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Mazo C, Baeta M, Petreanu L. Auditory cortex conveys non-topographic sound localization signals to visual cortex. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3116. [PMID: 38600132 PMCID: PMC11006897 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47546-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatiotemporally congruent sensory stimuli are fused into a unified percept. The auditory cortex (AC) sends projections to the primary visual cortex (V1), which could provide signals for binding spatially corresponding audio-visual stimuli. However, whether AC inputs in V1 encode sound location remains unknown. Using two-photon axonal calcium imaging and a speaker array, we measured the auditory spatial information transmitted from AC to layer 1 of V1. AC conveys information about the location of ipsilateral and contralateral sound sources to V1. Sound location could be accurately decoded by sampling AC axons in V1, providing a substrate for making location-specific audiovisual associations. However, AC inputs were not retinotopically arranged in V1, and audio-visual modulations of V1 neurons did not depend on the spatial congruency of the sound and light stimuli. The non-topographic sound localization signals provided by AC might allow the association of specific audiovisual spatial patterns in V1 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Mazo
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Margarida Baeta
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Leopoldo Petreanu
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
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2
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Williams AM, Angeloni CF, Geffen MN. Sound Improves Neuronal Encoding of Visual Stimuli in Mouse Primary Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2885-2906. [PMID: 36944489 PMCID: PMC10124961 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2444-21.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In everyday life, we integrate visual and auditory information in routine tasks such as navigation and communication. While concurrent sound can improve visual perception, the neuronal correlates of audiovisual integration are not fully understood. Specifically, it remains unclear whether neuronal firing patters in the primary visual cortex (V1) of awake animals demonstrate similar sound-induced improvement in visual discriminability. Furthermore, presentation of sound is associated with movement in the subjects, but little is understood about whether and how sound-associated movement affects audiovisual integration in V1. Here, we investigated how sound and movement interact to modulate V1 visual responses in awake, head-fixed mice and whether this interaction improves neuronal encoding of the visual stimulus. We presented visual drifting gratings with and without simultaneous auditory white noise to awake mice while recording mouse movement and V1 neuronal activity. Sound modulated activity of 80% of light-responsive neurons, with 95% of neurons increasing activity when the auditory stimulus was present. A generalized linear model (GLM) revealed that sound and movement had distinct and complementary effects of the neuronal visual responses. Furthermore, decoding of the visual stimulus from the neuronal activity was improved with sound, an effect that persisted even when controlling for movement. These results demonstrate that sound and movement modulate visual responses in complementary ways, improving neuronal representation of the visual stimulus. This study clarifies the role of movement as a potential confound in neuronal audiovisual responses and expands our knowledge of how multimodal processing is mediated at a neuronal level in the awake brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sound and movement are both known to modulate visual responses in the primary visual cortex; however, sound-induced movement has largely remained unaccounted for as a potential confound in audiovisual studies in awake animals. Here, authors found that sound and movement both modulate visual responses in an important visual brain area, the primary visual cortex, in distinct, yet complementary ways. Furthermore, sound improved encoding of the visual stimulus even when accounting for movement. This study reconciles contrasting theories on the mechanism underlying audiovisual integration and asserts the primary visual cortex as a key brain region participating in tripartite sensory interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M Williams
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
| | - Christopher F Angeloni
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Maria N Geffen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
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3
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Abstract
Coordination between different sensory systems is a necessary element of sensory processing. Where and how signals from different sense organs converge onto common neural circuitry have become topics of increasing interest in recent years. In this article, we focus specifically on visual-auditory interactions in areas of the mammalian brain that are commonly considered to be auditory in function. The auditory cortex and inferior colliculus are two key points of entry where visual signals reach the auditory pathway, and both contain visual- and/or eye movement-related signals in humans and other animals. The visual signals observed in these auditory structures reflect a mixture of visual modulation of auditory-evoked activity and visually driven responses that are selective for stimulus location or features. These key response attributes also appear in the classic visual pathway but may play a different role in the auditory pathway: to modify auditory rather than visual perception. Finally, while this review focuses on two particular areas of the auditory pathway where this question has been studied, robust descending as well as ascending connections within this pathway suggest that undiscovered visual signals may be present at other stages as well. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 7 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith N Schmehl
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA; , .,Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.,Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Jennifer M Groh
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA; , .,Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.,Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.,Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.,Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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4
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Visual Influences on Auditory Behavioral, Neural, and Perceptual Processes: A Review. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2021; 22:365-386. [PMID: 34014416 PMCID: PMC8329114 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-021-00789-0] [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: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In a naturalistic environment, auditory cues are often accompanied by information from other senses, which can be redundant with or complementary to the auditory information. Although the multisensory interactions derived from this combination of information and that shape auditory function are seen across all sensory modalities, our greatest body of knowledge to date centers on how vision influences audition. In this review, we attempt to capture the state of our understanding at this point in time regarding this topic. Following a general introduction, the review is divided into 5 sections. In the first section, we review the psychophysical evidence in humans regarding vision's influence in audition, making the distinction between vision's ability to enhance versus alter auditory performance and perception. Three examples are then described that serve to highlight vision's ability to modulate auditory processes: spatial ventriloquism, cross-modal dynamic capture, and the McGurk effect. The final part of this section discusses models that have been built based on available psychophysical data and that seek to provide greater mechanistic insights into how vision can impact audition. The second section reviews the extant neuroimaging and far-field imaging work on this topic, with a strong emphasis on the roles of feedforward and feedback processes, on imaging insights into the causal nature of audiovisual interactions, and on the limitations of current imaging-based approaches. These limitations point to a greater need for machine-learning-based decoding approaches toward understanding how auditory representations are shaped by vision. The third section reviews the wealth of neuroanatomical and neurophysiological data from animal models that highlights audiovisual interactions at the neuronal and circuit level in both subcortical and cortical structures. It also speaks to the functional significance of audiovisual interactions for two critically important facets of auditory perception-scene analysis and communication. The fourth section presents current evidence for alterations in audiovisual processes in three clinical conditions: autism, schizophrenia, and sensorineural hearing loss. These changes in audiovisual interactions are postulated to have cascading effects on higher-order domains of dysfunction in these conditions. The final section highlights ongoing work seeking to leverage our knowledge of audiovisual interactions to develop better remediation approaches to these sensory-based disorders, founded in concepts of perceptual plasticity in which vision has been shown to have the capacity to facilitate auditory learning.
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5
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Cheng L, Guo ZY, Qu YL. Cross-modality modulation of auditory midbrain processing of intensity information. Hear Res 2020; 395:108042. [PMID: 32810721 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In nature, animals constantly receive a multitude of sensory stimuli, such as visual, auditory, and somatosensory. The integration across sensory modalities is advantageous for the precise processing of sensory inputs which is essential for animals to survival. Although some principles of cross-modality integration have been revealed by many studies, little insight has been gained into its functional potentials. In this study, the functional influence of cross-modality modulation on auditory processing of intensity information was investigated via recording neuronal activity in the auditory midbrain (i.e., inferior colliculus, IC) under the conditions of visual, auditory, and audiovisual stimuli, respectively. Results demonstrated that combined audiovisual stimuli either enhanced or suppressed the responses of IC neurons compared to auditory stimuli alone, even though the same visual stimuli alone induced no response. Audiovisual modulation appeared to be strongest when the combined audiovisual stimuli were located at the best auditory azimuth of neurons as well as when presented with intensity at near-threshold levels. Additionally, the rate-intensity function of IC neurons to auditory stimuli was expanded or compressed by audiovisual modulation, which was highly dependent on the minimal threshold (MT) of neurons. Lowering of the MT and greater audiovisual modulation for the neuron indicated an intensity-specific enhancement of auditory intensity sensitivity by cross-modality modulation. Overall, evidence suggests a potential functional role of cross-modality modulation in IC that serves to instruct adaptive plasticity to enhance the auditory perception of intensity information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Cheng
- School of Psychology & Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsycology and Behavior (CCNU) of Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China; School of Life Sciences & Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Zhao-Yang Guo
- School of Psychology & Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsycology and Behavior (CCNU) of Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Yi-Li Qu
- School of Psychology & Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsycology and Behavior (CCNU) of Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
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6
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Sanculi D, Pannoni KE, Bushong EA, Crump M, Sung M, Popat V, Zaher C, Hicks E, Song A, Mofakham N, Li P, Antzoulatos EG, Fioravante D, Ellisman MH, DeBello WM. Toric Spines at a Site of Learning. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0197-19.2019. [PMID: 31822521 PMCID: PMC6944481 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0197-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We discovered a new type of dendritic spine. It is found on space-specific neurons in the barn owl inferior colliculus, a site of experience-dependent plasticity. Connectomic analysis revealed dendritic protrusions of unusual morphology including topological holes, hence termed "toric" spines (n = 76). More significantly, presynaptic terminals converging onto individual toric spines displayed numerous active zones (up to 49) derived from multiple axons (up to 11) with incoming trajectories distributed widely throughout 3D space. This arrangement is suited to integrate input sources. Dense reconstruction of two toric spines revealed that they were unconnected with the majority (∼84%) of intertwined axons, implying a high capacity for information storage. We developed an ex vivo slice preparation and provide the first published data on space-specific neuron intrinsic properties, including cellular subtypes with and without toric-like spines. We propose that toric spines are a cellular locus of sensory integration and behavioral learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sanculi
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | | | - Eric A Bushong
- National Center for Molecular Imaging Research, University of California, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Michael Crump
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Michelle Sung
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Vyoma Popat
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Camilia Zaher
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Emma Hicks
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Ashley Song
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Nikan Mofakham
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Peining Li
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95618
| | | | | | - Mark H Ellisman
- National Center for Molecular Imaging Research, University of California, La Jolla, CA 92093
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7
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Visual input shapes the auditory frequency responses in the inferior colliculus of mouse. Hear Res 2019; 381:107777. [PMID: 31430633 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.107777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The integration of visual and auditory information is important for humans or animals to build an accurate and coherent perception of the external world. Although some evidence has shown some principles of the audiovisual integration, little insight has been gained into its functional purpose. In this study, we investigated the functional influence of dynamic visual input on auditory frequency processing by recording single unit activity in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICc). Results showed that the auditory responses of ICc neurons to sound frequencies could be enhanced or suppressed by visual stimuli even though the same visual stimuli induced no neural responses when presented alone. For each ICc neuron, the most effective visual stimuli were located in the same azimuth as for auditory stimuli and preceded for ∼20 ms. Additionally, visual stimuli could steepen or flatten the frequency tuning curves (FTCs) of ICc neurons by various visual effects at each responsive frequency. The modulation degree of auditory FTCs was dependent on the minimal thresholds (MTs) of ICc neurons, i.e., with MTs increasing, the modulation degree decreased. Due to the non-homogeneous distribution of MTs which was lowest at 10 kHz, visual modulation of auditory FTCs exhibited a frequency-specific manner, the closer it reached the characteristic frequency (CF) of 10 kHz, the greater modulation. Thus, visual modulation of auditory frequency responses in ICc is dependent not only on the visual stimulus but also on the auditory characteristics of ICc neurons. These results suggest a moment-to-moment visual modulation of auditory frequency responses that in real time increase auditory frequency sensitivity to audiovisual stimuli. Furthermore, in the long term such modulation could serve to instruct auditory adaptive plasticity to maintain necessary and accurate auditory detection and perceptual behavior.
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8
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Felch DL, Khakhalin AS, Aizenman CD. Multisensory integration in the developing tectum is constrained by the balance of excitation and inhibition. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27218449 PMCID: PMC4912350 DOI: 10.7554/elife.15600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multisensory integration (MSI) is the process that allows the brain to bind together spatiotemporally congruent inputs from different sensory modalities to produce single salient representations. While the phenomenology of MSI in vertebrate brains is well described, relatively little is known about cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Here we use an isolated brain preparation to describe cellular mechanisms underlying development of MSI between visual and mechanosensory inputs in the optic tectum of Xenopus tadpoles. We find MSI is highly dependent on the temporal interval between crossmodal stimulus pairs. Over a key developmental period, the temporal window for MSI significantly narrows and is selectively tuned to specific interstimulus intervals. These changes in MSI correlate with developmental increases in evoked synaptic inhibition, and inhibitory blockade reverses observed developmental changes in MSI. We propose a model in which development of recurrent inhibition mediates development of temporal aspects of MSI in the tectum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Felch
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, United States
| | - Arseny S Khakhalin
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States.,Department of Biology, Bard College, New York, United States
| | - Carlos D Aizenman
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
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9
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Stitt I, Galindo-Leon E, Pieper F, Hollensteiner KJ, Engler G, Engel AK. Auditory and visual interactions between the superior and inferior colliculi in the ferret. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:1311-20. [PMID: 25645363 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The integration of visual and auditory spatial information is important for building an accurate perception of the external world, but the fundamental mechanisms governing such audiovisual interaction have only partially been resolved. The earliest interface between auditory and visual processing pathways is in the midbrain, where the superior (SC) and inferior colliculi (IC) are reciprocally connected in an audiovisual loop. Here, we investigate the mechanisms of audiovisual interaction in the midbrain by recording neural signals from the SC and IC simultaneously in anesthetized ferrets. Visual stimuli reliably produced band-limited phase locking of IC local field potentials (LFPs) in two distinct frequency bands: 6-10 and 15-30 Hz. These visual LFP responses co-localized with robust auditory responses that were characteristic of the IC. Imaginary coherence analysis confirmed that visual responses in the IC were not volume-conducted signals from the neighboring SC. Visual responses in the IC occurred later than retinally driven superficial SC layers and earlier than deep SC layers that receive indirect visual inputs, suggesting that retinal inputs do not drive visually evoked responses in the IC. In addition, SC and IC recording sites with overlapping visual spatial receptive fields displayed stronger functional connectivity than sites with separate receptive fields, indicating that visual spatial maps are aligned across both midbrain structures. Reciprocal coupling between the IC and SC therefore probably serves the dynamic integration of visual and auditory representations of space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain Stitt
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Edgar Galindo-Leon
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Florian Pieper
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Karl J Hollensteiner
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Engler
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas K Engel
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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10
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Abstract
Animal–animal recognition within, and across species, is essential for predator avoidance and social interactions. Despite its essential role in orchestrating responses to animal cues, basic principles of information processing by the vomeronasal system are still unknown. The medial amygdala (MeA) occupies a central position in the vomeronasal pathway, upstream of hypothalamic centers dedicated to defensive and social responses. We have characterized sensory responses in the mouse MeA and uncovered emergent properties that shed new light onto the transformation of vomeronasal information into sex- and species-specific responses. In particular, we show that the MeA displays a degree of stimulus selectivity and a striking sexually dimorphic sensory representation that are not observed in the upstream relay of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the development of sexually dimorphic circuits in the MeA requires steroid signaling near the time of puberty to organize the functional representation of sensory stimuli. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02743.001 Many animals emit and detect chemicals known as pheromones to communicate with other members of their own species. Animals also rely on chemical signals from other species to warn them, for example, that a predator is nearby. Many of these chemical signals—which are present in sweat, tears, urine, and saliva—are detected by a structure called the vomeronasal organ, which is located at the base of the nasal cavity. When this organ detects a particular chemical signal, it broadcasts this information to a network of brain regions that generates an appropriate behavioral response. Two structures within this network, the accessory olfactory bulb and the medial amygdala, play an important role in modifying this signal before it reaches its final destination—a region of the brain called the hypothalamus. Activation of the hypothalamus by the signal triggers changes in the animal's behavior. Although the anatomical details of this pathway have been widely studied, it is not clear how information is actually transmitted along it. Now, Bergan et al. have provided insights into this process by recording signals in the brains of anesthetized mice exposed to specific stimuli. Whereas neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb responded similarly in male and female mice, those in the medial amygdala showed a preference for female urine in male mice, and a preference for male urine in the case of females. This is the first direct demonstration of differences in sensory processing in the brains of male and female mammals. These differences are thought to result from the actions of sex hormones, particularly estrogen, on brain circuits during development. Consistent with this, neurons in the medial amygdala of male mice with reduced levels of estrogen showed a reduced preference for female urine compared to control males. Similarly, female mice that had been previously exposed to high levels of estrogen as pups showed a reduced preference for male urine compared to controls. In addition to increasing understanding of how chemical signals—including pheromones—influence the responses of rodents to other animals, the work of Bergan et al. has provided clues to the neural mechanisms that underlie sex-specific differences in behaviors. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02743.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph F Bergan
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Yoram Ben-Shaul
- School of Medicine, Department of Medical Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Catherine Dulac
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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11
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Bergan JF, Ben-Shaul Y, Dulac C. Sex-specific processing of social cues in the medial amygdala. eLife 2014. [PMID: 24894465 DOI: 10.7554/elife.02743.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal-animal recognition within, and across species, is essential for predator avoidance and social interactions. Despite its essential role in orchestrating responses to animal cues, basic principles of information processing by the vomeronasal system are still unknown. The medial amygdala (MeA) occupies a central position in the vomeronasal pathway, upstream of hypothalamic centers dedicated to defensive and social responses. We have characterized sensory responses in the mouse MeA and uncovered emergent properties that shed new light onto the transformation of vomeronasal information into sex- and species-specific responses. In particular, we show that the MeA displays a degree of stimulus selectivity and a striking sexually dimorphic sensory representation that are not observed in the upstream relay of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the development of sexually dimorphic circuits in the MeA requires steroid signaling near the time of puberty to organize the functional representation of sensory stimuli.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02743.001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph F Bergan
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Yoram Ben-Shaul
- School of Medicine, Department of Medical Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Catherine Dulac
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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12
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Wang Y, Gutfreund Y, Peña JL. Coding space-time stimulus dynamics in auditory brain maps. Front Physiol 2014; 5:135. [PMID: 24782781 PMCID: PMC3986518 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory maps are often distorted representations of the environment, where ethologically-important ranges are magnified. The implication of a biased representation extends beyond increased acuity for having more neurons dedicated to a certain range. Because neurons are functionally interconnected, non-uniform representations influence the processing of high-order features that rely on comparison across areas of the map. Among these features are time-dependent changes of the auditory scene generated by moving objects. How sensory representation affects high order processing can be approached in the map of auditory space of the owl's midbrain, where locations in the front are over-represented. In this map, neurons are selective not only to location but also to location over time. The tuning to space over time leads to direction selectivity, which is also topographically organized. Across the population, neurons tuned to peripheral space are more selective to sounds moving into the front. The distribution of direction selectivity can be explained by spatial and temporal integration on the non-uniform map of space. Thus, the representation of space can induce biased computation of a second-order stimulus feature. This phenomenon is likely observed in other sensory maps and may be relevant for behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyan Wang
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Yoram Gutfreund
- The Rappaport Research Institute and Faculty of Medicine The Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - José L Peña
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, NY, USA
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13
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14
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Maddox RK, Pospisil DA, Stecker GC, Lee AKC. Directing eye gaze enhances auditory spatial cue discrimination. Curr Biol 2014; 24:748-52. [PMID: 24631242 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The present study demonstrates, for the first time, a specific enhancement of auditory spatial cue discrimination due to eye gaze. Whereas the region of sharpest visual acuity, called the fovea, can be directed at will by moving one's eyes, auditory spatial information is derived primarily from head-related acoustic cues. Past auditory studies have found better discrimination in front of the head [1-3] but have not manipulated subjects' gaze, thus overlooking potential oculomotor influences. Electrophysiological studies have shown that the inferior colliculus, a critical auditory midbrain nucleus, shows visual and oculomotor responses [4-6] and modulations of auditory activity [7-9], and that auditory neurons in the superior colliculus show shifting receptive fields [10-13]. How the auditory system leverages this crossmodal information at the behavioral level remains unknown. Here we directed subjects' gaze (with an eccentric dot) or auditory attention (with lateralized noise) while they performed an auditory spatial cue discrimination task. We found that directing gaze toward a sound significantly enhances discrimination of both interaural level and time differences, whereas directing auditory spatial attention does not. These results show that oculomotor information variably enhances auditory spatial resolution even when the head remains stationary, revealing a distinct behavioral benefit possibly arising from auditory-oculomotor interactions at an earlier level of processing than previously demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross K Maddox
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, 1715 NE Columbia Road, Portage Bay Building, Box 357988, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Dean A Pospisil
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, 1715 NE Columbia Road, Portage Bay Building, Box 357988, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - G Christopher Stecker
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, 1417 NE 42(nd) Street, Eagleson Hall, Box 354875, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21(st) Avenue South, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Adrian K C Lee
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, 1715 NE Columbia Road, Portage Bay Building, Box 357988, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, 1417 NE 42(nd) Street, Eagleson Hall, Box 354875, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
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New perspectives on the owl's map of auditory space. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2013; 24:55-62. [PMID: 24492079 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2013.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2013] [Revised: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A map of sound direction was found in the owl's midbrain more than three decades ago. This finding suggested that the brain reconstructs spatial coordinates to represent them. Subsequent research elucidated the variables used to compute the map. Here we provide a review of the processes leading to its emergence and an updated perspective on how and what information is represented.
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Patel M, Reed M. Stimulus encoding within the barn owl optic tectum using gamma oscillations vs. spike rate: a modeling approach. NETWORK (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2013; 24:52-74. [PMID: 23406211 DOI: 10.3109/0954898x.2013.763405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The optic tectum of the barn owl is a multimodal structure with multiple layers, with each layer topographically organized according to spatial receptive field. The response of a site to a stimulus can be measured as either spike rate or local field potential (LFP) gamma (25-90 Hz) power; within superficial layers, spike rate and gamma power spatial tuning curves are narrow and contrast-response functions rise slowly. Within deeper layers, however, spike rate tuning curves broaden and gamma power contrast-response functions sharpen. In this work, we employ a computational model to describe the inputs required to generate these transformations from superficial to deep layers and show that gamma power and spike rate can act as parallel information processing streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mainak Patel
- Department of Mathematics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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17
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Gruters KG, Groh JM. Sounds and beyond: multisensory and other non-auditory signals in the inferior colliculus. Front Neural Circuits 2012; 6:96. [PMID: 23248584 PMCID: PMC3518932 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2012.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Accepted: 11/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) is a major processing center situated mid-way along both the ascending and descending auditory pathways of the brain stem. Although it is fundamentally an auditory area, the IC also receives anatomical input from non-auditory sources. Neurophysiological studies corroborate that non-auditory stimuli can modulate auditory processing in the IC and even elicit responses independent of coincident auditory stimulation. In this article, we review anatomical and physiological evidence for multisensory and other non-auditory processing in the IC. Specifically, the contributions of signals related to vision, eye movements and position, somatosensation, and behavioral context to neural activity in the IC will be described. These signals are potentially important for localizing sound sources, attending to salient stimuli, distinguishing environmental from self-generated sounds, and perceiving and generating communication sounds. They suggest that the IC should be thought of as a node in a highly interconnected sensory, motor, and cognitive network dedicated to synthesizing a higher-order auditory percept rather than simply reporting patterns of air pressure detected by the cochlea. We highlight some of the potential pitfalls that can arise from experimental manipulations that may disrupt the normal function of this network, such as the use of anesthesia or the severing of connections from cortical structures that project to the IC. Finally, we note that the presence of these signals in the IC has implications for our understanding not just of the IC but also of the multitude of other regions within and beyond the auditory system that are dependent on signals that pass through the IC. Whatever the IC “hears” would seem to be passed both “upward” to thalamus and thence to auditory cortex and beyond, as well as “downward” via centrifugal connections to earlier areas of the auditory pathway such as the cochlear nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurtis G Gruters
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University Durham, NC, USA
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18
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l-NOARG-induced catalepsy can be influenced by glutamatergic neurotransmission mediated by NMDA receptors in the inferior colliculus. Behav Brain Res 2012; 234:149-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Revised: 06/17/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Bulkin DA, Groh JM. Distribution of visual and saccade related information in the monkey inferior colliculus. Front Neural Circuits 2012; 6:61. [PMID: 22973196 PMCID: PMC3433683 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2012.00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2012] [Accepted: 08/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) is an essential stop early in the ascending auditory pathway. Though normally thought of as a predominantly auditory structure, recent work has uncovered a variety of non-auditory influences on firing rate in the IC. Here, we map the location within the IC of neurons that respond to the onset of a fixation-guiding visual stimulus. Visual/visuomotor associated activity was found throughout the IC (overall, 84 of 199 sites tested or 42%), but with a far reduced prevalence and strength along recording penetrations passing through the tonotopically organized region of the IC, putatively the central nucleus (11 of 42 sites tested, or 26%). These results suggest that visual information has only a weak effect on early auditory processing in core regions, but more strongly targets the modulatory shell regions of the IC.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Bulkin
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University Ithaca, NY, USA
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Singheiser M, Gutfreund Y, Wagner H. The representation of sound localization cues in the barn owl's inferior colliculus. Front Neural Circuits 2012; 6:45. [PMID: 22798945 PMCID: PMC3394089 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2012.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2012] [Accepted: 06/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The barn owl is a well-known model system for studying auditory processing and sound localization. This article reviews the morphological and functional organization, as well as the role of the underlying microcircuits, of the barn owl's inferior colliculus (IC). We focus on the processing of frequency and interaural time (ITD) and level differences (ILD). We first summarize the morphology of the sub-nuclei belonging to the IC and their differentiation by antero- and retrograde labeling and by staining with various antibodies. We then focus on the response properties of neurons in the three major sub-nuclei of IC [core of the central nucleus of the IC (ICCc), lateral shell of the central nucleus of the IC (ICCls), and the external nucleus of the IC (ICX)]. ICCc projects to ICCls, which in turn sends its information to ICX. The responses of neurons in ICCc are sensitive to changes in ITD but not to changes in ILD. The distribution of ITD sensitivity with frequency in ICCc can only partly be explained by optimal coding. We continue with the tuning properties of ICCls neurons, the first station in the midbrain where the ITD and ILD pathways merge after they have split at the level of the cochlear nucleus. The ICCc and ICCls share similar ITD and frequency tuning. By contrast, ICCls shows sigmoidal ILD tuning which is absent in ICCc. Both ICCc and ICCls project to the forebrain, and ICCls also projects to ICX, where space-specific neurons are found. Space-specific neurons exhibit side peak suppression in ITD tuning, bell-shaped ILD tuning, and are broadly tuned to frequency. These neurons respond only to restricted positions of auditory space and form a map of two-dimensional auditory space. Finally, we briefly review major IC features, including multiplication-like computations, correlates of echo suppression, plasticity, and adaptation.
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21
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Bulkin DA, Groh JM. Distribution of eye position information in the monkey inferior colliculus. J Neurophysiol 2011; 107:785-95. [PMID: 22031775 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00662.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) is thought to have two main subdivisions, a central region that forms an important stop on the ascending auditory pathway and a surrounding shell region that may play a more modulatory role. In this study, we investigated whether eye position affects activity in both the central and shell regions. Accordingly, we mapped the location of eye position-sensitive neurons in six monkeys making spontaneous eye movements by sampling multiunit activity at regularly spaced intervals throughout the IC. We used a functional map based on auditory response patterns to estimate the anatomical location of recordings, in conjunction with structural MRI and histology. We found eye position-sensitive sites throughout the IC, including at 27% of sites in tonotopically organized recording penetrations (putatively the central nucleus). Recordings from surrounding tissue showed a larger proportion of sites indicating an influence of eye position (33-43%). When present, the magnitude of the change in activity due to eye position was often comparable to that seen for sound frequency. Our results indicate that the primary ascending auditory pathway is influenced by the position of the eyes. Because eye position is essential for visual-auditory integration, our findings suggest that computations underlying visual-auditory integration begin early in the ascending auditory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Bulkin
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
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22
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Abstract
The human brain has accumulated many useful building blocks over its evolutionary history, and the best knowledge of these has often derived from experiments performed in animal species that display finely honed abilities. In this article we review a model system at the forefront of investigation into the neural bases of information processing, plasticity, and learning: the barn owl auditory localization pathway. In addition to the broadly applicable principles gleaned from three decades of work in this system, there are good reasons to believe that continued exploration of the owl brain will be invaluable for further advances in understanding of how neuronal networks give rise to behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L Pena
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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Miller K, Covey E. Comparison of auditory responses in the medial geniculate and pontine gray of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. Hear Res 2010; 275:53-65. [PMID: 21145384 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2010.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2010] [Revised: 10/27/2010] [Accepted: 12/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The inferior colliculus has been well studied for its role of transmitting information from the brainstem to the thalamocortical system. However, it is also the source of a major pathway to the cerebellum, via the pontine gray (PG). We compared auditory responses from single neurons in the medial geniculate body (MGB) and PG of the awake big brown bat. MGB neurons were selective for a variety of stimulus types whereas PG neurons only responded to pure tones or simple FM sweeps. Best frequencies (BF) in MGB ranged from 8 kHz to > 80 kHz. BFs of PG neurons were all above 20 kHz with a high proportion above 60 kHz. The mean response latency was 19 ms for MGB neurons and 11 ms for PG neurons. MGB and PG contained neurons with a variety of discharge patterns but the most striking difference was the proportion of neurons with responses that lasted longer than the stimulus duration (MGB 13%, PG 58%). Both nuclei contained duration-sensitive neurons; the majority of those in MGB were band pass whereas in the PG they were long pass. Over half of the neurons in both nuclei were binaural. Differences between these nuclei are consistent with the idea that the thalamocortical pathway performs integration over time for cognitive analysis, thereby increasing selectivity and lengthening latency, while the colliculo-pontine pathway, which is more concerned with sensory-motor control, provides rapid input and a lasting trace of an auditory event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Box 351525, WA 98195, USA
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Interactions between stimulus-specific adaptation and visual auditory integration in the forebrain of the barn owl. J Neurosci 2010; 30:6991-8. [PMID: 20484641 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5723-09.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural adaptation and visual auditory integration are two well studied and common phenomena in the brain, yet little is known about the interaction between them. In the present study, we investigated a visual forebrain area in barn owls, the entopallium (E), which has been shown recently to encompass auditory responses as well. Responses of neurons to sequences of visual, auditory, and bimodal (visual and auditory together) events were analyzed. Sequences comprised two stimuli, one with a low probability of occurrence and the other with a high probability. Neurons in the E tended to respond more strongly to low probability visual stimuli than to high probability stimuli. Such a phenomenon is known as stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) and is considered to be a neural correlate of change detection. Responses to the corresponding auditory sequences did not reveal an equivalent tendency. Interestingly, however, SSA to bimodal events was stronger than to visual events alone. This enhancement was apparent when the visual and auditory stimuli were presented from matching locations in space (congruent) but not when the bimodal stimuli were spatially incongruent. These findings suggest that the ongoing task of detecting unexpected events can benefit from the integration of visual and auditory information.
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