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Hallock HL, Adiraju SS, Miranda-Barrientos J, McInerney JM, Oh S, DeBrosse AC, Li Y, Carr GV, Martinowich K. Electrophysiological correlates of attention in the locus coeruleus-prelimbic cortex circuit during the rodent continuous performance test. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:521-531. [PMID: 37563281 PMCID: PMC10789747 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01692-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Sustained attention, the ability to focus on an activity or stimulus over time, is significantly impaired in many psychiatric disorders, and there remains a major unmet need in treating impaired attention. Continuous performance tests (CPTs) were developed to measure sustained attention in humans, non-human primates, rats, and mice, and similar neural circuits are engaged across species during CPT performance, supporting their use in translational studies to identify novel therapeutics. Here, we identified electrophysiological correlates of attentional performance in a touchscreen-based rodent CPT (rCPT) in the locus coeruleus (LC) and prelimbic cortex (PrL), two inter-connected regions that are implicated in attentional processes. We used viral labeling and molecular techniques to demonstrate that neural activity is recruited in LC-PrL projections during the rCPT, and that this recruitment increases with cognitive demand. We implanted male mice with depth electrodes within the LC and PrL for local field potential (LFP) recordings during rCPT training, and identified an increase in PrL delta and theta power, and an increase in LC delta power during correct responses in the rCPT. We also found that the LC leads the PrL in theta frequencies during correct responses while the PrL leads the LC in gamma frequencies during incorrect responses. These findings may represent translational biomarkers that can be used to screen novel therapeutics for drug discovery in attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry L Hallock
- Neuroscience Program, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, 18042, USA
| | - Suhaas S Adiraju
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | | | - Jessica M McInerney
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Seyun Oh
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Adrienne C DeBrosse
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ye Li
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Gregory V Carr
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Keri Martinowich
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- The Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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Hallock HL, Adiraju S, Miranda-Barrientos J, McInerney JM, Oh S, DeBrosse AC, Li Y, Carr GV, Martinowich K. Electrophysiological correlates of attention in the locus coeruleus - anterior cingulate cortex circuit during the rodent continuous performance test. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.19.537406. [PMID: 37131757 PMCID: PMC10153204 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.19.537406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Sustained attention, the ability to focus on an activity or stimulus over time, is significantly impaired in many psychiatric disorders, and there remains a major unmet need in treating impaired attention. Continuous performance tests (CPTs) were developed to measure sustained attention in humans, non-human primates, rats, and mice, and similar neural circuits are engaged across species during CPT performance, supporting their use in translational studies to identify novel therapeutics. Here, we identified electrophysiological correlates of attentional performance in a touchscreen-based rodent CPT (rCPT) in the locus coeruleus (LC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), two inter-connected regions that are implicated in attentional processes. We used viral labeling and molecular techniques to demonstrate that neural activity is recruited in LC-ACC projections during the rCPT, and that this recruitment increases with cognitive demand. We implanted male mice with depth electrodes within the LC and ACC for local field potential (LFP) recordings during rCPT training, and identified an increase in ACC delta and theta power, and an increase in LC delta power during correct responses in the rCPT. We also found that the LC leads the ACC in theta frequencies during correct responses while the ACC leads the LC in gamma frequencies during incorrect responses. These findings may represent translational biomarkers that can be used to screen novel therapeutics for drug discovery in attention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suhaas Adiraju
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | | | - Jessica M. McInerney
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Seyun Oh
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Adrienne C. DeBrosse
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ye Li
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Gregory V. Carr
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Keri Martinowich
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- The Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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Benarroch E. What Are Current Concepts on the Functional Organization of the Locus Coeruleus and Its Role in Cognition and Neurodegeneration? Neurology 2023; 100:132-137. [PMID: 36646470 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000206736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
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Rawal B, Rancic V, Ballanyi K. NMDA Enhances and Glutamate Attenuates Synchrony of Spontaneous Phase-Locked Locus Coeruleus Network Rhythm in Newborn Rat Brain Slices. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050651. [PMID: 35625039 PMCID: PMC9140167 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Locus coeruleus (LC) neurons are controlled by glutamatergic inputs. Here, we studied in brain slices of neonatal rats NMDA and glutamate effects on phase-locked LC neuron spiking at ~1 Hz summating to ~0.2 s-lasting bell-shaped local field potential (LFP). NMDA: 10 μM accelerated LFP 1.7-fold, whereas 25 and 50 μM, respectively, increased its rate 3.2- and 4.6-fold while merging discrete events into 43 and 56% shorter oscillations. After 4–6 min, LFP oscillations stopped every 6 s for 1 s, resulting in ‘oscillation trains’. A dose of 32 μM depolarized neurons by 8.4 mV to cause 7.2-fold accelerated spiking at reduced jitter and enhanced synchrony with the LFP, as evident from cross-correlation. Glutamate: 25–50 μM made rhythm more irregular and the LFP pattern could transform into 2.7-fold longer-lasting multipeak discharge. In 100 μM, LFP amplitude and duration declined. In 25–50 μM, neurons depolarized by 5 mV to cause 3.7-fold acceleration of spiking that was less synchronized with LFP. Both agents: evoked ‘post-agonist depression’ of LFP that correlated with the amplitude and kinetics of Vm hyperpolarization. The findings show that accelerated spiking during NMDA and glutamate is associated with enhanced or attenuated LC synchrony, respectively, causing distinct LFP pattern transformations. Shaping of LC population discharge dynamics by ionotropic glutamate receptors potentially fine-tunes its influence on brain functions.
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Waselenchuk Q, Ballanyi K. Autocrine Neuromodulation and Network Activity Patterns in the Locus Coeruleus of Newborn Rat Slices. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12040437. [PMID: 35447969 PMCID: PMC9024645 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12040437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Already in newborns, the locus coeruleus (LC) controls multiple brain functions and may have a complex organization as in adults. Our findings in newborn rat brain slices indicate that LC neurons (i) generate at ~1 Hz a ~0.3 s-lasting local field potential (LFP) comprising summated phase-locked single spike discharge, (ii) express intrinsic ‘pacemaker’ or ‘burster’ properties and (iii) receive solely excitatory or initially excitatory−secondary inhibitory inputs. μ-opioid or ɑ2 noradrenaline receptor agonists block LFP rhythm at 100−250 nM whereas slightly lower doses transform its bell-shaped pattern into slower crescendo-shaped multipeak bursts. GABAA and glycine receptors hyperpolarize LC neurons to abolish rhythm which remains though unaffected by blocking them. Rhythm persists also during ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) inhibition whereas <10 mV depolarization during iGluR agonists accelerates spiking to cause subtype-specific fast (spindle-shaped) LFP oscillations. Similar modest neuronal depolarization causing a cytosolic Ca2+ rise occurs (without effect on neighboring astrocytes) during LFP acceleration by CNQX activating a TARP-AMPA-type iGluR complex. In contrast, noradrenaline lowers neuronal Ca2+ baseline via ɑ2 receptors, but evokes an ɑ1 receptor-mediated ‘concentric’ astrocytic Ca2+ wave. In summary, the neonatal LC has a complex (possibly modular) organization to enable discharge pattern transformations that might facilitate discrete actions on target circuits.
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Pfeffer T, Keitel C, Kluger DS, Keitel A, Russmann A, Thut G, Donner TH, Gross J. Coupling of pupil- and neuronal population dynamics reveals diverse influences of arousal on cortical processing. eLife 2022; 11:e71890. [PMID: 35133276 PMCID: PMC8853659 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluctuations in arousal, controlled by subcortical neuromodulatory systems, continuously shape cortical state, with profound consequences for information processing. Yet, how arousal signals influence cortical population activity in detail has so far only been characterized for a few selected brain regions. Traditional accounts conceptualize arousal as a homogeneous modulator of neural population activity across the cerebral cortex. Recent insights, however, point to a higher specificity of arousal effects on different components of neural activity and across cortical regions. Here, we provide a comprehensive account of the relationships between fluctuations in arousal and neuronal population activity across the human brain. Exploiting the established link between pupil size and central arousal systems, we performed concurrent magnetoencephalographic (MEG) and pupillographic recordings in a large number of participants, pooled across three laboratories. We found a cascade of effects relative to the peak timing of spontaneous pupil dilations: Decreases in low-frequency (2-8 Hz) activity in temporal and lateral frontal cortex, followed by increased high-frequency (>64 Hz) activity in mid-frontal regions, followed by monotonic and inverted U relationships with intermediate frequency-range activity (8-32 Hz) in occipito-parietal regions. Pupil-linked arousal also coincided with widespread changes in the structure of the aperiodic component of cortical population activity, indicative of changes in the excitation-inhibition balance in underlying microcircuits. Our results provide a novel basis for studying the arousal modulation of cognitive computations in cortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pfeffer
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience GroupBarcelonaSpain
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyHamburgGermany
| | - Christian Keitel
- University of Stirling, PsychologyStirlingUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - Daniel S Kluger
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, MalmedywegMuensterGermany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of MünsterMuensterGermany
| | - Anne Keitel
- University of Dundee, PsychologyDundeeUnited Kingdom
| | - Alena Russmann
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyHamburgGermany
| | - Gregor Thut
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - Tobias H Donner
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurophysiology and PathophysiologyHamburgGermany
| | - Joachim Gross
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, MalmedywegMuensterGermany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of MünsterMuensterGermany
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Dahl MJ, Mather M, Werkle-Bergner M. Noradrenergic modulation of rhythmic neural activity shapes selective attention. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:38-52. [PMID: 34799252 PMCID: PMC8678372 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
During moments involving selective attention, the thalamus orchestrates the preferential processing of prioritized information by coordinating rhythmic neural activity within a distributed frontoparietal network. The timed release of neuromodulators from subcortical structures dynamically sculpts neural synchronization in thalamocortical networks to meet current attentional demands. In particular, noradrenaline modulates the balance of cortical excitation and inhibition, as reflected by thalamocortical alpha synchronization (~8-12 Hz). These neuromodulatory adjustments facilitate the selective processing of prioritized information. Thus, by disrupting effective rhythmic coordination in attention networks, age-related locus coeruleus (LC) degeneration can impair higher levels of neural processing. In sum, findings across different levels of analysis and modalities shed light on how the noradrenergic modulation of neural synchronization helps to shape selective attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Dahl
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 90089 Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 90089 Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Markus Werkle-Bergner
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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Watanabe M, Uematsu A, Johansen JP. Enhanced synchronization between prelimbic and infralimbic cortices during fear extinction learning. Mol Brain 2021; 14:175. [PMID: 34895283 PMCID: PMC8666018 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00884-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to extinguish aversive memories when they are no longer associated with danger is critical for balancing survival with competing adaptive demands. Previous studies demonstrated that the infralimbic cortex (IL) is essential for extinction of learned fear, while neural activity in the prelimbic cortex (PL) facilitates fear responding and is negatively correlated with the strength of extinction memories. Though these adjacent regions in the prefrontal cortex maintain mutual synaptic connectivity, it has been unclear whether PL and IL interact functionally with each other during fear extinction learning. Here we addressed this question by recording local field potentials (LFPs) simultaneously from PL and IL of awake behaving rats during extinction of auditory fear memories. We found that LFP power in the fast gamma frequency (100-200 Hz) in both PL and IL regions increased during extinction learning. In addition, coherency analysis showed that synchronization between PL and IL in the fast gamma frequency was enhanced over the course of extinction. These findings support the hypothesis that interregional interactions between PL and IL increase as animals extinguish aversive memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Watanabe
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan.,Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Uematsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joshua P Johansen
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan. .,Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. .,RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Laboratory for Neural Circuitry of Learning and Memory, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
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Harley CW, Yuan Q. Locus Coeruleus Optogenetic Modulation: Lessons Learned from Temporal Patterns. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1624. [PMID: 34942924 PMCID: PMC8699422 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
After reviewing seminal studies using optogenetics to interrogate the functional role of the locus coeruleus in behavior, we conclude that differences in firing rates and firing patterns of locus coeruleus neurons contribute to locus coeruleus nucleus heterogeneity by recruiting different output circuitry, and differentially modifying behavior. The outcomes initiated by different optogenetic input activation patterns and frequencies can have opposite consequences for behavior, activate different neurons in the same target structure, be supported by distinct adrenoceptors and vary with behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn W. Harley
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Qi Yuan
- Biomedical Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6, Canada;
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Processing of fMRI-related anxiety and bi-directional information flow between prefrontal cortex and brain stem. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22348. [PMID: 34785719 PMCID: PMC8595881 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01710-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-heart synchronization is fundamental for emotional-well-being and brain-heart desynchronization is characteristic for anxiety disorders including specific phobias. Recording BOLD signals with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an important noninvasive diagnostic tool; however, 1-2% of fMRI examinations have to be aborted due to claustrophobia. In the present study, we investigated the information flow between regions of interest (ROI's) in the cortex and brain stem by using a frequency band close to 0.1 Hz. Causal coupling between signals important in brain-heart interaction (cardiac intervals, respiration, and BOLD signals) was studied by means of Directed Transfer Function based on the Granger causality principle. Compared were initial resting states with elevated anxiety and final resting states with low or no anxiety in a group of fMRI-naïve young subjects. During initial high anxiety the results showed an increased information flow from the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) to the pre-central gyrus (PCG) and to the brainstem. There also was an increased flow from the brainstem to the PCG. While the top-down flow during increased anxiety was predominant, the weaker ascending flow from brainstem structures may characterize a rhythmic pacemaker-like activity that (at least in part) drives respiration. We assume that these changes in information flow reflect successful anxiety processing.
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