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Redinbaugh MJ, Saalmann YB. Contributions of Basal Ganglia Circuits to Perception, Attention, and Consciousness. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:1620-1642. [PMID: 38695762 PMCID: PMC11223727 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Research into ascending sensory pathways and cortical networks has generated detailed models of perception. These same cortical regions are strongly connected to subcortical structures, such as the basal ganglia (BG), which have been conceptualized as playing key roles in reinforcement learning and action selection. However, because the BG amasses experiential evidence from higher and lower levels of cortical hierarchies, as well as higher-order thalamus, it is well positioned to dynamically influence perception. Here, we review anatomical, functional, and clinical evidence to demonstrate how the BG can influence perceptual processing and conscious states. This depends on the integrative relationship between cortex, BG, and thalamus, which allows contributions to sensory gating, predictive processing, selective attention, and representation of the temporal structure of events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuri B Saalmann
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center
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2
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Chen X, Leach SC, Hollis J, Cellier D, Hwang K. Thalamocortical contributions to hierarchical cognitive control. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.24.600427. [PMID: 38979282 PMCID: PMC11230235 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.24.600427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility relies on hierarchically structured task representations that organize task contexts, relevant environmental features, and subordinate decisions. Despite ongoing interest in the human thalamus, its role in cognitive control has been understudied. This study explored thalamic representation and thalamocortical interactions that contribute to hierarchical cognitive control in humans. We found that several thalamic nuclei, including the anterior, mediodorsal, ventrolateral, and pulvinar nuclei, exhibited stronger evoked responses when subjects switch between task contexts. Decoding analysis revealed that thalamic activity preferentially encodes task contexts within the hierarchical task representations. To determine how thalamocortical interactions contribute to task representations, we developed a thalamocortical functional interaction model to predict task-related cortical representation. This data-driven model outperformed comparison models, particularly in predicting activity patterns in cortical regions that encode context representations. Collectively, our findings highlight the significant contribution of thalamic activity and thalamocortical interactions for contextually guided hierarchical cognitive control.
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Magrou L, Joyce MKP, Froudist-Walsh S, Datta D, Wang XJ, Martinez-Trujillo J, Arnsten AFT. The meso-connectomes of mouse, marmoset, and macaque: network organization and the emergence of higher cognition. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae174. [PMID: 38771244 PMCID: PMC11107384 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae174] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The recent publications of the inter-areal connectomes for mouse, marmoset, and macaque cortex have allowed deeper comparisons across rodent vs. primate cortical organization. In general, these show that the mouse has very widespread, "all-to-all" inter-areal connectivity (i.e. a "highly dense" connectome in a graph theoretical framework), while primates have a more modular organization. In this review, we highlight the relevance of these differences to function, including the example of primary visual cortex (V1) which, in the mouse, is interconnected with all other areas, therefore including other primary sensory and frontal areas. We argue that this dense inter-areal connectivity benefits multimodal associations, at the cost of reduced functional segregation. Conversely, primates have expanded cortices with a modular connectivity structure, where V1 is almost exclusively interconnected with other visual cortices, themselves organized in relatively segregated streams, and hierarchically higher cortical areas such as prefrontal cortex provide top-down regulation for specifying precise information for working memory storage and manipulation. Increased complexity in cytoarchitecture, connectivity, dendritic spine density, and receptor expression additionally reveal a sharper hierarchical organization in primate cortex. Together, we argue that these primate specializations permit separable deconstruction and selective reconstruction of representations, which is essential to higher cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Magrou
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Mary Kate P Joyce
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Sean Froudist-Walsh
- School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1QU, United Kingdom
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Julio Martinez-Trujillo
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, and Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
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4
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Ranran H, Aijie W, Yafei Z, Xinru B, Yi L, Xianghua B, Yunxin L, Guochao L, Guowei Z. Alterations of resting-state functional network connectivity in patients with noise-induced hearing loss: A study based on independent component analysis. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2029-2045. [PMID: 38279577 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Functional reorganization is a response to auditory deficits or deprivation, and less is known about the overall brain network alterations involving resting-state networks (RSNs) and multiple functional networks in patients with occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). So this study evaluated resting-state functional network connectivity (FNC) alterations in occupational NIHL using an independent component analysis (ICA). In total, 79 mild NIHL patients (MP), 32 relatively severe NIHL patients (RSP), and 84 age- and education- matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited. All subjects were tested using the Mini-mental State Examination scale, the tinnitus Handicap Inventory scale, the Hamilton Anxiety scale (HAMA) and scanned by T1-3DFSPGR, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging sequence in 3.0 T and analysed by the ICA. Seven RSNs were identified, compared with the HC, the MP showed increased FNC within the executive control network (ECN) and enhanced FNC within the default mode network (DMN) and the visual network (VN); compared with the HC, the RSP showed decreased FNC within the ECN and auditory network (AUN), DMN and VN; no significant changes in FNC were found in the MP compared with the RSP. Furthermore, the correlation analysis between the noise exposure time and hearing loss level, HAMA were both negative, and there were no significant correlations between the abnormal RSNs and the hearing level, noise exposure time and HAMA. These findings indicate that different degrees of NIHL involve different alterations in RSNs connectivity and may reveal the neural mechanisms related to emotion-related features and functional abnormalities following long-term NIHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huang Ranran
- Radiology Department, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Wang Aijie
- Radiology Department, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Zhang Yafei
- Radiology Department, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Ba Xinru
- Radiology Department, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Lin Yi
- Radiology Department, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Bao Xianghua
- Occupational Department, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Li Yunxin
- Radiology Department, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Li Guochao
- Radiology Department, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Zhang Guowei
- Radiology Department, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
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Hockley A, Malmierca MS. Auditory processing control by the medial prefrontal cortex: A review of the rodent functional organisation. Hear Res 2024; 443:108954. [PMID: 38271895 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.108954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Afferent inputs from the cochlea transmit auditory information to the central nervous system, where information is processed and passed up the hierarchy, ending in the auditory cortex. Through these brain pathways, spectral and temporal features of sounds are processed and sent to the cortex for perception. There are also many mechanisms in place for modulation of these inputs, with a major source of modulation being based in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Neurons of the rodent mPFC receive input from the auditory cortex and other regions such as thalamus, hippocampus and basal forebrain, allowing them to encode high-order information about sounds such as context, predictability and valence. The mPFC then exerts control over auditory perception via top-down modulation of the central auditory pathway, altering perception of and responses to sounds. The result is a higher-order control of auditory processing that produces such characteristics as deviance detection, attention, avoidance and fear conditioning. This review summarises connections between mPFC and the primary auditory pathway, responses of mPFC neurons to auditory stimuli, how mPFC outputs shape the perception of sounds, and how changes to these systems during hearing loss and tinnitus may contribute to these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hockley
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
| | - M S Malmierca
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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Garduño BM, Hanni P, Hays C, Cogram P, Insel N, Xu X. How the forebrain transitions to adulthood: developmental plasticity markers in a long-lived rodent reveal region diversity and the uniqueness of adolescence. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1365737. [PMID: 38456144 PMCID: PMC10917993 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1365737] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Maturation of the forebrain involves transitions from higher to lower levels of synaptic plasticity. The timecourse of these changes likely differs between regions, with the stabilization of some networks scaffolding the development of others. To gain better insight into neuroplasticity changes associated with maturation to adulthood, we examined the distribution of two molecular markers for developmental plasticity. We conducted the examination on male and female degus (Octodon degus), a rodent species with a relatively long developmental timecourse that offers a promising model for studying both development and age-related neuropathology. Immunofluorescent staining was used to measure perineuronal nets (PNNs), an extracellular matrix structure that emerges during the closure of critical plasticity periods, as well as microglia, resident immune cells that play a crucial role in synapse remodeling during development. PNNs (putatively restricting plasticity) were found to be higher in non-juvenile (>3 month) degus, while levels of microglia (putatively mediating plasticity) decreased across ages more gradually, and with varying timecourses between regions. Degus also showed notable variation in PNN levels between cortical layers and hippocampal subdivisions that have not been previously reported in other species. These results offer a glimpse into neuroplasticity changes occurring during degu maturation and highlight adolescence as a unique phase of neuroplasticity, in which PNNs have been established but microglia remain relatively high.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Maximiliano Garduño
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Patrick Hanni
- Department of Psychology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Chelsea Hays
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Patricia Cogram
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- The Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Nathan Insel
- Department of Psychology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- The Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Luu P, Tucker DM. Continuity and change in neural plasticity through embryonic morphogenesis, fetal activity-dependent synaptogenesis, and infant memory consolidation. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22439. [PMID: 38010309 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
There is an apparent continuity in human neural development that can be traced to venerable themes of vertebrate morphogenesis that have shaped the evolution of the reptilian telencephalon (including both primitive three-layered cortex and basal ganglia) and then the subsequent evolution of the mammalian six-layered neocortex. In this theoretical analysis, we propose that an evolutionary-developmental analysis of these general morphogenetic themes can help to explain the embryonic development of the dual divisions of the limbic system that control the dorsal and ventral networks of the human neocortex. These include the archicortical (dorsal limbic) Papez circuits regulated by the hippocampus that organize spatial, contextual memory, as well as the paleocortical (ventral limbic) circuits that organize object memory. We review evidence that these dorsal and ventral limbic divisions are controlled by the differential actions of brainstem lemnothalamic and midbrain collothalamic arousal control systems, respectively, thereby traversing the vertebrate subcortical neuraxis. These dual control systems are first seen shaping the phyletic morphogenesis of the archicortical and paleocortical foundations of the forebrain in embryogenesis. They then provide dual modes of activity-dependent synaptic organization in the active (lemnothalamic) and quiet (collothalamic) stages of fetal sleep. Finally, these regulatory systems mature to form the major systems of memory consolidation of postnatal development, including the rapid eye movement (lemnothalamic) consolidation of implicit memory and social attachment in the first year, and then-in a subsequent stage-the non-REM (collothalamic) consolidation of explicit memory that is integral to the autonomy and individuation of the second year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phan Luu
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Don M Tucker
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Zimdahl JW, Rodger J, Mulders WHAM. Acoustic trauma increases inhibitory effects of amygdala electrical stimulation on thalamic neurons in a rat model. Hear Res 2023; 439:108891. [PMID: 37797476 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic trauma (AT) induced hearing loss elicits plasticity throughout the central auditory pathway, including at the level of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN). Hearing loss also results in altered neuronal responses in the amygdala, which is involved in sensory gating at the level of the MGN. However, whether these altered responses in the amygdala affect sensory gating at the level of the MGN requires further evaluation. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of AT-induced hearing loss on the functional connectivity between the amygdala and the MGN. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to either sham (n = 5; no sound) or AT (n = 6; 16 kHz, 1 h, 124 dB SPL) under full anaesthesia. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) recordings were made to determine hearing thresholds. Two weeks post-exposure, extracellular recordings were used to assess the effect of electrical stimulation of the amygdala on tone-evoked (sham n = 22; AT n = 30) and spontaneous (sham n = 21; AT n = 29) activity of single neurons in the MGN. AT caused a large temporary and small permanent ABR threshold shift. Electrical stimulation of the amygdala induced differential effects (excitatory, inhibitory, or no effect) on both tone-evoked and spontaneous activity. In tone-evoked activity, electrical stimulation at 300 µA, maximum current, caused a significantly larger reduction in firing rate in AT animals compared to sham, due to an increase in the magnitude of inhibitory effects. In spontaneous activity, there was also a significantly larger magnitude of inhibitory effects following AT. The findings confirm that activation of the amygdala results in changes in MGN neuronal activity, and suggest the functional connectivity between the amygdala and the MGN is significantly altered following AT and subsequent hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack W Zimdahl
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Jennifer Rodger
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Research, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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Yang S, Wu Y, Sun L, Lu Y, Qian K, Kuang H, Meng J, Wu Y. Abnormal Topological Organization of Structural Covariance Networks in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Comorbid Sleep Disorder. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1493. [PMID: 37891861 PMCID: PMC10605209 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101493] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The structural covariance network (SCN) alterations in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and comorbid sleep disorder (PWSD) remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate changes in SCNs using structural magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS Thirty-four PWSD patients, thirty-three patients with temporal lobe epilepsy without sleep disorder (PWoSD), and seventeen healthy controls underwent high-resolution structural MRI imaging. Subsequently, SCNs were constructed based on gray matter volume and analyzed via graph-theoretical approaches. RESULTS PWSD exhibited significantly increased clustering coefficients, shortest path lengths, transitivity, and local efficiency. In addition, various distributions and numbers of SCN hubs were identified in PWSD. Furthermore, PWSD networks were less robust to random and target attacks than those of healthy controls and PWoSD patients. CONCLUSION This study identifies aberrant SCN changes in PWSD that may be related to the susceptibility of patients with epilepsy to sleep disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yuan Wu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
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Yazdanbakhsh A, Barbas H, Zikopoulos B. Sleep spindles in primates: Modeling the effects of distinct laminar thalamocortical connectivity in core, matrix, and reticular thalamic circuits. Netw Neurosci 2023; 7:743-768. [PMID: 37397882 PMCID: PMC10312265 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00311] [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: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep spindles are associated with the beginning of deep sleep and memory consolidation and are disrupted in schizophrenia and autism. In primates, distinct core and matrix thalamocortical (TC) circuits regulate sleep spindle activity through communications that are filtered by the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN); however, little is known about typical TC network interactions and the mechanisms that are disrupted in brain disorders. We developed a primate-specific, circuit-based TC computational model with distinct core and matrix loops that can simulate sleep spindles. We implemented novel multilevel cortical and thalamic mixing, and included local thalamic inhibitory interneurons, and direct layer 5 projections of variable density to TRN and thalamus to investigate the functional consequences of different ratios of core and matrix node connectivity contribution to spindle dynamics. Our simulations showed that spindle power in primates can be modulated based on the level of cortical feedback, thalamic inhibition, and engagement of model core versus matrix, with the latter having a greater role in spindle dynamics. The study of the distinct spatial and temporal dynamics of core-, matrix-, and mix-generated sleep spindles establishes a framework to study disruption of TC circuit balance underlying deficits in sleep and attentional gating seen in autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Yazdanbakhsh
- Computational Neuroscience and Vision Lab, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Helen Barbas
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston, MA, USA
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Program in Human Physiology, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Sargent College), Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Basilis Zikopoulos
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Human Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Program in Human Physiology, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Sargent College), Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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Lu J, Ju Z, Wang M, Sun X, Jia C, Li L, Bao W, Zhang H, Jiao F, Lin H, Yen TC, Cui R, Lan X, Zhao Q, Guan Y, Zuo C. Feasibility of 18F-florzolotau quantification in patients with Alzheimer's disease based on an MRI-free tau PET template. Eur Radiol 2023:10.1007/s00330-023-09571-7. [PMID: 37099173 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-09571-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Quantification of tau accumulation using positron emission tomography (PET) is critical for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of 18F-florzolotau quantification in patients with AD using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-free tau PET template, since individual high-resolution MRI is costly and not always available in practice. METHODS 18F-florzolotau PET and MRI scans were obtained in a discovery cohort including (1) patients within the AD continuum (n = 87), (2) cognitively impaired patients with non-AD (n = 32), and (3) cognitively unimpaired subjects (n = 26). The validation cohort comprised 24 patients with AD. Following MRI-dependent spatial normalization (standard approach) in randomly selected subjects (n = 40) to cover the entire spectrum of cognitive function, selected PET images were averaged to create the 18F-florzolotau-specific template. Standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) were calculated in five predefined regions of interest (ROIs). MRI-free and MRI-dependent methods were compared in terms of continuous and dichotomous agreement, diagnostic performances, and associations with specific cognitive domains. RESULTS MRI-free SUVRs had a high continuous and dichotomous agreement with MRI-dependent measures for all ROIs (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.980; agreement ≥ 94.5%). Similar findings were observed for AD-related effect sizes, diagnostic performances with respect to categorization across the cognitive spectrum, and associations with cognitive domains. The robustness of the MRI-free approach was confirmed in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS The use of an 18F-florzolotau-specific template is a valid alternative to MRI-dependent spatial normalization, improving the clinical generalizability of this second-generation tau tracer. KEY POINTS • Regional 18F-florzolotau SUVRs reflecting tau accumulation in the living brains are reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and assessment of disease severity in patients with AD. • The 18F-florzolotau-specific template is a valid alternative to MRI-dependent spatial normalization, improving the clinical generalizability of this second-generation tau tracer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Lu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center & National Center for Neurological Disorders & National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zizhao Ju
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center & National Center for Neurological Disorders & National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xun Sun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chenhao Jia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Center for Rare Diseases Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy in Nuclear Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Weiqi Bao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center & National Center for Neurological Disorders & National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiwei Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center & National Center for Neurological Disorders & National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangyang Jiao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center & National Center for Neurological Disorders & National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huamei Lin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center & National Center for Neurological Disorders & National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Ruixue Cui
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Center for Rare Diseases Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy in Nuclear Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiaoli Lan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Qianhua Zhao
- Department of Neurology & National Center for Neurological Disorders & National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yihui Guan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center & National Center for Neurological Disorders & National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuantao Zuo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center & National Center for Neurological Disorders & National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Alanazi FI, Kalia SK, Hodaie M, Lopez Rios AL, Lozano AM, Milosevic L, Hutchison WD. Top-down control of human motor thalamic neuronal activity during the auditory oddball task. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:46. [PMID: 36973276 PMCID: PMC10042852 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00493-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurophysiology of selective attention in visual and auditory systems has been studied in animal models but not with single unit recordings in human. Here, we recorded neuronal activity in the ventral intermediate nucleus as well as the ventral oral anterior, and posterior nuclei of the motor thalamus in 25 patients with parkinsonian (n = 6) and non-parkinsonian tremors (n = 19) prior to insertion of deep brain stimulation electrodes while they performed an auditory oddball task. In this task, patients were requested to attend and count the randomly occurring odd or "deviant" tones, ignore the frequent standard tones and report the number of deviant tones at trial completion. The neuronal firing rate decreased compared to baseline during the oddball task. Inhibition was specific to auditory attention as incorrect counting or wrist flicking to the deviant tones did not produce such inhibition. Local field potential analysis showed beta (13-35 Hz) desynchronization in response to deviant tones. Parkinson's disease patients off medications had more beta power than the essential tremor group but less neuronal modulation of beta power to the attended tones, suggesting that dopamine modulates thalamic beta oscillations for selective attention. The current study demonstrated that ascending information to the motor thalamus can be suppressed during auditory attending tasks, providing indirect evidence for the searchlight hypothesis in humans. These results taken together implicate the ventral intermediate nucleus in non-motor cognitive functions, which has implications for the brain circuitry for attention and the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frhan I Alanazi
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Krembil Brain Institute, Leonard St, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Basic Sciences, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Suneil K Kalia
- Krembil Brain Institute, Leonard St, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- Krembil Brain Institute, Leonard St, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Andrés M Lozano
- Krembil Brain Institute, Leonard St, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Luka Milosevic
- Krembil Brain Institute, Leonard St, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - William D Hutchison
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, Leonard St, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, Medellin (Rionegro), Colombia
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13
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Van Malderen S, Hehl M, Verstraelen S, Swinnen SP, Cuypers K. Dual-site TMS as a tool to probe effective interactions within the motor network: a review. Rev Neurosci 2023; 34:129-221. [PMID: 36065080 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2022-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation (ds-TMS) is well suited to investigate the causal effect of distant brain regions on the primary motor cortex, both at rest and during motor performance and learning. However, given the broad set of stimulation parameters, clarity about which parameters are most effective for identifying particular interactions is lacking. Here, evidence describing inter- and intra-hemispheric interactions during rest and in the context of motor tasks is reviewed. Our aims are threefold: (1) provide a detailed overview of ds-TMS literature regarding inter- and intra-hemispheric connectivity; (2) describe the applicability and contributions of these interactions to motor control, and; (3) discuss the practical implications and future directions. Of the 3659 studies screened, 109 were included and discussed. Overall, there is remarkable variability in the experimental context for assessing ds-TMS interactions, as well as in the use and reporting of stimulation parameters, hindering a quantitative comparison of results across studies. Further studies examining ds-TMS interactions in a systematic manner, and in which all critical parameters are carefully reported, are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanti Van Malderen
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee 3001, Belgium.,Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Melina Hehl
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee 3001, Belgium.,Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Stefanie Verstraelen
- Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Stephan P Swinnen
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee 3001, Belgium.,KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Cuypers
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee 3001, Belgium.,Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
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14
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Sun N, Liu M, Liu P, Zhang A, Yang C, Liu Z, Li J, Li G, Wang Y, Zhang K. Abnormal cortical-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuit centered on the thalamus in MDD patients with somatic symptoms: Evidence from the REST-meta-MDD project. J Affect Disord 2023; 323:71-84. [PMID: 36395992 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Somatic symptoms are common comorbidities of major depressive disorder (MDD), and negatively impact the course and severity of the disease. In order to enrich the understanding of the pathological mechanism and clarify the neurobiological basis of somatic symptoms in depression, we attempted to explore the changes of brain structure and function in a large sample between depression with and without somatic symptoms. METHODS Structure magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were collected from 342 patients with somatic symptoms (SD), 208 patients without somatic symptoms (NSD), and 510 healthy controls (HCs) based on the REST-meta-MDD project. We analyzed the whole brain VBM maps of the three groups, and combined with weight degree centrality (DC) index, we investigated whether the brain regions with gray matter volume (GMV) and gray matter density (GMD) abnormalities in MDD patients with somatic symptoms had corresponding brain functional abnormalities. RESULTS Between depression with and without somatic symptoms, we found that there are extensive GMV and GMD differences involving cortical regions such as the temporal lobe, occipital lobe, and insula, as well as subcortical brain regions such as thalamus and striatum. The comparison results of weight DC signals of GMV and GMD abnormal clusters between the SD and NSD groups were basically consistent with the GMV and GMD abnormal clusters. CONCLUSION The results indicate that the structure and function of cortical-striatal-thalamic-cortical (CSTC) circuit centered on the thalamus were abnormal in MDD patients with somatic symptoms. This may be the neurobiological basis of somatic symptoms in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China; Department of Mental Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Psychosomatic, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Penghong Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Aixia Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Chunxia Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Zhifen Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China; Department of Mental Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Jianying Li
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Gaizhi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Yanfang Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Kerang Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China.
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15
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Xing L, Bao Y, Wang B, Shi M, Wei Y, Huang X, Dai Y, Shi H, Gai X, Luo Q, Yin Y, Qin D. Falls caused by balance disorders in the elderly with multiple systems involved: Pathogenic mechanisms and treatment strategies. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1128092. [PMID: 36908603 PMCID: PMC9996061 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1128092] [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: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Falls are the main contributor to both fatal and nonfatal injuries in elderly individuals as well as significant sources of morbidity and mortality, which are mostly induced by impaired balance control. The ability to keep balance is a remarkably complex process that allows for rapid and precise changes to prevent falls with multiple systems involved, such as musculoskeletal system, the central nervous system and sensory system. However, the exact pathogenesis of falls caused by balance disorders in the elderly has eluded researchers to date. In consideration of aging phenomenon aggravation and fall risks in the elderly, there is an urgent need to explore the pathogenesis and treatments of falls caused by balance disorders in the elderly. The present review discusses the epidemiology of falls in the elderly, potential pathogenic mechanisms underlying multiple systems involved in falls caused by balance disorders, including musculoskeletal system, the central nervous system and sensory system. Meanwhile, some common treatment strategies, such as physical exercise, new equipment based on artificial intelligence, pharmacologic treatments and fall prevention education are also reviewed. To fully understand the pathogenesis and treatment of falls caused by balance disorders, a need remains for future large-scale multi-center randomized controlled trials and in-depth mechanism studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Xing
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming Yunnan, China.,The First Clinical Medical School, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Yi Bao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Binyang Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Mingqin Shi
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wei
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaoyi Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Youwu Dai
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Hongling Shi
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Xuesong Gai
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Qiu Luo
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Yong Yin
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming Yunnan, China
| | - Dongdong Qin
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming Yunnan, China
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16
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Chen X, Sorenson E, Hwang K. Thalamocortical contributions to working memory processes during the n-back task. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 197:107701. [PMID: 36435360 PMCID: PMC9805524 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107701] [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: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Working memory allows individuals to temporally maintain and manipulate information that is no longer accessible from the sensorium. Whereas prior studies have detailed frontoparietal contributions to working memory processes, less emphasis has been placed on subcortical regions, in particular the human thalamus. The thalamus has a complex anatomy that consists of several distinct nuclei, many of which have dense anatomical connectivity with frontoparietal regions, and thus might play an important yet underspecified role for working memory. The goal of our study is to characterize the detailed functional neuroanatomy of the human thalamus and thalamocortical interactions during the n-back task. To that end, we analyzed an n-back fMRI dataset consisting of 395 subjects from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). We found that thalamic nuclei in the anterior, medial, ventral lateral, and posterior medial thalamus showed stronger evoked responses in response to higher working memory load. Activity in most thalamic nuclei were only modulated by working memory load, but not by categorical membership of the memorized stimuli, suggesting that thalamic function supports domain-general processing for working memory. To determine whether thalamocortical interactions contribute to cortical activity for working memory, we employed an activity flow mapping analysis to test whether thalamocortical interactions can predict cortical task activity patterns. In support, this data-driven thalamocortical interaction model explained a significant amount of variance in the observed cortical activity patterns modulated by working memory load. Our results suggest that the anterior, medial, and posterior medial thalamus, and their associated thalamocortical interactions, contribute to the modulations of distributed cortical activity during working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xitong Chen
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, The University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Ave, Iowa City, IA 52242-1407, United States; Department of Psychological and Brain Science, The University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Ave, Iowa City, IA 52242-1407, United States; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, 169 Newton Road, 2312, Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States.
| | - Evan Sorenson
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, The University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Ave, Iowa City, IA 52242-1407, United States; Department of Psychological and Brain Science, The University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Ave, Iowa City, IA 52242-1407, United States; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, 169 Newton Road, 2312, Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
| | - Kai Hwang
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, The University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Ave, Iowa City, IA 52242-1407, United States; Department of Psychological and Brain Science, The University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Ave, Iowa City, IA 52242-1407, United States; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, 169 Newton Road, 2312, Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
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17
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Hádinger N, Bősz E, Tóth B, Vantomme G, Lüthi A, Acsády L. Region-selective control of the thalamic reticular nucleus via cortical layer 5 pyramidal cells. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:116-130. [PMID: 36550291 PMCID: PMC9829539 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01217-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Corticothalamic pathways, responsible for the top-down control of the thalamus, have a canonical organization such that every cortical region sends output from both layer 6 (L6) and layer 5 (L5) to the thalamus. Here we demonstrate a qualitative, region-specific difference in the organization of mouse corticothalamic pathways. Specifically, L5 pyramidal cells of the frontal cortex, but not other cortical regions, establish monosynaptic connections with the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). The frontal L5-TRN pathway parallels the L6-TRN projection but has distinct morphological and physiological features. The exact spike output of the L5-contacted TRN cells correlated with the level of cortical synchrony. Optogenetic perturbation of the L5-TRN connection disrupted the tight link between cortical and TRN activity. L5-driven TRN cells innervated thalamic nuclei involved in the control of frontal cortex activity. Our data show that frontal cortex functions require a highly specialized cortical control over intrathalamic inhibitory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nóra Hádinger
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Emília Bősz
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Boglárka Tóth
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gil Vantomme
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anita Lüthi
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - László Acsády
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
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18
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Alterations of Thalamic Nuclei Volumes and the Intrinsic Thalamic Structural Network in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis-Related Fatigue. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12111538. [PMID: 36421863 PMCID: PMC9688890 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12111538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatigue is a debilitating and prevalent symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS). The thalamus is atrophied at an earlier stage of MS and although the role of the thalamus in the pathophysiology of MS-related fatigue has been reported, there have been few studies on intra-thalamic changes. We investigated the alterations of thalamic nuclei volumes and the intrinsic thalamic network in people with MS presenting fatigue (F-MS). The network metrics comprised the clustering coefficient (Cp), characteristic path length (Lp), small-world index (σ), local efficiency (Eloc), global efficiency (Eglob), and nodal metrics. Volumetric analysis revealed that the right anteroventral, right central lateral, right lateral geniculate, right pulvinar anterior, left pulvinar medial, and left pulvinar inferior nuclei were atrophied only in the F-MS group. Furthermore, the F-MS group had significantly increased Lp compared to people with MS not presenting fatigue (NF-MS) (2.9674 vs. 2.4411, PAUC = 0.038). The F-MS group had significantly decreased nodal efficiency and betweenness centrality of the right mediodorsal medial magnocellular nucleus than the NF-MS group (false discovery rate corrected p < 0.05). The F-MS patients exhibited more atrophied thalamic nuclei, poorer network global functional integration, and disrupted right mediodorsal medial magnocellular nuclei interconnectivity with other nuclei. These findings might aid the elucidation of the underlying pathogenesis of MS-related fatigue.
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19
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Szabó JP, Fabó D, Pető N, Sákovics A, Bódizs R. Role of anterior thalamic circuitry during sleep. Epilepsy Res 2022; 186:106999. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2022.106999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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20
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Abstract
Neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) are a primary source of inhibition to the dorsal thalamus and, as they are innervated in part by the cortex, are a means of corticothalamic regulation. Previously, cortical inputs to the TRN were thought to originate solely from layer 6 (L6), but we recently reported the presence of putative synaptic terminals from layer 5 (L5) neurons in multiple cortical areas in the TRN [J. A. Prasad, B. J. Carroll, S. M. Sherman, J. Neurosci. 40, 5785-5796 (2020)]. Here, we demonstrate with electron microscopy that L5 terminals from multiple cortical regions make bona fide synapses in the TRN. We further use light microscopy to localize these synapses relative to recently described TRN subdivisions and show that L5 terminals target the edges of the somatosensory TRN, where neurons reciprocally connect to higher-order thalamus, and that L5 terminals are scarce in the core of the TRN, where neurons reciprocally connect to first-order thalamus. In contrast, L6 terminals densely innervate both edge and core subregions and are smaller than those from L5. These data suggest that a sparse but potent input from L5 neurons of multiple cortical regions to the TRN may yield transreticular inhibition targeted to higher-order thalamus.
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21
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Tucker DM, Luu P, Johnson M. Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Implicit and Explicit Memory in the Process of Consciousness. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:872-891. [PMID: 36044682 PMCID: PMC9576178 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00328.2022] [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] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurophysiological mechanisms are increasingly understood to constitute the foundations of human conscious experience. These include the capacity for ongoing memory, achieved through a hierarchy of reentrant cross-laminar connections across limbic, heteromodal, unimodal, and primary cortices. The neurophysiological mechanisms of consciousness also include the capacity for volitional direction of attention to the ongoing cognitive process, through a reentrant fronto-thalamo-cortical network regulation of the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus. More elusive is the way that discrete objects of subjective experience, such as the color of deep blue or the sound of middle C, could be generated by neural mechanisms. Explaining such ineffable qualities of subjective experience is what Chalmers has called “the hard problem of consciousness,” which has divided modern neuroscientists and philosophers alike. We propose that insight into the appearance of the hard problem can be gained through integrating classical phenomenological studies of experience with recent progress in the differential neurophysiology of consolidating explicit versus implicit memory. Although the achievement of consciousness, once it is reflected upon, becomes explicit, the underlying process of generating consciousness, through neurophysiological mechanisms, is largely implicit. Studying the neurophysiological mechanisms of adaptive implicit memory, including brain stem, limbic, and thalamic regulation of neocortical representations, may lead to a more extended phenomenological understanding of both the neurophysiological process and the subjective experience of consciousness. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The process of consciousness, generating the qualia that may appear to be irreducible qualities of experience, can be understood to arise from neurophysiological mechanisms of memory. Implicit memory, organized by the lemnothalamic brain stem projections and dorsal limbic consolidation in REM sleep, supports the unconscious field and the quasi-conscious fringe of current awareness. Explicit memory, organized by the collothalamic midbrain projections and ventral limbic consolidation of NREM sleep, supports the focal objects of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don M Tucker
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States.,Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, Eugene OR, United States
| | - Phan Luu
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States.,Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, Eugene OR, United States
| | - Mark Johnson
- Department of Philosophy, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
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22
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Amat F, Zimdahl JW, Barry KM, Rodger J, Mulders WHAM. Long-Term Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Tinnitus in a Guinea Pig Model. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081096. [PMID: 36009159 PMCID: PMC9405768 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory phantom sensation of tinnitus is associated with neural hyperactivity. Modulating this hyperactivity using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown beneficial effects in human studies. Previously, we investigated rTMS in a tinnitus animal model and showed that rTMS over prefrontal cortex (PFC) attenuated tinnitus soon after treatment, likely via indirect effects on auditory pathways. Here, we explored the duration of these beneficial effects. Acoustic trauma was used to induce hearing loss and tinnitus in guinea pigs. Once tinnitus developed, high-frequency (20 Hz), high-intensity rTMS was applied over PFC for two weeks (weekdays only; 10 min/day). Behavioral signs of tinnitus were monitored for 6 weeks after treatment ended. Tinnitus developed in 77% of animals between 13 and 60 days post-trauma. rTMS treatment significantly reduced the signs of tinnitus at 1 week on a group level, but individual responses varied greatly at week 2 until week 6. Three (33%) of the animals showed the attenuation of tinnitus for the full 6 weeks, 45% for 1–4 weeks and 22% were non-responders. This study provides further support for the efficacy of high-frequency repetitive stimulation over the PFC as a therapeutic tool for tinnitus, but also highlights individual variation observed in human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Amat
- The Auditory Laboratory, School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jack W. Zimdahl
- The Auditory Laboratory, School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Kristin M. Barry
- The Auditory Laboratory, School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jennifer Rodger
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Research, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Wilhelmina H. A. M. Mulders
- The Auditory Laboratory, School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Correspondence:
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23
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Spencer ER, Chinappen D, Emerton BC, Morgan AK, Hämäläinen MS, Manoach DS, Eden UT, Kramer MA, Chu CJ. Source EEG reveals that Rolandic epilepsy is a regional epileptic encephalopathy. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 33:102956. [PMID: 35151039 PMCID: PMC8844714 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Children with RE have fewer spindles but they have typical time–frequency features. Spindle deficits extend to multiple cortical regions in Rolandic epilepsy. Cognitive deficits are predicted by spindle rate in Rolandic epilepsy. Regional spindle rate predicts motor deficits better than Rolandic spindle deficit. Spindle features in RE identify a regional thalamocortical epileptic encephalopathy.
Rolandic epilepsy is the most common form of epileptic encephalopathy, characterized by sleep-potentiated inferior Rolandic epileptiform spikes, seizures, and cognitive deficits in school-age children that spontaneously resolve by adolescence. We recently identified a paucity of sleep spindles, physiological thalamocortical rhythms associated with sleep-dependent learning, in the Rolandic cortex during the active phase of this disease. Because spindles are generated in the thalamus and amplified through regional thalamocortical circuits, we hypothesized that: 1) deficits in spindle rate would involve but extend beyond the inferior Rolandic cortex in active epilepsy and 2) regional spindle deficits would better predict cognitive function than inferior Rolandic spindle deficits alone. To test these hypotheses, we obtained high-resolution MRI, high-density EEG recordings, and focused neuropsychological assessments in children with Rolandic epilepsy during active (n = 8, age 9–14.7 years, 3F) and resolved (seizure free for > 1 year, n = 10, age 10.3–16.7 years, 1F) stages of disease and age-matched controls (n = 8, age 8.9–14.5 years, 5F). Using a validated spindle detector applied to estimates of electrical source activity in 31 cortical regions, including the inferior Rolandic cortex, during stages 2 and 3 of non-rapid eye movement sleep, we compared spindle rates in each cortical region across groups. Among detected spindles, we compared spindle features (power, duration, coherence, bilateral synchrony) between groups. We then used regression models to examine the relationship between spindle rate and cognitive function (fine motor dexterity, phonological processing, attention, and intelligence, and a global measure of all functions). We found that spindle rate was reduced in the inferior Rolandic cortices in active but not resolved disease (active P = 0.007; resolved P = 0.2) compared to controls. Spindles in this region were less synchronous between hemispheres in the active group (P = 0.005; resolved P = 0.1) compared to controls; but there were no differences in spindle power, duration, or coherence between groups. Compared to controls, spindle rate in the active group was also reduced in the prefrontal, insular, superior temporal, and posterior parietal regions (i.e., “regional spindle rate”, P < 0.039 for all). Independent of group, regional spindle rate positively correlated with fine motor dexterity (P < 1e-3), attention (P = 0.02), intelligence (P = 0.04), and global cognitive performance (P < 1e-4). Compared to the inferior Rolandic spindle rate alone, models including regional spindle rate trended to improve prediction of global cognitive performance (P = 0.052), and markedly improved prediction of fine motor dexterity (P = 0.006). These results identify a spindle disruption in Rolandic epilepsy that extends beyond the epileptic cortex and a potential mechanistic explanation for the broad cognitive deficits that can be observed in this epileptic encephalopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Spencer
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Dhinakaran Chinappen
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Britt C Emerton
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Amy K Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Matti S Hämäläinen
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA 02129; Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Dara S Manoach
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Uri T Eden
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Mark A Kramer
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Catherine J Chu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114.
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Studtmann C, Ladislav M, Topolski MA, Safari M, Swanger SA. NaV1.1 haploinsufficiency impairs glutamatergic and GABAergic neuron function in the thalamus. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 167:105672. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Kenwood MM, Kalin NH, Barbas H. The prefrontal cortex, pathological anxiety, and anxiety disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:260-275. [PMID: 34400783 PMCID: PMC8617307 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01109-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety is experienced in response to threats that are distal or uncertain, involving changes in one's subjective state, autonomic responses, and behavior. Defensive and physiologic responses to threats that involve the amygdala and brainstem are conserved across species. While anxiety responses typically serve an adaptive purpose, when excessive, unregulated, and generalized, they can become maladaptive, leading to distress and avoidance of potentially threatening situations. In primates, anxiety can be regulated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which has expanded in evolution. This prefrontal expansion is thought to underlie primates' increased capacity to engage high-level regulatory strategies aimed at coping with and modifying the experience of anxiety. The specialized primate lateral, medial, and orbital PFC sectors are connected with association and limbic cortices, the latter of which are connected with the amygdala and brainstem autonomic structures that underlie emotional and physiological arousal. PFC pathways that interface with distinct inhibitory systems within the cortex, the amygdala, or the thalamus can regulate responses by modulating neuronal output. Within the PFC, pathways connecting cortical regions are poised to reduce noise and enhance signals for cognitive operations that regulate anxiety processing and autonomic drive. Specialized PFC pathways to the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus suggest a mechanism to allow passage of relevant signals from thalamus to cortex, and in the amygdala to modulate the output to autonomic structures. Disruption of specific nodes within the PFC that interface with inhibitory systems can affect the negative bias, failure to regulate autonomic arousal, and avoidance that characterize anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaux M Kenwood
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Neuroscience Training Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Neuroscience Training Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
- Wisconsin National Primate Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Thalamic reticular nucleus impairments and abnormal prefrontal control of dopamine system in a developmental model of schizophrenia: prevention by N-acetylcysteine. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7679-7689. [PMID: 34193975 PMCID: PMC8716611 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01198-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence showed thalamic abnormalities in schizophrenia involving disruptions to the parvalbumin neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). However, their functional consequences, as well as a potential linkage to oxidative stress, are unclear. The TRN is posited to gate prefrontal control of dopamine neuron activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Thus, we hypothesized that schizophrenia-related TRN abnormalities might contribute to dopamine dysregulation, a well-known feature of the disorder. To test this, in adult rats exposed prenatally to methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM rats), oxidative impairments to the parvalbumin neurons in the anterior TRN were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we investigated whether inactivation of the prefrontal cortex would produce differential effects on VTA dopamine neurons in MAM rats. We show that MAM rats displayed reduced markers of parvalbumin and wisteria floribunda agglutinin-labeled perineuronal nets, correlating with increased markers of oxidative stress (8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-20-deoxyguanosine, and 3-nitrotyrosine). Moreover, MAM rats displayed heightened baseline and abnormal prefrontal control of VTA dopamine neuron activity, as tetrodotoxin-induced inactivation of the infralimbic prefrontal cortex decreased the dopamine population activity, contrary to the normal increase in controls. Such dopamine neuron dysregulation was recapitulated by enzymatic perineuronal net digestion in the TRN of normal rats. Furthermore, juvenile (postnatal day 11-25) antioxidant treatment (N-acetyl-cysteine, 900 mg/L drinking water) prevented all these impairments in MAM rats. Our findings suggest that early accumulation of oxidative stress in the TRN may shape the later onset of schizophrenia pathophysiology, highlighting redox regulation as a potential target for early intervention.
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Patel AV, Codeluppi SA, Ervin KSJ, St-Denis MB, Choleris E, Bailey CDC. Developmental Age and Biological Sex Influence Muscarinic Receptor Function and Neuron Morphology within Layer VI of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:3137-3158. [PMID: 34864929 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) neurotransmission within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays an important modulatory role to support mPFC-dependent cognitive functions. This role is mediated by ACh activation of its nicotinic (nAChR) and muscarinic (mAChR) classes of receptors, which are both present on mPFC layer VI pyramidal neurons. While the expression and function of nAChRs have been characterized thoroughly for rodent mPFC layer VI neurons during postnatal development, mAChRs have not been characterized in detail. We employed whole-cell electrophysiology with biocytin filling to demonstrate that mAChR function is greater during the juvenile period of development than in adulthood for both sexes. Pharmacological experiments suggest that each of the M1, M2, and M3 mAChR subtypes contributes to ACh responses in these neurons in a sex-dependent manner. Analysis of dendrite morphology identified effects of age more often in males, as the amount of dendrite matter was greatest during the juvenile period. Interestingly, a number of positive correlations were identified between the magnitude of ACh/mAChR responses and dendrite morphology in juvenile mice that were not present in adulthood. To our knowledge, this work describes the first detailed characterization of mAChR function and its correlation with neuron morphology within layer VI of the mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashutosh V Patel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Sierra A Codeluppi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Kelsy S J Ervin
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Myles B St-Denis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Craig D C Bailey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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Necula D, Cho FS, He A, Paz JT. Secondary thalamic neuroinflammation after focal cortical stroke and traumatic injury mirrors corticothalamic functional connectivity. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:998-1019. [PMID: 34633669 PMCID: PMC8957545 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
While cortical injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neocortical stroke, acutely disrupt the neocortex, most of their consequent disabilities reflect secondary injuries that develop over time. Thalamic neuroinflammation has been proposed to be a biomarker of cortical injury and of the long-term cognitive and neurological deficits that follow. However, the extent to which thalamic neuroinflammation depends on the type of cortical injury or its location remains unknown. Using two mouse models of focal neocortical injury that do not directly damage subcortical structures-controlled cortical impact and photothrombotic ischemic stroke-we found that chronic neuroinflammation in the thalamic region mirrors the functional connections with the injured cortex, and that sensory corticothalamic regions may be more likely to sustain long-term damage than nonsensory circuits. Currently, heterogeneous clinical outcomes complicate treatment. Understanding how thalamic inflammation depends on the injury site can aid in predicting features of subsequent deficits and lead to more effective, customized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna Necula
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Neurology and the Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Frances S Cho
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Neurology and the Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Andrea He
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jeanne T Paz
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Neurology and the Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Vaasjo LO, Han X, Thurmon AN, Tiemroth AS, Berndt H, Korn M, Figueroa A, Reyes R, Feliciano-Ramos PA, Galazo MJ. Characterization and manipulation of Corticothalamic neurons in associative cortices using Syt6-Cre transgenic mice. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:1020-1048. [PMID: 34617601 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25256] [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: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Corticothalamic interactions between associative cortices and higher order thalamic nuclei are involved in high-cognitive functions such as decision-making and working memory. Corticothalamic neurons (CTn) in the prefrontal cortex and other associative areas have been much less studied than their counterparts in the primary sensory areas. The availability of characterized transgenic tools to study CTn in associative areas will facilitate their study and contribute to overcome the scarcity of data about their properties, network dynamics, and contribution to cognitive functions. Here, we characterized the Syt6-Cre (KI148Gsat/Mmud) transgenic mouse line, by tracking expression of a Cre-mediated reporter. In this line, Cre-reporter is strongly expressed in the prefrontal, motor, cingulate, and retrosplenial cortices, as well as in other brain areas including the cerebellum and the olfactory tubercle. Cortical expression starts embryonically and reaches the adult expression pattern by postnatal day 15. In the cortex, Cre-reporter is expressed by layer 6-CTn and by layer 5-CTn to a lesser extent. We quantified Syt6-Cre+ CTn axon varicosities to estimate the distribution and density of putative corticothalamic driver and modulator inputs to thalamic nuclei in the medial, midline, intralaminar, anterior, and motor groups. Also, we characterized the effect of optogenetic stimulation of Syt6-Cre+ neurons in the activity of the prefrontal cortex. CTn stimulation in the prefrontal cortex induces an oscillatory activity in the local field potential that resembles the cortical downstates typically observed during slow-wave sleep or quiet wake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee O Vaasjo
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Xiao Han
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Abbigail N Thurmon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Alina S Tiemroth
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Hallie Berndt
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Madelyn Korn
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Alexandra Figueroa
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Rosa Reyes
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Pedro A Feliciano-Ramos
- Department Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maria J Galazo
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Leszczynski M, Chaieb L, Staudigl T, Enkirch SJ, Fell J, Schroeder CE. Neural activity in the human anterior thalamus during natural vision. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17480. [PMID: 34471183 PMCID: PMC8410783 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96588-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In natural vision humans and other primates explore environment by active sensing, using saccadic eye movements to relocate the fovea and sample different bits of information multiple times per second. Saccades induce a phase reset of ongoing neuronal oscillations in primary and higher-order visual cortices and in the medial temporal lobe. As a result, neuron ensembles are shifted to a common state at the time visual input propagates through the system (i.e., just after fixation). The extent of the brain’s circuitry that is modulated by saccades is not yet known. Here, we evaluate the possibility that saccadic phase reset impacts the anterior nuclei of the thalamus (ANT). Using recordings in the human thalamus of three surgical patients during natural vision, we found that saccades and visual stimulus onset both modulate neural activity, but with distinct field potential morphologies. Specifically, we found that fixation-locked field potentials had a component that preceded saccade onset. It was followed by an early negativity around 50 ms after fixation onset which is significantly faster than any response to visual stimulus presentation. The timing of these events suggests that the ANT is predictively modulated before the saccadic eye movement. We also found oscillatory phase concentration, peaking at 3–4 Hz, coincident with suppression of Broadband High-frequency Activity (BHA; 80–180 Hz), both locked to fixation onset supporting the idea that neural oscillations in these nuclei are reorganized to a low excitability state right after fixation onset. These findings show that during real-world natural visual exploration neural dynamics in the human ANT is influenced by visual and oculomotor events, which supports the idea that ANT, apart from their contribution to episodic memory, also play a role in natural vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Leszczynski
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, 1051 Riverside Drive Kolb Annex Rm 561, New York, NY, 10032, USA. .,Translational Neuroscience Division, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
| | - Leila Chaieb
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Staudigl
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Juergen Fell
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Charles E Schroeder
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, 1051 Riverside Drive Kolb Annex Rm 561, New York, NY, 10032, USA.,Translational Neuroscience Division, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
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31
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Pérez-Santos I, Palomero-Gallagher N, Zilles K, Cavada C. Distribution of the Noradrenaline Innervation and Adrenoceptors in the Macaque Monkey Thalamus. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4115-4139. [PMID: 34003210 PMCID: PMC8328208 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Noradrenaline (NA) in the thalamus has important roles in physiological, pharmacological, and pathological neuromodulation. In this work, a complete characterization of NA axons and Alpha adrenoceptors distributions is provided. NA axons, revealed by immunohistochemistry against the synthesizing enzyme and the NA transporter, are present in all thalamic nuclei. The most densely innervated ones are the midline nuclei, intralaminar nuclei (paracentral and parafascicular), and the medial sector of the mediodorsal nucleus (MDm). The ventral motor nuclei and most somatosensory relay nuclei receive a moderate NA innervation. The pulvinar complex receives a heterogeneous innervation. The lateral geniculate nucleus (GL) has the lowest NA innervation. Alpha adrenoceptors were analyzed by in vitro quantitative autoradiography. Alpha-1 receptor densities are higher than Alpha-2 densities. Overall, axonal densities and Alpha adrenoceptor densities coincide; although some mismatches were identified. The nuclei with the highest Alpha-1 values are MDm, the parvocellular part of the ventral posterior medial nucleus, medial pulvinar, and midline nuclei. The nucleus with the lowest Alpha-1 receptor density is GL. Alpha-2 receptor densities are highest in the lateral dorsal, centromedian, medial and inferior pulvinar, and midline nuclei. These results suggest a role for NA in modulating thalamic involvement in consciousness, limbic, cognitive, and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Pérez-Santos
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Calle Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicola Palomero-Gallagher
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karl Zilles
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Carmen Cavada
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Calle Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Zimdahl JW, Thomas H, Bolland SJ, Leggett K, Barry KM, Rodger J, Mulders WHAM. Excitatory Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Over Prefrontal Cortex in a Guinea Pig Model Ameliorates Tinnitus. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:693935. [PMID: 34366777 PMCID: PMC8339289 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.693935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus, a phantom auditory perception that can seriously affect quality of life, is generally triggered by cochlear trauma and associated with aberrant activity throughout the auditory pathways, often referred to as hyperactivity. Studies suggest that non-auditory structures, such as prefrontal cortex (PFC), may be involved in tinnitus generation, by affecting sensory gating in auditory thalamus, allowing hyperactivity to reach the cortex and lead to perception. Indeed, human studies have shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of PFC can alleviate tinnitus. The current study investigated whether this therapeutic effect is achieved through inhibition of thalamic hyperactivity, comparing effects of two common clinical rTMS protocols with sham treatment, in a guinea pig tinnitus model. Animals underwent acoustic trauma and once tinnitus developed were treated with either intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), 20 Hz rTMS, or sham rTMS (10 days, 10 min/day; weekdays only). Tinnitus was reassessed and extracellular recordings of spontaneous tonic and burst firing rates in auditory thalamus made. To verify effects in PFC, densities of neurons positive for calcium-binding proteins, calbindin and parvalbumin, were investigated using immunohistochemistry. Both rTMS protocols significantly reduced tinnitus compared to sham. However, spontaneous tonic firing decreased following 20 Hz stimulation and increased following iTBS in auditory thalamus. Burst rate was significantly different between 20 Hz and iTBS stimulation, and burst duration was increased only after 20 Hz treatment. Density of calbindin, but not parvalbumin positive neurons, was significantly increased in the most dorsal region of PFC indicating that rTMS directly affected PFC. Our results support the involvement of PFC in tinnitus modulation, and the therapeutic benefit of rTMS on PFC in treating tinnitus, but indicate this is not achieved solely by suppression of thalamic hyperactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack W Zimdahl
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Harrison Thomas
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Samuel J Bolland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.,Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Research, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Kerry Leggett
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Kristin M Barry
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Jennifer Rodger
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.,Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Research, Crawley, WA, Australia
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Phillips JM, Kambi NA, Redinbaugh MJ, Mohanta S, Saalmann YB. Disentangling the influences of multiple thalamic nuclei on prefrontal cortex and cognitive control. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:487-510. [PMID: 34216654 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has a complex relationship with the thalamus, involving many nuclei which occupy predominantly medial zones along its anterior-to-posterior extent. Thalamocortical neurons in most of these nuclei are modulated by the affective and cognitive signals which funnel through the basal ganglia. We review how PFC-connected thalamic nuclei likely contribute to all aspects of cognitive control: from the processing of information on internal states and goals, facilitating its interactions with mnemonic information and learned values of stimuli and actions, to their influence on high-level cognitive processes, attentional allocation and goal-directed behavior. This includes contributions to transformations such as rule-to-choice (parvocellular mediodorsal nucleus), value-to-choice (magnocellular mediodorsal nucleus), mnemonic-to-choice (anteromedial nucleus) and sensory-to-choice (medial pulvinar). Common mechanisms appear to be thalamic modulation of cortical gain and cortico-cortical functional connectivity. The anatomy also implies a unique role for medial PFC in modulating processing in thalamocortical circuits involving other orbital and lateral PFC regions. We further discuss how cortico-basal ganglia circuits may provide a mechanism through which PFC controls cortico-cortical functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
| | - Niranjan A Kambi
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Michelle J Redinbaugh
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Sounak Mohanta
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Yuri B Saalmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 Capitol Ct., Madison, WI 53715, United States.
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Koops EA, Eggermont JJ. The thalamus and tinnitus: Bridging the gap between animal data and findings in humans. Hear Res 2021; 407:108280. [PMID: 34175683 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The neuronal mechanisms underlying tinnitus are yet to be revealed. Tinnitus, an auditory phantom sensation, used to be approached as a purely auditory domain symptom. More recently, the modulatory impact of non-auditory brain regions on the percept and burden of tinnitus are explored. The thalamus is uniquely situated to facilitate the communication between auditory and non-auditory subcortical and cortical structures. Traditionally, animal models of tinnitus have focussed on subcortical auditory structures, and research with human participants has been concerned with cortical activity in auditory and non-auditory areas. Recently, both research fields have investigated the connectivity between subcortical and cortical regions and between auditory and non-auditory areas. We show that even though the different fields employ different methods to investigate the activity and connectivity of brain areas, there is consistency in the results on tinnitus between these different approaches. This consistency between human and animals research is observed for tinnitus with peripherally instigated hearing damage, and for results obtained with salicylate and noise-induced tinnitus. The thalamus integrates input from limbic and prefrontal areas and modulates auditory activity via its connections to both subcortical and cortical auditory areas. Reported altered activity and connectivity of the auditory, prefrontal, and limbic regions suggest a more systemic approach is necessary to understand the origins and impact of tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elouise A Koops
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Jos J Eggermont
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, and Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Ibrahim BA, Murphy CA, Yudintsev G, Shinagawa Y, Banks MI, Llano DA. Corticothalamic gating of population auditory thalamocortical transmission in mouse. eLife 2021; 10:e56645. [PMID: 34028350 PMCID: PMC8186908 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms that govern thalamocortical transmission are poorly understood. Recent data have shown that sensory stimuli elicit activity in ensembles of cortical neurons that recapitulate stereotyped spontaneous activity patterns. Here, we elucidate a possible mechanism by which gating of patterned population cortical activity occurs. In this study, sensory-evoked all-or-none cortical population responses were observed in the mouse auditory cortex in vivo and similar stochastic cortical responses were observed in a colliculo-thalamocortical brain slice preparation. Cortical responses were associated with decreases in auditory thalamic synaptic inhibition and increases in thalamic synchrony. Silencing of corticothalamic neurons in layer 6 (but not layer 5) or the thalamic reticular nucleus linearized the cortical responses, suggesting that layer 6 corticothalamic feedback via the thalamic reticular nucleus was responsible for gating stochastic cortical population responses. These data implicate a corticothalamic-thalamic reticular nucleus circuit that modifies thalamic neuronal synchronization to recruit populations of cortical neurons for sensory representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baher A Ibrahim
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Caitlin A Murphy
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
| | - Georgiy Yudintsev
- Neuroscience Program, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Yoshitaka Shinagawa
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Matthew I Banks
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- Neuroscience Program, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- College of Medicine, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
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Zheng W, Tan X, Liu T, Li X, Gao J, Hong L, Zhang X, Zhao Z, Yu Y, Zhang Y, Luo B, Wu D. Individualized Thalamic Parcellation Reveals Alterations in Shape and Microstructure of Thalamic Nuclei in Patients with Disorder of Consciousness. Cereb Cortex Commun 2021; 2:tgab024. [PMID: 34296169 PMCID: PMC8152869 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus plays crucial roles in consciousness generation and information processing. Previous evidence suggests that disorder of consciousness (DOC) caused by severe brain injury, is potentially related to thalamic abnormalities. However, how the morphology and microstructure change in thalamic subfields and thalamocortical fiber pathways in patients with DOC, and the relationships between these changes and the consciousness status remain unclear. Here, we generated the individual-specific thalamic parcellation in 10 DOC patients and 10 healthy controls (HC) via a novel thalamic segmentation framework based on the fiber orientation distribution (FOD) derived from 7-Tesla diffusion MRI, and investigated the shape deformation of thalamic nuclei as well as the microstructural changes associated with thalamic nuclei and thalamocortical pathways in patients with DOC. Enlargement of dorsal posterior nucleus and atrophy of anterior nucleus in the right thalamus were observed in DOC cohort relative to the HCs, and the former was closely linked to the consciousness level of the patients. We also found significant reductions of fiber density, but not fiber bundle cross-section, within several thalamic nuclei and most of the thalamocortical fiber pathways, suggesting that loss of axons might take primary responsibility for the impaired thalamocortical connections in patients with DOC rather than the change in fiber-bundle morphology. Furthermore, the individual-specific thalamic parcellation achieved 80% accuracy in classifying patients at the minimally conscious state from the vegetative state, compared with ~60% accuracy based on group-level parcellations. Our findings provide the first evidence for the shape deformation of thalamic nuclei in DOC patients and the microstructural basis of the disrupted thalamocortical connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihao Zheng
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
| | - Xufei Tan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, 310015, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoxia Li
- Department of Neurology and Brain Medical Centre, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Jian Gao
- Department of Rehabilitation, Hospital of Zhejiang Armed Police Corps, Hangzhou, 310051, P.R. China
| | - Lirong Hong
- Department of Rehabilitation, Hospital of Zhejiang Armed Police Corps, Hangzhou, 310051, P.R. China
| | - Xiaotong Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, P.R. China
| | - Zhiyong Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
| | - Yamei Yu
- Department of Neurology and Brain Medical Centre, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
| | - Benyan Luo
- Department of Neurology and Brain Medical Centre, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Dan Wu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
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Inserra A, De Gregorio D, Rezai T, Lopez-Canul MG, Comai S, Gobbi G. Lysergic acid diethylamide differentially modulates the reticular thalamus, mediodorsal thalamus, and infralimbic prefrontal cortex: An in vivo electrophysiology study in male mice. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:469-482. [PMID: 33645311 PMCID: PMC8058830 DOI: 10.1177/0269881121991569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The reticular thalamus gates thalamocortical information flow via finely tuned inhibition of thalamocortical cells in the mediodorsal thalamus. Brain imaging studies in humans show that the psychedelic lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) modulates activity and connectivity within the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit, altering consciousness. However, the electrophysiological effects of LSD on the neurons in these brain areas remain elusive. METHODS We employed in vivo extracellular single-unit recordings in anesthetized adult male mice to investigate the dose-response effects of cumulative LSD doses (5-160 µg/kg, intraperitoneal) upon reticular thalamus GABAergic neurons, thalamocortical relay neurons of the mediodorsal thalamus, and pyramidal neurons of the infralimbic prefrontal cortex. RESULTS LSD decreased spontaneous firing and burst-firing activity in 50% of the recorded reticular thalamus neurons in a dose-response fashion starting at 10 µg/kg. Another population of neurons (50%) increased firing and burst-firing activity starting at 40 µg/kg. This modulation was accompanied by an increase in firing and burst-firing activity of thalamocortical neurons in the mediodorsal thalamus. On the contrary, LSD excited infralimbic prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons only at the highest dose tested (160 µg/kg). The dopamine D2 receptor (D2) antagonist haloperidol administered after LSD increased burst-firing activity in the reticular thalamus neurons inhibited by LSD, decreased firing and burst-firing activity in the mediodorsal thalamus, and showed a trend towards further increasing the firing activity of neurons of the infralimbic prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSION LSD modulates firing and burst-firing activity of reticular thalamus neurons and disinhibits mediodorsal thalamus relay neurons at least partially in a D2-mediated fashion. These effects of LSD on thalamocortical gating could explain its consciousness-altering effects in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Inserra
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Danilo De Gregorio
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Tamim Rezai
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Stefano Comai
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gabriella Gobbi
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Qc, Canada
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Bubb EJ, Aggleton JP, O’Mara SM, Nelson AJD. Chemogenetics Reveal an Anterior Cingulate-Thalamic Pathway for Attending to Task-Relevant Information. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2169-2186. [PMID: 33251536 PMCID: PMC7945017 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In a changing environment, organisms need to decide when to select items that resemble previously rewarded stimuli and when it is best to switch to other stimulus types. Here, we used chemogenetic techniques to provide causal evidence that activity in the rodent anterior cingulate cortex and its efferents to the anterior thalamic nuclei modulate the ability to attend to reliable predictors of important outcomes. Rats completed an attentional set-shifting paradigm that first measures the ability to master serial discriminations involving a constant stimulus dimension that reliably predicts reinforcement (intradimensional-shift), followed by the ability to shift attention to a previously irrelevant class of stimuli when reinforcement contingencies change (extradimensional-shift). Chemogenetic disruption of the anterior cingulate cortex (Experiment 1) as well as selective disruption of anterior cingulate efferents to the anterior thalamic nuclei (Experiment 2) impaired intradimensional learning but facilitated 2 sets of extradimensional-shifts. This pattern of results signals the loss of a corticothalamic system for cognitive control that preferentially processes stimuli resembling those previously associated with reward. Previous studies highlight a separate medial prefrontal system that promotes the converse pattern, that is, switching to hitherto inconsistent predictors of reward when contingencies change. Competition between these 2 systems regulates cognitive flexibility and choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma J Bubb
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Wales CF10 3AT, UK
| | - John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Wales CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Shane M O’Mara
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
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Gao W, Biswal B, Chen S, Wu X, Yuan J. Functional coupling of the orbitofrontal cortex and the basolateral amygdala mediates the association between spontaneous reappraisal and emotional response. Neuroimage 2021; 232:117918. [PMID: 33652140 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional regulation is known to be associated with activity in the amygdala. The amygdala is an emotion-generative region that comprises of structurally and functionally distinct nuclei. However, little is known about the contributions of different frontal-amygdala sub-region pathways to emotion regulation. Here, we investigated how functional couplings between frontal regions and amygdala sub-regions are involved in different spontaneous emotion regulation processes by using an individual-difference approach and a generalized psycho-physiological interaction (gPPI) approach. Specifically, 50 healthy participants reported their dispositional use of spontaneous cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression in daily life and their actual use of these two strategies during the performance of an emotional-picture watching task. Results showed that functional coupling between the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) was associated with higher scores of both dispositional and actual uses of reappraisal. Similarly, functional coupling between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the centromedial amygdala (CMA) was associated with higher scores of both dispositional and actual uses of suppression. Mediation analyses indicated that functional coupling of the right OFC-BLA partially mediated the association between reappraisal and emotional response, irrespective of whether reappraisal was measured by dispositional use (indirect effect(SE)=-0.2021 (0.0811), 95%CI(BC)= [-0.3851, -0.0655]) or actual use (indirect effect(SE)=-0.1951 (0.0796), 95%CI(BC)= [-0.3654, -0.0518])). These findings suggest that spontaneous reappraisal and suppression involve distinct frontal- amygdala functional couplings, and the modulation of BLA activity from OFC may be necessary for changing emotional response during spontaneous reappraisal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Gao
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bharat Biswal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States
| | - ShengDong Chen
- School of Psychology, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - XinRan Wu
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - JiaJin Yuan
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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40
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Nadeau SE. Basal Ganglia and Thalamic Contributions to Language Function: Insights from A Parallel Distributed Processing Perspective. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 31:495-515. [PMID: 33512608 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09466-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral representations are encoded as patterns of activity involving billions of neurons. Parallel distributed processing (PDP) across these neuronal populations provides the basis for a number of emergent properties: 1) processing occurs and knowledge (long term memories) is stored (as synaptic connection strengths) in exactly the same networks; 2) networks have the capacity for setting into stable attractor states corresponding to concepts, symbols, implicit rules, or data transformations; 3) networks provide the scaffold for the acquisition of knowledge but knowledge is acquired through experience; 4) PDP networks are adept at incorporating the statistical regularities of experience as well as frequency and age of acquisition effects; 5) networks enable content-addressable memory; 6) because knowledge is distributed throughout networks, they exhibit the property of graceful degradation; 7) networks intrinsically provide the capacity for inference. This paper details the features of the basal ganglia and thalamic systems (recurrent and distributed connectivity) that support PDP. The PDP lens and an understanding of the attractor trench dynamics of the basal ganglia provide a natural explanation for the peculiar dysfunctions of Parkinson's disease and the mechanisms by which dopamine deficiency is causal. The PDP lens, coupled with the fact that the basal ganglia of humans bears strong homology to the basal ganglia of lampreys and the central complex of arthropods, reveals that the fundamental function of the basal ganglia is computational and involves the reduction of the vast dimensionality of a complex multi-dimensional array of sensorimotor input into the optimal choice from a small repertoire of behavioral options - the essence of reactive intention (automatic responses to sensory input). There is strong evidence that the sensorimotor basal ganglia make no contributions to cognitive or motor function in humans but can cause serious dysfunction when pathological. It appears that humans, through the course of evolution, have developed cortical capacities (working memory and volitional and reactive attention) for managing sensory input, however complex, that obviate the need for the basal ganglia. The functions of the dorsal tier thalamus, however, even viewed with an understanding of the properties of population encoded representations, remain somewhat more obscure. Possibilities include the enabling of attractor state constellations that optimize function by taking advantage of simultaneous input from multiple cortical areas; selective engagement of cortical representations; and support of the gamma frequency synchrony that enables binding of the multiple network representations that comprise a full concept representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen E Nadeau
- Research Service and the Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center and the Department of Neurology, University of Florida College of Medicine, 1601 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL, 32608-1197, US.
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Barry KM, Robertson D, Mulders WHAM. Changes in Prefrontal Cortex-Thalamic Circuitry after Acoustic Trauma. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9010077. [PMID: 33466899 PMCID: PMC7829915 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9010077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the adult auditory system, loss of input resulting from peripheral deafferentation is well known to lead to plasticity in the central nervous system, manifested as reorganization of cortical maps and altered activity throughout the central auditory pathways. The auditory system also has strong afferent and efferent connections with cortico-limbic circuitry including the prefrontal cortex and the question arises whether this circuitry is also affected by loss of peripheral input. Recent studies in our laboratory showed that PFC activation can modulate activity of the auditory thalamus or medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) in normal hearing rats. In addition, we have shown in rats that cochlear trauma resulted in altered spontaneous burst firing in MGN. However, whether the PFC influence on MGN is changed after cochlear trauma is unknown. We investigated the effects of electrical stimulation of PFC on single neuron activity in the MGN in anaesthetized Wistar rats 2 weeks after acoustic trauma or sham surgery. Electrical stimulation of PFC showed a variety of effects in MGN neurons both in sham and acoustic trauma groups but inhibitory responses were significantly larger in the acoustic trauma animals. These results suggest an alteration in functional connectivity between PFC and MGN after cochlear trauma. This change may be a compensatory mechanism increasing sensory gating after the development of altered spontaneous activity in MGN, to prevent altered activity reaching the cortex and conscious perception.
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Ding C, Emmenegger V, Schaffrath K, Feldmeyer D. Layer-Specific Inhibitory Microcircuits of Layer 6 Interneurons in Rat Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:32-47. [PMID: 32829414 PMCID: PMC7727376 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons in different cortical areas play important roles in diverse higher-order cognitive functions. The heterogeneity of interneurons is well characterized in different sensory cortices, in particular in primary somatosensory and visual cortex. However, the structural and functional properties of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) interneurons have received less attention. In this study, a cluster analysis based on axonal projection patterns revealed four distinct clusters of L6 interneurons in rat mPFC: Cluster 1 interneurons showed axonal projections similar to Martinotti-like cells extending to layer 1, cluster 2 displayed translaminar projections mostly to layer 5, and cluster 3 interneuron axons were confined to the layer 6, whereas those of cluster 4 interneurons extend also into the white matter. Correlations were found between neuron location and axonal distribution in all clusters. Moreover, all cluster 1 L6 interneurons showed a monotonically adapting firing pattern with an initial high-frequency burst. All cluster 2 interneurons were fast-spiking, while neurons in cluster 3 and 4 showed heterogeneous firing patterns. Our data suggest that L6 interneurons that have distinct morphological and physiological characteristics are likely to innervate different targets in mPFC and thus play differential roles in the L6 microcircuitry and in mPFC-associated functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ding
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Vishalini Emmenegger
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kim Schaffrath
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- JARA-Translational Brain Medicine, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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43
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Wolff M, Morceau S, Folkard R, Martin-Cortecero J, Groh A. A thalamic bridge from sensory perception to cognition. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 120:222-235. [PMID: 33246018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The ability to adapt to dynamic environments requires tracking multiple signals with variable sensory salience and fluctuating behavioral relevance. This complex process requires integrative crosstalk between sensory and cognitive brain circuits. Functional interactions between cortical and thalamic regions are now considered essential for both sensory perception and cognition but a clear account of the functional link between sensory and cognitive circuits is currently lacking. This review aims to document how thalamic nuclei may effectively act as a bridge allowing to fuse perceptual and cognitive events into meaningful experiences. After highlighting key aspects of thalamocortical circuits such as the classic first-order/higher-order dichotomy, we consider the role of the thalamic reticular nucleus from directed attention to cognition. We next summarize research relying on Pavlovian learning paradigms, showing that both first-order and higher-order thalamic nuclei contribute to associative learning. Finally, we propose that modulator inputs reaching all thalamic nuclei may be critical for integrative purposes when environmental signals are computed. Altogether, the thalamus appears as the bridge linking perception, cognition and possibly affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Wolff
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; University of Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.
| | - S Morceau
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; University of Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - R Folkard
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, INF 326, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - J Martin-Cortecero
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, INF 326, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - A Groh
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, INF 326, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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44
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Kastner S, Fiebelkorn IC, Eradath MK. Dynamic pulvino-cortical interactions in the primate attention network. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 65:10-19. [PMID: 32942125 PMCID: PMC7770054 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
While research in previous decades demonstrated a link between the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus and visual selective attention, the pulvinar's specific functional role has remained elusive. However, methodological advances in electrophysiological recordings in non-human primates, including simultaneous recordings in multiple brain regions, have recently begun to reveal the pulvinar's functional contributions to selective attention. These new findings suggest that the pulvinar is critical for the efficient transmission of sensory information within and between cortical regions, both synchronizing cortical activity across brain regions and controlling cortical excitability. These new findings further suggest that the pulvinar's influence on cortical processing is embedded in a dynamic selection process that balances sensory and motor functions within the large-scale network that directs selective attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Kastner
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, United States.
| | - Ian C Fiebelkorn
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, United States
| | - Manoj K Eradath
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, United States
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45
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Joyce MKP, García-Cabezas MÁ, John YJ, Barbas H. Serial Prefrontal Pathways Are Positioned to Balance Cognition and Emotion in Primates. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8306-8328. [PMID: 32989097 PMCID: PMC7577604 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0860-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The delicate balance among primate prefrontal networks is necessary for homeostasis and behavioral flexibility. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is associated with cognition, while the most ventromedial subgenual cingulate area 25 (A25) is associated with emotion and emotional expression. Yet A25 is weakly connected with dlPFC, and it is unknown how the two regions communicate. In rhesus monkeys of both sexes, we investigated how these functionally distinct areas may interact through pregenual anterior cingulate area 32 (A32), which is strongly connected with both. We found that dlPFC innervated the deep layers of A32, while A32 innervated all layers of A25, mostly targeting spines of excitatory neurons. Approximately 20% of A32 terminations formed synapses on inhibitory neurons in A25, notably the powerful parvalbumin inhibitory neurons in the deep layers, and the disinhibitory calretinin neurons in the superficial layers. By innervating distinct inhibitory microenvironments in laminar compartments, A32 is positioned to tune activity in columns of A25. The circuitry of the sequential pathway indicates that when dlPFC is engaged, A32 can dampen A25 output through the parvalbumin inhibitory microsystem in the deep layers of A25. A32 thus may flexibly recruit or reduce activity in A25 to maintain emotional equilibrium, a process that is disrupted in depression. Moreover, pyramidal neurons in A25 had a heightened density of NMDARs, which are the targets of novel rapid-acting antidepressants. Pharmacologic antagonism of NMDARs in patients with depression may reduce excitability in A25, mimicking the effects of the neurotypical serial pathway identified here.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The anterior cingulate is a critical hub in prefrontal networks through connections with functionally distinct areas. Dorsolateral and polar prefrontal areas that are associated with complex cognition are connected with the anterior cingulate in a pattern that allows them to indirectly control downstream activity from the anterior cingulate to the subgenual cingulate, which is associated with heightened activity and negative affect in depression. This set of pathways provides a circuit mechanism for emotional regulation, with the anterior cingulate playing a balancing role for integration of cognitive and emotional processes. Disruption of these pathways may perturb network function and the ability to regulate cognitive and affective processes based on context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kate P Joyce
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Miguel Ángel García-Cabezas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain 28029
| | - Yohan J John
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
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Wells AM, García-Cabezas MÁ, Barbas H. Topological atlas of the hypothalamus in adult rhesus monkey. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1777-1803. [PMID: 32556476 PMCID: PMC7321918 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02093-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The prosomeric model explains the embryological development of the central nervous system (CNS) shared by all vertebrates as a Bauplan. As a primary event, the early neural plate is patterned by intersecting longitudinal plates and transverse segments, forming a mosaic of progenitor units. The hypothalamus is specified by three prosomeres (hp1, hp2, and the acroterminal domain) of the secondary prosencephalon with corresponding alar and basal plate parts, which develop apart from the diencephalon. Mounting evidence suggests that progenitor units within alar and basal plate parts of hp1 and hp2 give rise to distinct hypothalamic nuclei, which preserve their relative invariant positioning (topology) in the adult brain. Nonetheless, the principles of the prosomeric model have not been applied so far to the hypothalamus of adult primates. We parcellated hypothalamic nuclei in adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) using various stains to view architectonic boundaries. We then analyzed the topological relations of hypothalamic nuclei and adjacent hypothalamic landmarks with homology across rodent and primate species to trace the origin of adult hypothalamic nuclei to the alar or basal plate components of hp1 and hp2. We generated a novel atlas of the hypothalamus of the adult rhesus monkey with developmental ontologies for each hypothalamic nucleus. The result is a systematic reinterpretation of the adult hypothalamus whose prosomeric ontology can be used to study relationships between the hypothalamus and other regions of the CNS. Further, our atlas may serve as a tool to predict causal patterns in physiological and pathological pathways involving the hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Marie Wells
- Graduate Medical Sciences, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Health Sciences, Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | | | - Helen Barbas
- Department of Health Sciences, Neural Systems Laboratory, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Layer 5 Corticofugal Projections from Diverse Cortical Areas: Variations on a Pattern of Thalamic and Extrathalamic Targets. J Neurosci 2020; 40:5785-5796. [PMID: 32532890 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0529-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex, with all its computational power, can only influence behavior via corticofugal connections originating from layer 5 (L5) cells (Sherman and Guillery, 2013). To begin to establish the global pattern of these outputs, we examined L5 efferents originating from four cortical areas: somatosensory, visual, motor, and prefrontal (i.e., ventromedial orbitofrontal) cortex. We injected Cre-dependent adeno-associated virus in an Rbp4-Cre transgenic mouse line (both sexes) to label these L5 efferents selectively. Our study reveals that, across this diverse series of cortical regions, L5 commonly projects to multiple thalamic and extrathalamic sites. We also identified several novel corticofugal targets (i.e., the lateral dorsal nucleus, submedial nucleus) previously unidentified as L5 targets. We identified common patterns for these projections: all areas innervated both thalamus and the midbrain, and all areas innervated multiple thalamic targets, including those with core and matrix cell types (Jones, 1998). An examination of the terminal size within each of these targets suggests that terminal populations of L5 efferents are not consistently large but vary with cortical area and target; and in some cases, these include small terminals only. Overall, our data reveal more widespread and diverse L5 efferents than previously appreciated, suggesting a generalizable role for this cortical layer in influencing motor commands and cognitive processes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT While the neocortex is responsible for coordination of complex behavior, it requires communication with subcortical regions to do so. It is specifically cortical layer 5 (L5) that is thought to underlie these behaviors, although it is unknown whether this holds true across functionally different cortical areas. Using a selective viral tracing method and transgenic mice, we examined the connectivity of four cortical regions (somatosensory, visual, motor and prefrontal cortex) to assess the generalizability of these L5 projections. All areas of cortex projected to overlapping as well as distinct thalamic and brainstem structures. Terminals within these regions varied in size, implicating that L5 has a broad and diverse impact on behavior.
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Intrinsic connections between thalamic sub-regions and the lateral prefrontal cortex are differentially impacted by acute methylphenidate. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1873-1883. [PMID: 32307560 PMCID: PMC7437544 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05505-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The thalamus is a major target of dopaminergic projections and is densely connected with the prefrontal cortex. A better understanding of how dopamine changes thalamo-cortical communication may shed light on how dopamine supports cognitive function. Methylphenidate has been shown to facilitate cognitive processing and reduce connectivity between the thalamus and lateral prefrontal cortex. AIMS The thalamus is a heterogeneous structure, and the present study sought to clarify how the intrinsic connections of thalamic sub-regions are differentially impacted by acute dopamine transporter blockade. METHODS Sixty healthy volunteers were orally administered either 20 mg of methylphenidate (N = 29) or placebo (N = 31) in a double-blind, randomized, between-subject design. Multi-echo fMRI was used to assess intrinsic functional connectivity of sub-regions of the thalamus during a resting state scan. An N-back working-memory paradigm provided a measure of cognitive performance. RESULTS Acute methylphenidate significantly reduced connectivity of the lateral prefrontal cortex with the motor and somatosensory sub-regions of the thalamus and reduced connectivity with the parietal and visual sub-regions at a trend level. Connectivity with the premotor, prefrontal, and temporal sub-regions was not impacted. The intrinsic connectivity between the thalamus and the lateral prefrontal cortex was not associated with working-memory performance. CONCLUSIONS Methylphenidate decreases functional connections between the lateral prefrontal cortex and thalamus broadly, while sparing intrinsic connectivity with thalamic sub-regions involved with working-memory and language related processes. Collectively, our results suggest that the dopamine transporter regulates functional connections between the prefrontal cortex and non-cognitive areas of the thalamus.
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Kummer KK, Mitrić M, Kalpachidou T, Kress M. The Medial Prefrontal Cortex as a Central Hub for Mental Comorbidities Associated with Chronic Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3440. [PMID: 32414089 PMCID: PMC7279227 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain patients frequently develop and suffer from mental comorbidities such as depressive mood, impaired cognition, and other significant constraints of daily life, which can only insufficiently be overcome by medication. The emotional and cognitive components of pain are processed by the medial prefrontal cortex, which comprises the anterior cingulate cortex, the prelimbic, and the infralimbic cortex. All three subregions are significantly affected by chronic pain: magnetic resonance imaging has revealed gray matter loss in all these areas in chronic pain conditions. While the anterior cingulate cortex appears hyperactive, prelimbic, and infralimbic regions show reduced activity. The medial prefrontal cortex receives ascending, nociceptive input, but also exerts important top-down control of pain sensation: its projections are the main cortical input of the periaqueductal gray, which is part of the descending inhibitory pain control system at the spinal level. A multitude of neurotransmitter systems contributes to the fine-tuning of the local circuitry, of which cholinergic and GABAergic signaling are particularly emerging as relevant components of affective pain processing within the prefrontal cortex. Accordingly, factors such as distraction, positive mood, and anticipation of pain relief such as placebo can ameliorate pain by affecting mPFC function, making this cortical area a promising target region for medical as well as psychosocial interventions for pain therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michaela Kress
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (K.K.K.); (M.M.); (T.K.)
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Zhang S, Xu W, Zhu Y, Tian E, Kong W. Impaired Multisensory Integration Predisposes the Elderly People to Fall: A Systematic Review. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:411. [PMID: 32410958 PMCID: PMC7198912 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: This systematic review pooled all the latest data and reviewed all the relevant studies to look into the effect of multisensory integration on the balance function in the elderly. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were searched to find eligible studies published prior to May 2019. The studies were limited to those published in Chinese and English language. The quality of the included studies was assessed against the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or an 11-item checklist, as recommended by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Any disagreement among reviewers was resolved by comparing notes and reaching a consensus. Results: Eight hundred thirty-nine records were identified and 17 of them were included for systematic review. The result supported our assumption that multisensory integration works on balance function in the elderly. All the 17 studies were believed to be of high or moderate quality. Conclusions: The systematic review found that the impairment of multisensory integration could predispose elderly people to fall. Accurate assessment of multisensory integration can help the elderly identify the impaired balance function and minimize the risk of fall. And our results provide a new basis for further understanding of balance maintenance mechanism. Further research is warranted to explore the change in brain areas related to multisensory integration in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulin Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenchao Xu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuting Zhu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - E Tian
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Weijia Kong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurological Disorders of Education Ministry, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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