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Duvelle É, Grieves RM, van der Meer MAA. Temporal context and latent state inference in the hippocampal splitter signal. eLife 2023; 12:e82357. [PMID: 36622350 PMCID: PMC9829411 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is thought to enable the encoding and retrieval of ongoing experience, the organization of that experience into structured representations like contexts, maps, and schemas, and the use of these structures to plan for the future. A central goal is to understand what the core computations supporting these functions are, and how these computations are realized in the collective action of single neurons. A potential access point into this issue is provided by 'splitter cells', hippocampal neurons that fire differentially on the overlapping segment of trajectories that differ in their past and/or future. However, the literature on splitter cells has been fragmented and confusing, owing to differences in terminology, behavioral tasks, and analysis methods across studies. In this review, we synthesize consistent findings from this literature, establish a common set of terms, and translate between single-cell and ensemble perspectives. Most importantly, we examine the combined findings through the lens of two major theoretical ideas about hippocampal function: representation of temporal context and latent state inference. We find that unique signature properties of each of these models are necessary to account for the data, but neither theory, by itself, explains all of its features. Specifically, the temporal gradedness of the splitter signal is strong support for temporal context, but is hard to explain using state models, while its flexibility and task-dependence is naturally accounted for using state inference, but poses a challenge otherwise. These theories suggest a number of avenues for future work, and we believe their application to splitter cells is a timely and informative domain for testing and refining theoretical ideas about hippocampal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éléonore Duvelle
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth CollegeHanoverUnited States
| | - Roddy M Grieves
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth CollegeHanoverUnited States
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Chinzorig C, Nishimaru H, Matsumoto J, Takamura Y, Berthoz A, Ono T, Nishijo H. Rat Retrosplenial Cortical Involvement in Wayfinding Using Visual and Locomotor Cues. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:1985-2004. [PMID: 31667498 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) has been implicated in wayfinding using different sensory cues. However, the neural mechanisms of how the RSC constructs spatial representations to code an appropriate route under different sensory cues are unknown. In this study, rat RSC neurons were recorded while rats ran on a treadmill affixed to a motion stage that was displaced along a figure-8-shaped track. The activity of some RSC neurons increased during specific directional displacements, while the activity of other neurons correlated with the running speed on the treadmill regardless of the displacement directions. Elimination of visual cues by turning off the room lights and/or locomotor cues by turning off the treadmill decreased the activity of both groups of neurons. The ensemble activity of the former group of neurons discriminated displacements along the common central path of different routes in the track, even when visual or locomotor cues were eliminated where different spatial representations must be created based on different sensory cues. The present results provide neurophysiological evidence of an RSC involvement in wayfinding under different spatial representations with different sensory cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choijiljav Chinzorig
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishimaru
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Yusaku Takamura
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Alain Berthoz
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Taketoshi Ono
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
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Abstract
In this article, we review the anatomical inputs and outputs to the mouse primary visual cortex, area V1. Our survey of data from the Allen Institute Mouse Connectivity project indicates that mouse V1 is highly interconnected with both cortical and subcortical brain areas. This pattern of innervation allows for computations that depend on the state of the animal and on behavioral goals, which contrasts with simple feedforward, hierarchical models of visual processing. Thus, to have an accurate description of the function of V1 during mouse behavior, its involvement with the rest of the brain circuitry has to be considered. Finally, it remains an open question whether the primary visual cortex of higher mammals displays the same degree of sensorimotor integration in the early visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil Froudarakis
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA;
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Paul G Fahey
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA;
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Jacob Reimer
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA;
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Stelios M Smirnakis
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02130, USA
| | - Edward J Tehovnik
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA;
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Andreas S Tolias
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA;
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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Perry BAL, Mitchell AS. Considering the Evidence for Anterior and Laterodorsal Thalamic Nuclei as Higher Order Relays to Cortex. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:167. [PMID: 31333412 PMCID: PMC6616498 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Our memories are essential in our daily lives. The frontal and cingulate cortices, hippocampal system and medial temporal lobes are key brain regions. In addition, severe amnesia also occurs after damage or dysfunction to the anterior thalamic nuclei; this subcortical thalamic hub is interconnected to these key cortical memory structures. Behavioral, anatomical, and physiological evidence across mammalian species has shown that interactions between the anterior thalamic nuclei, cortex and hippocampal formation are vital for spatial memory processing. Furthermore, the adjacent laterodorsal thalamic nucleus (LD), interconnected to the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) and visual system, also contributes to spatial memory in mammals. However, how these thalamic nuclei contribute to memory still remains largely unknown. Fortunately, our understanding of the importance of the thalamus in cognitive processes is being redefined, as widespread evidence challenges the established view of the thalamus as a passive relay of sensory and subcortical information to the cortex. In this review article, we examine whether the anterior thalamic nuclei and the adjacent LD are suitable candidates for "higher-order" thalamic nuclei, as defined by the Sherman and Guillery model. Rather than simply relaying information to cortex, "higher-order" thalamic nuclei have a prominent role in cognition, as they can regulate how areas of the cortex interact with one another. These considerations along with a review of the latest research will be used to suggest future studies that will clarify the contributions that the anterior and LD have in supporting cortical functions during cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brook A L Perry
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna S Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Zou D, Nishimaru H, Matsumoto J, Takamura Y, Ono T, Nishijo H. Experience-Related Changes in Place Cell Responses to New Sensory Configuration That Does Not Occur in the Natural Environment in the Rat Hippocampus. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:581. [PMID: 28878682 PMCID: PMC5572398 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampal formation (HF) is implicated in a comparator that detects sensory conflict (mismatch) among convergent inputs. This suggests that new place cells encoding the new configuration with sensory mismatch develop after the HF learns to accept the new configuration as a match. To investigate this issue, HF CA1 place cell activity in rats was analyzed after the adaptation of the rats to the same sensory mismatch condition. The rats were placed on a treadmill on a stage that was translocated in a figure 8-shaped pathway. We recorded HF neuronal activities under three conditions; (1) an initial control session, in which both the stage and the treadmill moved forward, (2) a backward (mismatch) session, in which the stage was translocated backward while the rats locomoted forward on the treadmill, and (3) the second control session. Of the 161 HF neurons, 56 place-differential activities were recorded from the HF CA1 subfield. These place-differential activities were categorized into four types; forward-related, backward-related, both-translocation-related, and session-dependent. Forward-related activities showed predominant spatial firings in the forward sessions, while backward-related activities showed predominant spatial firings in the backward sessions. Both-translocation-related activities showed consistent spatial firings in both the forward and backward conditions. On the other hand, session-dependent activities showed different spatial firings across the sessions. Detailed analyses of the place fields indicated that mean place field sizes were larger in the forward-related, backward-related, and both-translocation-related activities than in the session-dependent activities. Furthermore, firing rate distributions in the place fields were negatively skewed and asymmetric, which is similar to place field changes that occur after repeated experience. These results demonstrate that the HF encodes a naturally impossible new configuration of sensory inputs after adaptation, suggesting that the HF is capable of updating its stored memory to accept a new configuration as a match by repeated experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zou
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToyamaToyama, Japan.,Department of Pathophysiology, Shenyang Medical CollegeShenyang, China
| | - Hiroshi Nishimaru
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToyamaToyama, Japan
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToyamaToyama, Japan
| | - Yusaku Takamura
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToyamaToyama, Japan
| | - Taketoshi Ono
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToyamaToyama, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToyamaToyama, Japan
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Do the anterior and lateral thalamic nuclei make distinct contributions to spatial representation and memory? Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 133:69-78. [PMID: 27266961 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The anterior and lateral thalamus has long been considered to play an important role in spatial and mnemonic cognitive functions; however, it remains unclear whether each region makes a unique contribution to spatial information processing. We begin by reviewing evidence from anatomical studies and electrophysiological recordings which suggest that at least one of the functions of the anterior thalamus is to guide spatial orientation in relation to a global or distal spatial framework, while the lateral thalamus serves to guide behavior in relation to a local or proximal framework. We conclude by reviewing experimental work using targeted manipulations (lesion or neuronal silencing) of thalamic nuclei during spatial behavior and single-unit recordings from neuronal representations of space. Our summary of this literature suggests that although the evidence strongly supports a working model of spatial information processing involving the anterior thalamus, research regarding the role of the lateral thalamus is limited and requires further attention. We therefore identify a number of major gaps in this research and suggest avenues of future study that could potentially solidify our understanding of the relative roles of anterior and lateral thalamic regions in spatial representation and memory.
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Wijesinghe R, Protti DA, Camp AJ. Vestibular Interactions in the Thalamus. Front Neural Circuits 2015; 9:79. [PMID: 26696836 PMCID: PMC4667082 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
It has long been known that the vast majority of all information en route to the cerebral cortex must first pass through the thalamus. The long held view that the thalamus serves as a simple hi fidelity relay station for sensory information to the cortex, however, has over recent years been dispelled. Indeed, multiple projections from the vestibular nuclei to thalamic nuclei (including the ventrobasal nuclei, and the geniculate bodies)- regions typically associated with other modalities- have been described. Further, some thalamic neurons have been shown to respond to stimuli presented from across sensory modalities. For example, neurons in the rat anterodorsal and laterodorsal nuclei of the thalamus respond to visual, vestibular, proprioceptive and somatosensory stimuli and integrate this information to compute heading within the environment. Together, these findings imply that the thalamus serves crucial integrative functions, at least in regard to vestibular processing, beyond that imparted by a “simple” relay. In this mini review we outline the vestibular inputs to the thalamus and provide some clinical context for vestibular interactions in the thalamus. We then focus on how vestibular inputs interact with other sensory systems and discuss the multisensory integration properties of the thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Wijesinghe
- Sensory Systems and Integration Laboratory, Sydney Medical School, Discipline of Biomedical Science, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dario A Protti
- Vision Laboratory, Sydney Medical School, Discipline of Physiology, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Aaron J Camp
- Sensory Systems and Integration Laboratory, Sydney Medical School, Discipline of Biomedical Science, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Jankowski MM, Passecker J, Islam MN, Vann S, Erichsen JT, Aggleton JP, O'Mara SM. Evidence for spatially-responsive neurons in the rostral thalamus. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:256. [PMID: 26528150 PMCID: PMC4602090 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Damage involving the anterior thalamic and adjacent rostral thalamic nuclei may result in a severe anterograde amnesia, similar to the amnesia resulting from damage to the hippocampal formation. Little is known, however, about the information represented in these nuclei. To redress this deficit, we recorded units in three rostral thalamic nuclei in freely-moving rats [the parataenial nucleus (PT), the anteromedial nucleus (AM) and nucleus reuniens NRe]. We found units in these nuclei possessing previously unsuspected spatial properties. The various cell types show clear similarities to place cells, head direction cells, and perimeter/border cells described in hippocampal and parahippocampal regions. Based on their connectivity, it had been predicted that the anterior thalamic nuclei process information with high spatial and temporal resolution while the midline nuclei have more diffuse roles in attention and arousal. Our current findings strongly support the first prediction but directly challenge or substantially moderate the second prediction. The rostral thalamic spatial cells described here may reflect direct hippocampal/parahippocampal inputs, a striking finding of itself, given the relative lack of place cells in other sites receiving direct hippocampal formation inputs. Alternatively, they may provide elemental thalamic spatial inputs to assist hippocampal spatial computations. Finally, they could represent a parallel spatial system in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Md Nurul Islam
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland
| | | | | | | | - Shane M O'Mara
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland
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