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Vannasing P, Dionne-Dostie E, Tremblay J, Paquette N, Collignon O, Gallagher A. Electrophysiological responses of audiovisual integration from infancy to adulthood. Brain Cogn 2024; 178:106180. [PMID: 38815526 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106180] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Our ability to merge information from different senses into a unified percept is a crucial perceptual process for efficient interaction with our multisensory environment. Yet, the developmental process underlying how the brain implements multisensory integration (MSI) remains poorly known. This cross-sectional study aims to characterize the developmental patterns of audiovisual events in 131 individuals aged from 3 months to 30 years. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during a passive task, including simple auditory, visual, and audiovisual stimuli. In addition to examining age-related variations in MSI responses, we investigated Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) linked with auditory and visual stimulation alone. This was done to depict the typical developmental trajectory of unisensory processing from infancy to adulthood within our sample and to contextualize the maturation effects of MSI in relation to unisensory development. Comparing the neural response to audiovisual stimuli to the sum of the unisensory responses revealed signs of MSI in the ERPs, more specifically between the P2 and N2 components (P2 effect). Furthermore, adult-like MSI responses emerge relatively late in the development, around 8 years old. The automatic integration of simple audiovisual stimuli is a long developmental process that emerges during childhood and continues to mature during adolescence with ERP latencies decreasing with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phetsamone Vannasing
- Neurodevelopmental Optical Imaging Laboratory (LION Lab), Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Emmanuelle Dionne-Dostie
- Neurodevelopmental Optical Imaging Laboratory (LION Lab), Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Julie Tremblay
- Neurodevelopmental Optical Imaging Laboratory (LION Lab), Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Natacha Paquette
- Neurodevelopmental Optical Imaging Laboratory (LION Lab), Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Olivier Collignon
- Institute of Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium; School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Switzerland.
| | - Anne Gallagher
- Neurodevelopmental Optical Imaging Laboratory (LION Lab), Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Cerebrum, Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada.
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2
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Smyre SA, Bean NL, Stein BE, Rowland BA. The brain can develop conflicting multisensory principles to guide behavior. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae247. [PMID: 38879756 PMCID: PMC11179994 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Midbrain multisensory neurons undergo a significant postnatal transition in how they process cross-modal (e.g. visual-auditory) signals. In early stages, signals derived from common events are processed competitively; however, at later stages they are processed cooperatively such that their salience is enhanced. This transition reflects adaptation to cross-modal configurations that are consistently experienced and become informative about which correspond to common events. Tested here was the assumption that overt behaviors follow a similar maturation. Cats were reared in omnidirectional sound thereby compromising the experience needed for this developmental process. Animals were then repeatedly exposed to different configurations of visual and auditory stimuli (e.g. spatiotemporally congruent or spatially disparate) that varied on each side of space and their behavior was assessed using a detection/localization task. Animals showed enhanced performance to stimuli consistent with the experience provided: congruent stimuli elicited enhanced behaviors where spatially congruent cross-modal experience was provided, and spatially disparate stimuli elicited enhanced behaviors where spatially disparate cross-modal experience was provided. Cross-modal configurations not consistent with experience did not enhance responses. The presumptive benefit of such flexibility in the multisensory developmental process is to sensitize neural circuits (and the behaviors they control) to the features of the environment in which they will function. These experiments reveal that these processes have a high degree of flexibility, such that two (conflicting) multisensory principles can be implemented by cross-modal experience on opposite sides of space even within the same animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Smyre
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States
| | - Naomi L Bean
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States
| | - Barry E Stein
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States
| | - Benjamin A Rowland
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States
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3
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Keum D, Medina AE. The effect of developmental alcohol exposure on multisensory integration is larger in deeper cortical layers. Alcohol 2024:S0741-8329(24)00032-6. [PMID: 38417561 PMCID: PMC11345874 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are one of the most common causes of mental disability in the world. Despite efforts to increase public awareness of the risks of drinking during pregnancy, epidemiological studies indicate a prevalence of 1-6% in all births. There is growing evidence that deficits in sensory processing may contribute to social problems observed in FASD. Multisensory (MS) integration occurs when a combination of inputs from two sensory modalities leads to enhancement or suppression of neuronal firing. MS enhancement is usually linked to processes that facilitate cognition and reaction time, whereas MS suppression has been linked to filtering unwanted sensory information. The rostral portion of the posterior parietal cortex (PPr) of the ferret is an area that shows robust visual-tactile integration and displays both MS enhancement and suppression. Recently, our lab demonstrated that ferrets exposed to alcohol during the "third trimester equivalent" of human gestation show less MS enhancement and more MS suppression in PPr than controls. Here we complement these findings by comparing in vivo electrophysiological recordings from channels located in shallow and deep cortical layers. We observed that while the effects of alcohol (less MS enhancement and more MS suppression) were found in all layers, the magnitude of these effects were more pronounced in putative layers V-VI. These findings extend our knowledge on the sensory deficits of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongil Keum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine. 655 Baltimore, St. Baltimore, MD, 21230
| | - Alexandre E Medina
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine. 655 Baltimore, St. Baltimore, MD, 21230.
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Thompson AC, Aizenman CD. Characterization of Na + currents regulating intrinsic excitability of optic tectal neurons. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302232. [PMID: 37918964 PMCID: PMC10622587 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing neurons adapt their intrinsic excitability to maintain stable output despite changing synaptic input. The mechanisms behind this process remain unclear. In this study, we examined Xenopus optic tectal neurons and found that the expressions of Nav1.1 and Nav1.6 voltage-gated Na+ channels are regulated during changes in intrinsic excitability, both during development and becsuse of changes in visual experience. Using whole-cell electrophysiology, we demonstrate the existence of distinct, fast, persistent, and resurgent Na+ currents in the tectum, and show that these Na+ currents are co-regulated with changes in Nav channel expression. Using antisense RNA to suppress the expression of specific Nav subunits, we found that up-regulation of Nav1.6 expression, but not Nav1.1, was necessary for experience-dependent increases in Na+ currents and intrinsic excitability. Furthermore, this regulation was also necessary for normal development of sensory guided behaviors. These data suggest that the regulation of Na+ currents through the modulation of Nav1.6 expression, and to a lesser extent Nav1.1, plays a crucial role in controlling the intrinsic excitability of tectal neurons and guiding normal development of the tectal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian C Thompson
- https://ror.org/05gq02987 Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carlos D Aizenman
- https://ror.org/05gq02987 Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Yu L, Xu J. The Development of Multisensory Integration at the Neuronal Level. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1437:153-172. [PMID: 38270859 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-7611-9_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Multisensory integration is a fundamental function of the brain. In the typical adult, multisensory neurons' response to paired multisensory (e.g., audiovisual) cues is significantly more robust than the corresponding best unisensory response in many brain regions. Synthesizing sensory signals from multiple modalities can speed up sensory processing and improve the salience of outside events or objects. Despite its significance, multisensory integration is testified to be not a neonatal feature of the brain. Neurons' ability to effectively combine multisensory information does not occur rapidly but develops gradually during early postnatal life (for cats, 4-12 weeks required). Multisensory experience is critical for this developing process. If animals were restricted from sensing normal visual scenes or sounds (deprived of the relevant multisensory experience), the development of the corresponding integrative ability could be blocked until the appropriate multisensory experience is obtained. This section summarizes the extant literature on the development of multisensory integration (mainly using cat superior colliculus as a model), sensory-deprivation-induced cross-modal plasticity, and how sensory experience (sensory exposure and perceptual learning) leads to the plastic change and modification of neural circuits in cortical and subcortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Yu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jinghong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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Schormans AL, Allman BL. An imbalance of excitation and inhibition in the multisensory cortex impairs the temporal acuity of audiovisual processing and perception. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9937-9953. [PMID: 37464944 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad256] [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: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural integration of closely timed auditory and visual stimuli can offer several behavioral advantages; however, an overly broad window of temporal integration-a phenomenon observed in various neurodevelopmental disorders-could have far-reaching perceptual consequences. Non-invasive studies in humans have suggested that the level of GABAergic inhibition in the multisensory cortex influences the temporal window over which auditory and visual stimuli are bound into a unified percept. Although this suggestion aligns with the theory that an imbalance of cortical excitation and inhibition alters multisensory processing, no prior studies have performed experimental manipulations to determine the causal effects of a reduction of GABAergic inhibition on audiovisual temporal perception. To that end, we used a combination of in vivo electrophysiology, neuropharmacology, and translational behavioral testing in rats to provide the first mechanistic evidence that a reduction of GABAergic inhibition in the audiovisual cortex is sufficient to disrupt unisensory and multisensory processing across the cortical layers, and ultimately impair the temporal acuity of audiovisual perception and its rapid adaptation to recent sensory experience. Looking forward, our findings provide support for using rat models to further investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the audiovisual perceptual alterations observed in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia, and dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Schormans
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian L Allman
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Medina AE, Foxworthy WA, Keum D, Meredith MA. Development of multisensory processing in ferret parietal cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3226-3238. [PMID: 37452674 PMCID: PMC10503439 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that the nervous system adjusts itself to its environment during development. Although a great deal of effort has been directed towards understanding the developmental processes of the individual sensory systems (e.g., vision, hearing, etc.), only one major study has examined the maturation of multisensory processing in cortical neurons. Therefore, the present investigation sought to evaluate multisensory development in a different cortical region and species. Using multiple single-unit recordings in anaesthetised ferrets (n = 18) of different ages (from postnatal day 80 to 300), we studied the responses of neurons from the rostral posterior parietal (PPr) area to presentations of visual, tactile and combined visual-tactile stimulation. The results showed that multisensory neurons were infrequent at the youngest ages (pre-pubertal) and progressively increased through the later ages. Significant response changes that result from multisensory stimulation (defined as multisensory integration [MSI]) were observed in post-pubertal adolescent animals, and the magnitude of these integrated responses also increased across this age group. Furthermore, non-significant multisensory response changes were progressively increased in adolescent animals. Collectively, at the population level, MSI was observed to shift from primarily suppressive levels in infants to increasingly higher levels in later stages. These data indicate that, like the unisensory systems from which it is derived, multisensory processing shows developmental changes whose specific time course may be regionally and species-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre E. Medina
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - W. Alex Foxworthy
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
- Department of Biology, Eastern Shore Community College, Melfa, VA
| | - Dongil Keum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - M. Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
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Kral A. Hearing and Cognition in Childhood. Laryngorhinootologie 2023; 102:S3-S11. [PMID: 37130527 PMCID: PMC10184669 DOI: 10.1055/a-1973-5087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The human brain shows extensive development of the cerebral cortex after birth. This is extensively altered by the absence of auditory input: the development of cortical synapses in the auditory system is delayed and their degradation is increased. Recent work shows that the synapses responsible for corticocortical processing of stimuli and their embedding into multisensory interactions and cognition are particularly affected. Since the brain is heavily reciprocally interconnected, inborn deafness manifests not only in deficits in auditory processing, but also in cognitive (non-auditory) functions that are affected differently between individuals. It requires individualized approaches in therapy of deafness in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Kral
- Institut für AudioNeuroTechnologie (VIANNA) & Abt. für experimentelle Otologie, Exzellenzcluster Hearing4All, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (Abteilungsleiter und Institutsleiter: Prof. Dr. A. Kral) & Australian Hearing Hub, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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9
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Smyre SA, Bean NL, Stein BE, Rowland BA. Predictability alters multisensory responses by modulating unisensory inputs. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1150168. [PMID: 37065927 PMCID: PMC10090419 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1150168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The multisensory (deep) layers of the superior colliculus (SC) play an important role in detecting, localizing, and guiding orientation responses to salient events in the environment. Essential to this role is the ability of SC neurons to enhance their responses to events detected by more than one sensory modality and to become desensitized (‘attenuated’ or ‘habituated’) or sensitized (‘potentiated’) to events that are predictable via modulatory dynamics. To identify the nature of these modulatory dynamics, we examined how the repetition of different sensory stimuli affected the unisensory and multisensory responses of neurons in the cat SC. Neurons were presented with 2HZ stimulus trains of three identical visual, auditory, or combined visual–auditory stimuli, followed by a fourth stimulus that was either the same or different (‘switch’). Modulatory dynamics proved to be sensory-specific: they did not transfer when the stimulus switched to another modality. However, they did transfer when switching from the visual–auditory stimulus train to either of its modality-specific component stimuli and vice versa. These observations suggest that predictions, in the form of modulatory dynamics induced by stimulus repetition, are independently sourced from and applied to the modality-specific inputs to the multisensory neuron. This falsifies several plausible mechanisms for these modulatory dynamics: they neither produce general changes in the neuron’s transform, nor are they dependent on the neuron’s output.
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10
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Keum D, Pultorak K, Meredith MA, Medina AE. Effects of developmental alcohol exposure on cortical multisensory integration. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:784-795. [PMID: 36610022 PMCID: PMC9991967 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is one of the most common causes of mental disabilities in the world with a prevalence of 1%-6% of all births. Sensory processing deficits and cognitive problems are a major feature in this condition. Because developmental alcohol exposure can impair neuronal plasticity, and neuronal plasticity is crucial for the establishment of neuronal circuits in sensory areas, we predicted that exposure to alcohol during the third trimester equivalent of human gestation would disrupt the development of multisensory integration (MSI) in the rostral portion of the posterior parietal cortex (PPr), an integrative visual-tactile area. We conducted in vivo electrophysiology in 17 ferrets from four groups (saline/alcohol; infancy/adolescence). A total of 1157 neurons were recorded after visual, tactile and combined visual-tactile stimulation. A multisensory (MS) enhancement or suppression is characterized by a significantly increased or decreased number of elicited spikes after combined visual-tactile stimulation compared to the strongest unimodal (visual or tactile) response. At the neuronal level, those in infant animals were more prone to show MS suppression whereas adolescents were more prone to show MS enhancement. Although alcohol-treated animals showed similar developmental changes between infancy and adolescence, they always 'lagged behind' controls showing more MS suppression and less enhancement. Our findings suggest that alcohol exposure during the last months of human gestation would stunt the development of MSI, which could underlie sensory problems seen in FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongil Keum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine. Baltimore, MD
| | - Katie Pultorak
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine. Baltimore, MD
| | - M. Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University. Richmond VA
| | - Alexandre E. Medina
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine. Baltimore, MD
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Merrikhi Y, Kok MA, Lomber SG, Meredith MA. A comparison of multisensory features of two auditory cortical areas: primary (A1) and higher-order dorsal zone (DZ). Cereb Cortex Commun 2022; 4:tgac049. [PMID: 36632047 PMCID: PMC9825723 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgac049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
From myriads of ongoing stimuli, the brain creates a fused percept of the environment. This process, which culminates in perceptual binding, is presumed to occur through the operations of multisensory neurons that occur throughout the brain. However, because different brain areas receive different inputs and have different cytoarchitechtonics, it would be expected that local multisensory features would also vary across regions. The present study investigated that hypothesis using multiple single-unit recordings from anesthetized cats in response to controlled, electronically-generated separate and combined auditory, visual, and somatosensory stimulation. These results were used to compare the multisensory features of neurons in cat primary auditory cortex (A1) with those identified in the nearby higher-order auditory region, the Dorsal Zone (DZ). Both regions exhibited the same forms of multisensory neurons, albeit in different proportions. Multisensory neurons exhibiting excitatory or inhibitory properties occurred in similar proportions in both areas. Also, multisensory neurons in both areas expressed similar levels of multisensory integration. Because responses to auditory cues alone were so similar to those that included non-auditory stimuli, it is proposed that this effect represents a mechanism by which multisensory neurons subserve the process of perceptual binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaser Merrikhi
- Corresponding authors: Yaser Merrikhi, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada. and Stephen G Lomber, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada.
| | - Melanie A Kok
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5K8, Canada
| | - Stephen G Lomber
- Corresponding authors: Yaser Merrikhi, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada. and Stephen G Lomber, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada.
| | - M Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298, USA
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Kheirkhah K, Moradi V, Kavianpour I, Farahani S. Comparison of Maturity in Auditory-Visual Multisensory Processes With Sound-Induced Flash Illusion Test in Children and Adults. Cureus 2022; 14:e27631. [PMID: 36072200 PMCID: PMC9437373 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.27631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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13
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Merrikhi Y, Kok MA, Carrasco A, Meredith MA, Lomber SG. MULTISENSORY RESPONSES IN A BELT REGION OF THE DORSAL AUDITORY CORTICAL PATHWAY. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:589-610. [PMID: 34927294 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15573] [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: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A basic function of the cerebral cortex is to receive and integrate information from different sensory modalities into a comprehensive percept of the environment. Neurons that demonstrate multisensory convergence occur across the necortex, but are especially prevalent in higher-order, association areas. However, a recent study of a cat higher-order auditory area, the dorsal zone (DZ) of auditory cortex, did not observe any multisensory features. Therefore, the goal of the present investigation was to address this conflict using recording and testing methodologies that are established for exposing and studying multisensory neuronal processing. Among the 482 neurons studied, we found that 76.6% were influenced by non-auditory stimuli. Of these neurons, 99% were affected by visual stimulation, but only 11% by somatosensory. Furthermore, a large proportion of the multisensory neurons showed integrated responses to multisensory stimulation, constituted a majority of the excitatory and inhibitory neurons encountered (as identified by the duration of their waveshape), and exhibited a distinct spatial distribution within DZ. These findings demonstrate that the dorsal zone of auditory cortex robustly exhibits multisensory properties and that the proportions of multisensory neurons encountered are consistent with those identified in other higher-order cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaser Merrikhi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Melanie A Kok
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andres Carrasco
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Stephen G Lomber
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Rezaul Karim AKM, Proulx MJ, de Sousa AA, Likova LT. Neuroplasticity and Crossmodal Connectivity in the Normal, Healthy Brain. PSYCHOLOGY & NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 14:298-334. [PMID: 36937077 PMCID: PMC10019101 DOI: 10.1037/pne0000258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Objective Neuroplasticity enables the brain to establish new crossmodal connections or reorganize old connections which are essential to perceiving a multisensorial world. The intent of this review is to identify and summarize the current developments in neuroplasticity and crossmodal connectivity, and deepen understanding of how crossmodal connectivity develops in the normal, healthy brain, highlighting novel perspectives about the principles that guide this connectivity. Methods To the above end, a narrative review is carried out. The data documented in prior relevant studies in neuroscience, psychology and other related fields available in a wide range of prominent electronic databases are critically assessed, synthesized, interpreted with qualitative rather than quantitative elements, and linked together to form new propositions and hypotheses about neuroplasticity and crossmodal connectivity. Results Three major themes are identified. First, it appears that neuroplasticity operates by following eight fundamental principles and crossmodal integration operates by following three principles. Second, two different forms of crossmodal connectivity, namely direct crossmodal connectivity and indirect crossmodal connectivity, are suggested to operate in both unisensory and multisensory perception. Third, three principles possibly guide the development of crossmodal connectivity into adulthood. These are labeled as the principle of innate crossmodality, the principle of evolution-driven 'neuromodular' reorganization and the principle of multimodal experience. These principles are combined to develop a three-factor interaction model of crossmodal connectivity. Conclusions The hypothesized principles and the proposed model together advance understanding of neuroplasticity, the nature of crossmodal connectivity, and how such connectivity develops in the normal, healthy brain.
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15
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Wiring of higher-order cortical areas: Spatiotemporal development of cortical hierarchy. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:35-49. [PMID: 34034988 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A hierarchical development of cortical areas was suggested over a century ago, but the diversity and complexity of cortical hierarchy properties have so far prevented a formal demonstration. The aim of this review is to clarify the similarities and differences in the developmental processes underlying cortical development of primary and higher-order areas. We start by recapitulating the historical and recent advances underlying the biological principle of cortical hierarchy in adults. We then revisit the arguments for a hierarchical maturation of cortical areas, and further integrate the principles of cortical areas specification during embryonic and postnatal development. We highlight how the dramatic expansion in cortical size might have contributed to the increased number of association areas sustaining cognitive complexification in evolution. Finally, we summarize the recent observations of an alteration of cortical hierarchy in neuropsychiatric disorders and discuss their potential developmental origins.
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Siemann JK, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Wallace MT. Approaches to Understanding Multisensory Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:1430-1449. [PMID: 32869933 PMCID: PMC7721996 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal sensory responses are a DSM-5 symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and research findings demonstrate altered sensory processing in ASD. Beyond difficulties with processing information within single sensory domains, including both hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity, difficulties in multisensory processing are becoming a core issue of focus in ASD. These difficulties may be targeted by treatment approaches such as "sensory integration," which is frequently applied in autism treatment but not yet based on clear evidence. Recently, psychophysical data have emerged to demonstrate multisensory deficits in some children with ASD. Unlike deficits in social communication, which are best understood in humans, sensory and multisensory changes offer a tractable marker of circuit dysfunction that is more easily translated into animal model systems to probe the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Paralleling experimental paradigms that were previously applied in humans and larger mammals, we and others have demonstrated that multisensory function can also be examined behaviorally in rodents. Here, we review the sensory and multisensory difficulties commonly found in ASD, examining laboratory findings that relate these findings across species. Next, we discuss the known neurobiology of multisensory integration, drawing largely on experimental work in larger mammals, and extensions of these paradigms into rodents. Finally, we describe emerging investigations into multisensory processing in genetic mouse models related to autism risk. By detailing findings from humans to mice, we highlight the advantage of multisensory paradigms that can be easily translated across species, as well as the potential for rodent experimental systems to reveal opportunities for novel treatments. LAY SUMMARY: Sensory and multisensory deficits are commonly found in ASD and may result in cascading effects that impact social communication. By using similar experiments to those in humans, we discuss how studies in animal models may allow an understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie difficulties in multisensory integration, with the ultimate goal of developing new treatments. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1430-1449. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin K Siemann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, New York Presbyterian Hospital, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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17
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Zhou HY, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK. Audiovisual temporal integration: Cognitive processing, neural mechanisms, developmental trajectory and potential interventions. Neuropsychologia 2020; 140:107396. [PMID: 32087206 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
To integrate auditory and visual signals into a unified percept, the paired stimuli must co-occur within a limited time window known as the Temporal Binding Window (TBW). The width of the TBW, a proxy of audiovisual temporal integration ability, has been found to be correlated with higher-order cognitive and social functions. A comprehensive review of studies investigating audiovisual TBW reveals several findings: (1) a wide range of top-down processes and bottom-up features can modulate the width of the TBW, facilitating adaptation to the changing and multisensory external environment; (2) a large-scale brain network works in coordination to ensure successful detection of audiovisual (a)synchrony; (3) developmentally, audiovisual TBW follows a U-shaped pattern across the lifespan, with a protracted developmental course into late adolescence and rebounding in size again in late life; (4) an enlarged TBW is characteristic of a number of neurodevelopmental disorders; and (5) the TBW is highly flexible via perceptual and musical training. Interventions targeting the TBW may be able to improve multisensory function and ameliorate social communicative symptoms in clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Yu Zhou
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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18
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Meredith MA, Keniston LP, Prickett EH, Bajwa M, Cojanu A, Clemo HR, Allman BL. What is a multisensory cortex? A laminar, connectional, and functional study of a ferret temporal cortical multisensory area. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1864-1882. [PMID: 31955427 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Now that examples of multisensory neurons have been observed across the neocortex, this has led to some confusion about the features that actually designate a region as "multisensory." While the documentation of multisensory effects within many different cortical areas is clear, often little information is available about their proportions or net functional effects. To assess the compositional and functional features that contribute to the multisensory nature of a region, the present investigation used multichannel neuronal recording and tract tracing methods to examine the ferret temporal region: the lateral rostral suprasylvian sulcal area. Here, auditory-tactile multisensory neurons were predominant and constituted the majority of neurons across all cortical layers whose responses dominated the net spiking activity of the area. These results were then compared with a literature review of cortical multisensory data and were found to closely resemble multisensory features of other, higher-order sensory areas. Collectively, these observations argue that multisensory processing presents itself in hierarchical and area-specific ways, from regions that exhibit few multisensory features to those whose composition and processes are dominated by multisensory activity. It seems logical that the former exhibit some multisensory features (among many others), while the latter are legitimately designated as "multisensory."
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Affiliation(s)
- M Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Leslie P Keniston
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Elizabeth H Prickett
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Moazzum Bajwa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Alexandru Cojanu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia
| | - H Ruth Clemo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Brian L Allman
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia
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19
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Abstract
Over the past decade, there has been an unprecedented level of interest and progress into understanding visual processing in the brain of the deaf. Specifically, when the brain is deprived of input from one sensory modality (such as hearing), it often compensates with supranormal performance in one or more of the intact sensory systems (such as vision). Recent psychophysical, functional imaging, and reversible deactivation studies have converged to define the specific visual abilities that are enhanced in the deaf, as well as the cortical loci that undergo crossmodal plasticity in the deaf and are responsible for mediating these superior visual functions. Examination of these investigations reveals that central visual functions, such as object and facial discrimination, and peripheral visual functions, such as motion detection, visual localization, visuomotor synchronization, and Vernier acuity (measured in the periphery), are specifically enhanced in the deaf, compared with hearing participants. Furthermore, the cortical loci identified to mediate these functions reside in deaf auditory cortex: BA 41, BA 42, and BA 22, in addition to the rostral area, planum temporale, Te3, and temporal voice area in humans; primary auditory cortex, anterior auditory field, dorsal zone of auditory cortex, auditory field of the anterior ectosylvian sulcus, and posterior auditory field in cats; and primary auditory cortex and anterior auditory field in both ferrets and mice. Overall, the findings from these studies show that crossmodal reorganization in auditory cortex of the deaf is responsible for the superior visual abilities of the deaf.
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20
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Kim S, Kim J. Effects of Multimodal Association on Ambiguous Perception in Binocular Rivalry. Perception 2019; 48:796-819. [DOI: 10.1177/0301006619867023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
When two eyes view dissimilar images, an observer typically reports ambiguous perception called binocular rivalry where the subjective perception fluctuates between the two inputs. This perceptual instability is often comprised of exclusive dominance of each image and a transition state called piecemeal state where the two images are intermingled in patchwork manner. Herein, we investigated the effects of multimodal association of sensory congruent pair, arbitrary pair, and reverse pair on piecemeal state in order to see how each level of association affects the ambiguous perception during binocular rivalry. To induce the multisensory associations, we designed a matching task with audiovisual feedback where subjects were required to respond according to given pairing rules. We found that explicit audiovisual associations can substantially affect the piecemeal state during binocular rivalry and that this congruency effect that reduces the amount of visual ambiguity originates primarily from explicit audiovisual association training rather than common sensory features. Furthermore, when one information is associated with multiple information, recent and preexisting associations work collectively to influence the perceptual ambiguity during rivalry. Our findings show that learned multimodal association directly affects the temporal dynamics of ambiguous perception during binocular rivalry by modulating not only the exclusive dominance but also the piecemeal state in a systematic manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungyong Kim
- Graduate School of Culture Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeounghoon Kim
- Graduate School of Culture Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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21
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Kral A, Dorman MF, Wilson BS. Neuronal Development of Hearing and Language: Cochlear Implants and Critical Periods. Annu Rev Neurosci 2019; 42:47-65. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-080317-061513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The modern cochlear implant (CI) is the most successful neural prosthesis developed to date. CIs provide hearing to the profoundly hearing impaired and allow the acquisition of spoken language in children born deaf. Results from studies enabled by the CI have provided new insights into ( a) minimal representations at the periphery for speech reception, ( b) brain mechanisms for decoding speech presented in quiet and in acoustically adverse conditions, ( c) the developmental neuroscience of language and hearing, and ( d) the mechanisms and time courses of intramodal and cross-modal plasticity. Additionally, the results have underscored the interconnectedness of brain functions and the importance of top-down processes in perception and learning. The findings are described in this review with emphasis on the developing brain and the acquisition of hearing and spoken language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Kral
- Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology and Department of Experimental Otology, ENT Clinics, Hannover Medical University, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75080, USA
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Michael F. Dorman
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Blake S. Wilson
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75080, USA
- School of Medicine and Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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22
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Holler J, Levinson SC. Multimodal Language Processing in Human Communication. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:639-652. [PMID: 31235320 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The natural ecology of human language is face-to-face interaction comprising the exchange of a plethora of multimodal signals. Trying to understand the psycholinguistic processing of language in its natural niche raises new issues, first and foremost the binding of multiple, temporally offset signals under tight time constraints posed by a turn-taking system. This might be expected to overload and slow our cognitive system, but the reverse is in fact the case. We propose cognitive mechanisms that may explain this phenomenon and call for a multimodal, situated psycholinguistic framework to unravel the full complexities of human language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Holler
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Stephen C Levinson
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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23
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Meredith MA, Wallace MT, Clemo HR. Do the Different Sensory Areas Within the Cat Anterior Ectosylvian Sulcal Cortex Collectively Represent a Network Multisensory Hub? Multisens Res 2018; 31:793-823. [PMID: 31157160 PMCID: PMC6542292 DOI: 10.1163/22134808-20181316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Current theory supports that the numerous functional areas of the cerebral cortex are organized and function as a network. Using connectional databases and computational approaches, the cerebral network has been demonstrated to exhibit a hierarchical structure composed of areas, clusters and, ultimately, hubs. Hubs are highly connected, higher-order regions that also facilitate communication between different sensory modalities. One region computationally identified network hub is the visual area of the Anterior Ectosylvian Sulcal cortex (AESc) of the cat. The Anterior Ectosylvian Visual area (AEV) is but one component of the AESc that also includes the auditory (Field of the Anterior Ectosylvian Sulcus - FAES) and somatosensory (Fourth somatosensory representation - SIV). To better understand the nature of cortical network hubs, the present report reviews the biological features of the AESc. Within the AESc, each area has extensive external cortical connections as well as among one another. Each of these core representations is separated by a transition zone characterized by bimodal neurons that share sensory properties of both adjoining core areas. Finally, core and transition zones are underlain by a continuous sheet of layer 5 neurons that project to common output structures. Altogether, these shared properties suggest that the collective AESc region represents a multiple sensory/multisensory cortical network hub. Ultimately, such an interconnected, composite structure adds complexity and biological detail to the understanding of cortical network hubs and their function in cortical processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia
Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298 USA
| | - Mark T. Wallace
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, TN 37240 USA
| | - H. Ruth Clemo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia
Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298 USA
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24
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Beker S, Foxe JJ, Molholm S. Ripe for solution: Delayed development of multisensory processing in autism and its remediation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 84:182-192. [PMID: 29162518 PMCID: PMC6389331 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Difficulty integrating inputs from different sensory sources is commonly reported in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Accumulating evidence consistently points to altered patterns of behavioral reactions and neural activity when individuals with ASD observe or act upon information arriving through multiple sensory systems. For example, impairments in the integration of seen and heard speech appear to be particularly acute, with obvious implications for interpersonal communication. Here, we explore the literature on multisensory processing in autism with a focus on developmental trajectories. While much remains to be understood, some consistent observations emerge. Broadly, sensory integration deficits are found in children with an ASD whereas these appear to be much ameliorated, or even fully recovered, in older teenagers and adults on the spectrum. This protracted delay in the development of multisensory processing raises the possibility of applying early intervention strategies focused on multisensory integration, to accelerate resolution of these functions. We also consider how dysfunctional cross-sensory oscillatory neural communication may be one key pathway to impaired multisensory processing in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomit Beker
- The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States; Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC), Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - John J Foxe
- The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States; Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC), Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States; The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States; Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC), Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States; The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States.
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25
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Xu J, Bi T, Keniston L, Zhang J, Zhou X, Yu L. Deactivation of Association Cortices Disrupted the Congruence of Visual and Auditory Receptive Fields in Superior Colliculus Neurons. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:5568-5578. [PMID: 27797831 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Physiological and behavioral studies in cats show that corticotectal inputs play a critical role in the information-processing capabilities of neurons in the deeper layers of the superior colliculus (SC). Among them, the sensory inputs from functionally related associational cortices are especially critical for SC multisensory integration. However, the underlying mechanism supporting this influence is still unclear. Here, results demonstrate that deactivation of relevant cortices can both dislocate SC visual and auditory spatial receptive fields (RFs) and decrease their overall size, resulting in reduced alignment. Further analysis demonstrated that this RF separation is significantly correlated with the decrement of neurons' multisensory enhancement and is most pronounced in low stimulus intensity conditions. In addition, cortical deactivation could influence the degree of stimulus effectiveness, thereby illustrating the means by which higher order cortices may modify the multisensory activity of SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Tingting Bi
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Les Keniston
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 21853, USA
| | - Jiping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Xiaoming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Liping Yu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
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26
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Cuppini C, Ursino M, Magosso E, Ross LA, Foxe JJ, Molholm S. A Computational Analysis of Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Maturation of Multisensory Speech Integration in Neurotypical Children and Those on the Autism Spectrum. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:518. [PMID: 29163099 PMCID: PMC5670153 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Failure to appropriately develop multisensory integration (MSI) of audiovisual speech may affect a child's ability to attain optimal communication. Studies have shown protracted development of MSI into late-childhood and identified deficits in MSI in children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Currently, the neural basis of acquisition of this ability is not well understood. Here, we developed a computational model informed by neurophysiology to analyze possible mechanisms underlying MSI maturation, and its delayed development in ASD. The model posits that strengthening of feedforward and cross-sensory connections, responsible for the alignment of auditory and visual speech sound representations in posterior superior temporal gyrus/sulcus, can explain behavioral data on the acquisition of MSI. This was simulated by a training phase during which the network was exposed to unisensory and multisensory stimuli, and projections were crafted by Hebbian rules of potentiation and depression. In its mature architecture, the network also reproduced the well-known multisensory McGurk speech effect. Deficits in audiovisual speech perception in ASD were well accounted for by fewer multisensory exposures, compatible with a lack of attention, but not by reduced synaptic connectivity or synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Cuppini
- Department of Electric, Electronic and Information Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mauro Ursino
- Department of Electric, Electronic and Information Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisa Magosso
- Department of Electric, Electronic and Information Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lars A. Ross
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - John J. Foxe
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Sophie Molholm
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
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27
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Matusz PJ, Wallace MT, Murray MM. A multisensory perspective on object memory. Neuropsychologia 2017; 105:243-252. [PMID: 28400327 PMCID: PMC5632572 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Traditional studies of memory and object recognition involved objects presented within a single sensory modality (i.e., purely visual or purely auditory objects). However, in naturalistic settings, objects are often evaluated and processed in a multisensory manner. This begets the question of how object representations that combine information from the different senses are created and utilised by memory functions. Here we review research that has demonstrated that a single multisensory exposure can influence memory for both visual and auditory objects. In an old/new object discrimination task, objects that were presented initially with a task-irrelevant stimulus in another sense were better remembered compared to stimuli presented alone, most notably when the two stimuli were semantically congruent. The brain discriminates between these two types of object representations within the first 100ms post-stimulus onset, indicating early "tagging" of objects/events by the brain based on the nature of their initial presentation context. Interestingly, the specific brain networks supporting the improved object recognition vary based on a variety of factors, including the effectiveness of the initial multisensory presentation and the sense that is task-relevant. We specify the requisite conditions for multisensory contexts to improve object discrimination following single exposures, and the individual differences that exist with respect to these improvements. Our results shed light onto how memory operates on the multisensory nature of object representations as well as how the brain stores and retrieves memories of objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel J Matusz
- The Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology (The LINE), Neuropsychology & Neurorehabilitation Service & Department of Radiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Micah M Murray
- The Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology (The LINE), Neuropsychology & Neurorehabilitation Service & Department of Radiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; EEG Brain Mapping Core, Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM) of Lausanne and Geneva, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Lausanne, Jules-Gonin Eye Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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28
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Sours C, Raghavan P, Foxworthy WA, Meredith MA, El Metwally D, Zhuo J, Gilmore JH, Medina AE, Gullapalli RP. Cortical multisensory connectivity is present near birth in humans. Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 11:1207-1213. [PMID: 27581715 PMCID: PMC5332431 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9586-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
How the newborn brain adapts to its new multisensory environment has been a subject of debate. Although an early theory proposed that the brain acquires multisensory features as a result of postnatal experience, recent studies have demonstrated that the neonatal brain is already capable of processing multisensory information. For multisensory processing to be functional, it is a prerequisite that multisensory convergence among neural connections occur. However, multisensory connectivity has not been examined in human neonates nor are its location(s) or afferent sources understood. We used resting state functional MRI (fMRI) in two independent cohorts of infants to examine the functional connectivity of two cortical areas known to be multisensory in adults: the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and the superior temporal sulcus (STS). In the neonate, the IPS was found to demonstrate significant functional connectivity with visual association and somatosensory association areas, while the STS showed significant functional connectivity with the visual association areas, primary auditory cortex, and somatosensory association areas. Our findings establish that each of these areas displays functional communication with cortical regions representing various sensory modalities. This demonstrates the presence of cortical areas with converging sensory inputs, representing that the functional architecture needed for multisensory processing is already present within the first weeks of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandler Sours
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Prashant Raghavan
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - W Alex Foxworthy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - M Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Dina El Metwally
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Jiachen Zhuo
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA
| | - Alexandre E Medina
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
| | - Rao P Gullapalli
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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Purpura G, Cioni G, Tinelli F. Multisensory-Based Rehabilitation Approach: Translational Insights from Animal Models to Early Intervention. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:430. [PMID: 28798661 PMCID: PMC5526840 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Multisensory processes permit combinations of several inputs, coming from different sensory systems, allowing for a coherent representation of biological events and facilitating adaptation to environment. For these reasons, their application in neurological and neuropsychological rehabilitation has been enhanced in the last decades. Recent studies on animals and human models have indicated that, on one hand multisensory integration matures gradually during post-natal life and development is closely linked to environment and experience and, on the other hand, that modality-specific information seems to do not benefit by redundancy across multiple sense modalities and is more readily perceived in unimodal than in multimodal stimulation. In this review, multisensory process development is analyzed, highlighting clinical effects in animal and human models of its manipulation for rehabilitation of sensory disorders. In addition, new methods of early intervention based on multisensory-based rehabilitation approach and their applications on different infant populations at risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Purpura
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Fondazione Stella Maris (IRCCS)Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Fondazione Stella Maris (IRCCS)Pisa, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Tinelli
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Fondazione Stella Maris (IRCCS)Pisa, Italy
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Cross-Modal Plasticity in Higher-Order Auditory Cortex of Congenitally Deaf Cats Does Not Limit Auditory Responsiveness to Cochlear Implants. J Neurosci 2017; 36:6175-85. [PMID: 27277796 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0046-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Congenital sensory deprivation can lead to reorganization of the deprived cortical regions by another sensory system. Such cross-modal reorganization may either compete with or complement the "original" inputs to the deprived area after sensory restoration and can thus be either adverse or beneficial for sensory restoration. In congenital deafness, a previous inactivation study documented that supranormal visual behavior was mediated by higher-order auditory fields in congenitally deaf cats (CDCs). However, both the auditory responsiveness of "deaf" higher-order fields and interactions between the reorganized and the original sensory input remain unknown. Here, we studied a higher-order auditory field responsible for the supranormal visual function in CDCs, the auditory dorsal zone (DZ). Hearing cats and visual cortical areas served as a control. Using mapping with microelectrode arrays, we demonstrate spatially scattered visual (cross-modal) responsiveness in the DZ, but show that this did not interfere substantially with robust auditory responsiveness elicited through cochlear implants. Visually responsive and auditory-responsive neurons in the deaf auditory cortex formed two distinct populations that did not show bimodal interactions. Therefore, cross-modal plasticity in the deaf higher-order auditory cortex had limited effects on auditory inputs. The moderate number of scattered cross-modally responsive neurons could be the consequence of exuberant connections formed during development that were not pruned postnatally in deaf cats. Although juvenile brain circuits are modified extensively by experience, the main driving input to the cross-modally (visually) reorganized higher-order auditory cortex remained auditory in congenital deafness. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In a common view, the "unused" auditory cortex of deaf individuals is reorganized to a compensatory sensory function during development. According to this view, cross-modal plasticity takes over the unused cortex and reassigns it to the remaining senses. Therefore, cross-modal plasticity might conflict with restoration of auditory function with cochlear implants. It is unclear whether the cross-modally reorganized auditory areas lose auditory responsiveness. We show that the presence of cross-modal plasticity in a higher-order auditory area does not reduce auditory responsiveness of that area. Visual reorganization was moderate, spatially scattered and there were no interactions between cross-modally reorganized visual and auditory inputs. These results indicate that cross-modal reorganization is less detrimental for neurosensory restoration than previously thought.
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Pallas SL. The Impact of Ecological Niche on Adaptive Flexibility of Sensory Circuitry. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:344. [PMID: 28701910 PMCID: PMC5487431 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution and development are interdependent, particularly with regard to the construction of the nervous system and its position as the machine that produces behavior. On the one hand, the processes directing development and plasticity of the brain provide avenues through which natural selection can sculpt neural cell fate and connectivity, and on the other hand, they are themselves subject to selection pressure. For example, mutations that produce heritable perturbations in neuronal birth and death rates, transcription factor expression, or availability of axon guidance factors within sensory pathways can markedly affect the development of form and thus the function of stimulus decoding circuitry. This evolvability of flexible circuits makes them more adaptable to environmental variation. Although there is general agreement on this point, whether the sensitivity of circuits to environmental influence and the mechanisms underlying development and plasticity of sensory pathways are similar across species from different ecological niches has received almost no attention. Neural circuits are generally more sensitive to environmental influences during an early critical period, but not all niches afford the same access to stimuli in early life. Furthermore, depending on predictability of the habitat and ecological niche, sensory coding circuits might be more susceptible to sensory experience in some species than in others. Despite decades of work on understanding the mechanisms underlying critical period plasticity, the importance of ecological niche in visual pathway development has received little attention. Here, I will explore the relationship between critical period plasticity and ecological niche in mammalian sensory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Pallas
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA, United States
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32
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Multisensory Integration Uses a Real-Time Unisensory-Multisensory Transform. J Neurosci 2017; 37:5183-5194. [PMID: 28450539 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2767-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The manner in which the brain integrates different sensory inputs to facilitate perception and behavior has been the subject of numerous speculations. By examining multisensory neurons in cat superior colliculus, the present study demonstrated that two operational principles are sufficient to understand how this remarkable result is achieved: (1) unisensory signals are integrated continuously and in real time as soon as they arrive at their common target neuron and (2) the resultant multisensory computation is modified in shape and timing by a delayed, calibrating inhibition. These principles were tested for descriptive sufficiency by embedding them in a neurocomputational model and using it to predict a neuron's moment-by-moment multisensory response given only knowledge of its responses to the individual modality-specific component cues. The predictions proved to be highly accurate, reliable, and unbiased and were, in most cases, not statistically distinguishable from the neuron's actual instantaneous multisensory response at any phase throughout its entire duration. The model was also able to explain why different multisensory products are often observed in different neurons at different time points, as well as the higher-order properties of multisensory integration, such as the dependency of multisensory products on the temporal alignment of crossmodal cues. These observations not only reveal this fundamental integrative operation, but also identify quantitatively the multisensory transform used by each neuron. As a result, they provide a means of comparing the integrative profiles among neurons and evaluating how they are affected by changes in intrinsic or extrinsic factors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Multisensory integration is the process by which the brain combines information from multiple sensory sources (e.g., vision and audition) to maximize an organism's ability to identify and respond to environmental stimuli. The actual transformative process by which the neural products of multisensory integration are achieved is poorly understood. By focusing on the millisecond-by-millisecond differences between a neuron's unisensory component responses and its integrated multisensory response, it was found that this multisensory transform can be described by two basic principles: unisensory information is integrated in real time and the multisensory response is shaped by calibrating inhibition. It is now possible to use these principles to predict a neuron's multisensory response accurately armed only with knowledge of its unisensory responses.
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Purpura G, Cioni G, Tinelli F. Development of visuo-haptic transfer for object recognition in typical preschool and school-aged children. Child Neuropsychol 2017; 24:657-670. [DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2017.1316974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Purpura
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Tinelli
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
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Meredith MA, Clemo HR, Lomber SG. Is territorial expansion a mechanism for crossmodal plasticity? Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:1165-1176. [PMID: 28370755 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Crossmodal plasticity is the phenomenon whereby, following sensory damage or deprivation, the lost sensory function of a brain region is replaced by one of the remaining senses. One of several proposed mechanisms for this phenomenon involves the expansion of a more active brain region at the expense of another whose sensory inputs have been damaged or lost. This territorial expansion hypothesis was examined in the present study. The cat ectosylvian visual area (AEV) borders the auditory field of the anterior ectosylvian sulcus (FAES), which becomes visually reorganized in the early deaf. If this crossmodal effect in the FAES is due to the expansion of the adjoining AEV into the territory of the FAES after hearing loss, then the reorganized FAES should exhibit connectional features characteristic of the AEV. However, tracer injections revealed significantly different patterns of cortical connectivity between the AEV and the early deaf FAES, and substantial cytoarchitectonic and behavioral distinctions occur as well. Therefore, the crossmodal reorganization of the FAES cannot be mechanistically attributed to the expansion of the adjoining cortical territory of the AEV and an overwhelming number of recent studies now support unmasking of existing connections as the operative mechanism underlying crossmodal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, 1101 E. Marshall St., Sanger Hall Rm. 12-067, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - H R Clemo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, 1101 E. Marshall St., Sanger Hall Rm. 12-067, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - S G Lomber
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, & Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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Siemann JK, Muller CL, Forsberg CG, Blakely RD, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Wallace MT. An autism-associated serotonin transporter variant disrupts multisensory processing. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1067. [PMID: 28323282 PMCID: PMC5416665 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered sensory processing is observed in many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with growing evidence that these impairments extend to the integration of information across the different senses (that is, multisensory function). The serotonin system has an important role in sensory development and function, and alterations of serotonergic signaling have been suggested to have a role in ASD. A gain-of-function coding variant in the serotonin transporter (SERT) associates with sensory aversion in humans, and when expressed in mice produces traits associated with ASD, including disruptions in social and communicative function and repetitive behaviors. The current study set out to test whether these mice also exhibit changes in multisensory function when compared with wild-type (WT) animals on the same genetic background. Mice were trained to respond to auditory and visual stimuli independently before being tested under visual, auditory and paired audiovisual (multisensory) conditions. WT mice exhibited significant gains in response accuracy under audiovisual conditions. In contrast, although the SERT mutant animals learned the auditory and visual tasks comparably to WT littermates, they failed to show behavioral gains under multisensory conditions. We believe these results provide the first behavioral evidence of multisensory deficits in a genetic mouse model related to ASD and implicate the serotonin system in multisensory processing and in the multisensory changes seen in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Siemann
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - C L Muller
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - C G Forsberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - R D Blakely
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Neuroscience Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Jupiter, FL, USA
- Florida Atlantic University Brain Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - J Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Neuroscience Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Autism and The Developing Brain, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - M T Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Neuroscience Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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36
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Kral A, Yusuf PA, Land R. Higher-order auditory areas in congenital deafness: Top-down interactions and corticocortical decoupling. Hear Res 2017; 343:50-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2016.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Noel JP, De Niear M, Van der Burg E, Wallace MT. Audiovisual Simultaneity Judgment and Rapid Recalibration throughout the Lifespan. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161698. [PMID: 27551918 PMCID: PMC4994953 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Multisensory interactions are well established to convey an array of perceptual and behavioral benefits. One of the key features of multisensory interactions is the temporal structure of the stimuli combined. In an effort to better characterize how temporal factors influence multisensory interactions across the lifespan, we examined audiovisual simultaneity judgment and the degree of rapid recalibration to paired audiovisual stimuli (Flash-Beep and Speech) in a sample of 220 participants ranging from 7 to 86 years of age. Results demonstrate a surprisingly protracted developmental time-course for both audiovisual simultaneity judgment and rapid recalibration, with neither reaching maturity until well into adolescence. Interestingly, correlational analyses revealed that audiovisual simultaneity judgments (i.e., the size of the audiovisual temporal window of simultaneity) and rapid recalibration significantly co-varied as a function of age. Together, our results represent the most complete description of age-related changes in audiovisual simultaneity judgments to date, as well as being the first to describe changes in the degree of rapid recalibration as a function of age. We propose that the developmental time-course of rapid recalibration scaffolds the maturation of more durable audiovisual temporal representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Noel
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
| | - Matthew De Niear
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
| | - Erik Van der Burg
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mark T. Wallace
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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38
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Murray MM, Lewkowicz DJ, Amedi A, Wallace MT. Multisensory Processes: A Balancing Act across the Lifespan. Trends Neurosci 2016; 39:567-579. [PMID: 27282408 PMCID: PMC4967384 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Multisensory processes are fundamental in scaffolding perception, cognition, learning, and behavior. How and when stimuli from different sensory modalities are integrated rather than treated as separate entities is poorly understood. We review how the relative reliance on stimulus characteristics versus learned associations dynamically shapes multisensory processes. We illustrate the dynamism in multisensory function across two timescales: one long term that operates across the lifespan and one short term that operates during the learning of new multisensory relations. In addition, we highlight the importance of task contingencies. We conclude that these highly dynamic multisensory processes, based on the relative weighting of stimulus characteristics and learned associations, provide both stability and flexibility to brain functions over a wide range of temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah M Murray
- The Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology (The LINE), Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Radiology, University Hospital Centre and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Electroencephalography Brain Mapping Core, Centre for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Lausanne, Jules Gonin Eye Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - David J Lewkowicz
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amir Amedi
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hadassah Medical School, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Interdisciplinary and Cognitive Science Program, The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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39
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Altieri N, Yang CT. Parallel linear dynamic models can mimic the McGurk effect in clinical populations. J Comput Neurosci 2016; 41:143-55. [PMID: 27272510 DOI: 10.1007/s10827-016-0610-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
One of the most common examples of audiovisual speech integration is the McGurk effect. As an example, an auditory syllable /ba/ recorded over incongruent lip movements that produce "ga" typically causes listeners to hear "da". This report hypothesizes reasons why certain clinical and listeners who are hard of hearing might be more susceptible to visual influence. Conversely, we also examine why other listeners appear less susceptible to the McGurk effect (i.e., they report hearing just the auditory stimulus without being influenced by the visual). Such explanations are accompanied by a mechanistic explanation of integration phenomena including visual inhibition of auditory information, or slower rate of accumulation of inputs. First, simulations of a linear dynamic parallel interactive model were instantiated using inhibition and facilitation to examine potential mechanisms underlying integration. In a second set of simulations, we systematically manipulated the inhibition parameter values to model data obtained from listeners with autism spectrum disorder. In summary, we argue that cross-modal inhibition parameter values explain individual variability in McGurk perceptibility. Nonetheless, different mechanisms should continue to be explored in an effort to better understand current data patterns in the audiovisual integration literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Altieri
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Idaho State University, 921 S. 8th Ave. Stop 8116, Pocatello, ID, 83209, USA.
| | - Cheng-Ta Yang
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, Daxue Rd, East District, Tainan City, Taiwan, 701
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40
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Felch DL, Khakhalin AS, Aizenman CD. Multisensory integration in the developing tectum is constrained by the balance of excitation and inhibition. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27218449 PMCID: PMC4912350 DOI: 10.7554/elife.15600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multisensory integration (MSI) is the process that allows the brain to bind together spatiotemporally congruent inputs from different sensory modalities to produce single salient representations. While the phenomenology of MSI in vertebrate brains is well described, relatively little is known about cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Here we use an isolated brain preparation to describe cellular mechanisms underlying development of MSI between visual and mechanosensory inputs in the optic tectum of Xenopus tadpoles. We find MSI is highly dependent on the temporal interval between crossmodal stimulus pairs. Over a key developmental period, the temporal window for MSI significantly narrows and is selectively tuned to specific interstimulus intervals. These changes in MSI correlate with developmental increases in evoked synaptic inhibition, and inhibitory blockade reverses observed developmental changes in MSI. We propose a model in which development of recurrent inhibition mediates development of temporal aspects of MSI in the tectum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Felch
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, United States
| | - Arseny S Khakhalin
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States.,Department of Biology, Bard College, New York, United States
| | - Carlos D Aizenman
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
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41
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Interactions between space and effectiveness in human multisensory performance. Neuropsychologia 2016; 88:83-91. [PMID: 26826522 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Several stimulus factors are important in multisensory integration, including the spatial and temporal relationships of the paired stimuli as well as their effectiveness. Changes in these factors have been shown to dramatically change the nature and magnitude of multisensory interactions. Typically, these factors are considered in isolation, although there is a growing appreciation for the fact that they are likely to be strongly interrelated. Here, we examined interactions between two of these factors - spatial location and effectiveness - in dictating performance in the localization of an audiovisual target. A psychophysical experiment was conducted in which participants reported the perceived location of visual flashes and auditory noise bursts presented alone and in combination. Stimuli were presented at four spatial locations relative to fixation (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°) and at two intensity levels (high, low). Multisensory combinations were always spatially coincident and of the matching intensity (high-high or low-low). In responding to visual stimuli alone, localization accuracy decreased and response times (RTs) increased as stimuli were presented at more eccentric locations. In responding to auditory stimuli, performance was poorest at the 30° and 60° locations. For both visual and auditory stimuli, accuracy was greater and RTs were faster for more intense stimuli. For responses to visual-auditory stimulus combinations, performance enhancements were found at locations in which the unisensory performance was lowest, results concordant with the concept of inverse effectiveness. RTs for these multisensory presentations frequently violated race-model predictions, implying integration of these inputs, and a significant location-by-intensity interaction was observed. Performance gains under multisensory conditions were larger as stimuli were positioned at more peripheral locations, and this increase was most pronounced for the low-intensity conditions. These results provide strong support that the effects of stimulus location and effectiveness on multisensory integration are interdependent, with both contributing to the overall effectiveness of the stimuli in driving the resultant multisensory response.
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42
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The onset of visual experience gates auditory cortex critical periods. Nat Commun 2016; 7:10416. [PMID: 26786281 PMCID: PMC4736048 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory systems influence one another during development and deprivation can lead to cross-modal plasticity. As auditory function begins before vision, we investigate the effect of manipulating visual experience during auditory cortex critical periods (CPs) by assessing the influence of early, normal and delayed eyelid opening on hearing loss-induced changes to membrane and inhibitory synaptic properties. Early eyelid opening closes the auditory cortex CPs precociously and dark rearing prevents this effect. In contrast, delayed eyelid opening extends the auditory cortex CPs by several additional days. The CP for recovery from hearing loss is also closed prematurely by early eyelid opening and extended by delayed eyelid opening. Furthermore, when coupled with transient hearing loss that animals normally fully recover from, very early visual experience leads to inhibitory deficits that persist into adulthood. Finally, we demonstrate a functional projection from the visual to auditory cortex that could mediate these effects. Visual and auditory systems influence each other during development. Here, the authors show that the onset of eyelid opening regulates critical points during which the auditory cortex is sensitive to hearing loss or the restoration of hearing
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43
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Rose SA, Feldman JF, Jankowski JJ. Pathways From Toddler Information Processing to Adolescent Lexical Proficiency. Child Dev 2015; 86:1935-47. [PMID: 26332047 PMCID: PMC4626286 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the relation of 3-year core information-processing abilities to lexical growth and development. The core abilities covered four domains-memory, representational competence (cross-modal transfer), processing speed, and attention. Lexical proficiency was assessed at 3 and 13 years with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and verbal fluency. The sample (N = 128) consisted of 43 preterms (< 1750 g) and 85 full-terms. Structural equation modeling indicated concurrent relations of toddler information processing and language proficiency and, independent of stability in language, direct predictive links between (a) 3-year cross-modal ability and 13-year PPVT and (b) 3-year processing speed and both 13-year measures, PPVT and verbal fluency. Thus, toddler information processing was related to growth in lexical proficiency from 3 to 13 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan A. Rose
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
| | - Judith F. Feldman
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
| | - Jefffery J. Jankowski
- Department of Social Sciences, Queensborough Community College/CUNY and Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
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Striem-Amit E, Ovadia-Caro S, Caramazza A, Margulies DS, Villringer A, Amedi A. Functional connectivity of visual cortex in the blind follows retinotopic organization principles. Brain 2015; 138:1679-95. [PMID: 25869851 PMCID: PMC4614142 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although early visual experience is essential for the proper development of visual cortex, Striem-Amit et al. show that the underlying connectivity structure of retinotopic mapping is retained even in congenitally blind individuals. This basic organisational principle emerges independently of visual input and persists despite lifelong experience-dependent plasticity. Is visual input during critical periods of development crucial for the emergence of the fundamental topographical mapping of the visual cortex? And would this structure be retained throughout life-long blindness or would it fade as a result of plastic, use-based reorganization? We used functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging based on intrinsic blood oxygen level-dependent fluctuations to investigate whether significant traces of topographical mapping of the visual scene in the form of retinotopic organization, could be found in congenitally blind adults. A group of 11 fully and congenitally blind subjects and 18 sighted controls were studied. The blind demonstrated an intact functional connectivity network structural organization of the three main retinotopic mapping axes: eccentricity (centre-periphery), laterality (left-right), and elevation (upper-lower) throughout the retinotopic cortex extending to high-level ventral and dorsal streams, including characteristic eccentricity biases in face- and house-selective areas. Functional connectivity-based topographic organization in the visual cortex was indistinguishable from the normally sighted retinotopic functional connectivity structure as indicated by clustering analysis, and was found even in participants who did not have a typical retinal development in utero (microphthalmics). While the internal structural organization of the visual cortex was strikingly similar, the blind exhibited profound differences in functional connectivity to other (non-visual) brain regions as compared to the sighted, which were specific to portions of V1. Central V1 was more connected to language areas but peripheral V1 to spatial attention and control networks. These findings suggest that current accounts of critical periods and experience-dependent development should be revisited even for primary sensory areas, in that the connectivity basis for visual cortex large-scale topographical organization can develop without any visual experience and be retained through life-long experience-dependent plasticity. Furthermore, retinotopic divisions of labour, such as that between the visual cortex regions normally representing the fovea and periphery, also form the basis for topographically-unique plastic changes in the blind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Striem-Amit
- 1 Department of Medical Neurobiology, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91220, Israel 2 Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - Smadar Ovadia-Caro
- 3 Mind and Brain Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany 4 Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alfonso Caramazza
- 2 Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA 5 Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, Università degli Studi di Trento, Polo di Rovereto, Italy
| | - Daniel S Margulies
- 3 Mind and Brain Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany 4 Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- 3 Mind and Brain Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany 4 Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Amir Amedi
- 1 Department of Medical Neurobiology, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91220, Israel 6 The Edmond and Lily Safra Centre for Brain Sciences (ELSC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91220, Israel 7 Cognitive Sciences Program, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91220, Israel 8 Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Institut de la Vision, UMR_S 968, Paris, F-75012, France
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45
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Hazan Y, Kra Y, Yarin I, Wagner H, Gutfreund Y. Visual-auditory integration for visual search: a behavioral study in barn owls. Front Integr Neurosci 2015; 9:11. [PMID: 25762905 PMCID: PMC4327738 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2015.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Barn owls are nocturnal predators that rely on both vision and hearing for survival. The optic tectum of barn owls, a midbrain structure involved in selective attention, has been used as a model for studying visual-auditory integration at the neuronal level. However, behavioral data on visual-auditory integration in barn owls are lacking. The goal of this study was to examine if the integration of visual and auditory signals contributes to the process of guiding attention toward salient stimuli. We attached miniature wireless video cameras on barn owls' heads (OwlCam) to track their target of gaze. We first provide evidence that the area centralis (a retinal area with a maximal density of photoreceptors) is used as a functional fovea in barn owls. Thus, by mapping the projection of the area centralis on the OwlCam's video frame, it is possible to extract the target of gaze. For the experiment, owls were positioned on a high perch and four food items were scattered in a large arena on the floor. In addition, a hidden loudspeaker was positioned in the arena. The positions of the food items and speaker were changed every session. Video sequences from the OwlCam were saved for offline analysis while the owls spontaneously scanned the room and the food items with abrupt gaze shifts (head saccades). From time to time during the experiment, a brief sound was emitted from the speaker. The fixation points immediately following the sounds were extracted and the distances between the gaze position and the nearest items and loudspeaker were measured. The head saccades were rarely toward the location of the sound source but to salient visual features in the room, such as the door knob or the food items. However, among the food items, the one closest to the loudspeaker had the highest probability of attracting a gaze shift. This result supports the notion that auditory signals are integrated with visual information for the selection of the next visual search target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Hazan
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion Haifa, Israel
| | - Yonatan Kra
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion Haifa, Israel
| | - Inna Yarin
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion Haifa, Israel
| | - Hermann Wagner
- Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany
| | - Yoram Gutfreund
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion Haifa, Israel
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Dionne-Dostie E, Paquette N, Lassonde M, Gallagher A. Multisensory integration and child neurodevelopment. Brain Sci 2015; 5:32-57. [PMID: 25679116 PMCID: PMC4390790 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci5010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A considerable number of cognitive processes depend on the integration of multisensory information. The brain integrates this information, providing a complete representation of our surrounding world and giving us the ability to react optimally to the environment. Infancy is a period of great changes in brain structure and function that are reflected by the increase of processing capacities of the developing child. However, it is unclear if the optimal use of multisensory information is present early in childhood or develops only later, with experience. The first part of this review has focused on the typical development of multisensory integration (MSI). We have described the two hypotheses on the developmental process of MSI in neurotypical infants and children, and have introduced MSI and its neuroanatomic correlates. The second section has discussed the neurodevelopmental trajectory of MSI in cognitively-challenged infants and children. A few studies have brought to light various difficulties to integrate sensory information in children with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Consequently, we have exposed certain possible neurophysiological relationships between MSI deficits and neurodevelopmental disorders, especially dyslexia and attention deficit disorder with/without hyperactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Dionne-Dostie
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montreal H3T1C5, QC, Canada.
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Departement of Psychology, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128, Montreal H3C3J7, QC, Canada.
| | - Natacha Paquette
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montreal H3T1C5, QC, Canada.
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Departement of Psychology, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128, Montreal H3C3J7, QC, Canada.
| | - Maryse Lassonde
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montreal H3T1C5, QC, Canada.
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Departement of Psychology, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128, Montreal H3C3J7, QC, Canada.
| | - Anne Gallagher
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montreal H3T1C5, QC, Canada.
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Departement of Psychology, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128, Montreal H3C3J7, QC, Canada.
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Altieri N. Multimodal theories of recognition and their relation to Molyneux's question. Front Psychol 2015; 5:1547. [PMID: 25620944 PMCID: PMC4288054 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 12/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Altieri
- ISU Multimodal Language Processing Lab, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Idaho State University Pocatello, ID, USA
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Downing HC, Barutchu A, Crewther SG. Developmental trends in the facilitation of multisensory objects with distractors. Front Psychol 2015; 5:1559. [PMID: 25653630 PMCID: PMC4298743 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory integration and the ability to discriminate target objects from distractors are critical to survival, yet the developmental trajectories of these abilities are unknown. This study investigated developmental changes in 9- (n = 18) and 11-year-old (n = 20) children, adolescents (n = 19) and adults (n = 22) using an audiovisual object discrimination task with uni- and multisensory distractors. Reaction times (RTs) were slower with visual/audiovisual distractors, and although all groups demonstrated facilitation of multisensory RTs in these conditions, children's and adolescents' responses corresponded to fewer race model violations than adults', suggesting protracted maturation of multisensory processes. Multisensory facilitation could not be explained by changes in RT variability, suggesting that tests of race model violations may still have theoretical value at least for familiar multisensory stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet C Downing
- School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ayla Barutchu
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford Oxford, UK
| | - Sheila G Crewther
- School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Sekiyama K, Kinoshita T, Soshi T. Strong biomechanical constraints on young children's mental imagery of hands. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2014; 1:140118. [PMID: 26064568 PMCID: PMC4448770 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mental rotation (MR) of body parts is a useful paradigm to investigate how people manipulate mental imagery related to body schema. It has been documented that adult participants use 'motor imagery' for MR of hands: a behavioural indication is a biomechanical effect, that is, hand pictures in orientations to which imitative hand movement would be biomechanically difficult require longer response times to be visually identified as the left or right hand. However, little is known about the typical developmental trajectory of the biomechanical effect, which could offer clues to understanding how children acquire the ability to manipulate body schema. This study investigated developmental changes in the biomechanical effect in schoolchildren. Eighty-four children (from 6 to 11 years old, grouped into 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders) and fifteen adults made hand laterality judgements in an MR paradigm. The results indicated that the biomechanical effect is stronger for younger children, and that there is a transitional period (around 7-8 years) during which children shift from action execution to imagery in manipulating body schema. The results suggest that mental imagery of hands has a stronger motor aspect in the transitional period than later in childhood and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Sekiyama
- Division of Cognitive Psychology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- School of Systems Information Science, Future University, Hakodate, Japan
| | - Toshiro Kinoshita
- School of Systems Information Science, Future University, Hakodate, Japan
| | - Takahiro Soshi
- Division of Cognitive Psychology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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50
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Mahoney JR, Holtzer R, Verghese J. Visual-somatosensory integration and balance: evidence for psychophysical integrative differences in aging. Multisens Res 2014; 27:17-42. [PMID: 25102664 DOI: 10.1163/22134808-00002444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Research detailing multisensory integration (MSI) processes in aging and their association with clinically relevant outcomes is virtually non-existent. To our knowledge, the relationship between MSI and balance has not been well-established in aging. Given known alterations in unisensory processing with increasing age, the aims of the current study were to determine differential behavioral patterns of MSI in aging and investigate whether MSI was significantly associated with balance and fall-risk. Seventy healthy older adults (M = 75 years; 58% female) participated in the current study. Participants were instructed to make speeded responses to visual, somatosensory, and visual-somatosensory (VS) stimuli. Based on reaction times (RTs) to all stimuli, participants were classified into one of two groups (MSI or NO MSI), depending on their MSI RT benefit. Static balance was assessed using mean unipedal stance time. Overall, results revealed that RTs to VS stimuli were significantly shorter than those elicited to constituent unisensory conditions. Further, the current experimental design afforded differential patterns of multisensory processing, with 75% of the elderly sample demonstrating multisensory enhancements. Interestingly, 25% of older adults did not demonstrate multisensory RT facilitation; a finding that was attributed to extremely fast RTs overall and specifically in response to somatosensory inputs. Individuals in the NO MSI group maintained significantly better unipedal stance times and reported less falls, compared to elders in the MSI group. This study reveals the existence of differential patterns of multisensory processing in aging, while describing the clinical translational value of MSI enhancements in predicting balance and falls risk.
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