1
|
Subramanian DL, Miller AM, Smith DM. The Retrosplenial Cortical Role in Delayed Spatial Alternation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.18.599656. [PMID: 38948695 PMCID: PMC11212980 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.18.599656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) plays an important role in spatial cognition. RSC neurons exhibit a variety of spatial firing patterns and lesion studies have found that the RSC is necessary for spatial working memory tasks. However, little is known about how RSC neurons might encode spatial memory during a delay period. In the present study, we trained control rats and rats with excitotoxic lesions of the RSC on spatial alternation task with varying delay durations and in a separate group of rats, we recorded RSC neuronal activity as the rats performed the alternation task. We found that RSC lesions significantly impaired alternation performance, particularly at the longest delay duration. We also found that RSC neurons exhibited reliably different firing patterns throughout the delay periods preceding left and right trials, consistent with a working memory signal. These differential firing patterns were absent during the delay periods preceding errors. We also found that many RSC neurons exhibit a large spike in firing rate leading up to the start of the trial. Many of these trial start responses also differentiated left and right trials, suggesting that they could play a role in priming the 'go left' or 'go right' behavioral responses. Our results suggest that these firing patterns represent critical memory information that underlies the RSC role in spatial working memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David M. Smith
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
McElroy DL, Sabir H, Glass AE, Greba Q, Howland JG. The anterior retrosplenial cortex is required for short-term object in place recognition memory retrieval: Role of ionotropic glutamate receptors in male and female Long-Evans rats. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2260-2275. [PMID: 38411499 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16284] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
The anterior retrosplenial cortex (aRSC) integrates multimodal sensory information into cohesive associative recognition memories. Little is known about how information is integrated during different learning phases (i.e., encoding and retrieval). Additionally, sex differences are observed in performance of some visuospatial memory tasks; however, inconsistent findings warrant more research. We conducted three experiments using the 1-h delay object-in-place (1-h OiP) test to assess recognition memory retrieval in male and female Long-Evans rats. (i) We found both sexes performed equally in three repeated 1-h OiP test sessions. (ii) We showed infusions of a mixture of muscimol/baclofen (GABAA/B receptor agonists) into the aRSC ~15-min prior to the test phase disrupted 1-h OiP in both sexes. (iii) We assessed the role of aRSC ionotropic glutamate receptors in 1-h OiP retrieval using another squad of cannulated rats and confirmed that infusions of either the competitive AMPA/Kainate receptor antagonist CNQX (3 mM) or competitive NMDA receptor antagonist AP-5 (30 mM) (volumes = 0.50 uL/side) significantly impaired 1-h OiP retrieval in both sexes compared to controls. Taken together, findings challenge reported sex differences and clearly establish a role for aRSC ionotropic glutamate receptors in short-term visuospatial recognition memory retrieval. Thus, modulating neural activity in the aRSC may alleviate some memory processing impairments in related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan L McElroy
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Hassaan Sabir
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Aiden E Glass
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Quentin Greba
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - John G Howland
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hayashi T, Sato N. Contribution of the retrosplenial cortex to route selection in a complex maze. Neurosci Res 2024; 202:52-59. [PMID: 38043596 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is a region involved in navigation. In this study, we investigated the role of the RSC in navigation in a large-scale environment where the destination is not visible from the current location. We used a large maze where the routes could be freely designed by inserting and removing plates. In Experiment 1, rats learned a specific route in the maze and then were tested with a shortcut route in addition to the learned route. The rats with RSC lesions utilized the shortcut faster than those in the control group. In Experiment 2, rats were initially trained to follow a specific route, and subsequently, we tested the effects of a small change in the environment on their route-following behavior. In the test, the rats with RSC lesions demonstrated more errors than those in the control group. This suggests that lesions in the RSC make navigation to a goal unstable. These findings suggest that the RSC may be involved in the ability to perform appropriate behavior at a segment on a learned route in a large-scale environment, which drives habitually following the learned route.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Hayashi
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1-1-155, Uegahara, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 662-8501, Japan
| | - Nobuya Sato
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1-1-155, Uegahara, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 662-8501, Japan; Center for Applied Psychological Science (CAPS), Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ba R, Yang L, Zhang B, Jiang P, Ding Z, Zhou X, Yang Z, Zhao C. FOXG1 drives transcriptomic networks to specify principal neuron subtypes during the development of the medial pallium. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade2441. [PMID: 36791184 PMCID: PMC9931217 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade2441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The medial pallium (MP) is the major forebrain region underlying learning and memory, spatial navigation, and emotion; however, the mechanisms underlying the specification of its principal neuron subtypes remain largely unexplored. Here, by postmitotic deletion of FOXG1 (a transcription factor linked to autism spectrum disorders and FOXG1 syndrome) and single-cell RNA sequencing of E17.5 MP in mice, we found that FOXG1 controls the specification of upper-layer retrosplenial cortical pyramidal neurons [RSC-PyNs (UL)], subiculum PyNs (SubC-PyNs), CA1-PyNs, CA3-PyNs, and dentate gyrus granule cells (DG-GCs) in the MP. We uncovered subtype-specific and subtype-shared FOXG1-regulated transcriptomic networks orchestrating MP neuron specification. We further demonstrated that FOXG1 transcriptionally represses Zbtb20, Prox1, and Epha4 to prevent CA3-PyN and DG-GC identities during the specification of RSC-PyNs (UL) and SubC-PyNs; FOXG1 directly activates Nr4a2 to promote SubC-PyN identity. We showed that TBR1, controlled by FOXG1 during CA1-PyN specification, was down-regulated. Thus, our study illuminates MP principal neuron subtype specification and related neuropathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ru Ba
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Lin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, MOE Frontier Research Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Baoshen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Pengfei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhipeng Ding
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xue Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhengang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, MOE Frontier Research Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Chunjie Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Strategy updating mediated by specific retrosplenial-parafascicular-basal ganglia networks. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3477-3492.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|
6
|
Zou HY, Guo L, Zhang B, Chen S, Wu XR, Liu XD, Xu XY, Li BY, Chen S, Xu NJ, Sun S. Aberrant miR-339-5p/neuronatin signaling causes prodromal neuronal calcium dyshomeostasis in mutant presenilin mice. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:149160. [PMID: 35426376 PMCID: PMC9012292 DOI: 10.1172/jci149160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mushroom spine loss and calcium dyshomeostasis are early hallmark events of age-related neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), that are connected with neuronal hyperactivity in early pathology of cognitive brain areas. However, it remains elusive how these key events are triggered at the molecular level for the neuronal abnormality that occurs at the initial stage of disease. Here, we identify downregulated miR-339-5p and its upregulated target protein, neuronatin (Nnat), in cortex neurons from the presenilin-1 M146V knockin (PSEN1-M146V KI) mouse model of familial AD (FAD). Inhibition of miR-339-5p or overexpression of Nnat recapitulates spine loss and endoplasmic reticulum calcium overload in cortical neurons with the PSEN1 mutation. Conversely, either overexpression of miR-339-5p or knockdown of Nnat restores spine morphogenesis and calcium homeostasis. We used fiber photometry recording during the object-cognitive process to further demonstrate that the PSEN1 mutant causes defective habituation in neuronal reaction in the retrosplenial cortex and that this can be rescued by restoring the miR-339-5p/Nnat pathway. Our findings thus reveal crucial roles of the miR-339-5p/Nnat pathway in FAD that may serve as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for early pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Yu Zou
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital
| | - Lin Guo
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, and
| | - Bei Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital
| | - Si Chen
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, and
| | - Xin-Rong Wu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital
| | - Xian-Dong Liu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, and
| | - Xin-Yu Xu
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, and
| | - Bin-Yin Li
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital
| | - Shengdi Chen
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital
| | - Nan-Jie Xu
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, and
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, and
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Suya Sun
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Balcerek E, Włodkowska U, Czajkowski R. Retrosplenial cortex in spatial memory: focus on immediate early genes mapping. Mol Brain 2021; 14:172. [PMID: 34863215 PMCID: PMC8642902 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00880-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to form, retrieve and update autobiographical memories is one of the most fascinating features of human behavior. Spatial memory, the ability to remember the layout of the external environment and to navigate within its boundaries, is closely related to the autobiographical memory domain. It is served by an overlapping brain circuit, centered around the hippocampus (HPC) where the cognitive map index is stored. Apart from the hippocampus, several cortical structures participate in this process. Their relative contribution is a subject of intense research in both humans and animal models. One of the most widely studied regions is the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), an area in the parietal lobe densely interconnected with the hippocampal formation. Several methodological approaches have been established over decades in order to investigate the cortical aspects of memory. One of the most successful techniques is based on the analysis of brain expression patterns of the immediate early genes (IEGs). The common feature of this diverse group of genes is fast upregulation of their mRNA translation upon physiologically relevant stimulus. In the central nervous system they are rapidly triggered by neuronal activity and plasticity during learning. There is a widely accepted consensus that their expression level corresponds to the engagement of individual neurons in the formation of memory trace. Imaging of the IEGs might therefore provide a picture of an emerging memory engram. In this review we present the overview of IEG mapping studies of retrosplenial cortex in rodent models. We begin with classical techniques, immunohistochemical detection of protein and fluorescent in situ hybridization of mRNA. We then proceed to advanced methods where fluorescent genetically encoded IEG reporters are chronically followed in vivo during memory formation. We end with a combination of genetic IEG labelling and optogenetic approach, where the activity of the entire engram is manipulated. We finally present a hypothesis that attempts to unify our current state of knowledge about the function of RSC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edyta Balcerek
- Laboratory of Spatial Memory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteura 3, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Urszula Włodkowska
- Laboratory of Spatial Memory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteura 3, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rafał Czajkowski
- Laboratory of Spatial Memory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteura 3, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Aggleton JP, Yanakieva S, Sengpiel F, Nelson AJ. The separate and combined properties of the granular (area 29) and dysgranular (area 30) retrosplenial cortex. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 185:107516. [PMID: 34481970 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Retrosplenial cortex contains two principal subdivisions, area 29 (granular) and area 30 (dysgranular). Their respective anatomical connections in the rat brain reveal that area 29 is the primary recipient of hippocampal and parahippocampal spatial and contextual information while area 30 is the primary interactor with current visual information. Lesion studies and measures of neuronal activity in rodents indicate that retrosplenial cortex helps to integrate space from different perspectives, e.g., egocentric and allocentric, providing landmark and heading cues for navigation and spatial learning. It provides a repository of scene information that, over time, becomes increasingly independent of the hippocampus. These processes, reflect the interactive actions between areas 29 and 30, along with their convergent influences on cortical and thalamic targets. Consequently, despite their differences, both areas 29 and 30 are necessary for an array of spatial and learning problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, Wales CF10 3AT, UK.
| | - Steliana Yanakieva
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, Wales CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Frank Sengpiel
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, Wales CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Andrew J Nelson
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, Wales CF10 3AT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Deantoni M, Villemonteix T, Balteau E, Schmidt C, Peigneux P. Post-Training Sleep Modulates Topographical Relearning-Dependent Resting State Activity. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11040476. [PMID: 33918574 PMCID: PMC8069225 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11040476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Continuation of experience-dependent neural activity during offline sleep and wakefulness episodes is a critical component of memory consolidation. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), offline consolidation effects have been evidenced probing behavioural and neurophysiological changes during memory retrieval, i.e., in the context of task practice. Resting state fMRI (rsfMRI) further allows investigating the offline evolution of recently learned information without the confounds of online task-related effects. We used rsfMRI to investigate sleep-related changes in seed-based resting functional connectivity (FC) and amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) after spatial navigation learning and relearning. On Day 1, offline resting state activity was measured immediately before and after topographical learning in a virtual town. On Day 4, it was measured again before and after relearning in an extended version of the town. Navigation-related activity was also recorded during target retrieval, i.e., online. Participants spent the first post-training night under regular sleep (RS) or sleep deprivation (SD) conditions. Results evidence FC and ALFF changes in task-related neural networks, indicating the continuation of navigation-related activity in the resting state. Although post-training sleep did not modulate behavioural performance, connectivity analyses evidenced increased FC after post-training SD between navigation-related brain structures during relearning in the extended environment. These results suggest that memory traces were less efficiently consolidated after post-learning SD, eventually resulting in the use of compensatory brain resources to link previously stored spatial elements with the newly presented information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Deantoni
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit (UR2NF) at CRCN—Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI—ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP191 Av. F. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium; (M.D.); (T.V.)
- CRC-GIGA In Vivo Imaging, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 Août, Bâtiment B30, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium; (E.B.); (C.S.)
| | - Thomas Villemonteix
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit (UR2NF) at CRCN—Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI—ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP191 Av. F. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium; (M.D.); (T.V.)
- Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Lab, Paris 8 University, Rue de la Liberté 2, 93,526 Saint-Denis, France
| | - Evelyne Balteau
- CRC-GIGA In Vivo Imaging, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 Août, Bâtiment B30, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium; (E.B.); (C.S.)
| | - Christina Schmidt
- CRC-GIGA In Vivo Imaging, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 Août, Bâtiment B30, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium; (E.B.); (C.S.)
- Psychology and Neurosciences of Cognition (PsyNCog), Université de Liège, Quartier Agora, Place des Orateurs, 3, Bâtiment B33, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit (UR2NF) at CRCN—Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI—ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP191 Av. F. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium; (M.D.); (T.V.)
- CRC-GIGA In Vivo Imaging, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 Août, Bâtiment B30, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium; (E.B.); (C.S.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Miller AMP, Serrichio AC, Smith DM. Dual-Factor Representation of the Environmental Context in the Retrosplenial Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:2720-2728. [PMID: 33386396 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is thought to be involved in a variety of spatial and contextual memory processes. However, we do not know how contextual information might be encoded in the RSC or whether the RSC representations may be distinct from context representations seen in other brain regions such as the hippocampus. We recorded RSC neuronal responses while rats explored different environments and discovered 2 kinds of context representations: one involving a novel rate code in which neurons reliably fire at a higher rate in the preferred context regardless of spatial location, and a second involving context-dependent spatial firing patterns similar to those seen in the hippocampus. This suggests that the RSC employs a unique dual-factor representational mechanism to support contextual memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam M P Miller
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Anna C Serrichio
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - David M Smith
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
In this review we briefly outline how lesion studies, temporary inactivation and neural activity assays have helped update functional models of the retrosplenial cortex, a region critical for episodic and spatial memory. We advocate for the continued importance of appropriately designed behavioural studies in the context of novel experimental methods, such as optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations. At the same time, we caution against the overreliance on any given level of analysis or experimental technique. Complementary, multimodal strategies are required for understanding how the retrosplenial cortex contributes to the formation and storage of memories both at a structural and systems-level.
Collapse
|
13
|
Dudchenko PA, Wood ER, Smith A. A new perspective on the head direction cell system and spatial behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:24-33. [PMID: 31276715 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The head direction cell system is an interconnected set of brain structures containing neurons whose firing is directionally tuned. The robust representation of allocentric direction by head direction cells suggests that they provide a neural compass for the animal. However, evidence linking head direction cells and spatial behavior has been mixed. Whereas damage to the hippocampus yields profound deficits in a range of spatial tasks, lesions to the head direction cell system often yield milder impairments in spatial behavior. In addition, correlational approaches have shown a correspondence between head direction cells and spatial behavior in some tasks, but not others. These mixed effects may be explained in part by a new view of the head direction cell system arising from recent demonstrations of at least two types of head direction cells: 'traditional' cells, and a second class of 'sensory' cells driven by polarising features of an environment. The recognition of different kinds of head direction cells now allows a nuanced assessment of this system's role in guiding navigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Dudchenko
- University of Stirling, Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom.
| | - Emma R Wood
- University of Edinburgh, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Smith
- University of Stirling, Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom; University of Edinburgh, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yamawaki N, Li X, Lambot L, Ren LY, Radulovic J, Shepherd GMG. Long-range inhibitory intersection of a retrosplenial thalamocortical circuit by apical tuft-targeting CA1 neurons. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:618-626. [PMID: 30858601 PMCID: PMC6435388 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0355-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampus, granular retrosplenial cortex (RSCg), and anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN) interact to mediate diverse cognitive functions. To identify cellular mechanisms underlying hippocampo-thalamo-retrosplenial interactions, we investigated the potential circuit suggested by projections to RSCg layer 1 (L1) from GABAergic CA1 neurons and ATN. We find that CA1→RSCg projections stem from GABAergic neurons with a distinct morphology, electrophysiology, and molecular profile. Their long-range axons inhibit L5 pyramidal neurons in RSCg via potent synapses onto apical tuft dendrites in L1. These inhibitory inputs intercept L1-targeting thalamocortical excitatory inputs from ATN to coregulate RSCg activity. Subicular axons, in contrast, excite proximal dendrites in deeper layers. Short-term plasticity differs at each connection. Chemogenetically abrogating CA1→RSCg or ATN→RSCg connections oppositely affects the encoding of contextual fear memory. Our findings establish retrosplenial-projecting CA1 neurons as a distinct class of long-range dendrite-targeting GABAergic neuron and delineate an unusual cortical circuit specialized for integrating long-range inhibition and thalamocortical excitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Yamawaki
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Xiaojian Li
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Laurie Lambot
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lynn Y Ren
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jelena Radulovic
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gordon M G Shepherd
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Nelson AJD, Hindley EL, Vann SD, Aggleton JP. When is the rat retrosplenial cortex required for stimulus integration? Behav Neurosci 2018; 132:366-377. [PMID: 30321026 PMCID: PMC6188469 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The rodent retrosplenial cortex is known to be vital for spatial cognition, but evidence has also pointed to a role in processing nonspatial information. It has been suggested that the retrosplenial cortex may serve as a site of integration of incoming sensory information. To examine this proposal, the current set of experiments assessed the impact of excitotoxic lesions in the retrosplenial cortex on two behavioral tasks that tax animals' ability to process multiple and overlapping environmental stimuli. In Experiment 1, rats with retrosplenial lesions acquired a negative patterning discrimination, a form of configural learning that can be solved only by learning the conjunction of cues. Subsequent transfer tests confirmed that both the lesion and control animals had solved the task by using configural representations. Furthermore, in Experiment 2, a 2nd cohort of retrosplenial lesion animals successfully acquired conditioned inhibition. Nevertheless, the same animals failed a subsequent summation test that assesses the ability to transfer what has been learned about one stimulus to another stimulus in the absence of reinforcement. Taken together, these results suggest that in the nonspatial domain, the retrosplenial cortex is not required for forming associations between multiple or overlapping environmental stimuli and, consequently, retrosplenial engagement in such processes is more selective than was previously envisaged. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
|
16
|
Solari N, Hangya B. Cholinergic modulation of spatial learning, memory and navigation. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 48:2199-2230. [PMID: 30055067 PMCID: PMC6174978 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Spatial learning, including encoding and retrieval of spatial memories as well as holding spatial information in working memory generally serving navigation under a broad range of circumstances, relies on a network of structures. While central to this network are medial temporal lobe structures with a widely appreciated crucial function of the hippocampus, neocortical areas such as the posterior parietal cortex and the retrosplenial cortex also play essential roles. Since the hippocampus receives its main subcortical input from the medial septum of the basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic system, it is not surprising that the potential role of the septo-hippocampal pathway in spatial navigation has been investigated in many studies. Much less is known of the involvement in spatial cognition of the parallel projection system linking the posterior BF with neocortical areas. Here we review the current state of the art of the division of labour within this complex 'navigation system', with special focus on how subcortical cholinergic inputs may regulate various aspects of spatial learning, memory and navigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Solari
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems NeuroscienceDepartment of Cellular and Network NeurobiologyInstitute of Experimental MedicineHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
| | - Balázs Hangya
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems NeuroscienceDepartment of Cellular and Network NeurobiologyInstitute of Experimental MedicineHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Smith DM, Miller AMP, Vedder LC. The retrosplenial cortical role in encoding behaviorally significant cues. Behav Neurosci 2018; 132:356-365. [PMID: 30070553 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) has recently begun to gain widespread interest because of its anatomical connectivity with other well-known memory structures, such as the hippocampus and anterior thalamus, and its role in spatial, contextual, and episodic memory. Although much of the current work on the RSC is focused on spatial cognition, there is also an extensive literature that shows that the RSC plays a critical role in a variety of conditioning tasks that have no obvious spatial component. Many of these studies suggest that the RSC is involved in identifying and encoding behaviorally significant cues, particularly those cues that predict reinforcement or the need for a behavioral response. Consistent with this idea, recent studies have shown that RSC neurons also encode cues in spatial navigation tasks. In this article, we review these findings and suggest that the encoding of cues is an important component of the RSC contribution to many forms of learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
|
18
|
Coelho CAO, Ferreira TL, Kramer-Soares JC, Sato JR, Oliveira MGM. Network supporting contextual fear learning after dorsal hippocampal damage has increased dependence on retrosplenial cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006207. [PMID: 30086129 PMCID: PMC6097702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal damage results in profound retrograde, but no anterograde amnesia in contextual fear conditioning (CFC). Although the content learned in the latter have been discussed, alternative regions supporting CFC learning were seldom proposed and never empirically addressed. Here, we employed network analysis of pCREB expression quantified from brain slices of rats with dorsal hippocampal lesion (dHPC) after undergoing CFC session. Using inter-regional correlations of pCREB-positive nuclei between brain regions, we modelled functional networks using different thresholds. The dHPC network showed small-world topology, equivalent to SHAM (control) network. However, diverging hubs were identified in each network. In a direct comparison, hubs in both networks showed consistently higher centrality values compared to the other network. Further, the distribution of correlation coefficients was different between the groups, with most significantly stronger correlation coefficients belonging to the SHAM network. These results suggest that dHPC network engaged in CFC learning is partially different, and engage alternative hubs. We next tested if pre-training lesions of dHPC and one of the new dHPC network hubs (perirhinal, Per; or disgranular retrosplenial, RSC, cortices) would impair CFC. Only dHPC-RSC, but not dHPC-Per, impaired CFC. Interestingly, only RSC showed a consistently higher centrality in the dHPC network, suggesting that the increased centrality reflects an increased functional dependence on RSC. Our results provide evidence that, without hippocampus, the RSC, an anatomically central region in the medial temporal lobe memory system might support CFC learning and memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cesar A. O. Coelho
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tatiana L. Ferreira
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, UFABC, São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana C. Kramer-Soares
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João R. Sato
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, UFABC, São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Gabriela M. Oliveira
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Serino S, Morganti F, Colombo D, Pedroli E, Cipresso P, Riva G. Disentangling the Contribution of Spatial Reference Frames to Executive Functioning in Healthy and Pathological Aging: An Experimental Study with Virtual Reality. SENSORS 2018; 18:s18061783. [PMID: 29865196 PMCID: PMC6022116 DOI: 10.3390/s18061783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence pointed out that a decline in effectively using spatial reference frames for categorizing information occurs both in normal and pathological aging. Moreover, it is also known that executive deficits primarily characterize the cognitive profile of older individuals. Acknowledging this literature, the current study was aimed to specifically disentangle the contribution of the cognitive abilities related to the use of spatial reference frames to executive functioning in both healthy and pathological aging. 48 healthy elderly individuals and 52 elderly suffering from probable Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) took part in the study. We exploited the potentiality of Virtual Reality to specifically measure the abilities in retrieving and syncing between different spatial reference frames, and then we administrated different neuropsychological tests for evaluating executive functions. Our results indicated that allocentric functions contributed significantly to the planning abilities, while syncing abilities influenced the attentional ones. The findings were discussed in terms of previous literature exploring relationships between cognitive deficits in the first phase of AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Serino
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Magnasco 2, 20149 Milan, Italy.
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli 1, 20100 Milan, Italy.
| | - Francesca Morganti
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Piazzale S. Agostino 2, 24129 Bergamo, Italy.
| | - Desirée Colombo
- Department of Basic Psychology, Clinic and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Av. Sos Baynat, s/n, 12071 Castellón, Spain.
| | - Elisa Pedroli
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Magnasco 2, 20149 Milan, Italy.
| | - Pietro Cipresso
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Magnasco 2, 20149 Milan, Italy.
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli 1, 20100 Milan, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Magnasco 2, 20149 Milan, Italy.
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli 1, 20100 Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Mitchell AS, Czajkowski R, Zhang N, Jeffery K, Nelson AJD. Retrosplenial cortex and its role in spatial cognition. Brain Neurosci Adv 2018; 2:2398212818757098. [PMID: 30221204 PMCID: PMC6095108 DOI: 10.1177/2398212818757098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrosplenial cortex is a region within the posterior neocortical system, heavily interconnected with an array of brain networks, both cortical and subcortical, that is, engaged by a myriad of cognitive tasks. Although there is no consensus as to its precise function, evidence from both human and animal studies clearly points to a role in spatial cognition. However, the spatial processing impairments that follow retrosplenial cortex damage are not straightforward to characterise, leading to difficulties in defining the exact nature of its role. In this article, we review this literature and classify the types of ideas that have been put forward into three broad, somewhat overlapping classes: (1) learning of landmark location, stability and permanence; (2) integration between spatial reference frames; and (3) consolidation and retrieval of spatial knowledge (schemas). We evaluate these models and suggest ways to test them, before briefly discussing whether the spatial function may be a subset of a more general function in episodic memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna S. Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rafal Czajkowski
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ningyu Zhang
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kate Jeffery
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Tang X, Wu D, Gu LH, Nie BB, Qi XY, Wang YJ, Wu FF, Li XL, Bai F, Chen XC, Xu L, Ren QG, Zhang ZJ. Spatial learning and memory impairments are associated with increased neuronal activity in 5XFAD mouse as measured by manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Oncotarget 2018; 7:57556-57570. [PMID: 27542275 PMCID: PMC5295372 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of neuronal activity is a major and early contributor to cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To investigate neuronal activity alterations at early stage of AD, we encompassed behavioral testing and in vivo manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) in 5XFAD mice at early ages (1-, 2-, 3- and 5-month). The 5XFAD model over-express human amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) harboring five familial AD mutations, which have a high APP expression correlating with a high burden and an accelerated accumulation of the 42 amino acid species of amyloid-β. In the Morris water maze, 5XFAD mice showed longer escape latency and poorer memory retention. In the MEMRI, 5XFAD mice showed increased signal intensity in the brain regions involved in spatial cognition, including the entorhinal cortex, the hippocampus, the retrosplenial cortex and the caudate putamen. Of note, the observed alterations in spatial cognition were associated with increased MEMRI signal intensity. These findings indicate that aberrant increased basal neuronal activity may contribute to the spatial cognitive function impairment at early stage of AD, and may further suggest the potential use of MEMRI to predict cognitive impairments. Early intervention that targets aberrant neuronal activity may be crucial to prevent cognitive impairment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Tang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li-Hua Gu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin-Bin Nie
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Analytical Techniques, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Yang Qi
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan-Juan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fang-Fang Wu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiao-Li Li
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feng Bai
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiao-Chun Chen
- Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing-Guo Ren
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Powell AL, Hindley E, Nelson AJD, Davies M, Amin E, Aggleton JP, Vann SD. Lesions of retrosplenial cortex spare immediate-early gene activity in related limbic regions in the rat. Brain Neurosci Adv 2018; 2:2398212818811235. [PMID: 32166157 PMCID: PMC7058225 DOI: 10.1177/2398212818811235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex forms part of a network of cortical and subcortical structures that have particular importance for spatial learning and navigation in rodents. This study examined how retrosplenial lesions affect activity in this network by visualising the expression of the immediate-early genes c-fos and zif268 after exposure to a novel location. Groups of rats with extensive cytotoxic lesions (areas 29 and 30) and rats with lesions largely confined to area 30 (dysgranular cortex) were compared with their respective control animals for levels of c-fos expression measured by immunohistochemistry. These cortical lesions had very limited effects on distal c-fos activity. Evidence of a restricted reduction in c-fos activity was seen in the septal dentate gyrus (superior blade) but not in other hippocampal and parahippocampal subareas, nor in the anterior cingulate and prelimbic cortices. Related studies examined zif268 activity in those cases with combined area 29 and 30 lesions. The only clear evidence for reduced zif268 activity following retrosplenial cell loss came from the septal CA3 area. The confined impact of retrosplenial tissue loss is notable as, by the same immediate-early gene measures, retrosplenial cortex is itself highly sensitive to damage in related limbic areas, showing a marked c-fos and zif268 hypoactivity across all of its subareas. This asymmetry in covert pathology may help to explain the apparent disparity between the severity of learning deficits after retrosplenial cortex lesions and after lesions in either the hippocampus or the anterior thalamic nuclei.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Powell
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Emma Hindley
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Moira Davies
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Eman Amin
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Distinct retrosplenial cortex cell populations and their spike dynamics during ketamine-induced unconscious state. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187198. [PMID: 29073221 PMCID: PMC5658186 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Ketamine is known to induce psychotic-like symptoms, including delirium and visual hallucinations. It also causes neuronal damage and cell death in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), an area that is thought to be a part of high visual cortical pathways and at least partially responsible for ketamine's psychotomimetic activities. However, the basic physiological properties of RSC cells as well as their response to ketamine in vivo remained largely unexplored. Here, we combine a computational method, the Inter-Spike Interval Classification Analysis (ISICA), and in vivo recordings to uncover and profile excitatory cell subtypes within layers 2&3 and 5&6 of the RSC in mice within both conscious, sleep, and ketamine-induced unconscious states. We demonstrate two distinct excitatory principal cell sub-populations, namely, high-bursting excitatory principal cells and low-bursting excitatory principal cells, within layers 2&3, and show that this classification is robust over the conscious states, namely quiet awake, and natural unconscious sleep periods. Similarly, we provide evidence of high-bursting and low-bursting excitatory principal cell sub-populations within layers 5&6 that remained distinct during quiet awake and sleep states. We further examined how these subtypes are dynamically altered by ketamine. During ketamine-induced unconscious state, these distinct excitatory principal cell subtypes in both layer 2&3 and layer 5&6 exhibited distinct dynamics. We also uncovered different dynamics of local field potential under various brain states in layer 2&3 and layer 5&6. Interestingly, ketamine administration induced high gamma oscillations in layer 2&3 of the RSC, but not layer 5&6. Our results show that excitatory principal cells within RSC layers 2&3 and 5&6 contain multiple physiologically distinct sub-populations, and they are differentially affected by ketamine.
Collapse
|
24
|
Powell AL, Nelson AJD, Hindley E, Davies M, Aggleton JP, Vann SD. The rat retrosplenial cortex as a link for frontal functions: A lesion analysis. Behav Brain Res 2017; 335:88-102. [PMID: 28797600 PMCID: PMC5597037 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Retrosplenial cortex lesions do not reproduce the pattern of effects of medial frontal damage. Retrosplenial cortex lesions spare tests of behavioural flexibility. Effort-based decision making does not require the retrosplenial cortex. Reveals specific conditions when nonspatial tasks engage retrosplenial cortex.
Cohorts of rats with excitotoxic retrosplenial cortex lesions were tested on four behavioural tasks sensitive to dysfunctions in prelimbic cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, or both. In this way the study tested whether retrosplenial cortex has nonspatial functions that reflect its anatomical interactions with these frontal cortical areas. In Experiment 1, retrosplenial cortex lesions had no apparent effect on a set-shifting digging task that taxed intradimensional and extradimensional attention, as well as reversal learning. Likewise, retrosplenial cortex lesions did not impair a strategy shift task in an automated chamber, which involved switching from visual-based to response-based discriminations and, again, included a reversal (Experiment 2). Indeed, there was evidence that the retrosplenial lesions aided the initial switch to response-based selection. No lesion deficit was found on an automated cost-benefit task that pitted size of reward against effort to achieve that reward (Experiment 3). Finally, while retrosplenial cortex lesions affected matching-to-place task in a T-maze, the profile of deficits differed from that associated with prelimbic cortex damage (Experiment 4). When the task was switched to a nonmatching design, retrosplenial cortex lesions had no apparent effect on performance. The results from the four experiments show that many frontal tasks do not require the retrosplenial cortex, highlighting the specificity of their functional interactions. The results show how retrosplenial cortex lesions spare those learning tasks in which there is no mismatch between the internal and external representations used to guide behavioural choice. In addition, these experiments further highlight the importance of the retrosplenial cortex in solving tasks with a spatial component.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Powell
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
| | - Andrew J D Nelson
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Emma Hindley
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Moira Davies
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Seralynne D Vann
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Bubb EJ, Kinnavane L, Aggleton JP. Hippocampal - diencephalic - cingulate networks for memory and emotion: An anatomical guide. Brain Neurosci Adv 2017; 1:2398212817723443. [PMID: 28944298 PMCID: PMC5608081 DOI: 10.1177/2398212817723443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This review brings together current knowledge from tract tracing studies to update and reconsider those limbic connections initially highlighted by Papez (1937) for their presumed role in emotion. These connections link hippocampal and parahippocampal regions with the mammillary bodies, the anterior thalamic nuclei, and the cingulate gyrus, all structures now strongly implicated in memory functions. An additional goal of this review is to describe the routes taken by the various connections within this network. The original descriptions of these limbic connections saw their interconnecting pathways forming a serial circuit that began and finished in the hippocampal formation. It is now clear that, with the exception of the mammillary bodies, these various sites are multiply interconnected with each other, including many reciprocal connections. In addition, these same connections are topographically organised, creating further subsystems. This complex pattern of connectivity helps to explain the difficulty of interpreting the functional outcome of damage to any individual site within the network. For these same reasons, Papez' initial concept of a loop beginning and ending in the hippocampal formation needs to be seen as a much more complex system of hippocampal-diencephalic-cingulate connections. The functions of these multiple interactions might be better viewed as principally providing efferent information from the posterior medial temporal lobe. Both a subcortical diencephalic route (via the fornix) and a cortical cingulate route (via retrosplenial cortex) can be distinguished. These routes provide indirect pathways for hippocampal interactions with prefrontal cortex, with the preponderance of both sets of connections arising from the more posterior hippocampal regions. These multi-stage connections complement the direct hippocampal projections to prefrontal cortex, which principally arise from the anterior hippocampus, thereby creating longitudinal functional differences along the anterior-posterior plane of the hippocampus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma J. Bubb
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lisa Kinnavane
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - John P. Aggleton
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Vedder LC, Miller AMP, Harrison MB, Smith DM. Retrosplenial Cortical Neurons Encode Navigational Cues, Trajectories and Reward Locations During Goal Directed Navigation. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:3713-3723. [PMID: 27473323 PMCID: PMC6059095 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) plays an important role in memory and spatial navigation. It shares functional similarities with the hippocampus, including the presence of place fields and lesion-induced impairments in spatial navigation, and the RSC is an important source of visual-spatial input to the hippocampus. Recently, the RSC has been the target of intense scrutiny among investigators of human memory and navigation. fMRI and lesion data suggest an RSC role in the ability to use landmarks to navigate to goal locations. However, no direct neurophysiological evidence of encoding navigational cues has been reported so the specific RSC contribution to spatial cognition has been uncertain. To examine this, we trained rats on a T-maze task in which the reward location was explicitly cued by a flashing light and we recorded RSC neurons as the rats learned. We found that RSC neurons rapidly encoded the light cue. Additionally, RSC neurons encoded the reward and its location, and they showed distinct firing patterns along the left and right trajectories to the goal. These responses may provide key information for goal-directed navigation, and the loss of these signals may underlie navigational impairments in subjects with RSC damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marc B. Harrison
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - David M. Smith
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Powell AL, Vann SD, Olarte-Sánchez CM, Kinnavane L, Davies M, Amin E, Aggleton JP, Nelson AJD. The retrosplenial cortex and object recency memory in the rat. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:1451-1464. [PMID: 28394458 PMCID: PMC5488228 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
It has been proposed that the retrosplenial cortex forms part of a ‘where/when’ information network. The present study focussed on the related issue of whether retrosplenial cortex also contributes to ‘what/when’ information, by examining object recency memory. In Experiment 1, rats with retrosplenial lesions were found to be impaired at distinguishing the temporal order of objects presented in a continuous series (‘Within‐Block’ condition). The same lesioned rats could, however, distinguish between objects that had been previously presented in one of two discrete blocks (‘Between‐Block’ condition). Experiment 2 used intact rats to map the expression of the immediate‐early gene c‐fos in retrosplenial cortex following performance of a between‐block, recency discrimination. Recency performance correlated positively with levels of c‐fos expression in both granular and dysgranular retrosplenial cortex (areas 29 and 30). Expression of c‐fos in the granular retrosplenial cortex also correlated with prelimbic cortex and ventral subiculum c‐fos activity, the latter also correlating with recency memory performance. The combined findings from both experiments reveal an involvement of the retrosplenial cortex in temporal order memory, which includes both between‐block and within‐block problems. The current findings also suggest that the rat retrosplenial cortex comprises one of a group of closely interlinked regions that enable recency memory, including the hippocampal formation, medial diencephalon and medial frontal cortex. In view of the well‐established importance of the retrosplenial cortex for spatial learning, the findings support the notion that, with its frontal and hippocampal connections, retrosplenial cortex has a key role for both what/when and where/when information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Powell
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Seralynne D Vann
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | | | - Lisa Kinnavane
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Moira Davies
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Eman Amin
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Andrew J D Nelson
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| |
Collapse
|