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Pali E, D’Angelo E, Prestori F. Understanding Cerebellar Input Stage through Computational and Plasticity Rules. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:403. [PMID: 38927283 PMCID: PMC11200477 DOI: 10.3390/biology13060403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
A central hypothesis concerning brain functioning is that plasticity regulates the signal transfer function by modifying the efficacy of synaptic transmission. In the cerebellum, the granular layer has been shown to control the gain of signals transmitted through the mossy fiber pathway. Until now, the impact of plasticity on incoming activity patterns has been analyzed by combining electrophysiological recordings in acute cerebellar slices and computational modeling, unraveling a broad spectrum of different forms of synaptic plasticity in the granular layer, often accompanied by forms of intrinsic excitability changes. Here, we attempt to provide a brief overview of the most prominent forms of plasticity at the excitatory synapses formed by mossy fibers onto primary neuronal components (granule cells, Golgi cells and unipolar brush cells) in the granular layer. Specifically, we highlight the current understanding of the mechanisms and their functional implications for synaptic and intrinsic plasticity, providing valuable insights into how inputs are processed and reconfigured at the cerebellar input stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Pali
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.P.)
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.P.)
- Digital Neuroscience Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca Prestori
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.P.)
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Faris P, Pischedda D, Palesi F, D’Angelo E. New clues for the role of cerebellum in schizophrenia and the associated cognitive impairment. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1386583. [PMID: 38799988 PMCID: PMC11116653 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1386583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder associated with severe cognitive dysfunction. Although research has mainly focused on forebrain abnormalities, emerging results support the involvement of the cerebellum in SZ physiopathology, particularly in Cognitive Impairment Associated with SZ (CIAS). Besides its role in motor learning and control, the cerebellum is implicated in cognition and emotion. Recent research suggests that structural and functional changes in the cerebellum are linked to deficits in various cognitive domains including attention, working memory, and decision-making. Moreover, cerebellar dysfunction is related to altered cerebellar circuit activities and connectivity with brain regions associated with cognitive processing. This review delves into the role of the cerebellum in CIAS. We initially consider the major forebrain alterations in CIAS, addressing impairments in neurotransmitter systems, synaptic plasticity, and connectivity. We then focus on recent findings showing that several mechanisms are also altered in the cerebellum and that cerebellar communication with the forebrain is impaired. This evidence implicates the cerebellum as a key component of circuits underpinning CIAS physiopathology. Further studies addressing cerebellar involvement in SZ and CIAS are warranted and might open new perspectives toward understanding the physiopathology and effective treatment of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawan Faris
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Doris Pischedda
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fulvia Palesi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Digital Neuroscience Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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3
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Lorenzi RM, Geminiani A, Zerlaut Y, De Grazia M, Destexhe A, Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott CAM, Palesi F, Casellato C, D'Angelo E. A multi-layer mean-field model of the cerebellum embedding microstructure and population-specific dynamics. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011434. [PMID: 37656758 PMCID: PMC10501640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mean-field (MF) models are computational formalism used to summarize in a few statistical parameters the salient biophysical properties of an inter-wired neuronal network. Their formalism normally incorporates different types of neurons and synapses along with their topological organization. MFs are crucial to efficiently implement the computational modules of large-scale models of brain function, maintaining the specificity of local cortical microcircuits. While MFs have been generated for the isocortex, they are still missing for other parts of the brain. Here we have designed and simulated a multi-layer MF of the cerebellar microcircuit (including Granule Cells, Golgi Cells, Molecular Layer Interneurons, and Purkinje Cells) and validated it against experimental data and the corresponding spiking neural network (SNN) microcircuit model. The cerebellar MF was built using a system of equations, where properties of neuronal populations and topological parameters are embedded in inter-dependent transfer functions. The model time constant was optimised using local field potentials recorded experimentally from acute mouse cerebellar slices as a template. The MF reproduced the average dynamics of different neuronal populations in response to various input patterns and predicted the modulation of the Purkinje Cells firing depending on cortical plasticity, which drives learning in associative tasks, and the level of feedforward inhibition. The cerebellar MF provides a computationally efficient tool for future investigations of the causal relationship between microscopic neuronal properties and ensemble brain activity in virtual brain models addressing both physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice Geminiani
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Yann Zerlaut
- Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Claudia A M Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, United Kingdom
- Brain Connectivity Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fulvia Palesi
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudia Casellato
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Brain Connectivity Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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4
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Mapelli J, Boiani GM, D’Angelo E, Bigiani A, Gandolfi D. Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity Tunes the Gain of Information Channels through the Cerebellum Granular Layer. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10123185. [PMID: 36551941 PMCID: PMC9775043 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A central hypothesis on brain functioning is that long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) regulate the signals transfer function by modifying the efficacy of synaptic transmission. In the cerebellum, granule cells have been shown to control the gain of signals transmitted through the mossy fiber pathway by exploiting synaptic inhibition in the glomeruli. However, the way LTP and LTD control signal transformation at the single-cell level in the space, time and frequency domains remains unclear. Here, the impact of LTP and LTD on incoming activity patterns was analyzed by combining patch-clamp recordings in acute cerebellar slices and mathematical modeling. LTP reduced the delay, increased the gain and broadened the frequency bandwidth of mossy fiber burst transmission, while LTD caused opposite changes. These properties, by exploiting NMDA subthreshold integration, emerged from microscopic changes in spike generation in individual granule cells such that LTP anticipated the emission of spikes and increased their number and precision, while LTD sorted the opposite effects. Thus, akin with the expansion recoding process theoretically attributed to the cerebellum granular layer, LTP and LTD could implement selective filtering lines channeling information toward the molecular and Purkinje cell layers for further processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Mapelli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Via Campi 287, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Centre for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Correspondence: (J.M.); (D.G.)
| | - Giulia Maria Boiani
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Via Campi 287, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Neurophysiology Unit, Via Forlanini 6, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Brain Connectivity Center (BCC), IRCCS C. Mondino, Via Mondino 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Albertino Bigiani
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Via Campi 287, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Centre for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Daniela Gandolfi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Via Campi 287, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Neurophysiology Unit, Via Forlanini 6, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Correspondence: (J.M.); (D.G.)
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Abstract
The cerebellar cortex is an important system for relating neural circuits and learning. Its promise reflects the longstanding idea that it contains simple, repeated circuit modules with only a few cell types and a single plasticity mechanism that mediates learning according to classical Marr-Albus models. However, emerging data have revealed surprising diversity in neuron types, synaptic connections, and plasticity mechanisms, both locally and regionally within the cerebellar cortex. In light of these findings, it is not surprising that attempts to generate a holistic model of cerebellar learning across different behaviors have not been successful. While the cerebellum remains an ideal system for linking neuronal function with behavior, it is necessary to update the cerebellar circuit framework to achieve its great promise. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of cerebellar-cortical cell types, synaptic connections, signaling mechanisms, and forms of plasticity that enrich cerebellar processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Court Hull
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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Argueta N, Notari E, Szigeti K. Role of Pharmacogenomics in Individualizing Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease. CNS Drugs 2022; 36:365-376. [PMID: 35352296 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-022-00915-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The development of Alzheimer's disease therapeutics has been challenging, with 99% of clinical trials failing to find a significant difference between drug and placebo. While the quest continues for more effective treatments, there is emerging evidence that pharmacogenetic considerations are important factors in regard to metabolism, efficacy, and toxicity of drugs. Currently, there are five US Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; three acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, and aducanumab. Introducing a limited genetic panel consisting of APOE4, CYP2D6*10, and BChE*K would optimize acetylcholinesterase inhibitor therapy, facilitate immunotherapy risk assessment, and inform an amyloid-related imaging abnormality surveillance schedule. In view of the genetic heterogeneity of Alzheimer's disease identified in genome-wide association studies, pharmacogenetics is expected to play an increasing role in mechanism-specific treatment strategies and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Argueta
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Emily Notari
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Kinga Szigeti
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
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Stojanovic T, Velarde Gamez D, Schuld GJ, Bormann D, Cabatic M, Uhrin P, Lubec G, Monje FJ. Age-Dependent and Pathway-Specific Bimodal Action of Nicotine on Synaptic Plasticity in the Hippocampus of Mice Lacking the miR-132/212 Genes. Cells 2022; 11:261. [PMID: 35053378 PMCID: PMC8774101 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotine addiction develops predominantly during human adolescence through smoking. Self-administration experiments in rodents verify this biological preponderance to adolescence, suggesting evolutionary-conserved and age-defined mechanisms which influence the susceptibility to nicotine addiction. The hippocampus, a brain region linked to drug-related memory storage, undergoes major morpho-functional restructuring during adolescence and is strongly affected by nicotine stimulation. However, the signaling mechanisms shaping the effects of nicotine in young vs. adult brains remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) emerged recently as modulators of brain neuroplasticity, learning and memory, and addiction. Nevertheless, the age-dependent interplay between miRNAs regulation and hippocampal nicotinergic signaling remains poorly explored. We here combined biophysical and pharmacological methods to examine the impact of miRNA-132/212 gene-deletion (miRNA-132/212-/-) and nicotine stimulation on synaptic functions in adolescent and mature adult mice at two hippocampal synaptic circuits: the medial perforant pathway (MPP) to dentate yrus (DG) synapses (MPP-DG) and CA3 Schaffer collaterals to CA1 synapses (CA3-CA1). Basal synaptic transmission and short-term (paired-pulse-induced) synaptic plasticity was unaltered in adolescent and adult miRNA-132/212-/- mice hippocampi, compared with wild-type controls. However, nicotine stimulation promoted CA3-CA1 synaptic potentiation in mature adult (not adolescent) wild-type and suppressed MPP-DG synaptic potentiation in miRNA-132/212-/- mice. Altered levels of CREB, Phospho-CREB, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression were further detected in adult miRNA-132/212-/- mice hippocampi. These observations propose miRNAs as age-sensitive bimodal regulators of hippocampal nicotinergic signaling and, given the relevance of the hippocampus for drug-related memory storage, encourage further research on the influence of miRNAs 132 and 212 in nicotine addiction in the young and the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Stojanovic
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (D.V.G.); (G.J.S.); (D.B.); (M.C.)
| | - David Velarde Gamez
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (D.V.G.); (G.J.S.); (D.B.); (M.C.)
| | - Gabor Jorrid Schuld
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (D.V.G.); (G.J.S.); (D.B.); (M.C.)
| | - Daniel Bormann
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (D.V.G.); (G.J.S.); (D.B.); (M.C.)
- Laboratory for Cardiac and Thoracic Diagnosis, Department of Surgery, Regeneration and Applied Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Research Laboratories Vienna General Hospital, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maureen Cabatic
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (D.V.G.); (G.J.S.); (D.B.); (M.C.)
| | - Pavel Uhrin
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria;
| | - Francisco J. Monje
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (D.V.G.); (G.J.S.); (D.B.); (M.C.)
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Bohnen NI, Costa RM, Dauer WT, Factor SA, Giladi N, Hallett M, Lewis SJ, Nieuwboer A, Nutt JG, Takakusaki K, Kang UJ, Przedborski S, Papa SM. Discussion of Research Priorities for Gait Disorders in Parkinson's Disease. Mov Disord 2021; 37:253-263. [PMID: 34939221 PMCID: PMC10122497 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gait and balance abnormalities develop commonly in Parkinson's disease and are among the motor symptoms most disabling and refractory to dopaminergic or other treatments, including deep brain stimulation. Efforts to develop effective therapies are challenged by limited understanding of these complex disorders. There is a major need for novel and appropriately targeted research to expedite progress in this area. The Scientific Issues Committee of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society has charged a panel of experts in the field to consider the current knowledge gaps and determine the research routes with highest potential to generate groundbreaking data. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolaas I. Bohnen
- Departments of Radiology and Neurology University of Michigan and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System Ann Arbor Michigan USA
| | - Rui M. Costa
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute Columbia University New York New York USA
| | - William T. Dauer
- Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience The Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Dallas Texas USA
| | - Stewart A. Factor
- Jean and Paul Amos Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta Georgia USA
| | - Nir Giladi
- Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Tel‐Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Mark Hallett
- Human Motor Control Section National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health Bethesda Maryland USA
| | - Simon J.G. Lewis
- ForeFront Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Alice Nieuwboer
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - John G. Nutt
- Movement Disorder Section, Department of Neurology Oregon Health & Science University Portland Oregon USA
| | - Kaoru Takakusaki
- Department of Physiology, Section of Neuroscience Asahikawa Medical University Asahikawa Japan
| | - Un Jung Kang
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Physiology Neuroscience Institute, The Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, The Parekh Center for Interdisciplinary Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine New York New York USA
| | - Serge Przedborski
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neurology, and Neuroscience Columbia University New York New York USA
| | - Stella M. Papa
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, and Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University Atlanta Georgia USA
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Trofimova I. Contingent Tunes of Neurochemical Ensembles in the Norm and Pathology: Can We See the Patterns? Neuropsychobiology 2021; 80:101-133. [PMID: 33721867 DOI: 10.1159/000513688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Progress in the development of DSM/ICD taxonomies has revealed limitations of both label-based and dimensionality approaches. These approaches fail to address the contingent, nonlinear, context-dependent, and transient nature of those biomarkers linked to specific symptoms of psychopathology or to specific biobehavioural traits of healthy people (temperament). The present review aims to highlight the benefits of a functional constructivism approach in the analysis of neurochemical biomarkers underlying temperament and psychopathology. METHOD A review was performed. RESULTS Eight systems are identified, and 7 neurochemical ensembles are described in detail. None of these systems is represented by a single neurotransmitter; all of them work in ensembles with each other. The functionality and relationships of these systems are presented here in association with their roles in action construction, with brief examples of psychopathology. The review introduces formal symbols for these systems to facilitate their more compact analysis in the future. CONCLUSION This analysis demonstrates the possibility of constructivism-based unifying taxonomies of temperament (in the framework of the neurochemical model functional ensemble of temperament) and classifications of psychiatric disorders. Such taxonomies would present the biobehavioural individual differences as consistent behavioural patterns generated within a formally structured space of parameters related to the generation of behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Trofimova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,
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10
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Trofimova I. Functional Constructivism Approach to Multilevel Nature of Bio-Behavioral Diversity. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:641286. [PMID: 34777031 PMCID: PMC8578849 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Attempts to revise the existing classifications of psychiatric disorders (DSM and ICD) continue and highlight a crucial need for the identification of biomarkers underlying symptoms of psychopathology. The present review highlights the benefits of using a Functional Constructivism approach in the analysis of the functionality of the main neurotransmitters. This approach explores the idea that behavior is neither reactive nor pro-active, but constructive and generative, being a transient selection of multiple degrees of freedom in perception and actions. This review briefly describes main consensus points in neuroscience related to the functionality of eight neurochemical ensembles, summarized as a part of the neurochemical model Functional Ensemble of Temperament (FET). None of the FET components is represented by a single neurotransmitter; all neurochemical teams have specific functionality in selection of behavioral degrees of freedom and stages of action construction. The review demonstrates the possibility of unifying taxonomies of temperament and classifications of psychiatric disorders and presenting these taxonomies formally and systematically. The paper also highlights the multi-level nature of regulation of consistent bio-behavioral individual differences, in line with the concepts of diagonal evolution (proposed earlier) and Specialized Extended Phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Trofimova
- Laboratory of Collective Intelligence, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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11
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Flace P, Livrea P, Basile GA, Galletta D, Bizzoca A, Gennarini G, Bertino S, Branca JJV, Gulisano M, Bianconi S, Bramanti A, Anastasi G. The Cerebellar Dopaminergic System. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:650614. [PMID: 34421548 PMCID: PMC8375553 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.650614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In the central nervous system (CNS), dopamine (DA) is involved in motor and cognitive functions. Although the cerebellum is not been considered an elective dopaminergic region, studies attributed to it a critical role in dopamine deficit-related neurological and psychiatric disorders [e.g., Parkinson's disease (PD) and schizophrenia (SCZ)]. Data on the cerebellar dopaminergic neuronal system are still lacking. Nevertheless, biochemical studies detected in the mammalians cerebellum high dopamine levels, while chemical neuroanatomy studies revealed the presence of midbrain dopaminergic afferents to the cerebellum as well as wide distribution of the dopaminergic receptor subtypes (DRD1-DRD5). The present review summarizes the data on the cerebellar dopaminergic system including its involvement in associative and projective circuits. Furthermore, this study also briefly discusses the role of the cerebellar dopaminergic system in some neurologic and psychiatric disorders and suggests its potential involvement as a target in pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Flace
- Medical School, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy
| | | | - Gianpaolo Antonio Basile
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Diana Galletta
- Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Bizzoca
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Gennarini
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Bertino
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Massimo Gulisano
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Simona Bianconi
- Physical, Rehabilitation Medicine and Sport Medicine Unit, University Hospital “G. Martino”, Messina, Italy
| | - Alessia Bramanti
- Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care IRCCS “Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo”, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Anastasi
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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12
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Cellular-resolution mapping uncovers spatial adaptive filtering at the rat cerebellum input stage. Commun Biol 2020; 3:635. [PMID: 33128000 PMCID: PMC7599228 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01360-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term synaptic plasticity is thought to provide the substrate for adaptive computation in brain circuits but very little is known about its spatiotemporal organization. Here, we combined multi-spot two-photon laser microscopy in rat cerebellar slices with realistic modeling to map the distribution of plasticity in multi-neuronal units of the cerebellar granular layer. The units, composed by ~300 neurons activated by ~50 mossy fiber glomeruli, showed long-term potentiation concentrated in the core and long-term depression in the periphery. This plasticity was effectively accounted for by an NMDA receptor and calcium-dependent induction rule and was regulated by the inhibitory Golgi cell loops. Long-term synaptic plasticity created effective spatial filters tuning the time-delay and gain of spike retransmission at the cerebellum input stage and provided a plausible basis for the spatiotemporal recoding of input spike patterns anticipated by the motor learning theory. Casali, Tognolina et al. use two-photon laser microscopy to spatially map long-term synaptic plasticity in rat cerebellar granular cells following stimulation of mossy fibers. Their data allow them to apply realistic modeling to test hypotheses about the synaptic spiking dynamics and reveal the importance of synaptic inhibition to defining these microcircuits.
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13
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Acetylcholine Modulates Cerebellar Granule Cell Spiking by Regulating the Balance of Synaptic Excitation and Inhibition. J Neurosci 2020; 40:2882-2894. [PMID: 32111698 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2148-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensorimotor integration in the cerebellum is essential for refining motor output, and the first stage of this processing occurs in the granule cell layer. Recent evidence suggests that granule cell layer synaptic integration can be contextually modified, although the circuit mechanisms that could mediate such modulation remain largely unknown. Here we investigate the role of ACh in regulating granule cell layer synaptic integration in male rats and mice of both sexes. We find that Golgi cells, interneurons that provide the sole source of inhibition to the granule cell layer, express both nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors. While acute ACh application can modestly depolarize some Golgi cells, the net effect of longer, optogenetically induced ACh release is to strongly hyperpolarize Golgi cells. Golgi cell hyperpolarization by ACh leads to a significant reduction in both tonic and evoked granule cell synaptic inhibition. ACh also reduces glutamate release from mossy fibers by acting on presynaptic muscarinic receptors. Surprisingly, despite these consistent effects on Golgi cells and mossy fibers, ACh can either increase or decrease the spike probability of granule cells as measured by noninvasive cell-attached recordings. By constructing an integrate-and-fire model of granule cell layer population activity, we find that the direction of spike rate modulation can be accounted for predominately by the initial balance of excitation and inhibition onto individual granule cells. Together, these experiments demonstrate that ACh can modulate population-level granule cell responses by altering the ratios of excitation and inhibition at the first stage of cerebellar processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The cerebellum plays a key role in motor control and motor learning. While it is known that behavioral context can modify motor learning, the circuit basis of such modulation has remained unclear. Here we find that a key neuromodulator, ACh, can alter the balance of excitation and inhibition at the first stage of cerebellar processing. These results suggest that ACh could play a key role in altering cerebellar learning by modifying how sensorimotor input is represented at the input layer of the cerebellum.
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14
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Schubert MC, Migliaccio AA. New advances regarding adaptation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:644-658. [PMID: 31215309 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00729.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This is a review summarizing the development of vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) adaptation behavior with relevance to rehabilitation over the last 10 years and examines VOR adaptation using head-on-body rotations, specifically the influence of training target contrast, position and velocity error signal, active vs. passive head rotations, and sinusoidal vs. head impulse rotations. This review discusses optimization of the single VOR adaptation training session, consolidation between repeated training sessions, and dynamic incremental VOR adaptation. Also considered are the effects of aging and the roles of the efferent vestibular system, cerebellum, and otoliths on angular VOR adaptation. Finally, this review examines VOR adaptation findings in studies using whole body rotations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Schubert
- Laboratory of Vestibular NeuroAdaptation, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Americo A Migliaccio
- Balance and Vision Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
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15
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Moscato L, Montagna I, De Propris L, Tritto S, Mapelli L, D'Angelo E. Long-Lasting Response Changes in Deep Cerebellar Nuclei in vivo Correlate With Low-Frequency Oscillations. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:84. [PMID: 30894802 PMCID: PMC6414422 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) have been suggested to play a critical role in sensorimotor learning and some forms of long-term synaptic plasticity observed in vitro have been proposed as a possible substrate. However, till now it was not clear whether and how DCN neuron responses manifest long-lasting changes in vivo. Here, we have characterized DCN unit responses to tactile stimulation of the facial area in anesthetized mice and evaluated the changes induced by theta-sensory stimulation (TSS), a 4 Hz stimulation pattern that is known to induce plasticity in the cerebellar cortex in vivo. DCN units responded to tactile stimulation generating bursts and pauses, which reflected combinations of excitatory inputs most likely relayed by mossy fiber collaterals, inhibitory inputs relayed by Purkinje cells, and intrinsic rebound firing. Interestingly, initial bursts and pauses were often followed by stimulus-induced oscillations in the peri-stimulus time histograms (PSTH). TSS induced long-lasting changes in DCN unit responses. Spike-related potentiation and suppression (SR-P and SR-S), either in units initiating the response with bursts or pauses, were correlated with stimulus-induced oscillations. Fitting with resonant functions suggested the existence of peaks in the theta-band (burst SR-P at 9 Hz, pause SR-S at 5 Hz). Optogenetic stimulation of the cerebellar cortex altered stimulus-induced oscillations suggesting that Purkinje cells play a critical role in the circuits controlling DCN oscillations and plasticity. This observation complements those reported before on the granular and molecular layers supporting the generation of multiple distributed plasticities in the cerebellum following naturally patterned sensory entrainment. The unique dependency of DCN plasticity on circuit oscillations discloses a potential relationship between cerebellar learning and activity patterns generated in the cerebellar network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Moscato
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Ileana Montagna
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Licia De Propris
- Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - Simona Tritto
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy
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16
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Hyperexcitability and Hyperplasticity Disrupt Cerebellar Signal Transfer in the IB2 KO Mouse Model of Autism. J Neurosci 2019; 39:2383-2397. [PMID: 30696733 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1985-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are pervasive neurodevelopmental conditions that often involve mutations affecting synaptic mechanisms. Recently, the involvement of cerebellum in ASDs has been suggested, but the underlying functional alterations remained obscure. We investigated single-neuron and microcircuit properties in IB2 (Islet Brain-2) KO mice of either sex. The IB2 gene (chr22q13.3 terminal region) deletion occurs in virtually all cases of Phelan-McDermid syndrome, causing autistic symptoms and a severe delay in motor skill acquisition. IB2 KO granule cells showed a larger NMDA receptor-mediated current and enhanced intrinsic excitability, raising the excitatory/inhibitory balance. Furthermore, the spatial organization of granular layer responses to mossy fibers shifted from a "Mexican hat" to a "stovepipe hat" profile, with stronger excitation in the core and weaker inhibition in the surround. Finally, the size and extension of long-term synaptic plasticity were remarkably increased. These results show for the first time that hyperexcitability and hyperplasticity disrupt signal transfer in the granular layer of IB2 KO mice, supporting cerebellar involvement in the pathogenesis of ASD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This article shows for the first time a complex set of alterations in the cerebellum granular layer of a mouse model [IB2 (Islet Brain-2) KO] of autism spectrum disorders. The IB2 KO in mice mimics the deletion of the corresponding gene in the Phelan-McDermid syndrome in humans. The changes reported here are centered on NMDA receptor hyperactivity, hyperplasticity, and hyperexcitability. These, in turn, increase the excitatory/inhibitory balance and alter the shape of center/surround structures that emerge in the granular layer in response to mossy fiber activity. These results support recent theories suggesting the involvement of cerebellum in autism spectrum disorders.
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17
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Nicotine modulates the facial stimulation-evoked responses in cerebellar granule cell layer in vivo in mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 843:126-133. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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18
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Grundey J, Barlay J, Batsikadze G, Kuo MF, Paulus W, Nitsche M. Nicotine modulates human brain plasticity via calcium-dependent mechanisms. J Physiol 2018; 596:5429-5441. [PMID: 30218585 DOI: 10.1113/jp276502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Nicotine (NIC) modulates cognition and memory function by targeting the nicotinic ACh receptor and releasing different transmitter systems postsynaptically. With both NIC-generated mechanisms, calcium influx and calcium permeability can be regulated, which is a key requirement for the induction of long-term potentiation, comprising the physiological basis of learning and memory function. We attempt to unmask the underlying mechanism of nicotinic effects on anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)-induced long-term potentiation-like plasticity based on the hypothesis of calcium-dependency. Abolished tDCS-induced neuroplasticity as a result of NIC administration is reversed by calcium channel blockade with flunarizine in a dose-dependent manner. The results of the present study suggest that there is a dose determination of NIC/NIC agonists in therapeutical settings when treating cognitive dysfunction, which partially explains the heterogeneous results on cognition observed in subjects in different experimental settings. ABSTRACT Nicotine (NIC) modulates neuroplasticity and improves cognitive performance in animals and humans mainly by increased calcium permeability and modulation of diverse transmitter systems. NIC administration impairs calcium-dependent plasticity induced by non-invasive brain stimulation with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in non-smoking participants probably as a result of intracellular calcium overflow. To test this hypothesis, we analysed the effect of calcium channel blockade with flunarizine (FLU) on anodal tDCS-induced cortical excitability changes in healthy non-smokers under NIC. We applied anodal tDCS combined with NIC patch and FLU at three different doses (2.5, 5 and 10 mg) or with placebo medication. NIC abolished anodal tDCS-induced neuroplasticity. Under medium dosage (but not under low and high dosage) of FLU combined with NIC, plasticity was re-established. For FLU alone, the lowest dosage weakened long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity, whereas the highest dosage again abolished tDCS-induced plasticity. The medium dosage turned LTP-like plasticity in long-term depression-like plasticity. The results of the present study suggest a key role of calcium influx and calcium levels in nicotinic effects on LTP-like plasticity in humans. This knowledge might be relevant for the development of new therapeutic strategies in cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Grundey
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jerick Barlay
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Giorgi Batsikadze
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Min-Fang Kuo
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Walter Paulus
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Nitsche
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.,University Medical Hospital Bergmannscheil, Bochum, Germany
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19
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Cerebellar Learning Properties Are Modulated by the CRF Receptor. J Neurosci 2018; 38:6751-6765. [PMID: 29934353 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3106-15.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its type 1 receptor (CRFR1) play an important role in the responses to stressful challenges. Despite the well established expression of CRFR1 in granular cells (GrCs), its role in procedural motor performance and memory formation remains elusive. To investigate the role of CRFR1 expression in cerebellar GrCs, we used a mouse model depleted of CRFR1 in these cells. We detected changes in the cellular learning mechanisms in GrCs depleted of CRFR1 in that they showed changes in intrinsic excitability and long-term synaptic plasticity. Analysis of cerebella transcriptome obtained from KO and control mice detected prominent alterations in the expression of calcium signaling pathways components. Moreover, male mice depleted of CRFR1 specifically in GrCs showed accelerated Pavlovian associative eye-blink conditioning, but no differences in baseline motor performance, locomotion, or fear and anxiety-related behaviors. Our findings shed light on the interplay between stress-related central mechanisms and cerebellar motor conditioning, highlighting the role of the CRF system in regulating particular forms of cerebellar learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although it is known that the corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 receptor (CRFR1) is highly expressed in the cerebellum, little attention has been given to its role in cerebellar functions in the behaving animal. Moreover, most of the attention was directed at the effect of CRF on Purkinje cells at the cellular level and, to this date, almost no data exist on the role of this stress-related receptor in other cerebellar structures. Here, we explored the behavioral and cellular effect of granular cell-specific ablation of CRFR1 We found a profound effect on learning both at the cellular and behavioral levels without an effect on baseline motor skills.
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20
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Abstract
The cerebellum is a central brain structure deeply integrated into major loops with the cerebral cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. The cerebellum shows a complex regional organization consisting of modules with sagittal orientation. The cerebellum takes part in motor control and its lesions cause a movement incoordination syndrome called ataxia. Recent observations also imply involvement of the cerebellum in cognition and executive control, with an impact on pathologies like dyslexia and autism. The cerebellum operates as a forward controller learning to predict the precise timing of correlated events. The physiologic mechanisms of cerebellar functioning are still the object of intense research. The signals entering the cerebellum through the mossy fibers are processed in the granular layer and transmitted to Purkinje cells, while a collateral pathway activates the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN). Purkinje cells in turn inhibit DCN, so that the cerebellar cortex operates as a side loop controlling the DCN. Learning is now known to occur through synaptic plasticity at multiple synapses in the granular layer, molecular layer, and DCN, extending the original concept of the Motor Learning Theory that predicted a single form of plasticity at the synapse between parallel fibers and Purkinje cells under the supervision of climbing fibers deriving from the inferior olive. Coordination derives from the precise regulation of timing and gain in the different cerebellar modules. The investigation of cerebellar dynamics using advanced physiologic recordings and computational models is now providing new clues on how the cerebellar network performs its internal computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
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21
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Lavezzi AM, Ferrero S, Roncati L, Piscioli F, Matturri L, Pusiol T. Nicotinic Receptor Abnormalities in the Cerebellar Cortex of Sudden Unexplained Fetal and Infant Death Victims-Possible Correlation With Maternal Smoking. ASN Neuro 2017; 9:1759091417720582. [PMID: 28735558 PMCID: PMC5528189 DOI: 10.1177/1759091417720582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are cationic channels of the neuronal cell membrane, differentially expressed in the central nervous system which, when activated by endogenous acetylcholine or exogenous nicotine, are able to enhance cholinergic transmission. The aim of this study was to investigate in human perinatal age the immunohistochemical expression of the α7-nAChR subtype, given its involvement in neuronal differentiation and its significant vulnerability to the toxic effects of nicotine. Thirty fetuses (with a gestational age between 25 and 40 weeks) and 35 infants (1-6 months old), suddenly died of known (controls) and unknown causes (unexplained deaths), with smoking and nonsmoking mothers, were included in this study. A negative or low immunoexpression of α7-nAChRs, indicative of their inactivation, was observed in the granular layers of the cerebellar cortex in 66% of the sudden unexplained perinatal deaths and 11% of the controls. A high correlation was also observed between these findings and maternal smoking. Apart from the well-known adverse effects of nicotine exposure during pregnancy, it may also cause significant alterations in cerebellar cholinergic transmission in areas of the brain involved in vital functions. These events may give us insights into the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to sudden unexplained fetal and infant death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Lavezzi
- “Lino Rossi” Research Center, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Ferrero
- “Lino Rossi” Research Center, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
- Division of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Roncati
- Institute of Pathology, Hospital of Rovereto, Trento, Italy
- Department of Diagnostic and Clinical Medicine and of Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico Hospital, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesco Piscioli
- Department of Diagnostic and Clinical Medicine and of Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico Hospital, Modena, Italy
| | - Luigi Matturri
- “Lino Rossi” Research Center, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Pusiol
- Department of Diagnostic and Clinical Medicine and of Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico Hospital, Modena, Italy
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22
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Gandolfi D, Cerri S, Mapelli J, Polimeni M, Tritto S, Fuzzati-Armentero MT, Bigiani A, Blandini F, Mapelli L, D'Angelo E. Activation of the CREB/ c-Fos Pathway during Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity in the Cerebellum Granular Layer. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:184. [PMID: 28701927 PMCID: PMC5487453 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The induction of long-term potentiation and depression (LTP and LTD) is thought to trigger gene expression and protein synthesis, leading to consolidation of synaptic and neuronal changes. However, while LTP and LTD have been proposed to play important roles for sensori-motor learning in the cerebellum granular layer, their association with these mechanisms remained unclear. Here, we have investigated phosphorylation of the cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) and activation of the immediate early gene c-Fos pathway following the induction of synaptic plasticity by theta-burst stimulation (TBS) in acute cerebellar slices. LTP and LTD were localized using voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDi). At two time points following TBS (15 min and 120 min), corresponding to the early and late phases of plasticity, slices were fixed and processed to evaluate CREB phosphorylation (P-CREB) and c-FOS protein levels, as well as Creb and c-Fos mRNA expression. High levels of P-CREB and Creb/c-Fos were detected before those of c-FOS, as expected if CREB phosphorylation triggered gene expression followed by protein synthesis. No differences between control slices and slices stimulated with TBS were observed in the presence of an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist. Interestingly, activation of the CREB/c-Fos system showed a relevant degree of colocalization with long-term synaptic plasticity. These results show that NMDAR-dependent plasticity at the cerebellum input stage bears about transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes potentially contributing to cerebellar learning and memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Gandolfi
- Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy.,Brain Connectivity Center, Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Nazionale Casimiro Mondino (IRCCS)Pavia, Italy
| | - Silvia Cerri
- Laboratory of Functional Neurochemistry, Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Nazionale Casimiro Mondino (IRCCS)Pavia, Italy
| | - Jonathan Mapelli
- Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy.,Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaModena, Italy
| | - Mariarosa Polimeni
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Human Anatomy Unit, University of PaviaPavia Italy
| | - Simona Tritto
- Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
| | - Marie-Therese Fuzzati-Armentero
- Laboratory of Functional Neurochemistry, Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Nazionale Casimiro Mondino (IRCCS)Pavia, Italy
| | - Albertino Bigiani
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaModena, Italy
| | - Fabio Blandini
- Laboratory of Functional Neurochemistry, Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Nazionale Casimiro Mondino (IRCCS)Pavia, Italy
| | - Lisa Mapelli
- Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy.,Museo Storico Della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico FermiRome, Italy
| | - Egidio D'Angelo
- Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy.,Brain Connectivity Center, Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Nazionale Casimiro Mondino (IRCCS)Pavia, Italy
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23
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Khan SI, Hübner PP, Brichta AM, Smith DW, Migliaccio AA. Aging reduces the high-frequency and short-term adaptation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex in mice. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 51:122-131. [PMID: 28063365 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Serajul I Khan
- Balance and Vision Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Patrick P Hübner
- Balance and Vision Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alan M Brichta
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Doug W Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Americo A Migliaccio
- Balance and Vision Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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24
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Granular Layer Neurons Control Cerebellar Neurovascular Coupling Through an NMDA Receptor/NO-Dependent System. J Neurosci 2016; 37:1340-1351. [PMID: 28039371 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2025-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurovascular coupling (NVC) is the process whereby neuronal activity controls blood vessel diameter. In the cerebellum, the molecular layer is regarded as the main NVC determinant. However, the granular layer is a region with variable metabolic demand caused by large activity fluctuations that shows a prominent expression of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and is therefore much more suitable for effective NVC. Here, we show, in the granular layer of acute rat cerebellar slices, that capillary diameter changes rapidly after mossy fiber stimulation. Vasodilation required neuronal NMDARs and NOS stimulation and subsequent guanylyl cyclase activation that probably occurred in pericytes. Vasoconstriction required metabotropic glutamate receptors and CYP ω-hydroxylase, the enzyme regulating 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid production. Therefore, granular layer capillaries are controlled by the balance between vasodilating and vasoconstricting systems that could finely tune local blood flow depending on neuronal activity changes at the cerebellar input stage. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The neuronal circuitry and the biochemical pathways that control local blood flow supply in the cerebellum are unclear. This is surprising given the emerging role played by this brain structure, not only in motor behavior, but also in cognitive functions. Although previous studies focused on the molecular layer, here, we shift attention onto the mossy fiber granule cell (GrC) relay. We demonstrate that GrC activity causes a robust vasodilation in nearby capillaries via the NMDA receptors-neuronal nitric oxide synthase signaling pathway. At the same time, metabotropic glutamate receptors mediate 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid-dependent vasoconstriction. These results reveal a complex signaling network that hints for the first time at the granular layer as a major determinant of cerebellar blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals.
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25
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D'Angelo E, Mapelli L, Casellato C, Garrido JA, Luque N, Monaco J, Prestori F, Pedrocchi A, Ros E. Distributed Circuit Plasticity: New Clues for the Cerebellar Mechanisms of Learning. THE CEREBELLUM 2016; 15:139-51. [PMID: 26304953 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0711-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum is involved in learning and memory of sensory motor skills. However, the way this process takes place in local microcircuits is still unclear. The initial proposal, casted into the Motor Learning Theory, suggested that learning had to occur at the parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapse under supervision of climbing fibers. However, the uniqueness of this mechanism has been questioned, and multiple forms of long-term plasticity have been revealed at various locations in the cerebellar circuit, including synapses and neurons in the granular layer, molecular layer and deep-cerebellar nuclei. At present, more than 15 forms of plasticity have been reported. There has been a long debate on which plasticity is more relevant to specific aspects of learning, but this question turned out to be hard to answer using physiological analysis alone. Recent experiments and models making use of closed-loop robotic simulations are revealing a radically new view: one single form of plasticity is insufficient, while altogether, the different forms of plasticity can explain the multiplicity of properties characterizing cerebellar learning. These include multi-rate acquisition and extinction, reversibility, self-scalability, and generalization. Moreover, when the circuit embeds multiple forms of plasticity, it can easily cope with multiple behaviors endowing therefore the cerebellum with the properties needed to operate as an effective generalized forward controller.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. .,Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Jesus A Garrido
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Niceto Luque
- Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jessica Monaco
- Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca Prestori
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Eduardo Ros
- Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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26
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Zhang C, Zhou P, Yuan T. The cholinergic system in the cerebellum: from structure to function. Rev Neurosci 2016; 27:769-776. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2016-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe cerebellar cholinergic system belongs to the third type of afferent nerve fiber system (after the climbing and mossy fibers), and has important modulatory effects on cerebellar circuits and cerebellar-mediated functions. In this report, we review the cerebellar cholinergic system, including cholinergic origins and innervations, acetylcholine receptor expression and distributions, cholinergic modulations of neuronal firing and synaptic plasticity, the cholinergic role in cerebellar-mediated integral functions, and cholinergic changes during development and aging. Because some motor and mental disorders, such as cerebellar ataxia and autism, are accompanied with cerebellar cholinergic disorders, we also discuss the correlations between cerebellar cholinergic dysfunctions and these disorders. The cerebellar cholinergic input plays an important role in the modulation of cerebellar functions; therefore, cholinergic abnormalities could induce physiological dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changzheng Zhang
- 1School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210097, China
- 2School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, Anhui 246133, China
| | - Peiling Zhou
- 3School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Tifei Yuan
- 1School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210097, China
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27
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Microinjection of acetylcholine into cerebellar fastigial nucleus induces blood depressor response in anesthetized rats. Neurosci Lett 2016; 629:79-84. [PMID: 27373533 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.06.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that the cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) is involved in cardiovascular modulation, and has direct evidence of cholinergic activity; however, whether and how acetylcholine (ACh) in the FN modulates blood pressure has not been investigated. In this study, we analyzed mean arterial pressure, maximal change in mean arterial pressure, and the reaction time of blood pressure changes after microinjection of cholinergic reagents into the FN in anesthetized rats. The results showed that ACh evoked a concentration-dependent (10, 30 and 100mM) effect on blood pressure down-regulation. The muscarinic ACh (mACh) receptor antagonist atropine, but not the nicotinic ACh (nACh) receptor antagonist mecamylamine, blocked the ACh-mediated depressor response. The mACh receptor agonist oxotremorine M, rather than nACh receptor agonist nicotine, mimicked the ACh-mediated blood pressure decrease in a dose-dependent manner (10, 30 and 100mM). These results indicate that cholinergic input in the cerebellar FN exerts a depressor effect on systemic blood pressure regulation, and such effects are substantially contributed by mACh rather than nACh receptors, although the precise mechanism concerning the role of mACh receptor in FN-mediated blood pressure modulation remains to be elucidated.
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28
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Abstract
Synaptic plasticity at the parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synapse has long been considered a cellular correlate for cerebellar motor learning. Functionally, long-term depression and long-term potentiation at these synapses seem to be the reverse of each other, with both pre- and post-synaptic expression occurring in both. However, different cerebellar motor learning paradigms have been shown to be asymmetric and not equally reversible. Here, we discuss the asymmetric reversibility shown in the vestibulo-ocular reflex and eyeblink conditioning and suggest that different cellular plasticity mechanisms might be recruited under different conditions leading to unequal reversibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather K Titley
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Christian Hansel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
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29
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Zhang C, Sun T, Zhou P, Zhu Q, Zhang L. Role of Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor-2 in the Cerebellar Cortex in Cardiovascular Modulation in Anaesthetized Rats. Neurochem Res 2015; 41:804-12. [PMID: 26526144 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-015-1755-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Our previous investigations have demonstrated that microinjection of acetylcholine (ACh) or muscarinic ACh receptor activation in the cerebellar cortex induces a systemic blood pressure depressor response. This study aimed to determine the role of muscarinic ACh receptor-2 (M2 receptor) in the cerebellar cortex in cardiovascular function regulation in rats. A nonselective muscarinic receptor agonist (oxotremorine M, OXO; 30 mM), a selective M2 receptor agonist (arecaidine but-2-ynyl ester tosylate, ABET; 3, 10, and 30 mM), 30 mM OXO mixed with a selective M2 receptor antagonist (methoctramine hydrate, MCT; 0.3, 1, and 3 mM), and normal saline (0.9 % NaCl) were separately microinjected (0.5 µl/5 s) into the cerebellar cortex (lobule VI) of anaesthetized rats. We measured the mean arterial pressure (MAP), maximum change in MAP, and reactive time (RT; the duration required for the blood pressure to return to basal levels), heart rate (HR) and the maximum change in HR during the RT in response to drug activation. The results demonstrated that ABET dose-dependently decreased MAP and HR, increased the maximum change in MAP and the maximum change in HR, and prolonged the RT. Furthermore, MCT dose-dependently blocked the OXO-mediated cardiovascular depressor response. This study provides the first evidence that M2 receptors in the cerebellar cortex are involved in cardiovascular regulation, the activation of which evokes significant depressor and bradycardic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changzheng Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, 128 South Linghu Road, Anqing, 246011, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tingzhe Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, 128 South Linghu Road, Anqing, 246011, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Peiling Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, 1 East Beijing Road, Wuhu, 241000, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingfeng Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, 128 South Linghu Road, Anqing, 246011, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Liefeng Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, 210046, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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30
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Bertrand D, Lee CHL, Flood D, Marger F, Donnelly-Roberts D. Therapeutic Potential of α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors. Pharmacol Rev 2015; 67:1025-73. [DOI: 10.1124/pr.113.008581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
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31
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Long-Term Spatiotemporal Reconfiguration of Neuronal Activity Revealed by Voltage-Sensitive Dye Imaging in the Cerebellar Granular Layer. Neural Plast 2015; 2015:284986. [PMID: 26294979 PMCID: PMC4532947 DOI: 10.1155/2015/284986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Revised: 06/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the spatiotemporal organization of long-term synaptic plasticity in neuronal networks demands techniques capable of monitoring changes in synaptic responsiveness over extended multineuronal structures. Among these techniques, voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSD imaging) is of particular interest due to its good spatial resolution. However, improvements of the technique are needed in order to overcome limits imposed by its low signal-to-noise ratio. Here, we show that VSD imaging can detect long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) in acute cerebellar slices. Combined VSD imaging and patch-clamp recordings revealed that the most excited regions were predominantly associated with granule cells (GrCs) generating EPSP-spike complexes, while poorly responding regions were associated with GrCs generating EPSPs only. The correspondence with cellular changes occurring during LTP and LTD was highlighted by a vector representation obtained by combining amplitude with time-to-peak of VSD signals. This showed that LTP occurred in the most excited regions lying in the core of activated areas and increased the number of EPSP-spike complexes, while LTD occurred in the less excited regions lying in the surround. VSD imaging appears to be an efficient tool for investigating how synaptic plasticity contributes to the reorganization of multineuronal activity in neuronal circuits.
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32
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Mapelli L, Pagani M, Garrido JA, D'Angelo E. Integrated plasticity at inhibitory and excitatory synapses in the cerebellar circuit. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:169. [PMID: 25999817 PMCID: PMC4419603 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The way long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) are integrated within the different synapses of brain neuronal circuits is poorly understood. In order to progress beyond the identification of specific molecular mechanisms, a system in which multiple forms of plasticity can be correlated with large-scale neural processing is required. In this paper we take as an example the cerebellar network, in which extensive investigations have revealed LTP and LTD at several excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Cerebellar LTP and LTD occur in all three main cerebellar subcircuits (granular layer, molecular layer, deep cerebellar nuclei) and correspondingly regulate the function of their three main neurons: granule cells (GrCs), Purkinje cells (PCs) and deep cerebellar nuclear (DCN) cells. All these neurons, in addition to be excited, are reached by feed-forward and feed-back inhibitory connections, in which LTP and LTD may either operate synergistically or homeostatically in order to control information flow through the circuit. Although the investigation of individual synaptic plasticities in vitro is essential to prove their existence and mechanisms, it is insufficient to generate a coherent view of their impact on network functioning in vivo. Recent computational models and cell-specific genetic mutations in mice are shedding light on how plasticity at multiple excitatory and inhibitory synapses might regulate neuronal activities in the cerebellar circuit and contribute to learning and memory and behavioral control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy ; Museo Storico Della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Pagani
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy ; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jesus A Garrido
- Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute Pavia, Italy ; Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada Granada, Spain
| | - Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy ; Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute Pavia, Italy
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33
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Chen N, Sugihara H, Sur M. An acetylcholine-activated microcircuit drives temporal dynamics of cortical activity. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:892-902. [PMID: 25915477 PMCID: PMC4446146 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cholinergic modulation of cortex powerfully influences information processing and brain states, causing robust desynchronization of local field potentials and strong decorrelation of responses between neurons. We found that intracortical cholinergic inputs to mouse visual cortex specifically and differentially drive a defined cortical microcircuit: they facilitate somatostatin-expressing (SOM) inhibitory neurons that in turn inhibit parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons and pyramidal neurons. Selective optogenetic inhibition of SOM responses blocked desynchronization and decorrelation, demonstrating that direct cholinergic activation of SOM neurons is necessary for this phenomenon. Optogenetic inhibition of vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing neurons did not block desynchronization, despite these neurons being activated at high levels of cholinergic drive. Direct optogenetic SOM activation, independent of cholinergic modulation, was sufficient to induce desynchronization. Together, these findings demonstrate a mechanistic basis for temporal structure in cortical populations and the crucial role of neuromodulatory drive in specific inhibitory-excitatory circuits in actively shaping the dynamics of neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiyan Chen
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Hiroki Sugihara
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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34
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Mapelli J, Gandolfi D, Giuliani E, Prencipe FP, Pellati F, Barbieri A, D’Angelo E, Bigiani A. The effect of desflurane on neuronal communication at a central synapse. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123534. [PMID: 25849222 PMCID: PMC4388506 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although general anesthetics are thought to modify critical neuronal functions, their impact on neuronal communication has been poorly examined. We have investigated the effect induced by desflurane, a clinically used general anesthetic, on information transfer at the synapse between mossy fibers and granule cells of cerebellum, where this analysis can be carried out extensively. Mutual information values were assessed by measuring the variability of postsynaptic output in relationship to the variability of a given set of presynaptic inputs. Desflurane synchronized granule cell firing and reduced mutual information in response to physiologically relevant mossy fibers patterns. The decrease in spike variability was due to an increased postsynaptic membrane excitability, which made granule cells more prone to elicit action potentials, and to a strengthened synaptic inhibition, which markedly hampered membrane depolarization. These concomitant actions on granule cells firing indicate that desflurane re-shapes the transfer of information between neurons by providing a less informative neurotransmission rather than completely silencing neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Mapelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniela Gandolfi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Sistema Nervoso e del Comportamento, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Enrico Giuliani
- Dipartimento di Medicina Diagnostica, Clinica e di Sanità Pubblica, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesco P. Prencipe
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Federica Pellati
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Alberto Barbieri
- Dipartimento di Medicina Diagnostica, Clinica e di Sanità Pubblica, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Sistema Nervoso e del Comportamento, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - Albertino Bigiani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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35
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Delvendahl I, Straub I, Hallermann S. Dendritic patch-clamp recordings from cerebellar granule cells demonstrate electrotonic compactness. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:93. [PMID: 25852483 PMCID: PMC4365719 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar granule cells (GCs), the smallest neurons in the brain, have on average four short dendrites that receive high-frequency mossy fiber inputs conveying sensory information. The short length of the dendrites suggests that GCs are electrotonically compact allowing unfiltered integration of dendritic inputs. The small average diameter of the dendrites (~0.7 µm), however, argues for dendritic filtering. Previous studies based on somatic recordings and modeling indicated that GCs are electrotonically extremely compact. Here, we performed patch-clamp recordings from GC dendrites in acute brain slices of mice to directly analyze the electrotonic properties of GCs. Strikingly, the input resistance did not differ significantly between dendrites and somata of GCs. Furthermore, spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP) were similar in amplitude at dendritic and somatic recording sites. From the dendritic and somatic input resistances we determined parameters characterizing the electrotonic compactness of GCs. These data directly demonstrate that cerebellar GCs are electrotonically compact and thus ideally suited for efficient high-frequency information transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Delvendahl
- Medical Faculty, Carl-Ludwig Institute for Physiology, University of Leipzig Leipzig, Germany
| | - Isabelle Straub
- Medical Faculty, Carl-Ludwig Institute for Physiology, University of Leipzig Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefan Hallermann
- Medical Faculty, Carl-Ludwig Institute for Physiology, University of Leipzig Leipzig, Germany
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36
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Zhou P, Zhu Q, Liu M, Li J, Wang Y, Zhang C, Hua T. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor in cerebellar cortex participates in acetylcholine-mediated blood depressor response in rats. Neurosci Lett 2015; 593:129-33. [PMID: 25797185 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Revised: 03/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Our previous investigations have revealed that cerebellar cholinergic innervation is involved in cardiovascular regulation. This study was performed to examine the effects of the muscarinic cholinergic receptor (mAChR) in the cerebellar cortex on blood pressure (BP) modulation in rats. Acetylcholine (ACh, 100mM), nonselective mAChR agonist (oxotremorine M; Oxo-M, 10, 30 and 100mM) and 100mM ACh mixed with nonselective mAChR antagonist atropine (1, 3 and 10mM) were microinjected into the cerebellar cortex of anesthetized rats. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), maximal decreased MAP (MDMAP), and reaction time (duration required for BP to return to basal values) were measured and analyzed. The results showed that Oxo-M dose-dependently decreased MAP, increased MDMAP, and prolonged reaction time, which displayed a homodromous effect of ACh-mediated blood depressor response; meanwhile, atropine concentration-dependently blocked the effect of ACh on the BP regulation. In conclusion, the present study showed for the first time that mAChRs in cerebellar cortex could modulate somatic BP by participation in ACh-mediated depressor response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiling Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Qingfeng Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, Anhui 246011, China
| | - Ming Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, Anhui 246011, China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, Anhui 246011, China
| | - Yong Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, Anhui 246011, China
| | - Changzheng Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, Anhui 246011, China.
| | - Tianmiao Hua
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China.
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37
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Zhu Q, Zhou P, Wang S, Zhang C, Hua T. A preliminary study on cerebellar acetylcholine-mediated blood pressure regulation in young and old rats. Exp Gerontol 2015; 63:76-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Revised: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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38
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Sahdeo S, Wallace T, Hirakawa R, Knoflach F, Bertrand D, Maag H, Misner D, Tombaugh GC, Santarelli L, Brameld K, Milla ME, Button DC. Characterization of RO5126946, a Novel α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-positive allosteric modulator. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2014; 350:455-68. [PMID: 24917542 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.113.210963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Both preclinical evidence and clinical evidence suggest that α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation (α7nAChR) improves cognitive function, the decline of which is associated with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Moreover, allosteric modulation of α7nAChR is an emerging therapeutic strategy in an attempt to avoid the rapid desensitization properties associated with the α7nAChR after orthosteric activation. We used a calcium assay to screen for positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of α7nAChR and report on the pharmacologic characterization of the novel compound RO5126946 (5-chloro-N-[(1S,3R)-2,2-dimethyl-3-(4-sulfamoyl-phenyl)-cyclopropyl]-2-methoxy-benzamide), which allosterically modulates α7nAChR activity. RO5126946 increased acetylcholine-evoked peak current and delayed current decay but did not affect the recovery of α7nAChRs from desensitization. In addition, RO5126946's effects were absent when nicotine-evoked currents were completely blocked by coapplication of the α7nAChR-selective antagonist methyl-lycaconitine. RO5126946 enhanced α7nAChR synaptic transmission and positively modulated GABAergic responses. The absence of RO5126946 effects at human α4β2nAChR and 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptors, among others, indicated selectivity for α7nAChRs. In vivo, RO5126946 is orally bioavailable and brain-penetrant and improves associative learning in a scopolamine-induced deficit model of fear conditioning in rats. In addition, procognitive effects of RO5126946 were investigated in the presence of nicotine to address potential pharmacologic interactions on behavior. RO5126946 potentiated nicotine's effects on fear memory when both compounds were administered at subthreshold doses and did not interfere with procognitive effects observed when both compounds were administered at effective doses. Overall, RO5126946 is a novel α7nAChR PAM with cognitive-enhancing properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Sahdeo
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Tanya Wallace
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Ryoko Hirakawa
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Frederic Knoflach
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Daniel Bertrand
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Hans Maag
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Dinah Misner
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Geoffrey C Tombaugh
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Luca Santarelli
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Ken Brameld
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Marcos E Milla
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
| | - Donald C Button
- Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, California (S.S., T.W., R.H., H.M., K.B., M.E.M., D.C.B.); F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland (F.K., L.S.); gRED South San Francisco, California (D.M.); HiQScreen Sarl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.); and Psychogenics Inc., Tarrytown, New York (G.C.T.)
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Batsikadze G, Paulus W, Grundey J, Kuo MF, Nitsche MA. Effect of the Nicotinic α4β2-receptor Partial Agonist Varenicline on Non-invasive Brain Stimulation-Induced Neuroplasticity in the Human Motor Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2014; 25:3249-59. [PMID: 24917274 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotine alters cognitive functions in animals and humans most likely by modification of brain plasticity. In the human brain, it alters plasticity induced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and paired associative stimulation (PAS), probably by interference with calcium-dependent modulation of the glutamatergic system. We aimed to test this hypothesis further by exploring the impact of the α4β2-nicotinic receptor partial agonist varenicline on focal and non-focal plasticity, induced by PAS and tDCS, respectively. We administered low (0.1 mg), medium (0.3 mg), and high (1.0 mg) single doses of varenicline or placebo medication before PAS or tDCS on the left motor cortex of 25 healthy non-smokers. Corticospinal excitability was monitored by single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced motor evoked potential amplitudes up to 36 h after plasticity induction. Whereas low-dose varenicline had no impact on stimulation-induced neuroplasticity, medium-dose abolished tDCS-induced facilitatory after-effects, favoring focal excitatory plasticity. High-dose application preserved cathodal tDCS-induced excitability diminution and focal excitatory PAS-induced facilitatory plasticity. These results are comparable to the impact of nicotine receptor activation and might help to further explain the involvement of specific receptor subtypes in the nicotinic impact on neuroplasticity and cognitive functions in healthy subjects and patients with neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgi Batsikadze
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Walter Paulus
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Jessica Grundey
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Min-Fang Kuo
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Michael A Nitsche
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
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Mapelli L, Solinas S, D'Angelo E. Integration and regulation of glomerular inhibition in the cerebellar granular layer circuit. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:55. [PMID: 24616663 PMCID: PMC3933946 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory synapses can be organized in different ways and be regulated by a multitude of mechanisms. One of the best known examples is provided by the inhibitory synapses formed by Golgi cells onto granule cells in the cerebellar glomeruli. These synapses are GABAergic and inhibit granule cells through two main mechanisms, phasic and tonic. The former is based on vesicular neurotransmitter release, the latter on the establishment of tonic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels determined by spillover and regulation of GABA uptake. The mechanisms of post-synaptic integration have been clarified to a considerable extent and have been shown to differentially involve α1 and α6 subunit-containing GABA-A receptors. Here, after reviewing the basic mechanisms of GABAergic transmission in the cerebellar glomeruli, we examine how inhibition controls signal transfer at the mossy fiber-granule cell relay. First of all, we consider how vesicular release impacts on signal timing and how tonic GABA levels control neurotransmission gain. Then, we analyze the integration of these inhibitory mechanisms within the granular layer network. Interestingly, it turns out that glomerular inhibition is just one element in a large integrated signaling system controlled at various levels by metabotropic receptors. GABA-B receptor activation by ambient GABA regulates glutamate release from mossy fibers through a pre-synaptic cross-talk mechanisms, GABA release through pre-synaptic auto-receptors, and granule cell input resistance through post-synaptic receptor activation and inhibition of a K inward-rectifier current. Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) control GABA release from Golgi cell terminals and Golgi cell input resistance and autorhythmic firing. This complex set of mechanisms implements both homeostatic and winner-take-all processes, providing the basis for fine-tuning inhibitory neurotransmission and for optimizing signal transfer through the cerebellar cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
- Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological InstitutePavia, Italy
| | - Sergio Solinas
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
- Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological InstitutePavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
- Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological InstitutePavia, Italy
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D'Angelo E. The organization of plasticity in the cerebellar cortex: from synapses to control. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 210:31-58. [PMID: 24916288 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63356-9.00002-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum is thought to play a critical role in procedural learning, but the relationship between this function and the underlying cellular and synaptic mechanisms remains largely speculative. At present, at least nine forms of long-term synaptic and nonsynaptic plasticity (some of which are bidirectional) have been reported in the cerebellar cortex and deep cerebellar nuclei. These include long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression at the mossy fiber-granule cell synapse, at the synapses formed by parallel fibers, climbing fibers, and molecular layer interneurons on Purkinje cells, and at the synapses formed by mossy fibers and Purkinje cells on deep cerebellar nuclear cells, as well as LTP of intrinsic excitability in granule cells, Purkinje cells, and deep cerebellar nuclear cells. It is suggested that the complex properties of cerebellar learning would emerge from the distribution of plasticity in the network and from its dynamic remodeling during the different phases of learning. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors may hold the key to explain how the different forms of plasticity cooperate to select specific transmission channels and to regulate the signal-to-noise ratio through the cerebellar cortex. These factors include regulation of neuronal excitation by local inhibitory networks, engagement of specific molecular mechanisms by spike bursts and theta-frequency oscillations, and gating by external neuromodulators. Therefore, a new and more complex view of cerebellar plasticity is emerging with respect to that predicted by the original "Motor Learning Theory," opening issues that will require experimental and computational testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy.
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Decorrelation learning in the cerebellum: computational analysis and experimental questions. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 210:157-92. [PMID: 24916293 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63356-9.00007-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Many cerebellar models use a form of synaptic plasticity that implements decorrelation learning. Parallel fibers carrying signals positively correlated with climbing-fiber input have their synapses weakened (long-term depression), whereas those carrying signals negatively correlated with climbing input have their synapses strengthened (long-term potentiation). Learning therefore ceases when all parallel-fiber signals have been decorrelated from climbing-fiber input. This is a computationally powerful rule for supervised learning and can be cast in a spike-timing dependent plasticity form for comparison with experimental evidence. Decorrelation learning is particularly well suited to sensory prediction, for example, in the reafference problem where external sensory signals are interfered with by reafferent signals from the organism's own movements, and the required circuit appears similar to the one found to mediate classical eye blink conditioning. However, for certain stimuli, avoidance is a much better option than simple prediction, and decorrelation learning can also be used to acquire appropriate avoidance movements. One example of a stimulus to be avoided is retinal slip that degrades visual processing, and decorrelation learning appears to play a role in the vestibulo-ocular reflex that stabilizes gaze in the face of unpredicted head movements. Decorrelation learning is thus suitable for both sensory prediction and motor control. It may also be well suited for generic spatial and temporal coordination, because of its ability to remove the unwanted side effects of movement. Finally, because it can be used with any kind of time-varying signal, the cerebellum could play a role in cognitive processing.
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Garrido JA, Ros E, D'Angelo E. Spike timing regulation on the millisecond scale by distributed synaptic plasticity at the cerebellum input stage: a simulation study. Front Comput Neurosci 2013; 7:64. [PMID: 23720626 PMCID: PMC3660969 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2013.00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The way long-term synaptic plasticity regulates neuronal spike patterns is not completely understood. This issue is especially relevant for the cerebellum, which is endowed with several forms of long-term synaptic plasticity and has been predicted to operate as a timing and a learning machine. Here we have used a computational model to simulate the impact of multiple distributed synaptic weights in the cerebellar granular-layer network. In response to mossy fiber (MF) bursts, synaptic weights at multiple connections played a crucial role to regulate spike number and positioning in granule cells. The weight at MF to granule cell synapses regulated the delay of the first spike and the weight at MF and parallel fiber to Golgi cell synapses regulated the duration of the time-window during which the first-spike could be emitted. Moreover, the weights of synapses controlling Golgi cell activation regulated the intensity of granule cell inhibition and therefore the number of spikes that could be emitted. First-spike timing was regulated with millisecond precision and the number of spikes ranged from zero to three. Interestingly, different combinations of synaptic weights optimized either first-spike timing precision or spike number, efficiently controlling transmission and filtering properties. These results predict that distributed synaptic plasticity regulates the emission of quasi-digital spike patterns on the millisecond time-scale and allows the cerebellar granular layer to flexibly control burst transmission along the MF pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús A Garrido
- Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy ; Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Scienze Fisiche della Materia Pavia, Italy
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D'Angelo E, Solinas S, Mapelli J, Gandolfi D, Mapelli L, Prestori F. The cerebellar Golgi cell and spatiotemporal organization of granular layer activity. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:93. [PMID: 23730271 PMCID: PMC3656346 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 04/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellar granular layer has been suggested to perform a complex spatiotemporal reconfiguration of incoming mossy fiber signals. Central to this role is the inhibitory action exerted by Golgi cells over granule cells: Golgi cells inhibit granule cells through both feedforward and feedback inhibitory loops and generate a broad lateral inhibition that extends beyond the afferent synaptic field. This characteristic connectivity has recently been investigated in great detail and been correlated with specific functional properties of these neurons. These include theta-frequency pacemaking, network entrainment into coherent oscillations and phase resetting. Important advances have also been made in terms of determining the membrane and synaptic properties of the neuron, and clarifying the mechanisms of activation by input bursts. Moreover, voltage sensitive dye imaging and multi-electrode array (MEA) recordings, combined with mathematical simulations based on realistic computational models, have improved our understanding of the impact of Golgi cell activity on granular layer circuit computations. These investigations have highlighted the critical role of Golgi cells in: generating dense clusters of granule cell activity organized in center-surround structures, implementing combinatorial operations on multiple mossy fiber inputs, regulating transmission gain, and cut-off frequency, controlling spike timing and burst transmission, and determining the sign, intensity and duration of long-term synaptic plasticity at the mossy fiber-granule cell relay. This review considers recent advances in the field, highlighting the functional implications of Golgi cells for granular layer network computation and indicating new challenges for cerebellar research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
- Brain Connectivity Center, IRCCS C. MondinoPavia, Italy
| | | | - Jonathan Mapelli
- Brain Connectivity Center, IRCCS C. MondinoPavia, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaModena, Italy
| | - Daniela Gandolfi
- Brain Connectivity Center, IRCCS C. MondinoPavia, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaModena, Italy
| | - Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Neuroscience, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
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