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Kangas BD, Iturra-Mena AM, Robble MA, Luc OT, Potter D, Nickels S, Bergman J, Carlezon WA, Pizzagalli DA. Concurrent electrophysiological recording and cognitive testing in a rodent touchscreen environment. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11665. [PMID: 34083596 PMCID: PMC8175731 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91091-9] [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: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Challenges in therapeutics development for neuropsychiatric disorders can be attributed, in part, to a paucity of translational models capable of capturing relevant phenotypes across clinical populations and laboratory animals. Touch-sensitive procedures are increasingly used to develop innovative animal models that better align with testing conditions used in human participants. In addition, advances in electrophysiological techniques have identified neurophysiological signatures associated with characteristics of neuropsychiatric illness. The present studies integrated these methodologies by developing a rat flanker task with electrophysiological recordings based on reverse-translated protocols used in human electroencephalogram (EEG) studies of cognitive control. Various touchscreen-based stimuli were evaluated for their ability to efficiently gain stimulus control and advance to flanker test sessions. Optimized stimuli were then examined for their elicitation of prototypical visual evoked potentials (VEPs) across local field potential (LFP) wires and EEG skull screws. Of the stimuli evaluated, purple and green photographic stimuli were associated with efficient training and expected flanker interference effects. Orderly stimulus-locked outcomes were also observed in VEPs across LFP and EEG recordings. These studies along with others verify the feasibility of concurrent electrophysiological recordings and rodent touchscreen-based cognitive testing and encourage future use of this integrated approach in therapeutics development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D. Kangas
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Ann M. Iturra-Mena
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Mykel A. Robble
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Oanh T. Luc
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - David Potter
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Stefanie Nickels
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Jack Bergman
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - William A. Carlezon
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Diego A. Pizzagalli
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
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2
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Johnson NP, Gregorich SM, Passaglia CL. Spatiotemporal Contrast Sensitivity of Brown-Norway Rats under Scotopic and Photopic Illumination. Neuroscience 2020; 449:63-73. [PMID: 33035619 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Rats are a popular animal model for vision research and for investigating disorders of the visual system. The study aimed to quantify the spatiotemporal contrast sensitivity function (CSF) of healthy adult Brown-Norway rats under scotopic and photopic illumination. Animals were trained to jump onto the one of two adjacent platforms behind which was displayed a sinewave grating pattern. Contrast thresholds of light- and dark-adapted rats were determined using a staircase method of adjustment for gratings that varied in spatial frequency (sf) and temporal frequency (tf) and ranged several log-units in mean luminance. Photopic CSFs showed strong bandpass spatial tuning, consistent with prior measurements, and weak bandpass temporal tuning. CSFs were parameterized by a truncated log-parabola model, yielding a peak contrast sensitivity of 52 ± 9, peak sf of 0.17 ± 0.05 cycles/degree, sf limit of 1.6 ± 0.3 cycles/degree, low sf attenuation of 85 ± 9%, peak tf of 1.7 ± 1.1 Hz, extrapolated tf limit of 166 ± 44 Hz, and low tf attenuation of 55 ± 12%. CSFs became more lowpass and decreased systematically in contrast sensitivity and spatiotemporal acuity as mean luminance was reduced. CSFs were also measured via the visual head-tracking reflex. Photopic contrast sensitivity, spatial acuity, and temporal acuity were all markedly below that of the grating detection task and optomotor findings for other rat strains. The CSF data provide a comprehensive and quantitative description of rat spatial and temporal vision and a benchmark for evaluating effects of ocular diseases on their ability to see.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Johnson
- University of South Florida, Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology Department, 12901 Bruce B Downs Boulevard MDC 40, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Sarah M Gregorich
- University of South Florida, Medical Engineering Department, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, United States
| | - Christopher L Passaglia
- University of South Florida, Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology Department, 12901 Bruce B Downs Boulevard MDC 40, Tampa, FL 33612, United States; University of South Florida, Medical Engineering Department, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, United States; University of South Florida, Ophthalmology Department, 12901 Bruce B Downs Boulevard MDC21, Tampa, FL 33612, United States.
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3
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Rastoldo G, Marouane E, El Mahmoudi N, Péricat D, Bourdet A, Timon-David E, Dumas O, Chabbert C, Tighilet B. Quantitative Evaluation of a New Posturo-Locomotor Phenotype in a Rodent Model of Acute Unilateral Vestibulopathy. Front Neurol 2020; 11:505. [PMID: 32582016 PMCID: PMC7291375 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Vestibular pathologies are difficult to diagnose. Existing devices make it possible to quantify and follow the evolution of posturo-locomotor symptoms following vestibular loss in static conditions. However, today, there are no diagnostic tools allowing the quantitative and spontaneous analysis of these symptoms in dynamic situations. With this in mind, we used an open-field video tracking test aiming at identifying specific posturo-locomotor markers in a rodent model of vestibular pathology. Using Ethovision XT 14 software (Noldus), we identified and quantified several behavioral parameters typical of unilateral vestibular lesions in a rat model of vestibular pathology. The unilateral vestibular neurectomy (UVN) rat model reproduces the symptoms of acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy in humans. Our data show deficits in locomotion velocity, distance traveled and animal mobility in the first day after the injury. We also highlighted alterations in several parameters, such as head and body acceleration, locomotor pattern, and position of the body, as well as “circling” behavior after vestibular loss. Here, we provide an enriched posturo-locomotor phenotype specific to full and irreversible unilateral vestibular loss. This test helps to strengthen the quantitative evaluation of vestibular disorders in unilateral vestibular lesion rat model. It may also be useful for testing pharmacological compounds promoting the restoration of balance. Transfer of these novel evaluation parameters to human pathology may improve the diagnosis of acute unilateral vestibulopathies and could better follow the evolution of the symptoms upon pharmacological and physical rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Rastoldo
- Aix Marseille Université-CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives, LNSC UMR 7260, Equipe Physiopathologie et Thérapie des Désordres Vestibulaires, Groupe de Recherche Vertige (GDR#2074), Marseille, France
| | - Emna Marouane
- Aix Marseille Université-CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives, LNSC UMR 7260, Equipe Physiopathologie et Thérapie des Désordres Vestibulaires, Groupe de Recherche Vertige (GDR#2074), Marseille, France
| | - Nada El Mahmoudi
- Aix Marseille Université-CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives, LNSC UMR 7260, Equipe Physiopathologie et Thérapie des Désordres Vestibulaires, Groupe de Recherche Vertige (GDR#2074), Marseille, France
| | - David Péricat
- Aix Marseille Université-CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives, LNSC UMR 7260, Equipe Physiopathologie et Thérapie des Désordres Vestibulaires, Groupe de Recherche Vertige (GDR#2074), Marseille, France
| | - Audrey Bourdet
- Aix Marseille Université-CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives, LNSC UMR 7260, Equipe Physiopathologie et Thérapie des Désordres Vestibulaires, Groupe de Recherche Vertige (GDR#2074), Marseille, France
| | - Elise Timon-David
- Aix Marseille Université-CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives, LNSC UMR 7260, Equipe Physiopathologie et Thérapie des Désordres Vestibulaires, Groupe de Recherche Vertige (GDR#2074), Marseille, France
| | - Olivier Dumas
- Société Française de Kinésithérapie Vestibulaire, Lyon, France
| | - Christian Chabbert
- Aix Marseille Université-CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives, LNSC UMR 7260, Equipe Physiopathologie et Thérapie des Désordres Vestibulaires, Groupe de Recherche Vertige (GDR#2074), Marseille, France
| | - Brahim Tighilet
- Aix Marseille Université-CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives, LNSC UMR 7260, Equipe Physiopathologie et Thérapie des Désordres Vestibulaires, Groupe de Recherche Vertige (GDR#2074), Marseille, France
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4
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Buscher N, Ojeda A, Francoeur M, Hulyalkar S, Claros C, Tang T, Terry A, Gupta A, Fakhraei L, Ramanathan DS. Open-source raspberry Pi-based operant box for translational behavioral testing in rodents. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 342:108761. [PMID: 32479970 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodents have been used for decades to probe neural circuits involved in behavior. Increasingly, attempts have been developed to standardize training paradigms across labs; and to use visual/auditory paradigms that can be also tested in humans. Commercially available systems are expensive and thus do not scale easily, and are not optimized for electrophysiology. NEW METHOD Using the rich open-source technology built around Raspberry Pi, we were able to develop an inexpensive (<$1000) visual-screen based operant chamber with electrophysiological and optogenetic compatibility. The chamber is operated within MATLAB/Simulink, a commonly used scientific programming language allowing for rapid customization. RESULTS Here, we describe and provide all relevant details needed to develop and produce these chambers, and show examples of behavior and electrophysiology data collected using these chambers. We also include all of the tools needed to allow readers to build and develop their own boxes (CAD models for 3D printing and laser-cutting; PCB-board design; all bill of materials for required parts and supplies, and some examples of Simulink models to operate the boxes). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS The new boxes are far more cost-effective than commercially available environments and allow for the combination of automated behavioral testing with electrophysiological read-outs with high temporal precision. CONCLUSION These open-source boxes can be used for labs interested in developing high-throughput visual/auditory behavioral assays for ∼ 10th the cost of commercial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Buscher
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - A Ojeda
- Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States; Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engin., UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - M Francoeur
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - S Hulyalkar
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - C Claros
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - T Tang
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - A Terry
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - A Gupta
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - L Fakhraei
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - D S Ramanathan
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States.
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5
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Henry CA, Jazayeri M, Shapley RM, Hawken MJ. Distinct spatiotemporal mechanisms underlie extra-classical receptive field modulation in macaque V1 microcircuits. eLife 2020; 9:54264. [PMID: 32458798 PMCID: PMC7253173 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex scene perception depends upon the interaction between signals from the classical receptive field (CRF) and the extra-classical receptive field (eCRF) in primary visual cortex (V1) neurons. Although much is known about V1 eCRF properties, we do not yet know how the underlying mechanisms map onto the cortical microcircuit. We probed the spatio-temporal dynamics of eCRF modulation using a reverse correlation paradigm, and found three principal eCRF mechanisms: tuned-facilitation, untuned-suppression, and tuned-suppression. Each mechanism had a distinct timing and spatial profile. Laminar analysis showed that the timing, orientation-tuning, and strength of eCRF mechanisms had distinct signatures within magnocellular and parvocellular processing streams in the V1 microcircuit. The existence of multiple eCRF mechanisms provides new insights into how V1 responds to spatial context. Modeling revealed that the differences in timing and scale of these mechanisms predicted distinct patterns of net modulation, reconciling many previous disparate physiological and psychophysical findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Henry
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, United States.,Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, United States
| | - Mehrdad Jazayeri
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Robert M Shapley
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Michael J Hawken
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, United States
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6
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Arens-Arad T, Farah N, Lender R, Moshkovitz A, Flores T, Palanker D, Mandel Y. Cortical Interactions between Prosthetic and Natural Vision. Curr Biol 2019; 30:176-182.e2. [PMID: 31883811 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Outer retinal degenerative diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), are among the leading causes of incurable blindness in the Western world [1]. Retinal prostheses have been shown to restore some useful vision by electrically stimulating the remaining retinal neurons [2]. In contrast to inherited retinal degenerative diseases (e.g., RP), typically leading to a complete loss of the visual field, in AMD patients the disease is localized to the macula, leaving the peripheral vision intact. Implanting a retinal prosthesis in the central macula in AMD patients [3, 4] leads to an intriguing situation where the patient's central retina is stimulated electrically, whereas the peripheral healthy retina responds to natural light stimulation. An important question is whether the visual cortex responds to these two concurrent stimuli similarly to the interaction between two adjacent natural light stimuli projected onto healthy retina. Here, we investigated the cortical interactions between prosthetic and natural vision based on visually evoked potentials (VEPs) recorded in rats implanted with photovoltaic subretinal implants. Using this model, where prosthetic and natural vision information are combined in the visual cortex, we observed striking similarities in the interactions of natural and prosthetic vision, including similar effect of background illumination, linear summation of non-patterned stimuli, and lateral inhibition with spatial patterns [5], which increased with target contrast. These results support the idea of combined prosthetic and natural vision in restoration of sight for AMD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Arens-Arad
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Nairouz Farah
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Rivkah Lender
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Avital Moshkovitz
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Thomas Flores
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, 452 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel Palanker
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, 452 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Ophthalmology, Stanford University, 452 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yossi Mandel
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Max ve-Anna Webb St, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel.
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7
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Stolyarova A, Rakhshan M, Hart EE, O'Dell TJ, Peters MAK, Lau H, Soltani A, Izquierdo A. Contributions of anterior cingulate cortex and basolateral amygdala to decision confidence and learning under uncertainty. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4704. [PMID: 31624264 PMCID: PMC6797780 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12725-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The subjective sense of certainty, or confidence, in ambiguous sensory cues can alter the interpretation of reward feedback and facilitate learning. We trained rats to report the orientation of ambiguous visual stimuli according to a spatial stimulus-response rule that must be learned. Following choice, rats could wait a self-timed delay for reward or initiate a new trial. Waiting times increase with discrimination accuracy, demonstrating that this measure can be used as a proxy for confidence. Chemogenetic silencing of BLA shortens waiting times overall whereas ACC inhibition renders waiting times insensitive to confidence-modulating attributes of visual stimuli, suggesting contribution of ACC but not BLA to confidence computations. Subsequent reversal learning is enhanced by confidence. Both ACC and BLA inhibition block this enhancement but via differential adjustments in learning strategies and consistent use of learned rules. Altogether, we demonstrate dissociable roles for ACC and BLA in transmitting confidence and learning under uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Stolyarova
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - M Rakhshan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - E E Hart
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - T J O'Dell
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- The Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - M A K Peters
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - H Lau
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- The Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - A Soltani
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - A Izquierdo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- The Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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8
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Dell KL, Arabzadeh E, Price NSC. Differences in perceptual masking between humans and rats. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01368. [PMID: 31444998 PMCID: PMC6749492 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The perception of a target stimulus can be impaired by a subsequent mask stimulus, even if they do not overlap temporally or spatially. This "backward masking" is commonly used to modulate a subject's awareness of a target and to characterize the temporal dynamics of vision. Masking is most apparent with brief, low-contrast targets, making detection difficult even in the absence of a mask. Although necessary to investigate the underlying neural mechanisms, evaluating masking phenomena in animal models is particularly challenging, as the task structure and critical stimulus features to be attended must be learned incrementally through rewards and feedback. Despite the increasing popularity of rodents in vision research, it is unclear if they are susceptible to masking illusions. METHODS We characterized how spatially surrounding masks affected the detection of sine-wave grating targets. RESULTS In humans (n = 5) and rats (n = 7), target detection improved with contrast and was reduced by the presence of a mask. After controlling for biases to respond induced by the presence of the mask, a clear reduction in detectability was caused by masks. This reduction was evident when data were averaged across all animals, but was only individually significant in three animals. CONCLUSIONS While perceptual masking occurs in rats, it may be difficult to observe consistently in individual animals because the complexity of the requisite task pushes the limits of their behavioral capabilities. We suggest methods to ensure that masking, and similarly subtle effects, can be reliably characterized in future experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina L Dell
- Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University Node, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, Vic., Australia
| | - Ehsan Arabzadeh
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The Australian National University Node, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Nicholas S C Price
- Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University Node, Clayton, Vic., Australia
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9
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Towards A Microbead Occlusion Model of Glaucoma for a Non-Human Primate. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11572. [PMID: 31399621 PMCID: PMC6689098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48054-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a group of optic neuropathies associated with aging and sensitivity to intraocular pressure (IOP). The disease causes vision loss through the degeneration of retinal ganglion cell neurons and their axons in the optic nerve. Using an inducible model of glaucoma, we elevated IOP in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis) using intracameral injection of 35 μm polystyrene microbeads and measured common pathogenic outcomes in the optic projection. A 42% elevation in IOP over 28 weeks reduced anterograde transport of fluorescently-labeled cholera toxin beta from retina to the lateral geniculate nucleus (60% decrease), and to the superior colliculus (49% decrease). Pressure also reduced survival of ganglion cellaxons in the optic nerve by 22%. The same elevation caused upregulation of proteins associated with glaucomatous neurodegeneration in the retina and optic nerve, including complement 1q, interleukin 6, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. That axon degeneration in the nerve lagged deficits in anterograde transport is consistent with progression in rodent models, while the observed protein changes also occur in tissue from human glaucoma patients. Thus, microbead occlusion in a non-human primate with a visual system similar to our own represents an attractive model to investigate neurodegenerative mechanisms and therapeutic interventions for glaucoma.
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10
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Bossens C, Op de Beeck HP. Linear and Non-Linear Visual Feature Learning in Rat and Humans. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:235. [PMID: 28066201 PMCID: PMC5180255 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The visual system processes visual input in a hierarchical manner in order to extract relevant features that can be used in tasks such as invariant object recognition. Although typically investigated in primates, recent work has shown that rats can be trained in a variety of visual object and shape recognition tasks. These studies did not pinpoint the complexity of the features used by these animals. Many tasks might be solved by using a combination of relatively simple features which tend to be correlated. Alternatively, rats might extract complex features or feature combinations which are nonlinear with respect to those simple features. In the present study, we address this question by starting from a small stimulus set for which one stimulus-response mapping involves a simple linear feature to solve the task while another mapping needs a well-defined nonlinear combination of simpler features related to shape symmetry. We verified computationally that the nonlinear task cannot be trivially solved by a simple V1-model. We show how rats are able to solve the linear feature task but are unable to acquire the nonlinear feature. In contrast, humans are able to use the nonlinear feature and are even faster in uncovering this solution as compared to the linear feature. The implications for the computational capabilities of the rat visual system are discussed.
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11
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Zoccolan D, Cox DD, Benucci A. Editorial: What can simple brains teach us about how vision works. Front Neural Circuits 2015; 9:51. [PMID: 26483639 PMCID: PMC4586271 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Zoccolan
- Visual Neuroscience Lab, International School for Advanced Studies Trieste, Italy
| | - David D Cox
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrea Benucci
- Laboratory for Neural Circuit and Behavior, RIKEN Brain Science Institute Wako City, Japan
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12
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Reinagel P. Using rats for vision research. Neuroscience 2015; 296:75-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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13
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Rosselli FB, Alemi A, Ansuini A, Zoccolan D. Object similarity affects the perceptual strategy underlying invariant visual object recognition in rats. Front Neural Circuits 2015; 9:10. [PMID: 25814936 PMCID: PMC4357263 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a number of studies have explored the possible use of rats as models of high-level visual functions. One central question at the root of such an investigation is to understand whether rat object vision relies on the processing of visual shape features or, rather, on lower-order image properties (e.g., overall brightness). In a recent study, we have shown that rats are capable of extracting multiple features of an object that are diagnostic of its identity, at least when those features are, structure-wise, distinct enough to be parsed by the rat visual system. In the present study, we have assessed the impact of object structure on rat perceptual strategy. We trained rats to discriminate between two structurally similar objects, and compared their recognition strategies with those reported in our previous study. We found that, under conditions of lower stimulus discriminability, rat visual discrimination strategy becomes more view-dependent and subject-dependent. Rats were still able to recognize the target objects, in a way that was largely tolerant (i.e., invariant) to object transformation; however, the larger structural and pixel-wise similarity affected the way objects were processed. Compared to the findings of our previous study, the patterns of diagnostic features were: (i) smaller and more scattered; (ii) only partially preserved across object views; and (iii) only partially reproducible across rats. On the other hand, rats were still found to adopt a multi-featural processing strategy and to make use of part of the optimal discriminatory information afforded by the two objects. Our findings suggest that, as in humans, rat invariant recognition can flexibly rely on either view-invariant representations of distinctive object features or view-specific object representations, acquired through learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica B Rosselli
- Visual Neuroscience Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) Trieste, Italy
| | - Alireza Alemi
- Visual Neuroscience Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) Trieste, Italy ; Department of Applied Science and Technology, Center for Computational Sciences, Politecnico di Torino Torino, Italy ; Human Genetics Foundation Torino, Italy
| | - Alessio Ansuini
- Visual Neuroscience Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) Trieste, Italy
| | - Davide Zoccolan
- Visual Neuroscience Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) Trieste, Italy
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14
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Zoccolan D. Invariant visual object recognition and shape processing in rats. Behav Brain Res 2015; 285:10-33. [PMID: 25561421 PMCID: PMC4383365 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.12.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Invariant visual object recognition is the ability to recognize visual objects despite the vastly different images that each object can project onto the retina during natural vision, depending on its position and size within the visual field, its orientation relative to the viewer, etc. Achieving invariant recognition represents such a formidable computational challenge that is often assumed to be a unique hallmark of primate vision. Historically, this has limited the invasive investigation of its neuronal underpinnings to monkey studies, in spite of the narrow range of experimental approaches that these animal models allow. Meanwhile, rodents have been largely neglected as models of object vision, because of the widespread belief that they are incapable of advanced visual processing. However, the powerful array of experimental tools that have been developed to dissect neuronal circuits in rodents has made these species very attractive to vision scientists too, promoting a new tide of studies that have started to systematically explore visual functions in rats and mice. Rats, in particular, have been the subjects of several behavioral studies, aimed at assessing how advanced object recognition and shape processing is in this species. Here, I review these recent investigations, as well as earlier studies of rat pattern vision, to provide an historical overview and a critical summary of the status of the knowledge about rat object vision. The picture emerging from this survey is very encouraging with regard to the possibility of using rats as complementary models to monkeys in the study of higher-level vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Zoccolan
- Visual Neuroscience Lab, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), 34136 Trieste, Italy.
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15
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Kurylo DD, Chung C, Yeturo S, Lanza J, Gorskaya A, Bukhari F. Effects of contrast, spatial frequency, and stimulus duration on reaction time in rats. Vision Res 2014; 106:20-6. [PMID: 25451244 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2014.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2014] [Revised: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Early visual processing in rats is mediated by several pre-cortical pathways as well as multiple retinal ganglion cell types that vary in response characteristics. Discrete processing is thereby optimized for select ranges of stimulus parameters. In order to explore variation in response characteristics at a perceptual level, visual detection in rats was measured across a range of contrasts, spatial frequencies, and durations. Rats responded to the onset of Gabor patches. Onset time occurred after a random delay, and reaction time (RT) frequency distribution served to index target visibility. It was found that lower spatial frequency produced shorter RTs, as well as increased RT equivalent of contrast gain. Brief stimulus presentation reduced target visibility, slowed RTs, and reduced contrast gain at higher spatial frequencies. However, brief stimuli shortened RTs at low contrasts and low spatial frequencies, suggesting transient stimuli are more efficiently processed under these conditions. Collectively, perceptual characteristics appear to reflect distinctions in neural responses at early stages of processing. The RT characteristics found here may thereby reflect the contribution of multiple channels, and suggest a progressive shift in relative involvement across parameter levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Kurylo
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College CUNY, Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States.
| | - Caroline Chung
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College CUNY, Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States
| | - Sowmya Yeturo
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College CUNY, Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States
| | - Joseph Lanza
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College CUNY, Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States
| | - Arina Gorskaya
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College CUNY, Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States
| | - Farhan Bukhari
- Department of Computer Science, The Graduate Center CUNY, New York, NY 10016, United States
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