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Vattino LG, MacGregor CP, Liu CJ, Sweeney CG, Takesian AE. Primary auditory thalamus relays directly to cortical layer 1 interneurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.16.603741. [PMID: 39071266 PMCID: PMC11275971 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.16.603741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons within cortical layer 1 (L1-INs) integrate inputs from diverse brain regions to modulate sensory processing and plasticity, but the sensory inputs that recruit these interneurons have not been identified. Here we used monosynaptic retrograde tracing and whole-cell electrophysiology to characterize the thalamic inputs onto two major subpopulations of L1-INs in the mouse auditory cortex. We find that the vast majority of auditory thalamic inputs to these L1-INs unexpectedly arise from the ventral subdivision of the medial geniculate body (MGBv), the tonotopically-organized primary auditory thalamus. Moreover, these interneurons receive robust functional monosynaptic MGBv inputs that are comparable to those recorded in the L4 excitatory pyramidal neurons. Our findings identify a direct pathway from the primary auditory thalamus to the L1-INs, suggesting that these interneurons are uniquely positioned to integrate thalamic inputs conveying precise sensory information with top-down inputs carrying information about brain states and learned associations.
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Deane KE, Klymentiev R, Heck J, Mark MD, Ohl FW, Heine M, Happel MFK. Inhibiting presynaptic calcium channel motility in the auditory cortex suppresses synchronized input processing. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1369047. [PMID: 38660672 PMCID: PMC11041022 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1369047] [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: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The emergent coherent population activity from thousands of stochastic neurons in the brain is believed to constitute a key neuronal mechanism for salient processing of external stimuli and its link to internal states like attention and perception. In the sensory cortex, functional cell assemblies are formed by recurrent excitation and inhibitory influences. The stochastic dynamics of each cell involved is largely orchestrated by presynaptic CAV2.1 voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). Cav2.1 VGCCs initiate the release of neurotransmitters from the presynaptic compartment and are therefore able to add variability into synaptic transmission which can be partly explained by their mobile organization around docked vesicles. Methods To investigate the relevance of Cav2.1 channel surface motility for the input processing in the primary auditory cortex (A1) in vivo, we make use of a new optogenetic system which allows for acute, reversable cross-linking Cav2.1 VGCCs via a photo-cross-linkable cryptochrome mutant, CRY2olig. In order to map neuronal activity across all cortical layers of the A1, we performed laminar current-source density (CSD) recordings with varying auditory stimulus sets in transgenic mice with a citrine tag on the N-terminus of the VGCCs. Results Clustering VGCCs suppresses overall sensory-evoked population activity, particularly when stimuli lead to a highly synchronized distribution of synaptic inputs. Discussion Our findings reveal the importance of membrane dynamics of presynaptic calcium channels for sensory encoding by dynamically adjusting network activity across a wide range of synaptic input strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina E. Deane
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Ruslan Klymentiev
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jennifer Heck
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melanie D. Mark
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Frank W. Ohl
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Heine
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Max F. K. Happel
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
- MSB Medical School Berlin, Medical Faculty, Berlin, Germany
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Davis EP, Glynn LM. Annual Research Review: The power of predictability - patterns of signals in early life shape neurodevelopment and mental health trajectories. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:508-534. [PMID: 38374811 PMCID: PMC11283837 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The global burden of early life adversity (ELA) is profound. The World Health Organization has estimated that ELA accounts for almost 30% of all psychiatric cases. Yet, our ability to identify which individuals exposed to ELA will develop mental illness remains poor and there is a critical need to identify underlying pathways and mechanisms. This review proposes unpredictability as an understudied aspect of ELA that is tractable and presents a conceptual model that includes biologically plausible mechanistic pathways by which unpredictability impacts the developing brain. The model is supported by a synthesis of published and new data illustrating the significant impacts of patterns of signals on child development. We begin with an overview of the existing unpredictability literature, which has focused primarily on longer patterns of unpredictability (e.g. years, months, and days). We then describe our work testing the impact of patterns of parental signals on a moment-to-moment timescale, providing evidence that patterns of these signals during sensitive windows of development influence neurocircuit formation across species and thus may be an evolutionarily conserved process that shapes the developing brain. Next, attention is drawn to emerging themes which provide a framework for future directions of research including the evaluation of functions, such as effortful control, that may be particularly vulnerable to unpredictability, sensitive periods, sex differences, cross-cultural investigations, addressing causality, and unpredictability as a pathway by which other forms of ELA impact development. Finally, we provide suggestions for prevention and intervention, including the introduction of a screening instrument for the identification of children exposed to unpredictable experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
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Wang C, Jiang ZY, Chai JY, Chen HS, Liu LX, Dang T, Meng XM. Mouse auditory cortex sub-fields receive neuronal projections from MGB subdivisions independently. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7078. [PMID: 38528192 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57815-3] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Mouse auditory cortex is composed of six sub-fields: primary auditory field (AI), secondary auditory field (AII), anterior auditory field (AAF), insular auditory field (IAF), ultrasonic field (UF) and dorsoposterior field (DP). Previous studies have examined thalamo-cortical connections in the mice auditory system and learned that AI, AAF, and IAF receive inputs from the ventral division of the medial geniculate body (MGB). However, the functional and thalamo-cortical connections between nonprimary auditory cortex (AII, UF, and DP) is unclear. In this study, we examined the locations of neurons projecting to these three cortical sub-fields in the MGB, and addressed the question whether these cortical sub-fields receive inputs from different subsets of MGB neurons or common. To examine the distributions of projecting neurons in the MGB, retrograde tracers were injected into the AII, UF, DP, after identifying these areas by the method of Optical Imaging. Our results indicated that neuron cells which in ventral part of dorsal MGB (MGd) and that of ventral MGB (MGv) projecting to UF and AII with less overlap. And DP only received neuron projecting from MGd. Interestingly, these three cortical areas received input from distinct part of MGd and MGv in an independent manner. Based on our foundings these three auditory cortical sub-fields in mice may independently process auditory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Wang
- Inner Mongolia Institute of Digestive Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Zhen-Yu Jiang
- Inner Mongolia Institute of Digestive Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Jian-Yuan Chai
- Inner Mongolia Institute of Digestive Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Hong-Suo Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Li-Xia Liu
- Department of Scientific Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Tong Dang
- Inner Mongolia Institute of Digestive Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Xian-Mei Meng
- Inner Mongolia Institute of Digestive Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China.
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China.
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Bowen Z, Shilling-Scrivo K, Losert W, Kanold PO. Fractured columnar small-world functional network organization in volumes of L2/3 of mouse auditory cortex. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae074. [PMID: 38415223 PMCID: PMC10898513 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The sensory cortices of the brain exhibit large-scale functional topographic organization, such as the tonotopic organization of the primary auditory cortex (A1) according to sound frequency. However, at the level of individual neurons, layer 2/3 (L2/3) A1 appears functionally heterogeneous. To identify if there exists a higher-order functional organization of meso-scale neuronal networks within L2/3 that bridges order and disorder, we used in vivo two-photon calcium imaging of pyramidal neurons to identify networks in three-dimensional volumes of L2/3 A1 in awake mice. Using tonal stimuli, we found diverse receptive fields with measurable colocalization of similarly tuned neurons across depth but less so across L2/3 sublayers. These results indicate a fractured microcolumnar organization with a column radius of ∼50 µm, with a more random organization of the receptive field over larger radii. We further characterized the functional networks formed within L2/3 by analyzing the spatial distribution of signal correlations (SCs). Networks show evidence of Rentian scaling in physical space, suggesting effective spatial embedding of subnetworks. Indeed, functional networks have characteristics of small-world topology, implying that there are clusters of functionally similar neurons with sparse connections between differently tuned neurons. These results indicate that underlying the regularity of the tonotopic map on large scales in L2/3 is significant tuning diversity arranged in a hybrid organization with microcolumnar structures and efficient network topologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zac Bowen
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Fraunhofer USA Center Mid-Atlantic, Riverdale, MD 20737, USA
| | - Kelson Shilling-Scrivo
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21230, USA
| | - Wolfgang Losert
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 20215, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 20215, USA
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Mukherjee A, Halassa MM. The Associative Thalamus: A Switchboard for Cortical Operations and a Promising Target for Schizophrenia. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:132-147. [PMID: 38279699 PMCID: PMC10822032 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221112861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that profoundly perturbs cognitive processing. Despite the success in treating many of its symptoms, the field lacks effective methods to measure and address its impact on reasoning, inference, and decision making. Prefrontal cortical abnormalities have been well documented in schizophrenia, but additional dysfunction in the interactions between the prefrontal cortex and thalamus have recently been described. This dysfunction may be interpreted in light of parallel advances in neural circuit research based on nonhuman animals, which show critical thalamic roles in maintaining and switching prefrontal activity patterns in various cognitive tasks. Here, we review this basic literature and connect it to emerging innovations in clinical research. We highlight the value of focusing on associative thalamic structures not only to better understand the very nature of cognitive processing but also to leverage these circuits for diagnostic and therapeutic development in schizophrenia. We suggest that the time is right for building close bridges between basic thalamic research and its clinical translation, particularly in the domain of cognition and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghya Mukherjee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Jiang X, Wen X, Ou G, Li S, Chen Y, Zhang J, Liang Z. Propofol modulates neural dynamics of thalamo-cortical system associated with anesthetic levels in rats. Cogn Neurodyn 2023; 17:1541-1559. [PMID: 37974577 PMCID: PMC10640503 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-022-09912-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamocortical system plays an important role in consciousness. How anesthesia modulates the thalamocortical interactions is not completely known. We simultaneously recorded local field potentials(LFPs) in thalamic reticular nucleus(TRN) and ventroposteromedial thalamic nucleus(VPM), and electrocorticographic(ECoG) activities in frontal and occipital cortices in freely moving rats (n = 11). We analyzed the changes in thalamic and cortical local spectral power and connectivities, which were measured with phase-amplitude coupling (PAC), coherence and multivariate Granger causality, at the states of baseline, intravenous infusion of propofol 20, 40, 80 mg/kg/h and after recovery of righting reflex. We found that propofol-induced burst-suppression results in a synchronous decrease of spectral power in thalamus and cortex (p < 0.001 for all frequency bands). The cross-frequency PAC increased by propofol, characterized by gradually stronger 'trough-max' pattern in TRN and stronger 'peak-max' pattern in cortex. The cross-region PAC increased in the phase of TRN modulating the amplitude of cortex. The functional connectivity (FC) between TRN and cortex for α/β bands also significantly increased (p < 0.040), with increased directional connectivity from TRN to cortex under propofol anesthesia. In contrast, the corticocortical FC significantly decreased (p < 0.047), with decreased directional connectivity from frontal cortex to occipital cortex. However, the thalamothalamic functional and directional connectivities remained largely unchanged by propofol anesthesia. The spectral powers and connectivities are differentially modulated with the changes of propofol doses, suggesting the changes in neural dynamics in thalamocortical system could be used for distinguishing different vigilance levels caused by propofol. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-022-09912-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuliang Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Wen
- Institute of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Qinhuangdao, 066004 People’s Republic of China
| | - Guoyao Ou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040 People’s Republic of China
| | - Shitong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yali Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhenhu Liang
- Institute of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Qinhuangdao, 066004 People’s Republic of China
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8
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Offutt SJ, Rose JE, Crawford KJ, Harris ML, Lim HH. Gradients of response latencies and temporal precision of auditory neurons extend across the whole inferior colliculus. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:719-735. [PMID: 37609690 PMCID: PMC10650646 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00461.2022] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural responses to acoustic stimulation have long been studied throughout the auditory system to understand how sound information is coded for perception. Within the inferior colliculus (IC), a majority of the studies have focused predominantly on characterizing neural responses within the central region (ICC), as it is viewed as part of the lemniscal system mainly responsible for auditory perception. In contrast, the responses of outer cortices (ICO) have largely been unexplored, though they also function in auditory perception tasks. Therefore, we sought to expand on previous work by completing a three-dimensional (3-D) functional mapping study of the whole IC. We analyzed responses to different pure tone and broadband noise stimuli across all IC subregions and correlated those responses with over 2,000 recording locations across the IC. Our study revealed there are well-organized trends for temporal response parameters across the full IC that do not show a clear distinction at the ICC and ICO border. These gradients span from slow, imprecise responses in the caudal-medial IC to fast, precise responses in the rostral-lateral IC, regardless of subregion, including the fastest responses located in the ICO. These trends were consistent at various acoustic stimulation levels. Weaker spatial trends could be found for response duration and spontaneous activity. Apart from tonotopic organization, spatial trends were not apparent for spectral response properties. Overall, these detailed acoustic response maps across the whole IC provide new insights into the organization and function of the IC.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Study of the inferior colliculus (IC) has largely focused on the central nucleus, with little exploration of the outer cortices. Here, we systematically assessed the acoustic response properties from over 2,000 locations in different subregions of the IC. The results revealed spatial trends in temporal response patterns that span all subregions. Furthermore, two populations of temporal response types emerged for neurons in the outer cortices that may contribute to their functional roles in auditory tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Offutt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Jessica E Rose
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Kellie J Crawford
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Megan L Harris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Hubert H Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
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9
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Calhoun G, Chen CT, Kanold PO. Bilateral widefield calcium imaging reveals circuit asymmetries and lateralized functional activation of the mouse auditory cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219340120. [PMID: 37459544 PMCID: PMC10372568 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219340120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Coordinated functioning of the two cortical hemispheres is crucial for perception. The human auditory cortex (ACx) shows functional lateralization with the left hemisphere specialized for processing speech, whereas the right analyzes spectral content. In mice, virgin females demonstrate a left-hemisphere response bias to pup vocalizations that strengthens with motherhood. However, how this lateralized function is established is unclear. We developed a widefield imaging microscope to simultaneously image both hemispheres of mice to bilaterally monitor functional responses. We found that global ACx topography is symmetrical and stereotyped. In both male and virgin female mice, the secondary auditory cortex (A2) in the left hemisphere shows larger responses than right to high-frequency tones and adult vocalizations; however, only virgin female mice show a left-hemisphere bias in A2 in response to adult pain calls. These results indicate hemispheric bias with both sex-independent and -dependent aspects. Analyzing cross-hemispheric functional correlations showed that asymmetries exist in the strength of correlations between DM-AAF and A2-AAF, while other ACx areas showed smaller differences. We found that A2 showed lower cross-hemisphere correlation than other cortical areas, consistent with the lateralized functional activation of A2. Cross-hemispheric activity correlations are lower in deaf, otoferlin knockout (OTOF-/-) mice, indicating that the development of functional cross-hemispheric connections is experience dependent. Together, our results reveal that ACx is topographically symmetric at the macroscopic scale but that higher-order A2 shows sex-dependent and independent lateralized responses due to asymmetric intercortical functional connections. Moreover, our results suggest that sensory experience is required to establish functional cross-hemispheric connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Calhoun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Chih-Ting Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Patrick O. Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
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Schmitt TTX, Andrea KMA, Wadle SL, Hirtz JJ. Distinct topographic organization and network activity patterns of corticocollicular neurons within layer 5 auditory cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1210057. [PMID: 37521334 PMCID: PMC10372447 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1210057] [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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory cortex (AC) modulates the activity of upstream pathways in the auditory brainstem via descending (corticofugal) projections. This feedback system plays an important role in the plasticity of the auditory system by shaping response properties of neurons in many subcortical nuclei. The majority of layer (L) 5 corticofugal neurons project to the inferior colliculus (IC). This corticocollicular (CC) pathway is involved in processing of complex sounds, auditory-related learning, and defense behavior. Partly due to their location in deep cortical layers, CC neuron population activity patterns within neuronal AC ensembles remain poorly understood. We employed two-photon imaging to record the activity of hundreds of L5 neurons in anesthetized as well as awake animals. CC neurons are broader tuned than other L5 pyramidal neurons and display weaker topographic order in core AC subfields. Network activity analyses revealed stronger clusters of CC neurons compared to non-CC neurons, which respond more reliable and integrate information over larger distances. However, results obtained from secondary auditory cortex (A2) differed considerably. Here CC neurons displayed similar or higher topography, depending on the subset of neurons analyzed. Furthermore, specifically in A2, CC activity clusters formed in response to complex sounds were spatially more restricted compared to other L5 neurons. Our findings indicate distinct network mechanism of CC neurons in analyzing sound properties with pronounced subfield differences, demonstrating that the topography of sound-evoked responses within AC is neuron-type dependent.
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Zhu F, Elnozahy S, Lawlor J, Kuchibhotla KV. The cholinergic basal forebrain provides a parallel channel for state-dependent sensory signaling to auditory cortex. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:810-819. [PMID: 36973512 PMCID: PMC10625791 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01289-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Cholinergic basal forebrain (CBF) signaling exhibits multiple timescales of activity with classic slow signals related to brain and behavioral states and fast, phasic signals reflecting behavioral events, including movement, reinforcement and sensory-evoked responses. However, it remains unknown whether sensory cholinergic signals target the sensory cortex and how they relate to local functional topography. Here we used simultaneous two-channel, two-photon imaging of CBF axons and auditory cortical neurons to reveal that CBF axons send a robust, nonhabituating and stimulus-specific sensory signal to the auditory cortex. Individual axon segments exhibited heterogeneous but stable tuning to auditory stimuli allowing stimulus identity to be decoded from population activity. However, CBF axons displayed no tonotopy and their frequency tuning was uncoupled from that of nearby cortical neurons. Chemogenetic suppression revealed the auditory thalamus as a major source of auditory information to the CBF. Finally, slow fluctuations in cholinergic activity modulated the fast, sensory-evoked signals in the same axons, suggesting that a multiplexed combination of fast and slow signals is projected from the CBF to the auditory cortex. Taken together, our work demonstrates a noncanonical function of the CBF as a parallel channel for state-dependent sensory signaling to the sensory cortex that provides repeated representations of a broad range of sound stimuli at all points on the tonotopic map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangchen Zhu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Elnozahy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer Lawlor
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kishore V Kuchibhotla
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Fukumasu K, Nose A, Kohsaka H. Extraction of bouton-like structures from neuropil calcium imaging data. Neural Netw 2022; 156:218-238. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2022.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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13
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Lindert NG, Maxwell MY, Liu SR, Stern HS, Baram TZ, Poggi Davis E, Risbrough VB, Baker DG, Nievergelt CM, Glynn LM. Exposure to unpredictability and mental health: Validation of the brief version of the Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC-5) in English and Spanish. Front Psychol 2022; 13:971350. [PMID: 36438371 PMCID: PMC9682115 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.971350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Unpredictability is increasingly recognized as a primary dimension of early life adversity affecting lifespan mental health trajectories; screening for these experiences is therefore vital. The Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC) is a 38-item tool that measures unpredictability in childhood in social, emotional and physical domains. The available evidence indicates that exposure to unpredictable experiences measured with the QUIC predicts internalizing symptoms including depression and anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to validate English and Spanish brief versions (QUIC-5) suitable for administration in time-limited settings (e.g., clinical care settings, large-scale epidemiological studies). Five representative items were identified from the QUIC and their psychometric properties examined. The predictive validity of the QUIC-5 was then compared to the QUIC by examining mental health in four cohorts: (1) English-speaking adult women assessed at 6-months postpartum (N = 116), (2) English-speaking male veterans (N = 95), (3) English-speaking male and female adolescents (N = 155), and (4) Spanish-speaking male and female adults (N = 285). The QUIC-5 demonstrated substantial variance in distributions in each of the cohorts and is correlated on average 0.84 (r's = 0.81-0.87) with the full 38-item version. Furthermore, the QUIC-5 predicted internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depression) in all cohorts with similar effect sizes (r's = 0.16-0.39; all p's < 0.05) to the full versions (r's = 0.19-0.42; all p's < 0.05). In sum, the QUIC-5 exhibits good psychometric properties and is a valid alternative to the full QUIC. These findings support the future use of the QUIC-5 in clinical and research settings as a concise way to measure unpredictability, identify risk of psychopathology, and intervene accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan Y. Maxwell
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Sabrina R. Liu
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Hal S. Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Victoria B. Risbrough
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Dewleen G. Baker
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Caroline M. Nievergelt
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
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14
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Davis EP, McCormack K, Arora H, Sharpe D, Short AK, Bachevalier J, Glynn LM, Sandman CA, Stern HS, Sanchez M, Baram TZ. Early life exposure to unpredictable parental sensory signals shapes cognitive development across three species. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:960262. [PMID: 36338881 PMCID: PMC9630745 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.960262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to early life adversity has long term consequences on cognitive function. Most research has focused on understanding components of early life adversities that contribute to later risk, including poverty, trauma, maltreatment, and neglect. Whereas these factors, in the aggregate, explain a significant proportion of emotional and cognitive problems, there are serious gaps in our ability to identify potential mechanisms by which early life adversities might promote vulnerability or resilience. Here we discuss early life exposure to unpredictable signals from the caretaker as an understudied type of adversity that is amenable to prevention and intervention. We employ a translational approach to discover underlying neurobiological mechanisms by which early life exposure to unpredictable signals sculpts the developing brain. First, we review evidence that exposure to unpredictable signals from the parent during sensitive periods impacts development of neural circuits. Second, we describe a method for characterizing early life patterns of sensory signals across species. Third, we present published and original data illustrating that patterns of maternal care predict memory function in humans, non-human primates, and rodents. Finally, implications are discussed for identifying individuals at risk so that early preventive-intervention can be provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kai McCormack
- Department of Psychology, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Hina Arora
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Desiree Sharpe
- Mary Frances Early College of Education (MFECOE) Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Annabel K. Short
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Curt A. Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Hal S. Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mar Sanchez
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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15
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Filipchuk A, Schwenkgrub J, Destexhe A, Bathellier B. Awake perception is associated with dedicated neuronal assemblies in the cerebral cortex. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1327-1338. [PMID: 36171431 PMCID: PMC9534770 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01168-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Neural activity in the sensory cortex combines stimulus responses and ongoing activity, but it remains unclear whether these reflect the same underlying dynamics or separate processes. In the present study, we show in mice that, during wakefulness, the neuronal assemblies evoked by sounds in the auditory cortex and thalamus are specific to the stimulus and distinct from the assemblies observed in ongoing activity. By contrast, under three different anesthetics, evoked assemblies are indistinguishable from ongoing assemblies in the cortex. However, they remain distinct in the thalamus. A strong remapping of sensory responses accompanies this dynamic state change produced by anesthesia. Together, these results show that the awake cortex engages dedicated neuronal assemblies in response to sensory inputs, which we suggest is a network correlate of sensory perception. Filipchuk et al. show that when awake mice perceive sounds, the auditory cortex produces sound-specific neuronal assemblies distinct from its ongoing activity, whereas under anesthesia sound-evoked assemblies are indistinguishable from ongoing activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Filipchuk
- Paris-Saclay University, CNRS, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Saclay, France.,Healthy Mind, Institut du Cerveau - ICM, Paris, France
| | - Joanna Schwenkgrub
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM, Institut de l'Audition, Paris, France
| | - Alain Destexhe
- Paris-Saclay University, CNRS, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Saclay, France.
| | - Brice Bathellier
- Paris-Saclay University, CNRS, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Saclay, France. .,Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM, Institut de l'Audition, Paris, France.
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16
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Luo B, Li J, Liu J, Li F, Gu M, Xiao H, Lei S, Xiao Z. Frequency-Dependent Plasticity in the Temporal Association Cortex Originates from the Primary Auditory Cortex, and Is Modified by the Secondary Auditory Cortex and the Medial Geniculate Body. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5254-5267. [PMID: 35613891 PMCID: PMC9236291 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1481-21.2022] [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: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain areas that mediate the formation of auditory threat memory and perceptual decisions remain uncertain to date. Candidates include the primary (A1) and secondary (A2) auditory cortex, the medial division of the medial geniculate body (MGm), amygdala, and the temporal association cortex. We used chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulations with in vivo and in vitro patch-clamp recordings to assess the roles of these brain regions in threat memory learning in female mice. We found that conditioned sound (CS) frequency-dependent plasticity resulted in the formation of auditory threat memory in the temporal association cortex. This neural correlated auditory threat memory depended on CS frequency information from A1 glutamatergic subthreshold monosynaptic inputs, CS lateral inhibition from A2 glutamatergic disynaptic inputs, and non-frequency-specific facilitation from MGm glutamatergic monosynaptic inputs. These results indicate that the A2 and MGm work together in an inhibitory-facilitative role.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The ability to recognize specific sounds to avoid predators or seek prey is a useful survival tool. Improving this ability through experiential learning is an added advantage requiring neural plasticity. As an example, humans must learn to distinguish the sound of a car horn, and thus avoid oncoming traffic. Our research discovered that the temporal association cortex can encode this kind of auditory information through tonal receptive field plasticity. In addition, the results revealed the underlying synaptic mechanisms of this process. These results extended our understanding of how meaningful auditory information is processed in an animal's brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingmin Luo
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Jingpeng Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Funi Li
- General Practice Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong 528244, China
| | - Miaoqing Gu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Haoran Xiao
- General Practice Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong 528244, China
| | - Shujun Lei
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Zhongju Xiao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- General Practice Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong 528244, China
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17
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Signatures of cochlear processing in neuronal coding of auditory information. Mol Cell Neurosci 2022; 120:103732. [PMID: 35489636 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate ear is endowed with remarkable perceptual capabilities. The faintest sounds produce vibrations of magnitudes comparable to those generated by thermal noise and can nonetheless be detected through efficient amplification of small acoustic stimuli. Two mechanisms have been proposed to underlie such sound amplification in the mammalian cochlea: somatic electromotility and active hair-bundle motility. These biomechanical mechanisms may work in concert to tune auditory sensitivity. In addition to amplitude sensitivity, the hearing system shows exceptional frequency discrimination allowing mammals to distinguish complex sounds with great accuracy. For instance, although the wide hearing range of humans encompasses frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, our frequency resolution extends to one-thirtieth of the interval between successive keys on a piano. In this article, we review the different cochlear mechanisms underlying sound encoding in the auditory system, with a particular focus on the frequency decomposition of sounds. The relation between peak frequency of activation and location along the cochlea - known as tonotopy - arises from multiple gradients in biophysical properties of the sensory epithelium. Tonotopic mapping represents a major organizational principle both in the peripheral hearing system and in higher processing levels and permits the spectral decomposition of complex tones. The ribbon synapses connecting sensory hair cells to auditory afferents and the downstream spiral ganglion neurons are also tuned to process periodic stimuli according to their preferred frequency. Though sensory hair cells and neurons necessarily filter signals beyond a few kHz, many animals can hear well beyond this range. We finally describe how the cochlear structure shapes the neural code for further processing in order to send meaningful information to the brain. Both the phase-locked response of auditory nerve fibers and tonotopy are key to decode sound frequency information and place specific constraints on the downstream neuronal network.
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18
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Neuronal activity in sensory cortex predicts the specificity of learning in mice. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1167. [PMID: 35246528 PMCID: PMC8897443 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28784-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning to avoid dangerous signals while preserving normal responses to safe stimuli is essential for everyday behavior and survival. Following identical experiences, subjects exhibit fear specificity ranging from high (specializing fear to only the dangerous stimulus) to low (generalizing fear to safe stimuli), yet the neuronal basis of fear specificity remains unknown. Here, we identified the neuronal code that underlies inter-subject variability in fear specificity using longitudinal imaging of neuronal activity before and after differential fear conditioning in the auditory cortex of mice. Neuronal activity prior to, but not after learning predicted the level of specificity following fear conditioning across subjects. Stimulus representation in auditory cortex was reorganized following conditioning. However, the reorganized neuronal activity did not relate to the specificity of learning. These results present a novel neuronal code that determines individual patterns in learning. The neural mechanisms underpinning the specificity of fear memories remains poorly understood. Here, the authors highlight how neural activity prior to fear learning impacts fear memory specificity.
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19
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Abstract
The investigation of the topographic organization of spatially coding cell types in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) has so far been held back by the lack of appropriate tools that enable the precise recording of both the anatomical location and activity of large populations of cells while animals forage in open environments. In this study, we use the newest generation of head-mounted, miniaturized two-photon microscopes to image grid, head-direction, border, as well as object-vector cells in MEC and neighboring parasubiculum within the same animals. The majority of cell types were intermingled, but grid and object-vector cells exhibited little overlap. The results have implications for network models of spatial coding. The medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) creates a map of local space, based on the firing patterns of grid, head-direction (HD), border, and object-vector (OV) cells. How these cell types are organized anatomically is debated. In-depth analysis of this question requires collection of precise anatomical and activity data across large populations of neurons during unrestrained behavior, which neither electrophysiological nor previous imaging methods fully afford. Here, we examined the topographic arrangement of spatially modulated neurons in the superficial layers of MEC and adjacent parasubiculum using miniaturized, portable two-photon microscopes, which allow mice to roam freely in open fields. Grid cells exhibited low levels of co-occurrence with OV cells and clustered anatomically, while border, HD, and OV cells tended to intermingle. These data suggest that grid cell networks might be largely distinct from those of border, HD, and OV cells and that grid cells exhibit strong coupling among themselves but weaker links to other cell types.
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20
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Distinct integration of spectrally complex sounds in mouse primary auditory cortices. Hear Res 2022; 417:108455. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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21
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Moerel M, Yacoub E, Gulban OF, Lage-Castellanos A, De Martino F. Using high spatial resolution fMRI to understand representation in the auditory network. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 207:101887. [PMID: 32745500 PMCID: PMC7854960 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Following rapid methodological advances, ultra-high field (UHF) functional and anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been repeatedly and successfully used for the investigation of the human auditory system in recent years. Here, we review this work and argue that UHF MRI is uniquely suited to shed light on how sounds are represented throughout the network of auditory brain regions. That is, the provided gain in spatial resolution at UHF can be used to study the functional role of the small subcortical auditory processing stages and details of cortical processing. Further, by combining high spatial resolution with the versatility of MRI contrasts, UHF MRI has the potential to localize the primary auditory cortex in individual hemispheres. This is a prerequisite to study how sound representation in higher-level auditory cortex evolves from that in early (primary) auditory cortex. Finally, the access to independent signals across auditory cortical depths, as afforded by UHF, may reveal the computations that underlie the emergence of an abstract, categorical sound representation based on low-level acoustic feature processing. Efforts on these research topics are underway. Here we discuss promises as well as challenges that come with studying these research questions using UHF MRI, and provide a future outlook.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Moerel
- Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Essa Yacoub
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
| | - Omer Faruk Gulban
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands; Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA; Brain Innovation B.V., Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Agustin Lage-Castellanos
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of NeuroInformatics, Cuban Center for Neuroscience, Cuba.
| | - Federico De Martino
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (MBIC), Maastricht, the Netherlands; Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
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22
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Homma NY, Bajo VM. Lemniscal Corticothalamic Feedback in Auditory Scene Analysis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:723893. [PMID: 34489635 PMCID: PMC8417129 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.723893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sound information is transmitted from the ear to central auditory stations of the brain via several nuclei. In addition to these ascending pathways there exist descending projections that can influence the information processing at each of these nuclei. A major descending pathway in the auditory system is the feedback projection from layer VI of the primary auditory cortex (A1) to the ventral division of medial geniculate body (MGBv) in the thalamus. The corticothalamic axons have small glutamatergic terminals that can modulate thalamic processing and thalamocortical information transmission. Corticothalamic neurons also provide input to GABAergic neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) that receives collaterals from the ascending thalamic axons. The balance of corticothalamic and TRN inputs has been shown to refine frequency tuning, firing patterns, and gating of MGBv neurons. Therefore, the thalamus is not merely a relay stage in the chain of auditory nuclei but does participate in complex aspects of sound processing that include top-down modulations. In this review, we aim (i) to examine how lemniscal corticothalamic feedback modulates responses in MGBv neurons, and (ii) to explore how the feedback contributes to auditory scene analysis, particularly on frequency and harmonic perception. Finally, we will discuss potential implications of the role of corticothalamic feedback in music and speech perception, where precise spectral and temporal processing is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Y. Homma
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Victoria M. Bajo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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23
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Bhumika S, Nakamura M, Valerio P, Solyga M, Lindén H, Barkat TR. A Late Critical Period for Frequency Modulated Sweeps in the Mouse Auditory System. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:2586-2599. [PMID: 31800018 PMCID: PMC7174992 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal circuits are shaped by experience during time windows of increased plasticity in postnatal development. In the auditory system, the critical period for the simplest sounds-pure frequency tones-is well defined. Critical periods for more complex sounds remain to be elucidated. We used in vivo electrophysiological recordings in the mouse auditory cortex to demonstrate that passive exposure to frequency modulated sweeps (FMS) from postnatal day 31 to 38 leads to long-term changes in the temporal representation of sweep directions. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a decreased percentage of layer 4 parvalbumin-positive (PV+) cells during this critical period, paralleled with a transient increase in responses to FMS, but not to pure tones. Preventing the PV+ cell decrease with continuous white noise exposure delayed the critical period onset, suggesting a reduction in inhibition as a mechanism for this plasticity. Our findings shed new light on the dependence of plastic windows on stimulus complexity that persistently sculpt the functional organization of the auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mari Nakamura
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Valerio
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Solyga
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Henrik Lindén
- Department of Neuroscience, Copenhagen University, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tania R Barkat
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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24
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Mathematical framework for place coding in the auditory system. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009251. [PMID: 34339409 PMCID: PMC8360601 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the auditory system, tonotopy is postulated to be the substrate for a place code, where sound frequency is encoded by the location of the neurons that fire during the stimulus. Though conceptually simple, the computations that allow for the representation of intensity and complex sounds are poorly understood. Here, a mathematical framework is developed in order to define clearly the conditions that support a place code. To accommodate both frequency and intensity information, the neural network is described as a space with elements that represent individual neurons and clusters of neurons. A mapping is then constructed from acoustic space to neural space so that frequency and intensity are encoded, respectively, by the location and size of the clusters. Algebraic operations -addition and multiplication- are derived to elucidate the rules for representing, assembling, and modulating multi-frequency sound in networks. The resulting outcomes of these operations are consistent with network simulations as well as with electrophysiological and psychophysical data. The analyses show how both frequency and intensity can be encoded with a purely place code, without the need for rate or temporal coding schemes. The algebraic operations are used to describe loudness summation and suggest a mechanism for the critical band. The mathematical approach complements experimental and computational approaches and provides a foundation for interpreting data and constructing models.
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25
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Brinkmann P, Kotz SA, Smit JV, Janssen MLF, Schwartze M. Auditory thalamus dysfunction and pathophysiology in tinnitus: a predictive network hypothesis. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:1659-1676. [PMID: 33934235 PMCID: PMC8203542 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02284-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Tinnitus is the perception of a 'ringing' sound without an acoustic source. It is generally accepted that tinnitus develops after peripheral hearing loss and is associated with altered auditory processing. The thalamus is a crucial relay in the underlying pathways that actively shapes processing of auditory signals before the respective information reaches the cerebral cortex. Here, we review animal and human evidence to define thalamic function in tinnitus. Overall increased spontaneous firing patterns and altered coherence between the thalamic medial geniculate body (MGB) and auditory cortices is observed in animal models of tinnitus. It is likely that the functional connectivity between the MGB and primary and secondary auditory cortices is reduced in humans. Conversely, there are indications for increased connectivity between the MGB and several areas in the cingulate cortex and posterior cerebellar regions, as well as variability in connectivity between the MGB and frontal areas regarding laterality and orientation in the inferior, medial and superior frontal gyrus. We suggest that these changes affect adaptive sensory gating of temporal and spectral sound features along the auditory pathway, reflecting dysfunction in an extensive thalamo-cortical network implicated in predictive temporal adaptation to the auditory environment. Modulation of temporal characteristics of input signals might hence factor into a thalamo-cortical dysrhythmia profile of tinnitus, but could ultimately also establish new directions for treatment options for persons with tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Brinkmann
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, University of Maastricht, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, University of Maastricht, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jasper V Smit
- Department of Ear Nose and Throat/Head and Neck Surgery, Zuyderland Medical Center, Sittard/Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Marcus L F Janssen
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Schwartze
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, University of Maastricht, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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26
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Zeeman M, Liu X, Zhang O, Yan J. Role of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunits GluN2A and GluN2B in auditory thalamocortical long-term potentiation in adult mice. Neurosci Lett 2021; 761:136091. [PMID: 34197904 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Cortical neurons undergo continuous remodelling throughout development and into adulthood, associated with long-term changes in the synaptic transmission of thalamocortical pathways, i.e., long-term potentiation (LTP); such plasticity is input-specific, reflected in the frequency-specificity of the auditory system. It is well established that thalamocortical LTP is dependent on the activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. In this study, the roles of NMDA receptor subunits GluN2A and GluN2B in LTP induction were examined in thalamocortical pathways of the auditory system using subunit-selective pharmacological inhibition and in vivo tetanic stimulation of the auditory thalamus, while recording neural response in the primary auditory cortex. Long-term enhancement of thalamocortical field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (i.e., thalamocortical LTP) were induced by high frequency tetanic stimulation of the ventral division of the medial geniculate body. Such enhancement in thalamocortical fEPSPs was decreased when a GluN2A blocker (NVP-M077) was applied to the recording site in the primary auditory cortex and was increased when a GluN2B blocker (Ro25-6981) was applied. Our data suggest that the induction of thalamocortical LTP is dependent on the differential expression of the GluN2A and GluN2B subunits of NMDA receptors in thalamocortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Zeeman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - Xiuping Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - Oliver Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
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27
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Romero S, Hight AE, Clayton KK, Resnik J, Williamson RS, Hancock KE, Polley DB. Cellular and Widefield Imaging of Sound Frequency Organization in Primary and Higher Order Fields of the Mouse Auditory Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:1603-1622. [PMID: 31667491 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse auditory cortex (ACtx) contains two core fields-primary auditory cortex (A1) and anterior auditory field (AAF)-arranged in a mirror reversal tonotopic gradient. The best frequency (BF) organization and naming scheme for additional higher order fields remain a matter of debate, as does the correspondence between smoothly varying global tonotopy and heterogeneity in local cellular tuning. Here, we performed chronic widefield and two-photon calcium imaging from the ACtx of awake Thy1-GCaMP6s reporter mice. Data-driven parcellation of widefield maps identified five fields, including a previously unidentified area at the ventral posterior extreme of the ACtx (VPAF) and a tonotopically organized suprarhinal auditory field (SRAF) that extended laterally as far as ectorhinal cortex. Widefield maps were stable over time, where single pixel BFs fluctuated by less than 0.5 octaves throughout a 1-month imaging period. After accounting for neuropil signal and frequency tuning strength, BF organization in neighboring layer 2/3 neurons was intermediate to the heterogeneous salt and pepper organization and the highly precise local organization that have each been described in prior studies. Multiscale imaging data suggest there is no ultrasonic field or secondary auditory cortex in the mouse. Instead, VPAF and a dorsal posterior (DP) field emerged as the strongest candidates for higher order auditory areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Romero
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ariel E Hight
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kameron K Clayton
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jennifer Resnik
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ross S Williamson
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kenneth E Hancock
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Meng X, Solarana K, Bowen Z, Liu J, Nagode DA, Sheikh A, Winkowski DE, Kao JPY, Kanold PO. Transient Subgranular Hyperconnectivity to L2/3 and Enhanced Pairwise Correlations During the Critical Period in the Mouse Auditory Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:1914-1930. [PMID: 31667495 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During the critical period, neuronal connections are shaped by sensory experience. While the basis for this temporarily heightened plasticity remains unclear, shared connections introducing activity correlations likely play a key role. Thus, we investigated the changing intracortical connectivity in primary auditory cortex (A1) over development. In adult, layer 2/3 (L2/3) neurons receive ascending inputs from layer 4 (L4) and also receive few inputs from subgranular layer 5/6 (L5/6). We measured the spatial pattern of intracortical excitatory and inhibitory connections to L2/3 neurons in slices of mouse A1 across development using laser-scanning photostimulation. Before P11, L2/3 cells receive most excitatory input from within L2/3. Excitatory inputs from L2/3 and L4 increase after P5 and peak during P9-16. L5/6 inputs increase after P5 and provide most input during P12-16, the peak of the critical period. Inhibitory inputs followed a similar pattern. Functional circuit diversity in L2/3 emerges after P16. In vivo two-photon imaging shows low pairwise signal correlations in neighboring neurons before P11, which peak at P15-16 and decline after. Our results suggest that the critical period is characterized by high pairwise activity correlations and that transient hyperconnectivity of specific circuits, in particular those originating in L5/6, might play a key role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangying Meng
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Krystyna Solarana
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Zac Bowen
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Ji Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Daniel A Nagode
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Aminah Sheikh
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Daniel E Winkowski
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Joseph P Y Kao
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, and Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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29
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Poulsen RE, Scholz LA, Constantin L, Favre-Bulle I, Vanwalleghem GC, Scott EK. Broad frequency sensitivity and complex neural coding in the larval zebrafish auditory system. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1977-1987.e4. [PMID: 33657408 PMCID: PMC8443405 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Most animals have complex auditory systems that identify salient features of the acoustic landscape to direct appropriate responses. In fish, these features include the volume, frequency, complexity, and temporal structure of acoustic stimuli transmitted through water. Larval fish have simple brains compared to adults but swim freely and depend on sophisticated sensory processing for survival.1-5 Zebrafish larvae, an important model for studying brain-wide neural networks, have thus far been found to possess a rudimentary auditory system, sensitive to a narrow range of frequencies and without evident sensitivity to acoustic features that are salient and ethologically important to adult fish.6,7 Here, we have combined a novel method for delivering water-borne sounds, a diverse assembly of acoustic stimuli, and whole-brain calcium imaging to describe the responses of individual auditory-responsive neurons across the brains of zebrafish larvae. Our results reveal responses to frequencies ranging from 100 Hz to 4 kHz, with evidence of frequency discrimination from 100 Hz to 2.5 kHz. Frequency-selective neurons are located in numerous regions of the brain, and neurons responsive to the same frequency are spatially grouped in some regions. Using functional clustering, we identified categories of neurons that are selective for a single pure-tone frequency, white noise, the sharp onset of acoustic stimuli, and stimuli involving a gradual crescendo. These results suggest a more nuanced auditory system than has previously been described in larval fish and provide insights into how a young animal's auditory system can both function acutely and serve as the scaffold for a more complex adult system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Poulsen
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Leandro A Scholz
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Lena Constantin
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Itia Favre-Bulle
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Gilles C Vanwalleghem
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Ethan K Scott
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Homma NY, Atencio CA, Schreiner CE. Plasticity of Multidimensional Receptive Fields in Core Rat Auditory Cortex Directed by Sound Statistics. Neuroscience 2021; 467:150-170. [PMID: 33951506 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.04.028] [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: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Sensory cortical neurons can nonlinearly integrate a wide range of inputs. The outcome of this nonlinear process can be approximated by more than one receptive field component or filter to characterize the ensuing stimulus preference. The functional properties of multidimensional filters are, however, not well understood. Here we estimated two spectrotemporal receptive fields (STRFs) per neuron using maximally informative dimension analysis. We compared their temporal and spectral modulation properties and determined the stimulus information captured by the two STRFs in core rat auditory cortical fields, primary auditory cortex (A1) and ventral auditory field (VAF). The first STRF is the dominant filter and acts as a sound feature detector in both fields. The second STRF is less feature specific, preferred lower modulations, and had less spike information compared to the first STRF. The information jointly captured by the two STRFs was larger than that captured by the sum of the individual STRFs, reflecting nonlinear interactions of two filters. This information gain was larger in A1. We next determined how the acoustic environment affects the structure and relationship of these two STRFs. Rats were exposed to moderate levels of spectrotemporally modulated noise during development. Noise exposure strongly altered the spectrotemporal preference of the first STRF in both cortical fields. The interaction between the two STRFs was reduced by noise exposure in A1 but not in VAF. The results reveal new functional distinctions between A1 and VAF indicating that (i) A1 has stronger interactions of the two STRFs than VAF, (ii) noise exposure diminishes modulation parameter representation contained in the noise more strongly for the first STRF in both fields, and (iii) plasticity induced by noise exposure can affect the strength of filter interactions in A1. Taken together, ascertaining two STRFs per neuron enhances the understanding of cortical information processing and plasticity effects in core auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Y Homma
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
| | - Craig A Atencio
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Christoph E Schreiner
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
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31
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Development of Auditory Cortex Circuits. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2021; 22:237-259. [PMID: 33909161 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-021-00794-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to process and perceive sensory stimuli is an essential function for animals. Among the sensory modalities, audition is crucial for communication, pleasure, care for the young, and perceiving threats. The auditory cortex (ACtx) is a key sound processing region that combines ascending signals from the auditory periphery and inputs from other sensory and non-sensory regions. The development of ACtx is a protracted process starting prenatally and requires the complex interplay of molecular programs, spontaneous activity, and sensory experience. Here, we review the development of thalamic and cortical auditory circuits during pre- and early post-natal periods.
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32
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Corticostriatal Plasticity Established by Initial Learning Persists after Behavioral Reversal. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0209-20.2021. [PMID: 33547044 PMCID: PMC7986528 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0209-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural mechanisms that allow animals to adapt their previously learned associations in response to changes in the environment remain poorly understood. To probe the synaptic mechanisms that mediate such adaptive behavior, we trained mice on an auditory-motor reversal task, and tracked changes in the strength of corticostriatal synapses associated with the formation of learned associations. Using a ChR2-based electrophysiological assay in acute striatal slices, we measured the strength of these synapses after animals learned to pair auditory stimuli with specific actions. Here, we report that the pattern of synaptic strength initially established by learning remains unchanged even when the task contingencies are reversed. Our findings reveal that synaptic changes associated with the initial acquisition of this task are not erased or overwritten, and that behavioral reversal of learned associations may recruit a separate neural circuit. These results suggest a more complex role of the striatum in regulating flexible behaviors where activity of striatal neurons may vary given the behavioral contexts of specific stimulus-action associations.
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Clayton KK, Williamson RS, Hancock KE, Tasaka GI, Mizrahi A, Hackett T, Polley DB. Auditory Corticothalamic Neurons Are Recruited by Motor Preparatory Inputs. Curr Biol 2021; 31:310-321.e5. [PMID: 33157020 PMCID: PMC7855066 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Corticothalamic (CT) neurons comprise the largest component of the descending sensory corticofugal pathway, but their contributions to brain function and behavior remain an unsolved mystery. To address the hypothesis that layer 6 (L6) CTs may be activated by extra-sensory inputs prior to anticipated sounds, we performed optogenetically targeted single-unit recordings and two-photon imaging of Ntsr1-Cre+ L6 CT neurons in the primary auditory cortex (A1) while mice were engaged in an active listening task. We found that L6 CTs and other L6 units began spiking hundreds of milliseconds prior to orofacial movements linked to sound presentation and reward, but not to other movements such as locomotion, which were not linked to an explicit behavioral task. Rabies tracing of monosynaptic inputs to A1 L6 CT neurons revealed a narrow strip of cholinergic and non-cholinergic projection neurons in the external globus pallidus, suggesting a potential source of motor-related input. These findings identify new pathways and local circuits for motor modulation of sound processing and suggest a new role for CT neurons in active sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kameron K. Clayton
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Ross S. Williamson
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Dept. Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 US
| | - Kenneth E. Hancock
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Dept. Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 US
| | - Gen-ichi Tasaka
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Dept. Neurobiology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem ISR
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Dept. Neurobiology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem ISR
| | - Troy Hackett
- Dept. Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville TN, 37203 USA
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Dept. Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 US
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Abstract
Maternal care, including by non-biological parents, is important for offspring survival1-8. Oxytocin1,2,9-15, which is released by the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), is a critical maternal hormone. In mice, oxytocin enables neuroplasticity in the auditory cortex for maternal recognition of pup distress15. However, it is unclear how initial parental experience promotes hypothalamic signalling and cortical plasticity for reliable maternal care. Here we continuously monitored the behaviour of female virgin mice co-housed with an experienced mother and litter. This documentary approach was synchronized with neural recordings from the virgin PVN, including oxytocin neurons. These cells were activated as virgins were enlisted in maternal care by experienced mothers, who shepherded virgins into the nest and demonstrated pup retrieval. Virgins visually observed maternal retrieval, which activated PVN oxytocin neurons and promoted alloparenting. Thus rodents can acquire maternal behaviour by social transmission, providing a mechanism for adapting the brains of adult caregivers to infant needs via endogenous oxytocin.
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Chen F, Takemoto M, Nishimura M, Tomioka R, Song WJ. Postnatal development of subfields in the core region of the mouse auditory cortex. Hear Res 2020; 400:108138. [PMID: 33285368 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The core region of the rodent auditory cortex has two subfields: the primary auditory area (A1) and the anterior auditory field (AAF). Although the postnatal development of A1 has been studied in several mammalian species, few studies have been conducted on the postnatal development of AAF. Using a voltage-sensitive-dye-based imaging method, we examined and compared the postnatal development of AAF and A1 in mice from postnatal day 11 (P11) to P40. We focused on the postnatal development of tonotopy, the relative position between A1 and AAF, and the properties of tone-evoked responses in the subfields. Tone-evoked responses in the mouse auditory cortex were first observed at P12, and tonotopy was found in both A1 and AAF at this age. Quantification of tonotopy using the cortical magnification factor (CMF; octave difference per unit cortical distance) revealed a rapid change from P12 to P14 in both A1 and AAF, and a stable level from P14. A similar time course of postnatal development was found for the distance between the 4 kHz site in A1 and AAF, the distance between the 16 kHz site in A1 and AAF, and the angle between the frequency axis of A1 and AAF. The maximum amplitude and rise time of tone-evoked signals in both A1 and AAF showed no significant change from P12 to P40, but the latency of the responses to both the 4 kHz and 16 kHz tones decreased during this period, with a more rapid decrease in the latency to 16 kHz tones in both subfields. The duration of responses evoked by 4 kHz tones in both A1 and AAF showed no significant postnatal change, but the duration of responses to 16 kHz tones decreased exponentially in both subfields. The cortical area activated by 4 kHz tones in AAF was always larger than that in A1 at all ages (P12-P40). Our results demonstrated that A1 and AAF developed in parallel postnatally, showing a rapid maturation of tonotopy, slow maturation of response latency and response duration, and a dorsal-to-ventral order (high-frequency site to low-frequency site) of functional maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifan Chen
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Japan; Program for Leading Graduate Schools HIGO Program, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Makoto Takemoto
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Japan
| | - Masataka Nishimura
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Japan
| | - Ryohei Tomioka
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Japan
| | - Wen-Jie Song
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Japan; Program for Leading Graduate Schools HIGO Program, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Center for Metabolic Regulation of Healthy Aging, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.
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Royer J, Huetz C, Occelli F, Cancela JM, Edeline JM. Enhanced Discriminative Abilities of Auditory Cortex Neurons for Pup Calls Despite Reduced Evoked Responses in C57BL/6 Mother Mice. Neuroscience 2020; 453:1-16. [PMID: 33253823 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental task for the auditory system is to process communication sounds according to their behavioral significance. In many mammalian species, pup calls became more significant for mothers than other conspecific and heterospecific communication sounds. To study the cortical consequences of motherhood on the processing of communication sounds, we recorded neuronal responses in the primary auditory cortex of virgin and mother C57BL/6 mice which had similar ABR thresholds. In mothers, the evoked firing rate in response to pure tones was decreased and the frequency receptive fields were narrower. The responses to pup and adult calls were also reduced but the amount of mutual information (MI) per spike about the pup call's identity was increased in mother mice. The response latency to pup and adult calls was significantly shorter in mothers. Despite similarly decreased responses to guinea pig whistles, the response latency, and the MI per spike did not differ between virgins and mothers for these heterospecific vocalizations. Noise correlations between cortical recordings were decreased in mothers, suggesting that the firing rate of distant neurons was more independent from each other. Together, these results indicate that in the most commonly used mouse strain for behavioral studies, the discrimination of pup calls by auditory cortex neurons is more efficient during motherhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Royer
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9197, Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Chloé Huetz
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9197, Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Florian Occelli
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9197, Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - José-Manuel Cancela
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9197, Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jean-Marc Edeline
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9197, Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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37
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Moore S, Meschkat M, Ruhwedel T, Trevisiol A, Tzvetanova ID, Battefeld A, Kusch K, Kole MHP, Strenzke N, Möbius W, de Hoz L, Nave KA. A role of oligodendrocytes in information processing. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5497. [PMID: 33127910 PMCID: PMC7599337 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19152-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Myelinating oligodendrocytes enable fast propagation of action potentials along the ensheathed axons. In addition, oligodendrocytes play diverse non-canonical roles including axonal metabolic support and activity-dependent myelination. An open question remains whether myelination also contributes to information processing in addition to speeding up conduction velocity. Here, we analyze the role of myelin in auditory information processing using paradigms that are also good predictors of speech understanding in humans. We compare mice with different degrees of dysmyelination using acute multiunit recordings in the auditory cortex, in combination with behavioral readouts. We find complex alterations of neuronal responses that reflect fatigue and temporal acuity deficits. We observe partially discriminable but similar deficits in well myelinated mice in which glial cells cannot fully support axons metabolically. We suggest a model in which myelination contributes to sustained stimulus perception in temporally complex paradigms, with a role of metabolically active oligodendrocytes in cortical information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharlen Moore
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
| | - Martin Meschkat
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Torben Ruhwedel
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Trevisiol
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Iva D Tzvetanova
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
- Section of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Arne Battefeld
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neurosciences, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Kathrin Kusch
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maarten H P Kole
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neurosciences, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Nicola Strenzke
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wiebke Möbius
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Livia de Hoz
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.
- Charité Medical University, Neuroscience Research Center, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Klaus-Armin Nave
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, Göttingen, Germany
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38
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Mukherjee A, Bajwa N, Lam NH, Porrero C, Clasca F, Halassa MM. Variation of connectivity across exemplar sensory and associative thalamocortical loops in the mouse. eLife 2020; 9:e62554. [PMID: 33103997 PMCID: PMC7644223 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus engages in sensation, action, and cognition, but the structure underlying these functions is poorly understood. Thalamic innervation of associative cortex targets several interneuron types, modulating dynamics and influencing plasticity. Is this structure-function relationship distinct from that of sensory thalamocortical systems? Here, we systematically compared function and structure across a sensory and an associative thalamocortical loop in the mouse. Enhancing excitability of mediodorsal thalamus, an associative structure, resulted in prefrontal activity dominated by inhibition. Equivalent enhancement of medial geniculate excitability robustly drove auditory cortical excitation. Structurally, geniculate axons innervated excitatory cortical targets in a preferential manner and with larger synaptic terminals, providing a putative explanation for functional divergence. The two thalamic circuits also had distinct input patterns, with mediodorsal thalamus receiving innervation from a diverse set of cortical areas. Altogether, our findings contribute to the emerging view of functional diversity across thalamic microcircuits and its structural basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghya Mukherjee
- McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Navdeep Bajwa
- McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Norman H Lam
- McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - César Porrero
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Autónoma de Madrid UniversityMadridSpain
| | - Francisco Clasca
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Autónoma de Madrid UniversityMadridSpain
| | - Michael M Halassa
- McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
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39
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Liang F, Li H, Chou XL, Zhou M, Zhang NK, Xiao Z, Zhang KK, Tao HW, Zhang LI. Sparse Representation in Awake Auditory Cortex: Cell-type Dependence, Synaptic Mechanisms, Developmental Emergence, and Modulation. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:3796-3812. [PMID: 30307493 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Sparse representation is considered an important coding strategy for cortical processing in various sensory modalities. It remains unclear how cortical sparseness arises and is being regulated. Here, unbiased recordings from primary auditory cortex of awake adult mice revealed salient sparseness in layer (L)2/3, with a majority of excitatory neurons exhibiting no increased spiking in response to each of sound types tested. Sparse representation was not observed in parvalbumin (PV) inhibitory neurons. The nonresponding neurons did receive auditory-evoked synaptic inputs, marked by weaker excitation and lower excitation/inhibition (E/I) ratios than responding cells. Sparse representation arises during development in an experience-dependent manner, accompanied by differential changes of excitatory input strength and a transition from unimodal to bimodal distribution of E/I ratios. Sparseness level could be reduced by suppressing PV or L1 inhibitory neurons. Thus, sparse representation may be dynamically regulated via modulating E/I balance, optimizing cortical representation of the external sensory world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feixue Liang
- Department of Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Haifu Li
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiao-Lin Chou
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Mu Zhou
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Nicole K Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhongju Xiao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ke K Zhang
- Department of Pathology, the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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40
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Christensen RK, Lindén H, Nakamura M, Barkat TR. White Noise Background Improves Tone Discrimination by Suppressing Cortical Tuning Curves. Cell Rep 2020; 29:2041-2053.e4. [PMID: 31722216 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.10.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain faces the difficult task of maintaining a stable representation of key features of the outside world in noisy sensory surroundings. How does the sensory representation change with noise, and how does the brain make sense of it? We investigated the effect of background white noise (WN) on tuning properties of neurons in mouse A1 and its impact on discrimination performance in a go/no-go task. We find that WN suppresses the activity of A1 neurons, which surprisingly increases the discriminability of tones spectrally close to each other. To confirm the involvement of A1, we optogenetically excited parvalbumin-positive (PV+) neurons in A1, which have similar effects as WN on both tuning properties and frequency discrimination. A population model suggests that the suppression of A1 tuning curves increases frequency selectivity and thereby improves discrimination. Our findings demonstrate that the cortical representation of pure tones adapts during noise to improve sensory acuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus Kordt Christensen
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Lindén
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mari Nakamura
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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41
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Gilad A, Maor I, Mizrahi A. Learning-related population dynamics in the auditory thalamus. eLife 2020; 9:56307. [PMID: 32639231 PMCID: PMC7371423 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning to associate sensory stimuli with a chosen action involves a dynamic interplay between cortical and thalamic circuits. While the cortex has been widely studied in this respect, how the thalamus encodes learning-related information is still largely unknown. We studied learning-related activity in the medial geniculate body (MGB; Auditory thalamus), targeting mainly the dorsal and medial regions. Using fiber photometry, we continuously imaged population calcium dynamics as mice learned a go/no-go auditory discrimination task. The MGB was tuned to frequency and responded to cognitive features like the choice of the mouse within several hundred milliseconds. Encoding of choice in the MGB increased with learning, and was highly correlated with the learning curves of the mice. MGB also encoded motor parameters of the mouse during the task. These results provide evidence that the MGB encodes task- motor- and learning-related information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Gilad
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ido Maor
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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42
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Liu J, Whiteway MR, Sheikhattar A, Butts DA, Babadi B, Kanold PO. Parallel Processing of Sound Dynamics across Mouse Auditory Cortex via Spatially Patterned Thalamic Inputs and Distinct Areal Intracortical Circuits. Cell Rep 2020; 27:872-885.e7. [PMID: 30995483 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural sounds have rich spectrotemporal dynamics. Spectral information is spatially represented in the auditory cortex (ACX) via large-scale maps. However, the representation of temporal information, e.g., sound offset, is unclear. We perform multiscale imaging of neuronal and thalamic activity evoked by sound onset and offset in awake mouse ACX. ACX areas differed in onset responses (On-Rs) and offset responses (Off-Rs). Most excitatory L2/3 neurons show either On-Rs or Off-Rs, and ACX areas are characterized by differing fractions of On and Off-R neurons. Somatostatin and parvalbumin interneurons show distinct temporal dynamics, potentially amplifying Off-Rs. Functional network analysis shows that ACX areas contain distinct parallel onset and offset networks. Thalamic (MGB) terminals show either On-Rs or Off-Rs, indicating a thalamic origin of On and Off-R pathways. Thus, ACX areas spatially represent temporal features, and this representation is created by spatial convergence and co-activation of distinct MGB inputs and is refined by specific intracortical connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Matthew R Whiteway
- Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Scientific Computation Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Alireza Sheikhattar
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Daniel A Butts
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Scientific Computation Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Behtash Babadi
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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43
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Kalish BT, Barkat TR, Diel EE, Zhang EJ, Greenberg ME, Hensch TK. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing of mouse auditory cortex reveals critical period triggers and brakes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:11744-11752. [PMID: 32404418 PMCID: PMC7261058 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920433117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory experience drives neural circuit refinement during windows of heightened brain plasticity, but little is known about the genetic regulation of this developmental process. The primary auditory cortex (A1) of mice exhibits a critical period for thalamocortical connectivity between postnatal days P12 and P15, during which tone exposure alters the tonotopic topography of A1. We hypothesized that a coordinated, multicellular transcriptional program governs this window for patterning of the auditory cortex. To generate a robust multicellular map of gene expression, we performed droplet-based, single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) of A1 across three developmental time points (P10, P15, and P20) spanning the tonotopic critical period. We also tone-reared mice (7 kHz pips) during the 3-d critical period and collected A1 at P15 and P20. We identified and profiled both neuronal (glutamatergic and GABAergic) and nonneuronal (oligodendrocytes, microglia, astrocytes, and endothelial) cell types. By comparing normal- and tone-reared mice, we found hundreds of genes across cell types showing altered expression as a result of sensory manipulation during the critical period. Functional voltage-sensitive dye imaging confirmed GABA circuit function determines critical period onset, while Nogo receptor signaling is required for its closure. We further uncovered previously unknown effects of developmental tone exposure on trajectories of gene expression in interneurons, as well as candidate genes that might execute tonotopic plasticity. Our single-nucleus transcriptomic resource of developing auditory cortex is thus a powerful discovery platform with which to identify mediators of tonotopic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian T Kalish
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Tania R Barkat
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Erin E Diel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | | | | | - Takao K Hensch
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138;
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Child Brain Development, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
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44
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Gaucher Q, Panniello M, Ivanov AZ, Dahmen JC, King AJ, Walker KM. Complexity of frequency receptive fields predicts tonotopic variability across species. eLife 2020; 9:53462. [PMID: 32420865 PMCID: PMC7269667 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary cortical areas contain maps of sensory features, including sound frequency in primary auditory cortex (A1). Two-photon calcium imaging in mice has confirmed the presence of these global tonotopic maps, while uncovering an unexpected local variability in the stimulus preferences of individual neurons in A1 and other primary regions. Here we show that local heterogeneity of frequency preferences is not unique to rodents. Using two-photon calcium imaging in layers 2/3, we found that local variance in frequency preferences is equivalent in ferrets and mice. Neurons with multipeaked frequency tuning are less spatially organized than those tuned to a single frequency in both species. Furthermore, we show that microelectrode recordings may describe a smoother tonotopic arrangement due to a sampling bias towards neurons with simple frequency tuning. These results help explain previous inconsistencies in cortical topography across species and recording techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Gaucher
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mariangela Panniello
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Aleksandar Z Ivanov
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes C Dahmen
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kerry Mm Walker
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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45
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Field RE, D'amour JA, Tremblay R, Miehl C, Rudy B, Gjorgjieva J, Froemke RC. Heterosynaptic Plasticity Determines the Set Point for Cortical Excitatory-Inhibitory Balance. Neuron 2020; 106:842-854.e4. [PMID: 32213321 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Excitation in neural circuits must be carefully controlled by inhibition to regulate information processing and network excitability. During development, cortical inhibitory and excitatory inputs are initially mismatched but become co-tuned or balanced with experience. However, little is known about how excitatory-inhibitory balance is defined at most synapses or about the mechanisms for establishing or maintaining this balance at specific set points. Here we show how coordinated long-term plasticity calibrates populations of excitatory-inhibitory inputs onto mouse auditory cortical pyramidal neurons. Pairing pre- and postsynaptic activity induced plasticity at paired inputs and different forms of heterosynaptic plasticity at the strongest unpaired synapses, which required minutes of activity and dendritic Ca2+ signaling to be computed. Theoretical analyses demonstrated how the relative rate of heterosynaptic plasticity could normalize and stabilize synaptic strengths to achieve any possible excitatory-inhibitory correlation. Thus, excitatory-inhibitory balance is dynamic and cell specific, determined by distinct plasticity rules across multiple excitatory and inhibitory synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Field
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - James A D'amour
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Robin Tremblay
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Christoph Miehl
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Bernardo Rudy
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Julijana Gjorgjieva
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Robert C Froemke
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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46
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Nakata S, Takemoto M, Song WJ. Differential cortical and subcortical projection targets of subfields in the core region of mouse auditory cortex. Hear Res 2020; 386:107876. [PMID: 31881516 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.107876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The core region of the rodent auditory cortex has two areas: the primary auditory area (A1) and the anterior auditory field (AAF). However, the functional difference between these areas is unclear. To elucidate this issue, here we studied the projections from A1 and AAF in mice using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors expressing either a green fluorescent protein or a red fluorescent protein. After mapping A1 and AAF using optical imaging, we injected a distinct AAV vector into each of the two fields at a frequency-matched high-frequency location. We found that A1 and AAF projected commonly to virtually all target areas examined, but each field had its own preference for projection targets. Frontal and parietal regions were the major cortical targets: in the frontal cortex, A1 and AAF showed dominant projections to the anterior cingulate cortex Cg1 and the secondary motor cortex (M2), respectively; in the parietal cortex, A1 and AAF exhibited dense projections to the medial secondary visual cortex and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), respectively. Although M2 and PPC received considerable input from A1 as well, A1 innervated the medial part whereas AAF innervated the lateral part of these cortical regions. A1 also projected to the orbitofrontal cortex, while AAF also projected to the primary somatosensory cortex and insular auditory cortex. As for subcortical projections, A1 and AAF projected to a common ventromedial region in the caudal striatum with a comparable strength; they also both projected to the medial geniculate body and the inferior colliculus, innervating common and distinct divisions of the nuclei. A1 also projected to visual subcortical structures, such as the superior colliculus and the lateral posterior nucleus of the thalamus, where fibres from AAF were sparse. Our results demonstrate the preference of A1 and AAF for cortical and subcortical targets, and for divisions in individual target. The preference of A1 and AAF for sensory-related structures suggest a role for A1 in providing auditory information for audio-visual association at both the cortical and subcortical level, and a distinct role of AAF in providing auditory information for association with somatomotor information in the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiro Nakata
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Makoto Takemoto
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Wen-Jie Song
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan; Center for Metabolic Regulation of Healthy Aging, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
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47
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Ohga S, Tsukano H, Horie M, Terashima H, Nishio N, Kubota Y, Takahashi K, Hishida R, Takebayashi H, Shibuki K. Direct Relay Pathways from Lemniscal Auditory Thalamus to Secondary Auditory Field in Mice. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:4424-4439. [PMID: 30272122 PMCID: PMC6215474 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tonotopy is an essential functional organization in the mammalian auditory cortex, and its source in the primary auditory cortex (A1) is the incoming frequency-related topographical projections from the ventral division of the medial geniculate body (MGv). However, circuits that relay this functional organization to higher-order regions such as the secondary auditory field (A2) have yet to be identified. Here, we discovered a new pathway that projects directly from MGv to A2 in mice. Tonotopy was established in A2 even when primary fields including A1 were removed, which indicates that tonotopy in A2 can be established solely by thalamic input. Moreover, the structural nature of differing thalamocortical connections was consistent with the functional organization of the target regions in the auditory cortex. Retrograde tracing revealed that the region of MGv input to a local area in A2 was broader than the region of MGv input to A1. Consistent with this anatomy, two-photon calcium imaging revealed that neuronal responses in the thalamocortical recipient layer of A2 showed wider bandwidth and greater heterogeneity of the best frequency distribution than those of A1. The current study demonstrates a new thalamocortical pathway that relays frequency information to A2 on the basis of the MGv compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinpei Ohga
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tsukano
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Masao Horie
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Hiroki Terashima
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, 3-1 Morinosato Wakamiya, Atsugi-shi, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Nana Nishio
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yamato Kubota
- Department of Otolaryngology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Kuniyuki Takahashi
- Department of Otolaryngology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Hishida
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hirohide Takebayashi
- Division of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Katsuei Shibuki
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
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48
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Sun H, Takesian AE, Wang TT, Lippman-Bell JJ, Hensch TK, Jensen FE. Early Seizures Prematurely Unsilence Auditory Synapses to Disrupt Thalamocortical Critical Period Plasticity. Cell Rep 2019; 23:2533-2540. [PMID: 29847785 PMCID: PMC6446922 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.04.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Heightened neural excitability in infancy and childhood results in increased susceptibility to seizures. Such early-life seizures are associated with language deficits and autism that can result from aberrant development of the auditory cortex. Here, we show that early-life seizures disrupt a critical period (CP) for tonotopic map plasticity in primary auditory cortex (A1). We show that this CP is characterized by a prevalence of “silent,” NMDA-receptor (NMDAR)-only, glutamate receptor synapses in auditory cortex that become “unsilenced” due to activity-dependent AMPA receptor (AMPAR) insertion. Induction of seizures prior to this CP occludes tonotopic map plasticity by prematurely unsilencing NMDAR-only synapses. Further, brief treatment with the AMPAR antagonist NBQX following seizures, prior to the CP, prevents synapse unsilencing and permits subsequent A1 plasticity. These findings reveal that early-life seizures modify CP regulators and suggest that therapeutic targets for early post-seizure treatment can rescue CP plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Sun
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Anne E Takesian
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ting Ting Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jocelyn J Lippman-Bell
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Takao K Hensch
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA; Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 52 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Frances E Jensen
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Nakajima M, Schmitt LI, Feng G, Halassa MM. Combinatorial Targeting of Distributed Forebrain Networks Reverses Noise Hypersensitivity in a Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neuron 2019; 104:488-500.e11. [PMID: 31648899 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with noise hypersensitivity, the suboptimal extraction of meaningful signals in noisy environments. Because sensory filtering can involve distinct automatic and executive circuit mechanisms, however, developing circuit-specific therapeutic strategies for ASD noise hypersensitivity can be challenging. Here, we find that both of these processes are individually perturbed in one monogenic form of ASD, Ptchd1 deletion. Although Ptchd1 is preferentially expressed in the thalamic reticular nucleus during development, pharmacological rescue of thalamic perturbations in knockout (KO) mice only normalized automatic sensory filtering. By discovering a separate prefrontal perturbation in these animals and adopting a combinatorial pharmacological approach that also rescued its associated goal-directed noise filtering deficit, we achieved full normalization of noise hypersensitivity in this model. Overall, our work highlights the importance of identifying large-scale functional circuit architectures and utilizing them as access points for behavioral disease correction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Nakajima
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - L Ian Schmitt
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Guoping Feng
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; The Stanley Center for Psychiatric Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; The Stanley Center for Psychiatric Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Ogi M, Yamagishi T, Tsukano H, Nishio N, Hishida R, Takahashi K, Horii A, Shibuki K. Associative responses to visual shape stimuli in the mouse auditory cortex. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223242. [PMID: 31581242 PMCID: PMC6776301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans can recall various aspects of a characteristic sound as a whole when they see a visual shape stimulus that has been intimately associated with the sound. In subjects with audio-visual associative memory, auditory responses that code the associated sound may be induced in the auditory cortex in response to presentation of the associated visual shape stimulus. To test this possibility, mice were pre-exposed to a combination of an artificial sound mimicking a cat’s “meow” and a visual shape stimulus of concentric circles or stars for more than two weeks, since such passive exposure is known to be sufficient for inducing audio-visual associative memory in mice. After the exposure, we anesthetized the mice, and presented them with the associated visual shape stimulus. We found that associative responses in the auditory cortex were induced in response to the visual stimulus. The associative auditory responses were observed when complex sounds such as “meow” were used for formation of audio-visual associative memory, but not when a pure tone was used. These results suggest that associative auditory responses in the auditory cortex represent the characteristics of the complex sound stimulus as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manabu Ogi
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Yamagishi
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tsukano
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Nana Nishio
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Hishida
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Kuniyuki Takahashi
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Arata Horii
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
| | - Katsuei Shibuki
- Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahi-machi, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Japan
- * E-mail:
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