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Liu L, Li T, Chang J, Xia X, Ju J. Microglia inversely regulate the level of perineuronal nets with the treatment of lipopolysaccharide and valproic acid. Neurosci Lett 2024; 842:137992. [PMID: 39304021 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137992] [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: 06/22/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are extracellular matrix which mostly surround the inhibitory neurons. They are changed in several brain diseases, such as autism spectrum disorder, but the mechanism of PNNs degradation is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of microglial cells in regulating PNNs levels. Specifically, 1 day or 3 days after a single dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.25 mg/kg) increased the density of microglia and further reduced the density of PNNs in both hippocampus CA1 and visual cortex. Minocycline, an inhibitor of microglia activation, took effect time-dependently. Minocycline for 7 days before a single LPS injection (0.25 mg/kg) inhibited microglia increase and PNNs loss, but minocycline for 3 days did not work. Finally, in a valproic acid (VPA)-treated autism mouse model, microglia were reduced while PNNs+ cells were increased in both hippocampus CA1 and visual cortex. In summary, the microglia are involved in the balanced level of PNNs, while in the autism model, the altered level of PNNs might be due to the microglia hypofunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luping Liu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China; School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tianxiang Li
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jinlong Chang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Dali University, Dali 671003, China
| | - Xiaojiao Xia
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Ju
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China; Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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2
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Birch EE, Duffy KR. Leveraging neural plasticity for the treatment of amblyopia. Surv Ophthalmol 2024; 69:818-832. [PMID: 38763223 PMCID: PMC11380599 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.04.006] [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: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Amblyopia is a form of visual cortical impairment that arises from abnormal visual experience early in life. Most often, amblyopia is a unilateral visual impairment that can develop as a result of strabismus, anisometropia, or a combination of these conditions that result in discordant binocular experience. Characterized by reduced visual acuity and impaired binocular function, amblyopia places a substantial burden on the developing child. Although frontline treatment with glasses and patching can improve visual acuity, residual amblyopia remains for most children. Newer binocular-based therapies can elicit rapid recovery of visual acuity and may also improve stereoacuity in some children. Nevertheless, for both treatment modalities full recovery is elusive, recurrence of amblyopia is common, and improvements are negligible when treatment is administered at older ages. Insights derived from animal models about the factors that govern neural plasticity have been leveraged to develop innovative treatments for amblyopia. These novel therapies exhibit efficacy to promote recovery, and some are effective even at ages when conventional treatments fail to yield benefit. Approaches for enhancing visual system plasticity and promoting recovery from amblyopia include altering the balance between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms, reversing the accumulation of proteins that inhibit plasticity, and harnessing the principles of metaplasticity. Although these therapies have exhibited promising results in animal models, their safety and ability to remediate amblyopia need to be evaluated in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen E Birch
- Crystal Charity Ball Pediatric Vision Laboratory, Retina Foundation, Dallas, TX, USA; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Kevin R Duffy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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3
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Yaeger CE, Vardalaki D, Zhang Q, Pham TLD, Brown NJ, Ji N, Harnett MT. A dendritic mechanism for balancing synaptic flexibility and stability. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114638. [PMID: 39167486 PMCID: PMC11403626 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological and artificial neural networks learn by modifying synaptic weights, but it is unclear how these systems retain previous knowledge and also acquire new information. Here, we show that cortical pyramidal neurons can solve this plasticity-versus-stability dilemma by differentially regulating synaptic plasticity at distinct dendritic compartments. Oblique dendrites of adult mouse layer 5 cortical pyramidal neurons selectively receive monosynaptic thalamic input, integrate linearly, and lack burst-timing synaptic potentiation. In contrast, basal dendrites, which do not receive thalamic input, exhibit conventional NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-mediated supralinear integration and synaptic potentiation. Congruently, spiny synapses on oblique branches show decreased structural plasticity in vivo. The selective decline in NMDAR activity and expression at synapses on oblique dendrites is controlled by a critical period of visual experience. Our results demonstrate a biological mechanism for how single neurons can safeguard a set of inputs from ongoing plasticity by altering synaptic properties at distinct dendritic domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney E Yaeger
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Dimitra Vardalaki
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Qinrong Zhang
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Trang L D Pham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Norma J Brown
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Na Ji
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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4
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Mhango PP, Zungu TL, Nkume HI, Musopole A, Mdala SY. The outcomes of paediatric cataract surgery with intraocular lens insertion in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review. Syst Rev 2024; 13:204. [PMID: 39095869 PMCID: PMC11295353 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-024-02607-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cataract is one of the leading causes of childhood blindness in Africa. The management of this condition requires timely surgical extraction of the cataractous lens with immediate optical correction and long-term follow-up to monitor visual improvement and manage complications that may arise. This review provides an opportunity to benchmark outcomes and to shed light on the reasons for those outcomes. OBJECTIVES To review the published literature and report on the outcomes of paediatric cataract surgery with intraocular lens insertion in sub-Saharan Africa. DATA SOURCE The EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles. STUDY SELECTION We included all published primary studies from sub-Saharan Africa on cataract surgery outcomes in children aged 0-16 years with primary intraocular lens implantation conducted between 1990 and 2020. Eligible studies were those published in English or for which an English translation was available. In addition, reviewers screened the reference lists of all studies included in the full-text review for eligible studies. During the review, studies fitting the inclusion criteria above except for having been conducted in middle and high-income countries were tagged and placed in a comparison arm. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Study eligibility was determined by two independent reviewers, and data extraction was conducted by one reviewer with entries checked for accuracy by another reviewer. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for data synthesis were followed. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist was used for quality appraisal of the studies. The statistical software R was used in the analysis, and data were pooled using a random-effects model. Forest plots were generated using the R package 'metafor'. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was visual acuity (VA) after cataract surgery and the proportions of eyes that achieved good, borderline, or poor visual outcome according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) categorisation of post-operative visual acuity. The secondary outcome measures reported included lag time to surgery, rates of follow-up, and rate of complications. RESULTS Eight out of 4763 studies were eligible for inclusion in this review, and seven were included in the quantitative analysis. There was a male preponderance in the study population, and the mean age at the time of cataract surgery ranged from 3.4 to 8.4 years. Visual outcomes were available for short-term visual outcomes (1 to 6 months) as the studies had a significant loss to follow-up. The pooled proportion of eyes that achieved a good visual acuity (i.e. equal to or greater than 6/18) in the short-term period was 31% (CI, 20-42). The comparative studies from middle and high-income countries reported proportions ranging from 41 to 91%, with higher thresholds for good visual acuity of 6/12 and 6/15. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE This review reports that there is a lower proportion of eyes with good outcomes after undergoing paediatric cataract surgery in sub-Saharan Africa than in middle- and high-income countries. Furthermore, this review states that there is a high proportion of patients lost to follow-up and suboptimal refractive correction and amblyopia treatment after paediatric cataract surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Princess Mhango
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Surgery, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (Formerly University of Malawi College of Medicine), P. Bag 360, Blantyre, Malawi.
| | - Thokozani Linda Zungu
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Surgery, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (Formerly University of Malawi College of Medicine), P. Bag 360, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Alinune Musopole
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Shaffi Yusuf Mdala
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Surgery, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (Formerly University of Malawi College of Medicine), P. Bag 360, Blantyre, Malawi
- Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
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5
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Jenks KR, Cai Y, Nayan ME, Tsimring K, Li K, Zepeda JC, Heller GR, Delepine C, Shih J, Yuan S, Zhu Y, Wang Y, Duan Y, Fu AKY, Ku T, Yun DH, Chung K, Zhang C, Boyden ES, Mellios N, Sur M, Kan Ip JP. The noncoding circular RNA circHomer1 regulates developmental experience-dependent plasticity in mouse visual cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.19.603416. [PMID: 39091722 PMCID: PMC11291094 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.19.603416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs abundant in brain tissue, and many are derived from activity-dependent, linear mRNAs encoding for synaptic proteins, suggesting that circRNAs may directly or indirectly play a role in regulating synaptic development, plasticity, and function. However, it is unclear if the circular forms of these RNAs are similarly regulated by activity and what role these circRNAs play in developmental plasticity. Here, we employed transcriptome-wide analysis comparing differential expression of both mRNAs and circRNAs in juvenile mouse primary visual cortex (V1) following monocular deprivation (MD), a model of developmental plasticity. Among the differentially expressed mRNAs and circRNAs following 3-day MD, the circular and the activity-dependent linear forms of the Homer1 gene, circHomer1 and Homer1a respectively, were of interest as their expression changed in opposite directions: circHomer1 expression increased while the expression of Homer1a decreased following MD. Knockdown of circHomer1 prevented the depression of closed-eye responses normally observed after 3-day MD. circHomer1-knockdown led to a reduction in average dendritic spine size prior to MD, but critically there was no further reduction after 3-day MD, consistent with impaired structural plasticity. circHomer1-knockdown also prevented the reduction of surface AMPA receptors after 3-day MD. Synapse-localized puncta of the AMPA receptor endocytic protein Arc increased in volume after MD but were smaller in circHomer1-knockdown neurons, suggesting that circHomer1 regulates plasticity through mechanisms of activity-dependent AMPA receptor endocytosis. Thus, activity-dependent circRNAs regulate developmental synaptic plasticity, and our findings highlight the essential role of circHomer1 in V1 plasticity induced by short-term MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle R. Jenks
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Ying Cai
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Marvin Eduarte Nayan
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
- Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Katya Tsimring
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Keji Li
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - José C. Zepeda
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Gregg R. Heller
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Chloe Delepine
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Jennifer Shih
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Shiyang Yuan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yao Zhu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ye Wang
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yangyang Duan
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Amy K. Y. Fu
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Taeyun Ku
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Dae Hee Yun
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Kwanghun Chung
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Edward S. Boyden
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Nikolaos Mellios
- Circular Genomics Inc, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87110, USA
- Previously at: University of New Mexico, Department of Neurosciences, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - Jacque Pak Kan Ip
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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6
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Leier HC, Foden AJ, Jindal DA, Wilkov AJ, Van der Linden Costello P, Vanderzalm PJ, Coutinho-Budd JC, Tabuchi M, Broihier HT. Glia control experience-dependent plasticity in an olfactory critical period. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.05.602232. [PMID: 39005309 PMCID: PMC11245089 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.05.602232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Sensory experience during developmental critical periods has lifelong consequences for circuit function and behavior, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which experience causes these changes are not well understood. The Drosophila antennal lobe houses synapses between olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and downstream projection neurons (PNs) in stereotyped glomeruli. Many glomeruli exhibit structural plasticity in response to early-life odor exposure, indicating a general sensitivity of the fly olfactory circuitry to early sensory experience. We recently found that glia regulate the development of the antennal lobe in young adult flies, leading us to ask if glia also drive experience-dependent plasticity. Here we define a critical period for structural and functional plasticity of OSN-PN synapses in the ethyl butyrate (EB)-sensitive glomerulus VM7. EB exposure for the first two days post-eclosion drives large-scale reductions in glomerular volume, presynapse number, and post-synaptic activity. The highly conserved engulfment receptor Draper is required for this critical period plasticity. Specifically, ensheathing glia upregulate Draper expression, invade the VM7 glomerulus, and phagocytose OSN presynaptic terminals in response to critical-period EB exposure. Crucially, synapse pruning during the critical period has long-term consequences for circuit function since both OSN-PN synapse number and spontaneous activity of PNs remain persistently decreased. These data demonstrate experience-dependent pruning of synapses in olfactory circuitry and argue that the Drosophila antennal lobe will be a powerful model for defining the function of glia in critical period plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans C Leier
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, United States
| | - Alexander J Foden
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, United States
| | - Darren A Jindal
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, United States
| | - Abigail J Wilkov
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, United States
| | | | - Pamela J Vanderzalm
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, United States
| | - Jaeda C Coutinho-Budd
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, United States
| | - Masashi Tabuchi
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, United States
| | - Heather T Broihier
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, United States
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7
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Xie Y, Wang R, McClatchy DB, Ma Y, Diedrich J, Sanchez-Alavez M, Petrascheck M, Yates JR, Cline HT. Activity-dependent synthesis of Emerin gates neuronal plasticity by regulating proteostasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.30.600712. [PMID: 38979362 PMCID: PMC11230442 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.30.600712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Neurons dynamically regulate their proteome in response to sensory input, a key process underlying experience-dependent plasticity. We characterized the visual experience-dependent nascent proteome within a brief, defined time window after stimulation using an optimized metabolic labeling approach. Visual experience induced cell type-specific and age-dependent alterations in the nascent proteome, including proteostasis-related processes. We identified Emerin as the top activity-induced candidate plasticity protein and demonstrated that its rapid activity-induced synthesis is transcription-independent. In contrast to its nuclear localization and function in myocytes, activity-induced neuronal Emerin is abundant in the endoplasmic reticulum and broadly inhibits protein synthesis, including translation regulators and synaptic proteins. Downregulating Emerin shifted the dendritic spine population from predominantly mushroom morphology to filopodia and decreased network connectivity. In mice, decreased Emerin reduced visual response magnitude and impaired visual information processing. Our findings support an experience-dependent feed-forward role for Emerin in temporally gating neuronal plasticity by negatively regulating translation.
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8
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Eckmann S, Young EJ, Gjorgjieva J. Synapse-type-specific competitive Hebbian learning forms functional recurrent networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2305326121. [PMID: 38870059 PMCID: PMC11194505 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305326121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Cortical networks exhibit complex stimulus-response patterns that are based on specific recurrent interactions between neurons. For example, the balance between excitatory and inhibitory currents has been identified as a central component of cortical computations. However, it remains unclear how the required synaptic connectivity can emerge in developing circuits where synapses between excitatory and inhibitory neurons are simultaneously plastic. Using theory and modeling, we propose that a wide range of cortical response properties can arise from a single plasticity paradigm that acts simultaneously at all excitatory and inhibitory connections-Hebbian learning that is stabilized by the synapse-type-specific competition for a limited supply of synaptic resources. In plastic recurrent circuits, this competition enables the formation and decorrelation of inhibition-balanced receptive fields. Networks develop an assembly structure with stronger synaptic connections between similarly tuned excitatory and inhibitory neurons and exhibit response normalization and orientation-specific center-surround suppression, reflecting the stimulus statistics during training. These results demonstrate how neurons can self-organize into functional networks and suggest an essential role for synapse-type-specific competitive learning in the development of cortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Eckmann
- Computation in Neural Circuits Group, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
- Computational and Biological Learning Lab, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Edward James Young
- Computational and Biological Learning Lab, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Julijana Gjorgjieva
- Computation in Neural Circuits Group, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University Munich, Freising85354, Germany
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9
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Bredenberg C, Savin C. Desiderata for Normative Models of Synaptic Plasticity. Neural Comput 2024; 36:1245-1285. [PMID: 38776950 DOI: 10.1162/neco_a_01671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Normative models of synaptic plasticity use computational rationales to arrive at predictions of behavioral and network-level adaptive phenomena. In recent years, there has been an explosion of theoretical work in this realm, but experimental confirmation remains limited. In this review, we organize work on normative plasticity models in terms of a set of desiderata that, when satisfied, are designed to ensure that a given model demonstrates a clear link between plasticity and adaptive behavior, is consistent with known biological evidence about neural plasticity and yields specific testable predictions. As a prototype, we include a detailed analysis of the REINFORCE algorithm. We also discuss how new models have begun to improve on the identified criteria and suggest avenues for further development. Overall, we provide a conceptual guide to help develop neural learning theories that are precise, powerful, and experimentally testable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Bredenberg
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, U.S.A
- Mila-Quebec AI Institute, Montréal, QC H2S 3H1, Canada
| | - Cristina Savin
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, U.S.A
- Center for Data Science, New York University, New York, NY 10011, U.S.A.
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10
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Marshall AH, Hanson MA, Boyle DJ, Nagarajan D, Bibi N, Fitzgerald J, Gaitten E, Kokiko-Cochran ON, Gu B, Wester JC. Arid1b haploinsufficiency in pyramidal neurons causes cellular and circuit changes in neocortex but is not sufficient to produce behavioral or seizure phenotypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.04.597344. [PMID: 38895205 PMCID: PMC11185765 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.04.597344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Arid1b is a high confidence risk gene for autism spectrum disorder that encodes a subunit of a chromatin remodeling complex expressed in neuronal progenitors. Haploinsufficiency causes a broad range of social, behavioral, and intellectual disability phenotypes, including Coffin-Siris syndrome. Recent work using transgenic mouse models suggests pathology is due to deficits in proliferation, survival, and synaptic development of cortical neurons. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the relative roles of excitatory projection neurons and inhibitory interneurons in generating abnormal cognitive and behavioral phenotypes. Here, we conditionally knocked out either one or both copies of Arid1b from excitatory projection neuron progenitors and systematically investigated the effects on intrinsic membrane properties, synaptic physiology, social behavior, and seizure susceptibility. We found that disrupting Arid1b expression in excitatory neurons alters their membrane properties, including hyperpolarizing action potential threshold; however, these changes depend on neuronal subtype. Using paired whole-cell recordings, we found increased synaptic connectivity rate between projection neurons. Furthermore, we found reduced strength of excitatory synapses to parvalbumin (PV)-expression inhibitory interneurons. These data suggest an increase in the ratio of excitation to inhibition. However, the strength of inhibitory synapses from PV interneurons to excitatory neurons was enhanced, which may rebalance this ratio. Indeed, Arid1b haploinsufficiency in projection neurons was insufficient to cause social deficits and seizure phenotypes observed in a preclinical germline haploinsufficient mouse model. Our data suggest that while excitatory projection neurons likely contribute to autistic phenotypes, pathology in these cells is not the primary cause.
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11
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Mallick A, Tan HL, Epstein JM, Gaudry Q, Dacks AM. Serotonin acts through multiple cellular targets during an olfactory critical period. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.14.589413. [PMID: 38645269 PMCID: PMC11030346 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.14.589413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) is known to modulate early development during critical periods when experience drives heightened levels of plasticity in neurons. Here, we take advantage of the genetically tractable olfactory system of Drosophila to investigate how 5-HT modulates critical period plasticity in the CO2 sensing circuit of fruit flies. Our study reveals that 5HT modulation of multiple neuronal targets is necessary for experience-dependent structural changes in an odor processing circuit. The olfactory CPP is known to involve local inhibitory networks and consistent with this we found that knocking down 5-HT7 receptors in a subset of GABAergic local interneurons was sufficient to block CPP, as was knocking down GABA receptors expressed by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). Additionally, direct modulation of OSNs via 5-HT2B expression in the cognate OSNs sensing CO2 is also essential for CPP. Furthermore, 5-HT1B expression by serotonergic neurons in the olfactory system is also required during the critical period. Our study reveals that 5-HT modulation of multiple neuronal targets is necessary for experience-dependent structural changes in an odor processing circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahana Mallick
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Hua Leonhard Tan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | | | - Quentin Gaudry
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Senior Author: These authors contributed equally
| | - Andrew M Dacks
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Senior Author: These authors contributed equally
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12
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Johnstone N, Cohen Kadosh K. Excitatory and inhibitory neurochemical markers of anxiety in young females. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101363. [PMID: 38447470 PMCID: PMC10925933 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Between the ages of 10-25 years the maturing brain is sensitive to a multitude of changes, including neurochemical variations in metabolites. Of the different metabolites, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has long been linked neurobiologically to anxiety symptomology, which begins to manifest in adolescence. To prevent persistent anxiety difficulties into adulthood, we need to understand the maturational trajectories of neurochemicals and how these relate to anxiety levels during this sensitive period. We used magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a sample of younger (aged 10-11) and older (aged 18-25) females to estimate GABA and glutamate levels in brain regions linked to emotion regulation processing, as well as a conceptually distinct control region. Within the Bayesian framework, we found that GABA increased and glutamate decreased with age, negative associations between anxiety and glutamate and GABA ratios in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and a positive relationship of GABA with anxiety levels. The results support the neural over-inhibition hypothesis of anxiety based on GABAergic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Johnstone
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
| | - Kathrin Cohen Kadosh
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
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13
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Tucciarelli R, Ejaz N, Wesselink DB, Kolli V, Hodgetts CJ, Diedrichsen J, Makin TR. Does Ipsilateral Remapping Following Hand Loss Impact Motor Control of the Intact Hand? J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0948232023. [PMID: 38050100 PMCID: PMC10860625 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0948-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
What happens once a cortical territory becomes functionally redundant? We studied changes in brain function and behavior for the remaining hand in humans (male and female) with either a missing hand from birth (one-handers) or due to amputation. Previous studies reported that amputees, but not one-handers, show increased ipsilateral activity in the somatosensory territory of the missing hand (i.e., remapping). We used a complex finger task to explore whether this observed remapping in amputees involves recruiting more neural resources to support the intact hand to meet greater motor control demands. Using basic fMRI analysis, we found that only amputees had more ipsilateral activity when motor demand increased; however, this did not match any noticeable improvement in their behavioral task performance. More advanced multivariate fMRI analyses showed that amputees had stronger and more typical representation-relative to controls' contralateral hand representation-compared with one-handers. This suggests that in amputees, both hand areas work together more collaboratively, potentially reflecting the intact hand's efference copy. One-handers struggled to learn difficult finger configurations, but this did not translate to differences in univariate or multivariate activity relative to controls. Additional white matter analysis provided conclusive evidence that the structural connectivity between the two hand areas did not vary across groups. Together, our results suggest that enhanced activity in the missing hand territory may not reflect intact hand function. Instead, we suggest that plasticity is more restricted than generally assumed and may depend on the availability of homologous pathways acquired early in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Tucciarelli
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Naveed Ejaz
- Departments of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences and Computer Science, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Daan B Wesselink
- WIN Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Vijay Kolli
- Queen Mary's Hospital, London SW15 5PN, United Kingdom
| | - Carl J Hodgetts
- CUBRIC, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom
- Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
| | - Jörn Diedrichsen
- Departments of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences and Computer Science, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Tamar R Makin
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, United Kingdom
- WIN Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
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14
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Božanić Urbančič N, Battelino S, Vozel D. Appropriate Vestibular Stimulation in Children and Adolescents-A Prerequisite for Normal Cognitive, Motor Development and Bodily Homeostasis-A Review. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 11:2. [PMID: 38275423 PMCID: PMC10814320 DOI: 10.3390/children11010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The structural development of the vestibular part of the inner ear is completed by birth but its central connections continue to develop until adolescence. Their development is dependent on vestibular stimulation-vestibular experience. Studies have shown that vestibular function, modulated by experience and epigenetic factors, is not solely an instrument for body position regulation, navigation, and stabilization of the head and images but also influences cognition, emotion, the autonomous nervous system and hormones. To emphasize the importance of appropriate vestibular stimulation, we present a literature review of its effect on bodily homeostasis, cognition and emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Božanić Urbančič
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.B.U.); (S.B.)
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Saba Battelino
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.B.U.); (S.B.)
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Domen Vozel
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (N.B.U.); (S.B.)
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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15
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Abstract
Neurological insults, such as congenital blindness, deafness, amputation, and stroke, often result in surprising and impressive behavioural changes. Cortical reorganisation, which refers to preserved brain tissue taking on a new functional role, is often invoked to account for these behavioural changes. Here, we revisit many of the classical animal and patient cortical remapping studies that spawned this notion of reorganisation. We highlight empirical, methodological, and conceptual problems that call this notion into doubt. We argue that appeal to the idea of reorganisation is attributable in part to the way that cortical maps are empirically derived. Specifically, cortical maps are often defined based on oversimplified assumptions of 'winner-takes-all', which in turn leads to an erroneous interpretation of what it means when these maps appear to change. Conceptually, remapping is interpreted as a circuit receiving novel input and processing it in a way unrelated to its original function. This implies that neurons are either pluripotent enough to change what they are tuned to or that a circuit can change what it computes. Instead of reorganisation, we argue that remapping is more likely to occur due to potentiation of pre-existing architecture that already has the requisite representational and computational capacity pre-injury. This architecture can be facilitated via Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity mechanisms. Crucially, our revised framework proposes that opportunities for functional change are constrained throughout the lifespan by the underlying structural 'blueprint'. At no period, including early in development, does the cortex offer structural opportunities for functional pluripotency. We conclude that reorganisation as a distinct form of cortical plasticity, ubiquitously evoked with words such as 'take-over'' and 'rewiring', does not exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar R Makin
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - John W Krakauer
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- The Santa Fe InstituteSanta FeUnited States
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16
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Starkey J, Horstick EJ, Ackerman SD. Glial regulation of critical period plasticity. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1247335. [PMID: 38034592 PMCID: PMC10687281 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1247335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal behavior, from simple to complex, is dependent on the faithful wiring of neurons into functional neural circuits. Neural circuits undergo dramatic experience-dependent remodeling during brief developmental windows called critical periods. Environmental experience during critical periods of plasticity produces sustained changes to circuit function and behavior. Precocious critical period closure is linked to autism spectrum disorders, whereas extended synaptic remodeling is thought to underlie circuit dysfunction in schizophrenia. Thus, resolving the mechanisms that instruct critical period timing is important to our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders. Control of critical period timing is modulated by neuron-intrinsic cues, yet recent data suggest that some determinants are derived from neighboring glial cells (astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes). As glia make up 50% of the human brain, understanding how these diverse cells communicate with neurons and with each other to sculpt neural plasticity, especially during specialized critical periods, is essential to our fundamental understanding of circuit development and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Starkey
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Eric J. Horstick
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Sarah D. Ackerman
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Brain Immunology and Glia Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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17
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Bagheri J, Fallahnezhad S, Alipour N, Babaloo H, Tahmasebi F, Kheradmand H, Sazegar G, Haghir H. Maternal diabetes decreases the expression of α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors in the visual cortex of male rat neonates. J Chem Neuroanat 2023; 132:102326. [PMID: 37619956 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2023.102326] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
AIMS This study investigates the impact of maternal diabetes on the expression of α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors in the primary visual cortex of male offspring born to diabetic rats. MAIN METHODS In adult female rats, a single dose of intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce diabetes (Diabetic group). Diabetes was controlled with insulin in the Insulin-treated group. Female rats in the control group received normal saline instead of STZ. Male newborns were euthanized at P0, P7, and P14, and the expression of α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors in the primary visual cortex was determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC). KEY FINDINGS The study showed that α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors were significantly suppressed in all layers of the primary visual cortex of male neonates born to diabetic rats at P0, P7, and P14 compared to the control group. The highest expression was for the Con group at P14 and the lowest one was in the Dia group at P0 for both receptors. The insulin treatment in diabetic mothers modulated the expression of these receptors to normal levels in their newborns. SIGNIFICANCE The results demonstrate maternal diabetes decreases the expression of α2-adrenergic and M2 muscarinic receptors in the primary visual cortex of male offspring born to diabetic rats. Insulin treatment can offset these effects of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Bagheri
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Somaye Fallahnezhad
- Nervous System Stem Cell Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Nasim Alipour
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamideh Babaloo
- Department of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, School of Paramedicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran; Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Yazd Reproductive Science Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Tahmasebi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamed Kheradmand
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghasem Sazegar
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hossein Haghir
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Medical Genetic Research Center (MGRC), School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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18
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Bagheri J, Fallahnezhad S, Alipour N, Babaloo H, Tahmasebi F, Kheradmand H, Sazegar G, Haghir H. Maternal diabetes decreases the expression of GABA Aα1, GABA B1, and mGlu2 receptors in the visual cortex of male rat neonates. Neurosci Lett 2023; 809:137309. [PMID: 37230455 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
AIMS This study examines the impact of maternal diabetes on the expression of GABAB1, GABAAα1, and mGlu2 receptors in the primary visual cortex layers of male rat newborns. MAIN METHODS In diabetic group (Dia), diabetes was induced in adult female rats using an intraperitoneal dose of Streptozotocin (STZ) 65 (mg/kg). Diabetes was managed by daily subcutaneous injection of NPH insulin in insulin-treated diabetic group (Ins). Control group (Con) received normal saline intraperitoneally rather than STZ. Male offspring born to each group of female rats were euthanized via CO2 inhalation at P0, P7, and P14 days after delivery and the expression of GABAB1, GABAAα1, and mGlu2 receptors in their primary visual cortex was determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC). KEY FINDINGS The expression of GABAB1, GABAAα1, and mGlu2 receptors increased gradually with age in the male offspring born to Con group while the highest expression was detected in layer IV of the primary visual cortex. In Dia group newborns, the expression of these receptors was significantly reduced in all layers of the primary visual cortex at every three days. Insulin treatment in diabetic mothers restored the expression of these receptors to normal levels in their newborns. SIGNIFICANCE The study indicates that diabetes reduces the expression of GABAB1, GABAAα1, and mGlu2 receptors in the primary visual cortex of male offspring born to diabetic rats at P0, P7, and P14. However, insulin treatment can counteract these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Bagheri
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Somaye Fallahnezhad
- Nervous System Stem Cell Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Nasim Alipour
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Hamideh Babaloo
- Regenerative Medicine, Organ Procurement and Transplantation Multidisciplinary Center, Razi Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Tahmasebi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Hamed Kheradmand
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghasem Sazegar
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Hossein Haghir
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Medical Genetic Research Center (MGRC), School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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19
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Lacalli T. Consciousness and its hard problems: separating the ontological from the evolutionary. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1196576. [PMID: 37484112 PMCID: PMC10362341 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1196576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Few of the many theories devised to account for consciousness are explicit about the role they ascribe to evolution, and a significant fraction, by their silence on the subject, treat evolutionary processes as being, in effect, irrelevant. This is a problem for biological realists trying to assess the applicability of competing theories of consciousness to taxa other than our own, and across evolutionary time. Here, as an aid to investigating such questions, a consciousness "machine" is employed as conceptual device for thinking about the different ways ontology and evolution contribute to the emergence of a consciousness composed of distinguishable contents. A key issue is the nature of the evolutionary innovations required for any kind of consciousness to exist, specifically whether this is due to the underappreciated properties of electromagnetic (EM) field effects, as in neurophysical theories, or, for theories where there is no such requirement, including computational and some higher-order theories (here, as a class, algorithmic theories), neural connectivity and the pattern of information flow that connectivity encodes are considered a sufficient explanation for consciousness. In addition, for consciousness to evolve in a non-random way, there must be a link between emerging consciousness and behavior. For the neurophysical case, an EM field-based scenario shows that distinct contents can be produced in the absence of an ability to consciously control action, i.e., without agency. This begs the question of how agency is acquired, which from this analysis would appear to be less of an evolutionary question than a developmental one. Recasting the problem in developmental terms highlights the importance of real-time feedback mechanisms for transferring agency from evolution to the individual, the implication being, for a significant subset of theories, that agency requires a learning process repeated once in each generation. For that subset of theories the question of how an evolved consciousness can exist will then have two components, of accounting for conscious experience as a phenomenon on the one hand, and agency on the other. This reduces one large problem to two, simplifying the task of investigation and providing what may prove an easier route toward their solution.
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20
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Ossandón JP, Stange L, Gudi-Mindermann H, Rimmele JM, Sourav S, Bottari D, Kekunnaya R, Röder B. The development of oscillatory and aperiodic resting state activity is linked to a sensitive period in humans. Neuroimage 2023; 275:120171. [PMID: 37196987 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120171] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital blindness leads to profound changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) resting state activity. A well-known consequence of congenital blindness in humans is the reduction of alpha activity which seems to go together with increased gamma activity during rest. These results have been interpreted as indicating a higher excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) ratio in visual cortex compared to normally sighted controls. Yet it is unknown whether the spectral profile of EEG during rest would recover if sight were restored. To test this question, the present study evaluated periodic and aperiodic components of the EEG resting state power spectrum. Previous research has linked the aperiodic components, which exhibit a power-law distribution and are operationalized as a linear fit of the spectrum in log-log space, to cortical E/I ratio. Moreover, by correcting for the aperiodic components from the power spectrum, a more valid estimate of the periodic activity is possible. Here we analyzed resting state EEG activity from two studies involving (1) 27 permanently congenitally blind adults (CB) and 27 age-matched normally sighted controls (MCB); (2) 38 individuals with reversed blindness due to bilateral, dense, congenital cataracts (CC) and 77 age-matched sighted controls (MCC). Based on a data driven approach, aperiodic components of the spectra were extracted for the low frequency (Lf-Slope 1.5 to 19.5 Hz) and high frequency (Hf-Slope 20 to 45 Hz) range. The Lf-Slope of the aperiodic component was significantly steeper (more negative slope), and the Hf-Slope of the aperiodic component was significantly flatter (less negative slope) in CB and CC participants compared to the typically sighted controls. Alpha power was significantly reduced, and gamma power was higher in the CB and the CC groups. These results suggest a sensitive period for the typical development of the spectral profile during rest and thus likely an irreversible change in the E/I ratio in visual cortex due to congenital blindness. We speculate that these changes are a consequence of impaired inhibitory circuits and imbalanced feedforward and feedback processing in early visual areas of individuals with a history of congenital blindness.
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Affiliation(s)
- José P Ossandón
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Liesa Stange
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Helene Gudi-Mindermann
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Johanna M Rimmele
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Planck-Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, Germany; Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Max Planck NYU Center for Language, Music, and Emotion Frankfurt am Main, Germany, New York, NY, USA
| | - Suddha Sourav
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Davide Bottari
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy
| | - Ramesh Kekunnaya
- Child Sight Institute, Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Brigitte Röder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Child Sight Institute, Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
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21
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Medina E, Peterson S, Ford K, Singletary K, Peixoto L. Critical periods and Autism Spectrum Disorders, a role for sleep. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms 2023; 14:100088. [PMID: 36632570 PMCID: PMC9826922 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2022.100088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain development relies on both experience and genetically defined programs. Time windows where certain brain circuits are particularly receptive to external stimuli, resulting in heightened plasticity, are referred to as "critical periods". Sleep is thought to be essential for normal brain development. Importantly, studies have shown that sleep enhances critical period plasticity and promotes experience-dependent synaptic pruning in the developing mammalian brain. Therefore, normal plasticity during critical periods depends on sleep. Problems falling and staying asleep occur at a higher rate in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) relative to typical development. In this review, we explore the potential link between sleep, critical period plasticity, and ASD. First, we review the importance of critical period plasticity in typical development and the role of sleep in this process. Next, we summarize the evidence linking ASD with deficits in synaptic plasticity in rodent models of high-confidence ASD gene candidates. We then show that the high-confidence rodent models of ASD that show sleep deficits also display plasticity deficits. Given how important sleep is for critical period plasticity, it is essential to understand the connections between synaptic plasticity, sleep, and brain development in ASD. However, studies investigating sleep or plasticity during critical periods in ASD mouse models are lacking. Therefore, we highlight an urgent need to consider developmental trajectory in studies of sleep and plasticity in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Medina
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Sarah Peterson
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Ford
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Kristan Singletary
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Lucia Peixoto
- Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
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22
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Brown TC, McGee AW. Monocular deprivation during the critical period alters neuronal tuning and the composition of visual circuitry. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002096. [PMID: 37083549 PMCID: PMC10155990 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal visual experience during a developmental critical period degrades cortical responsiveness. Yet how experience-dependent plasticity alters the response properties of individual neurons and composition of visual circuitry is unclear. Here, we measured with calcium imaging in alert mice how monocular deprivation (MD) during the developmental critical period affects tuning for binocularity, orientation, and spatial frequency for neurons in primary visual cortex. MD of the contralateral eye did not uniformly shift ocular dominance (OD) of neurons towards the fellow ipsilateral eye but reduced the number of monocular contralateral neurons and increased the number of monocular ipsilateral neurons. MD also impaired matching of preferred orientation for binocular neurons and reduced the percentage of neurons responsive at most spatial frequencies for the deprived contralateral eye. Tracking the tuning properties for several hundred neurons before and after MD revealed that the shift in OD is complex and dynamic, with many previously monocular neurons becoming binocular and binocular neurons becoming monocular. Binocular neurons that became monocular were more likely to lose responsiveness to the deprived contralateral eye if they were better matched for orientation prior to deprivation. In addition, the composition of visual circuitry changed as population of neurons more responsive to the deprived eye were exchanged for neurons with tuning properties more similar to the network of responsive neurons altered by MD. Thus, plasticity during the critical period adapts to recent experience by both altering the tuning of responsive neurons and recruiting neurons with matching tuning properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C. Brown
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Aaron W. McGee
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
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23
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Liu S, Li Y. Deciphering functional roles of synaptic plasticity and intrinsic neural firing in developing mouse visual cortex layer IV microcircuit. J Comput Neurosci 2023; 51:23-42. [PMID: 35737171 DOI: 10.1007/s10827-022-00823-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Between the onset of the critical period of mouse primary visual cortex and eye opening at postnatal day 14 is a complex process and that is vital for the cognitive function of vision. The onset of the critical period of mouse primary visual cortex involves changes of the intrinsic firing property of each neuron and short term plasticity of synapses. In order to investigate the functional role of each factor in regulating the circuit firing activity during the critical period plasticity, we adopted the Markram's model for short term plasticity and Wilson's model for intrinsic neuron firing activity, and construct a microcircuit for mouse visual cortex layer IV based on the connection probabilities from experimental results. Our results indicate that, during CP development, the most critical factors that regulate the firing pattern of microcircuit is the short term plasticity of the synapse from PC to PV and SST interneurons, which upregulates the PV interneuron firing and produces new balance between excitation and inhibition; the intrinsic firing activity of PC and PV during development downregulates the firing frequency of the circuits. In addition, we have investigated the function of feedforward excitatory thalamic-cortical projection to PC and PV interneuron during CP, and found that neural firing activity largely depends on the TC input and the results are similar to the local circuit with minor differences. We conclude that the short term plasticity development during critical period plays a crucial role in regulating the circuit behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanwu Liu
- School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yinyun Li
- School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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Liu L, Zhang Y, Men S, Li X, Hou ST, Ju J. Elimination of perineuronal nets in CA1 disrupts GABA release and long-term contextual fear memory retention. Hippocampus 2023. [PMID: 36709413 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23503] [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: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) which mostly surround the parvalbumin (PV) neurons, have been shown to play critical roles in neural plasticity. Recently, PNNs have been shown to regulate fear-associated memory, but the molecular mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we found that removal of PNNs in vivo using chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) injection resulted in reduced firing rate of PV neurons and decreased inhibitory synaptic transmission in both PV neurons and excitatory neurons in the CA1 hippocampus. Interestingly, altered synaptic transmission appears to be mediated by presynaptic changes. Furthermore, ChABC treatment disrupts long-term contextual fear memory retention. These results suggest PNNs might alter fear memory by reducing the presynaptic GABA release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luping Liu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yujie Zhang
- The Pediatric Neurology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Siqi Men
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuanyi Li
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sheng-Tao Hou
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Ju
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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Gellért L, Luhmann HJ, Kilb W. Axonal connections between S1 barrel, M1, and S2 cortex in the newborn mouse. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1105998. [PMID: 36760662 PMCID: PMC9905141 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1105998] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of functionally interconnected networks between primary (S1), secondary somatosensory (S2), and motor (M1) cortical areas requires coherent neuronal activity via corticocortical projections. However, the anatomical substrate of functional connections between S1 and M1 or S2 during early development remains elusive. In the present study, we used ex vivo carbocyanine dye (DiI) tracing in paraformaldehyde-fixed newborn mouse brain to investigate axonal projections of neurons in different layers of S1 barrel field (S1Bf), M1, and S2 toward the subplate (SP), a hub layer for sensory information transfer in the immature cortex. In addition, we performed extracellular recordings in neocortical slices to unravel the functional connectivity between these areas. Our experiments demonstrate that already at P0 neurons from the cortical plate (CP), layer 5/6 (L5/6), and the SP of both M1 and S2 send projections through the SP of S1Bf. Reciprocally, neurons from CP to SP of S1Bf send projections through the SP of M1 and S2. Electrophysiological recordings with multi-electrode arrays in cortical slices revealed weak, but functional synaptic connections between SP and L5/6 within and between S1 and M1. An even lower functional connectivity was observed between S1 and S2. In summary, our findings demonstrate that functional connections between SP and upper cortical layers are not confined to the same cortical area, but corticocortical connection between adjacent cortical areas exist already at the day of birth. Hereby, SP can integrate early cortical activity of M1, S1, and S2 and shape the development of sensorimotor integration at an early stage.
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Maimon A, Netzer O, Heimler B, Amedi A. Testing geometry and 3D perception in children following vision restoring cataract-removal surgery. Front Neurosci 2023; 16:962817. [PMID: 36711132 PMCID: PMC9879291 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.962817] [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: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
As neuroscience and rehabilitative techniques advance, age-old questions concerning the visual experience of those who gain sight after blindness, once thought to be philosophical alone, take center stage and become the target for scientific inquiries. In this study, we employ a battery of visual perception tasks to study the unique experience of a small group of children who have undergone vision-restoring cataract removal surgery as part of the Himalayan Cataract Project. We tested their abilities to perceive in three dimensions (3D) using a binocular rivalry task and the Brock string task, perceive visual illusions, use cross-modal mappings between touch and vision, and spatially group based on geometric cues. Some of the children in this study gained a sense of sight for the first time in their lives, having been born with bilateral congenital cataracts, while others suffered late-onset blindness in one eye alone. This study simultaneously supports yet raises further questions concerning Hubel and Wiesel's critical periods theory and provides additional insight into Molyneux's problem, the ability to correlate vision with touch quickly. We suggest that our findings present a relatively unexplored intermediate stage of 3D vision development. Importantly, we spotlight some essential geometrical perception visual abilities that strengthen the idea that spontaneous geometry intuitions arise independently from visual experience (and education), thus replicating and extending previous studies. We incorporate a new model, not previously explored, of testing children with congenital cataract removal surgeries who perform the task via vision. In contrast, previous work has explored these abilities in the congenitally blind via touch. Taken together, our findings provide insight into the development of what is commonly known as the visual system in the visually deprived and highlight the need to further empirically explore an amodal, task-based interpretation of specializations in the development and structure of the brain. Moreover, we propose a novel objective method, based on a simple binocular rivalry task and the Brock string task, for determining congenital (early) vs. late blindness where medical history and records are partial or lacking (e.g., as is often the case in cataract removal cases).
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Maimon
- The Baruch Ivcher Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Technology, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel,The Ruth & Meir Rosenthal Brain Imaging Center, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel,*Correspondence: Amber Maimon,
| | - Ophir Netzer
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Benedetta Heimler
- Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation (CATR), Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Amir Amedi
- The Baruch Ivcher Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Technology, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel,The Ruth & Meir Rosenthal Brain Imaging Center, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
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27
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Effect of neonatal isolation on responses to subsequent exposure to isolation stress in young chickens. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2022; 274:111320. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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28
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Lin TH, Kolodkin AL. Circuit engineering: Rewiring adult outer retina connections. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1276-R1278. [PMID: 36413972 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Rewiring and repairing neural circuitry has long been an important goal in neuroscience research. A new study employing clever genetic tools successfully restored synaptic connections in the adult mammalian outer retina and accompanying visually evoked behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Huai Lin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Alex L Kolodkin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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29
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Chen C, Ma X, Wei J, Shakir N, Zhang JK, Zhang L, Nehme A, Cui Y, Ferguson D, Bai F, Qiu S. Early impairment of cortical circuit plasticity and connectivity in the 5XFAD Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:371. [PMID: 36075886 PMCID: PMC9458752 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02132-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic risk factors for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), are expressed throughout the life span. How these risk factors affect early brain development and function remain largely unclear. Analysis of animal models with high constructive validity for AD, such as the 5xFAD mouse model, may provide insights on potential early neurodevelopmental effects that impinge on adult brain function and age-dependent degeneration. The 5XFAD mouse model over-expresses human amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) harboring five familial AD mutations. It is unclear how the expression of these mutant proteins affects early developing brain circuits. We found that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) layer 5 (L5) neurons in 5XFAD mice exhibit transgenic APP overloading at an early post-weaning age. Impaired synaptic plasticity (long-term potentiation, LTP) was seen at 6-8 weeks age in L5 PFC circuit, which was correlated with increased intracellular APP. APP overloading was also seen in L5 pyramidal neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) during the critical period of plasticity (4-5 weeks age). Whole-cell patch clamp recording in V1 brain slices revealed reduced intrinsic excitability of L5 neurons in 5XFAD mice, along with decreased spontaneous miniature excitatory and inhibitory inputs. Functional circuit mapping using laser scanning photostimulation (LSPS) combined with glutamate uncaging uncovered reduced excitatory synaptic connectivity onto L5 neurons in V1, and a more pronounced reduction in inhibitory connectivity, indicative of altered excitation and inhibition during VC critical period. Lastly, in vivo single-unit recording in V1 confirmed that monocular visual deprivation-induced ocular dominance plasticity during critical period was impaired in 5XFAD mice. Our study reveals plasticity deficits across multiple cortical regions and indicates altered early cortical circuit developmental trajectory as a result of mutant APP/PS1 over-expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Chen
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XDepartment of Neurology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008 China ,grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XBasic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Xiaokuang Ma
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XBasic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Jing Wei
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XBasic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Neha Shakir
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XBasic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Jessica K. Zhang
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XBasic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Le Zhang
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XBasic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Antoine Nehme
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XBasic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Yuehua Cui
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XBasic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Deveroux Ferguson
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XBasic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Feng Bai
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China.
| | - Shenfeng Qiu
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA.
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30
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Wang Y, Hou P, Li W, Zhang M, Zheng H, Chen X. The influence of different current-intensity transcranial alternating current stimulation on the eyes-open and eyes-closed resting-state electroencephalography. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:934382. [PMID: 36061496 PMCID: PMC9429605 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.934382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) applies a sinusoidal oscillating current to modulate intrinsic oscillatory activity. Relevant studies of tACS have indicated that tACS can increase spontaneous brain activity in the occipital area. However, few studies have compared the effects of tACS with different current intensities on spontaneous brain activity in the occipital region. In this study, 10-Hz tACS was delivered to the occipital region at different current intensities (i.e., 1 and 2 mA). We investigated the effect of the tACS on both eyes-open and eyes-closed resting-state electroencephalography (EEG). A total of 20 subjects and fifteen subjects were recruited to participate in the 1-mA tACS experiment and the 2-mA tACS experiment, respectively. Ten subjects participated in both experiments. The experimental results demonstrated that both 1-mA tACS and 2-mA tACS could increase occipital resting-state EEG activities. For the eyes-open condition, alpha activity elicited by 2-mA tACS increased significantly greater than that elicited by 1-mA tACS, while 1-mA tACS could produce greater alpha activity compared to 2 mA for the eyes-closed condition. These results suggested that the optimal current intensity might be different for the eyes-open and eyes-closed resting-state conditions, laying a foundation for the subsequent study of occipital tACS on task-state EEG activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
- School of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Peiyun Hou
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mingxing Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongliang Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaogang Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaogang Chen,
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31
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Visual neuroscience: A shrewd look at perceptual learning. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R839-R841. [PMID: 35944484 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A new study provides insight into the neuronal mechanisms that underlie visual learning in the tree shrew, revealing how improved coding for trained stimuli in visual cortex can negatively affect the perception of other stimuli.
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32
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Gryshchuk V, Weber C, Loo CK, Wermter S. Go ahead and do not forget: Modular lifelong learning from event-based data. Neurocomputing 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucom.2022.05.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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33
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Ren C, Peng K, Yang R, Liu W, Liu C, Komiyama T. Global and subtype-specific modulation of cortical inhibitory neurons regulated by acetylcholine during motor learning. Neuron 2022; 110:2334-2350.e8. [PMID: 35584693 PMCID: PMC9308684 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory neurons (INs) consist of distinct subtypes with unique functions. Previous studies on INs mainly focused on single brain regions, and thus it remains unclear whether the modulation of IN subtypes occurs globally across multiple regions. Here, we monitored the activity of different cortical IN subtypes at both macroscale and microscale in mice learning a lever-press task. Learning evoked a global modulation of IN subtypes throughout the cortex. The initial learning phase involved strong activation of vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing INs (VIP-INs) and weak activation of somatostatin-expressing INs (SOM-INs). Inactivating VIP-INs increased SOM-IN activity and impaired initial learning. Concurrently, cortical cholinergic inputs from the basal forebrain were initially more active but became less engaged over learning. Manipulation of the cholinergic system impaired motor learning and differentially altered activity of IN subtypes. These results reveal that motor learning involves a global and subtype-specific modulation on cortical INs regulated by the cholinergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Ren
- Neurobiology Section, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Neurosciences, and Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kailong Peng
- Neurobiology Section, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Neurosciences, and Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ruize Yang
- Neurobiology Section, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Neurosciences, and Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Weikang Liu
- Neurobiology Section, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Neurosciences, and Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Takaki Komiyama
- Neurobiology Section, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Neurosciences, and Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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34
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Liu L, Zhang Y, Ju J. Removal of perineuronal nets leads to altered neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in the visual cortex with distinct time courses. Neurosci Lett 2022; 785:136763. [PMID: 35760385 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Parvalbumin-expressing (PV) interneurons fast inhibit excitatory neurons in various brain areas. Perineuronal nets (PNNs), accumulating around PV neurons, have been shown to play critical roles in neuronal function and plasticity. The cellular mechanisms underlying their functions are still in debate, for example, do PNNs contribute significantly to the excitability of inhibitory neurons especially those containing PV? On the other hand, whether PNNs have significant contributions to synaptic transmission of PV neurons is much less unknown. In this study, we designed experiments to address these questions and found that removing PNNs in vivo using chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) led to distinct changes in neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission, depending on the duration of ChABC treatment. The results showed 7 days after ChABC treatment reduced both intrinsic excitability of PV neurons and synaptic transmission to both PV neurons and excitatory neurons in the primary visual cortex. However, 1 day after ChABC treatment digested PNNs effectively but had no effects on intrinsic excitability and synaptic transmission. These results suggest the contribution of PNNs to neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission depends on different time courses of ChABC digestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luping Liu
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yujie Zhang
- The Pediatric Neurology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518038, China
| | - Jun Ju
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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35
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Marin IA, Gutman-Wei AY, Chew KS, Raissi AJ, Djurisic M, Shatz CJ. The nonclassical MHC class I Qa-1 expressed in layer 6 neurons regulates activity-dependent plasticity via microglial CD94/NKG2 in the cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2203965119. [PMID: 35648829 PMCID: PMC9191652 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203965119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
During developmental critical periods, circuits are sculpted by a process of activity-dependent competition. The molecular machinery involved in regulating the complex process of responding to different levels of activity is now beginning to be identified. Here, we show that the nonclassical major histocompatibility class I (MHCI) molecule Qa-1 is expressed in the healthy brain in layer 6 corticothalamic neurons. In the visual cortex, Qa-1 expression begins during the critical period for ocular dominance (OD) plasticity and is regulated by neuronal activity, suggesting a role in regulating activity-dependent competition. Indeed, in mice lacking Qa-1, OD plasticity is perturbed. Moreover, signaling through CD94/NKG2, a known cognate Qa-1 heterodimeric receptor in the immune system, is implicated: selectively targeting this interaction phenocopies the plasticity perturbation observed in Qa-1 knockouts. In the cortex, CD94/NKG2 is expressed by microglial cells, which undergo activity-dependent changes in their morphology in a Qa-1–dependent manner. Our study thus reveals a neuron–microglial interaction dependent upon a nonclassical MHCI molecule expressed in L6 neurons, which regulates plasticity in the visual cortex. These results also point to an unexpected function for the Qa-1/HLA-E (ligand) and CD94/NKG2 (receptor) interaction in the nervous system, in addition to that described in the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana A. Marin
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Alan Y. Gutman-Wei
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Kylie S. Chew
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Aram J. Raissi
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Maja Djurisic
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Carla J. Shatz
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
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36
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Rączy K, Hölig C, Guerreiro MJS, Lingareddy S, Kekunnaya R, Röder B. Typical resting state activity of the brain requires visual input during an early sensitive period. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac146. [PMID: 35836836 PMCID: PMC9275761 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory deprivation, following a total loss of one sensory modality e.g. vision, has been demonstrated to result in compensatory plasticity. It is yet not known to which extent neural changes, e.g. higher resting-state activity in visual areas (cross-modal plasticity) as a consequence of blindness, reverse, when sight is restored. Here, we used functional MRI to acquire blood oxygen level-dependent resting-state activity during an eyes open and an eyes closed state in congenital cataract-reversal individuals, developmental cataract-reversal individuals, congenitally permanently blind individuals and sighted controls. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuation of the blood oxygen level-dependent signal—a neural marker of spontaneous brain activity during rest—was analyzed. In accordance with previous reports, in normally sighted controls we observed an increase in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation during rest with the eyes open compared with rest with eyes closed in visual association areas and in parietal cortex but a decrease in auditory and sensorimotor regions. In congenital cataract-reversal individuals, we found an increase of the amplitude of slow blood oxygen level-dependent fluctuations in visual cortex during rest with eyes open compared with rest with eyes closed too but this increase was larger in amplitude than in normally sighted controls. In contrast, congenital cataract-reversal individuals lagged a similar increase in parietal regions and did not show the typical decrease of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in auditory cortex. Congenitally blind individuals displayed an overall higher amplitude in slow blood oxygen level-dependent fluctuations in visual cortex compared with sighted individuals and compared with congenital cataract-reversal individuals in the eyes closed condition. Higher amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in visual cortex of congenital cataract-reversal individuals than in normally sighted controls during eyes open might indicate an altered excitatory–inhibitory balance of visual neural circuits. By contrast, the lower parietal increase and the missing downregulation in auditory regions suggest a reduced influence of the visual system on multisensory and the other sensory systems after restoring sight in congenitally blind individuals. These results demonstrate a crucial dependence of visual and multisensory neural system functioning on visual experience during a sensitive phase in human brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Rączy
- University of Hamburg Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, , 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cordula Hölig
- University of Hamburg Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, , 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria J. S. Guerreiro
- University of Hamburg Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, , 20146 Hamburg, Germany
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg , 26111, Oldenburg, Germany
| | | | - Ramesh Kekunnaya
- Child Sight Institute, LV Prasad Eye Institute Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, , 500034 Hyderabad, India
| | - Brigitte Röder
- University of Hamburg Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, , 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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Mueller-Buehl C, Reinhard J, Roll L, Bader V, Winklhofer KF, Faissner A. Brevican, Neurocan, Tenascin-C, and Tenascin-R Act as Important Regulators of the Interplay Between Perineuronal Nets, Synaptic Integrity, Inhibitory Interneurons, and Otx2. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:886527. [PMID: 35721494 PMCID: PMC9201762 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.886527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fast-spiking parvalbumin interneurons are critical for the function of mature cortical inhibitory circuits. Most of these neurons are enwrapped by a specialized extracellular matrix (ECM) structure called perineuronal net (PNN), which can regulate their synaptic input. In this study, we investigated the relationship between PNNs, parvalbumin interneurons, and synaptic distribution on these cells in the adult primary visual cortex (V1) of quadruple knockout mice deficient for the ECM molecules brevican, neurocan, tenascin-C, and tenascin-R. We used super-resolution structured illumination microscopy (SIM) to analyze PNN structure and associated synapses. In addition, we examined parvalbumin and calretinin interneuron populations. We observed a reduction in the number of PNN-enwrapped cells and clear disorganization of the PNN structure in the quadruple knockout V1. This was accompanied by an imbalance of inhibitory and excitatory synapses with a reduction of inhibitory and an increase of excitatory synaptic elements along the PNNs. Furthermore, the number of parvalbumin interneurons was reduced in the quadruple knockout, while calretinin interneurons, which do not wear PNNs, did not display differences in number. Interestingly, we found the transcription factor Otx2 homeoprotein positive cell population also reduced. Otx2 is crucial for parvalbumin interneuron and PNN maturation, and a positive feedback loop between these parameters has been described. Collectively, these data indicate an important role of brevican, neurocan, tenascin-C, and tenascin-R in regulating the interplay between PNNs, inhibitory interneurons, synaptic distribution, and Otx2 in the V1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelius Mueller-Buehl
- Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Reinhard
- Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lars Roll
- Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Verian Bader
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Konstanze F. Winklhofer
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence RESOLV, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Andreas Faissner
- Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Lifelong changes of neurotransmitter receptor expression and debilitation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity following early postnatal blindness. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9142. [PMID: 35650390 PMCID: PMC9160005 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13127-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the weeks immediately after onset of sensory loss, extensive reorganization of both the cortex and hippocampus occurs. Two fundamental characteristics comprise widespread changes in the relative expression of GABA and glutamate receptors and debilitation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Here, we explored whether recovery from adaptive changes in the expression of plasticity-related neurotransmitter receptors and hippocampal synaptic plasticity occurs in the time-period of up to 12 months after onset of sensory loss. We compared receptor expression in CBA/J mice that develop hereditary blindness, with CBA/CaOlaHsd mice that have intact vision and no deficits in other sensory modalities throughout adulthood. GluN1-subunit expression was reduced and the GluN2A:GluN2B ratio was persistently altered in cortex and hippocampus. GABA-receptor expression was decreased and metabotropic glutamate receptor expression was altered. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity was persistently compromised in vivo. But although LTP in blind mice was chronically impaired throughout adulthood, a recovery of the early phase of LTP became apparent when the animals reached 12 months of age. These data show that cortical and hippocampal adaptation to early postnatal blindness progresses into advanced adulthood and is a process that compromises hippocampal function. A partial recovery of hippocampal synaptic plasticity emerges in advanced adulthood, however.
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Chen X, Liao M, Jiang P, Sun H, Liu L, Gong Q. Abnormal effective connectivity in visual cortices underlies stereopsis defects in amblyopia. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 34:103005. [PMID: 35421811 PMCID: PMC9011166 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal effective connectivity inherent stereopsis defects in amblyopia was studied. A weakened connection from V2v to LO2 relates to stereopsis defects in amblyopia. Higher-order visual cortices may serve as key nodes to the stereopsis defects. An independent longitudinal dataset was used to validate the obtained results.
The neural basis underlying stereopsis defects in patients with amblyopia remains unclear, which hinders the development of clinical therapy. This study aimed to investigate visual network abnormalities in patients with amblyopia and their associations with stereopsis function. Spectral dynamic causal modeling methods were employed for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to investigate the effective connectivity (EC) among 14 predefined regions of interest in the dorsal and ventral visual pathways. We adopted two independent datasets, including a cross-sectional and a longitudinal dataset. In the cross-sectional dataset, we compared group differences in EC between 31 patients with amblyopia (mean age: 26.39 years old) and 31 healthy controls (mean age: 25.71 years old) and investigated the association between EC and stereoacuity. In addition, we explored EC changes after perceptual learning in a novel longitudinal dataset including 9 patients with amblyopia (mean age: 15.78 years old). We found consistent evidence from the two datasets indicating that the aberrant EC from V2v to LO2 is crucial for the stereoscopic deficits in the patients with amblyopia: it was weaker in the patients than in the controls, showed a positive linear relationship with the stereoscopic function, and increased after perceptual learning in the patients. In addition, higher-level dorsal (V3d, V3A, and V3B) and ventral areas (LO1 and LO2) were important nodes in the network of abnormal ECs associated with stereoscopic deficits in the patients with amblyopia. Our research provides insights into the neural mechanism underlying stereopsis deficits in patients with amblyopia and provides candidate targets for focused stimulus interventions to enhance the efficacy of clinical treatment for the improvement of stereopsis deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Chen
- Department of Optometry and Visual Science, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Meng Liao
- Department of Optometry and Visual Science, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ping Jiang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China; Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China.
| | - Huaiqiang Sun
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Imaging Research Core Facilities, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Longqian Liu
- Department of Optometry and Visual Science, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China; Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
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Ferrer C, De Marco García NV. The Role of Inhibitory Interneurons in Circuit Assembly and Refinement Across Sensory Cortices. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:866999. [PMID: 35463203 PMCID: PMC9021723 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.866999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory information is transduced into electrical signals in the periphery by specialized sensory organs, which relay this information to the thalamus and subsequently to cortical primary sensory areas. In the cortex, microcircuits constituted by interconnected pyramidal cells and inhibitory interneurons, distributed throughout the cortical column, form the basic processing units of sensory information underlying sensation. In the mouse, these circuits mature shortly after birth. In the first postnatal week cortical activity is characterized by highly synchronized spontaneous activity. While by the second postnatal week, spontaneous activity desynchronizes and sensory influx increases drastically upon eye opening, as well as with the onset of hearing and active whisking. This influx of sensory stimuli is fundamental for the maturation of functional properties and connectivity in neurons allocated to sensory cortices. In the subsequent developmental period, spanning the first five postnatal weeks, sensory circuits are malleable in response to sensory stimulation in the so-called critical periods. During these critical periods, which vary in timing and duration across sensory areas, perturbations in sensory experience can alter cortical connectivity, leading to long-lasting modifications in sensory processing. The recent advent of intersectional genetics, in vivo calcium imaging and single cell transcriptomics has aided the identification of circuit components in emergent networks. Multiple studies in recent years have sought a better understanding of how genetically-defined neuronal subtypes regulate circuit plasticity and maturation during development. In this review, we discuss the current literature focused on postnatal development and critical periods in the primary auditory (A1), visual (V1), and somatosensory (S1) cortices. We compare the developmental trajectory among the three sensory areas with a particular emphasis on interneuron function and the role of inhibitory circuits in cortical development and function.
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Abstract
For four decades, investigations of the biological basis of critical periods in the developing mammalian visual cortex were dominated by study of the consequences of altered early visual experience in cats and nonhuman primates. The neural deficits thus revealed also provided insight into the origin and neural basis of human amblyopia that in turn motivated additional studies of humans with abnormal early visual input. Recent human studies point to deficits arising from alterations in all visual cortical areas and even in nonvisual cortical regions. As the new human data accumulated in parallel with a near-complete shift toward the use of rodent animal models for the study of neural mechanisms, it is now essential to review the human data and the earlier animal data obtained from cats and monkeys to infer general conclusions and to optimize future choice of the most appropriate animal model. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 8 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald E Mitchell
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada;
| | - Daphne Maurer
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada;
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Pedrosa LRR, Coimbra GDS, Corrêa MG, Dias IA, Bahia CP. Time Window of the Critical Period for Neuroplasticity in S1, V1, and A1 Sensory Areas of Small Rodents: A Systematic Review. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:763245. [PMID: 35370567 PMCID: PMC8970055 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.763245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The plasticity of the central nervous system (CNS) allows the change of neuronal organization and function after environmental stimuli or adaptation after sensory deprivation. The so-called critical period (CP) for neuroplasticity is the time window when each sensory brain region is more sensitive to changes and adaptations. This time window is usually different for each primary sensory area: somatosensory (S1), visual (V1), and auditory (A1). Several intrinsic mechanisms are also involved in the start and end of the CP for neuroplasticity; however, which is its duration in S1, VI, and A1? This systematic review evaluated studies on the determination of these time windows in small rodents. The careful study selection and methodological quality assessment indicated that the CP for neuroplasticity is different among the sensory areas, and the brain maps are influenced by environmental stimuli. Moreover, there is an overlap between the time windows of some sensory areas. Finally, the time window duration of the CP for neuroplasticity is predominant in S1.
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Larsen B, Cui Z, Adebimpe A, Pines A, Alexander-Bloch A, Bertolero M, Calkins ME, Gur RE, Gur RC, Mahadevan AS, Moore TM, Roalf DR, Seidlitz J, Sydnor VJ, Wolf DH, Satterthwaite TD. A developmental reduction of the excitation:inhibition ratio in association cortex during adolescence. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabj8750. [PMID: 35119918 PMCID: PMC8816330 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj8750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is hypothesized to be a critical period for the development of association cortex. A reduction of the excitation:inhibition (E:I) ratio is a hallmark of critical period development; however, it has been unclear how to assess the development of the E:I ratio using noninvasive neuroimaging techniques. Here, we used pharmacological fMRI with a GABAergic benzodiazepine challenge to empirically generate a model of E:I ratio based on multivariate patterns of functional connectivity. In an independent sample of 879 youth (ages 8 to 22 years), this model predicted reductions in the E:I ratio during adolescence, which were specific to association cortex and related to psychopathology. These findings support hypothesized shifts in E:I balance of association cortices during a neurodevelopmental critical period in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Larsen
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zaixu Cui
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Azeez Adebimpe
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Adam Pines
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aaron Alexander-Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Max Bertolero
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Monica E. Calkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Arun S. Mahadevan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tyler M. Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David R. Roalf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Valerie J. Sydnor
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel H. Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Theodore D. Satterthwaite
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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PV network plasticity mediated by neuregulin1-ErbB4 signalling controls fear extinction. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:896-906. [PMID: 34697452 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01355-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Neuroplasticity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is essential for fear extinction, the process of which forms the basis of the general therapeutic process used to treat human fear disorders. However, the underlying molecules and local circuit elements controlling neuronal activity and concomitant induction of plasticity remain unclear. Here we show that sustained plasticity of the parvalbumin (PV) neuronal network in the infralimbic (IL) mPFC is required for fear extinction in adult male mice and identify the involvement of neuregulin 1-ErbB4 signalling in PV network plasticity-mediated fear extinction. Moreover, regulation of fear extinction by basal medial amygdala (BMA)-projecting IL neurons is dependent on PV network configuration. Together, these results uncover the local molecular circuit mechanisms underlying mPFC-mediated top-down control of fear extinction, suggesting alterative therapeutic approaches to treat fear disorders.
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Strettoi E, Di Marco B, Orsini N, Napoli D. Retinal Plasticity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031138. [PMID: 35163059 PMCID: PMC8835074 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain plasticity is a well-established concept designating the ability of central nervous system (CNS) neurons to rearrange as a result of learning, when adapting to changeable environmental conditions or else while reacting to injurious factors. As a part of the CNS, the retina has been repeatedly probed for its possible ability to respond plastically to a variably altered environment or to pathological insults. However, numerous studies support the conclusion that the retina, outside the developmental stage, is endowed with only limited plasticity, exhibiting, instead, a remarkable ability to maintain a stable architectural and functional organization. Reviewed here are representative examples of hippocampal and cortical paradigms of plasticity and of retinal structural rearrangements found in organization and circuitry following altered developmental conditions or occurrence of genetic diseases leading to neuronal degeneration. The variable rate of plastic changes found in mammalian retinal neurons in different circumstances is discussed, focusing on structural plasticity. The likely adaptive value of maintaining a low level of plasticity in an organ subserving a sensory modality that is dominant for the human species and that requires elevated fidelity is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Strettoi
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (B.D.M.); (N.O.); (D.N.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0503153213
| | - Beatrice Di Marco
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (B.D.M.); (N.O.); (D.N.)
- Regional Doctorate School in Neuroscience, Universities of Florence, Pisa and Siena, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Noemi Orsini
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (B.D.M.); (N.O.); (D.N.)
- Regional Doctorate School in Neuroscience, Universities of Florence, Pisa and Siena, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Debora Napoli
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (B.D.M.); (N.O.); (D.N.)
- Regional Doctorate School in Neuroscience, Universities of Florence, Pisa and Siena, 50134 Florence, Italy
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Lupori L, Cornuti S, Mazziotti R, Borghi E, Ottaviano E, Cas MD, Sagona G, Pizzorusso T, Tognini P. The gut microbiota of environmentally enriched mice regulates visual cortical plasticity. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110212. [PMID: 35021093 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposing animals to an enriched environment (EE) has dramatic effects on brain structure, function, and plasticity. The poorly known "EE-derived signals'' mediating the EE effects are thought to be generated within the central nervous system. Here, we shift the focus to the body periphery, revealing that gut microbiota signals are crucial for EE-driven plasticity. Developmental analysis reveals striking differences in intestinal bacteria composition between EE and standard rearing (ST) mice, as well as enhanced levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in EE mice. Depleting the microbiota of EE mice with antibiotics strongly decreases SCFA and prevents activation of adult ocular dominance plasticity, spine dynamics, and microglia rearrangement. SCFA treatment in ST mice mimics EE induction of ocular dominance plasticity and microglial remodeling. Remarkably, transferring the microbiota of EE mice to ST recipients activates adult ocular dominance plasticity. Thus, experience-dependent changes in gut microbiota regulate brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Cornuti
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Raffaele Mazziotti
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisa Borghi
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20142 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Michele Dei Cas
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20142 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Sagona
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Pizzorusso
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore, 56126 Pisa, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA University of Florence, 50100 Florence, Italy; Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Tognini
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore, 56126 Pisa, Italy; Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
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Barnes SJ, Keller GB, Keck T. Homeostatic regulation through strengthening of neuronal network-correlated synaptic inputs. eLife 2022; 11:81958. [PMID: 36515269 PMCID: PMC9803349 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81958] [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: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeostatic regulation is essential for stable neuronal function. Several synaptic mechanisms of homeostatic plasticity have been described, but the functional properties of synapses involved in homeostasis are unknown. We used longitudinal two-photon functional imaging of dendritic spine calcium signals in visual and retrosplenial cortices of awake adult mice to quantify the sensory deprivation-induced changes in the responses of functionally identified spines. We found that spines whose activity selectively correlated with intrinsic network activity underwent tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-dependent homeostatic increases in their response amplitudes, but spines identified as responsive to sensory stimulation did not. We observed an increase in the global sensory-evoked responses following sensory deprivation, despite the fact that the identified sensory inputs did not strengthen. Instead, global sensory-evoked responses correlated with the strength of network-correlated inputs. Our results suggest that homeostatic regulation of global responses is mediated through changes to intrinsic network-correlated inputs rather than changes to identified sensory inputs thought to drive sensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Barnes
- Department of Brain Sciences, Division of Neuroscience, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital CampusLondonUnited Kingdom,UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial CollegeLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Georg B Keller
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
| | - Tara Keck
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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Abstract
The auditory cortex of people with sensorineural hearing loss can be re-afferented using a cochlear implant (CI): a neural prosthesis that bypasses the damaged cells in the cochlea to directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Although CIs are the most successful neural prosthesis to date, some CI users still do not achieve satisfactory outcomes using these devices. To explain variability in outcomes, clinicians and researchers have increasingly focused their attention on neuroscientific investigations that examined how the auditory cortices respond to the electric signals that originate from the CI. This chapter provides an overview of the literature that examined how the auditory cortex changes its functional properties in response to inputs from the CI, in animal models and in humans. We focus first on the basic responses to sounds delivered through electrical hearing and, next, we examine the integrity of two fundamental aspects of the auditory system: tonotopy and processing of binaural cues. When addressing the effects of CIs in humans, we also consider speech-evoked responses. We conclude by discussing to what extent this neuroscientific literature can contribute to clinical practices and help to overcome variability in outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pavani
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
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Jenks KR, Tsimring K, Ip JPK, Zepeda JC, Sur M. Heterosynaptic Plasticity and the Experience-Dependent Refinement of Developing Neuronal Circuits. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:803401. [PMID: 34949992 PMCID: PMC8689143 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.803401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons remodel the structure and strength of their synapses during critical periods of development in order to optimize both perception and cognition. Many of these developmental synaptic changes are thought to occur through synapse-specific homosynaptic forms of experience-dependent plasticity. However, homosynaptic plasticity can also induce or contribute to the plasticity of neighboring synapses through heterosynaptic interactions. Decades of research in vitro have uncovered many of the molecular mechanisms of heterosynaptic plasticity that mediate local compensation for homosynaptic plasticity, facilitation of further bouts of plasticity in nearby synapses, and cooperative induction of plasticity by neighboring synapses acting in concert. These discoveries greatly benefited from new tools and technologies that permitted single synapse imaging and manipulation of structure, function, and protein dynamics in living neurons. With the recent advent and application of similar tools for in vivo research, it is now feasible to explore how heterosynaptic plasticity contribute to critical periods and the development of neuronal circuits. In this review, we will first define the forms heterosynaptic plasticity can take and describe our current understanding of their molecular mechanisms. Then, we will outline how heterosynaptic plasticity may lead to meaningful refinement of neuronal responses and observations that suggest such mechanisms are indeed at work in vivo. Finally, we will use a well-studied model of cortical plasticity—ocular dominance plasticity during a critical period of visual cortex development—to highlight the molecular overlap between heterosynaptic and developmental forms of plasticity, and suggest potential avenues of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle R Jenks
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Katya Tsimring
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jacque Pak Kan Ip
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jose C Zepeda
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Balsor JL, Arbabi K, Singh D, Kwan R, Zaslavsky J, Jeyanesan E, Murphy KM. A Practical Guide to Sparse k-Means Clustering for Studying Molecular Development of the Human Brain. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:668293. [PMID: 34867140 PMCID: PMC8636820 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.668293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the molecular development of the human brain presents unique challenges for selecting a data analysis approach. The rare and valuable nature of human postmortem brain tissue, especially for developmental studies, means the sample sizes are small (n), but the use of high throughput genomic and proteomic methods measure the expression levels for hundreds or thousands of variables [e.g., genes or proteins (p)] for each sample. This leads to a data structure that is high dimensional (p ≫ n) and introduces the curse of dimensionality, which poses a challenge for traditional statistical approaches. In contrast, high dimensional analyses, especially cluster analyses developed for sparse data, have worked well for analyzing genomic datasets where p ≫ n. Here we explore applying a lasso-based clustering method developed for high dimensional genomic data with small sample sizes. Using protein and gene data from the developing human visual cortex, we compared clustering methods. We identified an application of sparse k-means clustering [robust sparse k-means clustering (RSKC)] that partitioned samples into age-related clusters that reflect lifespan stages from birth to aging. RSKC adaptively selects a subset of the genes or proteins contributing to partitioning samples into age-related clusters that progress across the lifespan. This approach addresses a problem in current studies that could not identify multiple postnatal clusters. Moreover, clusters encompassed a range of ages like a series of overlapping waves illustrating that chronological- and brain-age have a complex relationship. In addition, a recently developed workflow to create plasticity phenotypes (Balsor et al., 2020) was applied to the clusters and revealed neurobiologically relevant features that identified how the human visual cortex changes across the lifespan. These methods can help address the growing demand for multimodal integration, from molecular machinery to brain imaging signals, to understand the human brain’s development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin L Balsor
- McMaster Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Keon Arbabi
- McMaster Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Desmond Singh
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Rachel Kwan
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan Zaslavsky
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ewalina Jeyanesan
- McMaster Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Kathryn M Murphy
- McMaster Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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