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Kozak A, Ninghetto M, Wieteska M, Fiedorowicz M, Wełniak-Kamińska M, Kossowski B, Eysel UT, Arckens L, Burnat K. Visual training after central retinal loss limits structural white matter degradation: an MRI study. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:13. [PMID: 38789988 PMCID: PMC11127408 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00239-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Macular degeneration of the eye is a common cause of blindness and affects 8% of the worldwide human population. In adult cats with bilateral lesions of the central retina, we explored the possibility that motion perception training can limit the associated degradation of the visual system. We evaluated how visual training affects behavioral performance and white matter structure. Recently, we proposed (Kozak et al. in Transl Vis Sci Technol 10:9, 2021) a new motion-acuity test for low vision patients, enabling full visual field functional assessment through simultaneous perception of shape and motion. Here, we integrated this test as the last step of a 10-week motion-perception training. RESULTS Cats were divided into three groups: retinal-lesioned only and two trained groups, retinal-lesioned trained and control trained. The behavioral data revealed that trained cats with retinal lesions were superior in motion tasks, even when the difficulty relied only on acuity. 7 T-MRI scanning was done before and after lesioning at 5 different timepoints, followed by Fixel-Based and Fractional Anisotropy Analysis. In cats with retinal lesions, training resulted in a more localized and reduced percentage decrease in Fixel-Based Analysis metrics in the dLGN, caudate nucleus and hippocampus compared to untrained cats. In motion-sensitive area V5/PMLS, the significant decreases in fiber density were equally strong in retinal-lesioned untrained and trained cats, up to 40% in both groups. The only cortical area with Fractional Anisotropy values not affected by central retinal loss was area V5/PMLS. In other visual ROIs, the Fractional Anisotropy values increased over time in the untrained retinal lesioned group, whereas they decreased in the retinal lesioned trained group and remained at a similar level as in trained controls. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our MRI results showed a stabilizing effect of motion training applied soon after central retinal loss induction on white matter structure. We propose that introducing early motion-acuity training for low vision patients, aimed at the intact and active retinal peripheries, may facilitate brain plasticity processes toward better vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kozak
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marco Ninghetto
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Wieteska
- Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
- Small Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Fiedorowicz
- Small Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marlena Wełniak-Kamińska
- Small Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartosz Kossowski
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ulf T Eysel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Kalina Burnat
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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Vasalauskaite A, Morgan JE, Sengpiel F. Plasticity in Adult Mouse Visual Cortex Following Optic Nerve Injury. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:1767-1777. [PMID: 30668659 PMCID: PMC6418869 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Optic nerve (ON) injury is an established model of axonal injury which results in retrograde degeneration and death of retinal ganglion cells as well anterograde loss of transmission and Wallerian degeneration of the injured axons. While the local impact of ON crush has been extensively documented we know comparatively little about the functional changes that occur in higher visual structures such as primary visual cortex (V1). We explored the extent of adult cortical plasticity using ON crush in aged mice. V1 function of the contralateral hemisphere was assessed longitudinally by intrinsic signal imaging and 2-photon calcium imaging before and after ON crush. Functional imaging demonstrated an immediate shift in V1 ocular dominance towards the ipsilateral, intact eye, due to the expected almost complete loss of responses to contralateral eye stimulation. Surprisingly, within 2 weeks we observed a delayed increase in ipsilateral eye responses. Additionally, spontaneous activity in V1 was reduced, similar to the lesion projection zone after retinal lesions. The observed changes in V1 activity indicate that severe ON injury in adulthood evokes cortical plasticity not only cross-modally but also within the visual cortex; this plasticity may be best compared with that seen after retinal lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James E Morgan
- School of Optometry & Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, UK
| | - Frank Sengpiel
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK
- Neuroscience & Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, UK
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Lombaert N, Hennes M, Gilissen S, Schevenels G, Aerts L, Vanlaer R, Geenen L, Van Eeckhaut A, Smolders I, Nys J, Arckens L. 5-HTR 2A and 5-HTR 3A but not 5-HTR 1A antagonism impairs the cross-modal reactivation of deprived visual cortex in adulthood. Mol Brain 2018; 11:65. [PMID: 30400993 PMCID: PMC6218970 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-018-0404-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual cortical areas show enhanced tactile responses in blind individuals, resulting in improved behavioral performance. Induction of unilateral vision loss in adult mice, by monocular enucleation (ME), is a validated model for such cross-modal brain plasticity. A delayed whisker-driven take-over of the medial monocular zone of the visual cortex is preceded by so-called unimodal plasticity, involving the potentiation of the spared-eye inputs in the binocular cortical territory. Full reactivation of the sensory-deprived contralateral visual cortex is accomplished by 7 weeks post-injury. Serotonin (5-HT) is known to modulate sensory information processing and integration, but its impact on cortical reorganization after sensory loss, remains largely unexplored. To address this issue, we assessed the involvement of 5-HT in ME-induced cross-modal plasticity and the 5-HT receptor (5-HTR) subtype used. We first focused on establishing the impact of ME on the total 5-HT concentration measured in the visual cortex and in the somatosensory barrel field. Next, the changes in expression as a function of post-ME recovery time of the monoamine transporter 2 (vMAT2), which loads 5-HT into presynaptic vesicles, and of the 5-HTR1A and 5-HTR3A were assessed, in order to link these temporal expression profiles to the different types of cortical plasticity induced by ME. In order to accurately pinpoint which 5-HTR exactly mediates ME-induced cross-modal plasticity, we pharmacologically antagonized the 5-HTR1A, 5-HTR2A and 5-HTR3A subtypes. This study reveals brain region-specific alterations in total 5-HT concentration, time-dependent modulations in vMAT2, 5-HTR1A and 5-HTR3A protein expression and 5-HTR antagonist-specific effects on the post-ME plasticity phenomena. Together, our results confirm a role for 5-HTR1A in the early phase of binocular visual cortex plasticity and suggest an involvement of 5-HTR2A and 5-HTR3A but not 5-HTR1A during the late cross-modal recruitment of the medial monocular visual cortex. These insights contribute to the general understanding of 5-HT function in cortical plasticity and may encourage the search for improved rehabilitation strategies to compensate for sensory loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Lombaert
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maroussia Hennes
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sara Gilissen
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Giel Schevenels
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laetitia Aerts
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ria Vanlaer
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lieve Geenen
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ann Van Eeckhaut
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilse Smolders
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julie Nys
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Present Address: Laboratory of Synapse Biology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, O&N IV, Herestraat 49, box 602, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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Scheyltjens I, Vreysen S, Van den Haute C, Sabanov V, Balschun D, Baekelandt V, Arckens L. Transient and localized optogenetic activation of somatostatin-interneurons in mouse visual cortex abolishes long-term cortical plasticity due to vision loss. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:2073-2095. [PMID: 29372324 PMCID: PMC5968055 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1611-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Unilateral vision loss through monocular enucleation (ME) results in partial reallocation of visual cortical territory to another sense in adult mice. The functional recovery of the visual cortex occurs through a combination of spared-eye potentiation and cross-modal reactivation driven by whisker-related, somatosensory inputs. Brain region-specific intracortical inhibition was recently recognized as a crucial regulator of the cross-modal component, yet the contribution of specific inhibitory neuron subpopulations remains poorly understood. Somatostatin (SST)-interneurons are ideally located within the cortical circuit to modulate sensory integration. Here we demonstrate that optogenetic stimulation of visual cortex SST-interneurons prior to eye removal decreases ME-induced cross-modal recovery at the stimulation site. Our results suggest that SST-interneurons act as local hubs, which are able to control the influx and extent of cortical cross-modal inputs into the deprived cortex. These insights critically expand our understanding of SST-interneuron-specific regulation of cortical plasticity induced by sensory loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Scheyltjens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Samme Vreysen
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chris Van den Haute
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Viral Vector Core, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Victor Sabanov
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Detlef Balschun
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Veerle Baekelandt
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2467, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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Gargini C, Novelli E, Piano I, Biagioni M, Strettoi E. Pattern of retinal morphological and functional decay in a light-inducible, rhodopsin mutant mouse. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5730. [PMID: 28720880 PMCID: PMC5516022 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06045-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Hallmarks of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a family of genetic diseases, are a typical rod-cone-degeneration with initial night blindness and loss of peripheral vision, followed by decreased daylight sight and progressive visual acuity loss up to legal blindness. Great heterogeneity in nature and function of mutated genes, variety of mutations for each of them, variability in phenotypic appearance and transmission modality contribute to make RP a still incurable disease. Translational research relies on appropriate animal models mimicking the genetic and phenotypic diversity of the human pathology. Here, we provide a systematic, morphological and functional analysis of RhoTvrm4/Rho+ rhodopsin mutant mice, originally described in 2010 and portraying several features of common forms of autosomal dominant RP caused by gain-of-function mutations. These mice undergo photoreceptor degeneration only when exposed briefly to strong, white light and allow controlled timing of induction of rod and cone death, which therefore can be elicited in adult animals, as observed in human RP. The option to control severity and retinal extent of the phenotype by regulating intensity and duration of the inducing light opens possibilities to exploit this model for multiple experimental purposes. Altogether, the unique features of this mutant make it an excellent resource for retinal degeneration research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ilaria Piano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Vreysen S, Scheyltjens I, Laramée ME, Arckens L. A Tool for Brain-Wide Quantitative Analysis of Molecular Data upon Projection into a Planar View of Choice. Front Neuroanat 2017; 11:1. [PMID: 28144216 PMCID: PMC5239821 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2017.00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Several techniques, allowing the reconstruction and visualization of functional, anatomical or molecular information from tissue and organ slices, have been developed over the years. Yet none allow direct comparison without reprocessing the same slices. Alternative methods using publicly available reference maps like the Allen Brain Atlas lack flexibility with respect to age and species. We propose a new approach to reconstruct a segmented region of interest from serial slices by projecting the optical density values representing a given molecular signal to a plane of view of choice, and to generalize the results into a reference map, which is built from the individual maps of all animals under study. Furthermore, to allow quantitative comparison between experimental conditions, a non-parametric pseudo t-test has been implemented. This new mapping tool was applied, optimized and validated making use of an in situ hybridization dataset that represents the spatiotemporal expression changes for the neuronal activity reporter gene zif268, in relation to cortical plasticity induced by monocular enucleation, covering the entire mouse visual cortex. The created top view maps of the mouse brain allow precisely delineating and interpreting 11 extrastriate areas surrounding mouse V1. As such, and because of the opportunity to create a planar projection of choice, these molecular maps can in the future easily be compared with functional or physiological imaging maps created with other techniques such as Ca2+, flavoprotein and optical imaging.
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7
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Moore BD. Adult cortical plasticity: a murine model? (Commentary on Smolders et al.). Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2163-4. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13162] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Bartlett D. Moore
- McGovern Medical School; University of Texas; 6431 Fannin St. Houston TX 77030 USA
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