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McNaughton N, Bannerman D. The homogenous hippocampus: How hippocampal cells process available and potential goals. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 240:102653. [PMID: 38960002 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
We present here a view of the firing patterns of hippocampal cells that is contrary, both functionally and anatomically, to conventional wisdom. We argue that the hippocampus responds to efference copies of goals encoded elsewhere; and that it uses these to detect and resolve conflict or interference between goals in general. While goals can involve space, hippocampal cells do not encode spatial (or other special types of) memory, as such. We also argue that the transverse circuits of the hippocampus operate in an essentially homogeneous way along its length. The apparently different functions of different parts (e.g. memory retrieval versus anxiety) result from the different (situational/motivational) inputs on which those parts perform the same fundamental computational operations. On this view, the key role of the hippocampus is the iterative adjustment, via Papez-like circuits, of synaptic weights in cell assemblies elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil McNaughton
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, POB56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| | - David Bannerman
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, England, UK
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2
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Thornberry C, Caffrey M, Commins S. Theta oscillatory power decreases in humans are associated with spatial learning in a virtual water maze task. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:4341-4356. [PMID: 37957526 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Theta oscillations (4-8 Hz) in humans play a role in navigation processes, including spatial encoding, retrieval and sensorimotor integration. Increased theta power at frontal and parietal midline regions is known to contribute to successful navigation. However, the dynamics of cortical theta and its role in spatial learning are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate theta oscillations via electroencephalogram (EEG) during spatial learning in a virtual water maze. Participants were separated into a learning group (n = 25) who learned the location of a hidden goal across 12 trials, or a time-matched non-learning group (n = 25) who were required to simply navigate the same arena, but without a goal. We compared all trials, at two phases of learning, the trial start and the goal approach. We also compared the first six trials with the last six trials within-groups. The learning group showed reduced low-frequency theta power at the frontal and parietal midline during the start phase and largely reduced theta combined with a short increase at both midlines during the goal-approach phase. These patterns were not found in the non-learning group, who instead displayed extensive increases in low-frequency oscillations at both regions during the trial start and at the parietal midline during goal approach. Our results support the theory that theta plays a crucial role in spatial encoding during exploration, as opposed to sensorimotor integration. We suggest our findings provide evidence for a link between learning and a reduction of theta oscillations in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor Thornberry
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Michelle Caffrey
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Sean Commins
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
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3
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Kim YH, Koo H, Kim MS, Jung SD. Fabrication of a photo-crosslinkable fluoropolymer-passivated flexible neural probe and acute recording and stimulation performances in vivo. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 154:213629. [PMID: 37742557 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we fabricated fluorine-containing, polymer-based, flexible neural probes with fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) films as the substrates and photo-crosslinkable fluoropolymers as the passivation material. For fabrication, metal-free Au layer formation on the FEP film, the simultaneous photo-adhesion and photo-patterning technique, and the pulsed-laser scanning probe shaping technique were combined, followed by Au electrode surface modification. The resultant probes achieved a charge injection limit equal to 5.18 mC cm-2 by implementing iridium oxide-modified nanoporous Au (IrOx/NPG) structures. We performed simultaneous in vivo micro-stimulations of the Schaffer collateral fibres and recorded the evoked field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in the stratum radiatum layer of the hippocampal Cornu Ammonis 1 region using a single probe. Inducing the fEPSP at very low charge per pulse settings (3.2-3.6 nC/pulse) indicates the efficient charge injection capability of the IrOx/NPG electrode, thereby enabling safe, prolonged, and thrifty micro-stimulations. Furthermore, the single probe-induced and recorded long-term potentiation persisted for periods longer than 60 min following theta-burst stimulation. The materials used in this study are all biocompatible and chemically robust. The fabricated neural probes can be applied in chronic clinical trials in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Hee Kim
- Cybre Brain Research Section, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, 218 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-700, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Koo
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Min Sun Kim
- Department of Physiology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, 895 Munwang-ro, Iksan 570-711, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Don Jung
- Cybre Brain Research Section, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, 218 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-700, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Maoz SLL, Stangl M, Topalovic U, Batista D, Hiller S, Aghajan ZM, Knowlton B, Stern J, Langevin JP, Fried I, Eliashiv D, Suthana N. Dynamic neural representations of memory and space during human ambulatory navigation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6643. [PMID: 37863929 PMCID: PMC10589239 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42231-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Our ability to recall memories of personal experiences is an essential part of daily life. These episodic memories often involve movement through space and thus require continuous encoding of one's position relative to the surrounding environment. The medial temporal lobe (MTL) is thought to be critically involved, based on studies in freely moving rodents and stationary humans. However, it remains unclear if and how the MTL represents both space and memory especially during physical navigation, given challenges associated with deep brain recordings in humans during movement. We recorded intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) activity while participants completed an ambulatory spatial memory task within an immersive virtual reality environment. MTL theta activity was modulated by successful memory retrieval or spatial positions within the environment, depending on dynamically changing behavioral goals. Altogether, these results demonstrate how human MTL oscillations can represent both memory and space in a temporally flexible manner during freely moving navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina L L Maoz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - Matthias Stangl
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - Uros Topalovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - Daniel Batista
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - Sonja Hiller
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - Zahra M Aghajan
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - Barbara Knowlton
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - John Stern
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Langevin
- Neurosurgery Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Itzhak Fried
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Dawn Eliashiv
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Nanthia Suthana
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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5
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Inayat S, McAllister BB, Whishaw IQ, Mohajerani MH. Hippocampal conjunctive and complementary CA1 populations relate sensory events to movement. iScience 2023; 26:106481. [PMID: 37096033 PMCID: PMC10121467 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal CA1 neurons respond to sensory stimuli during enforced immobility, movement, and their transitions in a new conveyor belt task. Head-fixed mice were exposed to light flashes or air streams while at rest, spontaneously moving, or running a fixed distance. Two-photon calcium imaging of CA1 neurons revealed that 62% of 3341 imaged cells were active during one or more of 20 sensorimotor events. Of these active cells, 17% were active for any given sensorimotor event, with a higher proportion during locomotion. The study found two types of cells: Conjunctive cells that were active across multiple events, and complementary cells that were active only during individual events, encoding novel sensorimotor events or their delayed repetitions. The configuration of these cells across changing sensorimotor events may signify the role of hippocampus in functional networks integrating sensory information with ongoing movement making it suitable for movement guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samsoon Inayat
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Brendan B McAllister
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Ian Q Whishaw
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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6
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Levenstein D, Alvarez VA, Amarasingham A, Azab H, Chen ZS, Gerkin RC, Hasenstaub A, Iyer R, Jolivet RB, Marzen S, Monaco JD, Prinz AA, Quraishi S, Santamaria F, Shivkumar S, Singh MF, Traub R, Nadim F, Rotstein HG, Redish AD. On the Role of Theory and Modeling in Neuroscience. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1074-1088. [PMID: 36796842 PMCID: PMC9962842 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1179-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the field of neuroscience has gone through rapid experimental advances and a significant increase in the use of quantitative and computational methods. This growth has created a need for clearer analyses of the theory and modeling approaches used in the field. This issue is particularly complex in neuroscience because the field studies phenomena that cross a wide range of scales and often require consideration at varying degrees of abstraction, from precise biophysical interactions to the computations they implement. We argue that a pragmatic perspective of science, in which descriptive, mechanistic, and normative models and theories each play a distinct role in defining and bridging levels of abstraction, will facilitate neuroscientific practice. This analysis leads to methodological suggestions, including selecting a level of abstraction that is appropriate for a given problem, identifying transfer functions to connect models and data, and the use of models themselves as a form of experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Levenstein
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Veronica A Alvarez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Asohan Amarasingham
- Departments of Mathematics and Biology, City College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10032
| | - Habiba Azab
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Zhe S Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016
| | - Richard C Gerkin
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281
| | - Andrea Hasenstaub
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94115
| | | | - Renaud B Jolivet
- Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Marzen
- W. M. Keck Science Department, Pitzer, Scripps, and Claremont McKenna Colleges, Claremont, California 91711
| | - Joseph D Monaco
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Astrid A Prinz
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Salma Quraishi
- Neuroscience, Developmental and Regnerative Biology Department, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Fidel Santamaria
- Neuroscience, Developmental and Regnerative Biology Department, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Sabyasachi Shivkumar
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627
| | - Matthew F Singh
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63112
| | - Roger Traub
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, AI Foundations, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598
| | - Farzan Nadim
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94115
| | - Horacio G Rotstein
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94115
| | - A David Redish
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
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7
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Cinalli DA, Cohen SJ, Calubag M, Oz G, Zhou L, Stackman RW. DREADD-inactivation of dorsal CA1 pyramidal neurons in mice impairs retrieval of object and spatial memories. Hippocampus 2023; 33:6-17. [PMID: 36468186 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus, a medial temporal lobe brain region, is critical for the consolidation of information from short-term memory into long-term episodic memory and for spatial memory that enables navigation. Hippocampal damage in humans has been linked to amnesia and memory loss, characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Numerous studies indicate that the rodent hippocampus contributes significantly to long-term memory for spatial and nonspatial information. For example, muscimol-induced depression of CA1 neuronal activity in the dorsal hippocampus impairs the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of nonspatial object memory in mice. Here, a chemogenetic designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) approach was used to test the selective involvement of CA1 pyramidal neurons in memory retrieval for objects and for spatial location in a cohort of male C57BL/6J mice. Activation of the inhibitory (hM4Di) DREADDs receptor expressed in CA1 neurons significantly impaired the retrieval of object memory in the spontaneous object recognition task and of spatial memory in the Morris water maze. Silencing of CA1 neuronal activity in hM4Di-expressing mice was confirmed by comparing Fos expression in vehicle- and clozapine-N-oxide-treated mice after exploration of a novel environment. Histological analyses revealed that expression of the hM4Di receptor was limited to CA1 neurons of the dorsal hippocampus. These results suggest that a common subset of CA1 neurons (i.e., those expressing hM4Di receptors) in mouse hippocampus contributed to the retrieval of long-term memory for nonspatial and spatial information. Our findings support the view that the contribution of the rodent hippocampus is like that of the primate hippocampus, specifically essential for global memory. Our results further validate mice as a suitable model system to study the neurobiological mechanisms of human episodic memory, but also in developing treatments and understanding the underlying causes of diseases affecting long-term memory, such as Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Cinalli
- Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Sarah J Cohen
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, John D. MacArthur Campus, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Mariah Calubag
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Goksu Oz
- Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.,Florida Atlantic University and Max Planck Florida Institute Joint Integrative Biology - Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA.,International Max Planck Research School for Synapses and Circuits, Florida Atlantic University and Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Lylybell Zhou
- Alexander W. Dreyfoos High School of the Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
| | - Robert W Stackman
- Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.,Jupiter Life Science Initiative, John D. MacArthur Campus, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA.,Florida Atlantic University and Max Planck Florida Institute Joint Integrative Biology - Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA.,International Max Planck Research School for Synapses and Circuits, Florida Atlantic University and Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, Florida, USA
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8
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Three aspects of representation in neuroscience. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:942-958. [PMID: 36175303 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscientists often describe neural activity as a representation of something, or claim to have found evidence for a neural representation, but there is considerable ambiguity about what such claims entail. Here we develop a thorough account of what 'representation' does and should do for neuroscientists in terms of three key aspects of representation. (i) Correlation: a neural representation correlates to its represented content; (ii) causal role: the representation has a characteristic effect on behavior; and (iii) teleology: a goal or purpose served by the behavior and thus the representation. We draw broadly on literature in both neuroscience and philosophy to show how these three aspects are rooted in common approaches to understanding the brain and mind. We first describe different contexts that 'representation' has been closely linked to in neuroscience, then discuss each of the three aspects in detail.
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9
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β-arrestin2 mediates the hippocampal dopaminergic system in autistic mouse through the ERK signaling pathway. Behav Brain Res 2022; 428:113888. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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10
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Paterno R, Marafiga JR, Ramsay H, Li T, Salvati KA, Baraban SC. Hippocampal gamma and sharp-wave ripple oscillations are altered in a Cntnap2 mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109970. [PMID: 34758298 PMCID: PMC8783641 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Impaired synaptic neurotransmission may underly circuit alterations contributing to behavioral autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotypes. A critical component of impairments reported in somatosensory and prefrontal cortex of ASD mouse models are parvalbumin (PV)-expressing fast-spiking interneurons. However, it remains unknown whether PV interneurons mediating hippocampal networks crucial to navigation and memory processing are similarly impaired. Using PV-labeled transgenic mice, a battery of behavioral assays, in vitro patch-clamp electrophysiology, and in vivo 32-channel silicon probe local field potential recordings, we address this question in a Cntnap2-null mutant mouse model representing a human ASD risk factor gene. Cntnap2-/- mice show a reduction in hippocampal PV interneuron density, reduced inhibitory input to CA1 pyramidal cells, deficits in spatial discrimination ability, and frequency-dependent circuit changes within the hippocampus, including alterations in gamma oscillations, sharp-wave ripples, and theta-gamma modulation. Our findings highlight hippocampal involvement in ASD and implicate interneurons as a potential therapeutical target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalia Paterno
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - Joseane Righes Marafiga
- Neurophysiology and Neurochemistry of Neuronal Excitability and Synaptic Plasticity Laboratory, Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Harrison Ramsay
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Tina Li
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kathryn A Salvati
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Scott C Baraban
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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11
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Frost BE, Martin SK, Cafalchio M, Islam MN, Aggleton JP, O'Mara SM. Anterior Thalamic Inputs Are Required for Subiculum Spatial Coding, with Associated Consequences for Hippocampal Spatial Memory. J Neurosci 2021; 41:6511-6525. [PMID: 34131030 PMCID: PMC8318085 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2868-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Just as hippocampal lesions are principally responsible for "temporal lobe" amnesia, lesions affecting the anterior thalamic nuclei seem principally responsible for a similar loss of memory, "diencephalic" amnesia. Compared with the former, the causes of diencephalic amnesia have remained elusive. A potential clue comes from how the two sites are interconnected, as within the hippocampal formation, only the subiculum has direct, reciprocal connections with the anterior thalamic nuclei. We found that both permanent and reversible anterior thalamic nuclei lesions in male rats cause a cessation of subicular spatial signaling, reduce spatial memory performance to chance, but leave hippocampal CA1 place cells largely unaffected. We suggest that a core element of diencephalic amnesia stems from the information loss in hippocampal output regions following anterior thalamic pathology.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT At present, we know little about interactions between temporal lobe and diencephalic memory systems. Here, we focused on the subiculum, as the sole hippocampal formation region directly interconnected with the anterior thalamic nuclei. We combined reversible and permanent lesions of the anterior thalamic nuclei, electrophysiological recordings of the subiculum, and behavioral analyses. Our results were striking and clear: following permanent thalamic lesions, the diverse spatial signals normally found in the subiculum (including place cells, grid cells, and head-direction cells) all disappeared. Anterior thalamic lesions had no discernible impact on hippocampal CA1 place fields. Thus, spatial firing activity within the subiculum requires anterior thalamic function, as does successful spatial memory performance. Our findings provide a key missing part of the much bigger puzzle concerning why anterior thalamic damage is so catastrophic for spatial memory in rodents and episodic memory in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany E Frost
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Sean K Martin
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Matheus Cafalchio
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Md Nurul Islam
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AS, United Kingdom
| | - Shane M O'Mara
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
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12
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Sane VA. Teaching Principles of Place Cells. JOURNAL OF UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION : JUNE : A PUBLICATION OF FUN, FACULTY FOR UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 19:R23-R27. [PMID: 34552444 PMCID: PMC8437367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Animals navigate within their surrounding environment to find food, shelter, and mates; this behavior forms one of the most basic means of survival. The vertebrate hippocampus acts as an integration hub for varied dynamic processes such as attention, memory, perception, and decision-making. This ultimately allows an animal to move efficiently in its surroundings in search of food or to escape from predators. Place cells are neurons located within the hippocampus which are triggered in response to an animal entering specific places in its local environment. John O' Keefe first described the firing patterns of these cells in 1976 in a paper published in Experimental Neurology. This was a pioneering effort in combining the efficacy of electrophysiological recordings with the value of behavioral approaches in freely moving animals. The author also presented testable hypotheses of plausible mechanisms governing place cell activation which in turn provided a conceptual scaffold for a diverse range of subsequent work in the field. This is an excellent paper for undergraduate education because it provides the historical context to an important research avenue while simultaneously showing how clear and concise hypotheses can emerge from studying how neural activity correlates with animal behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun A Sane
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK KY16 9JP
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Bermudez-Contreras E, Clark BJ, Wilber A. The Neuroscience of Spatial Navigation and the Relationship to Artificial Intelligence. Front Comput Neurosci 2020; 14:63. [PMID: 32848684 PMCID: PMC7399088 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2020.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroscience are impressive. In AI, this includes the development of computer programs that can beat a grandmaster at GO or outperform human radiologists at cancer detection. A great deal of these technological developments are directly related to progress in artificial neural networks-initially inspired by our knowledge about how the brain carries out computation. In parallel, neuroscience has also experienced significant advances in understanding the brain. For example, in the field of spatial navigation, knowledge about the mechanisms and brain regions involved in neural computations of cognitive maps-an internal representation of space-recently received the Nobel Prize in medicine. Much of the recent progress in neuroscience has partly been due to the development of technology used to record from very large populations of neurons in multiple regions of the brain with exquisite temporal and spatial resolution in behaving animals. With the advent of the vast quantities of data that these techniques allow us to collect there has been an increased interest in the intersection between AI and neuroscience, many of these intersections involve using AI as a novel tool to explore and analyze these large data sets. However, given the common initial motivation point-to understand the brain-these disciplines could be more strongly linked. Currently much of this potential synergy is not being realized. We propose that spatial navigation is an excellent area in which these two disciplines can converge to help advance what we know about the brain. In this review, we first summarize progress in the neuroscience of spatial navigation and reinforcement learning. We then turn our attention to discuss how spatial navigation has been modeled using descriptive, mechanistic, and normative approaches and the use of AI in such models. Next, we discuss how AI can advance neuroscience, how neuroscience can advance AI, and the limitations of these approaches. We finally conclude by highlighting promising lines of research in which spatial navigation can be the point of intersection between neuroscience and AI and how this can contribute to the advancement of the understanding of intelligent behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin J. Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Aaron Wilber
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
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