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Panzer E, Guimares-Olmo I, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Stéphan A, Cassel JC. In relentless pursuit of the white whale: A role for the ventral midline thalamus in behavioral flexibility and adaption? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105762. [PMID: 38857666 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105762] [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: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The reuniens (Re) nucleus is located in the ventral midline thalamus. It has fostered increasing interest, not only for its participation in a variety of cognitive functions (e.g., spatial working memory, systemic consolidation, reconsolidation, extinction of fear or generalization), but also for its neuroanatomical positioning as a bidirectional relay between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus (HIP). In this review we compile and discuss recent studies having tackled a possible implication of the Re nucleus in behavioral flexibility, a major PFC-dependent executive function controlling goal-directed behaviors. Experiments considered explored a possible role for the Re nucleus in perseveration, reversal learning, fear extinction, and set-shifting. They point to a contribution of this nucleus to behavioral flexibility, mainly by its connections with the PFC, but possibly also by those with the hippocampus, and even with the amygdala, at least for fear-related behavior. As such, the Re nucleus could be a crucial crossroad supporting a PFC-orchestrated ability to cope with new, potentially unpredictable environmental contingencies, and thus behavioral flexibility and adaption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Panzer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Isabella Guimares-Olmo
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Aline Stéphan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France.
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Rojas AKP, Linley SB, Vertes RP. Chemogenetic inactivation of the nucleus reuniens and its projections to the orbital cortex produce deficits on discrete measures of behavioral flexibility in the attentional set-shifting task. Behav Brain Res 2024; 470:115066. [PMID: 38801950 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115066] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens (RE) of the ventral midline thalamus is a critical node in the communication between the orbitomedial prefrontal cortex (OFC) and the hippocampus (HF). While RE has been shown to directly participate in memory-associated functions through its connections with the medial prefrontal cortex and HF, less is known regarding the role of RE in executive functioning. Here, we examined the involvement of RE and its projections to the orbital cortex (ORB) in attention and behavioral flexibility in male rats using the attentional set shifting task (AST). Rats expressing the hM4Di DREADD receptor in RE were implanted with indwelling cannulas in either RE or the ventromedial ORB to pharmacologically inhibit RE or its projections to the ORB with intracranial infusions of clozapine-N-oxide hydrochloride (CNO). Chemogenetic-induced suppression of RE resulted in impairments in reversal learning and set-shifting. This supports a vital role for RE in behavioral flexibility - or the ability to adapt behavior to changing reward or rule contingencies. Interestingly, CNO suppression of RE projections to the ventromedial ORB produced impairments in rule abstraction - or dissociable effects elicited with direct RE suppression. In summary, the present findings indicate that RE, mediated in part by actions on the ORB, serves a critical role in the flexible use of rules to drive goal directed behavior. The cognitive deficits of various neurological disorders with impaired communication between the HF and OFC, may be partly attributed to alterations of RE -- as an established intermediary between these cortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K P Rojas
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Stephanie B Linley
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Robert P Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
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Panzer E, Boch L, Cosquer B, Grgurina I, Boutillier AL, de Vasconcelos AP, Stephan A, Cassel JC. Disconnecting prefrontal cortical neurons from the ventral midline thalamus: Loss of specificity due to progressive neural toxicity of an AAV-Cre in the rat thalamus. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 405:110080. [PMID: 38369027 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110080] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The thalamic reuniens (Re) and rhomboid (Rh) nuclei are bidirectionally connected with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (Hip). Fiber-sparing N-methyl-D-aspartate lesions of the ReRh disrupt cognitive functions, including persistence of certain memories. Because such lesions irremediably damage neurons interconnecting the ReRh with the mPFC and the Hip, it is impossible to know if one or both pathways contribute to memory persistence. Addressing such an issue requires selective, pathway-restricted and direction-specific disconnections. NEW METHOD A recent method associates a retrograde adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing Cre recombinase with an anterograde AAV expressing a Cre-dependent caspase, making such disconnection feasible by caspase-triggered apoptosis when both constructs meet intracellularly. We injected an AAVrg-Cre-GFP into the ReRh and an AAV5-taCasp into the mPFC. As expected, part of mPFC neurons died, but massive neurotoxicity of the AAVrg-Cre-GFP was found in ReRh, contrasting with normal density of DAPI staining. Other stainings demonstrated increasing density of reactive astrocytes and microglia in the neurodegeneration site. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Reducing the viral titer (by a 4-fold dilution) and injection volume (to half) attenuated toxicity substantially, still with evidence for partial disconnection between mPFC and ReRh. CONCLUSIONS There is an imperative need to verify potential collateral damage inherent in this type of approach, which is likely to distort interpretation of experimental data. Therefore, controls allowing to distinguish collateral phenotypic effects from those linked to the desired disconnection is essential. It is also crucial to know for how long neurons expressing the Cre-GFP protein remain operational post-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Panzer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Laurine Boch
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Brigitte Cosquer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Iris Grgurina
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Anne-Laurence Boutillier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Aline Stephan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France.
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, Strasbourg F-67000, France.
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Flynn LT, Bouras NN, Migovich VM, Clarin JD, Gao WJ. The "psychiatric" neuron: the psychic neuron of the cerebral cortex, revisited. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1356674. [PMID: 38562227 PMCID: PMC10982399 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1356674] [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: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Nearly 25 years ago, Dr. Patricia Goldman-Rakic published her review paper, "The 'Psychic' Neuron of the Cerebral Cortex," outlining the circuit-level dynamics, neurotransmitter systems, and behavioral correlates of pyramidal neurons in the cerebral cortex, particularly as they relate to working memory. In the decades since the release of this paper, the existing literature and our understanding of the pyramidal neuron have increased tremendously, and research is still underway to better characterize the role of the pyramidal neuron in both healthy and psychiatric disease states. In this review, we revisit Dr. Goldman-Rakic's characterization of the pyramidal neuron, focusing on the pyramidal neurons of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and their role in working memory. Specifically, we examine the role of PFC pyramidal neurons in the intersection of working memory and social function and describe how deficits in working memory may actually underlie the pathophysiology of social dysfunction in psychiatric disease states. We briefly describe the cortico-cortical and corticothalamic connections between the PFC and non-PFC brain regions, as well the microcircuit dynamics of the pyramidal neuron and interneurons, and the role of both these macro- and microcircuits in the maintenance of the excitatory/inhibitory balance of the cerebral cortex for working memory function. Finally, we discuss the consequences to working memory when pyramidal neurons and their circuits are dysfunctional, emphasizing the resulting social deficits in psychiatric disease states with known working memory dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Taylor Flynn
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nadia N. Bouras
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Volodar M. Migovich
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jacob D. Clarin
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Rivera Núñez MV, McMakin D, Mattfeld AT. Nucleus Reuniens: Modulating Negative Overgeneralization in Periadolescents with Anxiety. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.14.567068. [PMID: 38014058 PMCID: PMC10680726 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.14.567068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Background Anxiety affects 4.4-million children in the United States with an onset between childhood and adolescence, a period marked by neural changes that impact emotions and memory. Negative overgeneralization - or responding similarly to innocuous events that share features with past aversive experiences - is common in anxiety but remains mechanistically underspecified. The nucleus reuniens (RE) has been considered a crucial candidate in the modulation of memory specificity. Our study investigated its activation and functional connectivity with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HPC) as neurobiological mechanisms of negative overgeneralization in anxious youth. Methods As part of a secondary data analysis, we examined data from 34 participants between 9-14 years (mean age ± SD, 11.4 ± 2.0 years, 16 females) with varying degrees of anxiety severity. During the Study session participants rated images as negative, neutral, and positive. After 12-hours, participants returned for a Test session, where they performed a memory recognition test with repeated (targets) and similar (lures) images. Labeling negative relative to neutral lures as "old" (false alarms) was our operational definition of negative overgeneralization. Results Negative relative to neutral false alarmed stimuli displayed elevated RE activation (at Study and Test) and increased functional connectivity with the CA1 (at Test only). Elevated anxiety severity was associated with reductions in the RE-mPFC functional coupling for neutral relative to negative stimuli. Exploratory analyses revealed similar patterns in activation and functional connectivity with positive stimuli. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate the importance of the RE in the overgeneralization of memories in anxious youth.
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de Mooij-van Malsen JG, Röhrdanz N, Buschhoff AS, Schiffelholz T, Sigurdsson T, Wulff P. Task-specific oscillatory synchronization of prefrontal cortex, nucleus reuniens, and hippocampus during working memory. iScience 2023; 26:107532. [PMID: 37636046 PMCID: PMC10450413 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107532] [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: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory requires maintenance of and executive control over task-relevant information on a timescale of seconds. Spatial working memory depends on interactions between hippocampus, for the representation of space, and prefrontal cortex, for executive control. A monosynaptic hippocampal projection to the prefrontal cortex has been proposed to serve this interaction. However, connectivity and inactivation experiments indicate a critical role of the nucleus reuniens in hippocampal-prefrontal communication. We have investigated the dynamics of oscillatory coherence throughout the prefrontal-hippocampal-reuniens network in a touchscreen-based working memory task. We found that coherence at distinct frequencies evolved depending on phase and difficulty of the task. During choice, the reuniens did not participate in enhanced prefrontal-hippocampal theta but in gamma coherence. Strikingly, the reuniens was strongly embedded in performance-related increases in beta coherence, suggesting the execution of top-down control. In addition, we show that during working memory maintenance the prefrontal-hippocampal-reuniens network displays performance-related delay activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Niels Röhrdanz
- Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Schiffelholz
- Center of Integrative Psychiatry, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Torfi Sigurdsson
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Peer Wulff
- Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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Vertes RP, Linley SB, Rojas AKP. Structural and functional organization of the midline and intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:964644. [PMID: 36082310 PMCID: PMC9445584 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.964644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The midline and intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus form a major part of the "limbic thalamus;" that is, thalamic structures anatomically and functionally linked with the limbic forebrain. The midline nuclei consist of the paraventricular (PV) and paratenial nuclei, dorsally and the rhomboid and nucleus reuniens (RE), ventrally. The rostral intralaminar nuclei (ILt) consist of the central medial (CM), paracentral (PC) and central lateral (CL) nuclei. We presently concentrate on RE, PV, CM and CL nuclei of the thalamus. The nucleus reuniens receives a diverse array of input from limbic-related sites, and predominantly projects to the hippocampus and to "limbic" cortices. The RE participates in various cognitive functions including spatial working memory, executive functions (attention, behavioral flexibility) and affect/fear behavior. The PV receives significant limbic-related afferents, particularly the hypothalamus, and mainly distributes to "affective" structures of the forebrain including the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, nucleus accumbens and the amygdala. Accordingly, PV serves a critical role in "motivated behaviors" such as arousal, feeding/consummatory behavior and drug addiction. The rostral ILt receives both limbic and sensorimotor-related input and distributes widely over limbic and motor regions of the frontal cortex-and throughout the dorsal striatum. The intralaminar thalamus is critical for maintaining consciousness and directly participates in various sensorimotor functions (visuospatial or reaction time tasks) and cognitive tasks involving striatal-cortical interactions. As discussed herein, while each of the midline and intralaminar nuclei are anatomically and functionally distinct, they collectively serve a vital role in several affective, cognitive and executive behaviors - as major components of a brainstem-diencephalic-thalamocortical circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P. Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Stephanie B. Linley
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
- Department of Psychological Science, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, United States
| | - Amanda K. P. Rojas
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
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Yu X, Jembere F, Takehara-Nishiuchi K. Prefrontal projections to the nucleus reuniens signal behavioral relevance of stimuli during associative learning. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11995. [PMID: 35835794 PMCID: PMC9283438 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15886-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens (RE) is necessary for memories dependent on the interaction between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HPC). One example is trace eyeblink conditioning, in which the mPFC exhibits differential activity to neutral conditioned stimuli (CS) depending on their contingency with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US). To test if this relevancy signal is routed to the RE, we photometrically recorded mPFC axon terminals within the RE and tracked their changes with learning. As a comparison, we measured prefrontal terminal activity in the mediodorsal thalamus (MD), which lacks connectivity with the HPC. In naïve male rats, prefrontal terminals within the RE were not strongly activated by tone or light. As the rats associated one of the stimuli (CS+) with the US, terminals gradually increased their response to the CS+ but not the other stimulus (CS-). In contrast, stimulus-evoked responses of prefrontal terminals within the MD were strong even before conditioning. They also became augmented only to the CS+ in the first conditioning session; however, the degree of activity differentiation did not improve with learning. These findings suggest that associative learning selectively increased mPFC output to the RE, signaling the behavioral relevance of sensory stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Yu
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Collaborative Program in Neuroscience, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Fasika Jembere
- Human Biology Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kaori Takehara-Nishiuchi
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. .,Collaborative Program in Neuroscience, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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Mair RG, Francoeur MJ, Krell EM, Gibson BM. Where Actions Meet Outcomes: Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Central Thalamus, and the Basal Ganglia. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:928610. [PMID: 35864847 PMCID: PMC9294389 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.928610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) interacts with distributed networks that give rise to goal-directed behavior through afferent and efferent connections with multiple thalamic nuclei and recurrent basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits. Recent studies have revealed individual roles for different thalamic nuclei: mediodorsal (MD) regulation of signaling properties in mPFC neurons, intralaminar control of cortico-basal ganglia networks, ventral medial facilitation of integrative motor function, and hippocampal functions supported by ventral midline and anterior nuclei. Large scale mapping studies have identified functionally distinct cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical subnetworks that provide a structural basis for understanding information processing and functional heterogeneity within the basal ganglia. Behavioral analyses comparing functional deficits produced by lesions or inactivation of specific thalamic nuclei or subregions of mPFC or the basal ganglia have elucidated the interdependent roles of these areas in adaptive goal-directed behavior. Electrophysiological recordings of mPFC neurons in rats performing delayed non-matching-to position (DNMTP) and other complex decision making tasks have revealed populations of neurons with activity related to actions and outcomes that underlie these behaviors. These include responses related to motor preparation, instrumental actions, movement, anticipation and delivery of action outcomes, memory delay, and spatial context. Comparison of results for mPFC, MD, and ventral pallidum (VP) suggest critical roles for mPFC in prospective processes that precede actions, MD for reinforcing task-relevant responses in mPFC, and VP for providing feedback about action outcomes. Synthesis of electrophysiological and behavioral results indicates that different networks connecting mPFC with thalamus and the basal ganglia are organized to support distinct functions that allow organisms to act efficiently to obtain intended outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G. Mair
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
| | - Miranda J. Francoeur
- Neural Engineering and Translation Labs, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Erin M. Krell
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
| | - Brett M. Gibson
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
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Boch L, Morvan T, Neige T, Kobakhidze N, Panzer E, Cosquer B, de Vasconcelos AP, Stephan A, Cassel JC. Inhibition of the ventral midline thalamus does not alter encoding, short-term holding or retrieval of spatial information in rats performing a water-escape working memory task. Behav Brain Res 2022; 432:113979. [PMID: 35760217 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113979] [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: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is a function operating in three successive phases: encoding (sample trial), holding (delay), and retrieval (test trial) of information. Studies point to a possible implication of the thalamic reuniens nucleus (Re) in spatial WM (SWM). In which of the aforementioned 3 phases the Re has a function is largely unknown. Recently, in a delayed SWM water-escape task, we found that performance during the retrieval trial correlated positively with c-Fos expression in the Re nucleus, suggesting participation in retrieval. Here, we used the same task and muscimol (Musc) inhibition or DREADD(hM4Di)-mediated inhibition of the Re during information encoding, right thereafter (thereby affecting the holding phase), or during the retrieval trial. A 6-hour delay separated encoding from retrieval. Concerning SWM, Musc in the Re nucleus did not alter performance, be it during or after encoding, or during evaluation. CNO administered before encoding in DREADD-expressing rats was also ineffective, although CNO-induced inhibition disrupted set shifting performance, as found previously (Quet et al., Brain Struct Function 225, 2020), thereby validating DREADD efficiency. These findings are the first that do not support an implication of the Re nucleus in SWM. As most previous studies used T-maze alternation tasks, which carry high proactive interference risks, an important question to resolve now is whether these nuclei are required in (T-maze alternation) tasks using very short information-holding delays (seconds to minutes), and less so in other short-term spatial memory tasks with longer information holding intervals (hours) and therefore reduced interference risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurine Boch
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thomas Morvan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thibaut Neige
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Nina Kobakhidze
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Elodie Panzer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Brigitte Cosquer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Aline Stephan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
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11
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Viena TD, Rasch GE, Allen TA. Dual medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus projecting neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1857-1869. [PMID: 35279742 PMCID: PMC11229420 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02478-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus (PVT) of the midline thalamus is a critical higher-order cortico-thalamo-cortical integration site that plays a critical role in various behaviors including reward seeking, cue saliency, and emotional memory. Anatomical studies have shown that PVT projects to both medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HC). However, dual mPFC-HC projecting neurons which could serve a role in synchronizing mPFC and HC activity during PVT-dependent behaviors, have not been explored. Here we used a dual retrograde adenoassociated virus (AAV) tracing approach to characterize the location and proportion of different projection populations that send collaterals to mPFC and/or ventral hippocampus (vHC) in rats. Additionally, we examined the distribution of calcium binding proteins calretinin (CR) and calbindin (CB) with respect to these projection populations in PVT. We found that PVT contains separate populations of cells that project to mPFC, vHC, and those that innervate both regions. Interestingly, dual mPFC-HC projecting cells expressed neither CR nor CB. Topographically, CB+ and CR+ containing cells clustered around dual projecting neurons in PVT. These results are consistent with the features of dual mPFC-vHC projecting cells in the nucleus reuniens (RE) and suggestive of a functional mPFC-PVT-vHC system that may support mPFC-vHC interactions in PVT-dependent behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana D Viena
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Gabriela E Rasch
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Timothy A Allen
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.
- Deparment of Environmental Health Sciences, Robert Stempel College of Public Health, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.
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12
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Ventral midline thalamus activation is correlated with memory performance in a delayed spatial matching-to-sample task: A c-Fos imaging approach in the rat. Behav Brain Res 2022; 418:113670. [PMID: 34798168 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113670] [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: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The reuniens (Re) and rhomboid (Rh) nuclei of the ventral midline thalamus are bi-directionally connected with the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex. They participate in a variety of cognitive functions, including information holding for seconds to minutes in working memory tasks. What about longer delays? To address this question, we used a spatial working memory task in which rats had to reach a platform submerged in water. The platform location was changed every 2-trial session and rats had to use allothetic cues to find it. Control rats received training in a typical response-memory task. We interposed a 6 h interval between instruction (locate platform) and evaluation (return to platform) trials in both tasks. After the last session, rats were killed for c-Fos imaging. A home-cage group was used as additional control of baseline levels of c-Fos expression. C-Fos expression was increased to comparable levels in the Re (not Rh) of both spatial memory and response-memory rats as compared to their home cage counterparts. However, in spatial memory rats, not in their response-memory controls, task performance was correlated with c-Fos expression in the Re: the higher this expression, the better the performance. Furthermore, we noticed an activation of hippocampal region CA1 and of the anteroventral nucleus of the rostral thalamus. This activation was specific to spatial memory. The data point to a possible performance-determinant participation of the Re nucleus in the delayed engagement of spatial information encoded in a temporary memory.
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13
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Tavares LCS, Tort ABL. Hippocampal-prefrontal interactions during spatial decision-making. Hippocampus 2021; 32:38-54. [PMID: 34843143 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus has been linked to memory encoding and spatial navigation, while the prefrontal cortex is associated with cognitive functions such as decision-making. These regions are hypothesized to communicate in tasks that demand both spatial navigation and decision-making processes. However, the electrophysiological signatures underlying this communication remain to be better elucidated. To investigate the dynamics of the hippocampal-prefrontal interactions, we have analyzed their local field potentials and spiking activity recorded from rats performing a spatial alternation task on a figure eight-shaped maze. We found that the phase coherence of theta peaked around the choice point area of the maze. Moreover, Granger causality revealed a hippocampus → prefrontal cortex directionality of information flow at theta frequency, peaking at starting areas of the maze, and on the reverse direction at delta frequency, peaking near the turn onset. Additionally, the patterns of phase-amplitude cross-frequency coupling within and between the regions also showed spatial selectivity, and hippocampal theta and prefrontal delta modulated not only gamma amplitude but also inter-regional gamma synchrony. Finally, we found that the theta rhythm dynamically modulated neurons in both regions, with the highest modulation at the choice area; interestingly, prefrontal cortex neurons were more strongly modulated by the hippocampal theta rhythm than by their local field rhythm. In all, our results reveal maximum electrophysiological interactions between the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex near the decision-making period of the spatial alternation task, corroborating the hypothesis that a dynamic interplay between these regions takes place during spatial decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas C S Tavares
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Bioinformatics Multidisciplinary Environment (BioME), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Adriano B L Tort
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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14
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Parra JED, Ripoll ÁP, García JFV. Interthalamic adhesion in humans: a gray commissure? Anat Cell Biol 2021; 55:109-112. [PMID: 34675136 PMCID: PMC8968232 DOI: 10.5115/acb.21.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Interthalamic adhesion is an inconstant part of the human diencephalic neuroanatomy, which some histological studies have indicated it is a gray commissure and others a white commissure. Its presence has been associated with alterations in health status, including schizophrenia, psychotic states, and hydrocephalus. Thirty-one fresh human brains were evaluated randomly, to determine the presence of interthalamic adhesion and its histological composition, by way of lamina terminalis puncture of the third ventricle. Photographic records were taken and histological processes was performed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, in the case of the existence of the adhesion. It was found that 51.71% did present interthalamic adhesion, and on histological examination, no neuron bodies were found in the median part, which implies that does not correspond to a gray commissure, but interthalamic adhesion in humans is variable, with a predominance of glial cells. There is no gray commissure in human interthalamic adhesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Eduardo Duque Parra
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia.,Medicine Program, Department of Basic Sciences, Universidad de Manizales, Manizales, Colombia
| | - Álex Pava Ripoll
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia.,Medicine Program, Department of Basic Sciences, Universidad de Manizales, Manizales, Colombia
| | - Juan Fernando Vélez García
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Colombia
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15
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Savage LM, Nunes PT, Gursky ZH, Milbocker KA, Klintsova AY. Midline Thalamic Damage Associated with Alcohol-Use Disorders: Disruption of Distinct Thalamocortical Pathways and Function. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 31:447-471. [PMID: 32789537 PMCID: PMC7878584 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus, a significant part of the diencephalon, is a symmetrical and bilateral central brain structure. The thalamus is subdivided into three major groups of nuclei based on their function: sensorimotor nuclei (or principal/relay nuclei), limbic nuclei and nuclei bridging these two domains. Anatomically, nuclei within the thalamus are described by their location, such as anterior, medial, lateral, ventral, and posterior. In this review, we summarize the role of medial and midline thalamus in cognition, ranging from learning and memory to flexible adaptation. We focus on the discoveries in animal models of alcohol-related brain damage, which identify the loss of neurons in the medial and midline thalamus as drivers of cognitive dysfunction associated with alcohol use disorders. Models of developmental ethanol exposure and models of adult alcohol-related brain damage and are compared and contrasted, and it was revealed that there are similar (anterior thalamus) and different (intralaminar [adult exposure] versus ventral midline [developmental exposure]) thalamic pathology, as well as disruptions of thalamo-hippocampal and thalamo-cortical circuits. The final part of the review summarizes approaches to recover alcohol-related brain damage and cognitive and behavioral outcomes. These approaches include pharmacological, nutritional and behavioral interventions that demonstrated the potential to mitigate alcohol-related damage. In summary, the medial/midline thalamus is a significant contributor to cognition function, which is also sensitive to alcohol-related brain damage across the life span, and plays a role in alcohol-related cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Savage
- Developmental Ethanol Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA.
| | - Polliana T Nunes
- Developmental Ethanol Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA
| | - Zachary H Gursky
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Katrina A Milbocker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Anna Y Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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16
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A thalamo-amygdalar circuit underlying the extinction of remote fear memories. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:964-974. [PMID: 34017129 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00856-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fear and trauma generate some of the longest-lived memories. Despite the corresponding need to understand how such memories can be attenuated, the underlying brain circuits remain unknown. Here, combining viral tracing, neuronal activity mapping, fiber photometry, chemogenetic and closed-loop optogenetic manipulations in mice, we show that the extinction of remote (30-day-old) fear memories depends on thalamic nucleus reuniens (NRe) inputs to the basolateral amygdala (BLA). We found that remote, but not recent (1-day-old), fear extinction activates NRe-to-BLA inputs, which become potentiated upon fear reduction. Furthermore, both monosynaptic NRe-to-BLA and total NRe activity increase shortly before freezing cessation, suggesting that the NRe registers and transmits safety signals to the BLA. Accordingly, pan-NRe and pathway-specific NRe-to-BLA inhibition impairs, whereas their activation facilitates, remote fear extinction. These findings identify the NRe as a crucial BLA regulator for extinction and provide the first functional description of the circuits underlying the attenuation of consolidated fear memories.
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17
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Cassel JC, Ferraris M, Quilichini P, Cholvin T, Boch L, Stephan A, Pereira de Vasconcelos A. The reuniens and rhomboid nuclei of the thalamus: A crossroads for cognition-relevant information processing? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:338-360. [PMID: 33766671 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Over the past twenty years, the reuniens and rhomboid (ReRh) nuclei, which constitute the ventral midline thalamus, have received constantly growing attention. Since our first review article about the functional contributions of ReRh nuclei (Cassel et al., 2013), numerous (>80) important papers have extended anatomical knowledge, including at a developmental level, introduced new and very original electrophysiological insights on ReRh functions, and brought novel results on cognitive and non-cognitive implications of the ReRh. The current review will cover these recent articles, more on Re than on Rh, and their contribution will be approached according to their affiliation with work before 2013. These neuroanatomical, electrophysiological or behavioral findings appear coherent and point to the ReRh nuclei as two major components of a multistructural system supporting numerous cognitive (and non-cognitive) functions. They gate the flow of information, perhaps especially from the medial prefrontal cortex to the hippocampus and back, and coordinate activity and processing across these two (and possibly other) brain regions of major cognitive relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Maëva Ferraris
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France
| | - Pascale Quilichini
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France
| | - Thibault Cholvin
- Institute for Physiology I, University Clinics Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laurine Boch
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Aline Stephan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
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18
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Linley SB, Athanason AC, Rojas AK, Vertes RP. Role of the reuniens and rhomboid thalamic nuclei in anxiety‐like avoidance behavior in the rat. Hippocampus 2021; 31:756-769. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie B. Linley
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Florida USA
- Department of Psychology Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Florida USA
| | | | - Amanda K.P. Rojas
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Florida USA
| | - Robert P. Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Florida USA
- Department of Psychology Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Florida USA
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19
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Hatzipantelis C, Langiu M, Vandekolk TH, Pierce TL, Nithianantharajah J, Stewart GD, Langmead CJ. Translation-Focused Approaches to GPCR Drug Discovery for Cognitive Impairments Associated with Schizophrenia. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:1042-1062. [PMID: 33344888 PMCID: PMC7737210 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
There are no effective therapeutics for cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), which includes deficits in executive functions (working memory and cognitive flexibility) and episodic memory. Compounds that have entered clinical trials are inadequate in terms of efficacy and/or tolerability, highlighting a clear translational bottleneck and a need for a cohesive preclinical drug development strategy. In this review we propose hippocampal-prefrontal-cortical (HPC-PFC) circuitry underlying CIAS-relevant cognitive processes across mammalian species as a target source to guide the translation-focused discovery and development of novel, procognitive agents. We highlight several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) enriched within HPC-PFC circuitry as therapeutic targets of interest, including noncanonical approaches (biased agonism and allosteric modulation) to conventional clinical targets, such as dopamine and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, along with prospective novel targets, including the orphan receptors GPR52 and GPR139. We also describe the translational limitations of popular preclinical cognition tests and suggest touchscreen-based assays that probe cognitive functions reliant on HPC-PFC circuitry and reflect tests used in the clinic, as tests of greater translational relevance. Combining pharmacological and behavioral testing strategies based in HPC-PFC circuit function creates a cohesive, translation-focused approach to preclinical drug development that may improve the translational bottleneck currently hindering the development of treatments for CIAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra
J. Hatzipantelis
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Monica Langiu
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Teresa H. Vandekolk
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Tracie L. Pierce
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Jess Nithianantharajah
- Florey
Institute of Neuroscience
and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Gregory D. Stewart
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Christopher J. Langmead
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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20
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Mathiasen ML, O'Mara SM, Aggleton JP. The anterior thalamic nuclei and nucleus reuniens: So similar but so different. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:268-280. [PMID: 33069688 PMCID: PMC7738755 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Two thalamic sites are of especial significance for understanding hippocampal - diencephalic interactions: the anterior thalamic nuclei and nucleus reuniens. Both nuclei have dense, direct interconnections with the hippocampal formation, and both are directly connected with many of the same cortical and subcortical areas. These two thalamic sites also contain neurons responsive to spatial stimuli while lesions within these two same areas can disrupt spatial learning tasks that are hippocampal dependent. Despite these many similarities, closer analysis reveals important differences in the details of their connectivity and the behavioural impact of lesions in these two thalamic sites. These nuclei play qualitatively different roles that largely reflect the contrasting relative importance of their medial frontal cortex interactions (nucleus reuniens) compared with their retrosplenial, cingulate, and mammillary body interactions (anterior thalamic nuclei). While the anterior thalamic nuclei are critical for multiple aspects of hippocampal spatial encoding and performance, nucleus reuniens contributes, as required, to aid cognitive control and help select correct from competing memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias L Mathiasen
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, Wales, UK
| | - Shane M O'Mara
- School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, Wales, UK.
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21
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Viena TD, Rasch GE, Silva D, Allen TA. Calretinin and calbindin architecture of the midline thalamus associated with prefrontal–hippocampal circuitry. Hippocampus 2020; 31:770-789. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana D. Viena
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology Florida International University Miami Florida USA
| | - Gabriela E. Rasch
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology Florida International University Miami Florida USA
| | - Daniela Silva
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology Florida International University Miami Florida USA
| | - Timothy A. Allen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology Florida International University Miami Florida USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences Robert Stempel College of Public Health, Florida International University Miami Florida USA
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22
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Quet E, Cassel JC, Cosquer B, Galloux M, Pereira De Vasconcelos A, Stéphan A. Ventral midline thalamus is not necessary for systemic consolidation of a social memory in the rat. Brain Neurosci Adv 2020; 4:2398212820939738. [PMID: 32954006 PMCID: PMC7479859 DOI: 10.1177/2398212820939738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the standard theory of memory consolidation, recent memories
are stored in the hippocampus before their transfer to cortical
modules, a process called systemic consolidation. The ventral midline
thalamus (reuniens and rhomboid nuclei, ReRh) takes part in this
transfer as its lesion disrupts systemic consolidation of spatial and
contextual fear memories. Here, we wondered whether ReRh lesions would
also affect the systemic consolidation of another type of memory,
namely an olfaction-based social memory. To address this question we
focused on social transmission of food preference. Adult Long-Evans
rats were subjected to N-methyl-d-aspartate-induced,
fibre-sparing lesions of the ReRh nuclei or to a sham-operation, and
subsequently trained in a social transmission of food preference
paradigm. Retrieval was tested on the next day (recent memory,
nSham = 10, nReRh = 12) or after a 25-day
delay (remote memory, nSham = 10, nReRh = 10).
All rats, whether sham-operated or subjected to ReRh lesions, learned
and remembered the task normally, whatever the delay. Compared to our
former results on spatial and contextual fear memories (Ali et al.,
2017; Klein et al., 2019; Loureiro et al., 2012; Quet et al., 2020),
the present findings indicate that the ReRh nuclei might not be part
of a generic, systemic consolidation mechanism processing all kinds of
memories in order to make them persistent. The difference between
social transmission of food preference and spatial or contextual fear
memories could be explained by the fact that social transmission of
food preference is not hippocampus-dependent and that the persistence
of social transmission of food preference memory relies on different
circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Quet
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Brigitte Cosquer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marine Galloux
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Pereira De Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Aline Stéphan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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Long-term potentiation of the nucleus reuniens and entorhinal cortex to CA1 distal dendritic synapses in mice. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1817-1838. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02095-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Quet E, Majchrzak M, Cosquer B, Morvan T, Wolff M, Cassel JC, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Stéphan A. The reuniens and rhomboid nuclei are necessary for contextual fear memory persistence in rats. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:955-968. [PMID: 32146556 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02048-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Memory persistence refers to the process by which a temporary, labile memory is transformed into a stable and long-lasting state. This process involves a reorganization of brain networks at systems level, which requires functional interactions between the hippocampus (HP) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The reuniens (Re) and rhomboid (Rh) nuclei of the ventral midline thalamus are bidirectionally connected with both regions, and we previously demonstrated their crucial role in spatial memory persistence. We now investigated, in male rats, whether specific manipulations of ReRh activity also affected contextual and cued fear memory persistence. We showed that the permanent ReRh lesion impaired remote, but not recent contextual fear memory. Tone-cued recent and remote fear memory were spared by the lesion. In intact rats, acute chemogenetic ReRh inhibition conducted before recall of either recent or remote contextual fear memories produced no effect, indicating that the ReRh nuclei are not required for retrieval of such memories. This was also suggested by a functional cellular imaging approach, as retrieval did not alter c-fos expression in the ReRh. Collectively, these data are compatible with a role for the ReRh in 'off-line' consolidation of a contextual fear memory and support the crucial importance of ventral midline thalamic nuclei in systems consolidation of memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Quet
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, LNCA, UMR7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Monique Majchrzak
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, LNCA, UMR7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Brigitte Cosquer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, LNCA, UMR7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Thomas Morvan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, LNCA, UMR7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mathieu Wolff
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INCIA, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5287, Bordeaux, France
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, LNCA, UMR7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, LNCA, UMR7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Aline Stéphan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, LNCA, UMR7364, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
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25
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Gasser J, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Cosquer B, Boutillier AL, Cassel JC. Shifting between response and place strategies in maze navigation: Effects of training, cue availability and functional inactivation of striatum or hippocampus in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 167:107131. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2019.107131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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The striatum, the hippocampus, and short-term memory binding: Volumetric analysis of the subcortical grey matter's role in mild cognitive impairment. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 25:102158. [PMID: 31918064 PMCID: PMC7036699 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal atrophy plays no role in short-term memory binding. The globus pallidus could be part of the brain network supporting binding. Total brain atrophy does not correlate with striatal grey matter atrophy in MCI. Striatal grey matter atrophy reflects in total brain atrophy in controls. Hippocampal and parahippocampal volumes correlate in MCI and controls.
Background Deficits in short-term memory (STM) binding are a distinguishing feature of preclinical stages leading to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the neuroanatomical correlates of conjunctive STM binding are largely unexplored. Here we examine the possible association between the volumes of hippocampi, parahippocampal gyri, and grey matter within the subcortical structures – all found to have foci that seemingly correlate with basic daily living activities in AD patients - with cognitive tests related to conjunctive STM binding. Materials and methods Hippocampal, thalamic, parahippocampal and corpus striatum volumes were semi-automatically quantified in brain magnetic resonance images from 25 cognitively normal people and 21 patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) at high risk of AD progression, who undertook a battery of cognitive tests and the short-term memory binding test. Associations were assessed using linear regression models and group differences were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results Hippocampal and parahippocampal gyrus volumes differed between MCI and control groups. Although the grey matter volume in the globus pallidus (r = -0.71, p < 0.001) and parahippocampal gyry (r = -0.63, p < 0.05) correlated with a STM binding task in the MCI group, only the former remained associated with STM binding deficits in MCI patients, after correcting for age, gender and years of education (β = -0.56,P = 0.042) although with borderline significance. Conclusions Loss of hippocampal volume plays no role in the processing of STM binding. Structures within the basal ganglia, namely the globus pallidus, could be part of the extrahippocampal network supporting binding. Replication of this study in large samples is now needed.
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Walsh DA, Brown JT, Randall AD. Neurophysiological alterations in the nucleus reuniens of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 88:1-10. [PMID: 32065917 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recently, increased neuronal activity in nucleus reuniens (Re) has been linked to hyperexcitability within hippocampal-thalamo-cortical networks in the J20 mouse model of amyloidopathy. Here in vitro whole-cell patch clamp recordings were used to compare old pathology-bearing J20 mice and wild-type controls to examine whether altered intrinsic electrophysiological properties could contribute to the amyloidopathy-associated Re hyperactivity. A greater proportion of Re neurons display hyperpolarized membrane potentials in J20 mice without changes to the incidence or frequency of spontaneous action potentials. Re neurons recorded from J20 mice did not exhibit increased action potential generation in response to depolarizing current stimuli but an increased propensity to rebound burst following hyperpolarizing current stimuli. Increased rebound firing did not appear to result from alterations to T-type Ca2+ channels. Finally, in J20 mice, there was an ~8% reduction in spike width, similar to what has been reported in CA1 pyramidal neurons from multiple amyloidopathy mice. We conclude that alterations to the intrinsic properties of Re neurons may contribute to hippocampal-thalmo-cortical hyperexcitability observed under pathological beta-amyloid load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren A Walsh
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Hatherly Laboratory, Exeter, UK
| | - Jon T Brown
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Hatherly Laboratory, Exeter, UK
| | - Andrew D Randall
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Hatherly Laboratory, Exeter, UK.
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Ramanathan KR, Maren S. Nucleus reuniens mediates the extinction of contextual fear conditioning. Behav Brain Res 2019; 374:112114. [PMID: 31351844 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Learning and remembering the context in which events occur requires interactions between the hippocampus (HPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The nucleus reuniens (RE) is a ventral midline thalamic nucleus that coordinates activity in the mPFC and HPC and is involved in spatial and contextual memory. We recently found that the RE is critical for contextual fear conditioning in rats, a form of learning that involves interactions between the HPC and mPFC. Here we examined whether the RE mediates the extinction of contextual fear. After contextual fear conditioning, rats underwent an extinction procedure in which they were merely exposed to the conditioning context; freezing behavior during the extinction procedure and during a retrieval test 24 h later served as an index of conditioned fear. Muscimol inactivation of the RE prior to extinction impaired the acquisition of both short- and long-term extinction memories. Similarly, inactivation of the RE prior to the extinction retrieval test also impaired the expression of extinction; this effect was not state-dependent. Taken together, these results reveal that the extinction of contextual fear memories requires the RE, which is consistent with a broader role for the RE in forms of learning that require HPC-mPFC interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik R Ramanathan
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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Dolleman-van der Weel MJ, Griffin AL, Ito HT, Shapiro ML, Witter MP, Vertes RP, Allen TA. The nucleus reuniens of the thalamus sits at the nexus of a hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex circuit enabling memory and behavior. Learn Mem 2019; 26:191-205. [PMID: 31209114 PMCID: PMC6581009 DOI: 10.1101/lm.048389.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens of the thalamus (RE) is a key component of an extensive network of hippocampal and cortical structures and is a fundamental substrate for cognition. A common misconception is that RE is a simple relay structure. Instead, a better conceptualization is that RE is a critical component of a canonical higher-order cortico-thalamo-cortical circuit that supports communication between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (HC). RE dysfunction is implicated in several clinical disorders including, but not limited to Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. Here, we review key anatomical and physiological features of the RE based primarily on studies in rodents. We present a conceptual model of RE circuitry within the mPFC-RE-HC system and speculate on the computations RE enables. We review the rapidly growing literature demonstrating that RE is critical to, and its neurons represent, aspects of behavioral tasks that place demands on memory focusing on its role in navigation, spatial working memory, the temporal organization of memory, and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margriet J Dolleman-van der Weel
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam NL-1007MB, The Netherlands
- Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam NL-1098XH, The Netherlands
| | - Amy L Griffin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Hiroshi T Ito
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Matthew L Shapiro
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York 12208, USA
| | - Menno P Witter
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim NO-7491, Norway
| | - Robert P Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, USA
| | - Timothy A Allen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, USA
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Sil’kis IG. Possible Mechanisms of the Complex Effects of Acetylcholine on Theta Activity, Learning, and Memory. NEUROCHEM J+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712419020119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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31
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Mathiasen ML, Amin E, Nelson AJD, Dillingham CM, O'Mara SM, Aggleton JP. Separate cortical and hippocampal cell populations target the rat nucleus reuniens and mammillary bodies. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 49:1649-1672. [PMID: 30633830 PMCID: PMC6618334 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Nucleus reuniens receives dense projections from both the hippocampus and the frontal cortices. Reflecting these connections, this nucleus is thought to enable executive functions, including those involving spatial learning. The mammillary bodies, which also support spatial learning, again receive dense hippocampal inputs, as well as lighter projections from medial frontal areas. The present study, therefore, compared the sources of these inputs to nucleus reuniens and the mammillary bodies. Retrograde tracer injections in rats showed how these two diencephalic sites receive projections from separate cell populations, often from adjacent layers in the same cortical areas. In the subiculum, which projects strongly to both sites, the mammillary body inputs originate from a homogenous pyramidal cell population in more superficial levels, while the cells that target nucleus reuniens most often originate from cells positioned at a deeper level. In these deeper levels, a more morphologically diverse set of subiculum cells contributes to the thalamic projection, especially at septal levels. While both diencephalic sites also receive medial frontal inputs, those to nucleus reuniens are especially dense. The densest inputs to the mammillary bodies appear to arise from the dorsal peduncular cortex, where the cells are mostly separate from deeper neurons that project to nucleus reuniens. Again, in those other cortical regions that innervate both nucleus reuniens and the mammillary bodies, there was no evidence of collateral projections. The findings support the notion that these diencephalic nuclei represent components of distinct, but complementary, systems that support different aspects of cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eman Amin
- School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityWalesUK
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Klein MM, Cholvin T, Cosquer B, Salvadori A, Le Mero J, Kourouma L, Boutillier AL, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Cassel JC. Ventral midline thalamus lesion prevents persistence of new (learning-triggered) hippocampal spines, delayed neocortical spinogenesis, and spatial memory durability. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1659-1676. [PMID: 30927056 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01865-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The ventral midline thalamus contributes to hippocampo-cortical interactions supporting systems-level consolidation of memories. Recent hippocampus-dependent memories rely on hippocampal connectivity remodeling. Remote memories are underpinned by neocortical connectivity remodeling. After a ventral midline thalamus lesion, recent spatial memories are formed normally but do not last. Why these memories do not endure after the lesion is unknown. We hypothesized that a lesion could interfere with hippocampal and/or neocortical connectivity remodeling. To test this hypothesis, in a first experiment male rats were subjected to lesion of the reuniens and rhomboid (ReRh) nuclei, trained in a water maze, and tested in a probe trial 5 or 25 days post-acquisition. Dendritic spines were counted in the dorsal hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. Spatial learning resulted in a significant increase of mushroom spines in region CA1. This modification persisted between 5 and 25 days post-acquisition in Sham rats, not in rats with ReRh lesion. Furthermore, 25 days after acquisition, the number of mushroom spines in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) had undergone a dramatic increase in Sham rats; ReRh lesion prevented this gain. In a second experiment, the increase of c-Fos expression in CA1 accompanying memory retrieval was not affected by the lesion, be it for recent or remote memory. However, in the ACC, the lesion had reduced the retrieval-triggered c-Fos expression observed 25 days post-acquisition. These observations suggest that a ReRh lesion might disrupt spatial remote memory formation by preventing persistence of early remodeled hippocampal connectivity, and spinogenesis in the ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Muguet Klein
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Thibault Cholvin
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Brigitte Cosquer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Aurélie Salvadori
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julia Le Mero
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Lola Kourouma
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne-Laurence Boutillier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France. .,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
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The Ventral Midline Thalamus Mediates Hippocampal Spatial Information Processes upon Spatial Cue Changes. J Neurosci 2019; 39:2276-2290. [PMID: 30659088 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2127-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventral midline thalamus, consisting of the reuniens and rhomboid nuclei (RE/Rh), is a thalamic structure interconnected with the limbic systems including the hippocampus. Recently, many studies have revealed that this structure plays distinctive roles in spatial learning and memory in collaboration with hippocampal functions. However, what aspects of spatial information process are influenced by the RE/Rh is not clearly known. To elucidate the roles of RE/Rh in spatial information processing and its effects on hippocampal activity, specifically with the manipulation of spatial contents, we measured hippocampal-dependent spatial memory performance and hippocampal place cell activities after RE/Rh lesion using male C57BL/6J × 129/SvJae hybrid mice. We found that the lesion altered the behavioral aptitude in recognizing locational changes of an object. Furthermore, CA1 place cells in the lesion group showed different spatial representation patterns in recognizing the environment with cue locational changes compared with the control group. Interestingly, the patterns of CA1 place cells in recognizing the same environment previously visited were not disrupted in the lesion group compared with the control group. These findings demonstrate that the ventral midline thalamus (RE/Rh) is important in recognizing the spatial relationships, especially when spatial rearrangement of cue position was introduced.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The ventral midline thalamic nuclei (reuniens and rhomboid) interact with the hippocampus to influence various cognitive functions requiring spatial memories, yet what aspects of spatial information process are influenced by these nuclei is not clearly known. Here, we reveal that these nuclei play a crucial role in modulating hippocampal properties only with locational rearrangement of cues, not with the familiar arrangement. These nuclei are distinctively involved in cue-dependent spatial information processes of CA1 place cells. In particular, we suggest that these nuclei modulate spatial information processing on discrete components, especially when the spatial cue relationship is modified.
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Wolff M, Vann SD. The Cognitive Thalamus as a Gateway to Mental Representations. J Neurosci 2019; 39:3-14. [PMID: 30389839 PMCID: PMC6325267 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0479-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Historically, the thalamus has been viewed as little more than a relay, simply transferring information to key players of the cast, the cortex and hippocampus, without providing any unique functional contribution. In recent years, evidence from multiple laboratories researching different thalamic nuclei has contradicted this idea of the thalamus as a passive structure. Dated models of thalamic functions are being pushed aside, revealing a greater and far more complex contribution of the thalamus for cognition. In this Viewpoints article, we show how recent data support novel views of thalamic functions that emphasize integrative roles in cognition, ranging from learning and memory to flexible adaption. We propose that these apparently separate cognitive functions may indeed be supported by a more general role in shaping mental representations. Several features of thalamocortical circuits are consistent with this suggested role, and we highlight how divergent and convergent thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways may complement each other to support these functions. Furthermore, the role of the thalamus for subcortical integration is highlighted as a key mechanism for maintaining and updating representations. Finally, we discuss future areas of research and stress the importance of incorporating new experimental findings into existing knowledge to continue developing thalamic models. The presence of thalamic pathology in a number of neurological conditions reinforces the need to better understand the role of this region in cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Wolff
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INCIA, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5287, Bordeaux, France,
- University of Bordeaux, INCIA, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5287, Bordeaux, France, and
| | - Seralynne D Vann
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
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35
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Zimmerman EC, Grace AA. Prefrontal cortex modulates firing pattern in the nucleus reuniens of the midline thalamus via distinct corticothalamic pathways. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 48:3255-3272. [PMID: 30107061 PMCID: PMC6237082 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus has long been recognized for its role in relaying sensory information from the periphery, a function accomplished by its "first-order" nuclei. However, a second category of thalamic nuclei, termed "higher-order" nuclei, have been shown instead to mediate communication between cortical areas. The nucleus reuniens of the midline thalamus (RE) is a higher-order nucleus known to act as a conduit of reciprocal communication between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus. While anatomical and behavioural studies of RE are numerous, circuit-based electrophysiological studies, particularly those examining the impact of cortical input and the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) on RE neuron firing, are sparse. To characterize RE neuron firing properties and dissect the circuit dynamics of the infralimbic subdivision of the mPFC (ilPFC), the TRN and RE, we used in vivo, extracellular, single-unit recordings in male Sprague Dawley rats and manipulated neural activity using targeted pharmacological manipulations, electrical stimulation and a projection-specific implementation of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs). We show that ilPFC inhibition reduces multiple burst firing parameters in RE, whereas ilPFC stimulation drives burst firing and dampens tonic firing. In addition, TRN inhibition reduces the number of spontaneously active neurons in RE. Finally, inhibition of ilPFC terminals in RE selectively enhances a subset of burst firing parameters. These findings demonstrate that ilPFC input, both via direct projections and via the TRN, can modulate RE neuron firing pattern in nuanced and complex ways. They also highlight the ilPFC-TRN-RE circuit as a likely critical component of prefrontal-hippocampal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric C Zimmerman
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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36
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Theta oscillations underlie retrieval success effects in the nucleus accumbens and anterior thalamus: Evidence from human intracranial recordings. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:104-112. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Nucleus Reuniens Is Required for Encoding and Retrieving Precise, Hippocampal-Dependent Contextual Fear Memories in Rats. J Neurosci 2018; 38:9925-9933. [PMID: 30282726 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1429-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens (RE) is a ventral midline thalamic nucleus that interconnects the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HPC). Considerable data indicate that HPC-mPFC circuits are involved in contextual and spatial memory; however, it is not clear whether the RE mediates the acquisition or retrieval of these memories. To examine this question, we inactivated the RE with muscimol before either the acquisition or retrieval of pavlovian fear conditioning in rats; freezing served as the index of fear. We found that RE inactivation before conditioning impaired the acquisition of contextual freezing, whereas inactivation of the RE before retrieval testing increased the generalization of freezing to a novel context; inactivation of the RE did not affect either the acquisition or expression of auditory fear conditioning. Interestingly, contextual conditioning impairments were absent when retrieval testing was also conducted after RE inactivation. Contextual memories acquired under RE inactivation were hippocampal independent, insofar as contextual freezing in rats conditioned under RE inactivation was insensitive to intrahippocampal infusions of the NMDA receptor antagonist aminophosphonovalerate. Together, these data reveal that the RE supports hippocampal-dependent encoding of precise contextual memories that allow discrimination of dangerous contexts from safe contexts. When the RE is inactive, however, alternate neural systems acquire an impoverished contextual memory that is expressed only when the RE is off-line.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The midline thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE) coordinates communication between the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex, brain areas that are critical for contextual and spatial memory. Here we show that temporary pharmacological inactivation of RE impairs the acquisition and precision of contextual fear memories after pavlovian fear conditioning in rats. However, inactivating the RE before retrieval testing restored contextual memory in rats conditioned after RE inactivation. Critically, we show that imprecise contextual memories acquired under RE inactivation are learned independently of the hippocampus. These data reveal that the RE is required for hippocampal-dependent encoding of precise contextual memories to support the discrimination of safe and dangerous contexts.
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Hay YA, Naudé J, Faure P, Lambolez B. Target Interneuron Preference in Thalamocortical Pathways Determines the Temporal Structure of Cortical Responses. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:2815-2831. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Sensory processing relies on fast detection of changes in environment, as well as integration of contextual cues over time. The mechanisms by which local circuits of the cerebral cortex simultaneously perform these opposite processes remain obscure. Thalamic “specific” nuclei relay sensory information, whereas “nonspecific” nuclei convey information on the environmental and behavioral contexts. We expressed channelrhodopsin in the ventrobasal specific (sensory) or the rhomboid nonspecific (contextual) thalamic nuclei. By selectively activating each thalamic pathway, we found that nonspecific inputs powerfully activate adapting (slow-responding) interneurons but weakly connect fast-spiking interneurons, whereas specific inputs exhibit opposite interneuron preference. Specific inputs thereby induce rapid feedforward inhibition that limits response duration, whereas, in the same cortical area, nonspecific inputs elicit delayed feedforward inhibition that enables lasting recurrent excitation. Using a mean field model, we confirm that cortical response dynamics depends on the type of interneuron targeted by thalamocortical inputs and show that efficient recruitment of adapting interneurons prolongs the cortical response and allows the summation of sensory and contextual inputs. Hence, target choice between slow- and fast-responding inhibitory neurons endows cortical networks with a simple computational solution to perform both sensory detection and integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Audrey Hay
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), Paris, France
| | - Jérémie Naudé
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), Paris, France
| | - Philippe Faure
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Lambolez
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), Paris, France
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Mathis V, Barbelivien A, Majchrzak M, Mathis C, Cassel JC, Lecourtier L. The Lateral Habenula as a Relay of Cortical Information to Process Working Memory. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:5485-5495. [PMID: 28334072 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory is a cognitive ability allowing the temporary storage of information to solve problems or adjust behavior. While working memory is known to mainly depend on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), very few is known about how cortical information are relayed subcortically. By its connectivity, the lateral habenula (lHb) might act as a subcortical relay for cortical information. Indeed, the lHb receives inputs from several mPFC subregions, and recent findings suggest a role for the lHb in online processing of spatial information, a fundamental aspect of working memory. In rats, in a delayed non-matching to position paradigm, using focal microinjections of the GABAA agonist muscimol we showed that inactivation of the lHb (16 ng in 0.2 µL per side), as well as disconnection between the prelimbic region of the mPFC (mPFC/PrL, 32 ng in 0.4 µL in one hemisphere) and the lHb (16 ng in 0.2 µL in the lHb in the contralateral hemisphere) impaired working memory. The deficits were unlikely to result from motivational or motor deficits as muscimol did not affect reward collection or cue responding latencies, and did not increase the number of omissions. These results show for the first time the implication of the lHb in mPFC-dependent memory processes, likely as a relay of mPFC/PrL information. They also open new perspectives in the understanding of the top-down processing of high-level cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Mathis
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, UMR 7364, CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Alexandra Barbelivien
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, UMR 7364, CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Monique Majchrzak
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, UMR 7364, CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Chantal Mathis
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, UMR 7364, CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, UMR 7364, CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Lucas Lecourtier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, UMR 7364, CNRS, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
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Pinnell RC, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Cassel JC, Hofmann UG. A Miniaturized, Programmable Deep-Brain Stimulator for Group-Housing and Water Maze Use. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:231. [PMID: 29706862 PMCID: PMC5906879 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-clinical deep-brain stimulation (DBS) research has observed a growing interest in the use of portable stimulation devices that can be carried by animals. Not only can such devices overcome many issues inherent with a cable tether, such as twisting or snagging, they can also be utilized in a greater variety of arenas, including enclosed or large mazes. However, these devices are not inherently designed for water-maze environments, and their use has been restricted to individually-housed rats in order to avoid damage from various social activities such as grooming, playing, or fighting. By taking advantage of 3D-printing techniques, this study demonstrates an ultra-small portable stimulator with an environmentally-protective device housing, that is suitable for both social-housing and water-maze environments. The miniature device offers 2 channels of charge-balanced biphasic pulses with a high compliance voltage (12 V), a magnetic switch, and a diverse range of programmable stimulus parameters and pulse modes. The device's capabilities have been verified in both chronic pair-housing and water-maze experiments that asses the effects of nucleus reuniens DBS. Theta-burst stimulation delivered during a reference-memory water-maze task (but not before) had induced performance deficits during both the acquisition and probe trials of a reference memory task. The results highlight a successful application of 3D-printing for expanding on the range of measurement modalities capable in DBS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard C Pinnell
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Faculté de Psychologie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Section of Neuroelectronic Systems, Neurosurgery, Medical Centre, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Faculté de Psychologie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, UMR 7364, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean C Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Faculté de Psychologie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, UMR 7364, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ulrich G Hofmann
- Section of Neuroelectronic Systems, Neurosurgery, Medical Centre, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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41
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Prefrontal–hippocampal interactions for spatial navigation. Neurosci Res 2018; 129:2-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2017.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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The Nucleus Reuniens Controls Long-Range Hippocampo-Prefrontal Gamma Synchronization during Slow Oscillations. J Neurosci 2018; 38:3026-3038. [PMID: 29459369 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3058-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Gamma oscillations are involved in long-range coupling of distant regions that support various cognitive operations. Here we show in adult male rats that synchronized bursts of gamma oscillations bind the hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during slow oscillations and slow-wave sleep, a brain state that is central for consolidation of memory traces. These gamma bursts entrained the firing of the local HPC and mPFC neuronal populations. Neurons of the nucleus reuniens (NR), which is a structural and functional hub between HPC and mPFC, demonstrated a specific increase in their firing before gamma burst onset, suggesting their involvement in HPC-mPFC binding. Chemical inactivation of NR disrupted the temporal pattern of gamma bursts and their synchronization, as well as mPFC neuronal firing. We propose that the NR drives long-range hippocampo-prefrontal coupling via gamma bursts providing temporal windows for information exchange between the HPC and mPFC during slow-wave sleep.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Long-range coupling between hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is believed to support numerous cognitive functions, including memory consolidation occurring during sleep. Gamma-band synchronization is a fundamental process in many neuronal operations and is instrumental in long-range coupling. Recent evidence highlights the role of nucleus reuniens (NR) in consolidation; however, how it influences hippocampo-prefrontal coupling is unknown. In this study, we show that HPC and mPFC are synchronized by gamma bursts during slow oscillations in anesthesia and natural sleep. By manipulating and recording the NR-HPC-mPFC network, we provide evidence that the NR actively promotes this long-range gamma coupling. This coupling provides the hippocampo-prefrontal circuit with a novel mechanism to exchange information during slow-wave sleep.
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43
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A Critical Role for the Nucleus Reuniens in Long-Term, But Not Short-Term Associative Recognition Memory Formation. J Neurosci 2018; 38:3208-3217. [PMID: 29449430 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1802-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recognition memory for single items requires the perirhinal cortex (PRH), whereas recognition of an item and its associated location requires a functional interaction among the PRH, hippocampus (HPC), and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Although the precise mechanisms through which these interactions are effected are unknown, the nucleus reuniens (NRe) has bidirectional connections with each regions and thus may play a role in recognition memory. Here we investigated, in male rats, whether specific manipulations of NRe function affected performance of recognition memory for single items, object location, or object-in-place associations. Permanent lesions in the NRe significantly impaired long-term, but not short-term, object-in-place associative recognition memory, whereas single item recognition memory and object location memory were unaffected. Temporary inactivation of the NRe during distinct phases of the object-in-place task revealed its importance in both the encoding and retrieval stages of long-term associative recognition memory. Infusions of specific receptor antagonists showed that encoding was dependent on muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic neurotransmission, whereas NMDA receptor neurotransmission was not required. Finally, we found that long-term object-in-place memory required protein synthesis within the NRe. These data reveal a specific role for the NRe in long-term associative recognition memory through its interactions with the HPC and mPFC, but not the PRH. The delay-dependent involvement of the NRe suggests that it is not a simple relay station between brain regions, but, rather, during high mnemonic demand, facilitates interactions between the mPFC and HPC, a process that requires both cholinergic neurotransmission and protein synthesis.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Recognizing an object and its associated location, which is fundamental to our everyday memory, requires specific hippocampal-cortical interactions, potentially facilitated by the nucleus reuniens (NRe) of the thalamus. However, the role of the NRe itself in associative recognition memory is unknown. Here, we reveal the crucial role of the NRe in encoding and retrieval of long-term object-in-place memory, but not for remembrance of an individual object or individual location and such involvement is cholinergic receptor and protein synthesis dependent. This is the first demonstration that the NRe is a key node within an associative recognition memory network and is not just a simple relay for information within the network. Rather, we argue, the NRe actively modulates information processing during long-term associative memory formation.
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Mei H, Logothetis NK, Eschenko O. The activity of thalamic nucleus reuniens is critical for memory retrieval, but not essential for the early phase of "off-line" consolidation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 25:129-137. [PMID: 29449457 PMCID: PMC5817284 DOI: 10.1101/lm.047134.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Spatial navigation depends on the hippocampal function, but also requires bidirectional interactions between the hippocampus (HPC) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The cross-regional communication is typically regulated by critical nodes of a distributed brain network. The thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE) is reciprocally connected to both HPC and PFC and may coordinate the information flow within the HPC-PFC pathway. Here we examined if RE activity contributes to the spatial memory consolidation. Rats were trained to find reward following a complex trajectory on a crossword-like maze. Immediately after each of the five daily learning sessions the RE was reversibly inactivated by local injection of muscimol. The post-training RE inactivation affected neither the spatial task acquisition nor the memory retention, which was tested after a 20-d "forgetting" period. In contrast, the RE inactivation in well-trained rats prior to the maze exposure impaired the task performance without affecting locomotion or appetitive motivation. Our results support the role of the RE in memory retrieval and/or "online" processing of spatial information, but do not provide evidence for its engagement in "off-line" processing, at least within a time window immediately following learning experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Mei
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Nikos K Logothetis
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen 72076, Germany.,Centre for Imaging Sciences, Biomedical Imaging Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Oxana Eschenko
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen 72076, Germany
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45
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Viena TD, Linley SB, Vertes RP. Inactivation of nucleus reuniens impairs spatial working memory and behavioral flexibility in the rat. Hippocampus 2018; 28:297-311. [PMID: 29357198 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampal formation (HF) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) play critical roles in spatial working memory (SWM). The nucleus reuniens (RE) of the ventral midline thalamus is an important anatomical link between the HF and mPFC, and as such is crucially involved in SWM functions that recruit both structures. Little is known, however, regarding the role of RE in other behaviors mediated by this circuit. In the present study, we examined the role of RE in spatial working memory and executive functioning following reversible inactivation of RE with either muscimol or procaine. Rats were implanted with an indwelling cannula targeting RE and trained in a delayed nonmatch to sample spatial alternation T-maze task. For the task, sample and choice runs were separated by moderate or long delays (30, 60, and 120 s). Following asymptotic performance, rats were tested following infusions of drug or vehicle. Muscimol infused into RE impaired SWM at all delays, whereby procaine only impaired performance at the longest delays. Furthermore, RE inactivation with muscimol produced a failure in win-shift strategy as well as severe spatial perseveration, whereby rats persistently made re-entries into incorrect arms during correction trials, despite the absence of reward. This demonstrated marked changes in behavioral flexibility and response strategy. These results strengthen the role of nucleus reuniens as a pivotal link between hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in cognitive and executive functions and suggest that nucleus reuniens may be a potential target in the treatment of CNS disorders such as schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, whose symptoms are defined by hippocampal-prefrontal dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana D Viena
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431
| | - Stephanie B Linley
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431.,Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431
| | - Robert P Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431
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46
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Cholvin T, Hok V, Giorgi L, Chaillan FA, Poucet B. Ventral Midline Thalamus Is Necessary for Hippocampal Place Field Stability and Cell Firing Modulation. J Neurosci 2018; 38:158-172. [PMID: 29133436 PMCID: PMC6705806 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2039-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The reuniens (Re) and rhomboid (Rh) nuclei of the ventral midline thalamus are reciprocally connected with the hippocampus (Hip) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Growing evidence suggests that these nuclei might play a crucial role in cognitive processes requiring Hip-mPFC interactions, including spatial navigation. Here, we tested the effect of ReRh lesions on the firing properties and spatial activity of dorsal hippocampal CA1 place cells as male rats explored a familiar or a novel environment. We found no change in the spatial characteristics of CA1 place cells in the familiar environment following ReRh lesions. Contrariwise, spatial coherence was decreased during the first session in a novel environment. We then investigated field stability of place cells recorded across 5 d both in the familiar and in a novel environment presented in a predefined sequence. While the remapping capacity of the place cells was not affected by the lesion, our results clearly demonstrated a disruption of the CA1 cellular representation of both environments in ReRh rats. More specifically, we found ReRh lesions to produce (1) a pronounced and long-lasting decrease of place field stability and (2) a strong alteration of overdispersion (i.e., firing variability). Thus, in ReRh rats, exploration of a novel environment appears to interfere with the representation of the familiar one, leading to decreased field stability in both environments. The present study shows the involvement of ReRh nuclei in the long-term spatial stability of CA1 place fields.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Growing evidence suggest that the ventral midline thalamic nuclei (reuniens and rhomboid) might play a substantial role in various cognitive tasks including spatial memory. In the present article, we show that the lesions of these nuclei impair the spatial representations encoded by CA1 place cells of both familiar and novel environments. First, reduced variability of place cell firing appears to indicate an impairment of attentional processes. Second, impaired stability of place cell representations could explain the long-term memory deficits observed in previous behavioral studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Cholvin
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives and
- Federation 3C, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13331 Marseille, France
| | - Vincent Hok
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives and
- Federation 3C, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13331 Marseille, France
| | - Lisa Giorgi
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives and
- Federation 3C, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13331 Marseille, France
| | - Franck A Chaillan
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives and
- Federation 3C, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13331 Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Poucet
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives and
- Federation 3C, CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13331 Marseille, France
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47
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Kafetzopoulos V, Kokras N, Sotiropoulos I, Oliveira JF, Leite-Almeida H, Vasalou A, Sardinha VM, Papadopoulou-Daifoti Z, Almeida OFX, Antoniou K, Sousa N, Dalla C. The nucleus reuniens: a key node in the neurocircuitry of stress and depression. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:579-586. [PMID: 28397837 PMCID: PMC5822458 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) are connected in a reciprocal manner: whereas the hippocampus projects directly to the PFC, a polysynaptic pathway that passes through the nucleus reuniens (RE) of the thalamus relays inputs from the PFC to the hippocampus. The present study demonstrates that lesioning and/or inactivation of the RE reduces coherence in the PFC-hippocampal pathway, provokes an antidepressant-like behavioral response in the forced swim test and prevents, but does not ameliorate, anhedonia in the chronic mild stress (CMS) model of depression. Additionally, RE lesioning before CMS abrogates the well-known neuromorphological and endocrine correlates of CMS. In summary, this work highlights the importance of the reciprocal connectivity between the hippocampus and PFC in the establishment of stress-induced brain pathology and suggests a role for the RE in promoting resilience to depressive illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Kafetzopoulos
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - N Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece,First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - I Sotiropoulos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - J F Oliveira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - H Leite-Almeida
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - A Vasalou
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - V M Sardinha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - Z Papadopoulou-Daifoti
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - O F X Almeida
- NeuroAdaptations Group, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - K Antoniou
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - N Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - C Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece,Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Athens 11527, Greece. E-mail:
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48
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Fillinger C, Yalcin I, Barrot M, Veinante P. Efferents of anterior cingulate areas 24a and 24b and midcingulate areas 24a' and 24b' in the mouse. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:1747-1778. [PMID: 29209804 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1585-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), constituted by areas 25, 32, 24a and 24b in rodents, plays a major role in cognition, emotion and pain. In a previous study, we described the afferents of areas 24a and 24b and those of areas 24a' and 24b' of midcingulate cortex (MCC) in mice and highlighted some density differences among cingulate inputs (Fillinger et al., Brain Struct Funct 222:1509-1532, 2017). To complete this connectome, we analyzed here the efferents of ACC and MCC by injecting anterograde tracers in areas 24a/24b of ACC and 24a'/24b' of MCC. Our results reveal a common projections pattern from both ACC and MCC, targeting the cortical mantle (intracingulate, retrosplenial and parietal associative cortex), the non-cortical basal forebrain, (dorsal striatum, septum, claustrum, basolateral amygdala), the hypothalamus (anterior, lateral, posterior), the thalamus (anterior, laterodorsal, ventral, mediodorsal, midline and intralaminar nuclei), the brainstem (periaqueductal gray, superior colliculus, pontomesencephalic reticular formation, pontine nuclei, tegmental nuclei) and the spinal cord. In addition to an overall denser ACC projection pattern compared to MCC, our analysis revealed clear differences in the density and topography of efferents between ACC and MCC, as well as between dorsal (24b/24b') and ventral (24a/24a') areas, suggesting a common functionality of these two cingulate regions supplemented by specific roles of each area. These results provide a detailed analysis of the efferents of the mouse areas 24a/24b and 24a'/24b' and achieve the description of the cingulate connectome, which bring the anatomical basis necessary to address the roles of ACC and MCC in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Fillinger
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UPR3212, 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084, Strasbourg, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ipek Yalcin
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UPR3212, 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084, Strasbourg, France
| | - Michel Barrot
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UPR3212, 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Veinante
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UPR3212, 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084, Strasbourg, France. .,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
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49
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Corticothalamic network dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease. Brain Res 2017; 1702:38-45. [PMID: 28919464 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by progressive cognitive decline and a prominent loss of hippocampal-dependent memory. Therefore, much focus has been placed on understanding the function and dysfunction of the hippocampus in AD. However, AD is also accompanied by a number of other debilitating cognitive and behavioral alterations including deficits in attention, cognitive processing, and sleep maintenance. The underlying mechanisms that give rise to impairments in such diverse behavioral domains are unknown, and identifying them would shed insight into the multifactorial nature of AD as well as reveal potential new therapeutic targets to improve overall function in AD. We present here several lines of evidence that suggest that dysregulation of the corticothalamic network may be a common denominator that contributes to the diverse cognitive and behavioral alterations in AD. First, we will review the mechanisms by which this network regulates processes that include attention, cognitive processing, learning and memory, and sleep maintenance. Then we will review how these behavioral and cognitive domains are altered in AD. We will also discuss how dysregulation of tightly regulated activity in the corticothalamic network can give rise to non-convulsive seizures and other forms of epileptiform activity that have also been documented in both AD patients and transgenic mouse models of AD. In summary, the corticothalamic network has the potential to be a master regulator of diverse cognitive and behavioral domains that are affected in AD.
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50
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Walsh DA, Brown JT, Randall AD. In vitro characterization of cell-level neurophysiological diversity in the rostral nucleus reuniens of adult mice. J Physiol 2017; 595:3549-3572. [PMID: 28295330 PMCID: PMC5451734 DOI: 10.1113/jp273915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS The nucleus reuniens (Re), a nucleus of the midline thalamus, is part of a cognitive network including the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex. To date, very few studies have examined the electrophysiological properties of Re neurons at a cellular level. The majority of Re neurons exhibit spontaneous action potential firing at rest. This is independent of classical amino-acid mediated synaptic transmission. When driven by various forms of depolarizing current stimulus, Re neurons display considerable diversity in their firing patterns. As a result of the presence of a low threshold Ca2+ channel, spike output functions are strongly modulated by the prestimulus membrane potential. Finally, we describe a novel form of activity-dependant intrinsic plasticity that eliminates the high-frequency burst firing present in many Re neurons. These results provide a comprehensive summary of the intrinsic electrophysiological properties of Re neurons allowing us to better consider the role of the Re in cognitive processes. ABSTRACT The nucleus reuniens (Re) is the largest of the midline thalamic nuclei. We have performed a detailed neurophysiological characterization of neurons in the rostral Re of brain slices prepared from adult male mice. At resting potential (-63.7 ± 0.6 mV), ∼90% of Re neurons fired action potentials, typically continuously at ∼8 Hz. Although Re neurons experience a significant spontaneous barrage of fast, amino-acid-mediate synaptic transmission, this was not predominantly responsible for spontaneous spiking because firing persisted in the presence of glutamate and GABA receptor antagonists. With resting potential preset to -80 mV, -20 pA current injections revealed a mean input resistance of 615 MΩ and a mean time constant of 38 ms. Following cessation of this stimulus, a significant rebound potential was seen that was sometimes sufficiently large to trigger a short burst of very high frequency (100-300 Hz) firing. In most cells, short (2 ms), strong (2 nA) current injections elicited a single spike followed by a large afterdepolarizing potential which, when suprathreshold, generated high-frequency spiking. Similarly, in the majority of cells preset at -80 mV, 500 ms depolarizing current injections to cells led to a brief initial burst of very high-frequency firing, although this was lost when cells were preset at -72 mV. Biophysical and pharmacological experiments indicate a prominent role for T-type Ca2+ channels in the high-frequency bursting of Re neurons. Finally, we describe a novel form of activity-dependent intrinsic plasticity that persistently eliminates the burst firing potential of Re neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren A. Walsh
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical SchoolHatherly LaboratoryExeterUK
| | - Jonathan T. Brown
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical SchoolHatherly LaboratoryExeterUK
| | - Andrew D. Randall
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical SchoolHatherly LaboratoryExeterUK
- School of Clinical SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
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