1
|
Zhang J, Xiong YW, Zhu HL, Tan LL, Zhou H, Zheng XM, Zhang YF, Chang W, Xu DX, Wei T, Guan SZ, Wang H. Adolescent co-exposure to environmental cadmium and high-fat diet induces cognitive decline via Larp7 m6A-mediated SIRT6 inhibition. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 476:135159. [PMID: 39002485 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
The effects and underlying mechanisms of adolescent exposure to combined environmental hazards on cognitive function remain unclear. Here, using a combined exposure model, we found significant cognitive decline, hippocampal neuronal damage, and neuronal senescence in mice exposed to cadmium (Cd) and high-fat diet (HFD) during adolescence. Furthermore, we observed a significant downregulation of Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) expression in the hippocampi of co-exposed mice. UBCS039, a specific SIRT6 activator, markedly reversed the above adverse effects. Further investigation revealed that co-exposure obviously reduced the levels of La ribonucleoprotein 7 (LARP7), disrupted the interaction between LARP7 and SIRT6, ultimately decreasing SIRT6 expression in mouse hippocampal neuronal cells. Overexpression of Larp7 reversed the combined exposure-induced SIRT6 decrease and senescence in mouse hippocampal neuronal cells. Additionally, the results showed notably elevated levels of Larp7 m6A and YTH domain family protein 2 (YTHDF2) in mouse hippocampal neuronal cells treated with the combined hazards. Ythdf2 short interfering RNA, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA stability assays further demonstrated that YTHDF2 mediated the degradation of Larp7 mRNA under combined exposure. Collectively, adolescent co-exposure to Cd and HFD causes hippocampal senescence and cognitive decline in mice by inhibiting LARP7-mediated SIRT6 expression in an m6A-dependent manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - Yong-Wei Xiong
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, China
| | - Hua-Long Zhu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, China
| | - Lu-Lu Tan
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - Huan Zhou
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - Xin-Mei Zheng
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - Yu-Feng Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - Wei Chang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - De-Xiang Xu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, China
| | - Tian Wei
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, China.
| | - Su-Zhen Guan
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang S, Li P, Feng Q, Shen R, Zhou H, Zhao Z. Using individualized structural covariance networks to analyze the heterogeneity of cerebral small vessel disease with cognitive impairment. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2024; 33:107829. [PMID: 38901472 DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2024.107829] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) includes vascular disorders characterized by heterogeneous pathomechanisms and different neuropathological clinical manifestations. Cognitive dysfunction in CSVD is associated with reductions in structural covariance networks (SCNs). A majority of research conducted on SCNs focused on group-level analysis. However, it is crucial to investigate the individualized variations in order to gain a better understanding of heterogeneous disorders such as CSVD. Therefore, this study aimed to utilize individualized differential structural covariance network (IDSCN) analysis to detect individualized structural covariance aberration. METHODS A total of 35 healthy controls and 33 CSVD patients with cognitive impairment participated in this investigation. Using the regional gray matter volume in their T1 images, the IDSCN was constructed for each participant. Finally, the differential structural covariance edges between the two groups were determined by comparing their IDSCN using paired-sample t-tests. On the basis of these differential edges, the two subtypes of cognitively impaired CSVD patients were identified. RESULTS The findings revealed that the differential structural covariance edges in CSVD patients with cognitive impairment showed a highly heterogeneous distribution, with the edges primarily cross-distributed between the occipital lobe (specifically inferior occipital gyrus and cuneus), temporal lobe (specifically superior temporal gyrus), and the cerebellum. To varying degrees, the inferior frontal gyrus and the superior parietal gyrus were also distributed. Subsequently, a correlation analysis was performed between the resulting differential edges and the cognitive scale scores. A significant negative association was observed between the cognitive scores and the differential edges distributed in the inferior frontal gyrus and inferior occipital gyrus, the superior temporal gyrus and inferior occipital gyrus, and within the temporal lobe. Particularly in the cognitive domain of attention, the two subtypes separated by differential edges exhibited differences in cognitive scale scores [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)]. The differential edges of the subtype 1, characterized by lower cognitive level, were mainly cross-distributed in the limbic lobe (specifically the cingulate gyrus and hippocampus), the parietal lobe (including the superior parietal gyrus and precuneus), and the cerebellum. In contrast, the differential edges of the subtype 2 with a relatively high level of cognition were distributed between the cuneus and the cerebellum. CONCLUSIONS The differential structural covariance was investigated between the healthy controls and the CSVD patients with cognitive impairment, showing that differential structural covariance existed between the two groups. The edge distributions in certain parts of the brain, such as cerebellum and occipital and temporal lobes, verified this. Significant associations were seen between cognitive scale scores and some of those differential edges .The two subtypes that differed in both differential edges and cognitive levels were also identified. The differential edges of subtype 1 with relatively lower cognitive levels were more distributed in the cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, superior parietal gyrus, and precuneus. This could potentially offer significant benefits in terms of accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment of heterogeneous disorders such as CSVD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Qian Feng
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Rong Shen
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215000, China.
| | - Zhong Zhao
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fenton AA. Remapping revisited: how the hippocampus represents different spaces. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:428-448. [PMID: 38714834 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00817-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The representation of distinct spaces by hippocampal place cells has been linked to changes in their place fields (the locations in the environment where the place cells discharge strongly), a phenomenon that has been termed 'remapping'. Remapping has been assumed to be accompanied by the reorganization of subsecond cofiring relationships among the place cells, potentially maximizing hippocampal information coding capacity. However, several observations challenge this standard view. For example, place cells exhibit mixed selectivity, encode non-positional variables, can have multiple place fields and exhibit unreliable discharge in fixed environments. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that, when measured at subsecond timescales, the moment-to-moment cofiring of a pair of cells in one environment is remarkably similar in another environment, despite remapping. Here, I propose that remapping is a misnomer for the changes in place fields across environments and suggest instead that internally organized manifold representations of hippocampal activity are actively registered to different environments to enable navigation, promote memory and organize knowledge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- André A Fenton
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute at the NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Coulter ME, Gillespie AK, Chu J, Denovellis EL, Nguyen TTK, Liu DF, Wadhwani K, Sharma B, Wang K, Deng X, Eden UT, Kemere C, Frank LM. Closed-loop modulation of remote hippocampal representations with neurofeedback. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.08.593085. [PMID: 38766135 PMCID: PMC11100667 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.08.593085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Humans can remember specific events without acting on them and can influence which memories are retrieved based on internal goals. However, current animal models of memory typically present sensory cues to trigger retrieval and assess retrieval based on action 1-5 . As a result, it is difficult to determine whether measured patterns of neural activity relate to the cue(s), the retrieved memory, or the behavior. We therefore asked whether we could develop a paradigm to isolate retrieval-related neural activity in animals without retrieval cues or the requirement of a behavioral report. To do this, we focused on hippocampal "place cells." These cells primarily emit spiking patterns that represent the animal's current location (local representations), but they can also generate representations of previously visited locations distant from the animal's current location (remote representations) 6-13 . It is not known whether animals can deliberately engage specific remote representations, and if so, whether this engagement would occur during specific brain states. So, we used a closed-loop neurofeedback system to reward expression of remote representations that corresponded to uncued, experimenter-selected locations, and found that rats could increase the prevalence of these specific remote representations over time; thus, demonstrating memory retrieval modulated by internal goals in an animal model. These representations occurred predominately during periods of immobility but outside of hippocampal sharp-wave ripple (SWR) 13-15 events. This paradigm enables future direct studies of memory retrieval mechanisms in the healthy brain and in models of neurological disorders.
Collapse
|
5
|
Peña-Casanova J, Sánchez-Benavides G, Sigg-Alonso J. Updating functional brain units: Insights far beyond Luria. Cortex 2024; 174:19-69. [PMID: 38492440 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.02.004] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
This paper reviews Luria's model of the three functional units of the brain. To meet this objective, several issues were reviewed: the theory of functional systems and the contributions of phylogenesis and embryogenesis to the brain's functional organization. This review revealed several facts. In the first place, the relationship/integration of basic homeostatic needs with complex forms of behavior. Secondly, the multi-scale hierarchical and distributed organization of the brain and interactions between cells and systems. Thirdly, the phylogenetic role of exaptation, especially in basal ganglia and cerebellum expansion. Finally, the tripartite embryogenetic organization of the brain: rhinic, limbic/paralimbic, and supralimbic zones. Obviously, these principles of brain organization are in contradiction with attempts to establish separate functional brain units. The proposed new model is made up of two large integrated complexes: a primordial-limbic complex (Luria's Unit I) and a telencephalic-cortical complex (Luria's Units II and III). As a result, five functional units were delineated: Unit I. Primordial or preferential (brainstem), for life-support, behavioral modulation, and waking regulation; Unit II. Limbic and paralimbic systems, for emotions and hedonic evaluation (danger and relevance detection and contribution to reward/motivational processing) and the creation of cognitive maps (contextual memory, navigation, and generativity [imagination]); Unit III. Telencephalic-cortical, for sensorimotor and cognitive processing (gnosis, praxis, language, calculation, etc.), semantic and episodic (contextual) memory processing, and multimodal conscious agency; Unit IV. Basal ganglia systems, for behavior selection and reinforcement (reward-oriented behavior); Unit V. Cerebellar systems, for the prediction/anticipation (orthometric supervision) of the outcome of an action. The proposed brain units are nothing more than abstractions within the brain's simultaneous and distributed physiological processes. As function transcends anatomy, the model necessarily involves transition and overlap between structures. Beyond the classic approaches, this review includes information on recent systemic perspectives on functional brain organization. The limitations of this review are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Peña-Casanova
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience Research Group, Neuroscience Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Test Barcelona Services, Teià, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Jorge Sigg-Alonso
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurobiology, Institute of Neurobiology, National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), Queretaro, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kay K, Biderman N, Khajeh R, Beiran M, Cueva CJ, Shohamy D, Jensen G, Wei XX, Ferrera VP, Abbott LF. Emergent neural dynamics and geometry for generalization in a transitive inference task. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011954. [PMID: 38662797 PMCID: PMC11125559 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Relational cognition-the ability to infer relationships that generalize to novel combinations of objects-is fundamental to human and animal intelligence. Despite this importance, it remains unclear how relational cognition is implemented in the brain due in part to a lack of hypotheses and predictions at the levels of collective neural activity and behavior. Here we discovered, analyzed, and experimentally tested neural networks (NNs) that perform transitive inference (TI), a classic relational task (if A > B and B > C, then A > C). We found NNs that (i) generalized perfectly, despite lacking overt transitive structure prior to training, (ii) generalized when the task required working memory (WM), a capacity thought to be essential to inference in the brain, (iii) emergently expressed behaviors long observed in living subjects, in addition to a novel order-dependent behavior, and (iv) expressed different task solutions yielding alternative behavioral and neural predictions. Further, in a large-scale experiment, we found that human subjects performing WM-based TI showed behavior inconsistent with a class of NNs that characteristically expressed an intuitive task solution. These findings provide neural insights into a classical relational ability, with wider implications for how the brain realizes relational cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Kay
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Natalie Biderman
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Ramin Khajeh
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Manuel Beiran
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Christopher J. Cueva
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Daphna Shohamy
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- The Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Greg Jensen
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Psychology at Reed College, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Xue-Xin Wei
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Vincent P. Ferrera
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - LF Abbott
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- The Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
McNamee DC. The generative neural microdynamics of cognitive processing. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 85:102855. [PMID: 38428170 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The entorhinal cortex and hippocampus form a recurrent network that informs many cognitive processes, including memory, planning, navigation, and imagination. Neural recordings from these regions reveal spatially organized population codes corresponding to external environments and abstract spaces. Aligning the former cognitive functionalities with the latter neural phenomena is a central challenge in understanding the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit (EHC). Disparate experiments demonstrate a surprising level of complexity and apparent disorder in the intricate spatiotemporal dynamics of sequential non-local hippocampal reactivations, which occur particularly, though not exclusively, during immobile pauses and rest. We review these phenomena with a particular focus on their apparent lack of physical simulative realism. These observations are then integrated within a theoretical framework and proposed neural circuit mechanisms that normatively characterize this neural complexity by conceiving different regimes of hippocampal microdynamics as neuromarkers of diverse cognitive computations.
Collapse
|
8
|
Spagna A, Heidenry Z, Miselevich M, Lambert C, Eisenstadt BE, Tremblay L, Liu Z, Liu J, Bartolomeo P. Visual mental imagery: Evidence for a heterarchical neural architecture. Phys Life Rev 2024; 48:113-131. [PMID: 38217888 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.12.012] [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: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Theories of Visual Mental Imagery (VMI) emphasize the processes of retrieval, modification, and recombination of sensory information from long-term memory. Yet, only few studies have focused on the behavioral mechanisms and neural correlates supporting VMI of stimuli from different semantic domains. Therefore, we currently have a limited understanding of how the brain generates and maintains mental representations of colors, faces, shapes - to name a few. Such an undetermined scenario renders unclear the organizational structure of neural circuits supporting VMI, including the role of the early visual cortex. We aimed to fill this gap by reviewing the scientific literature of five semantic domains: visuospatial, face, colors, shapes, and letters imagery. Linking theory to evidence from over 60 different experimental designs, this review highlights three main points. First, there is no consistent activity in the early visual cortex across all VMI domains, contrary to the prediction of the dominant model. Second, there is consistent activity of the frontoparietal networks and the left hemisphere's fusiform gyrus during voluntary VMI irrespective of the semantic domain investigated. We propose that these structures are part of a domain-general VMI sub-network. Third, domain-specific information engages specific regions of the ventral and dorsal cortical visual pathways. These regions partly overlap with those found in visual perception studies (e.g., fusiform face area for faces imagery; lingual gyrus for color imagery). Altogether, the reviewed evidence suggests the existence of domain-general and domain-specific mechanisms of VMI selectively engaged by stimulus-specific properties (e.g., colors or faces). These mechanisms would be supported by an organizational structure mixing vertical and horizontal connections (heterarchy) between sub-networks for specific stimulus domains. Such a heterarchical organization of VMI makes different predictions from current models of VMI as reversed perception. Our conclusions set the stage for future research, which should aim to characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics and interactions among key regions of this architecture giving rise to visual mental images.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Spagna
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, NY, 10027, USA.
| | - Zoe Heidenry
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | | | - Chloe Lambert
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | | | - Laura Tremblay
- Department of Psychology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California; Department of Neurology, VA Northern California Health Care System, Martinez, California
| | - Zixin Liu
- Department of Human Development, Teachers College, Columbia University, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Jianghao Liu
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris 10027, France; Dassault Systèmes, Vélizy-Villacoublay, France
| | - Paolo Bartolomeo
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris 10027, France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ding SS, Fox JL, Gordus A, Joshi A, Liao JC, Scholz M. Fantastic beasts and how to study them: rethinking experimental animal behavior. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247003. [PMID: 38372042 PMCID: PMC10911175 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247003] [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: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Humans have been trying to understand animal behavior at least since recorded history. Recent rapid development of new technologies has allowed us to make significant progress in understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying behavior, a key goal of neuroethology. However, there is a tradeoff when studying animal behavior and its underlying biological mechanisms: common behavior protocols in the laboratory are designed to be replicable and controlled, but they often fail to encompass the variability and breadth of natural behavior. This Commentary proposes a framework of 10 key questions that aim to guide researchers in incorporating a rich natural context into their experimental design or in choosing a new animal study system. The 10 questions cover overarching experimental considerations that can provide a template for interspecies comparisons, enable us to develop studies in new model organisms and unlock new experiments in our quest to understand behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Serena Ding
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jessica L. Fox
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Andrew Gordus
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Abhilasha Joshi
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - James C. Liao
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Monika Scholz
- Max Planck Research Group Neural Information Flow, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – caesar, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Luu P, Tucker DM, Friston K. From active affordance to active inference: vertical integration of cognition in the cerebral cortex through dual subcortical control systems. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad458. [PMID: 38044461 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad458] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In previous papers, we proposed that the dorsal attention system's top-down control is regulated by the dorsal division of the limbic system, providing a feedforward or impulsive form of control generating expectancies during active inference. In contrast, we proposed that the ventral attention system is regulated by the ventral limbic division, regulating feedback constraints and error-correction for active inference within the neocortical hierarchy. Here, we propose that these forms of cognitive control reflect vertical integration of subcortical arousal control systems that evolved for specific forms of behavior control. The feedforward impetus to action is regulated by phasic arousal, mediated by lemnothalamic projections from the reticular activating system of the lower brainstem, and then elaborated by the hippocampus and dorsal limbic division. In contrast, feedback constraint-based on environmental requirements-is regulated by the tonic activation furnished by collothalamic projections from the midbrain arousal control centers, and then sustained and elaborated by the amygdala, basal ganglia, and ventral limbic division. In an evolutionary-developmental analysis, understanding these differing forms of active affordance-for arousal and motor control within the subcortical vertebrate neuraxis-may help explain the evolution of active inference regulating the cognition of expectancy and error-correction within the mammalian 6-layered neocortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phan Luu
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Don M Tucker
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Karl Friston
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
- VERSES AI Research Lab, Los Angeles, CA 90016, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Huang S, Wen X, Liu Z, Li C, He Y, Liang J, Huang W. Distinguishing functional and structural MRI abnormalities between bipolar and unipolar depression. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1343195. [PMID: 38169701 PMCID: PMC10758430 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1343195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background This study aims to investigate the underlying characteristics of spontaneous brain activity by analyzing the volumes of the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, as well as the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo), in order to differentiate between bipolar disorder (BD) and unipolar depressive disorder. Methods A total of 46 healthy controls, 58 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 61 patients with BD participated in the study and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans. The researchers calculated the differences in volume, fALFF, and ReHo values among the three groups. Additionally, they conducted correlation analyses to examine the relationships between clinical variables and the aforementioned brain measures. Results The results showed that the BD group exhibited increased fALFF in the hippocampus compared to the healthy control (HC) and MDD groups. Furthermore, the ReHo values in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus were significantly higher in the BD group compared to the HC group. The findings from the person correlation analysis indicated a positive relationship between ReHo values in the hippocampus and both HAMD and HAMA scores. Moreover, there was no correlation between the volumes, fALFF, and ReHo values in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, and cognitive function levels (RBANS). Conclusion Taken together, these aberrant patterns of intrinsic brain activity in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus may serve as quantitative indicators for distinguishing between BD and unipolar depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jiaquan Liang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Luu P, Tucker DM. Continuity and change in neural plasticity through embryonic morphogenesis, fetal activity-dependent synaptogenesis, and infant memory consolidation. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22439. [PMID: 38010309 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22439] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
There is an apparent continuity in human neural development that can be traced to venerable themes of vertebrate morphogenesis that have shaped the evolution of the reptilian telencephalon (including both primitive three-layered cortex and basal ganglia) and then the subsequent evolution of the mammalian six-layered neocortex. In this theoretical analysis, we propose that an evolutionary-developmental analysis of these general morphogenetic themes can help to explain the embryonic development of the dual divisions of the limbic system that control the dorsal and ventral networks of the human neocortex. These include the archicortical (dorsal limbic) Papez circuits regulated by the hippocampus that organize spatial, contextual memory, as well as the paleocortical (ventral limbic) circuits that organize object memory. We review evidence that these dorsal and ventral limbic divisions are controlled by the differential actions of brainstem lemnothalamic and midbrain collothalamic arousal control systems, respectively, thereby traversing the vertebrate subcortical neuraxis. These dual control systems are first seen shaping the phyletic morphogenesis of the archicortical and paleocortical foundations of the forebrain in embryogenesis. They then provide dual modes of activity-dependent synaptic organization in the active (lemnothalamic) and quiet (collothalamic) stages of fetal sleep. Finally, these regulatory systems mature to form the major systems of memory consolidation of postnatal development, including the rapid eye movement (lemnothalamic) consolidation of implicit memory and social attachment in the first year, and then-in a subsequent stage-the non-REM (collothalamic) consolidation of explicit memory that is integral to the autonomy and individuation of the second year of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phan Luu
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Don M Tucker
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Prince SM, Yassine TA, Katragadda N, Roberts TC, Singer AC. New information triggers prospective codes to adapt for flexible navigation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.31.564814. [PMID: 37961524 PMCID: PMC10634986 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.31.564814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Navigating a dynamic world requires rapidly updating choices by integrating past experiences with new information. In hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, neural activity representing future goals is theorized to support planning. However, it remains unknown how prospective goal representations incorporate new, pivotal information. Accordingly, we designed a novel task that precisely introduces new information using virtual reality, and we recorded neural activity as mice flexibly adapted their planned destinations. We found that new information triggered increased hippocampal prospective representations of both possible goals; while in prefrontal cortex, new information caused prospective representations of choices to rapidly shift to the new choice. When mice did not flexibly adapt, prefrontal choice codes failed to switch, despite relatively intact hippocampal goal representations. Prospective code updating depended on the commitment to the initial choice and degree of adaptation needed. Thus, we show how prospective codes update with new information to flexibly adapt ongoing navigational plans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Prince
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, United States
| | - Teema A. Yassine
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, United States
| | - Navya Katragadda
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, United States
| | - Tyler C. Roberts
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, United States
| | - Annabelle C. Singer
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Krausz TA, Comrie AE, Kahn AE, Frank LM, Daw ND, Berke JD. Dual credit assignment processes underlie dopamine signals in a complex spatial environment. Neuron 2023; 111:3465-3478.e7. [PMID: 37611585 PMCID: PMC10841332 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Animals frequently make decisions based on expectations of future reward ("values"). Values are updated by ongoing experience: places and choices that result in reward are assigned greater value. Yet, the specific algorithms used by the brain for such credit assignment remain unclear. We monitored accumbens dopamine as rats foraged for rewards in a complex, changing environment. We observed brief dopamine pulses both at reward receipt (scaling with prediction error) and at novel path opportunities. Dopamine also ramped up as rats ran toward reward ports, in proportion to the value at each location. By examining the evolution of these dopamine place-value signals, we found evidence for two distinct update processes: progressive propagation of value along taken paths, as in temporal difference learning, and inference of value throughout the maze, using internal models. Our results demonstrate that within rich, naturalistic environments dopamine conveys place values that are updated via multiple, complementary learning algorithms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Krausz
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Alison E Comrie
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ari E Kahn
- Department of Psychology, and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Loren M Frank
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nathaniel D Daw
- Department of Psychology, and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Joshua D Berke
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Parra-Barrero E, Vijayabaskaran S, Seabrook E, Wiskott L, Cheng S. A map of spatial navigation for neuroscience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105200. [PMID: 37178943 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105200] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Spatial navigation has received much attention from neuroscientists, leading to the identification of key brain areas and the discovery of numerous spatially selective cells. Despite this progress, our understanding of how the pieces fit together to drive behavior is generally lacking. We argue that this is partly caused by insufficient communication between behavioral and neuroscientific researchers. This has led the latter to under-appreciate the relevance and complexity of spatial behavior, and to focus too narrowly on characterizing neural representations of space-disconnected from the computations these representations are meant to enable. We therefore propose a taxonomy of navigation processes in mammals that can serve as a common framework for structuring and facilitating interdisciplinary research in the field. Using the taxonomy as a guide, we review behavioral and neural studies of spatial navigation. In doing so, we validate the taxonomy and showcase its usefulness in identifying potential issues with common experimental approaches, designing experiments that adequately target particular behaviors, correctly interpreting neural activity, and pointing to new avenues of research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eloy Parra-Barrero
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sandhiya Vijayabaskaran
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Eddie Seabrook
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Laurenz Wiskott
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sen Cheng
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Krausz TA, Comrie AE, Frank LM, Daw ND, Berke JD. Dual credit assignment processes underlie dopamine signals in a complex spatial environment. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.15.528738. [PMID: 36993482 PMCID: PMC10054934 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.15.528738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine in the nucleus accumbens helps motivate behavior based on expectations of future reward ("values"). These values need to be updated by experience: after receiving reward, the choices that led to reward should be assigned greater value. There are multiple theoretical proposals for how this credit assignment could be achieved, but the specific algorithms that generate updated dopamine signals remain uncertain. We monitored accumbens dopamine as freely behaving rats foraged for rewards in a complex, changing environment. We observed brief pulses of dopamine both when rats received reward (scaling with prediction error), and when they encountered novel path opportunities. Furthermore, dopamine ramped up as rats ran towards reward ports, in proportion to the value at each location. By examining the evolution of these dopamine place-value signals, we found evidence for two distinct update processes: progressive propagation along taken paths, as in temporal-difference learning, and inference of value throughout the maze, using internal models. Our results demonstrate that within rich, naturalistic environments dopamine conveys place values that are updated via multiple, complementary learning algorithms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Krausz
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Alison E Comrie
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Loren M Frank
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Physiology, UCSF
| | - Nathaniel D Daw
- Department of Psychology, and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, NJ
| | - Joshua D Berke
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF
- Department of Neurology, and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, UCSF
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Aru J, Drüke M, Pikamäe J, Larkum ME. Mental navigation and the neural mechanisms of insight. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:100-109. [PMID: 36462993 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
How do new ideas come about? The central hypothesis presented here states that insights might happen during mental navigation and correspond to rapid plasticity at the cellular level. We highlight the differences between neocortical and hippocampal mechanisms of insight. We argue that the suddenness of insight can be related to the sudden emergence of place fields in the hippocampus. According to our hypothesis, insights are supported by a state of mind-wandering that can be tied to the process of combining knowledge pieces during sharp-wave ripples (SWRs). Our framework connects the dots between research on creativity, mental navigation, and specific synaptic plasticity mechanisms in the hippocampus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaan Aru
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Moritz Drüke
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juhan Pikamäe
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Matthew E Larkum
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Neurocure Center for Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Redshaw J, Ganea PA. Thinking about possibilities: mechanisms, ontogeny, functions and phylogeny. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210333. [PMID: 36314156 PMCID: PMC9620743 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans possess the remarkable capacity to imagine possible worlds and to demarcate possibilities and impossibilities in reasoning. We can think about what might happen in the future and consider what the present would look like had the past turned out differently. We reason about cause and effect, weigh up alternative courses of action and regret our mistakes. In this theme issue, leading experts from across the life sciences provide ground-breaking insights into the proximate questions of how thinking about possibilities works and develops, and the ultimate questions of its adaptive functions and evolutionary history. Together, the contributions delineate neurophysiological, cognitive and social mechanisms involved in mentally simulating possible states of reality; and point to conceptual changes in the understanding of singular and multiple possibilities during human development. The contributions also demonstrate how thinking about possibilities can augment learning, decision-making and judgement, and highlight aspects of the capacity that appear to be shared with non-human animals and aspects that may be uniquely human. Throughout the issue, it becomes clear that many developmental milestones achieved during childhood, and many of the most significant evolutionary and cultural triumphs of the human species, can only be understood with reference to increasingly complex reasoning about possibilities. This article is part of the theme issue 'Thinking about possibilities: mechanisms, ontogeny, functions and phylogeny'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Redshaw
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Patricia A. Ganea
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada M5S 1V6
| |
Collapse
|