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Xiao YJ, Wang L, Liu YZ, Chen J, Zhang H, Gao Y, He H, Zhao Z, Wang Z. Excitatory Crossmodal Input to a Widespread Population of Primary Sensory Cortical Neurons. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:1139-1152. [PMID: 35429324 PMCID: PMC9554107 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00855-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Crossmodal information processing in sensory cortices has been reported in sparsely distributed neurons under normal conditions and can undergo experience- or activity-induced plasticity. Given the potential role in brain function as indicated by previous reports, crossmodal connectivity in the sensory cortex needs to be further explored. Using perforated whole-cell recording in anesthetized adult rats, we found that almost all neurons recorded in the primary somatosensory, auditory, and visual cortices exhibited significant membrane-potential responses to crossmodal stimulation, as recorded when brain activity states were pharmacologically down-regulated in light anesthesia. These crossmodal cortical responses were excitatory and subthreshold, and further seemed to be relayed primarily by the sensory thalamus, but not the sensory cortex, of the stimulated modality. Our experiments indicate a sensory cortical presence of widespread excitatory crossmodal inputs, which might play roles in brain functions involving crossmodal information processing or plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Jie Xiao
- Institute and Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Lidan Wang
- Institute and Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Yu-Zhang Liu
- Institute and Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 15260, USA
| | - Jiayu Chen
- Institute and Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Haoyu Zhang
- Institute and Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Institute and Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Hua He
- Department of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of the Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Zheng Zhao
- Institute and Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
| | - Zhiru Wang
- Institute and Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
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Harris KC, Dias JW, McClaskey CM, Rumschlag J, Prisciandaro J, Dubno JR. Afferent Loss, GABA, and Central Gain in Older Adults: Associations with Speech Recognition in Noise. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7201-7212. [PMID: 35995564 PMCID: PMC9512571 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0242-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in auditory nerve (AN) function for older adults reduce afferent input to the cortex. The extent to which the cortex in older adults adapts to this loss of afferent input and the mechanisms underlying this adaptation are not well understood. We took a neural systems approach measuring AN and cortical evoked responses within 50 older and 27 younger human adults (59 female) to estimate central gain or increased cortical activity despite reduced AN activity. Relative to younger adults, older adults' AN response amplitudes were smaller, but cortical responses were not. We used the relationship between AN and cortical response amplitudes in younger adults to predict cortical response amplitudes for older adults from their AN responses. Central gain in older adults was thus defined as the difference between their observed cortical responses and those predicted from the parameter estimates of younger adults. In older adults, decreased afferent input contributed to lower cortical GABA levels, greater central gain, and poorer speech recognition in noise (SIN). These effects on SIN occur in addition to, and independent from, effects attributed to elevated hearing thresholds. Our results are consistent with animal models of central gain and suggest that reduced AN afferent input in some older adults may result in changes in cortical encoding and inhibitory neurotransmission, which contribute to reduced SIN. An advancement in our understanding of the changes that occur throughout the auditory system in response to the gradual loss of input with increasing age may provide potential therapeutic targets for intervention.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Age-related hearing loss is one of the most common chronic conditions of aging, yet little is known about how the cortex adapts to this loss of sensory input. We measured AN and cortical responses to the same stimulus in younger and older adults. In older adults we found hyperexcitability in cortical activity relative to concomitant declines in afferent input that are consistent with central gain. Lower levels of cortical GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, were associated with greater central gain, which predicted poorer SIN. The results suggest that the cortex in older adults may adapt to attenuated sensory input by reducing inhibition to amplify the cortical response, but this amplification may lead to poorer SIN.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James W Dias
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
| | | | | | - James Prisciandaro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425-5500
| | - Judy R Dubno
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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3
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Ptito M, Paré S, Dricot L, Cavaliere C, Tomaiuolo F, Kupers R. A quantitative analysis of the retinofugal projections in congenital and late-onset blindness. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 32:102809. [PMID: 34509923 PMCID: PMC8435915 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Congenital (CB) and late blind (LB) affects the integrity brain visual structures. We measured the integrity of the retino-fugal system using structural MRI images. Optic nerve, optic tract, optic chiasm and LGN were reduced by 50 to 60% in CB and LB. There were no differences between CB and LB. In LB, optic nerve volume correlated negatively with blindness duration.
Vision loss early in life has dramatic consequences on the organization of the visual system and hence on structural plasticity of its remnant components. Most of the studies on the anatomical changes in the brain following visual deprivation have focused on the re-organization of the visual cortex and its afferent and efferent projections. In this study, we performed a quantitative analysis of the volume and size of the optic chiasm, optic nerve, optic tract and the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), the retino recipient thalamic nucleus. Analysis was carried out on structural T1-weighted MRIs from 22 congenitally blind (CB), 14 late blind (LB) and 29 age -and sex-matched sighted control (SC) subjects. We manually segmented the optic nerve, optic chiasm and optic tract, while LGN volumes were extracted using in-house software. We also measured voxel intensity of optic nerve, optic chiasm and optic tract. Mean volumes of the optic nerve, optic tract and optic chiasm were reduced by 50 to 60% in both CB and LB participants. No significant differences were found between the congenitally and late-onset blind participants for any of the measures. Our data further revealed reduced white matter voxel intensities in optic nerve, optic chiasm and optic tract in blind compared to sighted participants, suggesting decreased myelin content in the atrophied white matter. The LGN was reduced by 50% and 44% in CB and LB, respectively. In LB, optic nerve volume correlated negatively with the blindness duration index; no such correlation was found for optic chiasm, optic tract and LGN. The observation that despite the absence of visual input about half of the subcortical retinofugal projections are structurally preserved raises the question of their functional role. One possibility is that the surviving fibers play a role in the maintenance of circadian rhythms in the blind through the intrinsically photosensitive melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurice Ptito
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; BRAINlab, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR), Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Samuel Paré
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium
| | - Carlo Cavaliere
- IRCCS SDN, Naples, Italy; Coma Science Group, Cyclotron Research Center and Neurology Department, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Francesco Tomaiuolo
- Univesità degli Studi di Messina, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale
| | - Ron Kupers
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; BRAINlab, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium.
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Feldmann M, Beckmann D, Eysel UT, Manahan-Vaughan D. Early Loss of Vision Results in Extensive Reorganization of Plasticity-Related Receptors and Alterations in Hippocampal Function That Extend Through Adulthood. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:892-905. [PMID: 30535137 PMCID: PMC6319173 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Although by adulthood cortical structures and their capacity for processing sensory information have become established and stabilized, under conditions of cortical injury, or sensory deprivation, rapid reorganization occurs. Little is known as to the impact of this kind of adaptation on cellular processes related to memory encoding. However, imaging studies in humans suggest that following loss or impairment of a sensory modality, not only cortical but also subcortical structures begin to reorganize. It is likely that these processes are supported by neurotransmitter receptors that enable synaptic and cortical plasticity. Here, we explored to what extent the expression of plasticity-related proteins (GABA-A, GABA-B, GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2B) is altered following early vision loss, and whether this impacts on hippocampal function. We observed that in the period of 2-4 months postnatally in CBA/J-mice that experience hereditary postnatal retinal degeneration, systematic changes of GABA-receptor and NMDA-receptor subunit expression occurred that emerged first in the hippocampus and developed later in the cortex, compared to control mice that had normal vision. Changes were accompanied by significant impairments in hippocampal long-term potentiation and hippocampus-dependent learning. These data indicate that during cortical adaptation to early loss of vision, hippocampal information processing is compromised, and this status impacts on the acquisition of spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Feldmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniela Beckmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ulf T Eysel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Cavaliere C, Aiello M, Soddu A, Laureys S, Reislev NL, Ptito M, Kupers R. Organization of the commissural fiber system in congenital and late-onset blindness. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 25:102133. [PMID: 31945651 PMCID: PMC6965724 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Larger anterior commissure (AC) in congenitally (CB) and late blind (LB) subjects. Decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) of the posterior part of AC (pAC) in CB and LB. Decreased FA in pAC is paralleled by increased number of pAC streamlines in CB only. Selective reduction of the splenium of the corpus callosum (CC) in CB and LB. Reduction of splenium correlated with decrease in streamlines and tract volume.
We investigated the effects of blindness on the structural and functional integrity of the corpus callosum and the anterior commissure (AC), which together form the two major components of the commissural pathways. Twelve congenitally blind (CB), 15 late blind (LB; mean onset of blindness of 16.6 ± 8.9 years), and 15 matched normally sighted controls (SC) participated in a multimodal brain imaging study. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) data were acquired using a 3T scanner, and included a structural brain scan, resting state functional MRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging. We used tractography to divide the AC into its anterior (aAC) and posterior (pAC) branch. Virtual tract dissection was performed using a deterministic spherical deconvolution tractography algorithm. The corpus callosum was subdivided into five subregions based on the criteria described by Witelson and modified by Bermudez and Zatorre. Our data revealed decreased fractional anisotropy of the pAC in CB and LB compared to SC, together with an increase in the number of streamlines in CB only. In addition, the AC surface area was significantly larger in CB compared to SC and LB, and correlated with the number of streamlines in pAC (rho = 0.55) and tract volume (rho = 0.46). As for the corpus callosum, the splenial part was significantly smaller in CB and LB, and fewer streamlines passed through it. We did not find group differences in functional connectivity of cortical areas connected by fibers crossing any of the five callosal subregions. The present data suggest that the two main components of the commissural system undergo neuroplastic changes, irrespective of the age of onset of blindness, although the alterations observed in the AC are more important in congenital than late-onset blindness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Cavaliere
- IRCCS SDN, Via E. Gianturco 113, 80143 Naples, Italy; GIGA-Consciousness - Coma Science Group, GIGA-Research and Neurology Department, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Marco Aiello
- IRCCS SDN, Via E. Gianturco 113, 80143 Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Soddu
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario London, ON, Canada
| | - Steven Laureys
- GIGA-Consciousness - Coma Science Group, GIGA-Research and Neurology Department, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Nina L Reislev
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Maurice Ptito
- Ecole d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of nuclear Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; BRAINlab, Institute of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Allé 10, 2200 Copenhagen,Denmark
| | - Ron Kupers
- Ecole d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; BRAINlab, Institute of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Allé 10, 2200 Copenhagen,Denmark; Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
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Fioravanti C, Kajal SD, Carboni M, Mazzetti C, Ziemann U, Braun C. Inhibition in the somatosensory system: An integrative neuropharmacological and neuroimaging approach. Neuroimage 2019; 202:116139. [PMID: 31476429 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The presented study investigates the functional role of GABA in somatosensory processing, using a combined neuropharmacological-neuroimaging approach. Three different GABA agonists (GABAA: alprazolam, ethanol; GABAB: baclofen) were investigated in a double blind cross-over design in 16 male participants, accomplishing a tactile perception task. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields modulated by GABAR-agonists and placebo were recorded using whole-head magnetoencephalography. Peak latencies and amplitudes of primary (SI) and secondary (SII) somatosensory cortex source activities confirmed the previously reported role of GABA as a modulator of somatosensory processing. Significant inhibitory effects on the latency of SII and on the amplitude of SI and SII were found exclusively for alprazolam, a positive allosteric modulator at GABAA receptors. The GABAB agonist baclofen did not have any modulatory effect. Moreover, we investigated whether the observed effects of alprazolam on the level of SII were explainable by the mere propagation of activity from SI to SII modulated by GABAA receptors, independently from any further GABAA-mediated inhibition in SII. By estimating the transfer function between SI and SII activation under placebo conditions, we were able to predict SII activity for the administration of GABA receptors agonists under the assumption that GABA exclusively acts at the level of SI. By comparing measured and predicted data, we propose a model in which the initial activation of SI is modulated through GABAA receptors and subsequently propagated to SII, without any significant further inhibition. In addition, initial GABAA effects in SI appear to be strongly potentiated with time, selectively in SI but not in SII.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Fioravanti
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, Silcherstraße 5, 72074, Tübingen, Germany; MEG Center, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 47, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - S D Kajal
- MEG Center, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 47, 72076, Tübingen, Germany; Graduate School of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, International Max Planck Research School, Österbergstraße 3, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - M Carboni
- EEG and Epilepsy Unit, University Hospital of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205, Genève, Switzerland; Functional Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202, Genève, Switzerland
| | - C Mazzetti
- Department of Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute, Radboud University, Kapittelweg 29, 6525EN, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - U Ziemann
- Department of Neurology & Stroke, and Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - C Braun
- MEG Center, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 47, 72076, Tübingen, Germany; CIMeC, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068, Rovereto, Italy
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Wolak T, Cieśla K, Pluta A, Włodarczyk E, Biswal B, Skarżyński H. Altered Functional Connectivity in Patients With Sloping Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:284. [PMID: 31507391 PMCID: PMC6713935 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sensory deprivation, such as hearing loss, has been demonstrated to change the intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) of the brain, as measured with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Patients with sloping sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) are a unique population among the hearing impaired, as they have all been exposed to some auditory input throughout their lifespan and all use spoken language. Materials and Methods Twenty patients with SNHL and 21 control subjects participated in a rs-fMRI study. Whole-brain seed-driven FC maps were obtained, with audiological scores of patients, including hearing loss severity and speech performance, used as covariates. Results Most profound differences in FC were found between patients with prelingual (before language development, PRE) vs. postlingual onset (after language development, POST) of SNHL. An early onset was related to enhancement in long-range network connections, including the default-mode network, the dorsal-attention network and the fronto-parietal network, as well as in local sensory networks, the visual and the sensorimotor. A number of multisensory brain regions in frontal and parietal cortices, as well as the cerebellum, were also more internally connected. We interpret these effects as top-down mechanisms serving optimization of multisensory experience in SNHL with a prelingual onset. At the same time, POST patients showed enhanced FC between the salience network and multisensory parietal areas, as well as with the hippocampus, when they were compared to those with PRE hearing loss. Signal in several cortex regions subserving visual processing was also more intra-correlated in POST vs. PRE patients. This outcome might point to more attention resources directed to multisensory as well as memory experience. Finally, audiological scores correlated with FC in several sensory and high-order brain regions in all patients. Conclusion The results show that a sloping hearing loss is related to altered resting-state brain organization. Effects were shown in attention and cognitive control networks, as well as visual and sensorimotor regions. Specifically, we found that even in a partial hearing deficit (affecting only some of the hearing frequency ranges), the age at the onset affects the brain function differently, pointing to the role of sensitive periods in brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Wolak
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Cieśla
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Pluta
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Warsaw, Poland.,Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Włodarczyk
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bharat Biswal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Radiology, New Jersey Medical School, NJIT, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Henryk Skarżyński
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Warsaw, Poland
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Ju YT, Pan YT, Tu CF, Hsiao J, Lin YH, Yu PJ, Yu PH, Chi CH, Liu IL. Growth and Behavior of Congenitally Anophthalmic Lee-Sung Pigs. Comp Med 2019; 69:212-220. [PMID: 31171049 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-cm-18-000095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythm is usually regulated by the environmental light-dark cycle. Congenitally anophthalmic miniature pigs provide a valuable model for the study of factors affecting circadian rhythms in the absence of visual exposure to the light-dark cycle. This study investigated the growth and daily behavior patterns of Lee-Sung pigs with congenital anophthalmia. Growth in 5 Lee-Sung pigs (LSP) with congenital anophthalmia (LSP-A) and 10 normally developed pigs (LSP-N) was assessed when they were 1 through 6 mo old. Behavioral studies using digital video recording were completed in 6 sexually mature LSP (3 LSP-A and 3 LSP-N). MRI showed that LSP-A lose their vision because of a lack of retinal input and optic chiasm development. LSP-N and LSP-A did not differ in body weight or size at 2, 4, and 6 mo of age. Behavior and activity pattern studies showed that both LSP-A and LSP-N were active mainly during daylight, but LSP-A spent significantly more time exploring their environment during the day (28%) and night (10%) than did LSP-N. This study revealed that growth performance was similar between LSP-A and normal pigs, but their behavior and activity patterns differed. LSP-A showed circadian rhythm abnormalities similar to those in blind humans. This study provides basic data on LSP-A as a model for studying compensatory cross-modal brain plasticity and hormone regulation in the absence of retinal input is deficient and for understanding the role of circadian rhythm regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ten Ju
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Pan
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Jan Hsiao
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsuan Lin
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ju Yu
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pin-Huan Yu
- Institute of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chau-Hwa Chi
- Institute of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Li Liu
- Institute of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Ueno H, Suemitsu S, Okamoto M, Matsumoto Y, Ishihara T. Sensory experience-dependent formation of perineuronal nets and expression of Cat-315 immunoreactive components in the mouse somatosensory cortex. Neuroscience 2017; 355:161-174. [PMID: 28495333 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are structures of extracellular matrix molecules surrounding the cell bodies and proximal dendrites of certain neurons. While PNNs are present throughout the mouse cerebral cortex, recent studies have shown that the components differ among cortical sub-regions and layers, suggesting region-specific functions. Parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV neurons) may be important regulators of cortical plasticity during the early "critical period" that is sensitive to sensory input. Here we examined the distribution and developmental functions of PNN components associated with PV neurons in the somatosensory cortex during the critical period. Aggrecan, brevican, neurocan, phosphacan, and tenascin-R were identified as PNN components in the mouse somatosensory cortex. High-magnification analysis revealed that some lectin Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA)-reactive molecules did not co-localize with monoclonal antibody Cat-315 recognition molecules around the cell body. During postnatal development, Cat-315-positive (Cat-315+) PNNs appeared later than PNNs binding to the lectin WFA (WFA+ PNNs). These WFA+ PNNs changed from granular-like to reticular-like structures during normal cortical development, while this transition was delayed by sensory deprivation. This study indicates that the formation of reticular-like WFA+ PNNs is dependent on sensory experience in the mouse somatosensory cortex. We suggest that Cat-315+ molecules and WFA expression in PNNs are involved in the early critical period of input-dependent cortical plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ueno
- Department of Medical Technology, Kawasaki College of Allied Health Professions, Okayama 701-0194, Japan; Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
| | - Shunsuke Suemitsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan.
| | - Motoi Okamoto
- Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
| | - Yosuke Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Ishihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan.
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Thalamocortical Connectivity and Microstructural Changes in Congenital and Late Blindness. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:9807512. [PMID: 28386486 PMCID: PMC5366815 DOI: 10.1155/2017/9807512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is ample evidence that the occipital cortex of congenitally blind individuals processes nonvisual information. It remains a debate whether the cross-modal activation of the occipital cortex is mediated through the modulation of preexisting corticocortical projections or the reorganisation of thalamocortical connectivity. Current knowledge on this topic largely stems from anatomical studies in animal models. The aim of this study was to test whether purported changes in thalamocortical connectivity in blindness can be revealed by tractography based on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. To assess the thalamocortical network, we used a clustering method based on the thalamic white matter projections towards predefined cortical regions. Five thalamic clusters were obtained in each group representing their cortical projections. Although we did not find differences in the thalamocortical network between congenitally blind individuals, late blind individuals, and normal sighted controls, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indices revealed significant microstructural changes within thalamic clusters of both blind groups. Furthermore, we find a significant decrease in fractional anisotropy (FA) in occipital and temporal thalamocortical projections in both blind groups that were not captured at the network level. This suggests that plastic microstructural changes have taken place, but not in a degree to be reflected in the tractography-based thalamocortical network.
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Miceli S, Nadif Kasri N, Joosten J, Huang C, Kepser L, Proville R, Selten MM, van Eijs F, Azarfar A, Homberg JR, Celikel T, Schubert D. Reduced Inhibition within Layer IV of Sert Knockout Rat Barrel Cortex is Associated with Faster Sensory Integration. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:933-949. [PMID: 28158484 PMCID: PMC5390402 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural activity is essential for the maturation of sensory systems. In the rodent primary somatosensory cortex (S1), high extracellular serotonin (5-HT) levels during development impair neural transmission between the thalamus and cortical input layer IV (LIV). Rodent models of impaired 5-HT transporter (SERT) function show disruption in their topological organization of S1 and in the expression of activity-regulated genes essential for inhibitory cortical network formation. It remains unclear how such alterations affect the sensory information processing within cortical LIV. Using serotonin transporter knockout (Sert-/-) rats, we demonstrate that high extracellular serotonin levels are associated with impaired feedforward inhibition (FFI), fewer perisomatic inhibitory synapses, a depolarized GABA reversal potential and reduced expression of KCC2 transporters in juvenile animals. At the neural population level, reduced FFI increases the excitatory drive originating from LIV, facilitating evoked representations in the supragranular layers II/III. The behavioral consequence of these changes in network excitability is faster integration of the sensory information during whisker-based tactile navigation, as Sert-/- rats require fewer whisker contacts with tactile targets and perform object localization with faster reaction times. These results highlight the association of serotonergic homeostasis with formation and excitability of sensory cortical networks, and consequently with sensory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Miceli
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Neural Networks, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Max Planck Society, Germany
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Joep Joosten
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Chao Huang
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lara Kepser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rémi Proville
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn M. Selten
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Fenneke van Eijs
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alireza Azarfar
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tansu Celikel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Scheyltjens I, Arckens L. The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and Plasticity. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:8723623. [PMID: 27403348 PMCID: PMC4923604 DOI: 10.1155/2016/8723623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian neocortex contains many distinct inhibitory neuronal populations to balance excitatory neurotransmission. A correct excitation/inhibition equilibrium is crucial for normal brain development, functioning, and controlling lifelong cortical plasticity. Knowledge about how the inhibitory network contributes to brain plasticity however remains incomplete. Somatostatin- (SST-) interneurons constitute a large neocortical subpopulation of interneurons, next to parvalbumin- (PV-) and vasoactive intestinal peptide- (VIP-) interneurons. Unlike the extensively studied PV-interneurons, acknowledged as key components in guiding ocular dominance plasticity, the contribution of SST-interneurons is less understood. Nevertheless, SST-interneurons are ideally situated within cortical networks to integrate unimodal or cross-modal sensory information processing and therefore likely to be important mediators of experience-dependent plasticity. The lack of knowledge on SST-interneurons partially relates to the wide variety of distinct subpopulations present in the sensory neocortex. This review informs on those SST-subpopulations hitherto described based on anatomical, molecular, or electrophysiological characteristics and whose functional roles can be attributed based on specific cortical wiring patterns. A possible role for these subpopulations in experience-dependent plasticity will be discussed, emphasizing on learning-induced plasticity and on unimodal and cross-modal plasticity upon sensory loss. This knowledge will ultimately contribute to guide brain plasticity into well-defined directions to restore sensory function and promote lifelong learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Scheyltjens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Slimani H, Plaghki L, Ptito M, Kupers R. Pain hypersensitivity in congenital blindness is associated with faster central processing of C-fibre input. Eur J Pain 2016; 20:1519-29. [DOI: 10.1002/ejp.876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H. Slimani
- Chaire de recherche Harland Sanders en Sciences de la vision; École d'Optométrie; Université de Montréal; Canada
- BRAINlab; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences; Panum Institute; University of Copenhagen; Denmark
| | - L. Plaghki
- Unité COSY; Institute of Neuroscience; Université Catholique de Louvain; Brussels Belgium
| | - M. Ptito
- Chaire de recherche Harland Sanders en Sciences de la vision; École d'Optométrie; Université de Montréal; Canada
- BRAINlab; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences; Panum Institute; University of Copenhagen; Denmark
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry; Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen; University of Copenhagen; Denmark
| | - R. Kupers
- Chaire de recherche Harland Sanders en Sciences de la vision; École d'Optométrie; Université de Montréal; Canada
- BRAINlab; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences; Panum Institute; University of Copenhagen; Denmark
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Simultaneous Assessment of White Matter Changes in Microstructure and Connectedness in the Blind Brain. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:6029241. [PMID: 26881120 PMCID: PMC4736370 DOI: 10.1155/2016/6029241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the human brain has provided converging evidence that visual deprivation induces regional changes in white matter (WM) microstructure. It remains unclear how these changes modify network connections between brain regions. Here we used diffusion-weighted MRI to relate differences in microstructure and structural connectedness of WM in individuals with congenital or late-onset blindness relative to normally sighted controls. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provided voxel-specific microstructural features of the tissue, while anatomical connectivity mapping (ACM) assessed the connectedness of each voxel with the rest of the brain. ACM yielded reduced anatomical connectivity in the corpus callosum in individuals with congenital but not late-onset blindness. ACM did not identify any brain region where blindness resulted in increased anatomical connectivity. DTI revealed widespread microstructural differences as indexed by a reduced regional fractional anisotropy (FA). Blind individuals showed lower FA in the primary visual and the ventral visual processing stream relative to sighted controls regardless of the blindness onset. The results show that visual deprivation shapes WM microstructure and anatomical connectivity, but these changes appear to be spatially dissociated as changes emerge in different WM tracts. They also indicate that regional differences in anatomical connectivity depend on the onset of blindness.
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Sensory Deprivation during Early Postnatal Period Alters the Density of Interneurons in the Mouse Prefrontal Cortex. Neural Plast 2015; 2015:753179. [PMID: 26161272 PMCID: PMC4487934 DOI: 10.1155/2015/753179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Early loss of one sensory system can cause improved function of other sensory systems. However, both the time course and neuronal mechanism of cross-modal plasticity remain elusive. Recent study using functional MRI in humans suggests a role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in cross-modal plasticity. Since this phenomenon is assumed to be associated with altered GABAergic inhibition in the PFC, we have tested the hypothesis that early postnatal sensory deprivation causes the changes of inhibitory neuronal circuit in different regions of the PFC of the mice. We determined the effects of sensory deprivation from birth to postnatal day 28 (P28) or P58 on the density of parvalbumin (PV), calbindin (CB), and calretinin (CR) neurons in the prelimbic, infralimbic, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortices. The density of PV and CB neurons was significantly increased in layer 5/6 (L5/6). Moreover, the density of CR neurons was higher in L2/3 in sensory deprived mice compared to intact mice. These changes were more prominent at P56 than at P28. These results suggest that long-term sensory deprivation causes the changes of intracortical inhibitory networks in the PFC and the changes of inhibitory networks in the PFC may contribute to cross-modal plasticity.
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Congenital blindness affects diencephalic but not mesencephalic structures in the human brain. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:1465-80. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0984-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 12/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Edelstein L, Smythies J. The role of epigenetic-related codes in neurocomputation: dynamic hardware in the brain. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2014; 369:20130519. [PMID: 25135980 PMCID: PMC4142040 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents a review of recent work on the role that two epigenetic-related systems may play in information processing mechanisms in the brain. The first consists of exosomes that transport epigenetic-related molecules between neurons. The second consists of homeoproteins like Otx2 that carry information from sense organs to primary sensory cortex. There is developing evidence that presynaptic neurons may be able to modulate the fine microanatomical structure in the postsynaptic neuron. This may be conducted by three mechanisms, of which the first is well established and the latter two are novel. (i) By the well-established activation of receptors that trigger a chain of signalling molecules (second messengers) that result in the upregulation and/or activation of a transcription factor. The two novel systems are the exosome system and homeoproteins. (ii) Exosomes are small vesicles that are released upon activation of the axon terminal, traverse the synaptic cleft, probably via astrocytes and are taken up by the postsynaptic neuron. They carry a load of signalling proteins and a variety of forms of RNA. These loads may then be transported widely throughout the postsynaptic neuron and engineer modulations in the fine structure of computational machinery by epigenetic-related processes. (iii) Otx2 is a transcription factor that, inter alia, controls the development and survival of PV+ GABAergic interneurons (PV cells) in the primary visual cortex. It is synthesized in the retina and is transported to the cortex by a presently unknown mechanism that probably includes direct cell-to-cell transfer, and may, or may not, include transfer by the dynein and exosome systems in addition. These three mechanisms explain a quantity of data from the field of de- and reafferentation plasticity. These data show that the modality of the presynaptic neuron controls to a large extent the modality of the postsynaptic neuron. However, the mechanism that effects this is currently unknown. The exosome and the homeoprotein hypotheses provide novel explanations to add to the well-established earlier mechanism described above.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Smythies
- Integrative Neuroscience Program, Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35209, USA
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Tomaiuolo F, Campana S, Collins DL, Fonov VS, Ricciardi E, Sartori G, Pietrini P, Kupers R, Ptito M. Morphometric changes of the corpus callosum in congenital blindness. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107871. [PMID: 25255324 PMCID: PMC4177862 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We examined the effects of visual deprivation at birth on the development of the corpus callosum in a large group of congenitally blind individuals. We acquired high-resolution T1-weighted MRI scans in 28 congenitally blind and 28 normal sighted subjects matched for age and gender. There was no overall group effect of visual deprivation on the total surface area of the corpus callosum. However, subdividing the corpus callosum into five subdivisions revealed significant regional changes in its three most posterior parts. Compared to the sighted controls, congenitally blind individuals showed a 12% reduction in the splenium, and a 20% increase in the isthmus and the posterior part of the body. A shape analysis further revealed that the bending angle of the corpus callosum was more convex in congenitally blind compared to the sighted control subjects. The observed morphometric changes in the corpus callosum are in line with the well-described cross-modal functional and structural neuroplastic changes in congenital blindness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Serena Campana
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - D. Louis Collins
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vladimir S. Fonov
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Emiliano Ricciardi
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Surgery, Medical, Molecular, and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- MRI Lab, Fondazione Toscana ‘G. Monasterio’, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sartori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Pietro Pietrini
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Surgery, Medical, Molecular, and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Clinical Psychology Branch, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ron Kupers
- Harland Sanders Chair in Visual Science, École d’optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Maurice Ptito
- Harland Sanders Chair in Visual Science, École d’optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Slimani H, Danti S, Ptito M, Kupers R. Pain perception is increased in congenital but not late onset blindness. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107281. [PMID: 25244529 PMCID: PMC4170959 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
There is now ample evidence that blind individuals outperform sighted individuals in various tasks involving the non-visual senses. In line with these results, we recently showed that visual deprivation from birth leads to an increased sensitivity to pain. As many studies have shown that congenitally and late blind individuals show differences in their degree of compensatory plasticity, we here address the question whether late blind individuals also show hypersensitivity to nociceptive stimulation. We therefore compared pain thresholds and responses to supra-threshold nociceptive stimuli in congenitally blind, late blind and normally sighted volunteers. Participants also filled in questionnaires measuring attention and anxiety towards pain in everyday life. Results show that late blind participants have pain thresholds and ratings of supra-threshold heat nociceptive stimuli similar to the normally sighted, whereas congenitally blind participants are hypersensitive to nociceptive thermal stimuli. Furthermore, results of the pain questionnaires did not allow to discriminate late blind from normal sighted participants, whereas congenitally blind individuals had a different pattern of responses. Taken together, these results suggest that enhanced sensitivity to pain following visual deprivation is likely due to neuroplastic changes related to the early loss of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hocine Slimani
- Chaire de recherche Harland Sanders en Sciences de la vision, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sabrina Danti
- BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maurice Ptito
- Chaire de recherche Harland Sanders en Sciences de la vision, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ron Kupers
- Chaire de recherche Harland Sanders en Sciences de la vision, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
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Linking neocortical, cognitive, and genetic variability in autism with alterations of brain plasticity: the Trigger-Threshold-Target model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 47:735-52. [PMID: 25155242 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The phenotype of autism involves heterogeneous adaptive traits (strengths vs. disabilities), different domains of alterations (social vs. non-social), and various associated genetic conditions (syndromic vs. nonsyndromic autism). Three observations suggest that alterations in experience-dependent plasticity are an etiological factor in autism: (1) the main cognitive domains enhanced in autism are controlled by the most plastic cortical brain regions, the multimodal association cortices; (2) autism and sensory deprivation share several features of cortical and functional reorganization; and (3) genetic mutations and/or environmental insults involved in autism all appear to affect developmental synaptic plasticity, and mostly lead to its upregulation. We present the Trigger-Threshold-Target (TTT) model of autism to organize these findings. In this model, genetic mutations trigger brain reorganization in individuals with a low plasticity threshold, mostly within regions sensitive to cortical reallocations. These changes account for the cognitive enhancements and reduced social expertise associated with autism. Enhanced but normal plasticity may underlie non-syndromic autism, whereas syndromic autism may occur when a triggering mutation or event produces an altered plastic reaction, also resulting in intellectual disability and dysmorphism in addition to autism. Differences in the target of brain reorganization (perceptual vs. language regions) account for the main autistic subgroups. In light of this model, future research should investigate how individual and sex-related differences in synaptic/regional brain plasticity influence the occurrence of autism.
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Boeckx C, Benítez-Burraco A. The shape of the human language-ready brain. Front Psychol 2014; 5:282. [PMID: 24772099 PMCID: PMC3983487 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Our core hypothesis is that the emergence of our species-specific language-ready brain ought to be understood in light of the developmental changes expressed at the levels of brain morphology and neural connectivity that occurred in our species after the split from Neanderthals–Denisovans and that gave us a more globular braincase configuration. In addition to changes at the cortical level, we hypothesize that the anatomical shift that led to globularity also entailed significant changes at the subcortical level. We claim that the functional consequences of such changes must also be taken into account to gain a fuller understanding of our linguistic capacity. Here we focus on the thalamus, which we argue is central to language and human cognition, as it modulates fronto-parietal activity. With this new neurobiological perspective in place, we examine its possible molecular basis. We construct a candidate gene set whose members are involved in the development and connectivity of the thalamus, in the evolution of the human head, and are known to give rise to language-associated cognitive disorders. We submit that the new gene candidate set opens up new windows into our understanding of the genetic basis of our linguistic capacity. Thus, our hypothesis aims at generating new testing grounds concerning core aspects of language ontogeny and phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Boeckx
- Catalan Institute for Advanced Studies and Research (ICREA) Barcelona, Spain ; Department of Linguistics, Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
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He X, Zhang XM, Wu J, Fu J, Mou L, Lu DH, Cai Y, Luo XG, Pan A, Yan XX. Olfactory experience modulates immature neuron development in postnatal and adult guinea pig piriform cortex. Neuroscience 2013; 259:101-12. [PMID: 24316472 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.11.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Revised: 11/23/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Immature neurons expressing doublecortin (DCX+) are present around cortical layer II in various mammals including guinea pigs and humans, especially enriched in the paleocortex. However, little is known whether and how functional experience affects the development of this population of neurons. We attempted to explore a modulation by experience to layer II DCX+ cells in the primary olfactory cortex in postnatal and adult guinea pigs. Neonatal and 1-year-old guinea pigs were subjected to unilateral naris-occlusion, followed 1 and 2months later by morphometry of DCX+ cells in the piriform cortex. DCX+ somata and processes were reduced in the deprived relative to the non-deprived piriform cortex in both age groups at the two surviving time points. The number of DCX+ cells was decreased in the deprived side relative to internal control at 1 and 2months in the youths and at 2months in the adults post-occlusion. The mean somal area of DCX+ cells showed a trend of decrease in the deprived side relative to the internal control in the youths. In addition, DCX+ cells in the deprived side exhibited a lower frequency of colocalization with the neuron-specific nuclear antigen (NeuN) relative to counterparts. These results suggest that normal olfactory experience is required for the maintenance and development of DCX+ immature neurons in postnatal and adult guinea pig piriform cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- X He
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - X-M Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - J Wu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - J Fu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - L Mou
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China; Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - D-H Lu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Y Cai
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - X-G Luo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - A Pan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - X-X Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
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Wu L, Tang Z, Sun X, Feng X, Qian W, Wang J, Jin L. Metabolic changes in the visual cortex of binocular blindness macaque monkeys: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80073. [PMID: 24224037 PMCID: PMC3818303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To evaluate proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in a study of cross-modal plasticity in the visual cortex of binocular blindness macaque monkeys. Materials and Methods Four healthy neonatal macaque monkeys were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 2 in each group. Optic nerve transection was performed in both monkeys in the experimental group (group B) to obtain binocular blindness. Two healthy macaque monkeys served as a control group (group A). After sixteen months post-procedure, 1H-MRS was performed in the visual cortex of all monkeys. We compared the peak areas of NAA, Cr, Cho, Glx and Ins and the ratios of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, Glx/Cr and Ins/Cr of each monkey in group B with group A. Results The peak area of NAA and the NAA/Cr ratio in the visual cortex of monkey 4 in group B were found to be dramatically decreased, the peak area of NAA slightly decreased and the NAA/Cr ratio clearly decreased in visual cortex of monkey 3 in group B than those in group A. The peak area of Ins and the Ins/Cr ratio in the visual cortex of monkey 4 in group B slightly increased. The peak area of Cho and the Cho/Cr ratio in the visual cortex of all monkeys in group B dramatically increased compared with group A. The peak area of Glx in the visual cortex of all monkeys in group B slightly increased compared with group A. Conclusions 1H-MRS could detect biochemical and metabolic changes in the visual cortex and therefore this technique can be used to provide valuable information for investigating the mechanisms of cross-modal plasticity of binocular blindness in a macaque monkey model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingjie Wu
- Department of Radiology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zuohua Tang
- Department of Radiology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (ZHT); (XHS)
| | - Xinghuai Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (ZHT); (XHS)
| | - Xiaoyuan Feng
- Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Qian
- Department of Radiology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Radiology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lixin Jin
- Siemens Ltd. Healthcare Sector, Shanghai, China
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Mao YT, Pallas SL. Cross-modal plasticity results in increased inhibition in primary auditory cortical areas. Neural Plast 2013; 2013:530651. [PMID: 24288625 PMCID: PMC3833201 DOI: 10.1155/2013/530651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of sensory input from peripheral organ damage, sensory deprivation, or brain damage can result in adaptive or maladaptive changes in sensory cortex. In previous research, we found that auditory cortical tuning and tonotopy were impaired by cross-modal invasion of visual inputs. Sensory deprivation is typically associated with a loss of inhibition. To determine whether inhibitory plasticity is responsible for this process, we measured pre- and postsynaptic changes in inhibitory connectivity in ferret auditory cortex (AC) after cross-modal plasticity. We found that blocking GABAA receptors increased responsiveness and broadened sound frequency tuning in the cross-modal group more than in the normal group. Furthermore, expression levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) protein were increased in the cross-modal group. We also found that blocking inhibition unmasked visual responses of some auditory neurons in cross-modal AC. Overall, our data suggest a role for increased inhibition in reducing the effectiveness of the abnormal visual inputs and argue that decreased inhibition is not responsible for compromised auditory cortical function after cross-modal invasion. Our findings imply that inhibitory plasticity may play a role in reorganizing sensory cortex after cross-modal invasion, suggesting clinical strategies for recovery after brain injury or sensory deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Mao
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Sarah L. Pallas
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, USA
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Neurochemical changes within human early blind occipital cortex. Neuroscience 2013; 252:222-33. [PMID: 23954804 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2012] [Revised: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Early blindness results in occipital cortex neurons responding to a wide range of auditory and tactile stimuli. These changes in tuning properties are accompanied by an extensive reorganization of the occipital cortex that includes alterations in anatomical structure, neurochemical and metabolic pathways. Although it has been established in animal models that neurochemical pathways are heavily affected by early visual deprivation, the effects of blindness on these pathways in humans is still not well characterized. Here, using (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy in nine early blind and normally sighted subjects, we find that early blindness is associated with higher levels of creatine, choline and myo-Inositol and indications of lower levels of GABA within the occipital cortex. These results suggest that the cross-modal responses associated with early blindness may, at least in part, be driven by changes within occipital biochemical pathways.
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