1
|
Kaneko M, Hoseini MS, Waschek JA, Stryker MP. Stimulus-specific enhancement in mouse visual cortex requires GABA but not VIP-peptide release from VIP interneurons. J Neurophysiol 2024; 132:34-44. [PMID: 38774975 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00463.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
When adult mice are repeatedly exposed to a particular visual stimulus for as little as 1 h per day for several days while their visual cortex (V1) is in the high-gain state produced by locomotion, that specific stimulus elicits much stronger responses in V1 neurons for the following several weeks, even when measured in anesthetized animals. Such stimulus-specific enhancement (SSE) is not seen if locomotion is prevented. The effect of locomotion on cortical responses is mediated by vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) positive interneurons, which can release both the peptide and the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Previous studies have examined the role of VIP-ergic interneurons, but none have distinguished the individual roles of peptide from GABA release. Here, we used genetic ablation to determine which of those molecules secreted by VIP-ergic neurons is responsible for SSE. SSE was not impaired by VIP deletion but was prevented by compromising release of GABA from VIP cells. This finding suggests that SSE may result from Hebbian mechanisms that remain present in adult V1.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Many neurons package and release a peptide along with a conventional neurotransmitter. The conventional view is that such peptides exert late, slow effects on plasticity. We studied a form of cortical plasticity that depends on the activity of neurons that express both vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. GABA release accounted for their action on plasticity, with no effect of deleting the peptide on this phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megumi Kaneko
- Department of Physiology and Kavli Institute For Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Mahmood S Hoseini
- Department of Physiology and Kavli Institute For Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - James A Waschek
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Michael P Stryker
- Department of Physiology and Kavli Institute For Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Page CE, Epperson CN, Novick AM, Duffy KA, Thompson SM. Beyond the serotonin deficit hypothesis: communicating a neuroplasticity framework of major depressive disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02625-2. [PMID: 38816586 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02625-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The serotonin deficit hypothesis explanation for major depressive disorder (MDD) has persisted among clinicians and the general public alike despite insufficient supporting evidence. To combat rising mental health crises and eroding public trust in science and medicine, researchers and clinicians must be able to communicate to patients and the public an updated framework of MDD: one that is (1) accessible to a general audience, (2) accurately integrates current evidence about the efficacy of conventional serotonergic antidepressants with broader and deeper understandings of pathophysiology and treatment, and (3) capable of accommodating new evidence. In this article, we summarize a framework for the pathophysiology and treatment of MDD that is informed by clinical and preclinical research in psychiatry and neuroscience. First, we discuss how MDD can be understood as inflexibility in cognitive and emotional brain circuits that involves a persistent negativity bias. Second, we discuss how effective treatments for MDD enhance mechanisms of neuroplasticity-including via serotonergic interventions-to restore synaptic, network, and behavioral function in ways that facilitate adaptive cognitive and emotional processing. These treatments include typical monoaminergic antidepressants, novel antidepressants like ketamine and psychedelics, and psychotherapy and neuromodulation techniques. At the end of the article, we discuss this framework from the perspective of effective science communication and provide useful language and metaphors for researchers, clinicians, and other professionals discussing MDD with a general or patient audience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chloe E Page
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Andrew M Novick
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Korrina A Duffy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Scott M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kozak A, Ninghetto M, Wieteska M, Fiedorowicz M, Wełniak-Kamińska M, Kossowski B, Eysel UT, Arckens L, Burnat K. Visual training after central retinal loss limits structural white matter degradation: an MRI study. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:13. [PMID: 38789988 PMCID: PMC11127408 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00239-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Macular degeneration of the eye is a common cause of blindness and affects 8% of the worldwide human population. In adult cats with bilateral lesions of the central retina, we explored the possibility that motion perception training can limit the associated degradation of the visual system. We evaluated how visual training affects behavioral performance and white matter structure. Recently, we proposed (Kozak et al. in Transl Vis Sci Technol 10:9, 2021) a new motion-acuity test for low vision patients, enabling full visual field functional assessment through simultaneous perception of shape and motion. Here, we integrated this test as the last step of a 10-week motion-perception training. RESULTS Cats were divided into three groups: retinal-lesioned only and two trained groups, retinal-lesioned trained and control trained. The behavioral data revealed that trained cats with retinal lesions were superior in motion tasks, even when the difficulty relied only on acuity. 7 T-MRI scanning was done before and after lesioning at 5 different timepoints, followed by Fixel-Based and Fractional Anisotropy Analysis. In cats with retinal lesions, training resulted in a more localized and reduced percentage decrease in Fixel-Based Analysis metrics in the dLGN, caudate nucleus and hippocampus compared to untrained cats. In motion-sensitive area V5/PMLS, the significant decreases in fiber density were equally strong in retinal-lesioned untrained and trained cats, up to 40% in both groups. The only cortical area with Fractional Anisotropy values not affected by central retinal loss was area V5/PMLS. In other visual ROIs, the Fractional Anisotropy values increased over time in the untrained retinal lesioned group, whereas they decreased in the retinal lesioned trained group and remained at a similar level as in trained controls. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our MRI results showed a stabilizing effect of motion training applied soon after central retinal loss induction on white matter structure. We propose that introducing early motion-acuity training for low vision patients, aimed at the intact and active retinal peripheries, may facilitate brain plasticity processes toward better vision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kozak
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marco Ninghetto
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Wieteska
- Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
- Small Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Fiedorowicz
- Small Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marlena Wełniak-Kamińska
- Small Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartosz Kossowski
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ulf T Eysel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Kalina Burnat
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Birch EE, Duffy KR. Leveraging neural plasticity for the treatment of amblyopia. Surv Ophthalmol 2024:S0039-6257(24)00046-8. [PMID: 38763223 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.04.006] [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: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Amblyopia is a form of visual cortical impairment that arises from abnormal visual experience early in life. Most often, amblyopia is a unilateral visual impairment that can develop as a result of strabismus, anisometropia, or a combination of these conditions that result in discordant binocular experience. Characterized by reduced visual acuity and impaired binocular function, amblyopia places a substantial burden on the developing child. Although frontline treatment with glasses and patching can improve visual acuity, residual amblyopia remains for most children. Newer binocular-based therapies can elicit rapid recovery of visual acuity and may also improve stereoacuity in some children. Nevertheless, for both treatment modalities full recovery is elusive, recurrence of amblyopia is common, and improvements are negligible when treatment is administered at older ages. Insights derived from animal models about the factors that govern neural plasticity have been leveraged to develop innovative treatments for amblyopia. These novel therapies exhibit efficacy to promote recovery, and some are effective even at ages when conventional treatments fail to yield benefit. Approaches for enhancing visual system plasticity and promoting recovery from amblyopia include altering the balance between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms, reversing the accumulation of proteins that inhibit plasticity, and harnessing the principles of metaplasticity. Although these therapies have exhibited promising results in animal models, their safety and ability to remediate amblyopia need to be evaluated in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eileen E Birch
- Crystal Charity Ball Pediatric Vision Laboratory, Retina Foundation, Dallas, TX, USA; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Kevin R Duffy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Iwakura Y, Kobayashi Y, Namba H, Nawa H, Takei N. Epidermal Growth Factor Suppresses the Development of GABAergic Neurons Via the Modulation of Perineuronal Net Formation in the Neocortex of Developing Rodent Brains. Neurochem Res 2024; 49:1347-1358. [PMID: 38353896 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-024-04122-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Previously, we reported that epidermal growth factor (EGF) suppresses GABAergic neuronal development in the rodent cortex. Parvalbumin-positive GABAergic neurons (PV neurons) have a unique extracellular structure, perineuronal nets (PNNs). PNNs are formed during the development of PV neurons and are mainly formed from chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycans (CSPGs). We examined the effect of EGF on CSPG production and PNN formation as a potential molecular mechanism for the inhibition of inhibiting GABAergic neuronal development by EGF. In EGF-overexpressing transgenic (EGF-Tg) mice, the number of PNN-positive PV neurons was decreased in the cortex compared with that in wild-type mice, as in our previous report. The amount of CS and neurocan was also lower in the cortex of EGF-Tg mice, with a similar decrease observed in EGF-treated cultured cortical neurons. PD153035, an EGF receptor (ErbB1) kinase inhibitor, prevented those mentioned above excess EGF-induced reduction in PNN. We explored the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of EGF on PNNs using fluorescent substrates for matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs). EGF increased the enzyme activity of MMPs and ADAMs in cultured neurons. These enzyme activities were also increased in the EGF-Tg mice cortex. GM6001, a broad inhibitor of MMPs and ADAMs, also blocked EGF-induced PNN reductions. Therefore, EGF/EGF receptor signals may regulate PNN formation in the developing cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuriko Iwakura
- Department of Brain Tumor Biology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, 951-8122, Japan.
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, 951-8122, Japan.
| | - Yutaro Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, 951-8122, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan
| | - Hisaaki Namba
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, 951-8122, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, 640-8156, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nawa
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, 951-8122, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, 640-8156, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Takei
- Department of Brain Tumor Biology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, 951-8122, Japan
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, 951-8122, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhu JP, Zhang JY. Feature variability determines specificity and transfer in multiorientation feature detection learning. J Vis 2024; 24:2. [PMID: 38691087 PMCID: PMC11079675 DOI: 10.1167/jov.24.5.2] [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: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Historically, in many perceptual learning experiments, only a single stimulus is practiced, and learning is often specific to the trained feature. Our prior work has demonstrated that multi-stimulus learning (e.g., training-plus-exposure procedure) has the potential to achieve generalization. Here, we investigated two important characteristics of multi-stimulus learning, namely, roving and feature variability, and their impacts on multi-stimulus learning and generalization. We adopted a feature detection task in which an oddly oriented target bar differed by 16° from the background bars. The stimulus onset asynchrony threshold between the target and the mask was measured with a staircase procedure. Observers were trained with four target orientation search stimuli, either with a 5° deviation (30°-35°-40°-45°) or with a 45° deviation (30°-75°-120°-165°), and the four reference stimuli were presented in a roving manner. The transfer of learning to the swapped target-background orientations was evaluated after training. We found that multi-stimulus training with a 5° deviation resulted in significant learning improvement, but learning failed to transfer to the swapped target-background orientations. In contrast, training with a 45° deviation slowed learning but produced a significant generalization to swapped orientations. Furthermore, a modified training-plus-exposure procedure, in which observers were trained with four orientation search stimuli with a 5° deviation and simultaneously passively exposed to orientations with high feature variability (45° deviation), led to significant orientation learning generalization. Learning transfer also occurred when the four orientation search stimuli with a 5° deviation were presented in separate blocks. These results help us to specify the condition under which multistimuli learning produces generalization, which holds potential for real-world applications of perceptual learning, such as vision rehabilitation and expert training.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Ping Zhu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun-Yun Zhang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Eysel UT, Jancke D. Induction of excitatory brain state governs plastic functional changes in visual cortical topology. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:531-547. [PMID: 38041743 PMCID: PMC10978694 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02730-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Adult visual plasticity underlying local remodeling of the cortical circuitry in vivo appears to be associated with a spatiotemporal pattern of strongly increased spontaneous and evoked activity of populations of cells. Here we review and discuss pioneering work by us and others about principles of plasticity in the adult visual cortex, starting with our study which showed that a confined lesion in the cat retina causes increased excitability in the affected region in the primary visual cortex accompanied by fine-tuned restructuring of neuronal function. The underlying remodeling processes was further visualized with voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging that allowed a direct tracking of retinal lesion-induced reorganization across horizontal cortical circuitries. Nowadays, application of noninvasive stimulation methods pursues the idea further of increased cortical excitability along with decreased inhibition as key factors for the induction of adult cortical plasticity. We used high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), for the first time in combination with VSD optical imaging, and provided evidence that TMS-amplified excitability across large pools of neurons forms the basis for noninvasively targeting reorganization of orientation maps in the visual cortex. Our review has been compiled on the basis of these four own studies, which we discuss in the context of historical developments in the field of visual cortical plasticity and the current state of the literature. Overall, we suggest markers of LTP-like cortical changes at mesoscopic population level as a main driving force for the induction of visual plasticity in the adult. Elevations in excitability that predispose towards cortical plasticity are most likely a common property of all cortical modalities. Thus, interventions that increase cortical excitability are a promising starting point to drive perceptual and potentially motor learning in therapeutic applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulf T Eysel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Dirk Jancke
- Optical Imaging Group, Institut für Neuroinformatik, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bertoni S, Franceschini S, Mancarella M, Puccio G, Ronconi L, Marsicano G, Gori S, Campana G, Facoetti A. Action video games and posterior parietal cortex neuromodulation enhance both attention and reading in adults with developmental dyslexia. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae152. [PMID: 38610090 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The impact of action video games on reading performance has been already demonstrated in individuals with and without neurodevelopmental disorders. The combination of action video games and posterior parietal cortex neuromodulation by a transcranial random noise stimulation could enhance brain plasticity, improving attentional control and reading skills also in adults with developmental dyslexia. In a double blind randomized controlled trial, 20 young adult nonaction video game players with developmental dyslexia were trained for 15 h with action video games. Half of the participants were stimulated with bilateral transcranial random noise stimulation on the posterior parietal cortex during the action video game training, whereas the others were in the placebo (i.e. sham) condition. Word text reading, pseudowords decoding, and temporal attention (attentional blink), as well as electroencephalographic activity during the attentional blink, were measured before and after the training. The action video game + transcranial random noise stimulation group showed temporal attention, word text reading, and pseudoword decoding enhancements and P300 amplitude brain potential changes. The enhancement in temporal attention performance was related with the efficiency in pseudoword decoding improvement. Our results demonstrate that the combination of action video game training with parietal neuromodulation increases the efficiency of visual attention deployment, probably reshaping goal-directed and stimulus-driven fronto-parietal attentional networks interplay in young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bertoni
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Piazzale Sant'Agostino 2, Bergamo 24129, Italy
| | - Sandro Franceschini
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Martina Mancarella
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Giovanna Puccio
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Gianluca Marsicano
- Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Viale Rasi e Spinelli 176, Cesena 47521, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, Bologna 40121, Italy
| | - Simone Gori
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Piazzale Sant'Agostino 2, Bergamo 24129, Italy
| | - Gianluca Campana
- PercUp Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, Padua 35131, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, Padua 35131, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhang S, Larsen B, Sydnor VJ, Zeng T, An L, Yan X, Kong R, Kong X, Gur RC, Gur RE, Moore TM, Wolf DH, Holmes AJ, Xie Y, Zhou JH, Fortier MV, Tan AP, Gluckman P, Chong YS, Meaney MJ, Deco G, Satterthwaite TD, Yeo BT. In-vivo whole-cortex marker of excitation-inhibition ratio indexes cortical maturation and cognitive ability in youth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.22.546023. [PMID: 38586012 PMCID: PMC10996460 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.22.546023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
A balanced excitation-inhibition ratio (E/I ratio) is critical for healthy brain function. Normative development of cortex-wide E/I ratio remains unknown. Here we non-invasively estimate a putative marker of whole-cortex E/I ratio by fitting a large-scale biophysically-plausible circuit model to resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data. We first confirm that our model generates realistic brain dynamics in the Human Connectome Project. Next, we show that the estimated E/I ratio marker is sensitive to the GABA-agonist benzodiazepine alprazolam during fMRI. Alprazolam-induced E/I changes are spatially consistent with positron emission tomography measurement of benzodiazepine receptor density. We then investigate the relationship between the E/I ratio marker and neurodevelopment. We find that the E/I ratio marker declines heterogeneously across the cerebral cortex during youth, with the greatest reduction occurring in sensorimotor systems relative to association systems. Importantly, among children with the same chronological age, a lower E/I ratio marker (especially in association cortex) is linked to better cognitive performance. This result is replicated across North American (8.2 to 23.0 years old) and Asian (7.2 to 7.9 years old) cohorts, suggesting that a more mature E/I ratio indexes improved cognition during normative development. Overall, our findings open the door to studying how disrupted E/I trajectories may lead to cognitive dysfunction in psychopathology that emerges during youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaoshi Zhang
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Bart Larsen
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Valerie J. Sydnor
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tianchu Zeng
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Lijun An
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Xiaoxuan Yan
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Ru Kong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Xiaolu Kong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
- ByteDance, Singapore
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tyler M. Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel H. Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Yapei Xie
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Juan Helen Zhou
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Marielle V Fortier
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Ai Peng Tan
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peter Gluckman
- UK Centre for Human Evolution, Adaptation and Disease, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yap Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Technology and Information, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Universitat Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Theodore D. Satterthwaite
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - B.T. Thomas Yeo
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hopstial, Charlestown, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Xu R, Walsh EG, Watanabe T, Sasaki Y. Shift in excitation-inhibition balance underlies perceptual learning of temporal discrimination. Neuropsychologia 2024; 195:108814. [PMID: 38316210 PMCID: PMC10923091 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Temporal perceptual learning (TPL) constitutes a unique and profound demonstration of neural plasticity within the brain. Our understanding for the neurometabolic changes associated with TPL on the other hand has been limited in part by the use of traditional fMRI approaches. Since plasticity in the visual cortex has been shown to underlie perceptual learning of visual information, we tested the hypothesis that TPL of an auditory interval involves a similar change in plasticity of the auditory pathway and if so, whether these changes take place in a lower-order sensory-specific brain area such as the primary auditory cortex (A1), or a higher-order modality-independent brain area such as the inferior parietal cortex (IPC). This distinction will inform us of the mechanisms underlying perceptual learning as well as the locus of change as it relates to TPL. In the present study, we took advantage of a new technique: proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in combination with psychophysical measures to provide the first evidence of changes in neurometabolic processing following 5 days of temporal discrimination training. We measured the (E)xcitation-to-(I)nhibition ratio as an index of learning in the right IPC and left A1 while participants learned an auditory two-tone discrimination task. During the first day of training, we found a significant task-related increase in functional E/I ratio within the IPC. While the A1 exhibited the opposite pattern of neurochemical activity, this relationship did not reach statistical significance. After timing performance has reached a plateau, there were no further changes to functional E/I. These findings support the hypothesis that improvements in temporal discrimination relies on neuroplastic changes in the IPC, but it is possible that both areas work synergistically to acquire a temporal interval.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rannie Xu
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, United States.
| | - Edward G Walsh
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, 02912, United States
| | - Takeo Watanabe
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, United States
| | - Yuka Sasaki
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Fan Z, Gong X, Xu H, Qu Y, Li B, Li L, Yan Y, Wu L, Yan C. Hippocampal parvalbumin and perineuronal nets: Possible involvement in anxiety-like behavior in rats. Hippocampus 2024; 34:156-165. [PMID: 38100162 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The excitatory-inhibitory imbalance has been considered an important mechanism underlying stress-related psychiatric disorders. In the present study, rats were exposed to 6 days of inescapable foot shock (IFS) to induce stress. The open field test and elevated plus maze test showed that IFS-exposed rats exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior. Immunofluorescence showed that IFS rats had a decreased density of GAD67-immunoreactive interneurons in the dorsal hippocampal CA1 region, while no significant change in the density of CaMKIIα-immunoreactive glutamatergic neurons was seen. We investigated the expression of different interneuron subtype markers, including parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SST), and calretinin (CR), and noted a marked decline in the density of PV-immunoreactive interneurons in the dorsal CA1 region of IFS rats. The perineuronal net (PNN) is a specialized extracellular matrix structure primarily around PV interneurons. We used Wisteria floribunda agglutinin lectin to label the PNNs and observed that IFS rats had an increased proportion of PNN-coated PV-positive interneurons in CA1. The number of PSD95-positive excitatory synaptic puncta on the soma of PNN-free PV-positive interneurons was significantly higher than that of PNN-coated PV-positive interneurons. Our findings suggest that the effect of IFS on the hippocampal GABAergic interneurons could be cell-type-specific. Loss of PV phenotype in the dorsal hippocampal CA1 region may contribute to anxiety in rats. The dysregulated PV-PNN relationship in CA1 after traumatic stress exposure might represent one of the neurobiological correlates of the observed anxiety-like behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Fan
- Research Center for Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiayu Gong
- Research Center for Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanfang Xu
- Research Center for Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Qu
- Research Center for Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bozhi Li
- Research Center for Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lanxin Li
- Research Center for Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuqi Yan
- Research Center for Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lili Wu
- Research Center for Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Can Yan
- Research Center for Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Gu YT, Shi B, Li DL, Zhang TT, Wang P, Jiang J, Pan CW. Cost-effectiveness of screening for amblyopia among kindergarten children in China. Prev Med Rep 2024; 39:102662. [PMID: 38426040 PMCID: PMC10901851 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Current cost-effectiveness analyses of amblyopia screening are mainly from western countries. It remains unclear whether it is cost-effective to implement a preschool amblyopia screening programme in China. Our study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical kindergarten-based amblyopia screening versus non-screening among 3-year-old children. Methods We developed a decision tree combined with a Markov model to compare the cost and effectiveness of screening versus non-screening for 3-year-old children from a third-party payment perspective. The primary outcomes were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Costs were obtained from expert opinions in different regions of China. Transition probabilities and health utilities were mainly based on published literature and open sources. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the impact of parameters' uncertainty on results. Results Base-case analysis demonstrated that the ICER of screening versus non-screening was $17,466/QALY, well below the WTP threshold ($38,223/QALY) for China. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the prevalence of amblyopia, the transition probability per year from untreated amblyopia to healthy, and the discount rate were the top three factors. The likelihood of cost-effectiveness of screening compared with non-screening was 92.56%, according to probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Scenario analysis also indicated that ICER was lower than the WTP threshold even if the time horizon was shortened or the screening was delayed to the age of 4 or 5. Conclusions Amblyopia screening could be considered a cost-effective strategy compared to non-screening for 3-year-old children in China. Screening for children at the age of 4 or 5 may even yield better results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Gu
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bing Shi
- Department of Public Health, Suzhou Industrial Park Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Suzhou, China
| | - Dan-Lin Li
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | | | - Pei Wang
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chen-Wei Pan
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Faralli A, Fucà E, Lazzaro G, Menghini D, Vicari S, Costanzo F. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in neurogenetic syndromes: new treatment perspectives for Down syndrome? Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1328963. [PMID: 38456063 PMCID: PMC10917937 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1328963] [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: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
This perspective review aims to explore the potential neurobiological mechanisms involved in the application of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Down syndrome (DS), the leading cause of genetically-based intellectual disability. The neural mechanisms underlying tDCS interventions in genetic disorders, typically characterized by cognitive deficits, are grounded in the concept of brain plasticity. We initially present the neurobiological and functional effects elicited by tDCS applications in enhancing neuroplasticity and in regulating the excitatory/inhibitory balance, both associated with cognitive improvement in the general population. The review begins with evidence on tDCS applications in five neurogenetic disorders, including Rett, Prader-Willi, Phelan-McDermid, and Neurofibromatosis 1 syndromes, as well as DS. Available evidence supports tDCS as a potential intervention tool and underscores the importance of advancing neurobiological research into the mechanisms of tDCS action in these conditions. We then discuss the potential of tDCS as a promising non-invasive strategy to mitigate deficits in plasticity and promote fine-tuning of the excitatory/inhibitory balance in DS, exploring implications for cognitive treatment perspectives in this population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Faralli
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Fucà
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Lazzaro
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Deny Menghini
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Life Sciences and Public Health Department, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Floriana Costanzo
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kadhum A, Tan ETC, Fronius M, Baart SJ, Levi DM, Joosse MV, Simonsz HJ, Loudon SE. Supervised dichoptic gaming versus monitored occlusion therapy for childhood amblyopia: Effectiveness and efficiency. Acta Ophthalmol 2024; 102:38-48. [PMID: 37078540 DOI: 10.1111/aos.15674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the effectiveness and efficiency of supervised dichoptic action-videogame play to occlusion therapy in children with amblyopia. METHODS Newly diagnosed children with amblyopia aged 4-12 years were recruited, excluding strabismus >30PD. After 16 weeks of refractive adaptation children were randomized to gaming 1 h/week supervised by the researcher, or electronically monitored occlusion 2 h/day. The gaming group played a dichoptic action-videogame using virtual reality goggles, which included the task of catching a snowflake presented intermittently to the amblyopic eye. Contrast for the fellow eye was self-adjusted until 2 identical images were perceived. The primary outcome was visual acuity (VA) change from baseline to 24 weeks. RESULTS We recruited 96 children, 29 declined and 2 were excluded for language or legal issues. After refractive adaptation, 24 of the remaining 65 no longer met the inclusion criteria for amblyopia, and 8 dropped out. Of 16 children treated with gaming, 7 (6.7 years) completed treatment, whereas 9 younger children (5.3 years) did not. Of 17 treated with occlusion, 14 (5.1 years) completed treatment and 3 (4.5 years) did not. Of 5 children with small-angle strabismus, 3 treated with occlusion completed treatment and 2 treated with gaming did not. Median VA improved by 0.30 logMAR (IQR 0.20-0.40) after gaming, 0.20 logMAR (0.00-0.30) after occlusion (p = 0.823). Treatment efficiency was 1.25 logMAR/100 h (range 0.42-2.08) with gaming, 0.08 (-0.19-0.68) with occlusion (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Dichoptic gaming seems a viable alternative for older children with refractive amblyopia after glasses adaptation. Treatment efficiency with gaming under continuous supervision was 15 times higher than with occlusion at home.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aveen Kadhum
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emily T C Tan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Fronius
- Department of Ophthalmology, Child Vision Research Unit, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - S J Baart
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis M Levi
- Berkeley, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Maurits V Joosse
- Department of Ophthalmology, Haaglanden Medical Center (HMC), Westeinde Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Huibert J Simonsz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoukje E Loudon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Duffy KR, Bear MF, Patel NB, Das VE, Tychsen L. Human deprivation amblyopia: treatment insights from animal models. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1249466. [PMID: 37795183 PMCID: PMC10545969 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1249466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amblyopia is a common visual impairment that develops during the early years of postnatal life. It emerges as a sequela to eye misalignment, an imbalanced refractive state, or obstruction to form vision. All of these conditions prevent normal vision and derail the typical development of neural connections within the visual system. Among the subtypes of amblyopia, the most debilitating and recalcitrant to treatment is deprivation amblyopia. Nevertheless, human studies focused on advancing the standard of care for amblyopia have largely avoided recruitment of patients with this rare but severe impairment subtype. In this review, we delineate characteristics of deprivation amblyopia and underscore the critical need for new and more effective therapy. Animal models offer a unique opportunity to address this unmet need by enabling the development of unconventional and potent amblyopia therapies that cannot be pioneered in humans. Insights derived from studies using animal models are discussed as potential therapeutic innovations for the remediation of deprivation amblyopia. Retinal inactivation is highlighted as an emerging therapy that exhibits efficacy against the effects of monocular deprivation at ages when conventional therapy is ineffective, and recovery occurs without apparent detriment to the treated eye.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R. Duffy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Mark F. Bear
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Nimesh B. Patel
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Vallabh E. Das
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lawrence Tychsen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Min SH, Wang Z, Chen MT, Hu R, Gong L, He Z, Wang X, Hess RF, Zhou J. Metaplasticity: Dark exposure boosts local excitability and visual plasticity in adult human cortex. J Physiol 2023; 601:4105-4120. [PMID: 37573529 DOI: 10.1113/jp284040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
An interlude of dark exposure for about 1 week is known to shift excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance of the mammalian visual cortex, promoting plasticity and accelerating visual recovery in animals that have experienced cortical lesions during development. However, the translational impact of our understanding of dark exposure from animal studies to humans remains elusive. Here, we used magnetic resonance spectroscopy as a probe for E/I balance in the primary visual cortex (V1) to determine the effect of 60 min of dark exposure, and measured binocular combination as a behavioural assay to assess visual plasticity in 14 normally sighted human adults. To induce neuroplastic changes in the observers, we introduced 60 min of monocular deprivation, which is known to temporarily shift sensory eye balance in favour of the previously deprived eye. We report that prior dark exposure for 60 min strengthens local excitability in V1 and boosts visual plasticity in normal adults. However, we show that it does not promote plasticity in amblyopic adults. Nevertheless, our findings are surprising, given the fact that the interlude is very brief. Interestingly, we find that the increased concentration of the excitatory neurotransmitter is not strongly correlated with the enhanced functional plasticity. Instead, the absolute degree of change in its concentration is related to the boost, suggesting that the dichotomy of cortical excitation and inhibition might not explain the physiological basis of plasticity in humans. We present the first evidence that an environmental manipulation that shifts cortical E/I balance can also act as a metaplastic facilitator for visual plasticity in humans. KEY POINTS: A brief interlude (60 min) of dark exposure increased the local concentration of glutamine/glutamate but not that of GABA in the visual cortex of adult humans. After dark exposure, the degree of the shift in sensory eye dominance in favour of the previously deprived eye from short-term monocular deprivation was larger than that from only monocular deprivation. The neurochemical and behavioural measures were associated: the magnitude of the shift in the concentration of glutamine/glutamate was correlated with the boost in perceptual plasticity after dark exposure. Surprisingly, the increase in the concentration of glutamine/glutamate was not correlated with the perceptual boost after dark exposure, suggesting that the physiological mechanism of how E/I balance regulates plasticity is not deterministic. In other words, an increased excitation did not unilaterally promote plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seung Hyun Min
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zili Wang
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Meng Ting Chen
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Rongjie Hu
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
| | - Ling Gong
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhifen He
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Wang
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
| | - Robert F Hess
- McGill Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jiawei Zhou
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zhang L, Shi W, Liu J, Chen K, Zhang G, Zhang S, Cong B, Li Y. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) Regulates GABAA Receptors in the Dorsomedial Hypothalamus Nucleus (DMH) through Activation of the JAK/STAT Pathway to Affect Heart Rate Variability in Stressed Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12985. [PMID: 37629166 PMCID: PMC10455568 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The dorsomedial hypothalamus nucleus (DMH) is an important component of the autonomic nervous system and plays a critical role in regulating the sympathetic outputs of the heart. Stress alters the neuronal activity of the DMH, affecting sympathetic outputs and triggering heart rate variability. However, the specific molecular mechanisms behind stress leading to abnormal DMH neuronal activity have still not been fully elucidated. Therefore, in the present study, we successfully constructed a stressed rat model and used it to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms by which IL-6 regulates GABAA receptors in the DMH through activation of the JAK/STAT pathway and thus affects heart rate variability in rats. By detecting the c-Fos expression of neurons in the DMH and electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in rats, we clarified the relationship between abnormal DMH neuronal activity and heart rate variability in stressed rats. Then, using ELISA, immunohistochemical staining, Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and RNAscope, we further explored the correlation between the IL-6/JAK/STAT signaling pathway and GABAA receptors. The data showed that an increase in IL-6 induced by stress inhibited GABAA receptors in DMH neurons by activating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, while specific inhibition of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway using AG490 obviously reduced DMH neuronal activity and improved heart rate variability in rats. These findings suggest that IL-6 regulates the expression of GABAA receptors via the activation of the JAK/STAT pathway in the DMH, which may be an important cause of heart rate variability in stressed rats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Bin Cong
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Department of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; (L.Z.); (W.S.); (J.L.); (K.C.); (G.Z.); (S.Z.)
| | - Yingmin Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Department of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; (L.Z.); (W.S.); (J.L.); (K.C.); (G.Z.); (S.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Carvalho J, Fernandes FF, Shemesh N. Extensive topographic remapping and functional sharpening in the adult rat visual pathway upon first visual experience. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002229. [PMID: 37590177 PMCID: PMC10434970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the dynamics of stability/plasticity balances during adulthood is pivotal for learning, disease, and recovery from injury. However, the brain-wide topography of sensory remapping remains unknown. Here, using a first-of-its-kind setup for delivering patterned visual stimuli in a rodent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, coupled with biologically inspired computational models, we noninvasively mapped brain-wide properties-receptive fields (RFs) and spatial frequency (SF) tuning curves-that were insofar only available from invasive electrophysiology or optical imaging. We then tracked the RF dynamics in the chronic visual deprivation model (VDM) of plasticity and found that light exposure progressively promoted a large-scale topographic remapping in adult rats. Upon light exposure, the initially unspecialized visual pathway progressively evidenced sharpened RFs (smaller and more spatially selective) and enhanced SF tuning curves. Our findings reveal that visual experience following VDM reshapes both structure and function of the visual system and shifts the stability/plasticity balance in adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Carvalho
- Laboratory of Preclinical MRI, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francisca F. Fernandes
- Laboratory of Preclinical MRI, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Noam Shemesh
- Laboratory of Preclinical MRI, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Lavertu-Jolin M, Chattopadhyaya B, Chehrazi P, Carrier D, Wünnemann F, Leclerc S, Dumouchel F, Robertson D, Affia H, Saba K, Gopal V, Patel AB, Andelfinger G, Pineyro G, Di Cristo G. Acan downregulation in parvalbumin GABAergic cells reduces spontaneous recovery of fear memories. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2946-2963. [PMID: 37131076 PMCID: PMC10615765 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02085-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
While persistence of fear memories is essential for survival, a failure to inhibit fear in response to harmless stimuli is a feature of anxiety disorders. Extinction training only temporarily suppresses fear memory recovery in adults, but it is highly effective in juvenile rodents. Maturation of GABAergic circuits, in particular of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) cells, restricts plasticity in the adult brain, thus reducing PV+ cell maturation could promote the suppression of fear memories following extinction training in adults. Epigenetic modifications such as histone acetylation control gene accessibility for transcription and help couple synaptic activity to changes in gene expression. Histone deacetylase 2 (Hdac2), in particular, restrains both structural and functional synaptic plasticity. However, whether and how Hdac2 controls the maturation of postnatal PV+ cells is not well understood. Here, we show that PV+- cell specific Hdac2 deletion limits spontaneous fear memory recovery in adult mice, while enhancing PV+ cell bouton remodeling and reducing perineuronal net aggregation around PV+ cells in prefrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala. Prefrontal cortex PV+ cells lacking Hdac2, show reduced expression of Acan, a critical perineuronal net component, which is rescued by Hdac2 re-expression. Pharmacological inhibition of Hdac2 before extinction training is sufficient to reduce both spontaneous fear memory recovery and Acan expression in wild-type adult mice, while these effects are occluded in PV+-cell specific Hdac2 conditional knockout mice. Finally, a brief knock-down of Acan expression mediated by intravenous siRNA delivery before extinction training but after fear memory acquisition is sufficient to reduce spontaneous fear recovery in wild-type mice. Altogether, these data suggest that controlled manipulation of PV+ cells by targeting Hdac2 activity, or the expression of its downstream effector Acan, promotes the long-term efficacy of extinction training in adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marisol Lavertu-Jolin
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Pegah Chehrazi
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Denise Carrier
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Florian Wünnemann
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine & Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Séverine Leclerc
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Félix Dumouchel
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Derek Robertson
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Hicham Affia
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Kamal Saba
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Vijaya Gopal
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Anant Bahadur Patel
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Gregor Andelfinger
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Graçiela Pineyro
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Graziella Di Cristo
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lepow L, Morishita H, Yehuda R. Critical Period Plasticity as a Framework for Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy. FOCUS (AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC PUBLISHING) 2023; 21:329-336. [PMID: 37404962 PMCID: PMC10316207 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.23021012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
As psychedelic compounds gain traction in psychiatry, there is a need to consider the active mechanism to explain the effect observed in randomized clinical trials. Traditionally, biological psychiatry has asked how compounds affect the causal pathways of illness to reduce symptoms and therefore focus on analysis of the pharmacologic properties. In psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), there is debate about whether ingestion of the psychedelic alone is thought to be responsible for the clinical outcome. A question arises how the medication and psychotherapeutic intervention together might lead to neurobiological changes that underlie recovery from illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This paper offers a framework for investigating the neurobiological basis of PAP by extrapolating from models used to explain how a pharmacologic intervention might create an optimal brain state during which environmental input has enduring effects. Specifically, there are developmental "critical" periods (CP) with exquisite sensitivity to environmental input; the biological characteristics are largely unknown. We discuss a hypothesis that psychedelics may remove the brakes on adult neuroplasticity, inducing a state similar to that of neurodevelopment. In the visual system, progress has been made both in identifying the biological conditions which distinguishes the CP and in manipulating the active ingredients with the idea that we might pharmacologically reopen a critical period in adulthood. We highlight ocular dominance plasticity (ODP) in the visual system as a model for characterizing CP in limbic systems relevant to psychiatry. A CP framework may help to integrate the neuroscientific inquiry with the influence of the environment both in development and in PAP. Appeared originally in Front Neurosci 2021; 15:710004.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Lepow
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (all authors). Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Lepow, Morishita). Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Morishita). Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States (Yehuda)
| | - Hirofumi Morishita
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (all authors). Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Lepow, Morishita). Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Morishita). Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States (Yehuda)
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (all authors). Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Lepow, Morishita). Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Morishita). Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States (Yehuda)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ridder III WH, Patel R, Li YX, Staubli U. Standard Amblyopia Therapy in Adults with Longstanding Amblyopia Improves Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity. Clin Ophthalmol 2023; 17:1847-1858. [PMID: 37405009 PMCID: PMC10317545 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s410800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Perceptual learning or dichoptic training may result in improved acuity in adult amblyopes. However, for amblyopic children (<18 years), most clinicians recommend standard part-time patching. The purpose of this study was to determine if standard amblyopia therapy results in an enhancement in vision in the amblyopic eye of adults. Patients and Methods Fifteen amblyopes (20/30 or worse) were recruited and nine (age (SD) 32.9 (16.31)) with anisometropia or anisometropia and strabismus (ie, combined mechanism amblyopia) completed the study. Previous therapy did not exclude subjects. The subjects received a comprehensive eye exam and wore their best correction for at least four weeks prior to baseline testing. The non-amblyopic eye was patched for 2 hours per day (Amblyopia iNET training for 30 minutes and near/distance activities for 1.5 hours). The subjects had a baseline amblyopia evaluation followed by one visit per week for 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, the treatment was tapered off over one month and the subjects had a final amblyopia evaluation at 24 weeks. Contrast sensitivity was measured at baseline and 12 weeks with the Quick CSF system. Results The subjects had a significant improvement in visual acuity across the weeks (p < 0.001). At baseline, weeks 12 and 24, the average logMAR acuities (SE) were 0.55 (0.09), 0.41 (0.08), and 0.38 (0.09), respectively. Weeks 4 to 24 were significantly different (p < 0.001) from baseline. The average acuity improvement over the 24 weeks was 1.7 logMAR lines. There was a significant increase in the area under the log contrast sensitivity function (p = 0.002) and its estimated acuity (p = 0.036) from baseline to 12 weeks. Conclusion Standard amblyopia treatment can result in an improvement in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in adults with longstanding anisometropic or combined mechanism amblyopia even if they had prior therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William H Ridder III
- Southern California College of Optometry, Marshall B. Ketchum University, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | - Reena Patel
- Southern California College of Optometry, Marshall B. Ketchum University, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Wu C, Gaier ED, Nihalani BR, Whitecross S, Hensch TK, Hunter DG. Durable recovery from amblyopia with donepezil. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10161. [PMID: 37349338 PMCID: PMC10287641 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34891-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
An elevated threshold for neuroplasticity limits visual gains with treatment of residual amblyopia in older children and adults. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) can enable visual neuroplasticity and promote recovery from amblyopia in adult mice. Motivated by these promising findings, we sought to determine whether donepezil, a commercially available AChEI, can enable recovery in older children and adults with residual amblyopia. In this open-label pilot efficacy study, 16 participants (mean age 16 years; range 9-37 years) with residual anisometropic and/or strabismic amblyopia were treated with daily oral donepezil for 12 weeks. Donepezil dosage was started at 2.5 or 5.0 mg based on age and increased by 2.5 mg if the amblyopic eye visual acuity did not improve by 1 line from the visit 4 weeks prior for a maximum dosage of 7.5 or 10 mg. Participants < 18 years of age further patched the dominant eye. The primary outcome was visual acuity in the amblyopic eye at 22 weeks, 10 weeks after treatment was discontinued. Mean amblyopic eye visual acuity improved 1.2 lines (range 0.0-3.0), and 4/16 (25%) improved by ≥ 2 lines after 12 weeks of treatment. Gains were maintained 10 weeks after cessation of donepezil and were similar for children and adults. Adverse events were mild and self-limited. Residual amblyopia improves in older children and adults treated with donepezil, supporting the concept that the critical window of visual cortical plasticity can be pharmacologically manipulated to treat amblyopia. Placebo-controlled studies are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Eric D Gaier
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bharti R Nihalani
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Whitecross
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Takao K Hensch
- Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo, Japan
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David G Hunter
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Huang H, Joffrin AM, Zhao Y, Miller GM, Zhang GC, Oka Y, Hsieh-Wilson LC. Chondroitin 4- O-sulfation regulates hippocampal perineuronal nets and social memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2301312120. [PMID: 37279269 PMCID: PMC10268298 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301312120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycan alterations are associated with aging, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative diseases, although the contributions of specific glycan structures to emotion and cognitive functions remain largely unknown. Here, we used a combination of chemistry and neurobiology to show that 4-O-sulfated chondroitin sulfate (CS) polysaccharides are critical regulators of perineuronal nets (PNNs) and synapse development in the mouse hippocampus, thereby affecting anxiety and cognitive abilities such as social memory. Brain-specific deletion of CS 4-O-sulfation in mice increased PNN densities in the area CA2 (cornu ammonis 2), leading to imbalanced excitatory-to-inhibitory synaptic ratios, reduced CREB activation, elevated anxiety, and social memory dysfunction. The impairments in PNN densities, CREB activity, and social memory were recapitulated by selective ablation of CS 4-O-sulfation in the CA2 region during adulthood. Notably, enzymatic pruning of the excess PNNs reduced anxiety levels and restored social memory, while chemical manipulation of CS 4-O-sulfation levels reversibly modulated PNN densities surrounding hippocampal neurons and the balance of excitatory and inhibitory synapses. These findings reveal key roles for CS 4-O-sulfation in adult brain plasticity, social memory, and anxiety regulation, and they suggest that targeting CS 4-O-sulfation may represent a strategy to address neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases associated with social cognitive dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huiqian Huang
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
- Clinical Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310000, China
| | - Amélie M. Joffrin
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Gregory M. Miller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Grace C. Zhang
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Yuki Oka
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Linda C. Hsieh-Wilson
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Eisen-Enosh A, Farah N, Polat U, Mandel Y. Perceptual learning based on a temporal stimulus enhances visual function in adult amblyopic subjects. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7643. [PMID: 37169784 PMCID: PMC10175483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34421-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that Perceptual Learning (PL) can lead to enhancement of spatial visual functions in amblyopic subjects. Here we aimed to determine whether a simple flickering stimulus can be utilized in PL to enhance temporal function performance and whether enhancement will transfer to spatial functions in amblyopic subjects. Six adult amblyopic and six normally sighted subjects underwent an evaluation of their performance of baseline psychophysics spatial functions (Visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity (CS), temporal functions (critical fusion frequency (CFF) test), as well as a static and flickering stereopsis test, and an electrophysiological evaluation (VEP). The subjects then underwent 5 training sessions (on average, a total of 150 min over 2.5 weeks), which included a task similar to the CFF test using the method of constant stimuli. After completing the training sessions, subjects repeated the initial performance evaluation tasks. All amblyopic subjects showed improved temporal visual performance (CFF) in the amblyopic eye (on average, 17%, p << 0.01) following temporal PL. Generalization to spatial, spatio-temporal, and binocular tasks was also found: VA increased by 0.12 logMAR (p = 0.004), CS in backward masking significantly increased (by up to 19%, p = 0.003), and flickering stereopsis increased by 85 arcsec (p = 0.048). These results were further electrophysiologically manifested by an increase in VEP amplitude (by 43%, p = 0.03), increased Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) (by 39%, p = 0.024) to levels not different from normally sighted subjects, along with an improvement in inter-ocular delay (by 5.8 ms, p = 0.003). In contrast, no significant effect of training was found in the normally sighted group. These results highlight the potential of PL based on a temporal stimulus to improve the temporal and spatial visual performance in amblyopes. Future work is needed to optimize this method for clinical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Auria Eisen-Enosh
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Nairouz Farah
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yossi Mandel
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Celorrio M, Friess SH. Chemogenetic inhibition of amygdala excitatory neurons impairs rhEPO-enhanced contextual fear memory after TBI. Neurosci Lett 2023; 804:137216. [PMID: 36997018 PMCID: PMC10518055 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hypoxia-responsive cytokine that induces neuroprotective effect in hypoxic-ischaemic, traumatic, excitotoxic and inflammatory injuries. Recently, utilizing a clinically relevant murine model of TBI and delayed hypoxemia, we have found that ongoing recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) administration influenced neurogenesis, neuroprotection, synaptic density and, behavioral outcomes early after TBI, and the impact on long-lasting outcomes 6 months after injury. We also demonstrated that the 1-month behavioral improvement was associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) signaling activation and increased of excitatory synaptic density in the amygdala. However, we did not uncover which type of cells were involved in fear memory response enhancement after rhEPO treatment in the setting of TBI with delayed hypoxemia. In this report, using chemogenetic tools in our controlled cortical impact (CCI) model, we were able to inactivate excitatory neurons and eliminate rhEPO-induced fear memory recall enhancement. In summary, these data demonstrate that rhEPO treatment initiated after TBI enhances contextual fear memory in the injured brain via activation of excitatory neurons in the amygdala.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Celorrio
- One Children's Place, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Campus Box 8208, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Stuart H Friess
- One Children's Place, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Campus Box 8208, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Fung CM. Effects of intrauterine growth restriction on embryonic hippocampal dentate gyrus neurogenesis and postnatal critical period of synaptic plasticity that govern learning and memory function. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1092357. [PMID: 37008232 PMCID: PMC10064986 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1092357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) complicates up to 10% of human pregnancies and is the second leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality after prematurity. The most common etiology of IUGR in developed countries is uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI). For survivors of IUGR pregnancies, long-term studies consistently show a fivefold increased risk for impaired cognition including learning and memory deficits. Among these, only a few human studies have highlighted sex differences with males and females having differing susceptibilities to different impairments. Moreover, it is well established from brain magnetic resonance imaging that IUGR affects both white and gray matter. The hippocampus, composed of the dentate gyrus (DG) and cornu ammonis (CA) subregions, is an important gray matter structure critical to learning and memory, and is particularly vulnerable to the chronic hypoxic-ischemic effects of UPI. Decreased hippocampal volume is a strong predictor for learning and memory deficits. Decreased neuron number and attenuated dendritic and axonal morphologies in both the DG and CA are additionally seen in animal models. What is largely unexplored is the prenatal changes that predispose an IUGR offspring to postnatal learning and memory deficits. This lack of knowledge will continue to hinder the design of future therapy to improve learning and memory. In this review, we will first present the clinical susceptibilities and human epidemiology data regarding the neurological sequelae after IUGR. We will follow with data generated using our laboratory’s mouse model of IUGR, that mimics the human IUGR phenotype, to dissect at the cellular and molecular alterations in embryonic hippocampal DG neurogenesis. We will lastly present a newer topic of postnatal neuron development, namely the critical period of synaptic plasticity that is crucial in achieving an excitatory/inhibitory balance in the developing brain. To our knowledge, these findings are the first to describe the prenatal changes that lead to an alteration in postnatal hippocampal excitatory/inhibitory imbalance, a mechanism that is now recognized to be a cause of neurocognitive/neuropsychiatric disorders in at-risk individuals. Studies are ongoing in our laboratory to elucidate additional mechanisms that underlie IUGR-induced learning and memory impairment and to design therapy aimed at ameliorating such impairment.
Collapse
|
27
|
Wu D, Zhang P, Wang Y, Liu N, Sun K, Wang P, Xiao W. Anodal online transcranial direct current stimulation facilitates visual motion perceptual learning. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:479-489. [PMID: 36511948 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Visual perceptual learning (VPL) has great potential implications for clinical populations, but adequate improvement often takes weeks to months to obtain; therefore, practical applications of VPL are limited. Strategies that enhance visual performance acquisition make great practical sense. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could be beneficial to VPL, but thus far, the results are inconsistent. The current study had two objectives: (1) to investigate the effect of anodal tDCS on VPL and (2) to determine whether the timing sequence of anodal tDCS and training influences VPL. Anodal tDCS was applied on the left human middle temporal (hMT+) during training on a coherent motion discrimination task (online), anodal tDCS was also applied before training (offline) and sham tDCS was applied during training (sham). The coherent thresholds were measured without stimulation before, 2 days after and 1 month after training. All participants trained for five consecutive days. Anodal tDCS resulted in more performance improvement when applied during daily training but not when applied before training. Additionally, neither within-session improvement nor between-session improvement differed among the online, offline and sham tDCS conditions. These findings contribute to the development of efficient stimulation protocols and a deep understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effect of tDCS on VPL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Di Wu
- Department of Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
- Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical School, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Pan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Nursing, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Kewei Sun
- Department of Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Panhui Wang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- Department of Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Mowery TM, Garraghty PE. Adult neuroplasticity employs developmental mechanisms. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 16:1086680. [PMID: 36762289 PMCID: PMC9904365 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1086680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Although neural plasticity is now widely studied, there was a time when the idea of adult plasticity was antithetical to the mainstream. The essential stumbling block arose from the seminal experiments of Hubel and Wiesel who presented convincing evidence that there existed a critical period for plasticity during development after which the brain lost its ability to change in accordance to shifts in sensory input. Despite the zeitgeist that mature brain is relatively immutable to change, there were a number of examples of adult neural plasticity emerging in the scientific literature. Interestingly, some of the earliest of these studies involved visual plasticity in the adult cat. Even earlier, there were reports of what appeared to be functional reorganization in adult rat somatosensory thalamus after dorsal column lesions, a finding that was confirmed and extended with additional experimentation. To demonstrate that these findings reflected more than a response to central injury, and to gain greater control of the extent of the sensory loss, peripheral nerve injuries were used that eliminated ascending sensory information while leaving central pathways intact. Merzenich, Kaas, and colleagues used peripheral nerve transections to reveal unambiguous reorganization in primate somatosensory cortex. Moreover, these same researchers showed that this plasticity proceeded in no less than two stages, one immediate, and one more protracted. These findings were confirmed and extended to more expansive cortical deprivations, and further extended to the thalamus and brainstem. There then began a series of experiments to reveal the physiological, morphological and neurochemical mechanisms that permitted this plasticity. Ultimately, Mowery and colleagues conducted a series of experiments that carefully tracked the levels of expression of several subunits of glutamate (AMPA and NMDA) and GABA (GABAA and GABAB) receptor complexes in primate somatosensory cortex at several time points after peripheral nerve injury. These receptor subunit mapping experiments revealed that membrane expression levels came to reflect those seen in early phases of critical period development. This suggested that under conditions of prolonged sensory deprivation the adult cells were returning to critical period like plastic states, i.e., developmental recapitulation. Here we outline the heuristics that drive this phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Todd M. Mowery
- Department of Otolaryngology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Preston E. Garraghty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Fan H, Wang Y, Zou Y, Song W, Xie J, Tang X, Chen S. ARC/Arg3.1 expression in the lateral geniculate body of monocular form deprivation amblyopic kittens. BMC Ophthalmol 2023; 23:3. [PMID: 36597053 PMCID: PMC9809052 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-022-02757-5] [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: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The present study compared the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC/Arg3.1) in the lateral geniculate body between form deprivation amblyopia kittens and normal kittens to examine the significance of ARC/Arg3.1 in the lateral geniculate body in the pathogenesis of amblyopia. METHODS Twenty kittens were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 10) and a control group (n = 10). Black opaque covering cloth was used to cover the right eye of kittens in the experimental group. Pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) were detected weekly in all kittens. The expression of the ARC/Arg3.1 gene was detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, and apoptosis of lateral geniculate body cells was detected by TUNEL. RESULTS PVEP detection showed that at the age of 5 and 7 weeks, the latency of P100 in the right eye of the experimental group was higher than that of the other three groups (P < 0.05), and the amplitude of P100 was lower than that of the other three groups (P < 0.05). The expression of ARC/Arg3.1 protein (P < 0.05) and mRNA (P < 0.05) in the lateral geniculate body of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group. The level of neuronal apoptosis in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The expression of the ARC/Arg3.1 gene was negatively correlated with the apoptosis level of lateral geniculate body neurons. CONCLUSIONS The expression of ARC/Arg3.1 is associated with monocular form deprivation amblyopia and apoptosis of lateral geniculate body cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haobo Fan
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, No.234 FuJiang Road, Nanchong, 637000, China
- Department of Optometry and Pediatric Ophthalmology, Ineye Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, No.234 FuJiang Road, Nanchong, 637000, China
| | - Yunchun Zou
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, No.234 FuJiang Road, Nanchong, 637000, China.
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Clinical College of North Sichuan Medical College (Nanchong Central Hospital), Nanchong, China.
| | - Weiqi Song
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, No.234 FuJiang Road, Nanchong, 637000, China
| | - Juan Xie
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, No.234 FuJiang Road, Nanchong, 637000, China
| | - Xiuping Tang
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, No.234 FuJiang Road, Nanchong, 637000, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, No.234 FuJiang Road, Nanchong, 637000, China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Antioxidants Prevent the Effects of Physical Exercise on Visual Cortical Plasticity. Cells 2022; 12:cells12010048. [PMID: 36611842 PMCID: PMC9818657 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010048] [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: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical activity has been recently shown to enhance adult visual cortical plasticity, both in human subjects and animal models. While physical activity activates mitochondrial oxidative metabolism leading to a transient production of reactive oxygen species, it remains unknown whether this process is involved in the plasticizing effects elicited at the visual cortical level. RESULTS Here, we investigated whether counteracting oxidative stress through a dietary intervention with antioxidants (vitamins E and C) interferes with the impact of physical exercise on visual cortex plasticity in adult rats. Antioxidant supplementation beyond the closure of the critical period blocked ocular dominance plasticity in response to eye deprivation induced by physical activity in adult rats. CONCLUSIONS Antioxidants exerted their action through a mithormetic effect that involved dampening of oxidative stress and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling in the brain.
Collapse
|
31
|
Tran The J, Magistretti PJ, Ansermet F. The critical periods of cerebral plasticity: A key aspect in a dialog between psychoanalysis and neuroscience centered on the psychopathology of schizophrenia. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1057539. [PMID: 36590919 PMCID: PMC9795046 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1057539] [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: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Through research into the molecular and cellular mechanisms that occur during critical periods, recent experimental neurobiological data have brought to light the importance of early childhood. These have demonstrated that childhood and early environmental stimuli play a part not only in our subjective construction, but also in brain development; thus, confirming Freud's intuition regarding the central role of childhood and early experiences of the environment in our psychological development and our subjective outcomes. "Critical periods" of cerebral development represent temporal windows that mark favorable, but also circumscribed, moments in developmental cerebral plasticity. They also vary between different cortical areas. There are, therefore, strictly defined temporal periods for learning language, music, etc., after which this learning becomes more difficult, or even impossible, to acquire. Now, research into these critical periods can be seen as having a significant part to play in the interdisciplinary dialog between psychoanalysis and neurosciences with regard to the role of early experiences in the etiology of some psychopathological conditions. Research into the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling the onset and end of these critical periods, notably controlled by the maturation of parvalbumin-expressing basket cells, have brought to light the presence of anomalies in the maturation of these neurons in patients with schizophrenia. Starting from these findings we propose revisiting the psychoanalytic theories on the etiology of psychosis from an interdisciplinary perspective. Our study works from the observation, common to both psychoanalysis and neurosciences, that experience leaves a trace; be it a "psychic" or a "synaptic" trace. Thus, we develop a hypothesis for an "absence of trace" in psychosis; reexamining psychosis through the prism of the biological theory of critical periods in plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Tran The
- INSERM U1077 Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France,Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France,UFR de Psychologie, Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Caen, Caen, France,Cyceron, Caen, France,Agalma Foundation Geneva, Chemin des Mines, Switzerland,*Correspondence: Jessica Tran The,
| | - Pierre J. Magistretti
- Agalma Foundation Geneva, Chemin des Mines, Switzerland,Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland,Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Francois Ansermet
- Agalma Foundation Geneva, Chemin des Mines, Switzerland,Département de Psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Bosten JM, Coen-Cagli R, Franklin A, Solomon SG, Webster MA. Calibrating Vision: Concepts and Questions. Vision Res 2022; 201:108131. [PMID: 37139435 PMCID: PMC10151026 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2022.108131] [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] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The idea that visual coding and perception are shaped by experience and adjust to changes in the environment or the observer is universally recognized as a cornerstone of visual processing, yet the functions and processes mediating these calibrations remain in many ways poorly understood. In this article we review a number of facets and issues surrounding the general notion of calibration, with a focus on plasticity within the encoding and representational stages of visual processing. These include how many types of calibrations there are - and how we decide; how plasticity for encoding is intertwined with other principles of sensory coding; how it is instantiated at the level of the dynamic networks mediating vision; how it varies with development or between individuals; and the factors that may limit the form or degree of the adjustments. Our goal is to give a small glimpse of an enormous and fundamental dimension of vision, and to point to some of the unresolved questions in our understanding of how and why ongoing calibrations are a pervasive and essential element of vision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruben Coen-Cagli
- Department of Systems Computational Biology, and Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY
| | | | - Samuel G Solomon
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Molecular Mechanisms of Neural Plasticity: From Basic Research to Implications for Visual Functional Rescue. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113183. [DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual system plasticity, the capability of visual connections to modify their structure and function in response to experience, is an essential property underlying the maturation of visual functions during development, behavioral flexibility in response to subtle environmental changes, and adaptive repair in conditions of disease or trauma [...]
Collapse
|
34
|
Huh CYL, Leinonen H, Nakayama T, Tomasello JR, Zhang J, Zeitoun J, Peach JP, Halabi M, Kiser JZ, Palczewski K, Kiser PD, Gandhi SP. Retinoid therapy restores eye-specific cortical responses in adult mice with retinal degeneration. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4538-4546.e5. [PMID: 36152631 PMCID: PMC10083103 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite the recent emergence of multiple cellular and molecular strategies to restore vision in retinal disorders, it remains unclear to what extent central visual circuits can recover when retinal defects are corrected in adulthood. We addressed this question in an Lrat-/- mouse model of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) in which retinal light sensitivity and optomotor responses are partially restored by 9-cis-retinyl acetate administration in adulthood. Following treatment, two-photon calcium imaging revealed increases in the number and response amplitude of visually responsive neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1). In particular, retinoid treatment enhanced responses from the ipsilateral eye, restoring the normal balance of eye-specific responses in V1. Additionally, the treatment rescued the modulation of cortical responses by arousal. These findings illustrate the significant plasticity of the adult central visual system and underscore the therapeutic potential of retinoid administration for adults with retinal diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carey Y L Huh
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Henri Leinonen
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio 70211, Finland
| | - Taylor Nakayama
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Julia R Tomasello
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Jianye Zhang
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Jack Zeitoun
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - John P Peach
- Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Maximilian Halabi
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Jianying Z Kiser
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Philip D Kiser
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Research Service, VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA; Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sunil P Gandhi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ulanov M, Shtyrov Y. Oscillatory beta/alpha band modulations: A potential biomarker of functional language and motor recovery in chronic stroke? Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:940845. [PMID: 36226263 PMCID: PMC9549964 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.940845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stroke remains one of the leading causes of various disabilities, including debilitating motor and language impairments. Though various treatments exist, post-stroke impairments frequently become chronic, dramatically reducing daily life quality, and requiring specific rehabilitation. A critical goal of chronic stroke rehabilitation is to induce, usually through behavioral training, experience-dependent plasticity processes in order to promote functional recovery. However, the efficiency of such interventions is typically modest, and very little is known regarding the neural dynamics underpinning recovery processes and possible biomarkers of their efficiency. Some studies have emphasized specific alterations of excitatory–inhibitory balance within distributed neural networks as an important recovery correlate. Neural processes sensitive to these alterations, such as task-dependent oscillatory activity in beta as well as alpha bands, may be candidate biomarkers of chronic stroke functional recovery. In this review, we discuss the results of studies on motor and language recovery with a focus on oscillatory processes centered around the beta band and their modulations during functional recovery in chronic stroke. The discussion is based on a framework where task-dependent modulations of beta and alpha oscillatory activity, generated by the deep cortical excitatory–inhibitory microcircuits, serve as a neural mechanism of domain-general top-down control processes. We discuss the findings, their limitations, and possible directions for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Ulanov
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
- *Correspondence: Maxim Ulanov,
| | - Yury Shtyrov
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Panarese A, Vissani M, Meneghetti N, Vannini E, Cracchiolo M, Micera S, Caleo M, Mazzoni A, Restani L. Disruption of layer-specific visual processing in a model of focal neocortical epilepsy. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4173-4187. [PMID: 36089833 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The epileptic brain is the result of a sequence of events transforming normal neuronal populations into hyperexcitable networks supporting recurrent seizure generation. These modifications are known to induce fundamental alterations of circuit function and, ultimately, of behavior. However, how hyperexcitability affects information processing in cortical sensory circuits is not yet fully understood. Here, we investigated interlaminar alterations in sensory processing of the visual cortex in a mouse model of focal epilepsy. We found three main circuit dynamics alterations in epileptic mice: (i) a spreading of visual contrast-driven gamma modulation across layers, (ii) an increase in firing rate that is layer-unspecific for excitatory units and localized in infragranular layers for inhibitory neurons, and (iii) a strong and contrast-dependent locking of firing units to network activity. Altogether, our data show that epileptic circuits display a functional disruption of layer-specific organization of visual sensory processing, which could account for visual dysfunction observed in epileptic subjects. Understanding these mechanisms paves the way to circuital therapeutic interventions for epilepsy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Panarese
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Matteo Vissani
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicolò Meneghetti
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Eleonora Vannini
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marina Cracchiolo
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvestro Micera
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy.,Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Centre for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Caleo
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, via G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padua, Italy
| | - Alberto Mazzoni
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Restani
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Hermans L, Kaynak M, Braun J, Ríos VL, Chen CL, Friedberg A, Günel S, Aymanns F, Sakar MS, Ramdya P. Microengineered devices enable long-term imaging of the ventral nerve cord in behaving adult Drosophila. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5006. [PMID: 36008386 PMCID: PMC9411199 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32571-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics and connectivity of neural circuits continuously change on timescales ranging from milliseconds to an animal's lifetime. Therefore, to understand biological networks, minimally invasive methods are required to repeatedly record them in behaving animals. Here we describe a suite of devices that enable long-term optical recordings of the adult Drosophila melanogaster ventral nerve cord (VNC). These consist of transparent, numbered windows to replace thoracic exoskeleton, compliant implants to displace internal organs, a precision arm to assist implantation, and a hinged stage to repeatedly tether flies. To validate and illustrate our toolkit we (i) show minimal impact on animal behavior and survival, (ii) follow the degradation of chordotonal organ mechanosensory nerve terminals over weeks after leg amputation, and (iii) uncover waves of neural activity caffeine ingestion. Thus, our long-term imaging toolkit opens up the investigation of premotor and motor circuit adaptations in response to injury, drug ingestion, aging, learning, and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hermans
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Microbiorobotic Systems Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Murat Kaynak
- Microbiorobotic Systems Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Braun
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Victor Lobato Ríos
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chin-Lin Chen
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Adam Friedberg
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Semih Günel
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Computer Vision Laboratory, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Florian Aymanns
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mahmut Selman Sakar
- Microbiorobotic Systems Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Pavan Ramdya
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Perspectives on the Combined Use of Electric Brain Stimulation and Perceptual Learning in Vision. Vision (Basel) 2022; 6:vision6020033. [PMID: 35737420 PMCID: PMC9227313 DOI: 10.3390/vision6020033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of literature offers exciting perspectives on the use of brain stimulation to boost training-related perceptual improvements in humans. Recent studies suggest that combining visual perceptual learning (VPL) training with concomitant transcranial electric stimulation (tES) leads to learning rate and generalization effects larger than each technique used individually. Both VPL and tES have been used to induce neural plasticity in brain regions involved in visual perception, leading to long-lasting visual function improvements. Despite being more than a century old, only recently have these techniques been combined in the same paradigm to further improve visual performance in humans. Nonetheless, promising evidence in healthy participants and in clinical population suggests that the best could still be yet to come for the combined use of VPL and tES. In the first part of this perspective piece, we briefly discuss the history, the characteristics, the results and the possible mechanisms behind each technique and their combined effect. In the second part, we discuss relevant aspects concerning the use of these techniques and propose a perspective concerning the combined use of electric brain stimulation and perceptual learning in the visual system, closing with some open questions on the topic.
Collapse
|
39
|
Polley DB, Schiller D. The promise of low-tech intervention in a high-tech era: Remodeling pathological brain circuits using behavioral reverse engineering. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 137:104652. [PMID: 35385759 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
As an academic pursuit, neuroscience is enjoying a golden age. From a clinical perspective, our field is failing. Conventional 20th century drugs and devices are not well-matched to the heterogeneity, scale, and connectivity of neural circuits that produce aberrant mental states and behavior. Laboratory-based methods for editing neural genomes and sculpting activity patterns are exciting, but their applications for hundreds of millions of people with mental health disorders is uncertain. We argue that mechanisms for regulating adult brain plasticity and remodeling pathological activity are substantially pre-wired, and we suggest new minimally invasive strategies to harness and direct these endogenous systems. Drawing from studies across the neuroscience literature, we describe approaches that identify neural biomarkers more closely linked to upstream causes-rather than downstream consequences-of disordered behavioral states. We highlight the potential for innovation and discovery in reverse engineering approaches that refine bespoke behavioral "agonists" to drive upstream neural biomarkers in normative directions and reduce clinical symptoms for select classes of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Daniela Schiller
- Department of Psychiatry, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Ellis BJ, Sheridan MA, Belsky J, McLaughlin KA. Why and how does early adversity influence development? Toward an integrated model of dimensions of environmental experience. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:447-471. [PMID: 35285791 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Two extant frameworks - the harshness-unpredictability model and the threat-deprivation model - attempt to explain which dimensions of adversity have distinct influences on development. These models address, respectively, why, based on a history of natural selection, development operates the way it does across a range of environmental contexts, and how the neural mechanisms that underlie plasticity and learning in response to environmental experiences influence brain development. Building on these frameworks, we advance an integrated model of dimensions of environmental experience, focusing on threat-based forms of harshness, deprivation-based forms of harshness, and environmental unpredictability. This integrated model makes clear that the why and the how of development are inextricable and, together, essential to understanding which dimensions of the environment matter. Core integrative concepts include the directedness of learning, multiple levels of developmental adaptation to the environment, and tradeoffs between adaptive and maladaptive developmental responses to adversity. The integrated model proposes that proximal and distal cues to threat-based and deprivation-based forms of harshness, as well as unpredictability in those cues, calibrate development to both immediate rearing environments and broader ecological contexts, current and future. We highlight actionable directions for research needed to investigate the integrated model and advance understanding of dimensions of environmental experience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce J Ellis
- Departments of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jay Belsky
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Consorti A, Sansevero G, Torelli C, Di Marco I, Berardi N, Sale A. Visual Perceptual Learning Induces Long-Lasting Recovery of Visual Acuity, Visual Depth Perception Abilities and Binocular Matching in Adult Amblyopic Rats. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:840708. [PMID: 35558878 PMCID: PMC9086832 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.840708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An abnormal visual experience early in life, caused by strabismus, unequal refractive power of the eyes, or eye occlusion, is a major cause of amblyopia (lazy eye), a highly diffused neurodevelopmental disorder severely affecting visual acuity and stereopsis abilities. Current treatments for amblyopia, based on a penalization of the fellow eye, are only effective when applied during the juvenile critical period of primary visual cortex plasticity, resulting mostly ineffective at older ages. Here, we developed a new paradigm of operant visual perceptual learning performed under conditions of conventional (binocular) vision in adult amblyopic rats. We report that visual perceptual learning induced a marked and long-lasting recovery of visual acuity, visual depth perception abilities and binocular matching of orientation preference, and we provide a link between the last two parameters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alan Consorti
- Department of NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Torelli
- Department of NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Irene Di Marco
- Department of NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Berardi
- Department of NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sale
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Alessandro Sale,
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Postoperative speech impairment and cranial nerve deficits after secondary surgery of posterior fossa tumours in childhood: a prospective European multicentre study. Childs Nerv Syst 2022; 38:747-758. [PMID: 35157109 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-022-05464-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Brain tumours constitute 25% of childhood neoplasms, and half of them are in the posterior fossa. Surgery is a fundamental component of therapy, because gross total resection is associated with a higher progression-free survival. Patients with residual tumour, progression of residual tumour or disease recurrence commonly require secondary surgery. We prospectively investigated the risk of postoperative speech impairment (POSI) and cranial nerve dysfunction (CND) following primary and secondary resection for posterior cranial fossa tumours. METHODS In the Nordic-European study of the cerebellar mutism syndrome, we prospectively included children undergoing posterior fossa tumour resection or open biopsy in one of the 26 participating European centres. Neurological status was assessed preoperatively, and surgical details were noted post-operatively. Patients were followed up 2 weeks, 2 months and 1 year postoperatively. Here, we analyse the risk of postoperative speech impairment (POSI), defined as either mutism or reduced speech, and cranial nerve dysfunction (CND) following secondary, as compared to primary, surgery. RESULTS We analysed 426 children undergoing primary and 78 undergoing secondary surgery between 2014 and 2020. The incidence of POSI was significantly lower after secondary (12%) compared with primary (28%, p = 0.0084) surgery. In a multivariate analysis adjusting for tumour histology, the odds ratio for developing POSI after secondary surgery was 0.23, compared with primary surgery (95% confidence interval: 0.08-0.65, p = 0.006). The frequency of postoperative CND did not differ significantly after primary vs. secondary surgery (p = 0.21). CONCLUSION Children have a lower risk of POSI after secondary than after primary surgery for posterior fossa tumours but remain at significant risk of both POSI and CND. The present findings should be taken in account when weighing risks and benefits of secondary surgery for posterior fossa tumours.
Collapse
|
43
|
Poh EZ, Green C, Agostinelli L, Penrose-Menz M, Karl AK, Harvey AR, Rodger J. Manipulating the Level of Sensorimotor Stimulation during LI-rTMS Can Improve Visual Circuit Reorganisation in Adult Ephrin-A2A5 -/- Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052418. [PMID: 35269561 PMCID: PMC8910719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has the potential to treat a variety of neurologic and psychiatric disorders. The extent of rTMS-induced neuroplasticity may be dependent on a subject's brain state at the time of stimulation. Chronic low intensity rTMS (LI-rTMS) has previously been shown to induce beneficial structural and functional reorganisation within the abnormal visual circuits of ephrin-A2A5-/- mice in ambient lighting. Here, we administered chronic LI-rTMS in adult ephrin-A2A5-/- mice either in a dark environment or concurrently with voluntary locomotion. One day after the last stimulation session, optokinetic responses were assessed and fluorescent tracers were injected to map corticotectal and geniculocortical projections. We found that LI-rTMS in either treatment condition refined the geniculocortical map. Corticotectal projections were improved in locomotion+LI-rTMS subjects, but not in dark + LI-rTMS and sham groups. Visuomotor behaviour was not improved in any condition. Our results suggest that the beneficial reorganisation of abnormal visual circuits by rTMS can be significantly influenced by simultaneous, ambient visual input and is enhanced by concomitant physical exercise. Furthermore, the observed pathway-specific effects suggest that regional molecular changes and/or the relative proximity of terminals to the induced electric fields influence the outcomes of LI-rTMS on abnormal circuitry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Z. Poh
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (E.Z.P.); (M.P.-M.); (A.-K.K.)
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (C.G.); (L.A.); (A.R.H.)
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Research, 8 Verdun St, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Courtney Green
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (C.G.); (L.A.); (A.R.H.)
| | - Luca Agostinelli
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (C.G.); (L.A.); (A.R.H.)
| | - Marissa Penrose-Menz
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (E.Z.P.); (M.P.-M.); (A.-K.K.)
| | - Ann-Kathrin Karl
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (E.Z.P.); (M.P.-M.); (A.-K.K.)
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alan R. Harvey
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (C.G.); (L.A.); (A.R.H.)
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Research, 8 Verdun St, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jennifer Rodger
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (E.Z.P.); (M.P.-M.); (A.-K.K.)
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Research, 8 Verdun St, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-8-6488-2245
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Larsen B, Cui Z, Adebimpe A, Pines A, Alexander-Bloch A, Bertolero M, Calkins ME, Gur RE, Gur RC, Mahadevan AS, Moore TM, Roalf DR, Seidlitz J, Sydnor VJ, Wolf DH, Satterthwaite TD. A developmental reduction of the excitation:inhibition ratio in association cortex during adolescence. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabj8750. [PMID: 35119918 PMCID: PMC8816330 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj8750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is hypothesized to be a critical period for the development of association cortex. A reduction of the excitation:inhibition (E:I) ratio is a hallmark of critical period development; however, it has been unclear how to assess the development of the E:I ratio using noninvasive neuroimaging techniques. Here, we used pharmacological fMRI with a GABAergic benzodiazepine challenge to empirically generate a model of E:I ratio based on multivariate patterns of functional connectivity. In an independent sample of 879 youth (ages 8 to 22 years), this model predicted reductions in the E:I ratio during adolescence, which were specific to association cortex and related to psychopathology. These findings support hypothesized shifts in E:I balance of association cortices during a neurodevelopmental critical period in adolescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bart Larsen
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zaixu Cui
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Azeez Adebimpe
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Adam Pines
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aaron Alexander-Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Max Bertolero
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Monica E. Calkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Arun S. Mahadevan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tyler M. Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David R. Roalf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Valerie J. Sydnor
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel H. Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Theodore D. Satterthwaite
- Penn Lifespan Neuroinformatics Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Laaksonen K, Ward NS. Biomarkers of plasticity for stroke recovery. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 184:287-298. [PMID: 35034742 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819410-2.00033-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Stroke is the commonest cause of physical disability in the world. Our understanding of the biologic mechanisms involved in recovery and repair has advanced to the point that therapeutic opportunities to promote recovery through manipulation of post-stroke plasticity have never been greater. This work has almost exclusively been carried out in rodent models of stroke with little translation into human studies. The challenge ahead is to develop a mechanistic understanding of recovery from stroke in humans. Advances in neuroimaging techniques can now provide the appropriate intermediate level of description to bridge the gap between a molecular and cellular account of recovery and a behavioral one. Clinical trials can then be designed in a stratified manner taking into account when an intervention should be delivered and who is most likely to benefit. This approach is most likely to lead to the step-change in how restorative therapeutic strategies are delivered in human stroke patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Laaksonen
- Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Hospital, and Clinical Neurosciences, Neurology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nick S Ward
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Saionz EL, Busza A, Huxlin KR. Rehabilitation of visual perception in cortical blindness. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 184:357-373. [PMID: 35034749 PMCID: PMC9682408 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819410-2.00030-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Blindness is a common sequela after stroke affecting the primary visual cortex, presenting as a contralesional, homonymous, visual field cut. This can occur unilaterally or, less commonly, bilaterally. While it has been widely assumed that after a brief period of spontaneous improvement, vision loss becomes stable and permanent, accumulating data show that visual training can recover some of the vision loss, even long after the stroke. Here, we review the different approaches to rehabilitation employed in adult-onset cortical blindness (CB), focusing on visual restoration methods. Most of this work was conducted in chronic stroke patients, partially restoring visual discrimination and luminance detection. However, to achieve this, patients had to train for extended periods (usually many months), and the vision restored was not entirely normal. Several adjuvants to training such as noninvasive, transcranial brain stimulation, and pharmacology are starting to be investigated for their potential to increase the efficacy of training in CB patients. However, these approaches are still exploratory and require considerably more research before being adopted. Nonetheless, having established that the adult visual system retains the capacity for restorative plasticity, attention recently turned toward the subacute poststroke period. Drawing inspiration from sensorimotor stroke rehabilitation, visual training was recently attempted for the first time in subacute poststroke patients. It improved vision faster, over larger portions of the blind field, and for a larger number of visual discrimination abilities than identical training initiated more than 6 months poststroke (i.e., in the chronic period). In conclusion, evidence now suggests that visual neuroplasticity after occipital stroke can be reliably recruited by a range of visual training approaches. In addition, it appears that poststroke visual plasticity is dynamic, with a critical window of opportunity in the early postdamage period to attain more rapid, more extensive recovery of a larger set of visual perceptual abilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Saionz
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Ania Busza
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Krystel R Huxlin
- Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Cochrane A, Green CS. Assessing the functions underlying learning using by-trial and by-participant models: Evidence from two visual perceptual learning paradigms. J Vis 2021; 21:5. [PMID: 34905053 PMCID: PMC8684311 DOI: 10.1167/jov.21.13.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Inferred mechanisms of learning, such as those involved in improvements resulting from perceptual training, are reliant on (and reflect) the functional forms that models of learning take. However, previous investigations of the functional forms of perceptual learning have been limited in ways that are incompatible with the known mechanisms of learning. For instance, previous work has overwhelmingly aggregated learning data across learning participants, learning trials, or both. Here we approach the study of the functional form of perceptual learning on the by-person and by-trial levels at which the mechanisms of learning are expected to act. Each participant completed one of two visual perceptual learning tasks over the course of two days, with the first 75% of task performance using a single reference stimulus (i.e., "training") and the last 25% using an orthogonal reference stimulus (to test generalization). Five learning functions, coming from either the exponential or the power family, were fit to each participant's data. The exponential family was uniformly supported by Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC) model comparisons. The simplest exponential function was the best fit to learning on a texture oddball detection task, while a Weibull (augmented exponential) function tended to be the best fit to learning on a dot-motion discrimination task. The support for the exponential family corroborated previous by-person investigations of the functional form of learning, while the novel evidence supporting the Weibull learning model has implications for both the analysis and the mechanistic bases of the learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Cochrane
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,
| | - C Shawn Green
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Yao LL, Yuan S, Wu ZN, Luo JY, Tang XR, Tang CZ, Cui S, Xu NG. Contralateral S1 function is involved in electroacupuncture treatment-mediated recovery after focal unilateral M1 infarction. Neural Regen Res 2021; 17:1310-1317. [PMID: 34782576 PMCID: PMC8643050 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.327355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Acupuncture at acupoints Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14) has been shown to promote functional recovery after stroke. However, the contribution of the contralateral primary sensory cortex (S1) to recovery remains unclear. In this study, unilateral local ischemic infarction of the primary motor cortex (M1) was induced by photothrombosis in a mouse model. Electroacupuncture (EA) was subsequently performed at acupoints GV20 and GV14 and neuronal activity and functional connectivity of contralateral S1 and M1 were detected using in vivo and in vitro electrophysiological recording techniques. Our results showed that blood perfusion and neuronal interaction between contralateral M1 and S1 is impaired after unilateral M1 infarction. Intrinsic neuronal excitability and activity were also disturbed, which was rescued by EA. Furthermore, the effectiveness of EA treatment was inhibited after virus-mediated neuronal ablation of the contralateral S1. We conclude that neuronal activity of the contralateral S1 is important for EA-mediated recovery after focal M1 infarction. Our study provides insight into how the S1–M1 circuit might be involved in the mechanism of EA treatment of unilateral cerebral infarction. The animal experiments were approved by the Committee for Care and Use of Research Animals of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (approval No. 20200407009) April 7, 2020.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Lu Yao
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acupuncture Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Si Yuan
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acupuncture Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhen-Nan Wu
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acupuncture Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jian-Yu Luo
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acupuncture Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiao-Rong Tang
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acupuncture Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Chun-Zhi Tang
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acupuncture Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shuai Cui
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acupuncture Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province; Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Neng-Gui Xu
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acupuncture Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Zhang Y, Yao L, Li X, Meng M, Shang Z, Wang Q, Xiao J, Gu X, Xu Z, Zhang X. Schizophrenia risk-gene Crmp2 deficiency causes precocious critical period plasticity and deteriorated binocular vision. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2021; 66:2225-2237. [PMID: 36654114 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2021.02.011] [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: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Brain-specific loss of a microtubule-binding protein collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP2) in the mouse recapitulates many schizophrenia-like behaviors of human patients, possibly resulting from associated developmental deficits in neuronal differentiation, path-finding, and synapse formation. However, it is still unclear how the Crmp2 loss affects neuronal circuit function and plasticity. By conducting in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiological recording in the mouse primary visual cortex (V1), we reveal that CRMP2 exerts a key regulation on the timing of postnatal critical period (CP) for experience-dependent circuit plasticity of sensory cortex. In the developing V1, the Crmp2 deficiency induces not only a delayed maturation of visual tuning functions but also a precocious CP for visual input-induced ocular dominance plasticity and its induction activity - coincident binocular inputs right after eye-opening. Mechanistically, the Crmp2 deficiency accelerates the maturation process of cortical inhibitory transmission and subsequently promotes an early emergence of balanced excitatory-inhibitory cortical circuits during the postnatal development. Moreover, the precocious CP plasticity results in deteriorated binocular depth perception in adulthood. Thus, these findings suggest that the Crmp2 deficiency dysregulates the timing of CP for experience-dependent refinement of circuit connections and further leads to impaired sensory perception in later life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Li Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Meizhen Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ziwei Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Qin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jiaying Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiang Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zhiheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Fan H, Wang Y, Tang X, Yang L, Song W, Zou Y. Expression of early growth responsive gene-1 in the visual cortex of monocular form deprivation amblyopic kittens. BMC Ophthalmol 2021; 21:394. [PMID: 34781927 PMCID: PMC8594179 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-021-02161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The present study compared the expression of early growth responsive gene-1 (Egr-1) in visual cortex between amblyopia kittens and normal kittens, and to explore the role of Egr-1 in the pathogenesis of amblyopia. METHODS A total of 20 healthy kittens were randomly divided into deprivation group and control group with 10 kittens in each group. Raised in natural light, and covered the right eye of the deprived kittens with a black opaque covering cloth. Pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) were measured before and at the 1st, 3rd and 5th week after covering in all kittens. After the last PVEP test, all kittens were killed. The expression of Egr-1 in the visual cortex of the two groups was compared by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. RESULTS PVEP detection showed that at the age of 6 and 8 weeks, the P100 wave latency in the right eye of deprivation group was higher than that in the left eye of deprivation group (P < 0.05) and the right eye of control group (P < 0.05), while the amplitude decreased (P < 0.05). The number of positive cells (P < 0.05) and mean optical density (P < 0.05) of Egr-1 protein expression in visual cortex of 8-week-old deprivation group were lower than those of normal group, as well as the number (P < 0.05) and mean optical density of Egr-1 mRNA-positive cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Monocular form deprivation amblyopia can lead to the decrease of Egr-1 protein and mRNA expression in visual cortex, and then promote the occurrence and development of amblyopia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haobo Fan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Innovative Platform for Basic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Xiuping Tang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Liyuan Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Weiqi Song
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Yunchun Zou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.
- Department of Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.
| |
Collapse
|