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Griffiths BJ, Schreiner T, Schaefer JK, Vollmar C, Kaufmann E, Quach S, Remi J, Noachtar S, Staudigl T. Electrophysiological signatures of veridical head direction in humans. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:1334-1350. [PMID: 38710766 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01872-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Information about heading direction is critical for navigation as it provides the means to orient ourselves in space. However, given that veridical head-direction signals require physical rotation of the head and most human neuroimaging experiments depend upon fixing the head in position, little is known about how the human brain is tuned to such heading signals. Here we adress this by asking 52 healthy participants undergoing simultaneous electroencephalography and motion tracking recordings (split into two experiments) and 10 patients undergoing simultaneous intracranial electroencephalography and motion tracking recordings to complete a series of orientation tasks in which they made physical head rotations to target positions. We then used a series of forward encoding models and linear mixed-effects models to isolate electrophysiological activity that was specifically tuned to heading direction. We identified a robust posterior central signature that predicts changes in veridical head orientation after regressing out confounds including sensory input and muscular activity. Both source localization and intracranial analysis implicated the medial temporal lobe as the origin of this effect. Subsequent analyses disentangled head-direction signatures from signals relating to head rotation and those reflecting location-specific effects. Lastly, when directly comparing head direction and eye-gaze-related tuning, we found that the brain maintains both codes while actively navigating, with stronger tuning to head direction in the medial temporal lobe. Together, these results reveal a taxonomy of population-level head-direction signals within the human brain that is reminiscent of those reported in the single units of rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Griffiths
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Thomas Schreiner
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia K Schaefer
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Vollmar
- Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Kaufmann
- Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Quach
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Remi
- Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Soheyl Noachtar
- Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Staudigl
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
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2
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Clark BJ, LaChance PA, Winter SS, Mehlman ML, Butler W, LaCour A, Taube JS. Comparison of head direction cell firing characteristics across thalamo-parahippocampal circuitry. Hippocampus 2024; 34:168-196. [PMID: 38178693 PMCID: PMC10950528 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23596] [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: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Head direction (HD) cells, which fire persistently when an animal's head is pointed in a particular direction, are widely thought to underlie an animal's sense of spatial orientation and have been identified in several limbic brain regions. Robust HD cell firing is observed throughout the thalamo-parahippocampal system, although recent studies report that parahippocampal HD cells exhibit distinct firing properties, including conjunctive aspects with other spatial parameters, which suggest they play a specialized role in spatial processing. Few studies, however, have quantified these apparent differences. Here, we performed a comparative assessment of HD cell firing characteristics across the anterior dorsal thalamus (ADN), postsubiculum (PoS), parasubiculum (PaS), medial entorhinal (MEC), and postrhinal (POR) cortices. We report that HD cells with a high degree of directional specificity were observed in all five brain regions, but ADN HD cells display greater sharpness and stability in their preferred directions, and greater anticipation of future headings compared to parahippocampal regions. Additional analysis indicated that POR HD cells were more coarsely modulated by other spatial parameters compared to PoS, PaS, and MEC. Finally, our analyses indicated that the sharpness of HD tuning decreased as a function of laminar position and conjunctive coding within the PoS, PaS, and MEC, with cells in the superficial layers along with conjunctive firing properties showing less robust directional tuning. The results are discussed in relation to theories of functional organization of HD cell tuning in thalamo-parahippocampal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Patrick A LaChance
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Shawn S Winter
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Max L Mehlman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Will Butler
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Ariyana LaCour
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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3
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Duszkiewicz AJ, Orhan P, Skromne Carrasco S, Brown EH, Owczarek E, Vite GR, Wood ER, Peyrache A. Local origin of excitatory-inhibitory tuning equivalence in a cortical network. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:782-792. [PMID: 38491324 PMCID: PMC11001581 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01588-5] [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: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The interplay between excitation and inhibition determines the fidelity of cortical representations. The receptive fields of excitatory neurons are often finely tuned to encoded features, but the principles governing the tuning of inhibitory neurons remain elusive. In this study, we recorded populations of neurons in the mouse postsubiculum (PoSub), where the majority of excitatory neurons are head-direction (HD) cells. We show that the tuning of fast-spiking (FS) cells, the largest class of cortical inhibitory neurons, was broad and frequently radially symmetrical. By decomposing tuning curves using the Fourier transform, we identified an equivalence in tuning between PoSub-FS and PoSub-HD cell populations. Furthermore, recordings, optogenetic manipulations of upstream thalamic populations and computational modeling provide evidence that the tuning of PoSub-FS cells has a local origin. These findings support the notion that the equivalence of neuronal tuning between excitatory and inhibitory cell populations is an intrinsic property of local cortical networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian J Duszkiewicz
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
| | - Pierre Orhan
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Ecole normale supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Sofia Skromne Carrasco
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eleanor H Brown
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eliott Owczarek
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gilberto R Vite
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emma R Wood
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adrien Peyrache
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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4
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Guo J, Wang J, Liang P, Tian E, Liu D, Guo Z, Chen J, Zhang Y, Zhou Z, Kong W, Crans DC, Lu Y, Zhang S. Vestibular dysfunction leads to cognitive impairments: State of knowledge in the field and clinical perspectives (Review). Int J Mol Med 2024; 53:36. [PMID: 38391090 PMCID: PMC10914312 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2024.5360] [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: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The vestibular system may have a critical role in the integration of sensory information and the maintenance of cognitive function. A dysfunction in the vestibular system has a significant impact on quality of life. Recent research has provided evidence of a connection between vestibular information and cognitive functions, such as spatial memory, navigation and attention. Although the exact mechanisms linking the vestibular system to cognition remain elusive, researchers have identified various pathways. Vestibular dysfunction may lead to the degeneration of cortical vestibular network regions and adversely affect synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis in the hippocampus, ultimately contributing to neuronal atrophy and cell death, resulting in memory and visuospatial deficits. Furthermore, the extent of cognitive impairment varies depending on the specific type of vestibular disease. In the present study, the current literature was reviewed, potential causal relationships between vestibular dysfunction and cognitive performance were discussed and directions for future research were proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Guo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Pei Liang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P.R. China
| | - E Tian
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Dan Liu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Zhaoqi Guo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Jingyu Chen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Yuejin Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
- Institute of Brain Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Zhanghong Zhou
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Weijia Kong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Debbie C. Crans
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Yisheng Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
- Institute of Brain Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Sulin Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
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5
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van der Goes MSH, Voigts J, Newman JP, Toloza EHS, Brown NJ, Murugan P, Harnett MT. Coordinated head direction representations in mouse anterodorsal thalamic nucleus and retrosplenial cortex. eLife 2024; 13:e82952. [PMID: 38470232 PMCID: PMC10932540 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82952] [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: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The sense of direction is critical for survival in changing environments and relies on flexibly integrating self-motion signals with external sensory cues. While the anatomical substrates involved in head direction (HD) coding are well known, the mechanisms by which visual information updates HD representations remain poorly understood. Retrosplenial cortex (RSC) plays a key role in forming coherent representations of space in mammals and it encodes a variety of navigational variables, including HD. Here, we use simultaneous two-area tetrode recording to show that RSC HD representation is nearly synchronous with that of the anterodorsal nucleus of thalamus (ADn), the obligatory thalamic relay of HD to cortex, during rotation of a prominent visual cue. Moreover, coordination of HD representations in the two regions is maintained during darkness. We further show that anatomical and functional connectivity are consistent with a strong feedforward drive of HD information from ADn to RSC, with anatomically restricted corticothalamic feedback. Together, our results indicate a concerted global HD reference update across cortex and thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Sophie H van der Goes
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Jakob Voigts
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Open-Ephys IncAtlantaUnited States
- HHMI Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Jonathan P Newman
- Open-Ephys IncAtlantaUnited States
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Enrique HS Toloza
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Norma J Brown
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Pranav Murugan
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
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6
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LaChance PA, Taube JS. The Anterior Thalamus Preferentially Drives Allocentric But Not Egocentric Orientation Tuning in Postrhinal Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0861232024. [PMID: 38286624 PMCID: PMC10919204 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0861-23.2024] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Navigating a complex world requires integration of multiple spatial reference frames, including information about one's orientation in both allocentric and egocentric coordinates. Combining these two information sources can provide additional information about one's spatial location. Previous studies have demonstrated that both egocentric and allocentric spatial signals are reflected by the firing of neurons in the rat postrhinal cortex (POR), an area that may serve as a hub for integrating allocentric head direction (HD) cell information with egocentric information from center-bearing and center-distance cells. However, we have also demonstrated that POR HD cells are uniquely influenced by the visual properties and locations of visual landmarks, bringing into question whether the POR HD signal is truly allocentric as opposed to simply being a response to visual stimuli. To investigate this issue, we recorded HD cells from the POR of female rats while bilaterally inactivating the anterior thalamus (ATN), a region critical for expression of the "classic" HD signal in cortical areas. We found that ATN inactivation led to a significant decrease in both firing rate and tuning strength for POR HD cells, as well as a disruption in the encoding of allocentric location by conjunctive HD/egocentric cells. In contrast, POR egocentric cells without HD tuning were largely unaffected in a consistent manner by ATN inactivation. These results indicate that the POR HD signal originates at least partially from projections from the ATN and supports the view that the POR acts as a hub for the integration of egocentric and allocentric spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A LaChance
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
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7
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Chen D, Axmacher N, Wang L. Grid codes underlie multiple cognitive maps in the human brain. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 233:102569. [PMID: 38232782 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102569] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Grid cells fire at multiple positions that organize the vertices of equilateral triangles tiling a 2D space and are well studied in rodents. The last decade witnessed rapid progress in two other research lines on grid codes-empirical studies on distributed human grid-like representations in physical and multiple non-physical spaces, and cognitive computational models addressing the function of grid cells based on principles of efficient and predictive coding. Here, we review the progress in these fields and integrate these lines into a systematic organization. We also discuss the coordinate mechanisms of grid codes in the human entorhinal cortex and medial prefrontal cortex and their role in neurological and psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, 100101, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Liang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, 100101, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
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8
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Cano-Ferrer X, Tran-Van-Minh A, Rancz E. RPM: An open-source Rotation Platform for open- and closed-loop vestibular stimulation in head-fixed Mice. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 401:110002. [PMID: 37925080 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.110002] [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: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Head fixation allows the recording and presentation of controlled stimuli and is used to study neural processes underlying spatial navigation. However, it disrupts the head direction system because of the lack of vestibular stimulation. To overcome this limitation, we developed a novel rotation platform which can be driven by the experimenter (open-loop) or by animal movement (closed-loop). The platform is modular, affordable, easy to build and open source. Additional modules presented here include cameras for monitoring eye movements, visual virtual reality, and a micro-manipulator for positioning various probes for recording or optical interference. We demonstrate the utility of the platform by recording eye movements and showing the robust activation of head-direction cells. This novel experimental apparatus combines the advantages of head fixation and intact vestibular activity in the horizontal plane. The open-loop mode can be used to study e.g., vestibular sensory representation and processing, while the closed-loop mode allows animals to navigate in rotational space, providing a better substrate for 2-D navigation in virtual environments. The full build documentation is maintained at https://ranczlab.github.io/RPM/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Cano-Ferrer
- The Francis Crick Institute, Cortical Circuits Laboratory, London NW1 1AT, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, Making Science and Technology Platform, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Ede Rancz
- The Francis Crick Institute, Cortical Circuits Laboratory, London NW1 1AT, UK; INMED, INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, France.
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9
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Blanco-Hernández E, Balsamo G, Preston-Ferrer P, Burgalossi A. Sensory and behavioral modulation of thalamic head-direction cells. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:28-33. [PMID: 38177338 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01506-1] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Head-direction (HD) neurons are thought to exclusively encode directional heading. In awake mice, we found that sensory stimuli evoked robust short-latency responses in thalamic HD cells, but not in non-HD neurons. The activity of HD cells, but not that of non-HD neurons, was tightly correlated to brain-state fluctuations and dynamically modulated during social interactions. These data point to a new role for the thalamic compass in relaying sensory and behavioral-state information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Blanco-Hernández
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner-Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Balsamo
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner-Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, IMPRS, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Patricia Preston-Ferrer
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Werner-Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Andrea Burgalossi
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Werner-Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany.
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10
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Graham JA, Dumont JR, Winter SS, Brown JE, LaChance PA, Amon CC, Farnes KB, Morris AJ, Streltzov NA, Taube JS. Angular Head Velocity Cells within Brainstem Nuclei Projecting to the Head Direction Circuit. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8403-8424. [PMID: 37871964 PMCID: PMC10711713 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0581-23.2023] [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: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The sense of orientation of an animal is derived from the head direction (HD) system found in several limbic structures and depends on an intact vestibular labyrinth. However, how the vestibular system influences the generation and updating of the HD signal remains poorly understood. Anatomical and lesion studies point toward three key brainstem nuclei as key components for generating the HD signal-nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, supragenual nucleus, and dorsal paragigantocellularis reticular nuclei. Collectively, these nuclei are situated between the vestibular nuclei and the dorsal tegmental and lateral mammillary nuclei, which are thought to serve as the origin of the HD signal. To determine the types of information these brain areas convey to the HD network, we recorded neurons from these regions while female rats actively foraged in a cylindrical enclosure or were restrained and rotated passively. During foraging, a large subset of cells in all three nuclei exhibited activity that correlated with the angular head velocity (AHV) of the rat. Two fundamental types of AHV cells were observed; (1) symmetrical AHV cells increased or decreased their firing with increases in AHV regardless of the direction of rotation, and (2) asymmetrical AHV cells responded differentially to clockwise and counterclockwise head rotations. When rats were passively rotated, some AHV cells remained sensitive to AHV, whereas firing was attenuated in other cells. In addition, a large number of AHV cells were modulated by linear head velocity. These results indicate the types of information conveyed from the vestibular nuclei that are responsible for generating the HD signal.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Extracellular recording of brainstem nuclei (nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, supragenual nucleus, and dorsal paragigantocellularis reticular nucleus) that project to the head direction circuit identified different types of AHV cells while rats freely foraged in a cylindrical environment. The firing of many cells was also modulated by linear velocity. When rats were restrained and passively rotated, some cells remained sensitive to AHV, whereas others had attenuated firing. These brainstem nuclei provide critical information about the rotational movement of the head of the rat in the azimuthal plane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalina A Graham
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Julie R Dumont
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Shawn S Winter
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Joel E Brown
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Patrick A LaChance
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Carly C Amon
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Kara B Farnes
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Ashlyn J Morris
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Nicholas A Streltzov
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, New Hampshire 03755
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11
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Robinson JC, Ying J, Hasselmo ME, Brandon MP. Optogenetic Silencing of Medial Septal GABAergic Neurons Disrupts Grid Cell Spatial and Temporal Coding in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.08.566228. [PMID: 37986986 PMCID: PMC10659309 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.08.566228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus and medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) form a cognitive map that facilitates spatial navigation. As part of this map, MEC grid cells fire in a repeating hexagonal pattern across an environment. This grid pattern relies on inputs from the medial septum (MS). The MS, and specifically its GABAergic neurons, are essential for theta rhythm oscillations in the entorhinal-hippocampal network, however, it is unknown if this subpopulation is also essential for grid cell function. To investigate this, we used optogenetics to inhibit MS-GABAergic neurons during grid cell recordings. We found that MS-GABAergic inhibition disrupted grid cell spatial periodicity both during optogenetic inhibition and during short 30-second recovery periods. Longer recovery periods of 60 seconds between the optogenetic inhibition periods allowed for the recovery of grid cell spatial firing. Grid cell temporal coding was also disrupted, as observed by a significant attenuation of theta phase precession. Together, these results demonstrate that MS-GABAergic neurons are critical for grid cell spatial and temporal coding in the MEC.
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12
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Parra-Barrero E, Vijayabaskaran S, Seabrook E, Wiskott L, Cheng S. A map of spatial navigation for neuroscience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105200. [PMID: 37178943 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Spatial navigation has received much attention from neuroscientists, leading to the identification of key brain areas and the discovery of numerous spatially selective cells. Despite this progress, our understanding of how the pieces fit together to drive behavior is generally lacking. We argue that this is partly caused by insufficient communication between behavioral and neuroscientific researchers. This has led the latter to under-appreciate the relevance and complexity of spatial behavior, and to focus too narrowly on characterizing neural representations of space-disconnected from the computations these representations are meant to enable. We therefore propose a taxonomy of navigation processes in mammals that can serve as a common framework for structuring and facilitating interdisciplinary research in the field. Using the taxonomy as a guide, we review behavioral and neural studies of spatial navigation. In doing so, we validate the taxonomy and showcase its usefulness in identifying potential issues with common experimental approaches, designing experiments that adequately target particular behaviors, correctly interpreting neural activity, and pointing to new avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloy Parra-Barrero
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sandhiya Vijayabaskaran
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Eddie Seabrook
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Laurenz Wiskott
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sen Cheng
- Institute for Neural Computation, Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
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13
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Lomi E, Jeffery KJ, Mitchell AS. Convergence of location, direction, and theta in the rat anteroventral thalamic nucleus. iScience 2023; 26:106993. [PMID: 37448560 PMCID: PMC10336163 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106993] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamus and cortex are anatomically interconnected, with the thalamus providing integral information for cortical functions. The anteroventral thalamic nucleus (AV) is reciprocally connected to retrosplenial cortex (RSC). Two distinct AV subfields, dorsomedial (AVDM) and ventrolateral (AVVL), project differentially to granular vs. dysgranular RSC, respectively. To probe if functional responses of AV neurons differ, we recorded single neurons and local field potentials from AVDM and AVVL in rats during foraging. We observed place cells (neurons modulated by spatial location) in both AVDM and AVVL. Additionally, we characterized neurons modulated by theta oscillations, heading direction, and a conjunction of these. Place cells and conjunctive Theta-by-Head direction cells were more prevalent in AVVL; more non-conjunctive theta and directional neurons were prevalent in AVDM. These findings add further evidence that there are two thalamocortical circuits connecting AV and RSC, and reveal that the signaling involves place information in addition to direction and theta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Lomi
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, OX1 3SR Oxford, UK
| | - Kate J. Jeffery
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8QB Glasgow, UK
| | - Anna S. Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, OX1 3SR Oxford, UK
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14
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Donato F, Xu Schwartzlose A, Viana Mendes RA. How Do You Build a Cognitive Map? The Development of Circuits and Computations for the Representation of Space in the Brain. Annu Rev Neurosci 2023; 46:281-299. [PMID: 37428607 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-090922-010618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, the activity of neurons in the entorhinal-hippocampal network is modulated by the animal's position and its movement through space. At multiple stages of this distributed circuit, distinct populations of neurons can represent a rich repertoire of navigation-related variables like the animal's location, the speed and direction of its movements, or the presence of borders and objects. Working together, spatially tuned neurons give rise to an internal representation of space, a cognitive map that supports an animal's ability to navigate the world and to encode and consolidate memories from experience. The mechanisms by which, during development, the brain acquires the ability to create an internal representation of space are just beginning to be elucidated. In this review, we examine recent work that has begun to investigate the ontogeny of circuitry, firing patterns, and computations underpinning the representation of space in the mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio Donato
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland;
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15
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Keshavarzi S, Velez-Fort M, Margrie TW. Cortical Integration of Vestibular and Visual Cues for Navigation, Visual Processing, and Perception. Annu Rev Neurosci 2023; 46:301-320. [PMID: 37428601 PMCID: PMC7616138 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-120722-100503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing evidence of its involvement in several key functions of the cerebral cortex, the vestibular sense rarely enters our consciousness. Indeed, the extent to which these internal signals are incorporated within cortical sensory representation and how they might be relied upon for sensory-driven decision-making, during, for example, spatial navigation, is yet to be understood. Recent novel experimental approaches in rodents have probed both the physiological and behavioral significance of vestibular signals and indicate that their widespread integration with vision improves both the cortical representation and perceptual accuracy of self-motion and orientation. Here, we summarize these recent findings with a focus on cortical circuits involved in visual perception and spatial navigation and highlight the major remaining knowledge gaps. We suggest that vestibulo-visual integration reflects a process of constant updating regarding the status of self-motion, and access to such information by the cortex is used for sensory perception and predictions that may be implemented for rapid, navigation-related decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepiedeh Keshavarzi
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Mateo Velez-Fort
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Troy W Margrie
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
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16
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Ying J, Reboreda A, Yoshida M, Brandon MP. Grid cell disruption in a mouse model of early Alzheimer's disease reflects reduced integration of self-motion cues. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00547-X. [PMID: 37220744 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.065] [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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence from human and rodent studies suggests that disrupted grid cell coding in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) underlies path integration behavioral deficits during early Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, grid cell firing relies on both self-motion cues and environmental features, and it remains unclear whether disrupted grid coding can account for specific path integration deficits reported during early AD. Here, we report in the J20 transgenic amyloid beta (Aβ) mouse model of early AD that grid cells were spatially unstable toward the center of the arena, had qualitatively different spatial components that aligned parallel to the borders of the environment, and exhibited impaired integration of distance traveled via reduced theta phase precession. Our results suggest that disrupted early AD grid coding reflects reduced integration of self-motion cues but not environmental information via geometric boundaries, providing evidence that grid cell impairments underlie path integration deficits during early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnson Ying
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Antonio Reboreda
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Motoharu Yoshida
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg 39106, Germany
| | - Mark P Brandon
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.
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17
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Alexander AS, Robinson JC, Stern CE, Hasselmo ME. Gated transformations from egocentric to allocentric reference frames involving retrosplenial cortex, entorhinal cortex, and hippocampus. Hippocampus 2023; 33:465-487. [PMID: 36861201 PMCID: PMC10403145 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews the recent experimental finding that neurons in behaving rodents show egocentric coding of the environment in a number of structures associated with the hippocampus. Many animals generating behavior on the basis of sensory input must deal with the transformation of coordinates from the egocentric position of sensory input relative to the animal, into an allocentric framework concerning the position of multiple goals and objects relative to each other in the environment. Neurons in retrosplenial cortex show egocentric coding of the position of boundaries in relation to an animal. These neuronal responses are discussed in relation to existing models of the transformation from egocentric to allocentric coordinates using gain fields and a new model proposing transformations of phase coding that differ from current models. The same type of transformations could allow hierarchical representations of complex scenes. The responses in rodents are also discussed in comparison to work on coordinate transformations in humans and non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Alexander
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jennifer C Robinson
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chantal E Stern
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael E Hasselmo
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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18
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Graham JA, Dumont JR, Winter SS, Brown JE, LaChance PA, Amon CC, Farnes KB, Morris AJ, Streltzov NA, Taube JS. Angular head velocity cells within brainstem nuclei projecting to the head direction circuit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.29.534808. [PMID: 37034640 PMCID: PMC10081164 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.29.534808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
An animal's perceived sense of orientation depends upon the head direction (HD) system found in several limbic structures and depends upon an intact peripheral vestibular labyrinth. However, how the vestibular system influences the generation, maintenance, and updating of the HD signal remains poorly understood. Anatomical and lesion studies point towards three key brainstem nuclei as being potential critical components in generating the HD signal: nucleus prepositus hypoglossi (NPH), supragenual nucleus (SGN), and dorsal paragigantocellularis reticular nuclei (PGRNd). Collectively, these nuclei are situated between the vestibular nuclei and the dorsal tegmental and lateral mammillary nuclei, which are thought to serve as the origin of the HD signal. To test this hypothesis, extracellular recordings were made in these areas while rats either freely foraged in a cylindrical environment or were restrained and rotated passively. During foraging, a large subset of cells in all three nuclei exhibited activity that correlated with changes in the rat's angular head velocity (AHV). Two fundamental types of AHV cells were observed: 1) symmetrical AHV cells increased or decreased their neural firing with increases in AHV regardless of the direction of rotation; 2) asymmetrical AHV cells responded differentially to clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW) head rotations. When rats were passively rotated, some AHV cells remained sensitive to AHV whereas others had attenuated firing. In addition, a large number of AHV cells were modulated by linear head velocity. These results indicate the types of information conveyed in the ascending vestibular pathways that are responsible for generating the HD signal. Significance Statement Extracellular recording of brainstem nuclei (nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, supragenual nucleus, and dorsal paragigantocellularis reticular nucleus) that project to the head direction circuit identified different types of angular head velocity (AHV) cells while rats freely foraged in a cylindrical environment. The firing of many cells was also modulated by linear velocity. When rats were restrained and passively rotated some cells remained sensitive to AHV, whereas others had attenuated firing. These brainstem nuclei provide critical information about the rotational movement of the rat's head in the azimuthal plane.
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19
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Lai SK, Wu KLK, Ma CW, Ng KP, Hu XQ, Tam KW, Yung WH, Wang YT, Wong TP, Shum DKY, Chan YS. Timely insertion of AMPA receptor in developing vestibular circuits is required for manifestation of righting reflexes and effective navigation. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 221:102402. [PMID: 36608782 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102402] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Vestibular information processed first by the brainstem vestibular nucleus (VN), and further by cerebellum and thalamus, underlies diverse brain function. These include the righting reflexes and spatial cognitive behaviour. While the cerebellar and thalamic circuits that decode vestibular information are known, the importance of VN neurons and the temporal requirements for their maturation that allow developmental consolidation of the aforementioned circuits remains unclear. We show that timely unsilencing of glutamatergic circuits in the VN by NMDA receptor-mediated insertion of AMPAR receptor type 1 (GluA1) subunits is critical for maturation of VN and successful consolidation of higher circuits that process vestibular information. Delayed unsilencing of NMDA receptor-only synapses of neonatal VN neurons permanently decreased their functional connectivity with inferior olive circuits. This was accompanied by delayed pruning of the inferior olive inputs to Purkinje cells and permanent reduction in their plasticity. These derangements led to deficits in associated vestibular righting reflexes and motor co-ordination during voluntary movement. Vestibular-dependent recruitment of thalamic neurons was similarly reduced, resulting in permanently decreased efficiency of spatial navigation. The findings thus show that well-choreographed maturation of the nascent vestibular circuitry is prerequisite for functional integration of vestibular signals into ascending pathways for diverse vestibular-related behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suk-King Lai
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Kenneth Lap Kei Wu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Chun-Wai Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Ka-Pak Ng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Xiao-Qian Hu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Kin-Wai Tam
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Wing-Ho Yung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Yu Tian Wang
- Department of Medicine and Brain Research Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tak Pan Wong
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Daisy Kwok-Yan Shum
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
| | - Ying-Shing Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
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20
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Place cells dynamically refine grid cell activities to reduce error accumulation during path integration in a continuous attractor model. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21443. [PMID: 36509873 PMCID: PMC9744848 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25863-2] [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: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Navigation is one of the most fundamental skills of animals. During spatial navigation, grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex process speed and direction of the animal to map the environment. Hippocampal place cells, in turn, encode place using sensory signals and reduce the accumulated error of grid cells for path integration. Although both cell types are part of the path integration system, the dynamic relationship between place and grid cells and the error reduction mechanism is yet to be understood. We implemented a realistic model of grid cells based on a continuous attractor model. The grid cell model was coupled to a place cell model to address their dynamic relationship during a simulated animal's exploration of a square arena. The grid cell model processed the animal's velocity and place field information from place cells. Place cells incorporated salient visual features and proximity information with input from grid cells to define their place fields. Grid cells had similar spatial phases but a diversity of spacings and orientations. To determine the role of place cells in error reduction for path integration, the animal's position estimates were decoded from grid cell activities with and without the place field input. We found that the accumulated error was reduced as place fields emerged during the exploration. Place fields closer to the animal's current location contributed more to the error reduction than remote place fields. Place cells' fields encoding space could function as spatial anchoring signals for precise path integration by grid cells.
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21
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Querying hippocampal replay with subcortical inputs. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 77:102645. [PMID: 36335912 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
During sleep, the hippocampus recapitulates neuronal patterns corresponding to behavioral trajectories during previous experiences. This hippocampal replay supports the formation of long-term memories. Yet, whether replay originates within the hippocampal circuitry or is initiated by extrahippocampal inputs is unknown. Here, I review recent findings regarding the organization of neuronal activity upstream to the hippocampus, in the head-direction (HD) and grid cell networks, and its relationship to replay. I argue that hippocampal activity at the onset of replay is under the influence of signals from primary spatial areas. In turn, hippocampal replay resets the HD network activity to select a new direction for the next replay event. This reciprocal interaction between the HD network and the hippocampus may be essential in grounding meaning to hippocampal activity, specifically by training decoders of hippocampal sequences. Neuronal dynamics in thalamo-hippocampal loops may thus be instrumental for memory processes during sleep.
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22
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Mao D. Neural Correlates of Spatial Navigation in Primate Hippocampus. Neurosci Bull 2022; 39:315-327. [PMID: 36319893 PMCID: PMC9905402 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00968-w] [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] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus has been extensively implicated in spatial navigation in rodents and more recently in bats. Numerous studies have revealed that various kinds of spatial information are encoded across hippocampal regions. In contrast, investigations of spatial behavioral correlates in the primate hippocampus are scarce and have been mostly limited to head-restrained subjects during virtual navigation. However, recent advances made in freely-moving primates suggest marked differences in spatial representations from rodents, albeit some similarities. Here, we review empirical studies examining the neural correlates of spatial navigation in the primate (including human) hippocampus at the levels of local field potentials and single units. The lower frequency theta oscillations are often intermittent. Single neuron responses are highly mixed and task-dependent. We also discuss neuronal selectivity in the eye and head coordinates. Finally, we propose that future studies should focus on investigating both intrinsic and extrinsic population activity and examining spatial coding properties in large-scale hippocampal-neocortical networks across tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dun Mao
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligent Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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23
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Grieves RM, Shinder ME, Rosow LK, Kenna MS, Taube JS. The Neural Correlates of Spatial Disorientation in Head Direction Cells. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0174-22.2022. [PMID: 36635237 PMCID: PMC9770022 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0174-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While the brain has evolved robust mechanisms to counter spatial disorientation, their neural underpinnings remain unknown. To explore these underpinnings, we monitored the activity of anterodorsal thalamic head direction (HD) cells in rats while they underwent unidirectional or bidirectional rotation at different speeds and under different conditions (light vs dark, freely-moving vs head-fixed). Under conditions that promoted disorientation, HD cells did not become quiescent but continued to fire, although their firing was no longer direction specific. Peak firing rates, burst frequency, and directionality all decreased linearly with rotation speed, consistent with previous experiments where rats were inverted or climbed walls/ceilings in zero gravity. However, access to visual landmarks spared the stability of preferred firing directions (PFDs), indicating that visual landmarks provide a stabilizing signal to the HD system while vestibular input likely maintains direction-specific firing. In addition, we found evidence that the HD system underestimated angular velocity at the beginning of head-fixed rotations, consistent with the finding that humans often underestimate rotations. When head-fixed rotations in the dark were terminated HD cells fired in bursts that matched the frequency of rotation. This postrotational bursting shared several striking similarities with postrotational "nystagmus" in the vestibulo-ocular system, consistent with the interpretation that the HD system receives input from a vestibular velocity storage mechanism that works to reduce spatial disorientation following rotation. Thus, the brain overcomes spatial disorientation through multisensory integration of different motor-sensory inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roddy M Grieves
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Michael E Shinder
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Laura K Rosow
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Megan S Kenna
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
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24
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Rondi-Reig L, Paradis AL, Fallahnezhad M. A Liaison Brought to Light: Cerebellum-Hippocampus, Partners for Spatial Cognition. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 21:826-837. [PMID: 35752720 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-022-01422-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
This review focuses on the functional and anatomical links between the cerebellum and the hippocampus and the role of their interplay in goal-directed navigation and spatial cognition. We will describe the interactions between the cerebellum and the hippocampus at different scales: a macroscopic scale revealing the joint activations of these two structures at the level of neuronal circuits, a mesoscopic scale highlighting the synchronization of neuronal oscillations, and finally a cellular scale where we will describe the activity of hippocampal neuronal assemblies following a targeted manipulation of the cerebellar system. We will take advantage of this framework to summarize the different anatomical pathways that may sustain this multiscale interaction. We will finally consider the possible influence of the cerebellum on pathologies traditionally associated with hippocampal dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Rondi-Reig
- Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Cerebellum Navigation and Memory Team (CeZaMe), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine (NPS), 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Anne-Lise Paradis
- Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Cerebellum Navigation and Memory Team (CeZaMe), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine (NPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Mehdi Fallahnezhad
- Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Cerebellum Navigation and Memory Team (CeZaMe), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine (NPS), 75005, Paris, France
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25
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Lingo VanGilder J, Bergamino M, Hooyman A, Fitzhugh MC, Rogalsky C, Stewart JC, Beeman SC, Schaefer SY. Using whole-brain diffusion tensor analysis to evaluate white matter structural correlates of delayed visuospatial memory and one-week motor skill retention in nondemented older adults: A preliminary study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274955. [PMID: 36137126 PMCID: PMC9499308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Skill retention is important for motor rehabilitation outcomes. Recent work has demonstrated that delayed visuospatial memory performance may predict motor skill retention in older and neuropathological populations. White matter integrity between parietal and frontal cortices may explain variance in upper-extremity motor learning tasks and visuospatial processes. We performed a whole-brain analysis to determine the white matter correlates of delayed visuospatial memory and one-week motor skill retention in nondemented older adults. We hypothesized that better frontoparietal tract integrity would be positively related to better behavioral performance. Nineteen participants (age>58) completed diffusion-weighted imaging, then a clinical test of delayed visuospatial memory and 50 training trials of an upper-extremity motor task; participants were retested on the motor task one week later. Principal component analysis was used to create a composite score for each participant's behavioral data, i.e. shared variance between delayed visuospatial memory and motor skill retention, which was then entered into a voxel-based regression analysis. Behavioral results demonstrated that participants learned and retained their skill level after a week of no practice, and their delayed visuospatial memory score was positively related to the extent of skill retention. Consistent with previous work, neuroimaging results indicated that regions within bilateral anterior thalamic radiations, corticospinal tracts, and superior longitudinal fasciculi were related to better delayed visuospatial memory and skill retention. Results of this study suggest that the simple act of testing for specific cognitive impairments prior to therapy may identify older adults who will receive little to no benefit from the motor rehabilitation regimen, and that these neural regions may be potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennapher Lingo VanGilder
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Maurizio Bergamino
- Barrow Neuroimaging Innovation Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Andrew Hooyman
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Megan C. Fitzhugh
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Corianne Rogalsky
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Jill C. Stewart
- Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Scott C. Beeman
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Sydney Y. Schaefer
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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26
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Asumbisa K, Peyrache A, Trenholm S. Flexible cue anchoring strategies enable stable head direction coding in both sighted and blind animals. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5483. [PMID: 36123333 PMCID: PMC9485117 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33204-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Vision plays a crucial role in instructing the brain’s spatial navigation systems. However, little is known about how vision loss affects the neuronal encoding of spatial information. Here, recording from head direction (HD) cells in the anterior dorsal nucleus of the thalamus in mice, we find stable and robust HD tuning in rd1 mice, a model of photoreceptor degeneration, that go blind by approximately one month of age. In contrast, placing sighted animals in darkness significantly impairs HD cell tuning. We find that blind mice use olfactory cues to maintain stable HD tuning and that prior visual experience leads to refined HD cell tuning in blind rd1 adult mice compared to congenitally blind animals. Finally, in the absence of both visual and olfactory cues, the HD attractor network remains intact but the preferred firing direction of HD cells drifts over time. These findings demonstrate flexibility in how the brain uses diverse sensory information to generate a stable directional representation of space. Vision plays an important role in the head direction cell system in animals. Here the authors recorded from head direction cells in rd1 mice that show retinal degeneration at 1 month, and find that they use smell cues to maintain stable HD tuning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kadjita Asumbisa
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Adrien Peyrache
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Stuart Trenholm
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
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27
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Aggleton JP, Nelson AJD, O'Mara SM. Time to retire the serial Papez circuit: Implications for space, memory, and attention. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104813. [PMID: 35940310 PMCID: PMC10804970 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
After more than 80 years, Papez serial circuit remains a hugely influential concept, initially for emotion, but in more recent decades, for memory. Here, we show how this circuit is anatomically and mechanistically naïve as well as outdated. We argue that a new conceptualisation is necessitated by recent anatomical and functional findings that emphasize the more equal, working partnerships between the anterior thalamic nuclei and the hippocampal formation, along with their neocortical interactions in supporting, episodic memory. Furthermore, despite the importance of the anterior thalamic for mnemonic processing, there is growing evidence that these nuclei support multiple aspects of cognition, only some of which are directly associated with hippocampal function. By viewing the anterior thalamic nuclei as a multifunctional hub, a clearer picture emerges of extra-hippocampal regions supporting memory. The reformulation presented here underlines the need to retire Papez serially processing circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK.
| | - Andrew J D Nelson
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK
| | - Shane M O'Mara
- School of Psychology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
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28
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Caputi A, Liu X, Fuchs EC, Liu YC, Monyer H. Medial entorhinal cortex commissural input regulates the activity of spatially and object-tuned cells contributing to episodic memory. Neuron 2022; 110:3389-3405.e7. [PMID: 36084654 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Extensive interhemispheric projections connect many homotopic brain regions, including the hippocampal formation, but little is known as to how information transfer affects the functions supported by the target area. Here, we studied whether the commissural projections connecting the medial entorhinal cortices contribute to spatial coding, object coding, and memory. We demonstrate that input from the contralateral medial entorhinal cortex targets all major cell types in the superficial medial entorhinal cortex, modulating their firing rate. Notably, a fraction of responsive cells displayed object tuning and exhibited a reduction in their firing rate upon the inhibition of commissural input. In line with this finding are behavioral results that revealed the contribution of commissural input to episodic-like memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Caputi
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xinghua Liu
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elke C Fuchs
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yu-Chao Liu
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hannah Monyer
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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29
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Abstract
Anterior thalamus exhibits significant functional changes with increasing age. While it has been associated with cognitive functions, the specific circuitry relevant for working memory remains unknown. The significance of this study is threefold: First, the anteroventral subdivision of anterior thalamic nuclei is necessary for working memory maintenance; second, aged mice showed a decrease in the excitability of anteroventral thalamic neurons, which correlated with a working memory impairment; and third, activating anteroventral thalamic neurons in aged mice was sufficient to improve their working memory. Alterations in the structure and functional connectivity of anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN) have been linked to reduced cognition during aging. However, ATN circuits that contribute to higher cognitive functions remain understudied. We found that the anteroventral (AV) subdivision of ATN is necessary specifically during the maintenance phase of a spatial working memory task. This function engages the AV→parasubiculum (PaS)→entorhinal cortex (EC) circuit. Aged mice showed a deficit in spatial working memory, which was associated with a decrease in the excitability of AV neurons. Activation of AV neurons or the AV→PaS circuit in aged mice was sufficient to rescue their working memory performance. Furthermore, rescued aged mice showed improved behavior-induced neuronal activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC), a critical site for working memory processes. Although the direct activation of PFC neurons in aged mice also rescued their working memory performance, we found that these animals exhibited increased levels of anxiety, which was not the case for AV→PaS circuit manipulations in aged mice. These results suggest that targeting AV thalamus in aging may not only be beneficial for cognitive functions but that this approach may have fewer unintended effects compared to direct PFC manipulations.
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30
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Long X, Deng B, Young CK, Liu G, Zhong Z, Chen Q, Yang H, Lv S, Chen ZS, Zhang S. Sharp Tuning of Head Direction and Angular Head Velocity Cells in the Somatosensory Cortex. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2200020. [PMID: 35297541 PMCID: PMC9109065 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202200020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Head direction (HD) cells form a fundamental component in the brain's spatial navigation system and are intricately linked to spatial memory and cognition. Although HD cells have been shown to act as an internal neuronal compass in various cortical and subcortical regions, the neural substrate of HD cells is incompletely understood. It is reported that HD cells in the somatosensory cortex comprise regular-spiking (RS, putative excitatory) and fast-spiking (FS, putative inhibitory) neurons. Surprisingly, somatosensory FS HD cells fire in bursts and display much sharper head-directionality than RS HD cells. These FS HD cells are nonconjunctive, rarely theta rhythmic, sparsely connected and enriched in layer 5. Moreover, sharply tuned FS HD cells, in contrast with RS HD cells, maintain stable tuning in darkness; FS HD cells' coexistence with RS HD cells and angular head velocity (AHV) cells in a layer-specific fashion through the somatosensory cortex presents a previously unreported configuration of spatial representation in the neocortex. Together, these findings challenge the notion that FS interneurons are weakly tuned to sensory stimuli, and offer a local circuit organization relevant to the generation and transmission of HD signaling in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Long
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Bin Deng
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Calvin K. Young
- Department of PsychologyBrain Health Research CentreUniversity of OtagoDunedin9054New Zealand
| | - Guo‐Long Liu
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Zeqi Zhong
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Qian Chen
- Center for Biomedical AnalysisCollege of Basic MedicineArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Hui Yang
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Sheng‐Qing Lv
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of PsychiatryDepartment of Neuroscience and PhysiologyNeuroscience InstituteNew York University School of MedicineNew YorkNY10016USA
| | - Sheng‐Jia Zhang
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao HospitalArmy Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
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31
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The anterior thalamic nuclei: core components of a tripartite episodic memory system. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:505-516. [PMID: 35478245 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00591-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Standard models of episodic memory focus on hippocampal-parahippocampal interactions, with the neocortex supplying sensory information and providing a final repository of mnemonic representations. However, recent advances have shown that other regions make distinct and equally critical contributions to memory. In particular, there is growing evidence that the anterior thalamic nuclei have a number of key cognitive functions that support episodic memory. In this article, we describe these findings and argue for a core, tripartite memory system, comprising a 'temporal lobe' stream (centred on the hippocampus) and a 'medial diencephalic' stream (centred on the anterior thalamic nuclei) that together act on shared cortical areas. We demonstrate how these distributed brain regions form complementary and necessary partnerships in episodic memory formation.
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32
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Modular microcircuit organization of the presubicular head-direction map. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110684. [PMID: 35417686 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Our internal sense of direction is thought to rely on the activity of head-direction (HD) neurons. We find that the mouse dorsal presubiculum (PreS), a key structure in the cortical representation of HD, displays a modular "patch-matrix" organization, which is conserved across species (including human). Calbindin-positive layer 2 neurons within the "matrix" form modular recurrent microcircuits, while inputs from the anterodorsal and laterodorsal thalamic nuclei are non-overlapping and target the "patch" and "matrix" compartments, respectively. The apical dendrites of identified HD cells are largely restricted within the "matrix," pointing to a non-random sampling of patterned inputs and to a precise structure-function architecture. Optogenetic perturbation of modular recurrent microcircuits results in a drastic tonic suppression of firing only in a subpopulation of HD neurons. Altogether, our data reveal a modular microcircuit organization of the PreS HD map and point to the existence of cell-type-specific microcircuits that support the cortical HD representation.
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33
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Ying J, Keinath AT, Lavoie R, Vigneault E, El Mestikawy S, Brandon MP. Disruption of the grid cell network in a mouse model of early Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 2022; 13:886. [PMID: 35173173 PMCID: PMC8850598 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28551-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is marked by an aggressive buildup of amyloid beta (Aβ) proteins, yet the neural circuit operations impacted during the initial stages of Aβ pathogenesis remain elusive. Here, we report a coding impairment of the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) grid cell network in the J20 transgenic mouse model of familial AD that over-expresses Aβ throughout the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. Grid cells showed reduced spatial periodicity, spatial stability, and synchrony with interneurons and head-direction cells. In contrast, the spatial coding of non-grid cells within the MEC, and place cells within the hippocampus, remained intact. Grid cell deficits emerged at the earliest incidence of Aβ fibril deposition and coincided with impaired spatial memory performance in a path integration task. These results demonstrate that widespread Aβ-mediated damage to the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit results in an early impairment of the entorhinal grid cell network. It remains poorly understood how the onset of Alzheimer’s disease affects spatial cognition. Here, the authors report that spatial coding in grid cells deteriorates over time in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease during the early stages of pathology while place cell and head direction coding remain intact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnson Ying
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandra T Keinath
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Raphael Lavoie
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Erika Vigneault
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Salah El Mestikawy
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mark P Brandon
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. .,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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34
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Segen V, Ying J, Morgan E, Brandon M, Wolbers T. Path integration in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 26:142-158. [PMID: 34872838 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this review we discuss converging evidence from human and rodent research demonstrating how path integration (PI) is impaired in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and point to the neural mechanisms that underlie these deficits. Importantly, we highlight that (i) the grid cell network in the entorhinal cortex is crucial for PI in both humans and rodents, (ii) PI deficits are present in healthy aging and are significantly more pronounced in patients with early-stage AD, (iii) compromised entorhinal grid cell computations in healthy older adults and in young adults at risk of AD are linked to PI deficits, and (iv) PI and grid cell deficits may serve as sensitive markers for pathological decline in early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislava Segen
- Aging and Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
| | - Johnson Ying
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Erik Morgan
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mark Brandon
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- Aging and Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
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35
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Keshavarzi S, Bracey EF, Faville RA, Campagner D, Tyson AL, Lenzi SC, Branco T, Margrie TW. Multisensory coding of angular head velocity in the retrosplenial cortex. Neuron 2021; 110:532-543.e9. [PMID: 34788632 PMCID: PMC8823706 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
To successfully navigate the environment, animals depend on their ability to continuously track their heading direction and speed. Neurons that encode angular head velocity (AHV) are fundamental to this process, yet the contribution of various motion signals to AHV coding in the cortex remains elusive. By performing chronic single-unit recordings in the retrosplenial cortex (RSP) of the mouse and tracking the activity of individual AHV cells between freely moving and head-restrained conditions, we find that vestibular inputs dominate AHV signaling. Moreover, the addition of visual inputs onto these neurons increases the gain and signal-to-noise ratio of their tuning during active exploration. Psychophysical experiments and neural decoding further reveal that vestibular-visual integration increases the perceptual accuracy of angular self-motion and the fidelity of its representation by RSP ensembles. We conclude that while cortical AHV coding requires vestibular input, where possible, it also uses vision to optimize heading estimation during navigation. Angular head velocity (AHV) coding is widespread in the retrosplenial cortex (RSP) AHV cells maintain their tuning during passive motion and require vestibular input The perception of angular self-motion is improved when visual cues are present AHV coding is similarly improved when both vestibular and visual stimuli are used
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepiedeh Keshavarzi
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom.
| | - Edward F Bracey
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A Faville
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Dario Campagner
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom; Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Adam L Tyson
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen C Lenzi
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Troy W Margrie
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London (UCL), 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom.
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36
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Baccini G, Wulff P. Commentary on: Peng, Y et al., Structured recurrent inhibition in the presubiculum could improve information processing. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1691-1693. [PMID: 34648053 PMCID: PMC8528764 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02626-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gilda Baccini
- Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, 24098, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Peer Wulff
- Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, 24098, Kiel, Germany.
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37
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Savage LM, Nunes PT, Gursky ZH, Milbocker KA, Klintsova AY. Midline Thalamic Damage Associated with Alcohol-Use Disorders: Disruption of Distinct Thalamocortical Pathways and Function. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 31:447-471. [PMID: 32789537 PMCID: PMC7878584 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus, a significant part of the diencephalon, is a symmetrical and bilateral central brain structure. The thalamus is subdivided into three major groups of nuclei based on their function: sensorimotor nuclei (or principal/relay nuclei), limbic nuclei and nuclei bridging these two domains. Anatomically, nuclei within the thalamus are described by their location, such as anterior, medial, lateral, ventral, and posterior. In this review, we summarize the role of medial and midline thalamus in cognition, ranging from learning and memory to flexible adaptation. We focus on the discoveries in animal models of alcohol-related brain damage, which identify the loss of neurons in the medial and midline thalamus as drivers of cognitive dysfunction associated with alcohol use disorders. Models of developmental ethanol exposure and models of adult alcohol-related brain damage and are compared and contrasted, and it was revealed that there are similar (anterior thalamus) and different (intralaminar [adult exposure] versus ventral midline [developmental exposure]) thalamic pathology, as well as disruptions of thalamo-hippocampal and thalamo-cortical circuits. The final part of the review summarizes approaches to recover alcohol-related brain damage and cognitive and behavioral outcomes. These approaches include pharmacological, nutritional and behavioral interventions that demonstrated the potential to mitigate alcohol-related damage. In summary, the medial/midline thalamus is a significant contributor to cognition function, which is also sensitive to alcohol-related brain damage across the life span, and plays a role in alcohol-related cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Savage
- Developmental Ethanol Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA.
| | - Polliana T Nunes
- Developmental Ethanol Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA
| | - Zachary H Gursky
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Katrina A Milbocker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Anna Y Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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38
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Abstract
Entorhinal cortical grid cells fire in a periodic pattern that tiles space, which is suggestive of a spatial coordinate system. However, irregularities in the grid pattern as well as responses of grid cells in contexts other than spatial navigation have presented a challenge to existing models of entorhinal function. In this Perspective, we propose that hippocampal input provides a key informative drive to the grid network in both spatial and non-spatial circumstances, particularly around salient events. We build on previous models in which neural activity propagates through the entorhinal-hippocampal network in time. This temporal contiguity in network activity points to temporal order as a necessary characteristic of representations generated by the hippocampal formation. We advocate that interactions in the entorhinal-hippocampal loop build a topological representation that is rooted in the temporal order of experience. In this way, the structure of grid cell firing supports a learned topology rather than a rigid coordinate frame that is bound to measurements of the physical world.
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39
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Anterior thalamic dysfunction underlies cognitive deficits in a subset of neuropsychiatric disease models. Neuron 2021; 109:2590-2603.e13. [PMID: 34197733 PMCID: PMC8376805 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are often accompanied by cognitive impairments/intellectual disability (ID). It is not clear whether there are converging mechanisms underlying these debilitating impairments. We found that many autism and schizophrenia risk genes are expressed in the anterodorsal subdivision (AD) of anterior thalamic nuclei, which has reciprocal connectivity with learning and memory structures. CRISPR-Cas9 knockdown of multiple risk genes selectively in AD thalamus led to memory deficits. While the AD is necessary for contextual memory encoding, the neighboring anteroventral subdivision (AV) regulates memory specificity. These distinct functions of AD and AV are mediated through their projections to retrosplenial cortex, using differential mechanisms. Furthermore, knockdown of autism and schizophrenia risk genes PTCHD1, YWHAG, or HERC1 from AD led to neuronal hyperexcitability, and normalization of hyperexcitability rescued memory deficits in these models. This study identifies converging cellular to circuit mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits in a subset of neuropsychiatric disease models.
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Frost BE, Martin SK, Cafalchio M, Islam MN, Aggleton JP, O'Mara SM. Anterior Thalamic Inputs Are Required for Subiculum Spatial Coding, with Associated Consequences for Hippocampal Spatial Memory. J Neurosci 2021; 41:6511-6525. [PMID: 34131030 PMCID: PMC8318085 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2868-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Just as hippocampal lesions are principally responsible for "temporal lobe" amnesia, lesions affecting the anterior thalamic nuclei seem principally responsible for a similar loss of memory, "diencephalic" amnesia. Compared with the former, the causes of diencephalic amnesia have remained elusive. A potential clue comes from how the two sites are interconnected, as within the hippocampal formation, only the subiculum has direct, reciprocal connections with the anterior thalamic nuclei. We found that both permanent and reversible anterior thalamic nuclei lesions in male rats cause a cessation of subicular spatial signaling, reduce spatial memory performance to chance, but leave hippocampal CA1 place cells largely unaffected. We suggest that a core element of diencephalic amnesia stems from the information loss in hippocampal output regions following anterior thalamic pathology.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT At present, we know little about interactions between temporal lobe and diencephalic memory systems. Here, we focused on the subiculum, as the sole hippocampal formation region directly interconnected with the anterior thalamic nuclei. We combined reversible and permanent lesions of the anterior thalamic nuclei, electrophysiological recordings of the subiculum, and behavioral analyses. Our results were striking and clear: following permanent thalamic lesions, the diverse spatial signals normally found in the subiculum (including place cells, grid cells, and head-direction cells) all disappeared. Anterior thalamic lesions had no discernible impact on hippocampal CA1 place fields. Thus, spatial firing activity within the subiculum requires anterior thalamic function, as does successful spatial memory performance. Our findings provide a key missing part of the much bigger puzzle concerning why anterior thalamic damage is so catastrophic for spatial memory in rodents and episodic memory in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany E Frost
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Sean K Martin
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Matheus Cafalchio
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Md Nurul Islam
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AS, United Kingdom
| | - Shane M O'Mara
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
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Mocellin P, Mikulovic S. The Role of the Medial Septum-Associated Networks in Controlling Locomotion and Motivation to Move. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:699798. [PMID: 34366795 PMCID: PMC8340000 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.699798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Medial Septum and diagonal Band of Broca (MSDB) was initially studied for its role in locomotion. However, the last several decades were focussed on its intriguing function in theta rhythm generation. Early studies relied on electrical stimulation, lesions and pharmacological manipulation, and reported an inconclusive picture regarding the role of the MSDB circuits. Recent studies using more specific methodologies have started to elucidate the differential role of the MSDB's specific cell populations in controlling both theta rhythm and behaviour. In particular, a novel theory is emerging showing that different MSDB's cell populations project to different brain regions and control distinct aspects of behaviour. While the majority of these behaviours involve movement, increasing evidence suggests that MSDB-related networks govern the motivational aspect of actions, rather than locomotion per se. Here, we review the literature that links MSDB, theta activity, and locomotion and propose open questions, future directions, and methods that could be employed to elucidate the diverse roles of the MSDB-associated networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Mocellin
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sanja Mikulovic
- Research Group Cognition and Emotion, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
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Tukker JJ, Beed P, Brecht M, Kempter R, Moser EI, Schmitz D. Microcircuits for spatial coding in the medial entorhinal cortex. Physiol Rev 2021; 102:653-688. [PMID: 34254836 PMCID: PMC8759973 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00042.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampal formation is critically involved in learning and memory and contains a large proportion of neurons encoding aspects of the organism’s spatial surroundings. In the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), this includes grid cells with their distinctive hexagonal firing fields as well as a host of other functionally defined cell types including head direction cells, speed cells, border cells, and object-vector cells. Such spatial coding emerges from the processing of external inputs by local microcircuits. However, it remains unclear exactly how local microcircuits and their dynamics within the MEC contribute to spatial discharge patterns. In this review we focus on recent investigations of intrinsic MEC connectivity, which have started to describe and quantify both excitatory and inhibitory wiring in the superficial layers of the MEC. Although the picture is far from complete, it appears that these layers contain robust recurrent connectivity that could sustain the attractor dynamics posited to underlie grid pattern formation. These findings pave the way to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying spatial navigation and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Tukker
- Network Dysfunction, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Berlin, Germany
| | - Prateep Beed
- NeuroScientific Research Center, Charite Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Brecht
- Systems Neuroscience, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Richard Kempter
- Department of Biology, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humbolt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Edvard I Moser
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for the Biology of Memory, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
| | - Dietmar Schmitz
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Perry BAL, Lomi E, Mitchell AS. Thalamocortical interactions in cognition and disease: the mediodorsal and anterior thalamic nuclei. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:162-177. [PMID: 34216651 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The mediodorsal thalamus (MD) and anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN) are two adjacent brain nodes that support our ability to make decisions, learn, update information, form and retrieve memories, and find our way around. The MD and PFC work in partnerships to support cognitive processes linked to successful learning and decision-making, while the ATN and extended hippocampal system together coordinate the encoding and retrieval of memories and successful spatial navigation. Yet, while these distinctions may appear to be segregated, both the MD and ATN together support our higher cognitive functions as they regulate and are influenced by interconnected fronto-temporal neural networks and subcortical inputs. Our review focuses on recent studies in animal models and in humans. This evidence is re-shaping our understanding of the importance of MD and ATN cortico-thalamocortical pathways in influencing complex cognitive functions. Given the evidence from clinical settings and neuroscience research labs, the MD and ATN should be considered targets for effective treatments in neuropsychiatric diseases and disorders and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brook A L Perry
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, OX1 3SR, United Kingdom
| | - Eleonora Lomi
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, OX1 3SR, United Kingdom
| | - Anna S Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, The Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, OX1 3SR, United Kingdom.
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Abstract
Spatial navigation is a complex cognitive process based on multiple senses that are integrated and processed by a wide network of brain areas. Previous studies have revealed the retrosplenial complex (RSC) to be modulated in a task-related manner during navigation. However, these studies restricted participants' movement to stationary setups, which might have impacted heading computations due to the absence of vestibular and proprioceptive inputs. Here, we present evidence of human RSC theta oscillation (4-8 Hz) in an active spatial navigation task where participants actively ambulated from one location to several other points while the position of a landmark and the starting location were updated. The results revealed theta power in the RSC to be pronounced during heading changes but not during translational movements, indicating that physical rotations induce human RSC theta activity. This finding provides a potential evidence of head-direction computation in RSC in healthy humans during active spatial navigation.
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Carvalho MM, Tanke N, Kropff E, Witter MP, Moser MB, Moser EI. A Brainstem Locomotor Circuit Drives the Activity of Speed Cells in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108123. [PMID: 32905779 PMCID: PMC7487772 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion activates an array of sensory inputs that may help build the self-position map of the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). In this map, speed-coding neurons are thought to dynamically update representations of the animal’s position. A possible origin for the entorhinal speed signal is the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR), which is critically involved in the activation of locomotor programs. Here, we describe, in rats, a circuit connecting the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPN) of the MLR to the MEC via the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB). At each level of this pathway, locomotion speed is linearly encoded in neuronal firing rates. Optogenetic activation of PPN cells drives locomotion and modulates activity of speed-modulated neurons in HDB and MEC. Our results provide evidence for a pathway by which brainstem speed signals can reach cortical structures implicated in navigation and higher-order dynamic representations of space. A speed-coding multisynaptic circuit connects PPN to MEC via HDB Each level of the PPN-HDB-MEC pathway contains cells with linear speed coding Optogenetic stimulation of PPN elicits activity in HDB and MEC speed cells In MEC, locomotor inputs from PPN mainly target speed-modulated interneurons
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel M Carvalho
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nouk Tanke
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Emilio Kropff
- Leloir Institute, IIBBA - CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires CP C1405BWE, Argentina
| | - Menno P Witter
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - May-Britt Moser
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Edvard I Moser
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
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Ben-Yishay E, Krivoruchko K, Ron S, Ulanovsky N, Derdikman D, Gutfreund Y. Directional tuning in the hippocampal formation of birds. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2592-2602.e4. [PMID: 33974847 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Birds strongly rely on spatial memory and navigation. Therefore, it is of utmost interest to reveal how space is represented in the avian brain. Here we used tetrodes to record neurons from the hippocampal formation of Japanese quails-a ground-dwelling species-while the quails roamed in an open-field arena. Whereas spatially modulated cells (place cells, grid cells, border cells) were generally not encountered, the firing rate of about 12% of the neurons was unimodally and significantly modulated by the head azimuth-i.e., these were head-direction cells (HD cells). Typically, HD cells were maximally active at one preferred direction and minimally at the opposite null direction, with preferred directions spanning all 360° across the population. The preferred direction was independent of the animal's position and speed and was stable during the recording session. The HD tuning was broader compared to that of HD cells in rodents, and most cells had non-zero baseline firing in all directions. However, similar to findings in rodents, the HD tuning usually rotated with the rotation of a salient visual cue in the arena. Thus, these findings support the existence of an allocentric HD representation in the quail hippocampal formation and provide the first demonstration of HD cells in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elhanan Ben-Yishay
- Department of Neurobiology, Rappaport Research Institute and Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, Haifa 3525422, Israel
| | - Ksenia Krivoruchko
- Department of Neurobiology, Rappaport Research Institute and Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, Haifa 3525422, Israel
| | - Shaked Ron
- Department of Neurobiology, Rappaport Research Institute and Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, Haifa 3525422, Israel
| | - Nachum Ulanovsky
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Dori Derdikman
- Department of Neurobiology, Rappaport Research Institute and Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, Haifa 3525422, Israel
| | - Yoram Gutfreund
- Department of Neurobiology, Rappaport Research Institute and Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, Haifa 3525422, Israel.
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Liu B, Tian Q, Gu Y. Robust vestibular self-motion signals in macaque posterior cingulate region. eLife 2021; 10:e64569. [PMID: 33827753 PMCID: PMC8032402 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-motion signals, distributed ubiquitously across parietal-temporal lobes, propagate to limbic hippocampal system for vector-based navigation via hubs including posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and retrosplenial cortex (RSC). Although numerous studies have indicated posterior cingulate areas are involved in spatial tasks, it is unclear how their neurons represent self-motion signals. Providing translation and rotation stimuli to macaques on a 6-degree-of-freedom motion platform, we discovered robust vestibular responses in PCC. A combined three-dimensional spatiotemporal model captured data well and revealed multiple temporal components including velocity, acceleration, jerk, and position. Compared to PCC, RSC contained moderate vestibular temporal modulations and lacked significant spatial tuning. Visual self-motion signals were much weaker in both regions compared to the vestibular signals. We conclude that macaque posterior cingulate region carries vestibular-dominant self-motion signals with plentiful temporal components that could be useful for path integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyu Liu
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Qingyang Tian
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yong Gu
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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48
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Nelson AJD. The anterior thalamic nuclei and cognition: A role beyond space? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:1-11. [PMID: 33737105 PMCID: PMC8363507 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Anterior thalamic nuclei important for specific classes of temporal discriminations. Anterior thalamic nuclei required for hippocampal-dependent contextual processes. Critical role for anterior thalamic nuclei in selective attention. Significance of anterior thalamic – anterior cingulate interactions.
The anterior thalamic nuclei are a vital node within hippocampal-diencephalic-cingulate circuits that support spatial learning and memory. Reflecting this interconnectivity, the overwhelming focus of research into the cognitive functions of the anterior thalamic nuclei has been spatial processing. However, there is increasing evidence that the functions of the anterior thalamic nuclei extend beyond the spatial realm. This work has highlighted how these nuclei are required for certain classes of temporal discrimination as well as their importance for processing other contextual information; revealing parallels with the non-spatial functions of the hippocampal formation. Yet further work has shown how the anterior thalamic nuclei may be important for other forms of non-spatial learning, including a critical role for these nuclei in attentional mechanisms. This evidence signals the need to reconsider the functions of the anterior thalamic within the framework of their wider connections with sites including the anterior cingulate cortex that subserve non-spatial functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J D Nelson
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, Wales, UK.
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Do TTN, Jung TP, Lin CT. Retrosplenial Segregation Reflects the Navigation Load During Ambulatory Movement. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2021; 29:488-496. [PMID: 33544675 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2021.3057384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Spatial navigation is a complex cognitive process based on vestibular, proprioceptive, and visualcues that are integrated and processed by an extensive network of brain areas. The retrosplenial complex (RSC) is an integral part of coordination and translation between spatial reference frames. Previous studies have demonstrated that the RSC is active during a spatial navigation tasks. The specifics of RSC activity under various navigation loads, however, are still not characterized. This study investigated the local information processed by the RSC under various navigation load conditions manipulated by the number of turns in the physical navigation setup. The results showed that the local information processed via the RSC, which was reflected by the segregation network, was higher when the number of turns increased, suggesting that RSC activity is associated with the navigation task load. The present findings shed light on how the brain processes spatial information in a physical navigation task.
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Dillingham CM, Milczarek MM, Perry JC, Vann SD. Time to put the mammillothalamic pathway into context. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 121:60-74. [PMID: 33309908 PMCID: PMC8137464 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The medial diencephalon, in particular the mammillary bodies and anterior thalamic nuclei, has long been linked to memory and amnesia. The mammillary bodies provide a dense input into the anterior thalamic nuclei, via the mammillothalamic tract. In both animal models, and in patients, lesions of the mammillary bodies, mammillothalamic tract and anterior thalamic nuclei all produce severe impairments in temporal and contextual memory, yet it is uncertain why these regions are critical. Mounting evidence from electrophysiological and neural imaging studies suggests that mammillothalamic projections exercise considerable distal influence over thalamo-cortical and hippocampo-cortical interactions. Here, we outline how damage to the mammillary body-anterior thalamic axis, in both patients and animal models, disrupts behavioural performance on tasks that relate to contextual ("where") and temporal ("when") processing. Focusing on the medial mammillary nuclei as a possible 'theta-generator' (through their interconnections with the ventral tegmental nucleus of Gudden) we discuss how the mammillary body-anterior thalamic pathway may contribute to the mechanisms via which the hippocampus and neocortex encode representations of experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Dillingham
- School of Psychology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Michal M Milczarek
- School of Psychology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - James C Perry
- School of Psychology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Seralynne D Vann
- School of Psychology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.
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