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Balwani A, Cho S, Choi H. Exploring the Architectural Biases of the Canonical Cortical Microcircuit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.23.595629. [PMID: 38826320 PMCID: PMC11142214 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.23.595629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The cortex plays a crucial role in various perceptual and cognitive functions, driven by its basic unit, the canonical cortical microcircuit. Yet, we remain short of a framework that definitively explains the structure-function relationships of this fundamental neuroanatomical motif. To better understand how physical substrates of cortical circuitry facilitate their neuronal dynamics, we employ a computational approach using recurrent neural networks and representational analyses. We examine the differences manifested by the inclusion and exclusion of biologically-motivated inter-areal laminar connections on the computational roles of different neuronal populations in the microcircuit of two hierarchically-related areas, throughout learning. Our findings show that the presence of feedback connections correlates with the functional modularization of cortical populations in different layers, and provides the microcircuit with a natural inductive bias to differentiate expected and unexpected inputs at initialization. Furthermore, when testing the effects of training the microcircuit and its variants with a predictive-coding inspired strategy, we find that doing so helps better encode noisy stimuli in areas of the cortex that receive feedback, all of which combine to suggest evidence for a predictive-coding mechanism serving as an intrinsic operative logic in the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Balwani
- School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
| | - Suhee Cho
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science Technology
| | - Hannah Choi
- School of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology
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2
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Lee K, Dora S, Mejias JF, Bohte SM, Pennartz CMA. Predictive coding with spiking neurons and feedforward gist signaling. Front Comput Neurosci 2024; 18:1338280. [PMID: 38680678 PMCID: PMC11045951 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2024.1338280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Predictive coding (PC) is an influential theory in neuroscience, which suggests the existence of a cortical architecture that is constantly generating and updating predictive representations of sensory inputs. Owing to its hierarchical and generative nature, PC has inspired many computational models of perception in the literature. However, the biological plausibility of existing models has not been sufficiently explored due to their use of artificial neurons that approximate neural activity with firing rates in the continuous time domain and propagate signals synchronously. Therefore, we developed a spiking neural network for predictive coding (SNN-PC), in which neurons communicate using event-driven and asynchronous spikes. Adopting the hierarchical structure and Hebbian learning algorithms from previous PC neural network models, SNN-PC introduces two novel features: (1) a fast feedforward sweep from the input to higher areas, which generates a spatially reduced and abstract representation of input (i.e., a neural code for the gist of a scene) and provides a neurobiological alternative to an arbitrary choice of priors; and (2) a separation of positive and negative error-computing neurons, which counters the biological implausibility of a bi-directional error neuron with a very high baseline firing rate. After training with the MNIST handwritten digit dataset, SNN-PC developed hierarchical internal representations and was able to reconstruct samples it had not seen during training. SNN-PC suggests biologically plausible mechanisms by which the brain may perform perceptual inference and learning in an unsupervised manner. In addition, it may be used in neuromorphic applications that can utilize its energy-efficient, event-driven, local learning, and parallel information processing nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwangjun Lee
- Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Shirin Dora
- Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Computer Science, School of Science, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Jorge F. Mejias
- Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sander M. Bohte
- Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Machine Learning Group, Centre of Mathematics and Computer Science, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Cyriel M. A. Pennartz
- Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Liu C, Cárdenas-Rivera A, Teitelbaum S, Birmingham A, Alfadhel M, Yaseen MA. Neuroinflammation increases oxygen extraction in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:78. [PMID: 38600598 PMCID: PMC11005245 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01444-5] [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: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroinflammation, impaired metabolism, and hypoperfusion are fundamental pathological hallmarks of early Alzheimer's disease (AD). Numerous studies have asserted a close association between neuroinflammation and disrupted cerebral energetics. During AD progression and other neurodegenerative disorders, a persistent state of chronic neuroinflammation reportedly exacerbates cytotoxicity and potentiates neuronal death. Here, we assessed the impact of a neuroinflammatory challenge on metabolic demand and microvascular hemodynamics in the somatosensory cortex of an AD mouse model. METHODS We utilized in vivo 2-photon microscopy and the phosphorescent oxygen sensor Oxyphor 2P to measure partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) and capillary red blood cell flux in cortical microvessels of awake mice. Intravascular pO2 and capillary RBC flux measurements were performed in 8-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice and wildtype littermates on days 0, 7, and 14 of a 14-day period of lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation. RESULTS Before the induced inflammatory challenge, AD mice demonstrated reduced metabolic demand but similar capillary red blood cell flux as their wild type counterparts. Neuroinflammation provoked significant reductions in cerebral intravascular oxygen levels and elevated oxygen extraction in both animal groups, without significantly altering red blood cell flux in capillaries. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that neuroinflammation alters cerebral oxygen demand at the early stages of AD without substantially altering vascular oxygen supply. The results will guide our understanding of neuroinflammation's influence on neuroimaging biomarkers for early AD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | | | - Shayna Teitelbaum
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Austin Birmingham
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mohammed Alfadhel
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mohammad A Yaseen
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Bast A, Fruengel R, de Kock CPJ, Oberlaender M. Network-neuron interactions underlying sensory responses of layer 5 pyramidal tract neurons in barrel cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011468. [PMID: 38626210 PMCID: PMC11051592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011468] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the cerebral cortex receive thousands of synaptic inputs per second from thousands of presynaptic neurons. How the dendritic location of inputs, their timing, strength, and presynaptic origin, in conjunction with complex dendritic physiology, impact the transformation of synaptic input into action potential (AP) output remains generally unknown for in vivo conditions. Here, we introduce a computational approach to reveal which properties of the input causally underlie AP output, and how this neuronal input-output computation is influenced by the morphology and biophysical properties of the dendrites. We demonstrate that this approach allows dissecting of how different input populations drive in vivo observed APs. For this purpose, we focus on fast and broadly tuned responses that pyramidal tract neurons in layer 5 (L5PTs) of the rat barrel cortex elicit upon passive single whisker deflections. By reducing a multi-scale model that we reported previously, we show that three features are sufficient to predict with high accuracy the sensory responses and receptive fields of L5PTs under these specific in vivo conditions: the count of active excitatory versus inhibitory synapses preceding the response, their spatial distribution on the dendrites, and the AP history. Based on these three features, we derive an analytically tractable description of the input-output computation of L5PTs, which enabled us to dissect how synaptic input from thalamus and different cell types in barrel cortex contribute to these responses. We show that the input-output computation is preserved across L5PTs despite morphological and biophysical diversity of their dendrites. We found that trial-to-trial variability in L5PT responses, and cell-to-cell variability in their receptive fields, are sufficiently explained by variability in synaptic input from the network, whereas variability in biophysical and morphological properties have minor contributions. Our approach to derive analytically tractable models of input-output computations in L5PTs provides a roadmap to dissect network-neuron interactions underlying L5PT responses across different in vivo conditions and for other cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arco Bast
- In Silico Brain Sciences Group, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior ˗ caesar, Bonn, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Brain and Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Rieke Fruengel
- In Silico Brain Sciences Group, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior ˗ caesar, Bonn, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Brain and Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christiaan P. J. de Kock
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel Oberlaender
- In Silico Brain Sciences Group, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior ˗ caesar, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Ofer N, Cornejo VH, Yuste R. Spike transmission failures in axons from mouse cortical pyramidal neurons in vivo. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.29.577733. [PMID: 38352485 PMCID: PMC10862735 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.29.577733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The propagation of action potentials along axons is traditionally considered to be reliable, as a consequence of the high safety factor of action potential propagation. However, numerical simulations have suggested that, at high frequencies, spikes could fail to invade distal axonal branches. Given the complex morphologies of axonal trees, with extensive branching and long-distance projections, spike propagation failures could be functionally important. To explore this experimentally in vivo, we used an axonal-targeted calcium indicator to image action potentials at axonal terminal branches in superficial layers from mouse somatosensory cortical pyramidal neurons. We activated axons with an extracellular electrode, varying stimulation frequencies, and computationally extracted axonal morphologies and associated calcium responses. We find that axonal boutons have higher calcium accumulations than their parent axons, as was reported in vitro. But, contrary to previous in vitro results, our data reveal spike failures in a significant subset of branches, as a function of branching geometry and spike frequency. The filtering is correlated with the geometric ratio of the branch diameters, as expected by cable theory. These findings suggest that axonal morphologies contribute to signal processing in the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Netanel Ofer
- Neurotechnology Center, Dept. Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Victor Hugo Cornejo
- Neurotechnology Center, Dept. Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Rafael Yuste
- Neurotechnology Center, Dept. Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Suzuki M, Pennartz CMA, Aru J. How deep is the brain? The shallow brain hypothesis. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:778-791. [PMID: 37891398 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00756-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Deep learning and predictive coding architectures commonly assume that inference in neural networks is hierarchical. However, largely neglected in deep learning and predictive coding architectures is the neurobiological evidence that all hierarchical cortical areas, higher or lower, project to and receive signals directly from subcortical areas. Given these neuroanatomical facts, today's dominance of cortico-centric, hierarchical architectures in deep learning and predictive coding networks is highly questionable; such architectures are likely to be missing essential computational principles the brain uses. In this Perspective, we present the shallow brain hypothesis: hierarchical cortical processing is integrated with a massively parallel process to which subcortical areas substantially contribute. This shallow architecture exploits the computational capacity of cortical microcircuits and thalamo-cortical loops that are not included in typical hierarchical deep learning and predictive coding networks. We argue that the shallow brain architecture provides several critical benefits over deep hierarchical structures and a more complete depiction of how mammalian brains achieve fast and flexible computational capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mototaka Suzuki
- Department of Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Cyriel M A Pennartz
- Department of Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaan Aru
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
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Liu C, Cardenas-Rivera A, Teitelbaum S, Birmingham A, Alfadhel M, Yaseen MA. Neuroinflammation increases oxygen extraction in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.16.562353. [PMID: 37905082 PMCID: PMC10614808 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.16.562353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation, impaired metabolism, and hypoperfusion are fundamental pathological hallmarks of early Alzheimer's disease (AD). Numerous studies have asserted a close association between neuroinflammation and disrupted cerebral energetics. During AD progression and other neurodegenerative disorders, a persistent state of chronic neuroinflammation reportedly exacerbates cytotoxicity and potentiates neuronal death. Here, we assessed the impact of a neuroinflammatory challenge on metabolic demand and microvascular hemodynamics in the somatosensory cortex of an AD mouse model. We utilized in vivo 2-photon microscopy and the phosphorescent oxygen sensor Oxyphor 2P to measure partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) and capillary red blood cell flux in cortical microvessels of awake mice. Intravascular pO2 and capillary RBC flux measurements were performed in 8-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice and wildtype littermates on days 0, 7, and 14 of a 14-day period of lipopolysaccaride-induced neuroinflammation. Before the induced inflammatory challenge, AD mice demonstrated reduced metabolic demand but similar capillary red blood cell flux as their wild type counterparts. Neuroinflammation provoked significant reductions in cerebral intravascular oxygen levels and elevated oxygen extraction in both animal groups, without significantly altering red blood cell flux in capillaries. This study provides evidence that neuroinflammation alters cerebral oxygen demand at the early stages of AD without substantially altering vascular oxygen supply. The results will guide our understanding of neuroinflammation's influence on neuroimaging biomarkers for early AD diagnosis.
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de Kock CPJ, Feldmeyer D. Shared and divergent principles of synaptic transmission between cortical excitatory neurons in rodent and human brain. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 15:1274383. [PMID: 37731775 PMCID: PMC10508294 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1274383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Information transfer between principal neurons in neocortex occurs through (glutamatergic) synaptic transmission. In this focussed review, we provide a detailed overview on the strength of synaptic neurotransmission between pairs of excitatory neurons in human and laboratory animals with a specific focus on data obtained using patch clamp electrophysiology. We reach two major conclusions: (1) the synaptic strength, measured as unitary excitatory postsynaptic potential (or uEPSP), is remarkably consistent across species, cortical regions, layers and/or cell-types (median 0.5 mV, interquartile range 0.4-1.0 mV) with most variability associated with the cell-type specific connection studied (min 0.1-max 1.4 mV), (2) synaptic function cannot be generalized across human and rodent, which we exemplify by discussing the differences in anatomical and functional properties of pyramidal-to-pyramidal connections within human and rodent cortical layers 2 and 3. With only a handful of studies available on synaptic transmission in human, it is obvious that much remains unknown to date. Uncovering the shared and divergent principles of synaptic transmission across species however, will almost certainly be a pivotal step toward understanding human cognitive ability and brain function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiaan P. J. de Kock
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), Aachen, Germany
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Bounds HA, Sadahiro M, Hendricks WD, Gajowa M, Gopakumar K, Quintana D, Tasic B, Daigle TL, Zeng H, Oldenburg IA, Adesnik H. All-optical recreation of naturalistic neural activity with a multifunctional transgenic reporter mouse. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112909. [PMID: 37542722 PMCID: PMC10755854 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining which features of the neural code drive behavior requires the ability to simultaneously read out and write in neural activity patterns with high precision across many neurons. All-optical systems that combine two-photon calcium imaging and targeted photostimulation enable the activation of specific, functionally defined groups of neurons. However, these techniques are unable to test how patterns of activity across a population contribute to computation because of an inability to both read and write cell-specific firing rates. To overcome this challenge, we make two advances: first, we introduce a genetic line of mice for Cre-dependent co-expression of a calcium indicator and a potent soma-targeted microbial opsin. Second, using this line, we develop a method for read-out and write-in of precise population vectors of neural activity by calibrating the photostimulation to each cell. These advances offer a powerful and convenient platform for investigating the neural codes of computation and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley A Bounds
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Masato Sadahiro
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - William D Hendricks
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Marta Gajowa
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Karthika Gopakumar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Quintana
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Hongkui Zeng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ian Antón Oldenburg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Hillel Adesnik
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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10
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Ziegler K, Folkard R, Gonzalez AJ, Burghardt J, Antharvedi-Goda S, Martin-Cortecero J, Isaías-Camacho E, Kaushalya S, Tan LL, Kuner T, Acuna C, Kuner R, Mease RA, Groh A. Primary somatosensory cortex bidirectionally modulates sensory gain and nociceptive behavior in a layer-specific manner. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2999. [PMID: 37225702 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38798-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is a hub for body sensation of both innocuous and noxious signals, yet its role in somatosensation versus pain is debated. Despite known contributions of S1 to sensory gain modulation, its causal involvement in subjective sensory experiences remains elusive. Here, in mouse S1, we reveal the involvement of cortical output neurons in layers 5 (L5) and 6 (L6) in the perception of innocuous and noxious somatosensory signals. We find that L6 activation can drive aversive hypersensitivity and spontaneous nocifensive behavior. Linking behavior to neuronal mechanisms, we find that L6 enhances thalamic somatosensory responses, and in parallel, strongly suppresses L5 neurons. Directly suppressing L5 reproduced the pronociceptive phenotype induced by L6 activation, suggesting an anti-nociceptive function for L5 output. Indeed, L5 activation reduced sensory sensitivity and reversed inflammatory allodynia. Together, these findings reveal a layer-specific and bidirectional role for S1 in modulating subjective sensory experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ziegler
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ross Folkard
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonio J Gonzalez
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Burghardt
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sailaja Antharvedi-Goda
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jesus Martin-Cortecero
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Emilio Isaías-Camacho
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sanjeev Kaushalya
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linette Liqi Tan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudio Acuna
- Chica and Heinz Schaller Research Group, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Audrey Mease
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Alexander Groh
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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11
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Buchholz MO, Gastone Guilabert A, Ehret B, Schuhknecht GFP. How synaptic strength, short-term plasticity, and input synchrony contribute to neuronal spike output. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011046. [PMID: 37068099 PMCID: PMC10153727 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons integrate from thousands of synapses whose strengths span an order of magnitude. Intriguingly, in mouse neocortex, the few 'strong' synapses are formed between similarly tuned cells, suggesting they determine spiking output. This raises the question of how other computational primitives, including 'background' activity from the many 'weak' synapses, short-term plasticity, and temporal factors contribute to spiking. We used paired recordings and extracellular stimulation experiments to map excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) amplitudes and paired-pulse ratios of synaptic connections formed between pyramidal neurons in layer 2/3 (L2/3) of barrel cortex. While net short-term plasticity was weak, strong synaptic connections were exclusively depressing. Importantly, we found no evidence for clustering of synaptic properties on individual neurons. Instead, EPSPs and paired-pulse ratios of connections converging onto the same cells spanned the full range observed across L2/3, which critically constrains theoretical models of cortical filtering. To investigate how different computational primitives of synaptic information processing interact to shape spiking, we developed a computational model of a pyramidal neuron in the excitatory L2/3 circuitry, which was constrained by our experiments and published in vivo data. We found that strong synapses were substantially depressed during ongoing activation and their ability to evoke correlated spiking primarily depended on their high temporal synchrony and high firing rates observed in vivo. However, despite this depression, their larger EPSP amplitudes strongly amplified information transfer and responsiveness. Thus, our results contribute to a nuanced framework of how cortical neurons exploit synergies between temporal coding, synaptic properties, and noise to transform synaptic inputs into spikes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz O Buchholz
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Benjamin Ehret
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gregor F P Schuhknecht
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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12
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Urdaneta ME, Kunigk NG, Peñaloza-Aponte JD, Currlin S, Malone IG, Fried SI, Otto KJ. Layer-dependent stability of intracortical recordings and neuronal cell loss. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1096097. [PMID: 37090803 PMCID: PMC10113640 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1096097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracortical recordings can be used to voluntarily control external devices via brain-machine interfaces (BMI). Multiple factors, including the foreign body response (FBR), limit the stability of these neural signals over time. Current clinically approved devices consist of multi-electrode arrays with a single electrode site at the tip of each shank, confining the recording interface to a single layer of the cortex. Advancements in manufacturing technology have led to the development of high-density electrodes that can record from multiple layers. However, the long-term stability of neural recordings and the extent of neuronal cell loss around the electrode across different cortical depths have yet to be explored. To answer these questions, we recorded neural signals from rats chronically implanted with a silicon-substrate microelectrode array spanning the layers of the cortex. Our results show the long-term stability of intracortical recordings varies across cortical depth, with electrode sites around L4-L5 having the highest stability. Using machine learning guided segmentation, our novel histological technique, DeepHisto, revealed that the extent of neuronal cell loss varies across cortical layers, with L2/3 and L4 electrodes having the largest area of neuronal cell loss. These findings suggest that interfacing depth plays a major role in the FBR and long-term performance of intracortical neuroprostheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E. Urdaneta
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Nicolas G. Kunigk
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Jesus D. Peñaloza-Aponte
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Seth Currlin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Ian G. Malone
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Shelley I. Fried
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Boston Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kevin J. Otto
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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13
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Murphy SC, Godenzini L, Guzulaitis R, Lawrence AJ, Palmer LM. Cocaine regulates sensory filtering in cortical pyramidal neurons. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112122. [PMID: 36790932 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to cocaine leads to robust changes in the structure and function of neurons within the mesocorticolimbic pathway. However, little is known about how cocaine influences the processing of information within the sensory cortex. We address this by using patch-clamp and juxtacellular voltage recordings and two-photon Ca2+ imaging in vivo to investigate the influence of acute cocaine exposure on layer 2/3 (L2/3) pyramidal neurons within the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Here, cocaine dampens membrane potential state transitions and decreases spontaneous somatic action potentials and Ca2+ transients. In contrast to the uniform decrease in background spontaneous activity, cocaine has a heterogeneous influence on sensory encoding, increasing tactile-evoked responses in dendrites that do not typically encode sensory information and decreasing responses in those dendrites that are more reliable sensory encoders. Combined, these findings suggest that cocaine acts as a filter that suppresses background noise to selectively modulate incoming sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C Murphy
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Luca Godenzini
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Robertas Guzulaitis
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Lucy M Palmer
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
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14
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Vandevelde JR, Yang JW, Albrecht S, Lam H, Kaufmann P, Luhmann HJ, Stüttgen MC. Layer- and cell-type-specific differences in neural activity in mouse barrel cortex during a whisker detection task. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1361-1382. [PMID: 35417918 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac141] [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: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To address the question which neocortical layers and cell types are important for the perception of a sensory stimulus, we performed multielectrode recordings in the barrel cortex of head-fixed mice performing a single-whisker go/no-go detection task with vibrotactile stimuli of differing intensities. We found that behavioral detection probability decreased gradually over the course of each session, which was well explained by a signal detection theory-based model that posits stable psychometric sensitivity and a variable decision criterion updated after each reinforcement, reflecting decreasing motivation. Analysis of multiunit activity demonstrated highest neurometric sensitivity in layer 4, which was achieved within only 30 ms after stimulus onset. At the level of single neurons, we observed substantial heterogeneity of neurometric sensitivity within and across layers, ranging from nonresponsiveness to approaching or even exceeding psychometric sensitivity. In all cortical layers, putative inhibitory interneurons on average proffered higher neurometric sensitivity than putative excitatory neurons. In infragranular layers, neurons increasing firing rate in response to stimulation featured higher sensitivities than neurons decreasing firing rate. Offline machine-learning-based analysis of videos of behavioral sessions showed that mice performed better when not moving, which at the neuronal level, was reflected by increased stimulus-evoked firing rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens R Vandevelde
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jenq-Wei Yang
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Steffen Albrecht
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Henry Lam
- Computational Intelligence, Faculty of Law, Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Jakob-Welder-Weg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Paul Kaufmann
- Computational Intelligence, Faculty of Law, Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Jakob-Welder-Weg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Heiko J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Maik C Stüttgen
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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15
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Royero P, Quatraccioni A, Früngel R, Silva MH, Bast A, Ulas T, Beyer M, Opitz T, Schultze JL, Graham ME, Oberlaender M, Becker A, Schoch S, Beck H. Circuit-selective cell-autonomous regulation of inhibition in pyramidal neurons by Ste20-like kinase. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111757. [PMID: 36476865 PMCID: PMC9756112 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining an appropriate balance between excitation and inhibition is critical for neuronal information processing. Cortical neurons can cell-autonomously adjust the inhibition they receive to individual levels of excitatory input, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We describe that Ste20-like kinase (SLK) mediates cell-autonomous regulation of excitation-inhibition balance in the thalamocortical feedforward circuit, but not in the feedback circuit. This effect is due to regulation of inhibition originating from parvalbumin-expressing interneurons, while inhibition via somatostatin-expressing interneurons is unaffected. Computational modeling shows that this mechanism promotes stable excitatory-inhibitory ratios across pyramidal cells and ensures robust and sparse coding. Patch-clamp RNA sequencing yields genes differentially regulated by SLK knockdown, as well as genes associated with excitation-inhibition balance participating in transsynaptic communication and cytoskeletal dynamics. These data identify a mechanism for cell-autonomous regulation of a specific inhibitory circuit that is critical to ensure that a majority of cortical pyramidal cells participate in information coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Royero
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn, University of Bonn Medical Center, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53105 Bonn, Germany,International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anne Quatraccioni
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Bonn, Section for Translational Epilepsy Research, 53127 Bonn, Germany,International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Rieke Früngel
- In Silico Brain Sciences Group, Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – Caesar, Bonn, Germany,International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mariella Hurtado Silva
- Synapse Proteomics, Children’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Arco Bast
- In Silico Brain Sciences Group, Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – Caesar, Bonn, Germany,International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Ulas
- Systems Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) e.V., Bonn, Germany,PRECISE Platform for Single Cell Genomics and Epigenomics, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) e.V. and University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany,Genomics & Immunoregulation, LIMES Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marc Beyer
- PRECISE Platform for Single Cell Genomics and Epigenomics, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) e.V. and University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany,Immunogenomics & Neurodegeneration, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V., Bonn, Germany
| | - Thoralf Opitz
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn, University of Bonn Medical Center, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Joachim L. Schultze
- Systems Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) e.V., Bonn, Germany,PRECISE Platform for Single Cell Genomics and Epigenomics, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) e.V. and University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany,Genomics & Immunoregulation, LIMES Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mark E. Graham
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn, University of Bonn Medical Center, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Marcel Oberlaender
- In Silico Brain Sciences Group, Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – Caesar, Bonn, Germany
| | - Albert Becker
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Bonn, Section for Translational Epilepsy Research, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Susanne Schoch
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Bonn, Section for Translational Epilepsy Research, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Heinz Beck
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn, University of Bonn Medical Center, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53105 Bonn, Germany,Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V., Bonn, Germany,Corresponding author
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16
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Oláh VJ, Pedersen NP, Rowan MJM. Ultrafast simulation of large-scale neocortical microcircuitry with biophysically realistic neurons. eLife 2022; 11:e79535. [PMID: 36341568 PMCID: PMC9640191 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79535] [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: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the activity of the mammalian brain requires an integrative knowledge of circuits at distinct scales, ranging from ion channel gating to circuit connectomics. Computational models are regularly employed to understand how multiple parameters contribute synergistically to circuit behavior. However, traditional models of anatomically and biophysically realistic neurons are computationally demanding, especially when scaled to model local circuits. To overcome this limitation, we trained several artificial neural network (ANN) architectures to model the activity of realistic multicompartmental cortical neurons. We identified an ANN architecture that accurately predicted subthreshold activity and action potential firing. The ANN could correctly generalize to previously unobserved synaptic input, including in models containing nonlinear dendritic properties. When scaled, processing times were orders of magnitude faster compared with traditional approaches, allowing for rapid parameter-space mapping in a circuit model of Rett syndrome. Thus, we present a novel ANN approach allowing for rapid, detailed network experiments using inexpensive and commonly available computational resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor J Oláh
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of MedicineAtlantaUnited States
| | - Nigel P Pedersen
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of MedicineAtlantaUnited States
| | - Matthew JM Rowan
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of MedicineAtlantaUnited States
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17
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Connectomic analysis of thalamus-driven disinhibition in cortical layer 4. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111476. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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18
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Udvary D, Harth P, Macke JH, Hege HC, de Kock CPJ, Sakmann B, Oberlaender M. The impact of neuron morphology on cortical network architecture. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110677. [PMID: 35417720 PMCID: PMC9035680 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurons in the cerebral cortex are not randomly interconnected. This specificity in wiring can result from synapse formation mechanisms that connect neurons, depending on their electrical activity and genetically defined identity. Here, we report that the morphological properties of the neurons provide an additional prominent source by which wiring specificity emerges in cortical networks. This morphologically determined wiring specificity reflects similarities between the neurons’ axo-dendritic projections patterns, the packing density, and the cellular diversity of the neuropil. The higher these three factors are, the more recurrent is the topology of the network. Conversely, the lower these factors are, the more feedforward is the network’s topology. These principles predict the empirically observed occurrences of clusters of synapses, cell type-specific connectivity patterns, and nonrandom network motifs. Thus, we demonstrate that wiring specificity emerges in the cerebral cortex at subcellular, cellular, and network scales from the specific morphological properties of its neuronal constituents. Neuronal network architectures reflect the morphologies of their constituents Morphology predicts nonrandom connectivity from subcellular to network scales Morphology predicts connectivity patterns consistent with those observed empirically Neuron morphology is a major source for wiring specificity in the cerebral cortex
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Udvary
- In Silico Brain Sciences Group, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Ludwig Erhard Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Philipp Harth
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, Takustraße 7, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jakob H Macke
- Machine Learning in Science, Tübingen University, Maria von Linden Straße 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Christian Hege
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, Takustraße 7, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christiaan P J de Kock
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bert Sakmann
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Marcel Oberlaender
- In Silico Brain Sciences Group, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Ludwig Erhard Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany.
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19
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Kuang H, Liu T, Jiao C, Wang J, Wu S, Wu J, Peng S, Davidson AM, Zeng SX, Lu H, Mostany R. Genetic Deficiency of p53 Leads to Structural, Functional, and Synaptic Deficits in Primary Somatosensory Cortical Neurons of Adult Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:871974. [PMID: 35465090 PMCID: PMC9021533 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.871974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor p53 plays a crucial role in embryonic neuron development and neurite growth, and its involvement in neuronal homeostasis has been proposed. To better understand how the lack of the p53 gene function affects neuronal activity, spine development, and plasticity, we examined the electrophysiological and morphological properties of layer 5 (L5) pyramidal neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex barrel field (S1BF) by using in vitro whole-cell patch clamp and in vivo two-photon imaging techniques in p53 knockout (KO) mice. We found that the spiking frequency, excitatory inputs, and sag ratio were decreased in L5 pyramidal neurons of p53KO mice. In addition, both in vitro and in vivo morphological analyses demonstrated that dendritic spine density in the apical tuft is decreased in L5 pyramidal neurons of p53KO mice. Furthermore, chronic imaging showed that p53 deletion decreased dendritic spine turnover in steady-state conditions, and prevented the increase in spine turnover associated with whisker stimulation seen in wildtype mice. In addition, the sensitivity of whisker-dependent texture discrimination was impaired in p53KO mice compared with wildtype controls. Together, these results suggest that p53 plays an important role in regulating synaptic plasticity by reducing neuronal excitability and the number of excitatory synapses in S1BF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixia Kuang
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
- *Correspondence: Tao Liu Hua Lu Ricardo Mostany
| | - Cui Jiao
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jianmei Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Shinan Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Sicong Peng
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Andrew M. Davidson
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Shelya X. Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Hua Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
- *Correspondence: Tao Liu Hua Lu Ricardo Mostany
| | - Ricardo Mostany
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
- *Correspondence: Tao Liu Hua Lu Ricardo Mostany
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20
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García-Magro N, Zegarra-Valdivia JA, Troyas-Martinez S, Torres-Aleman I, Nuñez A. Response Facilitation Induced by Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in the Primary Somatosensory Cortex of Mice Was Reduced in Aging. Cells 2022; 11:cells11040717. [PMID: 35203366 PMCID: PMC8870291 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by a decline in cognition that can be due to a lower IGF-I level. We studied response facilitation induced in primary somatosensory (S1) cortical neurons by repetitive stimulation of whiskers in young and old mice. Layer 2/3 and 5/6 neurons were extracellularly recorded in young (≤ 6 months of age) and old (≥ 20 month of age) anesthetized mice. IGF-I injection in S1 cortex (10 nM; 0.2 μL) increased whisker responses in young and old animals. A stimulation train at 8 Hz induced a long-lasting response facilitation in only layer 2/3 neurons of young animals. However, all cortical neurons from young and old animals showed long-lasting response facilitation when IGF-I was applied in the S1 cortex. The reduction in response facilitation in old animals can be due to a reduction in the IGF-I receptors as was indicated by the immunohistochemistry study. Furthermore, a reduction in the performance of a whisker discrimination task was observed in old animals. In conclusion, our findings indicate that there is a reduction in the synaptic plasticity of S1 neurons during aging that can be recovered by IGF-I. Therefore, it opens the possibility of use IGF-I as a therapeutic tool to ameliorate the effects of heathy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria García-Magro
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neurosciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (N.G.-M.); (J.A.Z.-V.); (S.T.-M.)
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jonathan A. Zegarra-Valdivia
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neurosciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (N.G.-M.); (J.A.Z.-V.); (S.T.-M.)
- Cajal Institute, Cibernet (CSIC), 28002 Madrid, Spain;
- Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo 02001, Peru
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Sara Troyas-Martinez
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neurosciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (N.G.-M.); (J.A.Z.-V.); (S.T.-M.)
| | - Ignacio Torres-Aleman
- Cajal Institute, Cibernet (CSIC), 28002 Madrid, Spain;
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Angel Nuñez
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neurosciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (N.G.-M.); (J.A.Z.-V.); (S.T.-M.)
- Correspondence:
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21
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Huang C, Zeldenrust F, Celikel T. Cortical Representation of Touch in Silico. Neuroinformatics 2022; 20:1013-1039. [PMID: 35486347 PMCID: PMC9588483 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-022-09576-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
With its six layers and ~ 12,000 neurons, a cortical column is a complex network whose function is plausibly greater than the sum of its constituents'. Functional characterization of its network components will require going beyond the brute-force modulation of the neural activity of a small group of neurons. Here we introduce an open-source, biologically inspired, computationally efficient network model of the somatosensory cortex's granular and supragranular layers after reconstructing the barrel cortex in soma resolution. Comparisons of the network activity to empirical observations showed that the in silico network replicates the known properties of touch representations and whisker deprivation-induced changes in synaptic strength induced in vivo. Simulations show that the history of the membrane potential acts as a spatial filter that determines the presynaptic population of neurons contributing to a post-synaptic action potential; this spatial filtering might be critical for synaptic integration of top-down and bottom-up information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Huang
- grid.9647.c0000 0004 7669 9786Department of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fleur Zeldenrust
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tansu Celikel
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands ,grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA USA
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22
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Castejon C, Martin-Cortecero J, Nuñez A. Higher-Order Thalamic Encoding of Somatosensory Patterns and Bilateral Events. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:752804. [PMID: 34759802 PMCID: PMC8573422 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.752804] [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: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of the higher-order sensory thalamus remains unclear. Here, the posterior medial (POm) nucleus of the thalamus was examined by in vivo extracellular recordings in anesthetized rats across a variety of contralateral, ipsilateral, and bilateral whisker sensory patterns. We found that POm was highly sensitive to multiwhisker stimuli involving diverse spatiotemporal interactions. Accurate increases in POm activity were produced during the overlapping time between spatial signals reflecting changes in the spatiotemporal structure of sensory patterns. In addition, our results showed for first time that POm was also able to respond to tactile stimulation of ipsilateral whiskers. This finding challenges the notion that the somatosensory thalamus only computes unilateral stimuli. We found that POm also integrates signals from both whisker pads and described how this integration is generated. Our results showed that ipsilateral activity reached one POm indirectly from the other POm and demonstrated a transmission of sensory activity between both nuclei through a functional POm-POm loop formed by thalamocortical, interhemispheric, and corticothalamic projections. The implication of different cortical areas was investigated revealing that S1 plays a central role in this POm-POm loop. Accordingly, the subcortical and cortical inputs allow POm but not the ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus (VPM) to have sensory information from both sides of the body. This finding is in agreement with the higher-order nature of POm and can be considered to functionally differentiate and classify these thalamic nuclei. A possible functional role of these higher-order thalamic patterns of integrated activity in brain function is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Castejon
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesus Martin-Cortecero
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain.,Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angel Nuñez
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
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23
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Mease RA, Gonzalez AJ. Corticothalamic Pathways From Layer 5: Emerging Roles in Computation and Pathology. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:730211. [PMID: 34566583 PMCID: PMC8458899 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.730211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Large portions of the thalamus receive strong driving input from cortical layer 5 (L5) neurons but the role of this important pathway in cortical and thalamic computations is not well understood. L5-recipient "higher-order" thalamic regions participate in cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuits that are increasingly recognized to be (1) anatomically and functionally distinct from better-studied "first-order" CTC networks, and (2) integral to cortical activity related to learning and perception. Additionally, studies are beginning to elucidate the clinical relevance of these networks, as dysfunction across these pathways have been implicated in several pathological states. In this review, we highlight recent advances in understanding L5 CTC networks across sensory modalities and brain regions, particularly studies leveraging cell-type-specific tools that allow precise experimental access to L5 CTC circuits. We aim to provide a focused and accessible summary of the anatomical, physiological, and computational properties of L5-originating CTC networks, and outline their underappreciated contribution in pathology. We particularly seek to connect single-neuron and synaptic properties to network (dys)function and emerging theories of cortical computation, and highlight information processing in L5 CTC networks as a promising focus for computational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Mease
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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24
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Orczyk JJ, Barczak A, Costa-Faidella J, Kajikawa Y. Cross Laminar Traveling Components of Field Potentials due to Volume Conduction of Non-Traveling Neuronal Activity in Macaque Sensory Cortices. J Neurosci 2021; 41:7578-7590. [PMID: 34321312 PMCID: PMC8425975 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3225-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Field potentials (FPs) reflect neuronal activities in the brain, and often exhibit traveling peaks across recording sites. While traveling FPs are interpreted as propagation of neuronal activity, not all studies directly reveal such propagating patterns of neuronal activation. Neuronal activity is associated with transmembrane currents that form dipoles and produce negative and positive fields. Thereby, FP components reverse polarity between those fields and have minimal amplitudes at the center of dipoles. Although their amplitudes could be smaller, FPs are never flat even around these reversals. What occurs around the reversal has not been addressed explicitly, although those are rationally in the middle of active neurons. We show that sensory FPs around the reversal appeared with peaks traveling across cortical laminae in macaque sensory cortices. Interestingly, analyses of current source density did not depict traveling patterns but lamina-delimited current sinks and sources. We simulated FPs produced by volume conduction of a simplified 2 dipoles' model mimicking sensory cortical laminar current source density components. While FPs generated by single dipoles followed the temporal patterns of the dipole moments without traveling peaks, FPs generated by concurrently active dipole moments appeared with traveling components in the vicinity of dipoles by superimposition of individually non-traveling FPs generated by single dipoles. These results indicate that not all traveling FP are generated by traveling neuronal activity, and that recording positions need to be taken into account to describe FP peak components around active neuronal populations.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Field potentials (FPs) generated by neuronal activity in the brain occur with fields of opposite polarity. Likewise, in the cerebral cortices, they have mirror-imaged waveforms in upper and lower layers. We show that FPs appear like traveling across the cortical layers. Interestingly, the traveling FPs occur without traveling components of current source density, which represents transmembrane currents associated with neuronal activity. These seemingly odd findings are explained using current source density models of multiple dipoles. Concurrently active, non-traveling dipoles produce FPs as mixtures of FPs produced by individual dipoles, and result in traveling FP waveforms as the mixing ratio depends on the distances from those dipoles. The results suggest that not all traveling FP components are associated with propagating neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Orczyk
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York 10962
| | - Annamaria Barczak
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York 10962
| | - Jordi Costa-Faidella
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York 10962
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia 08035, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia 08035, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain, Barcelona, Catalonia 08950
| | - Yoshinao Kajikawa
- Translational Neuroscience Division, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York 10962
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
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25
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Varani S, Vecchia D, Zucca S, Forli A, Fellin T. Stimulus Feature-Specific Control of Layer 2/3 Subthreshold Whisker Responses by Layer 4 in the Mouse Primary Somatosensory Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1419-1436. [PMID: 34448808 PMCID: PMC8971086 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In the barrel field of the rodent primary somatosensory cortex (S1bf), excitatory cells in layer 2/3 (L2/3) display sparse firing but reliable subthreshold response during whisker stimulation. Subthreshold responses encode specific features of the sensory stimulus, for example, the direction of whisker deflection. According to the canonical model for the flow of sensory information across cortical layers, activity in L2/3 is driven by layer 4 (L4). However, L2/3 cells receive excitatory inputs from other regions, raising the possibility that L4 partially drives L2/3 during whisker stimulation. To test this hypothesis, we combined patch-clamp recordings from L2/3 pyramidal neurons in S1bf with selective optogenetic inhibition of L4 during passive whisker stimulation in both anesthetized and awake head-restrained mice. We found that L4 optogenetic inhibition did not abolish the subthreshold whisker-evoked response nor it affected spontaneous membrane potential fluctuations of L2/3 neurons. However, L4 optogenetic inhibition decreased L2/3 subthreshold responses to whisker deflections in the preferred direction, and it increased L2/3 responses to stimuli in the nonpreferred direction, leading to a change in the direction tuning. Our results contribute to reveal the circuit mechanisms underlying the processing of sensory information in the rodent S1bf.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Varani
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Dania Vecchia
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Stefano Zucca
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Angelo Forli
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Tommaso Fellin
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
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26
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Newkirk GS, Guan D, Dembrow N, Armstrong WE, Foehring RC, Spain WJ. Kv2.1 Potassium Channels Regulate Repetitive Burst Firing in Extratelencephalic Neocortical Pyramidal Neurons. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1055-1076. [PMID: 34435615 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Coincidence detection and cortical rhythmicity are both greatly influenced by neurons' propensity to fire bursts of action potentials. In the neocortex, repetitive burst firing can also initiate abnormal neocortical rhythmicity (including epilepsy). Bursts are generated by inward currents that underlie a fast afterdepolarization (fADP) but less is known about outward currents that regulate bursting. We tested whether Kv2 channels regulate the fADP and burst firing in labeled layer 5 PNs from motor cortex of the Thy1-h mouse. Kv2 block with guangxitoxin-1E (GTx) converted single spike responses evoked by dendritic stimulation into multispike bursts riding on an enhanced fADP. Immunohistochemistry revealed that Thy1-h PNs expressed Kv2.1 (not Kv2.2) channels perisomatically (not in the dendrites). In somatic macropatches, GTx-sensitive current was the largest component of outward current with biophysical properties well-suited for regulating bursting. GTx drove ~40% of Thy1 PNs stimulated with noisy somatic current steps to repetitive burst firing and shifted the maximal frequency-dependent gain. A network model showed that reduction of Kv2-like conductance in a small subset of neurons resulted in repetitive bursting and entrainment of the circuit to seizure-like rhythmic activity. Kv2 channels play a dominant role in regulating onset bursts and preventing repetitive bursting in Thy1 PNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg S Newkirk
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Dongxu Guan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Nikolai Dembrow
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Epilepsy Center of Excellence, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - William E Armstrong
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Robert C Foehring
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - William J Spain
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Epilepsy Center of Excellence, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
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27
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Enhanced phosphorylation of S6 protein in mouse cortical layer V and subplate neurons. Neuroreport 2021; 31:762-769. [PMID: 32453020 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian neocortex is composed of six major layers of neurons. Each group of neurons in the cortical layers has distinct characteristics based on the expression of specific genes and connectivity patterns of neural circuits. Neuronal subtype transition and regional identity acquisition are established by temporal cues and interaction between several transcription factors during neurogenesis. The impairment of cortical lamination or neural circuits results in a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and certain forms of childhood epilepsy. Despite continuous efforts to classify neurons with the aid of genetic and epigenetic analyses, the neuron-specific properties associated with post-transcriptional modification remain unclear. In the present study, the distribution of phosphorylated S6-positive layers across the neocortex was examined using several layer markers. The development of pS6 S235/236 layers in layer V and the subplate was spatiotemporally regulated in the mouse brain. In addition, enhanced phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 in Ctip2-positive layer V neurons in vivo was sustained under in-vitro conditions using a culture of primary cortical neurons.
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28
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An increase in dendritic plateau potentials is associated with experience-dependent cortical map reorganization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2024920118. [PMID: 33619110 PMCID: PMC7936269 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2024920118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we describe a mechanism for cortical map plasticity. Classically, representational map changes are thought to be driven by changes within cortico-cortical circuits, e.g., Hebbian plasticity of synaptic circuits that lost vs. maintained an excitatory drive from the first-order thalamus, possibly steered by neuromodulatory forces from deep brain regions. Our work provides evidence for an additional gating mechanism, provided by plateau potentials, which are driven by higher-order thalamic feedback. Higher-order thalamic neurons are characterized by broad receptive fields, and the plateau potentials that they evoke strongly facilitate long-term potentiation and elicit spikes. We show that these features combined constitute a powerful driving force for the fusion or expansion of sensory representations within cortical maps. The organization of sensory maps in the cerebral cortex depends on experience, which drives homeostatic and long-term synaptic plasticity of cortico-cortical circuits. In the mouse primary somatosensory cortex (S1) afferents from the higher-order, posterior medial thalamic nucleus (POm) gate synaptic plasticity in layer (L) 2/3 pyramidal neurons via disinhibition and the production of dendritic plateau potentials. Here we address whether these thalamocortically mediated responses play a role in whisker map plasticity in S1. We find that trimming all but two whiskers causes a partial fusion of the representations of the two spared whiskers, concomitantly with an increase in the occurrence of POm-driven N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-dependent plateau potentials. Blocking the plateau potentials restores the archetypical organization of the sensory map. Our results reveal a mechanism for experience-dependent cortical map plasticity in which higher-order thalamocortically mediated plateau potentials facilitate the fusion of normally segregated cortical representations.
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29
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Rodgers CC, Nogueira R, Pil BC, Greeman EA, Park JM, Hong YK, Fusi S, Bruno RM. Sensorimotor strategies and neuronal representations for shape discrimination. Neuron 2021; 109:2308-2325.e10. [PMID: 34133944 PMCID: PMC8298290 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Humans and other animals can identify objects by active touch, requiring the coordination of exploratory motion and tactile sensation. Both the motor strategies and neural representations employed could depend on the subject's goals. We developed a shape discrimination task that challenged head-fixed mice to discriminate concave from convex shapes. Behavioral decoding revealed that mice did this by comparing contacts across whiskers. In contrast, a separate group of mice performing a shape detection task simply summed up contacts over whiskers. We recorded populations of neurons in the barrel cortex, which processes whisker input, and found that individual neurons across the cortical layers encoded touch, whisker motion, and task-related signals. Sensory representations were task-specific: during shape discrimination, but not detection, neurons responded most to behaviorally relevant whiskers, overriding somatotopy. Thus, sensory cortex employs task-specific representations compatible with behaviorally relevant computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris C Rodgers
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Ramon Nogueira
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - B Christina Pil
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Esther A Greeman
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jung M Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Y Kate Hong
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Stefano Fusi
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Randy M Bruno
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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30
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de Kock CPJ, Pie J, Pieneman AW, Mease RA, Bast A, Guest JM, Oberlaender M, Mansvelder HD, Sakmann B. High-frequency burst spiking in layer 5 thick-tufted pyramids of rat primary somatosensory cortex encodes exploratory touch. Commun Biol 2021; 4:709. [PMID: 34112934 PMCID: PMC8192911 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02241-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Diversity of cell-types that collectively shape the cortical microcircuit ensures the necessary computational richness to orchestrate a wide variety of behaviors. The information content embedded in spiking activity of identified cell-types remain unclear to a large extent. Here, we recorded spike responses upon whisker touch of anatomically identified excitatory cell-types in primary somatosensory cortex in naive, untrained rats. We find major differences across layers and cell-types. The temporal structure of spontaneous spiking contains high-frequency bursts (≥100 Hz) in all morphological cell-types but a significant increase upon whisker touch is restricted to layer L5 thick-tufted pyramids (L5tts) and thus provides a distinct neurophysiological signature. We find that whisker touch can also be decoded from L5tt bursting, but not from other cell-types. We observed high-frequency bursts in L5tts projecting to different subcortical regions, including thalamus, midbrain and brainstem. We conclude that bursts in L5tts allow accurate coding and decoding of exploratory whisker touch. In order to investigate the information encoded by spiking activity in different neuronal cell types in the primary somatosensory cortex, de Kock et al performed electrophysiological recordings in untrained rats. They demonstrated that an increase in high-frequency burst spiking in thick tufted pyramids in layer 5 of the cortex allow accurate encoding of exploratory whisker touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiaan P J de Kock
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Jean Pie
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anton W Pieneman
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rebecca A Mease
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Arco Bast
- Max Planck Group: In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jason M Guest
- Max Planck Group: In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marcel Oberlaender
- Max Planck Group: In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research, Bonn, Germany
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bert Sakmann
- Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
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31
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Cerebellar Purkinje cells can differentially modulate coherence between sensory and motor cortex depending on region and behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2015292118. [PMID: 33443203 PMCID: PMC7812746 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015292118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity of sensory and motor cortices is essential for sensorimotor integration. In particular, coherence between these areas may indicate binding of critical functions like perception, motor planning, action, or sleep. Evidence is accumulating that cerebellar output modulates cortical activity and coherence, but how, when, and where it does so is unclear. We studied activity in and coherence between S1 and M1 cortices during whisker stimulation in the absence and presence of optogenetic Purkinje cell stimulation in crus 1 and 2 of awake mice, eliciting strong simple spike rate modulation. Without Purkinje cell stimulation, whisker stimulation triggers fast responses in S1 and M1 involving transient coherence in a broad spectrum. Simultaneous stimulation of Purkinje cells and whiskers affects amplitude and kinetics of sensory responses in S1 and M1 and alters the estimated S1-M1 coherence in theta and gamma bands, allowing bidirectional control dependent on behavioral context. These effects are absent when Purkinje cell activation is delayed by 20 ms. Focal stimulation of Purkinje cells revealed site specificity, with cells in medial crus 2 showing the most prominent and selective impact on estimated coherence, i.e., a strong suppression in the gamma but not the theta band. Granger causality analyses and computational modeling of the involved networks suggest that Purkinje cells control S1-M1 phase consistency predominantly via ventrolateral thalamus and M1. Our results indicate that activity of sensorimotor cortices can be dynamically and functionally modulated by specific cerebellar inputs, highlighting a widespread role of the cerebellum in coordinating sensorimotor behavior.
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32
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Barz CS, Garderes PM, Ganea DA, Reischauer S, Feldmeyer D, Haiss F. Functional and Structural Properties of Highly Responsive Somatosensory Neurons in Mouse Barrel Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4533-4553. [PMID: 33963394 PMCID: PMC8408454 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab104] [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: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sparse population activity is a well-known feature of supragranular sensory neurons in neocortex. The mechanisms underlying sparseness are not well understood because a direct link between the neurons activated in vivo, and their cellular properties investigated in vitro has been missing. We used two-photon calcium imaging to identify a subset of neurons in layer L2/3 (L2/3) of mouse primary somatosensory cortex that are highly active following principal whisker vibrotactile stimulation. These high responders (HRs) were then tagged using photoconvertible green fluorescent protein for subsequent targeting in the brain slice using intracellular patch-clamp recordings and biocytin staining. This approach allowed us to investigate the structural and functional properties of HRs that distinguish them from less active control cells. Compared to less responsive L2/3 neurons, HRs displayed increased levels of stimulus-evoked and spontaneous activity, elevated noise and spontaneous pairwise correlations, and stronger coupling to the population response. Intrinsic excitability was reduced in HRs, while we found no evidence for differences in other electrophysiological and morphological parameters. Thus, the choice of which neurons participate in stimulus encoding may be determined largely by network connectivity rather than by cellular structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Barz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance - Translational Brain Medicine, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - P M Garderes
- IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - D A Ganea
- IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Biomedical Department, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - S Reischauer
- Medical Clinic I, (Cardiology/Angiology) and Campus Kerckhoff, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35390 Giessen Germany.,Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany.,Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - D Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance - Translational Brain Medicine, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - F Haiss
- IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
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33
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Kim E, Bari BA, Cohen JY. Subthreshold basis for reward-predictive persistent activity in mouse prefrontal cortex. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109082. [PMID: 33951442 PMCID: PMC8167820 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems maintain information internally using persistent activity changes. The mechanisms by which this activity arises are incompletely understood. We study prefrontal cortex (PFC) in mice performing behaviors in which stimuli predicted rewards at different delays with different probabilities. We measure membrane potential (Vm) from pyramidal neurons across layers. Reward-predictive persistent firing increases arise due to sustained increases in mean and variance of Vm and are terminated by reward or via centrally generated mechanisms based on reward expectation. Other neurons show persistent decreases in firing rates, maintained by persistent hyperpolarization that is robust to intracellular perturbation. Persistent activity is layer (L)- and cell-type-specific. Neurons with persistent depolarization are primarily located in upper L5, whereas those with persistent hyperpolarization are mostly found in lower L5. L2/3 neurons do not show persistent activity. Thus, reward-predictive persistent activity in PFC is spatially organized and conveys information about internal state via synaptic mechanisms. Kim et al. show sustained changes in membrane potential and firing rates in mouse frontal cortex leading up to an expected reward. These dynamics rely on underlying changes in mean and variance, directly testing prior theoretical studies. Neurons showing increased and decreased activity changes are located in different cortical layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunyoung Kim
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bilal A Bari
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeremiah Y Cohen
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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34
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Dikecligil GN, Graham DM, Park IM, Fontanini A. Layer- and Cell Type-Specific Response Properties of Gustatory Cortex Neurons in Awake Mice. J Neurosci 2020; 40:9676-9691. [PMID: 33172981 PMCID: PMC7726536 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1579-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies in visual, auditory, and somatosensory cortices have revealed that different cell types as well as neurons located in different laminae display distinct stimulus response profiles. The extent to which these layer and cell type-specific distinctions generalize to gustatory cortex (GC) remains unknown. In this study, we performed extracellular recordings in adult female mice to monitor the activity of putative pyramidal and inhibitory neurons located in deep and superficial layers of GC. Awake, head-restrained mice were trained to lick different tastants (sucrose, salt, citric acid, quinine, and water) from a lick spout. We found that deep layer neurons show higher baseline firing rates (FRs) in GC with deep-layer inhibitory neurons displaying highest FRs at baseline and following the stimulus. GC's activity shows robust modulations before animals' contact with tastants, and this phenomenon is most prevalent in deep-layer inhibitory neurons. Furthermore, we show that licking activity strongly shapes the spiking pattern of GC pyramidal neurons, eliciting phase-locked spiking across trials and tastants. We demonstrate that there is a greater percentage of taste-coding neurons in deep versus superficial layers with chemosensitive neurons across all categories showing similar breadth of tuning, but different decoding performance. Lastly, we provide evidence for functional convergence in GC, with neurons that can show prestimulus activity, licking-related rhythmicity and taste responses. Overall, our results demonstrate that baseline and stimulus-evoked firing profiles of GC neurons and their processing schemes change as a function of cortical layer and cell type in awake mice.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sensory cortical areas show a laminar structure, with each layer composed of distinct cell types embedded in different circuits. While studies in other primary sensory areas have elucidated that pyramidal and inhibitory neurons belonging to distinct layers show distinct response properties, whether and how response properties of gustatory cortex (GC) neurons change as a function of their laminar position and cell type remains uninvestigated. Here, we show that there are several notable differences in baseline, prestimulus, and stimulus-evoked response profiles of pyramidal and inhibitory neurons belonging to deep and superficial layers of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulce Nazli Dikecligil
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - Dustin M Graham
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - Il Memming Park
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - Alfredo Fontanini
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794
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35
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Popescu IR, Le KQ, Ducote AL, Li JE, Leland AE, Mostany R. Increased intrinsic excitability and decreased synaptic inhibition in aged somatosensory cortex pyramidal neurons. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 98:88-98. [PMID: 33249377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Sensorimotor performance declines during advanced age, partially due to deficits in somatosensory acuity. Cortical receptive field expansion contributes to somatosensory deficits, suggesting increased excitability or decreased inhibition in primary somatosensory cortex (S1) pyramidal neurons. To ascertain changes in excitability and inhibition, we measured both properties in neurons from vibrissal S1 in brain slices from young and aged mice. Because adapting and non-adapting neurons-the principal pyramidal types in layer 5 (L5)-differ in intrinsic properties and inhibitory inputs, we determined age-dependent changes according to neuron type. We found an age-dependent increase in intrinsic excitability in adapting neurons, caused by a decrease in action potential threshold. Surprisingly, in non-adapting neurons we found both an increase in excitability caused by increased input resistance, and a decrease in synaptic inhibition. Spike frequency adaptation, already small in non-adapting neurons, was further reduced by aging, whereas sag, a manifestation of Ih, was increased. Therefore, aging caused both decreased inhibition and increased intrinsic excitability, but these effects were specific to pyramidal neuron type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ion R Popescu
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Kathy Q Le
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alexis L Ducote
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA; Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jennifer E Li
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | - Ricardo Mostany
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA; Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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36
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Cheung JA, Maire P, Kim J, Lee K, Flynn G, Hires SA. Independent representations of self-motion and object location in barrel cortex output. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000882. [PMID: 33141817 PMCID: PMC7665803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During active tactile exploration, the dynamic patterns of touch are transduced to electrical signals and transformed by the brain into a mental representation of the object under investigation. This transformation from sensation to perception is thought to be a major function of the mammalian cortex. In primary somatosensory cortex (S1) of mice, layer 5 (L5) pyramidal neurons are major outputs to downstream areas that influence perception, decision-making, and motor control. We investigated self-motion and touch representations in L5 of S1 with juxtacellular loose-seal patch recordings of optogenetically identified excitatory neurons. We found that during rhythmic whisker movement, 54 of 115 active neurons (47%) represented self-motion. This population was significantly more modulated by whisker angle than by phase. Upon active touch, a distinct pattern of activity was evoked across L5, which represented the whisker angle at the time of touch. Object location was decodable with submillimeter precision from the touch-evoked spike counts of a randomly sampled handful of these neurons. These representations of whisker angle during self-motion and touch were independent, both in the selection of which neurons were active and in the angle-tuning preference of coactive neurons. Thus, the output of S1 transiently shifts from a representation of self-motion to an independent representation of explored object location during active touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Andrew Cheung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Phillip Maire
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Jinho Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Kiana Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Garrett Flynn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Samuel Andrew Hires
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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37
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Investigating the effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation on primary somatosensory cortex. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17129. [PMID: 33051523 PMCID: PMC7553944 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74072-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Near-threshold tactile stimuli perception and somatosensory temporal discrimination threshold (STDT) are encoded in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and largely depend on alpha and beta S1 rhythm. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive neurophysiological technique that allows cortical rhythm modulation. We investigated the effects of tACS delivered over S1 at alpha, beta, and gamma frequencies on near-threshold tactile stimuli perception and STDT, as well as phase-dependent tACS effects on near-threshold tactile stimuli perception in healthy subjects. In separate sessions, we tested the effects of different tACS montages, and tACS at the individualised S1 μ-alpha frequency peak, on STDT and near-threshold tactile stimuli perception. We found that tACS applied over S1 at alpha, beta, and gamma frequencies did not modify STDT or near-threshold tactile stimuli perception. Moreover, we did not detect effects of tACS phase or montage. Finally, tACS did not modify near-threshold tactile stimuli perception and STDT even when delivered at the individualised μ-alpha frequency peak. Our study showed that tACS does not alter near-threshold tactile stimuli or STDT, possibly due to the inability of tACS to activate deep S1 layers. Future investigations may clarify tACS effects over S1 in patients with focal dystonia, whose pathophysiology implicates increased STDT.
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Frandolig JE, Matney CJ, Lee K, Kim J, Chevée M, Kim SJ, Bickert AA, Brown SP. The Synaptic Organization of Layer 6 Circuits Reveals Inhibition as a Major Output of a Neocortical Sublamina. Cell Rep 2020; 28:3131-3143.e5. [PMID: 31533036 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical cortical microcircuit has principally been defined by interlaminar excitatory connections among the six layers of the neocortex. However, excitatory neurons in layer 6 (L6), a layer whose functional organization is poorly understood, form relatively rare synaptic connections with other cortical excitatory neurons. Here, we show that the vast majority of parvalbumin inhibitory neurons in a sublamina within L6 send axons through the cortical layers toward the pia. These interlaminar inhibitory neurons receive local synaptic inputs from both major types of L6 excitatory neurons and receive stronger input from thalamocortical afferents than do neighboring pyramidal neurons. The distribution of these interlaminar interneurons and their synaptic connectivity further support a functional subdivision within the standard six layers of the cortex. Positioned to integrate local and long-distance inputs in this sublayer, these interneurons generate an inhibitory interlaminar output. These findings call for a revision to the canonical cortical microcircuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn Ellen Frandolig
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chanel Joylae Matney
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kihwan Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Juhyun Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Su-Jeong Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Aaron Andrew Bickert
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Solange Pezon Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Rakymzhan A, Li Y, Tang P, Wang RK. Optical microangiography reveals temporal and depth-resolved hemodynamic change in mouse barrel cortex during whisker stimulation. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2020; 25:JBO-200117RR. [PMID: 32945154 PMCID: PMC7495356 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.25.9.096005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation at neurovascular coupling (NVC) plays an important role in normal brain functioning to support oxygen delivery to activating neurons. Therefore, studying the mechanisms of CBF adjustment is crucial for the improved understanding of brain activity. AIM We investigated the temporal profile of hemodynamic signal change in mouse cortex caused by neural activation and its variation over cortical depth. APPROACH Following the cranial window surgery, intrinsic optical signal imaging (IOSI) was used to spatially locate the activated region in mouse cortex during whisker stimulation. Optical microangiography (OMAG), the functional extension of optical coherence tomography, was applied to image the activated and control regions identified by IOSI. Temporal profiles of hemodynamic response signals obtained by IOSI and OMAG were compared, and OMAG signal was analyzed over cortical layers. RESULTS Our results showed that the hemodynamic response to neural activity revealed by blood flow change signal signal through IOSI is slower than that observed by OMAG signal. OMAG also indicated the laminar variation of the response over cortical depth, showing the largest response in cortical layer IV. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we demonstrated the development and application of dual-modality imaging system composed of IOSI and OMAG, which may have potential to enable the future investigations of depth-resolved CBF and to provide the insights of hemodynamic events associated with the NVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adiya Rakymzhan
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, Washington, United States
| | - Yuandong Li
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, Washington, United States
| | - Peijun Tang
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, Washington, United States
| | - Ruikang K. Wang
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, Washington, United States
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40
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Staiger JF, Petersen CCH. Neuronal Circuits in Barrel Cortex for Whisker Sensory Perception. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:353-415. [PMID: 32816652 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00019.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The array of whiskers on the snout provides rodents with tactile sensory information relating to the size, shape and texture of objects in their immediate environment. Rodents can use their whiskers to detect stimuli, distinguish textures, locate objects and navigate. Important aspects of whisker sensation are thought to result from neuronal computations in the whisker somatosensory cortex (wS1). Each whisker is individually represented in the somatotopic map of wS1 by an anatomical unit named a 'barrel' (hence also called barrel cortex). This allows precise investigation of sensory processing in the context of a well-defined map. Here, we first review the signaling pathways from the whiskers to wS1, and then discuss current understanding of the various types of excitatory and inhibitory neurons present within wS1. Different classes of cells can be defined according to anatomical, electrophysiological and molecular features. The synaptic connectivity of neurons within local wS1 microcircuits, as well as their long-range interactions and the impact of neuromodulators, are beginning to be understood. Recent technological progress has allowed cell-type-specific connectivity to be related to cell-type-specific activity during whisker-related behaviors. An important goal for future research is to obtain a causal and mechanistic understanding of how selected aspects of tactile sensory information are processed by specific types of neurons in the synaptically connected neuronal networks of wS1 and signaled to downstream brain areas, thus contributing to sensory-guided decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen F Staiger
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carl C H Petersen
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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41
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Burkhanova G, Chernova K, Khazipov R, Sheroziya M. Effects of Cortical Cooling on Activity Across Layers of the Rat Barrel Cortex. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:52. [PMID: 32848644 PMCID: PMC7417609 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Moderate cortical cooling is known to suppress slow oscillations and to evoke persistent cortical activity. However, the cooling-induced changes in electrical activity across cortical layers remain largely unknown. Here, we performed multi-channel local field potential (LFP) and multi-unit activity (MUA) recordings with linear silicone probes through the layers of single cortical barrel columns in urethane-anesthetized rats under normothermia (38°C) and during local cortical surface cooling (30°C). During cortically generated slow oscillations, moderate cortical cooling decreased delta wave amplitude, delta-wave occurrence, the duration of silent states, and delta wave-locked MUA synchronization. Moderate cortical cooling increased total time spent in the active state and decreased total time spent in the silent state. Cooling-evoked changes in the MUA firing rate in cortical layer 5 (L5) varied from increase to decrease across animals, and the polarity of changes in L5 MUA correlated with changes in total time spent in the active state. The decrease in temperature reduced MUA firing rates in all other cortical layers. Sensory-evoked MUA responses also decreased during cooling through all cortical layers. The cooling-dependent slowdown was detected at the fast time-scale with a decreased frequency of sensory-evoked high-frequency oscillations (HFO). Thus, moderate cortical cooling suppresses slow oscillations and desynchronizes neuronal activity through all cortical layers, and is associated with reduced firing across all cortical layers except L5, where cooling induces variable and non-consistent changes in neuronal firing, which are common features of the transition from slow-wave synchronization to desynchronized activity in the barrel cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kseniya Chernova
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Roustem Khazipov
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.,Aix Marseille University, INSERM, INMED, Marseille, France
| | - Maxim Sheroziya
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
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42
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Leszczyński M, Barczak A, Kajikawa Y, Ulbert I, Falchier AY, Tal I, Haegens S, Melloni L, Knight RT, Schroeder CE. Dissociation of broadband high-frequency activity and neuronal firing in the neocortex. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb0977. [PMID: 32851172 PMCID: PMC7423365 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb0977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Broadband high-frequency activity (BHA; 70 to 150 Hz), also known as "high gamma," a key analytic signal in human intracranial (electrocorticographic) recordings, is often assumed to reflect local neural firing [multiunit activity (MUA)]. As the precise physiological substrates of BHA are unknown, this assumption remains controversial. Our analysis of laminar multielectrode data from V1 and A1 in monkeys outlines two components of stimulus-evoked BHA distributed across the cortical layers: an "early-deep" and "late-superficial" response. Early-deep BHA has a clear spatial and temporal overlap with MUA. Late-superficial BHA was more prominent and accounted for more of the BHA signal measured near the cortical pial surface. However, its association with local MUA is weak and often undetectable, consistent with the view that it reflects dendritic processes separable from local neuronal firing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Leszczyński
- Cognitive Science and Neuromodulation Program, Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Division of the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Annamaria Barczak
- Translational Neuroscience Division of the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Yoshinao Kajikawa
- Translational Neuroscience Division of the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Istvan Ulbert
- Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Arnaud Y. Falchier
- Translational Neuroscience Division of the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Idan Tal
- Cognitive Science and Neuromodulation Program, Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Division of the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Cognitive Science and Neuromodulation Program, Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Lucia Melloni
- Department of Neurology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert T. Knight
- Department of Psychology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Charles E. Schroeder
- Cognitive Science and Neuromodulation Program, Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Division of the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
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43
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Hanemaaijer NA, Popovic MA, Wilders X, Grasman S, Pavón Arocas O, Kole MH. Ca 2+ entry through Na V channels generates submillisecond axonal Ca 2+ signaling. eLife 2020; 9:54566. [PMID: 32553116 PMCID: PMC7380941 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium ions (Ca2+) are essential for many cellular signaling mechanisms and enter the cytosol mostly through voltage-gated calcium channels. Here, using high-speed Ca2+ imaging up to 20 kHz in the rat layer five pyramidal neuron axon we found that activity-dependent intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the axonal initial segment was only partially dependent on voltage-gated calcium channels. Instead, [Ca2+]i changes were sensitive to the specific voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channel blocker tetrodotoxin. Consistent with the conjecture that Ca2+ enters through the NaV channel pore, the optically resolved ICa in the axon initial segment overlapped with the activation kinetics of NaV channels and heterologous expression of NaV1.2 in HEK-293 cells revealed a tetrodotoxin-sensitive [Ca2+]i rise. Finally, computational simulations predicted that axonal [Ca2+]i transients reflect a 0.4% Ca2+ conductivity of NaV channels. The findings indicate that Ca2+ permeation through NaV channels provides a submillisecond rapid entry route in NaV-enriched domains of mammalian axons. Nerve cells communicate using tiny electrical impulses called action potentials. Special proteins termed ion channels produce these electric signals by allowing specific charged particles, or ions, to pass in or out of cells across its membrane. When a nerve cell ‘fires’ an action potential, specific ion channels briefly open to let in a surge of positively charged ions which electrify the cell. Action potentials begin in the same place in each nerve cell, at an area called the axon initial segment. The large number of sodium channels at this site kick-start the influx of positively charged sodium ions ensuring that every action potential starts from the same place. Previous research has shown that, when action potentials begin, the concentration of calcium ions at the axon initial segment also increases, but it was not clear which ion channels were responsible for this entry of calcium. Channels that are selective for calcium ions are the prime candidates for this process. However, research in squid nerve cells gave rise to an unexpected idea by suggesting that sodium channels may not exclusively let in sodium but also allow some calcium ions to pass through. Hanemaaijer, Popovic et al. therefore wanted to test the routes that calcium ions take and see whether the sodium channels in mammalian nerve cells are also permeable to calcium. Experiments using fluorescent dyes to track the concentration of calcium in rat and human nerve cells showed that calcium ions accumulated at the axon initial segment when action potentials fired. Most of this increase in calcium could be stopped by treating the neurons with a toxin that prevents sodium channels from opening. Electrical manipulations of the cells revealed that, in this context, the calcium ions were effectively behaving like sodium ions. Human kidney cells were then engineered to produce the sodium channel protein. This confirmed that calcium and sodium ions were indeed both passing through the same channel. These results shed new light on the relationship between calcium ions and sodium channels within the mammalian nervous system and that this interplay occurs at the axon initial segment of the cell. Genetic mutations that ‘nudge’ sodium channels towards favoring calcium entry are also found in patients with autism spectrum disorders, and so this new finding may contribute to our understanding of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Ak Hanemaaijer
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marko A Popovic
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Xante Wilders
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sara Grasman
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Oriol Pavón Arocas
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maarten Hp Kole
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Vardar B, Güçlü B. Effects of basal forebrain stimulation on the vibrotactile responses of neurons from the hindpaw representation in the rat SI cortex. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1761-1776. [PMID: 32495132 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02091-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic system is important for attention and modulates sensory processing. We focused on the hindpaw representation in rat primary somatosensory cortex (S1), which receives inputs related to mechanoreceptors identical to those in human glabrous skin. Spike data were recorded from S1 tactile neurons (n = 87) with (ON condition: 0.5-ms bipolar current pulses at 100 Hz; amplitude 50 μA, duration 0.5 s at each trial) and without (OFF condition) electrical stimulation of BF in anesthetized rats. We expected that prior activation of BF would induce changes in the vibrotactile responses of neurons during sinusoidal (5, 40, and 250 Hz) mechanical stimulation of the glabrous skin. The experiment consisted of sequential OFF-ON conditions in two-time blocks separated by 30 min to test possible remaining effects. Average firing rates (AFRs) and vector strengths of spike phases (VS) were analyzed for different neuron types [regular spiking (RS) and fast spiking (FS)] in different cortical layers (III-VI). Immediate effect of BF activation was only significant by increasing synchronization to 5-Hz vibrotactile stimulus within the second block. Regardless of frequency, ON-OFF paired VS differences were significantly higher in the second block compared to the first, more prominent for RS neurons, and in general for neurons in layers III and VI. No such effects could be found on AFRs. The results suggest that cholinergic activation induces some changes in the hindpaw area, enabling relatively higher increases in synchronization to vibrotactile inputs with subsequent BF modulation. In addition, this modulation depends on neuron type and layer, which may be related to detailed projection pattern from BF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bige Vardar
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Boğaziçi University, Kandilli Campus, Çengelköy, 34684, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Burak Güçlü
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Boğaziçi University, Kandilli Campus, Çengelköy, 34684, Istanbul, Turkey.
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45
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Jang HJ, Chung H, Rowland JM, Richards BA, Kohl MM, Kwag J. Distinct roles of parvalbumin and somatostatin interneurons in gating the synchronization of spike times in the neocortex. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaay5333. [PMID: 32426459 PMCID: PMC7176419 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay5333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Synchronization of precise spike times across multiple neurons carries information about sensory stimuli. Inhibitory interneurons are suggested to promote this synchronization, but it is unclear whether distinct interneuron subtypes provide different contributions. To test this, we examined single-unit recordings from barrel cortex in vivo and used optogenetics to determine the contribution of parvalbumin (PV)- and somatostatin (SST)-positive interneurons to the synchronization of spike times across cortical layers. We found that PV interneurons preferentially promote the synchronization of spike times when instantaneous firing rates are low (<12 Hz), whereas SST interneurons preferentially promote the synchronization of spike times when instantaneous firing rates are high (>12 Hz). Furthermore, using a computational model, we demonstrate that these effects can be explained by PV and SST interneurons having preferential contributions to feedforward and feedback inhibition, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that distinct subtypes of inhibitory interneurons have frequency-selective roles in the spatiotemporal synchronization of precise spike times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Jae Jang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyowon Chung
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - James M. Rowland
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Blake A. Richards
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
- Mila, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michael M. Kohl
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jeehyun Kwag
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
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46
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Layer 6b Is Driven by Intracortical Long-Range Projection Neurons. Cell Rep 2020; 30:3492-3505.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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Santana-Chávez G, Rodriguez-Moreno P, López-Hidalgo M, Olivares-Moreno R, Moreno-López Y, Rojas-Piloni G. Operant conditioning paradigm for juxtacellular recordings in functionally identified cortical neurons during motor execution in head-fixed rats. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 329:108454. [PMID: 31669337 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the configuration of neural circuits and the specific role of distinct cortical neuron types involved in behavior, requires the study of structure-function and connectivity relationships with single cell resolution in awake behaving animals. Despite head-fixed behaving rats have been used for in vivo measuring of neuronal activity, it is a concern that head fixation could change the performance of behavioral task. NEW METHOD We describe the procedures for efficiently training Wistar rats to develop a behavioral task, involving planning and execution of a qualified movement in response to a visual cue under head-fixed conditions. The behavioral and movement performance in freely moving vs head-fixed conditions was analyzed. RESULTS The best behavioral performance was obtained in the rats that were trained first in freely moving conditions and then placed in a head-restrained condition compared with the animals which first were habituated to head-restriction and then learned the task. Moreover, head restriction did not alter the movement performance. Stable juxtacellular recordings from sensorimotor cortex neurons were obtained while the rats were performing forelimb movements. Biocytin electroporation and retrograde tracer injections, permits identify the hodology of individual long-range projecting neurons. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Our method shows no difference in the behavioral performance of head fixed and freely moving conditions. Also includes a computer aided design of a discrete and ergonomic head-post allowing enough stability to perform juxtacellular recording and labeling of cortical neurons. CONCLUSIONS Our method is suitable for the in vivo characterization of neuronal circuits and their long-range connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Santana-Chávez
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Paola Rodriguez-Moreno
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Mónica López-Hidalgo
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Juriquilla, UNAM, Querétaro, Qro, Mexico
| | - Rafael Olivares-Moreno
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Yunuen Moreno-López
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Rojas-Piloni
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico.
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Sermet BS, Truschow P, Feyerabend M, Mayrhofer JM, Oram TB, Yizhar O, Staiger JF, Petersen CCH. Pathway-, layer- and cell-type-specific thalamic input to mouse barrel cortex. eLife 2019; 8:e52665. [PMID: 31860443 PMCID: PMC6924959 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mouse primary somatosensory barrel cortex (wS1) processes whisker sensory information, receiving input from two distinct thalamic nuclei. The first-order ventral posterior medial (VPM) somatosensory thalamic nucleus most densely innervates layer 4 (L4) barrels, whereas the higher-order posterior thalamic nucleus (medial part, POm) most densely innervates L1 and L5A. We optogenetically stimulated VPM or POm axons, and recorded evoked excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in different cell-types across cortical layers in wS1. We found that excitatory neurons and parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons received the largest EPSPs, dominated by VPM input to L4 and POm input to L5A. In contrast, somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons received very little input from either pathway in any layer. Vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing inhibitory neurons received an intermediate level of excitatory input with less apparent layer-specificity. Our data help understand how wS1 neocortical microcircuits might process and integrate sensory and higher-order inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Semihcan Sermet
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Pavel Truschow
- Institute for Neuroanatomy,University Medical CenterGeorg-August-University GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Michael Feyerabend
- Institute for Neuroanatomy,University Medical CenterGeorg-August-University GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Johannes M Mayrhofer
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Tess B Oram
- Department of NeurobiologyWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Ofer Yizhar
- Department of NeurobiologyWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Jochen F Staiger
- Institute for Neuroanatomy,University Medical CenterGeorg-August-University GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Carl CH Petersen
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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Alishbayli A, Tichelaar JG, Gorska U, Cohen MX, Englitz B. The asynchronous state's relation to large-scale potentials in cortex. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:2206-2219. [PMID: 31642401 PMCID: PMC6966315 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00013.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relation between large-scale potentials (M/EEG) and their underlying neural activity can improve the precision of research and clinical diagnosis. Recent insights into cortical dynamics highlighted a state of strongly reduced spike count correlations, termed the asynchronous state (AS). The AS has received considerable attention from experimenters and theorists alike, regarding its implications for cortical dynamics and coding of information. However, how reconcilable are these vanishing correlations in the AS with large-scale potentials such as M/EEG observed in most experiments? Typically the latter are assumed to be based on underlying correlations in activity, in particular between subthreshold potentials. We survey the occurrence of the AS across brain states, regions, and layers and argue for a reconciliation of this seeming disparity: large-scale potentials are either observed, first, at transitions between cortical activity states, which entail transient changes in population firing rate, as well as during the AS, and, second, on the basis of sufficiently large, asynchronous populations that only need to exhibit weak correlations in activity. Cells with no or little spiking activity can contribute to large-scale potentials via their subthreshold currents, while they do not contribute to the estimation of spiking correlations, defining the AS. Furthermore, third, the AS occurs only within particular cortical regions and layers associated with the currently selected modality, allowing for correlations at other times and between other areas and layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Alishbayli
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Tactile Perception and Learning Laboratory, International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy
| | - J. G. Tichelaar
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - U. Gorska
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Psychophysiology Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - M. X. Cohen
- Department of Neuroinformatics, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - B. Englitz
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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50
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Egger R, Narayanan RT, Guest JM, Bast A, Udvary D, Messore LF, Das S, de Kock CPJ, Oberlaender M. Cortical Output Is Gated by Horizontally Projecting Neurons in the Deep Layers. Neuron 2019; 105:122-137.e8. [PMID: 31784285 PMCID: PMC6953434 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pyramidal tract neurons (PTs) represent the major output cell type of the mammalian neocortex. Here, we report the origins of the PTs’ ability to respond to a broad range of stimuli with onset latencies that rival or even precede those of their intracortical input neurons. We find that neurons with extensive horizontally projecting axons cluster around the deep-layer terminal fields of primary thalamocortical axons. The strategic location of these corticocortical neurons results in high convergence of thalamocortical inputs, which drive reliable sensory-evoked responses that precede those in other excitatory cell types. The resultant fast and horizontal stream of excitation provides PTs throughout the cortical area with input that acts to amplify additional inputs from thalamocortical and other intracortical populations. The fast onsets and broadly tuned characteristics of PT responses hence reflect a gating mechanism in the deep layers, which assures that sensory-evoked input can be reliably transformed into cortical output. Simulations predict in vivo responses for major output cell type of the neocortex Simulations reveal strategy how to test the origins of cortical output empirically Manipulations confirm that deep-layer corticocortical neurons gate cortical output Gating of cortical output originates from deep-layer thalamocortical input stratum
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Egger
- Max Planck Research Group In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Rajeevan T Narayanan
- Max Planck Research Group In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jason M Guest
- Max Planck Research Group In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Arco Bast
- Max Planck Research Group In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Daniel Udvary
- Max Planck Research Group In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Luis F Messore
- Max Planck Research Group In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Suman Das
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan P J de Kock
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel Oberlaender
- Max Planck Research Group In Silico Brain Sciences, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany.
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