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Cover KK, Elliott K, Preuss SM, Krauzlis RJ. A distinct circuit for biasing visual perceptual decisions and modulating superior colliculus activity through the mouse posterior striatum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.31.605853. [PMID: 39372791 PMCID: PMC11451588 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.31.605853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
The basal ganglia play a key role in visual perceptual decisions. Despite being the primary target in the basal ganglia for inputs from the visual cortex, the posterior striatum's (PS) involvement in visual perceptual behavior remains unknown in rodents. We reveal that the PS direct pathway is largely segregated from the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) direct pathway, the other major striatal target for visual cortex. We investigated the role of the PS in visual perceptual decisions by optogenetically stimulating striatal medium spiny neurons in the direct pathway (D1-MSNs) of mice performing a visual change-detection task. PS D1-MSN activation robustly biased visual decisions in a manner dependent on visual context, timing, and reward expectation. We examined the effects of PS and DMS direct pathway activation on neuronal activity in the superior colliculus (SC), a major output target of the basal ganglia. Activation of either direct pathway rapidly modulated SC neurons, but mostly targeted different SC neurons and had opposite effects. These results demonstrate that the PS in rodents provides an important route for controlling visual decisions, in parallel with the better known DMS, but with distinct anatomical and functional properties.
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2
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Lee H, Kim HF, Hikosaka O. Implication of regional selectivity of dopamine deficits in impaired suppressing of involuntary movements in Parkinson's disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105719. [PMID: 38759470 PMCID: PMC11167649 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105719] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
To improve the initiation and speed of intended action, one of the crucial mechanisms is suppressing unwanted movements that interfere with goal-directed behavior, which is observed relatively aberrant in Parkinson's disease patients. Recent research has highlighted that dopamine deficits in Parkinson's disease predominantly occur in the caudal lateral part of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in human patients. We previously found two parallel circuits within the basal ganglia, primarily divided into circuits mediated by the rostral medial part and caudal lateral part of the SNc dopamine neurons. We have further discovered that the indirect pathway in caudal basal ganglia circuits, facilitated by the caudal lateral part of the SNc dopamine neurons, plays a critical role in suppressing unnecessary involuntary movements when animals perform voluntary goal-directed actions. We thus explored recent research in humans and non-human primates focusing on the distinct functions and networks of the caudal lateral part of the SNc dopamine neurons to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the impairment of suppressing involuntary movements in Parkinson's disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunchan Lee
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4435, USA.
| | - Hyoung F Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Okihide Hikosaka
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4435, USA
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3
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Kunimatsu J, Amita H, Hikosaka O. Neuronal response of the primate striatum tail to face of socially familiar persons. iScience 2024; 27:110043. [PMID: 38868184 PMCID: PMC11167483 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that the basal ganglia, the center of stimulus-reward associative learning, are involved in social behavior. However, the role of the basal ganglia in social information processing remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the striatum tail (STRt) in macaque monkeys, which is sensitive to visual objects with long-term reward history (i.e., stable object value), is also sensitive to socially familiar persons. Many STRt neurons responded to face images of persons, especially those who took daily care of the subject monkeys. These face-responsive neurons also encoded stable object value. The strength of the neuronal modulation of social familiarity and stable object value biases were positively correlated. These results suggest that both social familiarity and stable object value information are mediated by a common neuronal mechanism. Thus, the representation of social information is linked to reward information in the STRt, not in the dedicated social information circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Kunimatsu
- Labortory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Division of Biomedical Science, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
- Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Amita
- Labortory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Okihide Hikosaka
- Labortory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Kunimatsu J, Amita H, Hikosaka O. Neuronal mechanism of the encoding of socially familiar faces in the striatum tail. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.10.540108. [PMID: 37425892 PMCID: PMC10327190 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.10.540108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Although we can quickly locate a familiar person even in a crowd, the underlying neuronal mechanism remains unclear. Recently, we found that the striatum tail (STRt), which is part of the basal ganglia, is sensitive to long-term reward history. Here, we show that long-term value-coding neurons are involved in the detection of socially familiar faces. Many STRt neurons respond to facial images, especially to those of socially familiar persons. Additionally, we found that these face-responsive neurons also encode the stable values of many objects based on long-term reward experiences. Interestingly, the strength of neuronal modulation of social familiarity bias (familiar or unfamiliar) and object value bias (high-valued or low-valued) were positively correlated. These results suggest that both social familiarity and stable object-value information are mediated by a common neuronal mechanism. This mechanism may contribute to the rapid detection of familiar faces in real-world contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Kunimatsu
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Division of Biomedical Science, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
- Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Amita
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Okihide Hikosaka
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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5
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Maeda K, Inoue KI, Takada M, Hikosaka O. Environmental context-dependent activation of dopamine neurons via putative amygdala-nigra pathway in macaques. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2282. [PMID: 37085491 PMCID: PMC10121604 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37584-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Seeking out good and avoiding bad objects is critical for survival. In practice, objects are rarely good every time or everywhere, but only at the right time or place. Whereas the basal ganglia (BG) are known to mediate goal-directed behavior, for example, saccades to rewarding objects, it remains unclear how such simple behaviors are rendered contingent on higher-order factors, including environmental context. Here we show that amygdala neurons are sensitive to environments and may regulate putative dopamine (DA) neurons via an inhibitory projection to the substantia nigra (SN). In male macaques, we combined optogenetics with multi-channel recording to demonstrate that rewarding environments induce tonic firing changes in DA neurons as well as phasic responses to rewarding events. These responses may be mediated by disinhibition via a GABAergic projection onto DA neurons, which in turn is suppressed by an inhibitory projection from the amygdala. Thus, the amygdala may provide an additional source of learning to BG circuits, namely contingencies imposed by the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazutaka Maeda
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8502, Japan.
| | - Ken-Ichi Inoue
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Masahiko Takada
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Okihide Hikosaka
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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6
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Bosulu J, Allaire MA, Tremblay-Grénier L, Luo Y, Eickhoff S, Hétu S. "Wanting" versus "needing" related value: An fMRI meta-analysis. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e32713. [PMID: 36000558 PMCID: PMC9480935 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Consumption and its excesses are sometimes explained by imbalance of need or lack of control over "wanting." "Wanting" assigns value to cues that predict rewards, whereas "needing" assigns value to biologically significant stimuli that one is deprived of. Here we aimed at studying how the brain activation patterns related to value of "wanted" stimuli differs from that of "needed" stimuli using activation likelihood estimation neuroimaging meta-analysis approaches. We used the perception of a cue predicting a reward for "wanting" related value and the perception of food stimuli in a hungry state as a model for "needing" related value. We carried out separate, contrasts, and conjunction meta-analyses to identify differences and similarities between "wanting" and "needing" values. Our overall results for "wanting" related value show consistent activation of the ventral tegmental area, striatum, and pallidum, regions that both activate behavior and direct choice, while for "needing" related value, we found an overall consistent activation of the middle insula and to some extent the caudal-ventral putamen, regions that only direct choice. Our study suggests that wanting has more control on consumption and behavioral activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juvenal Bosulu
- Faculté Des Arts et des Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | | | | | - Yi Luo
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Simon Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sébastien Hétu
- Faculté Des Arts et des Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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7
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Yin B, Shi Z, Wang Y, Meck WH. Oscillation/Coincidence-Detection Models of Reward-Related Timing in Corticostriatal Circuits. TIMING & TIME PERCEPTION 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/22134468-bja10057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The major tenets of beat-frequency/coincidence-detection models of reward-related timing are reviewed in light of recent behavioral and neurobiological findings. This includes the emphasis on a core timing network embedded in the motor system that is comprised of a corticothalamic-basal ganglia circuit. Therein, a central hub provides timing pulses (i.e., predictive signals) to the entire brain, including a set of distributed satellite regions in the cerebellum, cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus that are selectively engaged in timing in a manner that is more dependent upon the specific sensory, behavioral, and contextual requirements of the task. Oscillation/coincidence-detection models also emphasize the importance of a tuned ‘perception’ learning and memory system whereby target durations are detected by striatal networks of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) through the coincidental activation of different neural populations, typically utilizing patterns of oscillatory input from the cortex and thalamus or derivations thereof (e.g., population coding) as a time base. The measure of success of beat-frequency/coincidence-detection accounts, such as the Striatal Beat-Frequency model of reward-related timing (SBF), is their ability to accommodate new experimental findings while maintaining their original framework, thereby making testable experimental predictions concerning diagnosis and treatment of issues related to a variety of dopamine-dependent basal ganglia disorders, including Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Yin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China
| | - Zhuanghua Shi
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80802 Munich, Germany
| | - Yaxin Wang
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China
| | - Warren H. Meck
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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McHale AC, Cho YT, Fudge JL. Cortical Granularity Shapes the Organization of Afferent Paths to the Amygdala and Its Striatal Targets in Nonhuman Primate. J Neurosci 2022; 42:1436-1453. [PMID: 34965977 PMCID: PMC8883863 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0970-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and insula, amygdala, and striatum form interconnected networks that drive motivated behaviors. We previously found a connectional trend in which granularity of the ventromedial and orbital PFC/insula predicted connections to the amygdala, and also the breadth of amygdalo-striatal efferents, including projections beyond the "classic" ventral striatum. To further interrogate connectional relationships among the cortex, amygdala, and striatum, and to further define the "limbic" (amygdala-recipient) striatum, we conducted tract tracing studies in two cohorts of macaques (male n = 14, female n = 1). We focused on the cortico-amygdalo-striatal (indirect) and cortico-"limbic" striatal (direct) paths originating in the entire PFC and insula. Larger datasets and a quantitative approach revealed "cortical rules" in which cortical granularity predicts the complexity and location of projections to both the basal nucleus of the amygdala and striatum. Remarkably, projections from "cortical-like" basal nucleus to the striatum followed similar patterns. In both "direct" and "indirect" paths to the "limbic" striatum, agranular cortices formed a "foundational," broad projection, and were joined by inputs from progressively more differentiated cortices. In amygdalo-striatal paths, the ventral basal nucleus was the "foundational" input, with progressively more dorsal basal nucleus regions gradually adding inputs as the "limbic" striatum extended caudally. Together, the "indirect" and "direct" paths followed consistent principles in which cortical granularity dictated the strength and complexity of projections at their targets. Cluster analyses independently confirmed these connectional trends, and also highlighted connectional features that predicted termination in specific subregions of the basal nucleus and "limbic" striatum.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The "limbic" system broadly refers to brain circuits that coordinate emotional responses. Here, we investigate circuits of the amygdala, which are involved in coding the emotional value of external cues, and their influence on the striatum. Regions of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and insula form gradients of overlapping inputs to the amygdala's basal nucleus, which feed forward to the striatum. Direct cortical inputs to these "amygdala-recipient" striatal areas are surprisingly organized according to similar principles but subtly shift from the "classic" ventral striatum to the caudal ventral striatum. Together, these distinct subsystems, cortico-amygdalo-striatal circuits and direct cortico-striatal circuits, provide substantial opportunity for different levels of internal, sensory, and external experiences to be integrated within the striatum, a major motor-behavioral interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C McHale
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester NY 14642
| | - Y T Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - J L Fudge
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester NY 14642
- Child Study Center and Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06519
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9
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Unlocking the Memory Component of Alzheimer’s Disease:Biological Processes and Pathways across Brain Regions. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020263. [PMID: 35204764 PMCID: PMC8961579 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of memory and a general cognitive decline leading to dementia. AD is characterized by changes in the behavior of the genome and can be traced across multiple brain regions and cell types. It is mainly associated with β-amyloid deposits and tau protein misfolding, leading to neurofibrillary tangles. In recent years, however, research has shown that there is a high complexity of mechanisms involved in AD neurophysiology and functional decline enabling its diverse presentation and allowing more questions to arise. In this study, we present a computational approach to facilitate brain region-specific analysis of genes and biological processes involved in the memory process in AD. Utilizing current genetic knowledge we provide a gene set of 265 memory-associated genes in AD, combinations of which can be found co-expressed in 11 different brain regions along with their functional role. The identified genes participate in a spectrum of biological processes ranging from structural and neuronal communication to epigenetic alterations and immune system responses. These findings provide new insights into the molecular background of AD and can be used to bridge the genotype–phenotype gap and allow for new therapeutic hypotheses.
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10
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Kim HF. Brain substrates for automatic retrieval of value memory in the primate basal ganglia. Mol Brain 2021; 14:168. [PMID: 34784931 PMCID: PMC8597290 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00871-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Our behavior is often carried out automatically. Automatic behavior can be guided by past experiences, such as learned values associated with objects. Passive-viewing and free-viewing tasks with no immediate outcomes provide a testable condition in which monkeys and humans automatically retrieve value memories and perform habitual searching. Interestingly, in these tasks, caudal regions of the basal ganglia structures are involved in automatic retrieval of learned object values and habitual gaze. In contrast, rostral regions do not participate in these activities but instead monitor the changes in outcomes. These findings indicate that automatic behaviors based on the value memories are processed selectively by the caudal regions of the primate basal ganglia system. Understanding the distinct roles of the caudal basal ganglia may provide insight into finding selective causes of behavioral disorders in basal ganglia disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyoung F Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University (SNU), Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Esposito M, Tamietto M, Geminiani GC, Celeghin A. A subcortical network for implicit visuo-spatial attention: Implications for Parkinson's Disease. Cortex 2021; 141:421-435. [PMID: 34144272 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies in humans and animal models suggest a primary role of the basal ganglia in the extraction of stimulus-value regularities, then exploited to orient attentional shift and build up sensorimotor memories. The tail of the caudate and the posterior putamen both receive early visual input from the superficial layers of the superior colliculus, thus forming a closed-loop. We portend that the functional value of this circuit is to manage the selection of visual stimuli in a rapid and automatic way, once sensory-motor associations are formed and stored in the posterior striatum. In Parkinson's Disease, the nigrostriatal dopamine depletion starts and tends to be more pronounced in the posterior putamen. Thus, at least some aspect of the visuospatial attention deficits observed since the early stages of the disease could be the behavioral consequences of a cognitive system that has lost the ability to translate high-level processing in stable sensorimotor memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Esposito
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Marco Tamietto
- Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases, Tilburg University, the Netherlands.
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12
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Abstract
Choosing good objects is a fundamental behavior for all animals, to which the basal ganglia (BG) contribute extensively. However, the object choice needs to be changed in different environments. The mechanism of object choice is based on the neuronal circuits originating from output neurons (MSNs) in the striatum. We found that the environment information is provided by fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) connecting to the MSN circuit. More critically, the experimental reduction of the FSI-input to MSNs disabled the monkey to learn the environment-based object choice. This proved that the object choice controlled by the downstream BG circuit is modulated by the environmental context controlled by the internal circuits in the top of BG circuit. This is important for our flexible decision. Basal ganglia contribute to object-value learning, which is critical for survival. The underlying neuronal mechanism is the association of each object with its rewarding outcome. However, object values may change in different environments and we then need to choose different objects accordingly. The mechanism of this environment-based value learning is unknown. To address this question, we created an environment-based value task in which the value of each object was reversed depending on the two scene-environments (X and Y). After experiencing this task repeatedly, the monkeys became able to switch the choice of object when the scene-environment changed unexpectedly. When we blocked the inhibitory input from fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) to medium spiny projection neurons (MSNs) in the striatum tail by locally injecting IEM-1460, the monkeys became unable to learn scene-selective object values. We then studied the mechanism of the FSI-MSN connection. Before and during this learning, FSIs responded to the scenes selectively, but were insensitive to object values. In contrast, MSNs became able to discriminate the objects (i.e., stronger response to good objects), but this occurred clearly in one of the two scenes (X or Y). This was caused by the scene-selective inhibition by FSI. As a whole, MSNs were divided into two groups that were sensitive to object values in scene X or in scene Y. These data indicate that the local network of striatum tail controls the learning of object values that are selective to the scene-environment. This mechanism may support our flexible switching behavior in various environments.
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13
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Valjent E, Gangarossa G. The Tail of the Striatum: From Anatomy to Connectivity and Function. Trends Neurosci 2020; 44:203-214. [PMID: 33243489 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The dorsal striatum, the largest subcortical structure of the basal ganglia, is critical in controlling motor, procedural, and reinforcement-based behaviors. Although in mammals the striatum extends widely along the rostro-caudal axis, current knowledge and derived theories about its anatomo-functional organization largely rely on results obtained from studies of its rostral sectors, leading to potentially oversimplified working models of the striatum as a whole. Recent findings indicate that the extreme caudal part of the striatum, also referred to as the tail of striatum (TS), represents an additional functional domain. Here, we provide an overview of past and recent studies revealing that the TS displays a heterogeneous cell-type-specific organization, and a unique input-output connectivity, which poises the TS as an integrator of sensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Valjent
- IGF, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.
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14
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Kim HF, Griggs WS, Hikosaka O. Long-Term Value Memory in the Primate Posterior Thalamus for Fast Automatic Action. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2901-2911.e3. [PMID: 32531286 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The thalamus is known to process information from various brain regions and relay it to other brain regions, serving an essential role in sensory perception and motor execution. The thalamus also receives inputs from basal ganglia nuclei (BG) involved in value-based decision making, suggesting a role in the value process. We found that neurons in a particular area of the rhesus macaque posterior thalamus encoded the historical value memory of visual objects. Many of these value-coding neurons were located in the suprageniculate nucleus (SGN). This thalamic area directly received anatomical input from the superior colliculus (SC), and the neurons showed visual responses with contralateral preferences. Notably, the value discrimination activity of these thalamic neurons increased during learning, with the learned values stably retained even more than 200 days after learning. Our data indicate that single neurons in the posterior thalamus not only processed simple visual information but also represented historical values. Furthermore, our data suggest an SC-posterior thalamus-BG-SC subcortical loop circuit that encodes the historical value, enabling a quick automatic gaze by bypassing the visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyoung F Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Whitney S Griggs
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Okihide Hikosaka
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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15
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Ghazizadeh A, Fakharian MA, Amini A, Griggs W, Leopold DA, Hikosaka O. Brain Networks Sensitive to Object Novelty, Value, and Their Combination. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa034. [PMID: 32984816 PMCID: PMC7503454 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel and valuable objects are motivationally attractive for animals including primates. However, little is known about how novelty and value processing is organized across the brain. We used fMRI in macaques to map brain responses to visual fractal patterns varying in either novelty or value dimensions and compared the results with the structure of functionally connected brain networks determined at rest. The results show that different brain networks possess unique combinations of novelty and value coding. One network identified in the ventral temporal cortex preferentially encoded object novelty, whereas another in the parietal cortex encoded the learned value. A third network, broadly composed of temporal and prefrontal areas (TP network), along with functionally connected portions of the striatum, amygdala, and claustrum, encoded both dimensions with similar activation dynamics. Our results support the emergence of a common currency signal in the TP network that may underlie the common attitudes toward novel and valuable objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ghazizadeh
- Bio-intelligence Research Unit, Electrical Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365-11155, Iran.,School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran 19395-5746, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Fakharian
- Bio-intelligence Research Unit, Electrical Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365-11155, Iran
| | - Arash Amini
- Bio-intelligence Research Unit, Electrical Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365-11155, Iran
| | - Whitney Griggs
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David A Leopold
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,Neurophysiology Imaging Facility, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Okihide Hikosaka
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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16
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Primate Amygdalo-Nigral Pathway for Boosting Oculomotor Action in Motivating Situations. iScience 2020; 23:101194. [PMID: 32516719 PMCID: PMC7281789 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A primary function of the primate amygdala is to modulate behavior based on emotional cues. To study the underlying neural mechanism, we first inactivated the amygdala locally and temporarily by injecting a GABA agonist. Then, saccadic eye movements and gaze were suppressed only on the contralateral side. Next, we performed optogenetic activation after injecting a viral vector into the amygdala. Optical stimulation in the amygdala excited amygdala neurons, whereas optical stimulation of axon terminals in the substantia nigra pars reticulata inhibited nigra neurons. Optical stimulation in either structure facilitated saccades to the contralateral side. These data suggest that the amygdala controls saccades and gaze through the basal ganglia output to the superior colliculus. Importantly, this amygdala-derived circuit mediates emotional context information, whereas the internal basal ganglia circuit mediates object value information. This finding demonstrates a basic mechanism whereby basal ganglia output can be modulated by other areas conveying distinct information.
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17
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Amita H, Kim HF, Inoue KI, Takada M, Hikosaka O. Optogenetic manipulation of a value-coding pathway from the primate caudate tail facilitates saccadic gaze shift. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1876. [PMID: 32312986 PMCID: PMC7171130 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15802-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the primate basal ganglia, the caudate tail (CDt) encodes the historical values (good or bad) of visual objects (i.e., stable values), and electrical stimulation of CDt evokes saccadic eye movements. However, it is still unknown how output from CDt conveys stable value signals to govern behavior. Here, we apply a pathway-selective optogenetic manipulation to elucidate how such value information modulates saccades. We express channelrhodopsin-2 in CDt delivered by viral vector injections. Selective optical activation of CDt-derived terminals in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) inhibits SNr neurons. Notably, these SNr neurons show inhibitory responses to good objects. Furthermore, the optical stimulation causes prolonged excitation of visual-saccadic neurons in the superior colliculus (SC), and induces contralateral saccades. These SC neurons respond more strongly to good than to bad objects in the contralateral hemifield. The present results demonstrate that CDt facilitates saccades toward good objects by serial inhibitory pathways through SNr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetoshi Amita
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
| | - Hyoung F Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Ken-Ichi Inoue
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Masahiko Takada
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Okihide Hikosaka
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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18
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Bells S, Isabella SL, Brien DC, Coe BC, Munoz DP, Mabbott DJ, Cheyne DO. Mapping neural dynamics underlying saccade preparation and execution and their relation to reaction time and direction errors. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:1934-1949. [PMID: 31916374 PMCID: PMC7268073 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24922] [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: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to control and inhibit automatic behaviors is crucial for negotiating complex environments, all of which require rapid communication between sensory, motor, and cognitive networks. Here, we measured neuromagnetic brain activity to investigate the neural timing of cortical areas needed for inhibitory control, while 14 healthy young adults performed an interleaved prosaccade (look at a peripheral visual stimulus) and antisaccade (look away from stimulus) task. Analysis of how neural activity relates to saccade reaction time (SRT) and occurrence of direction errors (look at stimulus on antisaccade trials) provides insight into inhibitory control. Neuromagnetic source activity was used to extract stimulus‐aligned and saccade‐aligned activity to examine temporal differences between prosaccade and antisaccade trials in brain regions associated with saccade control. For stimulus‐aligned antisaccade trials, a longer SRT was associated with delayed onset of neural activity within the ipsilateral parietal eye field (PEF) and bilateral frontal eye field (FEF). Saccade‐aligned activity demonstrated peak activation 10ms before saccade‐onset within the contralateral PEF for prosaccade trials and within the bilateral FEF for antisaccade trials. In addition, failure to inhibit prosaccades on anti‐saccade trials was associated with increased activity prior to saccade onset within the FEF contralateral to the peripheral stimulus. This work on dynamic activity adds to our knowledge that direction errors were due, at least in part, to a failure to inhibit automatic prosaccades. These findings provide novel evidence in humans regarding the temporal dynamics within oculomotor areas needed for saccade programming and the role frontal brain regions have on top‐down inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Bells
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Silvia L Isabella
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donald C Brien
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian C Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donald J Mabbott
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Douglas O Cheyne
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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19
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Multiple neuronal circuits for variable object-action choices based on short- and long-term memories. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:26313-26320. [PMID: 31871157 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902283116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
At each time in our life, we choose one or few behaviors, while suppressing many other behaviors. This is the basic mechanism in the basal ganglia, which is done by tonic inhibition and selective disinhibition. Dysfunctions of the basal ganglia then cause 2 types of disorders (difficulty in initiating necessary actions and difficulty in suppressing unnecessary actions) that occur in Parkinson's disease. The basal ganglia generate such opposite outcomes through parallel circuits: The direct pathway for initiation and indirect pathway for suppression. Importantly, the direct pathway processes good information and the indirect pathway processes bad information, which enables the choice of good behavior and the rejection of bad behavior. This is mainly enabled by dopaminergic inputs to these circuits. However, the value judgment is complex because the world is complex. Sometimes, the value must be based on recent events, thus is based on short-term memories. Or, the value must be based on historical events, thus is based on long-term memories. Such memory-based value judgment is generated by another parallel circuit originating from the caudate head and caudate tail. These circuit-information mechanisms allow other brain areas (e.g., prefrontal cortex) to contribute to decisions by sending information to these basal ganglia circuits. Moreover, the basal ganglia mechanisms (i.e., what to choose) are associated with cerebellum mechanisms (i.e., when to choose). Overall, multiple levels of parallel circuits in and around the basal ganglia are essential for coordinated behaviors. Understanding these circuits is useful for creating clinical treatments of disorders resulting from the failure of these circuits.
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20
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Amita H, Hikosaka O. Indirect pathway from caudate tail mediates rejection of bad objects in periphery. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw9297. [PMID: 31457095 PMCID: PMC6685718 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw9297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The essential everyday task of making appropriate choices is a process controlled mainly by the basal ganglia. To this end, subjects need not only to find "good" objects in their environment but also to reject "bad" objects. To reveal this rejection mechanism, we created a sequential saccade choice task for monkeys and studied the role of the indirect pathway from the CDt (tail of the caudate nucleus) mediated by cvGPe (caudal-ventral globus pallidus externus). Neurons in cvGPe were typically inhibited by the appearance of bad objects; however, this inhibition was reduced on trials when the monkeys made undesired saccades to the bad objects. Moreover, disrupting the inhibitory influence of CDt on cvGPe by local injection of bicuculline (GABAA receptor antagonist) impaired the monkeys' ability to suppress saccades to bad objects. Thus, the indirect pathway mediates the rejection of bad choices, a crucial component of goal-directed behavior.
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21
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Coe BC, Trappenberg T, Munoz DP. Modeling Saccadic Action Selection: Cortical and Basal Ganglia Signals Coalesce in the Superior Colliculus. Front Syst Neurosci 2019; 13:3. [PMID: 30814938 PMCID: PMC6381059 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2019.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The distributed nature of information processing in the brain creates a complex variety of decision making behavior. Likewise, computational models of saccadic decision making behavior are numerous and diverse. Here we present a generative model of saccadic action selection in the context of competitive decision making in the superior colliculus (SC) in order to investigate how independent neural signals may converge to interact and guide saccade selection, and to test if systematic variations can better replicate the variability in responses that are part of normal human behavior. The model was tasked with performing pro- and anti-saccades in order to replicate specific attributes of healthy human saccade behavior. Participants (ages 18-39) were instructed to either look toward (pro-saccade, well-practiced automated response) or away from (anti-saccade, combination of inhibitory and voluntary responses) a peripheral visual stimulus. They generated express and regular latency saccades in the pro-saccade task. In the anti-saccade task, correct reaction times were longer and participants occasionally looked at the stimulus (direction error) at either express or regular latencies. To gain a better understanding of the underlying neural processes that lead to saccadic action selection and response inhibition, we implemented 8 inputs inspired by systems neuroscience. These inputs reflected known sensory, automated, voluntary, and inhibitory components of cortical and basal ganglia activity that coalesces in the intermediate layers of the SC (SCi). The model produced bimodal reaction time distributions, where express and regular latency saccades had distinct modes, for both correct pro-saccades and direction errors in the anti-saccade task. Importantly, express and regular latency direction errors resulted from interactions of different inputs in the model. Express latency direction errors were due to a lack of pre-emptive fixation and inhibitory activity, which aloud sensory and automated inputs to initiate a stimulus-driven saccade. Regular latency errors occurred when the automated motor signals were stronger than the voluntary motor signals. While previous models have emulated fewer aspects of these behavioral findings, the focus of the simulations here is on the interaction of a wide variety of physiologically-based information integration producing a richer set of natural behavioral variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C. Coe
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - Douglas P. Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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22
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Bargas J, Mena-Segovia J, Smith Y, Bolam JP. Papers arising from the 12th International Basal Ganglia Society Meeting. March 26th-30th 2017, Mérida, Yucatán, México. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 49:591-592. [PMID: 30735599 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José Bargas
- División Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de México, México City, Mexico
| | - Juan Mena-Segovia
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Aidekman Research Center, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Yoland Smith
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - J Paul Bolam
- Department of Pharmacology, MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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23
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The Caudal Part of Putamen Represents the Historical Object Value Information. J Neurosci 2018; 39:1709-1719. [PMID: 30573645 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2534-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The basal ganglia, especially the circuits originating from the putamen, are essential for controlling normal body movements. Notably, the putamen receives inputs not only from motor cortical areas but also from multiple sensory cortices. However, how these sensory signals are processed in the putamen remains unclear. We recorded the activity of tentative medium spiny neurons in the caudal part of the putamen when the monkey viewed many fractal objects. We found many neurons that responded to these objects, mostly in the ventral region. We called this region "putamen tail" (PUTt), as it is dorsally adjacent to "caudate tail" (CDt). Although PUTt and CDt are mostly separated by a thin layer of white matter, their neurons shared several features. Almost all of them had receptive fields in the contralateral hemifield. Moreover, their responses were object selective (i.e., variable across objects). The object selectivity was higher in the ventral region (i.e., CDt > PUTt). Some neurons above PUTt, which we called the caudal-dorsal putamen (cdPUT), also responded to objects, but less selectively than PUTt. Next, we examined whether these visual neurons changed their responses based on the reward outcome. We found that many neurons encoded the values of many objects based on long-term memory, but not based on short-term memory. Such stable value responses were stronger in PUTt and CDt than in cdPUT. These results suggest that PUTt, together with CDt, controls saccade/attention among objects with different historical values, and may control other motor actions as well.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although the putamen receives inputs not only from motor cortical areas but also from sensory cortical areas, how these sensory signals are processed remains unclear. Here we found that neurons in the caudal-ventral part of the putamen (putamen tail) process visual information including spatial and object features. These neurons discriminate many objects, first by their visual features and later by their reward values as well. Importantly, the value discrimination was based on long-term memory, but not on short-term memory. These results suggest that the putamen tail controls saccade/attention among objects with different historical values and might control other motor actions as well.
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