y, Li A, Wang D. Isoflurane impairs olfaction by increasing neuronal activity in the olfactory bulb. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2023; 239:e14009. [PMID: 37330999 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14009] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
AIM General anesthesia can induce cognitive deficits in both humans and rodents, correlating with pathological alterations in the hippocampus. However, whether general anesthesia affects olfactory behaviors remains controversial as clinical studies have produced inconsistent results. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how olfactory behaviors and neuronal activity are affected by isoflurane exposure in adult mice. METHODS The olfactory detection test, olfactory sensitivity test, and olfactory preference/avoidance test were used to examine olfactory function. In vivo electrophysiology was performed in awake, head-fixed mice to record single-unit spiking and local field potentials in the olfactory bulb (OB). We also performed patch-clamp recordings of mitral cell activity. For morphological studies, immunofluorescence and Golgi-Cox staining were applied. RESULTS Repeated exposure to isoflurane impaired olfactory detection in adult mice. The main olfactory epithelium, the first region exposed to anesthetics, displayed increased proliferation of basal stem cells. In the OB, a crucial hub for olfactory processing, repeated isoflurane exposure increased the odor responses of mitral/tufted cells. Furthermore, the odor-evoked high gamma response was decreased after isoflurane exposure. Whole-cell recordings further indicated that repeated isoflurane exposure increased the excitability of mitral cells, which may be due to weakened inhibitory input in isoflurane-exposed mice. In addition, elevated astrocyte activation and glutamate transporter-1 expression in the OB were observed in isoflurane-exposed mice. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that repeated isoflurane exposure impairs olfactory detection by increasing neuronal activity in the OB in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanyu Fu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jingwei Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- Schools of Life Science, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Shan Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Zhiyun Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yingying Yang
- Schools of Life Science, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Anan Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Dejuan Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
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Non-sensory Influences on Auditory Learning and Plasticity. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2022; 23:151-166. [PMID: 35235100 PMCID: PMC8964851 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-022-00837-3] [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: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinguishing between regular and irregular heartbeats, conversing with speakers of different accents, and tuning a guitar-all rely on some form of auditory learning. What drives these experience-dependent changes? A growing body of evidence suggests an important role for non-sensory influences, including reward, task engagement, and social or linguistic context. This review is a collection of contributions that highlight how these non-sensory factors shape auditory plasticity and learning at the molecular, physiological, and behavioral level. We begin by presenting evidence that reward signals from the dopaminergic midbrain act on cortico-subcortical networks to shape sound-evoked responses of auditory cortical neurons, facilitate auditory category learning, and modulate the long-term storage of new words and their meanings. We then discuss the role of task engagement in auditory perceptual learning and suggest that plasticity in top-down cortical networks mediates learning-related improvements in auditory cortical and perceptual sensitivity. Finally, we present data that illustrates how social experience impacts sound-evoked activity in the auditory midbrain and forebrain and how the linguistic environment rapidly shapes speech perception. These findings, which are derived from both human and animal models, suggest that non-sensory influences are important regulators of auditory learning and plasticity and are often implemented by shared neural substrates. Application of these principles could improve clinical training strategies and inform the development of treatments that enhance auditory learning in individuals with communication disorders.
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Rebeca H, Karen PA, Elva A, Carmen C, Fernando P. Main Olfactory Bulb Reconfiguration by Prolonged Passive Olfactory Experience Correlates with Increased Brain‐Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Improved Innate Olfaction. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:1141-1161. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hernández‐Soto Rebeca
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM‐Campus Juriquilla México
| | - Pimentel‐Farfan Ana Karen
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM‐Campus Juriquilla México
| | - Adan‐Castro Elva
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM‐Campus Juriquilla México
| | - Clapp Carmen
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM‐Campus Juriquilla México
| | - Peña‐Ortega Fernando
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM‐Campus Juriquilla México
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Levy DR, Sofer Y, Brumfeld V, Zilkha N, Kimchi T. The Nasopalatine Ducts Are Required for Proper Pheromone Signaling in Mice. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:585323. [PMID: 33328853 PMCID: PMC7710809 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.585323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) specializes in detection of chemosignals, mainly pheromones, which control social communication and reproduction in many mammals. These pheromones must solubilize with nasal fluids before entering the VNO, and it was suggested that they are delivered to and cleared from the VNO by active pumping. Yet, the details of this pheromone delivery process are unclear. In this study, we first constructed a high-resolution 3D morphological image of the whole adult mouse snout, by using ultra-high-resolution micro-CT. We identified a net of micro tunnels starting from the nostrils and extending around and through the VNO. These micro tunnels connect the nasal cavity with the VNO and the oral cavity via the nasopalatine ducts (NPD). Other micro tunnels connect the nasal cavity to the main olfactory epithelium. We next demonstrated that physical obstruction of the NPD severely impairs the clearance of dissolved compounds from the VNO lumen. Moreover, we found that mice with blocked NPD display alterations in chemosignaling-evoked neuronal activation in brain regions associated with the vomeronasal system. Finally, NPD-blocked male mice exhibit reduced preference for female chemosignals, and impaired social interaction behavior. Taken together, our findings indicate that the NPD in mice are connected to both the nasal and oral cavity, serving an essential role in regulating the flow of soluble chemosignals through the VNO, and are required for proper pheromone-mediated social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Rubi Levy
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yizhak Sofer
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Vlad Brumfeld
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Noga Zilkha
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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Kontaris I, East BS, Wilson DA. Behavioral and Neurobiological Convergence of Odor, Mood and Emotion: A Review. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:35. [PMID: 32210776 PMCID: PMC7076187 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The affective state is the combination of emotion and mood, with mood reflecting a running average of sequential emotional events together with an underlying internal affective state. There is now extensive evidence that odors can overtly or subliminally modulate mood and emotion. Relying primarily on neurobiological literature, here we review what is known about how odors can affect emotions/moods and how emotions/moods may affect odor perception. We take the approach that form can provide insight into function by reviewing major brain regions and neural circuits underlying emotion and mood, and then reviewing the olfactory pathway in the context of that emotion/mood network. We highlight the extensive neuroanatomical opportunities for odor-emotion/mood convergence, as well as functional data demonstrating reciprocal interactions between these processes. Finally, we explore how the odor- emotion/mood interplay is, or could be, used in medical and/or commercial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Kontaris
- Givaudan UK Limited, Health and Well-being Centre of Excellence, Ashford, United Kingdom
| | - Brett S East
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NC, United States.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NC, United States.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
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