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Ouelhazi A, Bharmauria V, Molotchnikoff S. Adaptation-induced sharpening of orientation tuning curves in the mouse visual cortex. Neuroreport 2024; 35:291-298. [PMID: 38407865 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000002012] [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: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Orientation selectivity is an emergent property of visual neurons across species with columnar and noncolumnar organization of the visual cortex. The emergence of orientation selectivity is more established in columnar cortical areas than in noncolumnar ones. Thus, how does orientation selectivity emerge in noncolumnar cortical areas after an adaptation protocol? Adaptation refers to the constant presentation of a nonoptimal stimulus (adapter) to a neuron under observation for a specific time. Previously, it had been shown that adaptation has varying effects on the tuning properties of neurons, such as orientation, spatial frequency, motion and so on. BASIC METHODS We recorded the mouse primary visual neurons (V1) at different orientations in the control (preadaptation) condition. This was followed by adapting neurons uninterruptedly for 12 min and then recording the same neurons postadaptation. An orientation selectivity index (OSI) for neurons was computed to compare them pre- and post-adaptation. MAIN RESULTS We show that 12-min adaptation increases the OSI of visual neurons ( n = 113), that is, sharpens their tuning. Moreover, the OSI postadaptation increases linearly as a function of the OSI preadaptation. CONCLUSION The increased OSI postadaptation may result from a specific dendritic neural mechanism, potentially facilitating the rapid learning of novel features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afef Ouelhazi
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Neurophysiology of the Visual system, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
| | - Vishal Bharmauria
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Vision Research and Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) Program, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stéphane Molotchnikoff
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Neurophysiology of the Visual system, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
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2
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Yang Y, Yang Z, Lv M, Jia A, Li J, Liao B, Chen J, Wu Z, Shi Y, Xia Y, Yao D, Chen K. Morphological disruption and visual tuning alterations in the primary visual cortex in glaucoma (DBA/2J) mice. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:220-225. [PMID: 37488870 PMCID: PMC10479843 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.375341] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, and previous studies have shown that, in addition to affecting the eyes, it also causes abnormalities in the brain. However, it is not yet clear how the primary visual cortex (V1) is altered in glaucoma. This study used DBA/2J mice as a model for spontaneous secondary glaucoma. The aim of the study was to compare the electrophysiological and histomorphological characteristics of neurons in the V1 between 9-month-old DBA/2J mice and age-matched C57BL/6J mice. We conducted single-unit recordings in the V1 of light-anesthetized mice to measure the visually induced responses, including single-unit spiking and gamma band oscillations. The morphology of layer II/III neurons was determined by neuronal nuclear antigen staining and Nissl staining of brain tissue sections. Eighty-seven neurons from eight DBA/2J mice and eighty-one neurons from eight C57BL/6J mice were examined. Compared with the C57BL/6J group, V1 neurons in the DBA/2J group exhibited weaker visual tuning and impaired spatial summation. Moreover, fewer neurons were observed in the V1 of DBA/2J mice compared with C57BL/6J mice. These findings suggest that DBA/2J mice have fewer neurons in the V1 compared with C57BL/6J mice, and that these neurons have impaired visual tuning. Our findings provide a better understanding of the pathological changes that occur in V1 neuron function and morphology in the DBA/2J mouse model. This study might offer some innovative perspectives regarding the treatment of glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Medical School, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Zhaoxi Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Medical School, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Maoxia Lv
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Medical School, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ang Jia
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Junjun Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Baitao Liao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jing’an Chen
- Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengzheng Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Medical School, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yi Shi
- Health Management Center, Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yang Xia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Medical School, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Dezhong Yao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Medical School, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Ke Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Medical School, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
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3
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Medina AE, Foxworthy WA, Keum D, Meredith MA. Development of multisensory processing in ferret parietal cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3226-3238. [PMID: 37452674 PMCID: PMC10503439 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that the nervous system adjusts itself to its environment during development. Although a great deal of effort has been directed towards understanding the developmental processes of the individual sensory systems (e.g., vision, hearing, etc.), only one major study has examined the maturation of multisensory processing in cortical neurons. Therefore, the present investigation sought to evaluate multisensory development in a different cortical region and species. Using multiple single-unit recordings in anaesthetised ferrets (n = 18) of different ages (from postnatal day 80 to 300), we studied the responses of neurons from the rostral posterior parietal (PPr) area to presentations of visual, tactile and combined visual-tactile stimulation. The results showed that multisensory neurons were infrequent at the youngest ages (pre-pubertal) and progressively increased through the later ages. Significant response changes that result from multisensory stimulation (defined as multisensory integration [MSI]) were observed in post-pubertal adolescent animals, and the magnitude of these integrated responses also increased across this age group. Furthermore, non-significant multisensory response changes were progressively increased in adolescent animals. Collectively, at the population level, MSI was observed to shift from primarily suppressive levels in infants to increasingly higher levels in later stages. These data indicate that, like the unisensory systems from which it is derived, multisensory processing shows developmental changes whose specific time course may be regionally and species-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre E. Medina
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - W. Alex Foxworthy
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
- Department of Biology, Eastern Shore Community College, Melfa, VA
| | - Dongil Keum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - M. Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
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4
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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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5
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Kasamatsu T, Imamura K. Ocular dominance plasticity: Molecular mechanisms revisited. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:3039-3074. [PMID: 32737874 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ocular dominance plasticity (ODP) is a type of cortical plasticity operating in visual cortex of mammals that are endowed with binocular vision based on the competition-driven disparity. Earlier, a molecular mechanism was proposed that catecholamines play an important role in the maintenance of ODP in kittens. Having survived the initial test, the hypothesis was further advanced to identify noradrenaline (NA) as a key factor that regulates ODP in the immature cortex. Later, the ODP-promoting effect of NA is extended to the adult with age-related limitations. Following the enhanced NA availability, the chain events downstream lead to the β-adrenoreceptor-induced cAMP accumulation, which in turn activates the protein kinase A. Eventually, the protein kinase translocates to the cell nucleus to activate cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB). CREB is a cellular transcription factor that controls the transcription of various genes, underpinning neuronal plasticity and long-term memory. In the advent of molecular genetics in that various types of new tools have become available with relative ease, ODP research has lightly adopted in the rodent model the original concepts and methodologies. Here, after briefly tracing the strategic maturation of our quest, the review moves to the later development of the field, with the emphasis placed around the following issues: (a) Are we testing ODP per se? (b) What does monocular deprivation deprive of the immature cortex? (c) The critical importance of binocular competition, (d) What is the adult plasticity? (e) Excitation-Inhibition balance in local circuits, and (f) Species differences in the animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuji Kasamatsu
- Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kazuyuki Imamura
- Department of Systems Life Engineering, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Maebashi-shi, Gunma, Japan
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6
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Murase S, Winkowski D, Liu J, Kanold PO, Quinlan EM. Homeostatic regulation of perisynaptic matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) activity in the amblyopic visual cortex. eLife 2019; 8:52503. [PMID: 31868167 PMCID: PMC6961978 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dark exposure (DE) followed by light reintroduction (LRx) reactivates robust synaptic plasticity in adult mouse primary visual cortex (V1), which allows subsequent recovery from amblyopia. Previously we showed that perisynaptic proteolysis by MMP9 mediates the enhancement of plasticity by LRx in binocular adult mice (Murase et al., 2017). However, it was unknown if a visual system compromised by amblyopia could engage this pathway. Here we show that LRx to adult amblyopic mice induces perisynaptic MMP2/9 activity and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in deprived and non-deprived V1. Indeed, LRx restricted to the amblyopic eye is sufficient to induce robust MMP2/9 activity at thalamo-cortical synapses and ECM degradation in deprived V1. Two-photon live imaging demonstrates that the history of visual experience regulates MMP2/9 activity in V1, and that DE lowers the threshold for the proteinase activation. The homeostatic reduction of the MMP2/9 activation threshold by DE enables visual input from the amblyopic pathway to trigger robust perisynaptic proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachiko Murase
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Dan Winkowski
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Ji Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
| | - Elizabeth M Quinlan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, United States.,Neuroscience Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
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7
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Chanauria N, Bharmauria V, Bachatene L, Cattan S, Rouat J, Molotchnikoff S. Sound Induces Change in Orientation Preference of V1 Neurons: Audio-Visual Cross-Influence. Neuroscience 2019; 404:48-61. [PMID: 30703505 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In the cortex, demarcated unimodal sensory regions often respond to unforeseen sensory stimuli and exhibit plasticity. The goal of the current investigation was to test evoked responses of primary visual cortex (V1) neurons when an adapting auditory stimulus is applied in isolation. Using extracellular recordings in anesthetized cats, we demonstrate that, unlike the prevailing observation of only slight modulations in the firing rates of the neurons, sound imposition in isolation entirely shifted the peaks of orientation tuning curves of neurons in both supra- and infragranular layers of V1. Our results suggest that neurons specific to either layer dynamically integrate features of sound and modify the organization of the orientation map of V1. Intriguingly, these experiments present novel findings that the mere presentation of a prolonged auditory stimulus may drastically recalibrate the tuning properties of the visual neurons and highlight the phenomenal neuroplasticity of V1 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayan Chanauria
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Vishal Bharmauria
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Lyes Bachatene
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Sarah Cattan
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Jean Rouat
- Departement de Génie Électrique et Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Stéphane Molotchnikoff
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
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8
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Abstract
The shift in ocular dominance (OD) of binocular neurons induced by monocular deprivation is the canonical model of synaptic plasticity confined to a postnatal critical period. Developmental constraints on this plasticity not only lend stability to the mature visual cortical circuitry but also impede the ability to recover from amblyopia beyond an early window. Advances with mouse models utilizing the power of molecular, genetic, and imaging tools are beginning to unravel the circuit, cellular, and molecular mechanisms controlling the onset and closure of the critical periods of plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1). Emerging evidence suggests that mechanisms enabling plasticity in juveniles are not simply lost with age but rather that plasticity is actively constrained by the developmental up-regulation of molecular 'brakes'. Lifting these brakes enhances plasticity in the adult visual cortex, and can be harnessed to promote recovery from amblyopia. The reactivation of plasticity by experimental manipulations has revised the idea that robust OD plasticity is limited to early postnatal development. Here, we discuss recent insights into the neurobiology of the initiation and termination of critical periods and how our increasingly mechanistic understanding of these processes can be leveraged toward improved clinical treatment of adult amblyopia.
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9
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Chanauria N, Bharmauria V, Bachatene L, Cattan S, Rouat J, Molotchnikoff S. Comparative effects of adaptation on layers II-III and V-VI neurons in cat V1. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:3094-3104. [PMID: 27740707 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
V1 is fundamentally grouped into columns that descend from layers II-III to V-VI. Neurons inherent to visual cortex are capable of adapting to changes in the incoming stimuli that drive the cortical plasticity. A principle feature called orientation selectivity can be altered by the presentation of non-optimal stimulus called 'adapter'. When triggered, LGN cells impinge upon layer IV and further relay the information to deeper layers via layers II-III. Using different adaptation protocols, neuronal plasticity can be investigated. Superficial neurons in area V1 are well acknowledged to exhibit attraction and repulsion by shifting their tuning peaks when challenged by a non-optimal stimulus called 'adapter'. Layers V-VI neurons in spite of partnering layers II-III neurons in cortical computation have not been explored simultaneously toward adaptation. We believe that adaptation not only affects cells specific to a layer but modifies the entire column. In this study, through simultaneous multiunit recordings in anesthetized cats using a multichannel depth electrode, we show for the first time how layers V-VI neurons (1000-1200 μm) along with layers II-III neurons (300-500 μm) exhibit plasticity in response to adaptation. Our results demonstrate that superficial and deeper layer neurons react synonymously toward adapter by exhibiting similar behavioral properties. The neurons displayed similar amplitude of shift and maintained equivalent sharpness of Gaussian tuning peaks before and the following adaptation. It appears that a similar mechanism, belonging to all layers, is responsible for the analog outcome of the neurons' experience with adapter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayan Chanauria
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Vishal Bharmauria
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada.,The Visuomotor Neuroscience Lab, Centre for Vision Research, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lyes Bachatene
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada.,Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (CHUS), SNAIL
- Sherbrooke Neuro Analysis and Imaging Lab, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Sarah Cattan
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Jean Rouat
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada.,Département de Génie Électrique et Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Stéphane Molotchnikoff
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
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10
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Bharmauria V, Bachatene L, Ouelhazi A, Cattan S, Chanauria N, Etindele-Sosso FA, Rouat J, Molotchnikoff S. Interplay of orientation selectivity and the power of low- and high-gamma bands in the cat primary visual cortex. Neurosci Lett 2016; 620:14-9. [PMID: 27033667 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Gamma oscillations are ubiquitous in brain and are believed to be inevitable for information processing in brain. Here, we report that distinct bands (low, 30-40Hz and high gamma, 60-80Hz) of stimulus-triggered gamma oscillations are systematically linked to the orientation selectivity index (OSI) of neurons in the cat primary visual cortex. The gamma-power is high for the highly selective neurons in the low-gamma band, whereas it is high for the broadly selective neurons in the high-gamma band. We suggest that the low-gamma band is principally implicated in feed-forward excitatory flow, whereas the high-gamma band governs the flow of this excitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Bharmauria
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Lyes Bachatene
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Afef Ouelhazi
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sarah Cattan
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nayan Chanauria
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Faustin Armel Etindele-Sosso
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean Rouat
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, QC, Canada; Département de Génie Électrique et Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Stéphane Molotchnikoff
- Neurophysiology of Visual System, Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, QC, Canada; Département de Génie Électrique et Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
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11
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Eaton NC, Sheehan HM, Quinlan EM. Optimization of visual training for full recovery from severe amblyopia in adults. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:99-103. [PMID: 26787781 PMCID: PMC4749829 DOI: 10.1101/lm.040295.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The severe amblyopia induced by chronic monocular deprivation is highly resistant to reversal in adulthood. Here we use a rodent model to show that recovery from deprivation amblyopia can be achieved in adults by a two-step sequence, involving enhancement of synaptic plasticity in the visual cortex by dark exposure followed immediately by visual training. The perceptual learning induced by visual training contributes to the recovery of vision and can be optimized to drive full recovery of visual acuity in severely amblyopic adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolette C Eaton
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Hanna Marie Sheehan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Quinlan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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12
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Bharmauria V, Bachatene L, Cattan S, Brodeur S, Chanauria N, Rouat J, Molotchnikoff S. Network-selectivity and stimulus-discrimination in the primary visual cortex: cell-assembly dynamics. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 43:204-19. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Bharmauria
- Neurophysiology of Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville Montréal QC Canada H3C 3J7
- Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux (NECOTIS); Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Lyes Bachatene
- Neurophysiology of Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville Montréal QC Canada H3C 3J7
- Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux (NECOTIS); Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Sarah Cattan
- Neurophysiology of Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville Montréal QC Canada H3C 3J7
- Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux (NECOTIS); Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Simon Brodeur
- Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux (NECOTIS); Sherbrooke QC Canada
- Département de Génie Électrique et Génie Informatique; Université de Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Nayan Chanauria
- Neurophysiology of Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville Montréal QC Canada H3C 3J7
- Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux (NECOTIS); Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Jean Rouat
- Neurophysiology of Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville Montréal QC Canada H3C 3J7
- Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux (NECOTIS); Sherbrooke QC Canada
- Département de Génie Électrique et Génie Informatique; Université de Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Stéphane Molotchnikoff
- Neurophysiology of Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville Montréal QC Canada H3C 3J7
- Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux (NECOTIS); Sherbrooke QC Canada
- Département de Génie Électrique et Génie Informatique; Université de Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke QC Canada
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Foxworthy WA, Medina AE. Overexpression of Serum Response Factor in Neurons Restores Ocular Dominance Plasticity in a Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 39:1951-6. [PMID: 26342644 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in neuronal plasticity underlie many neurobehavioral and cognitive problems presented in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Our laboratory has developed a ferret model showing that early alcohol exposure leads to a persistent disruption in ocular dominance plasticity (ODP). For instance, a few days of monocular deprivation results in a robust reduction of visual cortex neurons' responsiveness to stimulation of the deprived eye in normal animals, but not in ferrets with early alcohol exposure. Previously our laboratory demonstrated that overexpression of serum response factor (SRF) exclusively in astrocytes can improve neuronal plasticity in FASD. Here, we test whether neuronal overexpression of SRF can achieve similar effects. METHODS Ferrets received 3.5 g/kg alcohol intraperitoneally (25% in saline) or saline as control every other day between postnatal day 10 to 30, which is roughly equivalent to the third trimester of human gestation. Animals were given intracortical injections of a Herpes Simplex Virus-based vector to express either green fluorescent protein or a constitutively active form of SRF in infected neurons. They were then monocularly deprived by eyelid suture for 4 to 5 days after which single-unit recordings were conducted to determine whether changes in ocular dominance had occurred. RESULTS Overexpression of a constitutively active form of SRF by neurons restored ODP in alcohol-treated animals. This effect was observed only in areas near the site of viral infection. CONCLUSIONS Overexpression of SRF in neurons can restore plasticity in the ferret model of FASD, but only in areas near the site of infection. This contrasts with SRF overexpression in astrocytes which restored plasticity throughout the visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Alex Foxworthy
- Department of Pediatrics (WAF, AEM), University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Alexandre E Medina
- Department of Pediatrics (WAF, AEM), University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
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14
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Lee HK, Whitt JL. Cross-modal synaptic plasticity in adult primary sensory cortices. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2015; 35:119-26. [PMID: 26310109 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Sensory loss leads to widespread adaptation of brain circuits to allow an organism to navigate its environment with its remaining senses, which is broadly referred to as cross-modal plasticity. Such adaptation can be observed even in the primary sensory cortices, and falls into two distinct categories: recruitment of the deprived sensory cortex for processing the remaining senses, which we term 'cross-modal recruitment', and experience-dependent refinement of the spared sensory cortices referred to as 'compensatory plasticity.' Here we will review recent studies demonstrating that cortical adaptation to sensory loss involves LTP/LTD and homeostatic synaptic plasticity. Cross-modal synaptic plasticity is observed in adults, hence cross-modal sensory deprivation may be an effective way to promote plasticity in adult primary sensory cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States.
| | - Jessica L Whitt
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States
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15
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Bharmauria V, Bachatene L, Cattan S, Chanauria N, Rouat J, Molotchnikoff S. Stimulus-dependent augmented gamma oscillatory activity between the functionally connected cortical neurons in the primary visual cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:1587-96. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Bharmauria
- Neurophysiology of the Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale centre-ville Montréal QC H3C 3J7 Canada
| | - Lyes Bachatene
- Neurophysiology of the Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale centre-ville Montréal QC H3C 3J7 Canada
| | - Sarah Cattan
- Neurophysiology of the Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale centre-ville Montréal QC H3C 3J7 Canada
| | - Nayan Chanauria
- Neurophysiology of the Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale centre-ville Montréal QC H3C 3J7 Canada
| | - Jean Rouat
- Neurophysiology of the Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale centre-ville Montréal QC H3C 3J7 Canada
- Département de Génie Électrique et Génie Informatique; Université de Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Stéphane Molotchnikoff
- Neurophysiology of the Visual System; Département de Sciences Biologiques; Université de Montréal; CP 6128 Succursale centre-ville Montréal QC H3C 3J7 Canada
- Département de Génie Électrique et Génie Informatique; Université de Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke QC Canada
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16
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Bachatene L, Bharmauria V, Cattan S, Rouat J, Molotchnikoff S. Modulation of functional connectivity following visual adaptation: homeostasis in V1. Brain Res 2015; 1594:136-53. [PMID: 25451112 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.10.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sensory neurons exhibit remarkable adaptability in acquiring new optimal selectivity to unfamiliar features when a new stimulus becomes prevalent in the environment. In conventionally prepared adult anesthetized cats, we used visual adaptation to change the preferred orientation selectivity in V1 neurons. Cortical circuits are dominated by complex and intricate connections between neurons. Cross-correlation of cellular spike-trains discloses the putative functional connection between two neurons. We sought to investigate changes in these links following a 12 min uninterrupted application of a specific, usually non-preferred, orientation. We report that visual adaptation, mimicking training, modulates the magnitude of crosscorrelograms suggesting that the strength of inter-neuronal relationships is modified. While individual cell-pairs exhibit changes in their response correlation strength, the average correlation of the recorded cell cluster remains unchanged. Hence, visual adaptation induces plastic changes that impact the connectivity between neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Bachatene
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences de la Vision, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3J7; Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux-NECOTIS, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - V Bharmauria
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences de la Vision, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3J7; Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux-NECOTIS, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - S Cattan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences de la Vision, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3J7; Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux-NECOTIS, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - J Rouat
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences de la Vision, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3J7; Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux-NECOTIS, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - S Molotchnikoff
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences de la Vision, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3J7; Neurosciences Computationnelles et Traitement Intelligent des Signaux-NECOTIS, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
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17
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Bharmauria V, Bachatene L, Cattan S, Rouat J, Molotchnikoff S. Synergistic activity between primary visual neurons. Neuroscience 2014; 268:255-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Revised: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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18
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Albani SH, McHail DG, Dumas TC. Developmental studies of the hippocampus and hippocampal-dependent behaviors: insights from interdisciplinary studies and tips for new investigators. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 43:183-90. [PMID: 24769291 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus is not fully developed at birth and, with respect to spatial cognition, only begins to show signs of adult-like function at three postnatal weeks in rodents. Studying the developmental period spanning roughly two to four weeks of age permits an understanding of the neural framework necessary for the emergence of spatial navigation and, quite possibly, human episodic memory. However, due to developmental factors, behavior data collection and interpretation can be severely compromised if inappropriate designs are applied. As such, we propose methodological considerations for the behavioral assessment of hippocampal function in developing rats that take into account animal size, growth rate, and sensory and motor ability. We further summarize recent key interdisciplinary studies that are beginning to unravel the molecular machinery and physiological alterations responsible for hippocampal maturation. In general, hippocampal development is a protracted process during which unique contributions to spatial cognition and complex recognition memory come "on line" at different postnatal ages creating a unique situation for elucidating the neural bases of specific components of higher cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Albani
- Molecular Neuroscience Department, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | - Daniel G McHail
- Molecular Neuroscience Department, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | - Theodore C Dumas
- Molecular Neuroscience Department, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States.
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19
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Montey KL, Eaton NC, Quinlan EM. Repetitive visual stimulation enhances recovery from severe amblyopia. Learn Mem 2013; 20:311-7. [PMID: 23685763 DOI: 10.1101/lm.030361.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Severe amblyopia, characterized by a significant reduction in visual acuity through the affected eye, is highly resistant to reversal in adulthood. We have previously shown that synaptic plasticity can be reactivated in the adult rat visual cortex by dark exposure, and the reactivated plasticity can be harnessed to promote the recovery from severe amblyopia. Here we show that deprived-eye visually evoked responses are rapidly strengthened in dark-exposed amblyopes by passive viewing of repetitive visual stimuli. Surprisingly, passive visual stimulation rapidly enhanced visually evoked responses to novel stimuli and enhanced the recovery from severe amblyopia driven by performance of active visual discriminations. Thus a series of simple, noninvasive manipulations of visual experience can be used in combination to significantly guide the recovery of visual response strength, selectivity, and spatial acuity in adult amblyopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Montey
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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20
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Bachatene L, Bharmauria V, Cattan S, Molotchnikoff S. Fluoxetine and serotonin facilitate attractive-adaptation-induced orientation plasticity in adult cat visual cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 38:2065-77. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2013] [Revised: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 02/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lyes Bachatene
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Montreal; Montreal; QC; Canada
| | - Vishal Bharmauria
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Montreal; Montreal; QC; Canada
| | - Sarah Cattan
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Montreal; Montreal; QC; Canada
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21
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Krahe TE, Medina AE. Activation of NMDA receptors is necessary for the recovery of cortical binocularity. J Neurophysiol 2010; 103:2700-6. [PMID: 20457852 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00442.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Classic experiments have indicated that monocular deprivation (MD) for a few days during a critical period of development results in a decrease in the strength of connections mediating responses to the deprived eye, leading to a dramatic breakdown of cortical neuron binocularity. Despite the substantial functional change in the visual cortex, recovery from the effects of MD can be obtained if binocular vision is promptly restored. While great efforts have been made to elucidate the mechanisms regulating loss of deprived eye function, the mechanisms that underlie the recovery of cortical binocularity are poorly understood. Here, we examined whether activation of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is required for the recovery of cortical binocularity by pharmacologically blocking the NMDAR using d,l-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic (APV). Ferrets (n = 10) were monocularly deprived for 6 days, and osmotic minipumps, filled with APV (5.6 mg/ml) or saline, were surgically implanted into the primary visual cortex. One day after surgery, the deprived eye was reopened, and the animals were allowed 24 h of binocular vision. Extracellular recordings showed that intracortical infusion of the NMDAR antagonist, APV, prevented recovery of cortical binocularity while preserving neuronal responsiveness. These findings provide an important new insight for a specific role of NMDARs in the recovery of cortical binocularity from the effects of MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Krahe
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0709, USA.
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22
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Nemri A, Ghisovan N, Shumikhina S, Molotchnikoff S. Adaptive behavior of neighboring neurons during adaptation-induced plasticity of orientation tuning in VI. BMC Neurosci 2009; 10:147. [PMID: 20003453 PMCID: PMC2801505 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-10-147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2009] [Accepted: 12/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sensory neurons display transient changes of their response properties following prolonged exposure to an appropriate stimulus (adaptation). In adult cat primary visual cortex, orientation-selective neurons shift their preferred orientation after being adapted to a non-preferred orientation. The direction of those shifts, towards (attractive) or away (repulsive) from the adapter depends mostly on adaptation duration. How the adaptive behavior of a neuron is related to that of its neighbors remains unclear. Results Here we show that in most cases (75%), cells shift their preferred orientation in the same direction as their neighbors. We also found that cells shifting preferred orientation differently from their neighbors (25%) display three interesting properties: (i) larger variance of absolute shift amplitude, (ii) wider tuning bandwidth and (iii) larger range of preferred orientations among the cluster of cells. Several response properties of V1 neurons depend on their location within the cortical orientation map. Our results suggest that recording sites with both attractive and repulsive shifts following adaptation may be located in close proximity to iso-orientation domain boundaries or pinwheel centers. Indeed, those regions have a more diverse orientation distribution of local inputs that could account for the three properties above. On the other hand, sites with all cells shifting their preferred orientation in the same direction could be located within iso-orientation domains. Conclusions Our results suggest that the direction and amplitude of orientation preference shifts in V1 depend on location within the orientation map. This anisotropy of adaptation-induced plasticity, comparable to that of the visual cortex itself, could have important implications for our understanding of visual adaptation at the psychophysical level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdellatif Nemri
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montreal, QC, Canada
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23
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Permanent functional reorganization of retinal circuits induced by early long-term visual deprivation. J Neurosci 2009; 29:13691-701. [PMID: 19864581 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3854-09.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early sensory experience shapes the functional and anatomical connectivity of neuronal networks. Light deprivation alters synaptic transmission and modifies light response properties in the visual system, from retinal circuits to higher visual centers. These effects are more pronounced during a critical period in juvenile life and are mostly reversed by restoring normal light conditions. Here we show that complete light deprivation, from birth to periods beyond the critical period, permanently modifies the receptive field properties of retinal ganglion cells. Visual deprivation reduced both the strength of light responses in ganglion cells and their receptive field size. Light deprivation produced an imbalance in the ratio of inhibitory to excitatory inputs, with a shift toward larger inhibitory conductances. Ganglion cell receptive fields in visually deprived animals showed a spatial mismatch of inhibitory and excitatory inputs and inhibitory inputs were highly scattered over the receptive field. These results indicate that visual experience early in life is critical for the refinement of retinal circuits and for appropriate signaling of the spatiotemporal properties of visual stimuli, thus influencing the response properties of neurons in higher visual centers and their processing of visual information.
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24
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Ghisovan N, Nemri A, Shumikhina S, Molotchnikoff S. Long adaptation reveals mostly attractive shifts of orientation tuning in cat primary visual cortex. Neuroscience 2009; 164:1274-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2009] [Revised: 08/31/2009] [Accepted: 09/02/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Rittenhouse CD, Majewska AK. Synaptic Mechanisms of Activity-Dependent Remodeling in Visual Cortex during Monocular Deprivation. J Exp Neurosci 2009. [DOI: 10.4137/jen.s2559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
It has long been appreciated that in the visual cortex, particularly within a postnatal critical period for experience-dependent plasticity, the closure of one eye results in a shift in the responsiveness of cortical cells toward the experienced eye. While the functional aspects of this ocular dominance shift have been studied for many decades, their cortical substrates and synaptic mechanisms remain elusive. Nonetheless, it is becoming increasingly clear that ocular dominance plasticity is a complex phenomenon that appears to have an early and a late component. Early during monocular deprivation, deprived eye cortical synapses depress, while later during the deprivation open eye synapses potentiate. Here we review current literature on the cortical mechanisms of activity-dependent plasticity in the visual system during the critical period. These studies shed light on the role of activity in shaping neuronal structure and function in general and can lead to insights regarding how learning is acquired and maintained at the neuronal level during normal and pathological brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ania K Majewska
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
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26
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Aton SJ, Seibt J, Dumoulin MC, Coleman T, Shiraishi M, Frank MG. The sedating antidepressant trazodone impairs sleep-dependent cortical plasticity. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6078. [PMID: 19568418 PMCID: PMC2699540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2009] [Accepted: 06/02/2009] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Recent findings indicate that certain classes of hypnotics that target GABAA receptors impair sleep-dependent brain plasticity. However, the effects of hypnotics acting at monoamine receptors (e.g., the antidepressant trazodone) on this process are unknown. We therefore assessed the effects of commonly-prescribed medications for the treatment of insomnia (trazodone and the non-benzodiazepine GABAA receptor agonists zaleplon and eszopiclone) in a canonical model of sleep-dependent, in vivo synaptic plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1) known as ocular dominance plasticity. Methodology/Principal Findings After a 6-h baseline period of sleep/wake polysomnographic recording, cats underwent 6 h of continuous waking combined with monocular deprivation (MD) to trigger synaptic remodeling. Cats subsequently received an i.p. injection of either vehicle, trazodone (10 mg/kg), zaleplon (10 mg/kg), or eszopiclone (1–10 mg/kg), and were allowed an 8-h period of post-MD sleep before ocular dominance plasticity was assessed. We found that while zaleplon and eszopiclone had profound effects on sleeping cortical electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, only trazodone (which did not alter EEG activity) significantly impaired sleep-dependent consolidation of ocular dominance plasticity. This was associated with deficits in both the normal depression of V1 neuronal responses to deprived-eye stimulation, and potentiation of responses to non-deprived eye stimulation, which accompany ocular dominance plasticity. Conclusions/Significance Taken together, our data suggest that the monoamine receptors targeted by trazodone play an important role in sleep-dependent consolidation of synaptic plasticity. They also demonstrate that changes in sleep architecture are not necessarily reliable predictors of how hypnotics affect sleep-dependent neural functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J. Aton
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Julie Seibt
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michelle C. Dumoulin
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Tammi Coleman
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Mia Shiraishi
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Marcos G. Frank
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Aton SJ, Seibt J, Dumoulin M, Jha SK, Steinmetz N, Coleman T, Naidoo N, Frank MG. Mechanisms of sleep-dependent consolidation of cortical plasticity. Neuron 2009; 61:454-66. [PMID: 19217381 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2009.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2008] [Revised: 10/08/2008] [Accepted: 01/12/2009] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is thought to consolidate changes in synaptic strength, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We investigated the cellular events involved in this process during ocular dominance plasticity (ODP)-a canonical form of in vivo cortical plasticity triggered by monocular deprivation (MD) and consolidated by sleep via undetermined, activity-dependent mechanisms. We find that sleep consolidates ODP primarily by strengthening cortical responses to nondeprived eye stimulation. Consolidation is inhibited by reversible, intracortical antagonism of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) or cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) during post-MD sleep. Consolidation is also associated with sleep-dependent increases in the activity of remodeling neurons and in the phosphorylation of proteins required for potentiation of glutamatergic synapses. These findings demonstrate that synaptic strengthening via NMDAR and PKA activity is a key step in sleep-dependent consolidation of ODP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Aton
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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28
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Casile A, Rucci M. A theory of the influence of eye movements on the refinement of direction selectivity in the cat's primary visual cortex. NETWORK (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2009; 20:197-232. [PMID: 19919281 PMCID: PMC2951336 DOI: 10.3109/09548980903314204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Early in life, visual experience influences the refinement of the preferential response for specific stimulus features exhibited by neurons in the primary visual cortex. A striking example of this influence is the reduction in cortical direction selectivity observed in cats reared under high-frequency stroboscopic illumination. Although various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the maturation of individual properties of neuronal responses, a unified account of the joint development of the multiple response features of cortical neurons has remained elusive. In this study, we show that Hebbian synaptic plasticity accounts for the simultaneous refinement of orientation and direction selectivity under both normal and stroboscopic rearing, if one takes into account the spatiotemporal input to the retina during oculomotor activity. In a computational model of the LGN and V1, eye movements are sufficient to establish the patterns of thalamocortical activity required for a Hebbian refinement of both direction- and orientation-selective responses during exposure to natural stimuli. Furthermore, we show that consideration of fixational eye movements explains the simultaneous loss of direction selectivity and preservation of orientation selectivity observed as a consequence of stroboscopic rearing. These results further support a role for oculomotor activity in the refinement of the response properties of V1 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Casile
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Clinic, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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Ghisovan N, Nemri A, Shumikhina S, Molotchnikoff S. Visual cells remember earlier applied target: plasticity of orientation selectivity. PLoS One 2008; 3:e3689. [PMID: 18997867 PMCID: PMC2577299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2008] [Accepted: 10/06/2008] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A canonical proposition states that, in mature brain, neurons responsive to sensory stimuli are tuned to specific properties installed shortly after birth. It is amply demonstrated that that neurons in adult visual cortex of cats are orientation-selective that is they respond with the highest firing rates to preferred oriented stimuli. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In anesthetized cats, prepared in a conventional fashion for single cell recordings, the present investigation shows that presenting a stimulus uninterruptedly at a non-preferred orientation for twelve minutes induces changes in orientation preference. Across all conditions orientation tuning curves were investigated using a trial by trial method. Contrary to what has been previously reported with shorter adaptation duration, twelve minutes of adaptation induces mostly attractive shifts, i.e. toward the adapter. After a recovery period allowing neurons to restore their original orientation tuning curves, we carried out a second adaptation which produced three major results: (1) more frequent attractive shifts, (2) an increase of their magnitude, and (3) an additional enhancement of responses at the new or acquired preferred orientation. Additionally, we also show that the direction of shifts depends on the duration of the adaptation: shorter adaptation in most cases produces repulsive shifts, whereas adaptation exceeding nine minutes results in attractive shifts, in the same unit. Consequently, shifts in preferred orientation depend on the duration of adaptation. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE The supplementary response improvements indicate that neurons in area 17 keep a memory trace of the previous stimulus properties, thereby upgrading cellular performance. It also highlights the dynamic nature of basic neuronal properties in adult cortex since repeated adaptations modified both the orientation tuning selectivity and the response strength to the preferred orientation. These enhanced neuronal responses suggest that the range of neuronal plasticity available to the visual system is broader than anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narcis Ghisovan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Abdellatif Nemri
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
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Spolidoro M, Sale A, Berardi N, Maffei L. Plasticity in the adult brain: lessons from the visual system. Exp Brain Res 2008; 192:335-41. [PMID: 18668231 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-008-1509-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2008] [Accepted: 07/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
While cortical circuits display maximal sensitivity to sensory experience during critical periods of early postnatal development, far less plasticity is present in the mature brain. Ocular dominance shift of visual cortical neurons in response to eye occlusion and recovery of visual functions from a period of sensory deprivation are two classical models in the study of critical period determinants in the visual cortex. Recent papers employing various pharmacological and environmental strategies have shown that it is possible to reinstate much greater levels of plasticity in the adult visual cortex than previously suspected. These studies point toward intracortical inhibition as a crucial determinant for critical period regulation in the visual system and have a great potential for therapeutic rehabilitation and recovery from injury in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Spolidoro
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Scuola Normale Superiore, Via Moruzzi 1, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
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31
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Ghisovan N, Nemri A, Shumikhina S, Molotchnikoff S. Synchrony between orientation-selective neurons is modulated during adaptation-induced plasticity in cat visual cortex. BMC Neurosci 2008; 9:60. [PMID: 18598368 PMCID: PMC2481260 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-9-60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2008] [Accepted: 07/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visual neurons respond essentially to luminance variations occurring within their receptive fields. In primary visual cortex, each neuron is a filter for stimulus features such as orientation, motion direction and velocity, with the appropriate combination of features eliciting maximal firing rate. Temporal correlation of spike trains was proposed as a potential code for linking the neuronal responses evoked by various features of a same object. In the present study, synchrony strength was measured between cells following an adaptation protocol (prolonged exposure to a non-preferred stimulus) which induce plasticity of neurons' orientation preference. RESULTS Multi-unit activity from area 17 of anesthetized adult cats was recorded. Single cells were sorted out and (1) orientation tuning curves were measured before and following 12 min adaptation and 60 min after adaptation (2) pairwise synchrony was measured by an index that was normalized in relation to the cells' firing rate. We first observed that the prolonged presentation of a non-preferred stimulus produces attractive (58%) and repulsive (42%) shifts of cell's tuning curves. It follows that the adaptation-induced plasticity leads to changes in preferred orientation difference, i.e. increase or decrease in tuning properties between neurons. We report here that, after adaptation, the neuron pairs that shared closer tuning properties display a significant increase of synchronization. Recovery from adaptation was accompanied by a return to the initial synchrony level. CONCLUSION We conclude that synchrony reflects the similarity in neurons' response properties, and varies accordingly when these properties change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narcis Ghisovan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montreal, QC, Canada.
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32
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Abstract
Functional maps arise in developing visual cortex as response selectivities become organized into columnar patterns of population activity. Recent studies of developing orientation and direction maps indicate that both are sensitive to visual experience, but not to the same degree or duration. Direction maps have a greater dependence on early vision, while orientation maps remain sensitive to experience for a longer period of cortical maturation. There is also a darker side to experience: abnormal vision through closed lids produces severe impairments in neuronal selectivity, rendering these maps nearly undetectable. Thus, the rules that govern their formation and the construction of the underlying neural circuits are modulated-for better or worse-by early vision. Direction maps, and possibly maps of other properties that are dependent upon precise conjunctions of spatial and temporal signals, are most susceptible to the potential benefits and maladaptive consequences of early sensory experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard E White
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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33
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Wallace DJ, Sakmann B. Plasticity of representational maps in somatosensory cortex observed by in vivo voltage-sensitive dye imaging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 18:1361-73. [PMID: 17921458 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhm168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the effect of selective whisker trimming on the development of the cortical representation of a whisker deflection in layer 2/3 of rat somatosensory cortex using in vivo voltage-sensitive dye (vsd) imaging. Responses to deflection of D-row whiskers were recorded after trimming of A-row, B-row, and C-row whiskers, referred to as DE pairing, during postnatal development. Animals DE paired from postnatal day (p) 7 to p17 had a significant bias in the spread of the vsd signal, favoring spread toward the concomitantly nondeprived E-row columns. This resulted primarily from a strong decrease in signal spreading into the deprived C-row columns. In contrast, signal spread in control littermates was approximately symmetrical. DE pairing failed to elicit significant changes when begun after p14, thus defining a critical period for this phenomenon. The results suggest that sensory deprivation in this model results in lower connectivity being established between nondeprived columns and adjacent deprived ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian J Wallace
- Department of Cell Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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34
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Hooks BM, Chen C. Critical Periods in the Visual System: Changing Views for a Model of Experience-Dependent Plasticity. Neuron 2007; 56:312-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2007.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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35
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He HY, Ray B, Dennis K, Quinlan EM. Experience-dependent recovery of vision following chronic deprivation amblyopia. Nat Neurosci 2007; 10:1134-6. [PMID: 17694050 DOI: 10.1038/nn1965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2007] [Accepted: 07/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The shift in ocular dominance induced by brief monocular deprivation is greatest during a postnatal critical period and is thought to decline irreversibly thereafter. However, here we demonstrate that complete visual deprivation through dark exposure restores rapid ocular dominance plasticity in adult rats. In addition, the loss of visual acuity resulting from chronic monocular deprivation is reversed if dark exposure precedes removal of the occlusion in adulthood, suggesting a potential use for dark exposure in the treatment of adult amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Yan He
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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36
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Bethea TC, Sikich L. Early pharmacological treatment of autism: a rationale for developmental treatment. Biol Psychiatry 2007; 61:521-37. [PMID: 17276749 PMCID: PMC2553755 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2006] [Revised: 09/02/2006] [Accepted: 09/24/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a dynamic neurodevelopmental syndrome in which disabilities emerge during the first three postnatal years and continue to evolve with ongoing development. We briefly review research in autism describing subtle changes in molecules important in brain development and neurotransmission, in morphology of specific neurons, brain connections, and in brain size. We then provide a general schema of how these processes may interact with particular emphasis on neurotransmission. In this context, we present a rationale for utilizing pharmacologic treatments aimed at modifying key neurodevelopmental processes in young children with autism. Early treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is presented as a model for pharmacologic interventions because there is evidence in autistic children for reduced brain serotonin synthesis during periods of peak synaptogenesis; serotonin is known to enhance synapse refinement; and exploratory studies with these agents in autistic children exist. Additional hypothetical developmental interventions and relevant published clinical data are described. Finally, we discuss the importance of exploring early pharmacologic interventions within multiple experimental settings in order to develop effective treatments as quickly as possible while minimizing risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terrence C Bethea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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37
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Carrasco MM, Pallas SL. Early visual experience prevents but cannot reverse
deprivation-induced loss of refinement in adult superior colliculus. Vis Neurosci 2007; 23:845-52. [PMID: 17266776 DOI: 10.1017/s0952523806230177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2006] [Accepted: 07/24/2006] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The role of sensory experience in the development and plasticity of
the visual system has been widely studied. It has generally been reported
that once animals reach adulthood, experience-dependent visual plasticity
is reduced. We have found that visual experience is not needed for the
refinement of receptive fields (RFs) in the superior colliculus (SC) but
instead is necessary to maintain them in adulthood (Carrasco et al., 2005). Without light exposure, RFs in SC of hamsters
refine by postnatal day 60 as usual but then enlarge, presumably reducing
visual acuity. In this study we examine whether a brief period of light
exposure during early postnatal development would be sufficient to prevent
RF enlargement in adulthood, and whether prolonged light exposure in
adulthood could reverse the deprivation-induced increase in RF size. We
found that an early postnatal period of at least 30 days of visual
experience was sufficient to maintain refined RFs in the adult SC.
Prolonged visual experience in adulthood could not reverse the RF
enlargement resulting from long-term dark rearing, reflecting a loss of
plasticity at this age. Our results suggest that, unlike in visual cortex,
dark rearing does not indefinitely extend the critical period of
plasticity in SC. Rather, there is a limited time window when early
experience can protect RFs from the detrimental effects of visual
deprivation in adulthood. These results contribute to understanding adult
brain plasticity and argue for the importance of early visual experience
in protecting the adult visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Magdalena Carrasco
- Graduate Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA
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38
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Hofer SB, Mrsic-Flogel TD, Bonhoeffer T, Hübener M. Lifelong learning: ocular dominance plasticity in mouse visual cortex. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2006; 16:451-9. [PMID: 16837188 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2006.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2006] [Accepted: 06/29/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ocular dominance plasticity has long served as a successful model for examining how cortical circuits are shaped by experience. In this paradigm, altered retinal activity caused by unilateral eye-lid closure leads to dramatic shifts in the binocular response properties of neurons in the visual cortex. Much of the recent progress in identifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying ocular dominance plasticity has been achieved by using the mouse as a model system. In this species, monocular deprivation initiated in adulthood also causes robust ocular dominance shifts. Research on ocular dominance plasticity in the mouse is starting to provide insight into which factors mediate and influence cortical plasticity in juvenile and adult animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja B Hofer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Neurobiologie, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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39
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Majewska AK, Sur M. Plasticity and specificity of cortical processing networks. Trends Neurosci 2006; 29:323-9. [PMID: 16697057 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2006.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2005] [Revised: 03/03/2006] [Accepted: 04/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex is subdivided into discrete functional areas that are defined by specific properties, including the presence of different cell types, molecular expression patterns, microcircuitry and long-range connectivity. These properties enable different areas of cortex to carry out distinct functions. Emerging data argue that the particular structure and identity of cortical areas derives not only from specific inputs but also from unique processing networks. The aim of this review is to summarize current information on the interplay of intrinsic molecular cues with activity patterns that are driven by sensory experience and shape cortical networks as they develop, emphasizing synaptic connections in networks that process vision. This review is part of the TINS special issue on The Neural Substrates of Cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ania K Majewska
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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40
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Pizzorusso T, Medini P, Landi S, Baldini S, Berardi N, Maffei L. Structural and functional recovery from early monocular deprivation in adult rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:8517-22. [PMID: 16709670 PMCID: PMC1482523 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0602657103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 273] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual deficits caused by abnormal visual experience during development are hard to recover in adult animals. Removal of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans from the mature extracellular matrix with chondroitinase ABC promotes plasticity in the adult visual cortex. We tested whether chondroitinase ABC treatment of adult rats facilitates anatomical, functional, and behavioral recovery from the effects of a period of monocular deprivation initiated during the critical period for monocular deprivation. We found that chondroitinase ABC treatment coupled with reverse lid-suturing causes a complete recovery of ocular dominance, visual acuity, and dendritic spine density in adult rats. Thus, manipulations of the extracellular matrix can be used to promote functional recovery in the adult cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Pizzorusso
- *Istituto di Neuroscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Moruzzi 1, 56100 Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Firenze, 50123 Firenze, Italy; and
- To whom correspondence may be addressed at:
Istituto Neuroscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Moruzzi 1, 56100 Pisa, Italy. E-mail:
| | - Paolo Medini
- Scuola Normale Superiore, 56100 Pisa, Italy
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail:
| | | | | | - Nicoletta Berardi
- *Istituto di Neuroscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Moruzzi 1, 56100 Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Firenze, 50123 Firenze, Italy; and
| | - Lamberto Maffei
- *Istituto di Neuroscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Moruzzi 1, 56100 Pisa, Italy
- Scuola Normale Superiore, 56100 Pisa, Italy
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41
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Sakai E, Bi H, Maruko I, Zhang B, Zheng J, Wensveen J, Harwerth RS, Smith EL, Chino YM. Cortical Effects of Brief Daily Periods of Unrestricted Vision During Early Monocular Form Deprivation. J Neurophysiol 2006; 95:2856-65. [PMID: 16452254 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01265.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiencing daily brief periods of unrestricted vision during early monocular form deprivation prevents or reduces the degree of resulting amblyopia. To gain insight into the neural basis for these “protective” effects, we analyzed the monocular and binocular response properties of individual neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) of macaque monkeys that received intermittent unrestricted vision. Microelectrode-recording experiments revealed significant decreases in the proportion of units that were dominated by the treated eyes, and the magnitude of this ocular dominance imbalance was correlated with the degree of amblyopia. The sensitivity of V1 neurons to interocular spatial phase disparity was significantly reduced in all treated monkeys compared with normal adults. With unrestricted vision, however, there was a small but significant increase in overall disparity sensitivity. Binocular suppression was prevalent in monkeys with constant form deprivation but significantly reduced by the daily periods of unrestricted vision. If neurons exhibited consistent responses to stimulation of the treated eye, monocular response properties obtained by stimulation of the two eyes were similar. These results suggest that the observed protective effects of brief periods of unrestricted vision are closely associated with the ability of V1 neurons to maintain their functional connections from the deprived eye and that interocular suppression in V1 may play an important role in regulating synaptic plasticity of these monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Sakai
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, 505 J. Davis Armistead Bldg., Houston, TX 77204-2020, USA
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42
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Li Y, Fitzpatrick D, White LE. The development of direction selectivity in ferret visual cortex requires early visual experience. Nat Neurosci 2006; 9:676-81. [PMID: 16604068 DOI: 10.1038/nn1684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2006] [Accepted: 03/16/2006] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Development of the selective response properties that define columns in sensory cortex is thought to begin early in cortical maturation, without the need for experience. We investigated the development of direction selectivity in ferret visual cortex using optical imaging and electrophysiological techniques and found an exception to this view. Unlike orientation selectivity and ocular dominance, direction selectivity was not detected at eye opening. Direction selectivity emerged several days later and strengthened to adult levels over the following 2 weeks. Visual experience was essential for this process, as shown by the absence of direction selectivity in dark-reared ferrets. The impairment persisted in dark-reared ferrets that were given experience after this period, despite the recovery of response amplitude, preference and bandwidth for stimulus orientation, spatial and temporal frequency, and contrast. Visual experience in early postnatal life plays a necessary and unique role in the development of cortical direction selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
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43
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Krahe TE, Medina AE, de Bittencourt-Navarrete RE, Colello RJ, Ramoa AS. Protein synthesis-independent plasticity mediates rapid and precise recovery of deprived eye responses. Neuron 2006; 48:329-43. [PMID: 16242412 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2005.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2004] [Revised: 04/09/2005] [Accepted: 09/15/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Monocular deprivation (MD) for a few days during a critical period of development leads to loss of cortical responses to stimulation of the deprived eye. Despite the profound effects of MD on cortical function, optical imaging of intrinsic signals and single-unit recordings revealed that deprived eye responses and orientation selectivity recovered a few hours after restoration of normal binocular vision. Moreover, recovery of deprived eye responses was not dependent upon mRNA translation, but required cortical activity. Interestingly, this fast recovery and protein synthesis independence was restricted to the hemisphere contralateral to the previously deprived eye. Collectively, these results implicate a relatively simple mechanistic process in the reactivation of a latent set of connections following restoration of binocular vision and provide new insight into how recovery of cortical function can rapidly occur in response to changes in sensory experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Krahe
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, 1101 East Marshall Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298, USA.
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44
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Faulkner SD, Vorobyov V, Sengpiel F. Visual cortical recovery from reverse occlusion depends on concordant binocular experience. J Neurophysiol 2005; 95:1718-26. [PMID: 16354732 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00912.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of early monocular deprivation on visual acuity and visual cortical responses can be reversed quickly if vision is restored to the deprived eye and the other eye is deprived instead, a procedure known as reverse occlusion. However, recovery of vision through the originally deprived eye (ODE) is not stable. Following re-opening of the recently deprived (originally nondeprived) eye (ONDE), vision in the ODE typically deteriorates rapidly, possibly because of competitive interactions, whereas vision in the ONDE also remains compromised, resulting in bilateral amblyopia, the reasons for which are unknown. Here we monitor the physiological changes in the visual cortex during recovery from reverse occlusion in a longitudinal study, using optical imaging of intrinsic signals and single-cell recording in anesthetized cats. We show that a brief period of just 4 days of concordant binocular vision intercalated between the two periods of monocular experience allows close to equal responses to develop through both eyes, both in terms of cortical territory and orientation selectivity. In contrast, with no binocular vision or discordant binocular experience, cortical territory dominated by the ONDE is significantly reduced, and orientation tuning of cells dominated by the ODE is wider than that of cells dominated by the ONDE. These results support the notion that a brief period of binocular vision is sufficient to prevent bilateral acuity loss caused by reverse occlusion.
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45
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Hofer SB, Mrsic-Flogel TD, Bonhoeffer T, Hübener M. Prior experience enhances plasticity in adult visual cortex. Nat Neurosci 2005; 9:127-32. [PMID: 16327785 DOI: 10.1038/nn1610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2005] [Accepted: 10/31/2005] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The brain has a remarkable capacity to adapt to alterations in its sensory environment, which is normally much more pronounced in juvenile animals. Here we show that in adult mice, the ability to adapt to changes can be improved profoundly if the mouse has already experienced a similar change in its sensory environment earlier in life. Using the standard model for sensory plasticity in mouse visual cortex-ocular dominance (OD) plasticity-we found that a transient shift in OD, induced by monocular deprivation (MD) earlier in life, renders the adult visual cortex highly susceptible to subsequent MD many weeks later. Irrespective of whether the first MD was experienced during the critical period (around postnatal day 28) or in adulthood, OD shifts induced by a second MD were faster, more persistent and specific to repeated deprivation of the same eye. The capacity for plasticity in the mammalian cortex can therefore be conditioned by past experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja B Hofer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Neurobiologie, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany
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46
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Chalupa LM. Complete restoration of visual cortical responses is possible late in development. Focus on "recovery of cortical binocularity and orientation selectivity after the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity". J Neurophysiol 2004; 92:1969-70. [PMID: 15381738 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00497.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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