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Karaduman A, Karoglu-Eravsar ET, Adams MM, Kafaligonul H. Passive exposure to visual motion leads to short-term changes in the optomotor response of aging zebrafish. Behav Brain Res 2024; 460:114812. [PMID: 38104637 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown that prior visual experiences play an important role in sensory processing and adapting behavior in a dynamic environment. A repeated and passive presentation of visual stimulus is one of the simplest procedures to manipulate acquired experiences. Using this approach, we aimed to investigate exposure-based visual learning of aging zebrafish and how cholinergic intervention is involved in exposure-induced changes. Our measurements included younger and older wild-type zebrafish and achesb55/+ mutants with decreased acetylcholinesterase activity. We examined both within-session and across-day changes in the zebrafish optomotor responses to repeated and passive exposure to visual motion. Our findings revealed short-term (within-session) changes in the magnitude of optomotor response (i.e., the amount of position shift by fish as a response to visual motion) rather than long-term and persistent effects across days. Moreover, the observed short-term changes were age- and genotype-dependent. Compared to the initial presentations of motion within a session, the magnitude of optomotor response to terminal presentations decreased in the older zebrafish. There was a similar robust decrease specific to achesb55/+ mutants. Taken together, these results point to short-term (within-session) alterations in the motion detection of adult zebrafish and suggest differential effects of neural aging and cholinergic system on the observed changes. These findings further provide important insights into adult zebrafish optomotor response to visual motion and contribute to understanding this reflexive behavior in the short- and long-term stimulation profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysenur Karaduman
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Elif Tugce Karoglu-Eravsar
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Psychology, Selcuk University, Konya, Türkiye
| | - Michelle M Adams
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Hulusi Kafaligonul
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye.
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2
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Karaduman A, Karoglu-Eravsar ET, Kaya U, Aydin A, Adams MM, Kafaligonul H. Zebrafish optomotor response to second-order motion illustrates that age-related changes in motion detection depend on the activated motion system. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 130:12-21. [PMID: 37419077 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Various aspects of visual functioning, including motion perception, change with age. Yet, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of age-related alterations at different stages of motion processing and in each motion system. To understand the effects of aging on second-order motion processing, we investigated optomotor responses (OMR) in younger and older wild-type (AB-strain) and acetylcholinesterase (achesb55/+) mutant zebrafish. The mutant fish with decreased levels of acetylcholinesterase have been shown to have delayed age-related cognitive decline. Compared to previous results on first-order motion, we found distinct changes in OMR to second-order motion. The polarity of OMR was dependent on age, such that second-order stimulation led to mainly negative OMR in the younger group while older zebrafish had positive responses. Hence, these findings revealed an overall aging effect on the detection of second-order motion. Moreover, neither the genotype of zebrafish nor the spatial frequency of motion significantly changed the response magnitude. Our findings support the view that age-related changes in motion detection depend on the activated motion system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysenur Karaduman
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Elif Tugce Karoglu-Eravsar
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Psychology, Selcuk University, Konya, Türkiye
| | - Utku Kaya
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Alaz Aydin
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Cognitive Science, Informatics Institute, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Michelle M Adams
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Hulusi Kafaligonul
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye.
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3
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Kunnath AJ, Gifford RH, Wallace MT. Cholinergic modulation of sensory perception and plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105323. [PMID: 37467908 PMCID: PMC10424559 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105323] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Sensory systems are highly plastic, but the mechanisms of sensory plasticity remain unclear. People with vision or hearing loss demonstrate significant neural network reorganization that promotes adaptive changes in other sensory modalities as well as in their ability to combine information across the different senses (i.e., multisensory integration. Furthermore, sensory network remodeling is necessary for sensory restoration after a period of sensory deprivation. Acetylcholine is a powerful regulator of sensory plasticity, and studies suggest that cholinergic medications may improve visual and auditory abilities by facilitating sensory network plasticity. There are currently no approved therapeutics for sensory loss that target neuroplasticity. This review explores the systems-level effects of cholinergic signaling on human visual and auditory perception, with a focus on functional performance, sensory disorders, and neural activity. Understanding the role of acetylcholine in sensory plasticity will be essential for developing targeted treatments for sensory restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansley J Kunnath
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - René H Gifford
- Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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4
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Chen C, Khanthiyong B, Charoenlappanit S, Roytrakul S, Reynolds GP, Thanoi S, Nudmamud-Thanoi S. Cholinergic-estrogen interaction is associated with the effect of education on attenuating cognitive sex differences in a Thai healthy population. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0278080. [PMID: 37471329 PMCID: PMC10358962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of human brain is shaped by both genetic and environmental factors. Sex differences in cognitive function have been found in humans as a result of sexual dimorphism in neural information transmission. Numerous studies have reported the positive effects of education on cognitive functions. However, little work has investigated the effect of education on attenuating cognitive sex differences and the neural mechanisms behind it based on healthy population. In this study, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) was employed to examine sex differences in cognitive function in 135 Thai healthy subjects, and label-free quantitative proteomic method and bioinformatic analysis were used to study sex-specific neurotransmission-related protein expression profiles. The results showed sex differences in two WCST sub-scores: percentage of Total corrects and Total errors in the primary education group (Bayes factor>100) with males performed better, while such differences eliminated in secondary and tertiary education levels. Moreover, 11 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between men and women (FDR<0.1) were presented in both education groups, with majority of them upregulated in females. Half of those DEPs interacted directly with nAChR3, whereas the other DEPs were indirectly connected to the cholinergic pathways through interaction with estrogen. These findings provided a preliminary indication that a cholinergic-estrogen interaction relates to, and might underpin, the effect of education on attenuating cognitive sex differences in a Thai healthy population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Medical Science Graduate Program, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
- Centre of Excellence in Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | | | - Sawanya Charoenlappanit
- Functional Proteomics Technology Laboratory, National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sittiruk Roytrakul
- Functional Proteomics Technology Laboratory, National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Gavin P. Reynolds
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Samur Thanoi
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Phayao, Mae Ka, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Sutisa Nudmamud-Thanoi
- Centre of Excellence in Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
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5
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Kaur S, Sharda S, Aggarwal H, Dadeya S. Comprehensive review of amblyopia: Types and management. Indian J Ophthalmol 2023; 71:2677-2686. [PMID: 37417105 PMCID: PMC10491072 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_338_23] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The optimal method of treatment for a child depends on the patient's age at the time of diagnosis, the onset and type of amblyopia, and the degree of compliance attainable. In deprivation amblyopia, the cause of visual impairment (e.g., cataract, ptosis) needs to be treated first, and then the disorder can be treated such as other types of amblyopia. Anisometropic amblyopia needs glasses first. In strabismic amblyopia, conventionally amblyopia should be treated first, and then strabismus corrected. Correction of strabismus will have little if any effect on the amblyopia, although the timing of surgery is controversial. Best outcomes are achieved if amblyopia is treated before the age of 7 years. The earlier the treatment, the more efficacious it is. In selected cases of bilateral amblyopia, the more defective eye must be given a competitive advantage over the comparatively good eye. Glasses alone can work when a refractive component is present, but occlusion might make the glasses work faster. The gold standard therapy for amblyopia remains occlusion of the better eye although penalization is also evidenced to achieve equal results. Pharmacotherapy has been shown to achieve suboptimal outcomes. Newer monocular and binocular therapies based on neural tasks and games are adjuncts to patching and can also be used in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savleen Kaur
- Advanced Eye Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Shipra Sharda
- Guru Nanak Eye Centre, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Subhash Dadeya
- Guru Nanak Eye Centre, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
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6
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Wu C, Gaier ED, Nihalani BR, Whitecross S, Hensch TK, Hunter DG. Durable recovery from amblyopia with donepezil. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10161. [PMID: 37349338 PMCID: PMC10287641 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34891-5] [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: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
An elevated threshold for neuroplasticity limits visual gains with treatment of residual amblyopia in older children and adults. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) can enable visual neuroplasticity and promote recovery from amblyopia in adult mice. Motivated by these promising findings, we sought to determine whether donepezil, a commercially available AChEI, can enable recovery in older children and adults with residual amblyopia. In this open-label pilot efficacy study, 16 participants (mean age 16 years; range 9-37 years) with residual anisometropic and/or strabismic amblyopia were treated with daily oral donepezil for 12 weeks. Donepezil dosage was started at 2.5 or 5.0 mg based on age and increased by 2.5 mg if the amblyopic eye visual acuity did not improve by 1 line from the visit 4 weeks prior for a maximum dosage of 7.5 or 10 mg. Participants < 18 years of age further patched the dominant eye. The primary outcome was visual acuity in the amblyopic eye at 22 weeks, 10 weeks after treatment was discontinued. Mean amblyopic eye visual acuity improved 1.2 lines (range 0.0-3.0), and 4/16 (25%) improved by ≥ 2 lines after 12 weeks of treatment. Gains were maintained 10 weeks after cessation of donepezil and were similar for children and adults. Adverse events were mild and self-limited. Residual amblyopia improves in older children and adults treated with donepezil, supporting the concept that the critical window of visual cortical plasticity can be pharmacologically manipulated to treat amblyopia. Placebo-controlled studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Eric D Gaier
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bharti R Nihalani
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Whitecross
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Takao K Hensch
- Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo, Japan
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David G Hunter
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo, Japan
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7
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Leet MP, Bear MF, Gaier ED. Metaplasticity: a key to visual recovery from amblyopia in adulthood? Curr Opin Ophthalmol 2022; 33:512-518. [PMID: 36094025 PMCID: PMC9547850 DOI: 10.1097/icu.0000000000000901] [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] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We examine the development of amblyopia and the effectiveness of conventional and emerging therapies through the lens of the Bienenstock, Cooper, and Munro (BCM) theory of synaptic modification. RECENT FINDINGS The BCM theory posits metaplastic adjustment in the threshold for synaptic potentiation, governed by prior neuronal activity. Viewing established clinical principles of amblyopia treatment from the perspective of the BCM theory, occlusion, blur, or release of interocular suppression reduce visual cortical activity in the amblyopic state to lower the modification threshold and enable amblyopic eye strengthening. Although efficacy of these treatment approaches declines with age, significant loss of vision in the fellow eye by damage or disease can trigger visual acuity improvements in the amblyopic eye of adults. Likewise, reversible retinal inactivation stimulates recovery of amblyopic eye visual function in adult mice and cats. SUMMARY Conventional and emerging amblyopia treatment responses abide by the framework of BCM theory. Preclinical studies support that the dramatic reduction in cortical activity accompanying temporary retinal silencing can promote recovery from amblyopia even in adulthood, highlighting a promising therapeutic avenue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison P Leet
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Mark F Bear
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Eric D Gaier
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Polley DB, Schiller D. The promise of low-tech intervention in a high-tech era: Remodeling pathological brain circuits using behavioral reverse engineering. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 137:104652. [PMID: 35385759 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
As an academic pursuit, neuroscience is enjoying a golden age. From a clinical perspective, our field is failing. Conventional 20th century drugs and devices are not well-matched to the heterogeneity, scale, and connectivity of neural circuits that produce aberrant mental states and behavior. Laboratory-based methods for editing neural genomes and sculpting activity patterns are exciting, but their applications for hundreds of millions of people with mental health disorders is uncertain. We argue that mechanisms for regulating adult brain plasticity and remodeling pathological activity are substantially pre-wired, and we suggest new minimally invasive strategies to harness and direct these endogenous systems. Drawing from studies across the neuroscience literature, we describe approaches that identify neural biomarkers more closely linked to upstream causes-rather than downstream consequences-of disordered behavioral states. We highlight the potential for innovation and discovery in reverse engineering approaches that refine bespoke behavioral "agonists" to drive upstream neural biomarkers in normative directions and reduce clinical symptoms for select classes of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Daniela Schiller
- Department of Psychiatry, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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9
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Levi DM, Li RW, Silver MA, Chung STL. Sequential perceptual learning of letter identification and "uncrowding" in normal peripheral vision: Effects of task, training order, and cholinergic enhancement. J Vis 2021; 20:24. [PMID: 32347910 PMCID: PMC7405719 DOI: 10.1167/jov.20.4.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Human adults with normal vision are capable of improving performance on visual tasks through repeated practice. Previous work has shown that enhancing synaptic levels of acetylcholine (ACh) in healthy human adults with donepezil (trade name: Aricept) can increase the magnitude and specificity of perceptual learning (PL) for motion direction discrimination in the perifovea. In the current study, we ask whether increasing the synaptic levels of ACh in healthy human adults with donepezil boosts learning of low-contrast isolated letter identification and high-contrast flanked letter identification in normal peripheral vision. Two groups of observers performed sequential training over multiple days while ingesting donepezil. One group trained on isolated low-contrast letters in Phase 1 and crowded high-contrast letters in Phase 2, and the other group performed the reverse sequence, thereby enabling us to differentiate possible effects of drug and training order on PL of letter identification. All testing and training were performed monocularly in peripheral vision, at an eccentricity of 10 degrees along the lower vertical meridian. Our experimental design allowed us to evaluate the effects of sequential training and to ask whether increasing cholinergic signaling boosted learning and/or transfer of low-contrast isolated letter identification and high-contrast flanked letter identification in normal peripheral vision. We found that both groups improved on each of the two tasks. However, our results revealed an effect of training task order on flanked letter identification: Observers who trained on isolated targets first showed rapid early improvement in flanked letter identification but little to no additional improvement after 30 training blocks, while observers who first trained with flanked letters improved gradually on flanked letter identification over the entire 100-block course of training. In addition, we found no effect of donepezil on PL of either isolated or flanked letter identification. In other words, donepezil neither boosted nor blocked learning to identify isolated low-contrast letters or learning to uncrowd in normal peripheral vision.
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Levi DM. Amblyopia. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 178:13-30. [PMID: 33832673 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821377-3.00002-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental abnormality that results in physiological alterations in the visual pathways and impaired vision in one eye, less commonly in both. It reflects a broad range of neural, perceptual, oculomotor, and clinical abnormalities that can occur when normal visual development is disrupted early in life. Aside from refractive error, amblyopia is the most common cause of vision loss in infants and young children. It causes a constellation of perceptual deficits in the vision of the amblyopic eye, including a loss of visual acuity, position acuity, and contrast sensitivity, particularly at high spatial frequencies, as well as increased internal noise and prolonged manual and saccadic reaction times. There are also perceptual deficits in the strong eye, such as certain types of motion perception, reflecting altered neural responses and functional connectivity in visual cortex (Ho et al., 2005). Treatment in young children consists of correction of any refractive error and patching of the strong eye. Compliance with patching is challenging and a substantial proportion of amblyopic children fail to achieve normal acuity or stereopsis even after extended periods of treatment. There are a number of promising experimental treatments that may improve compliance and outcomes, such as the playing of action video games with the strong eye patched. Although there may be a sensitive period for optimal effects of treatment, there is evidence that amblyopic adults may still show some benefit of treatment. However, there is as yet no consensus on the treatment of adults with amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis M Levi
- School of Optometry & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States.
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11
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Abstract
Recent work has transformed our ideas about the neural mechanisms, behavioral consequences and effective therapies for amblyopia. Since the 1700's, the clinical treatment for amblyopia has consisted of patching or penalizing the strong eye, to force the "lazy" amblyopic eye, to work. This treatment has generally been limited to infants and young children during a sensitive period of development. Over the last 20 years we have learned much about the nature and neural mechanisms underlying the loss of spatial and binocular vision in amblyopia, and that a degree of neural plasticity persists well beyond the sensitive period. Importantly, the last decade has seen a resurgence of research into new approaches to the treatment of amblyopia both in children and adults, which emphasize that monocular therapies may not be the most effective for the fundamentally binocular disorder that is amblyopia. These approaches include perceptual learning, video game play and binocular methods aimed at reducing inhibition of the amblyopic eye by the strong fellow eye, and enhancing binocular fusion and stereopsis. This review focuses on the what we've learned over the past 20 years or so, and will highlight both the successes of these new treatment approaches in labs around the world, and their failures in clinical trials. Reconciling these results raises important new questions that may help to focus future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis M Levi
- University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Karaduman A, Karoglu-Eravsar ET, Kaya U, Aydin A, Adams MM, Kafaligonul H. The optomotor response of aging zebrafish reveals a complex relationship between visual motion characteristics and cholinergic system. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 98:21-32. [PMID: 33227566 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the principles underlying age-related changes in motion perception is paramount for improving the quality of life and health of older adults. However, the mechanisms underlying age-related alterations in this aspect of vision, which is essential for survival in a dynamic world, still remain unclear. Using optomotor responses to drifting gratings, we investigated age-related changes in motion detection of adult zebrafish (wild-type/AB-strain and achesb55/+ mutants with decreased levels of acetylcholinesterase). Our results pointed out negative optomotor responses that significantly depend on the spatial frequency and contrast level of stimulation, providing supporting evidence for the visual motion-driven aspect of this behavior mainly exhibited by adult zebrafish. Although there were no significant main effects of age and genotype, we found a significant three-way interaction between contrast level, age, and genotype. In the contrast domain, the changes in optomotor responses and thus in the detection of motion direction were age- and genotype-specific. Accordingly, these behavioral findings suggest a strong but complicated relationship between visual motion characteristics and the cholinergic system during neural aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysenur Karaduman
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Elif Tugce Karoglu-Eravsar
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Utku Kaya
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Alaz Aydin
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Michelle M Adams
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Hulusi Kafaligonul
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
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13
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Vagge A, Ferro Desideri L, Traverso CE. An update on pharmacological treatment options for amblyopia. Int Ophthalmol 2020; 40:3591-3597. [PMID: 32770293 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-020-01535-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Amblyopia is a common cause of visual impairment in children and young adults. The cornerstone in the management of this disorder is based on increasing visual stimulation of the amblyopic eye by occlusion, by administering atropine or by causing optical penalization of the dominant eye. All these treatment options have shown some limits in terms of efficacy, due to the suboptimal treatment adherence for the patients and the lack of long-term clinical outcomes. Moreover, although it is well known that clinical efficacy decreases with age, new evidence is suggesting that cortical plasticity can be induced also in older children. For these reasons, new treatment options are being studied, in order to extend the "treatment window" beyond the critical period also in older patients. In this review, we will discuss all the most promising novel pharmacological agents in the management of amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo Vagge
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University Eye Clinic of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Macula Onlus Foundation, Genoa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Ferro Desideri
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University Eye Clinic of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. .,Macula Onlus Foundation, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Carlo Enrico Traverso
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University Eye Clinic of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Macula Onlus Foundation, Genoa, Italy
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14
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Laliberté G, Othman R, Vaucher E. Mesoscopic Mapping of Stimulus-Selective Response Plasticity in the Visual Pathways Modulated by the Cholinergic System. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:38. [PMID: 32719589 PMCID: PMC7350895 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholinergic potentiation of visual conditioning enhances visual acuity and discrimination of the trained stimulus. To determine if this also induces long-term plastic changes on cortical maps and connectivity in the visual cortex and higher associative areas, mesoscopic calcium imaging was performed in head-fixed awake GCaMP6s adult mice before and after conditioning. The conditioned stimulus (0.03 cpd, 30°, 100% contrast, 1 Hz-drifting gratings) was presented 10 min daily for a week. Saline or Donepezil (DPZ, 0.3 mg/kg, s.c.), a cholinesterase inhibitor that potentiates cholinergic transmission, were injected prior to each conditioning session and compared to a sham-conditioned group. Cortical maps of resting state and evoked response to the monocular presentation of conditioned or non-conditioned stimulus (30°, 50 and 75% contrast; 90°, 50, 75, and 100% contrast) were established. Amplitude, duration, and latency of the peak response, as well as size of activation were measured in the primary visual cortex (V1), secondary visual areas (AL, A, AM, PM, LM, RL), retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and higher cortical areas. Visual stimulation increased calcium signaling in all primary and secondary visual areas, the RSC, but no other cortices. There were no significant effects of sham-conditioning or conditioning alone, but DPZ treatment during conditioning significantly decreased the integrated neuronal activity of superficial layers evoked by the conditioned stimulus in V1, AL, PM, and LM. The activity of downstream cortical areas was not changed. The size of the activated area was decreased in V1 and PM, and the signal-to-noise ratio was decreased in AL and PM. Interestingly, signal correlation was seen only between V1, the ventral visual pathway, and the RSC, and was decreased by DPZ administration. The resting state activity was slightly correlated and rarely affected by treatments, except between binocular and monocular V1 in both hemispheres. In conclusion, cholinergic potentiation of visual conditioning induced change in visual processing in the superficial cortical layers. This effect might be a key mechanism in the establishment of the fine cortical tuning in response to the conditioned visual stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Laliberté
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition Visuelle, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Rahmeh Othman
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition Visuelle, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Départment de Pharmacologie et Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Elvire Vaucher
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition Visuelle, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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15
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Vaucher E, Laliberté G, Higgins MC, Maheux M, Jolicoeur P, Chamoun M. Cholinergic potentiation of visual perception and vision restoration in rodents and humans. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2020; 37:553-569. [PMID: 31839615 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-190947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cholinergic system is a potent neuromodulator system that plays a critical role in cortical plasticity, attention, and learning. Recently, it was found that boosting this system during perceptual learning robustly enhances sensory perception in rodents. In particular, pairing cholinergic activation with visual stimulation increases neuronal responses, cue detection ability, and long-term facilitation in the primary visual cortex. The mechanisms of cholinergic enhancement are closely linked to attentional processes, long-term potentiation, and modulation of the excitatory/inhibitory balance. Some studies currently examine this effect in humans. OBJECTIVE The present article reviews the research from our laboratory, examining whether potentiating the central cholinergic system could help visual perception and restoration. METHODS Electrophysiological or pharmacological enhancement of the cholinergic system are administered during a visual training. Electrophysiological responses and perceptual learning performance are investigated before and after the training in rats and humans. This approach's ability to restore visual capacities following a visual deficit induced by a partial optic nerve crush is also investigated in rats. RESULTS The coupling of visual training to cholinergic stimulation improved visual discrimination and visual acuity in rats, and improved residual vision after a deficit. These changes were due to muscarinic and nicotinic transmissions and were associated with a functional improvement of evoked potentials. In humans, potentiation of cholinergic transmission with 5 mg of donepezil showed improved learning and ocular dominance plasticity, although this treatment was ineffective in augmenting the perceptual threshold and electroencephalography. CONCLUSIONS Potential therapeutic outcomes ought to facilitate vision restoration using commercially available cholinergic agents combined with visual stimulation in order to prevent irreversible vision loss in patients. This approach has the potential to help a large population of visually impaired individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvire Vaucher
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition Visuelle, École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre de recherche en neuropsychologie et cognition (CERNEC), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Guillaume Laliberté
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition Visuelle, École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marie-Charlotte Higgins
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition Visuelle, École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Manon Maheux
- Centre de recherche en neuropsychologie et cognition (CERNEC), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Pierre Jolicoeur
- Centre de recherche en neuropsychologie et cognition (CERNEC), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Mira Chamoun
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition Visuelle, École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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16
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Byrne KN, McDevitt EA, Sheremata SL, Peters MW, Mednick SC, Silver MA. Transient cholinergic enhancement does not significantly affect either the magnitude or selectivity of perceptual learning of visual texture discrimination. J Vis 2020; 20:5. [PMID: 32511666 PMCID: PMC7416900 DOI: 10.1167/jov.20.6.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceptual learning (PL), often characterized by improvements in perceptual performance with training that are specific to the stimulus conditions used during training, exemplifies experience-dependent cortical plasticity. An improved understanding of how neuromodulatory systems shape PL promises to provide new insights into the mechanisms of plasticity, and by extension how PL can be generated and applied most efficiently. Previous studies have reported enhanced PL in human subjects following administration of drugs that increase signaling through acetylcholine (ACh) receptors, and physiological evidence indicates that ACh sharpens neuronal selectivity, suggesting that this neuromodulator supports PL and its stimulus specificity. Here we explored the effects of enhancing endogenous cholinergic signaling during PL of a visual texture discrimination task. We found that training on this task in the lower visual field yielded significant behavioral improvement at the trained location. However, a single dose of the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil, administered before training, did not significantly impact either the magnitude or the location specificity of texture discrimination learning compared with placebo. We discuss potential explanations for discrepant findings in the literature regarding the role of ACh in visual PL, including possible differences in plasticity mechanisms in the dorsal and ventral cortical processing streams.
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17
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Cholinergic Modulation of Binocular Vision. J Neurosci 2020; 40:5208-5213. [PMID: 32457075 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2484-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The endogenous neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is known to affect the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance of primate visual cortex, enhancing feedforward thalamocortical gain while suppressing corticocortical synapses. Recent advances in the study of the human visual system suggest that ACh is a likely component underlying interocular interactions. However, our understanding of its precise role in binocular processes is currently lacking. Here we use binocular rivalry as a probe of interocular dynamics to determine ACh's effects, via the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) donepezil, on the binocular visual system. A total of 23 subjects (13 male) completed two crossover experimental sessions where binocular rivalry measurements were obtained before and after taking either donepezil (5 mg) or a placebo (lactose) pill. We report that enhanced cholinergic potentiation attenuates perceptual suppression during binocular rivalry, reducing the overall rate of interocular competition while enhancing the visibility of superimposition mixed percepts. Considering recent evidence that perceptual suppression during binocular rivalry is causally modulated by the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, our results suggest that cholinergic activity counteracts the effect of GABA with regards to interocular dynamics and may modulate the inhibitory drive within the visual cortex.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our research demonstrates that the cholinergic system is implicated in modulating binocular interactions in the human visual cortex. Potentiating the transmission of acetylcholine (ACh) via the cholinergic drug donepezil reduces the extent to which the eyes compete for perceptual dominance when presented two separate, incongruent images.
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18
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Fleming G, Wright BA, Wilson DA. The Value of Homework: Exposure to Odors in the Home Cage Enhances Odor-Discrimination Learning in Mice. Chem Senses 2020; 44:135-143. [PMID: 30590399 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceptual learning is an enhancement in discriminability of similar stimuli following experience with those stimuli. Here, we examined the efficacy of adding additional active training following a standard training session, compared with additional stimulus exposure in the absence of associated task performance. Mice were trained daily in an odor-discrimination task, and then, several hours later each day, received 1 of 3 different manipulations: 1) a second active-training session, 2) non-task-related odor exposure in the home cage, or 3) no second session. For home-cage exposure, odorants were presented in small tubes that mice could sniff and investigate for a similar period of time as in the active discrimination task each day. The results demonstrate that daily home-cage exposure was equivalent to active odor training in supporting improved odor discrimination. Daily home-cage exposure to odorants that did not match those used in the active task did not improve learning, yielding outcomes similar to those obtained with no second session. Piriform cortical local field potential recordings revealed that both sampling in the active learning task and investigation in the home cage evoked similar beta band oscillatory activity. Together the results suggest that odor-discrimination learning can be significantly enhanced by addition of odor exposure outside of the active training task, potentially because of the robust activity evoked in the olfactory system by both exposure paradigms. They further suggest that odorant exposure alone could enhance or maintain odor-discrimination abilities in conditions associated with olfactory impairment, such as aging or dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Fleming
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Beverly A Wright
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Knowles Hearing Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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19
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Cisneros-Franco JM, Voss P, Kang MS, Thomas ME, Côté J, Ross K, Gaudreau P, Rudko DA, Rosa-Neto P, de-Villers-Sidani É. PET Imaging of Perceptual Learning-Induced Changes in the Aged Rodent Cholinergic System. Front Neurosci 2020; 13:1438. [PMID: 32038142 PMCID: PMC6985428 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholinergic system enhances attention and gates plasticity, making it a major regulator of adult learning. With aging, however, progressive degeneration of the cholinergic system impairs both the acquisition of new skills and functional recovery following neurological injury. Although cognitive training and perceptual learning have been shown to enhance auditory cortical processing, their specific impact on the cholinergic system remains unknown. Here we used [18F]FEOBV, a positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand that selectively binds to the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), as a proxy to assess whether training on a perceptual task results in increased cholinergic neurotransmission. We show for the first time that perceptual learning is associated with region-specific changes in cholinergic neurotransmission, as detected by [18F]FEOBV PET imaging and corroborated with immunohistochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Miguel Cisneros-Franco
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Patrice Voss
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Min Su Kang
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Research Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maryse E Thomas
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jonathan Côté
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Karen Ross
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierrette Gaudreau
- Réseau Québécois de Recherche sur le Vieillissement, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David A Rudko
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pedro Rosa-Neto
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Research Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Étienne de-Villers-Sidani
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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20
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Sheynin Y, Chamoun M, Baldwin AS, Rosa-Neto P, Hess RF, Vaucher E. Cholinergic Potentiation Alters Perceptual Eye Dominance Plasticity Induced by a Few Hours of Monocular Patching in Adults. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:22. [PMID: 30766471 PMCID: PMC6365463 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A few hours of monocular deprivation with a diffuser eye patch temporarily strengthens the contribution of the deprived eye to binocular vision. This shift in favor of the deprived eye is characterized as a form of adult visual plasticity. Studies in animal and human models suggest that neuromodulators can enhance adult brain plasticity in general. Specifically, acetylcholine has been shown to improve certain aspects of visual function and plasticity in adulthood. We investigated whether a single administration of donepezil (a cholinesterase inhibitor) could further augment the temporary shift in perceptual eye dominance that occurs after 2 h of monocular patching. Twelve healthy adults completed two experimental sessions while taking either donepezil (5 mg, oral) or a placebo (lactose) pill. We measured perceptual eye dominance using a binocular phase combination task before and after 2 h of monocular deprivation with a diffuser eye patch. Participants in both groups demonstrated a significant shift in favor of the patched eye after monocular deprivation, however our results indicate that donepezil significantly reduces the magnitude and duration of the shift. We also investigated the possibility that donepezil reduces the amount of time needed to observe a shift in perceptual eye dominance relative to placebo control. For this experiment, seven subjects completed two sessions where we reduced the duration of deprivation to 1 h. Donepezil reduces the magnitude and duration of the patching-induced shift in perceptual eye dominance in this experiment as well. To verify whether the effects we observed using the binocular phase combination task were also observable in a different measure of sensory eye dominance, six subjects completed an identical experiment using a binocular rivalry task. These results also indicate that cholinergic enhancement impedes the shift that results from short-term deprivation. In summary, our study demonstrates that enhanced cholinergic potentiation interferes with the consolidation of the perceptual eye dominance plasticity induced by several hours of monocular deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasha Sheynin
- McGill Vision Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mira Chamoun
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition Visuelle, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Alex S. Baldwin
- McGill Vision Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Pedro Rosa-Neto
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Robert F. Hess
- McGill Vision Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Elvire Vaucher
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition Visuelle, École d'Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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21
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Voss P, Thomas ME, Cisneros-Franco JM, de Villers-Sidani É. Dynamic Brains and the Changing Rules of Neuroplasticity: Implications for Learning and Recovery. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1657. [PMID: 29085312 PMCID: PMC5649212 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing number of research publications have illustrated the remarkable ability of the brain to reorganize itself in response to various sensory experiences. A traditional view of this plastic nature of the brain is that it is predominantly limited to short epochs during early development. Although examples showing that neuroplasticity exists outside of these finite time-windows have existed for some time, it is only recently that we have started to develop a fuller understanding of the different regulators that modulate and underlie plasticity. In this article, we will provide several lines of evidence indicating that mechanisms of neuroplasticity are extremely variable across individuals and throughout the lifetime. This variability is attributable to several factors including inhibitory network function, neuromodulator systems, age, sex, brain disease, and psychological traits. We will also provide evidence of how neuroplasticity can be manipulated in both the healthy and diseased brain, including recent data in both young and aged rats demonstrating how plasticity within auditory cortex can be manipulated pharmacologically and by varying the quality of sensory inputs. We propose that a better understanding of the individual differences that exist within the various mechanisms that govern experience-dependent neuroplasticity will improve our ability to harness brain plasticity for the development of personalized translational strategies for learning and recovery following brain injury or disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrice Voss
- *Correspondence: Étienne de Villers-Sidani, Patrice Voss,
| | | | | | - Étienne de Villers-Sidani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, MontrealQC, Canada
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22
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Chung STL, Li RW, Silver MA, Levi DM. Donepezil Does Not Enhance Perceptual Learning in Adults with Amblyopia: A Pilot Study. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:448. [PMID: 28824369 PMCID: PMC5545606 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Amblyopia is a developmental disorder that results in a wide range of visual deficits. One proven approach to recovering vision in adults with amblyopia is perceptual learning (PL). Recent evidence suggests that neuromodulators can enhance adult plasticity. In this pilot study, we asked whether donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor, enhances visual PL in adults with amblyopia. Nine adults with amblyopia were first trained on a low-contrast single-letter identification task while taking a daily dose (5 mg) of donepezil throughout training. Following 10,000 trials of training, participants showed improved contrast sensitivity for identifying single letters. However, the magnitude of improvement was no greater than, and the rate of improvement was slower than, that obtained in a previous study in which six adults with amblyopia were trained using an identical task and protocol but without donepezil (Chung et al., 2012). In addition, we measured transfer of learning effects to other tasks and found that for donepezil, the post-pre performance ratios in both a size-limited (acuity) and a spacing-limited (crowding) task were not significantly different from those found in the previous study without donepezil administration. After an interval of several weeks, six participants returned for a second course of training on identifying flanked (crowded) letters, again with concurrent donepezil administration. Although this task has previously been shown to be highly amenable to PL in adults with amblyopia (Chung et al., 2012; Hussain et al., 2012), only one observer in our study showed significant learning over 10,000 trials of training. Auxiliary experiments showed that the lack of a learning effect on this task during donepezil administration was not due to either the order of training of the two tasks or the use of a sequential training paradigm. Our results reveal that cholinergic enhancement with donepezil during training does not improve or speed up PL of single-letter identification in adults with amblyopia, and importantly, it may even halt learning and transfer related to a crowding task. Clinical Trial Registration: This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03109314).
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana T L Chung
- School of Optometry, Vision Science Graduate Group, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
| | - Roger W Li
- School of Optometry, Vision Science Graduate Group, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
| | - Michael A Silver
- School of Optometry, Vision Science Graduate Group, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
| | - Dennis M Levi
- School of Optometry, Vision Science Graduate Group, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA, United States
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23
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Beyeler M, Rokem A, Boynton GM, Fine I. Learning to see again: biological constraints on cortical plasticity and the implications for sight restoration technologies. J Neural Eng 2017; 14:051003. [PMID: 28612755 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aa795e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The 'bionic eye'-so long a dream of the future-is finally becoming a reality with retinal prostheses available to patients in both the US and Europe. However, clinical experience with these implants has made it apparent that the visual information provided by these devices differs substantially from normal sight. Consequently, the ability of patients to learn to make use of this abnormal retinal input plays a critical role in whether or not some functional vision is successfully regained. The goal of the present review is to summarize the vast basic science literature on developmental and adult cortical plasticity with an emphasis on how this literature might relate to the field of prosthetic vision. We begin with describing the distortion and information loss likely to be experienced by visual prosthesis users. We then define cortical plasticity and perceptual learning, and describe what is known, and what is unknown, about visual plasticity across the hierarchy of brain regions involved in visual processing, and across different stages of life. We close by discussing what is known about brain plasticity in sight restoration patients and discuss biological mechanisms that might eventually be harnessed to improve visual learning in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Beyeler
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America. Institute for Neuroengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America. eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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24
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García-Brito S, Morgado-Bernal I, Biosca-Simon N, Segura-Torres P. Intracranial self-stimulation also facilitates learning in a visual discrimination task in the Morris water maze in rats. Behav Brain Res 2017; 317:360-366. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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25
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Lagas AK, Black JM, Byblow WD, Fleming MK, Goodman LK, Kydd RR, Russell BR, Stinear CM, Thompson B. Fluoxetine Does Not Enhance Visual Perceptual Learning and Triazolam Specifically Impairs Learning Transfer. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:532. [PMID: 27807412 PMCID: PMC5069436 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine significantly enhances adult visual cortex plasticity within the rat. This effect is related to decreased gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) mediated inhibition and identifies fluoxetine as a potential agent for enhancing plasticity in the adult human brain. We tested the hypothesis that fluoxetine would enhance visual perceptual learning of a motion direction discrimination (MDD) task in humans. We also investigated (1) the effect of fluoxetine on visual and motor cortex excitability and (2) the impact of increased GABA mediated inhibition following a single dose of triazolam on post-training MDD task performance. Within a double blind, placebo controlled design, 20 healthy adult participants completed a 19-day course of fluoxetine (n = 10, 20 mg per day) or placebo (n = 10). Participants were trained on the MDD task over the final 5 days of fluoxetine administration. Accuracy for the trained MDD stimulus and an untrained MDD stimulus configuration was assessed before and after training, after triazolam and 1 week after triazolam. Motor and visual cortex excitability were measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Fluoxetine did not enhance the magnitude or rate of perceptual learning and full transfer of learning to the untrained stimulus was observed for both groups. After training was complete, trazolam had no effect on trained task performance but significantly impaired untrained task performance. No consistent effects of fluoxetine on cortical excitability were observed. The results do not support the hypothesis that fluoxetine can enhance learning in humans. However, the specific effect of triazolam on MDD task performance for the untrained stimulus suggests that learning and learning transfer rely on dissociable neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice K Lagas
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; Centre for Brain Research, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Joanna M Black
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; Centre for Brain Research, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Winston D Byblow
- Centre for Brain Research, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; Department of Exercise Sciences, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Melanie K Fleming
- Department of Exercise Sciences, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences, King's College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Lucy K Goodman
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; Centre for Brain Research, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Robert R Kydd
- Centre for Brain Research, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; Department of Psychological Medicine, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Bruce R Russell
- School of Pharmacy, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; National School of Pharmacy, University of OtagoDunedin, New Zealand
| | - Cathy M Stinear
- Centre for Brain Research, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; Department of Medicine, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Benjamin Thompson
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; Centre for Brain Research, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand; School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, WaterlooON, Canada
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26
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Daulatzai MA. Dysfunctional Sensory Modalities, Locus Coeruleus, and Basal Forebrain: Early Determinants that Promote Neuropathogenesis of Cognitive and Memory Decline and Alzheimer’s Disease. Neurotox Res 2016; 30:295-337. [DOI: 10.1007/s12640-016-9643-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Harrison TC, Pinto L, Brock JR, Dan Y. Calcium Imaging of Basal Forebrain Activity during Innate and Learned Behaviors. Front Neural Circuits 2016; 10:36. [PMID: 27242444 PMCID: PMC4863728 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The basal forebrain (BF) plays crucial roles in arousal, attention, and memory, and its impairment is associated with a variety of cognitive deficits. The BF consists of cholinergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurons. Electrical or optogenetic stimulation of BF cholinergic neurons enhances cortical processing and behavioral performance, but the natural activity of these cells during behavior is only beginning to be characterized. Even less is known about GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons. Here, we performed microendoscopic calcium imaging of BF neurons as mice engaged in spontaneous behaviors in their home cages (innate) or performed a go/no-go auditory discrimination task (learned). Cholinergic neurons were consistently excited during movement, including running and licking, but GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons exhibited diverse responses. All cell types were activated by overt punishment, either inside or outside of the discrimination task. These findings reveal functional similarities and distinctions between BF cell types during both spontaneous and task-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Harrison
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lucas Pinto
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Julien R Brock
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yang Dan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA, USA
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28
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Pain sensitivity following loss of cholinergic basal forebrain (CBF) neurons in the rat. Neuroscience 2016; 319:23-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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29
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Hori K, Konishi K, Hanashi T, Tani M, Tomioka H, Kitajima Y, Akashi N, Inamoto A, Kurosawa K, Hasegawa S, Izuno T, Kikuchi N, Hosoi M, Hachisu M. Demonstrating the Role of Anticholinergic Activity in a Mood Disorder. NEURODEGENER DIS 2015; 15:175-81. [PMID: 26138496 DOI: 10.1159/000381525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a case of a 54-year-old woman presenting with amnesia, apathy, work-related difficulties and mental stress. At presentation, her Mini-Mental State Examination score was 27 and her serum anticholinergic activity (SAA) was positive without medication or recent physical illnesses. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging revealed mild atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes, with a relatively intact hippocampus. Consequently, we diagnosed mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease and prescribed a cholinesterase inhibitor (donepezil, 10 mg/day); her SAA fully disappeared and clinical symptoms partially resolved. Addition of duloxetine coupled with environmental adjustments caused her cognitive function to return to a normal level, so we diagnosed pseudodementia due to depression. In this case, we believe that the simultaneous cholinergic burden and mental stress led to positive SAA, which made it reasonable to prescribe a cholinesterase inhibitor to ameliorate the associated acetylcholine hypoactivity. We believe that it is essential to recognize the importance of prescribing a cholinesterase inhibitor for specific patients, even those with pseudodementia, to control their clinical symptoms. Moreover, SAA might be a useful biomarker for identifying this subgroup of patients. We propose that anticholinergic activity appears endogenously in mood disorders (depression and bipolar disorder) and set out our rationalization for this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Hori
- Department of Psychiatry, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
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30
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Reavis EA, Frank SM, Tse PU. Caudate nucleus reactivity predicts perceptual learning rate for visual feature conjunctions. Neuroimage 2015; 110:171-81. [PMID: 25652392 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2014] [Revised: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Useful information in the visual environment is often contained in specific conjunctions of visual features (e.g., color and shape). The ability to quickly and accurately process such conjunctions can be learned. However, the neural mechanisms responsible for such learning remain largely unknown. It has been suggested that some forms of visual learning might involve the dopaminergic neuromodulatory system (Roelfsema et al., 2010; Seitz and Watanabe, 2005), but this hypothesis has not yet been directly tested. Here we test the hypothesis that learning visual feature conjunctions involves the dopaminergic system, using functional neuroimaging, genetic assays, and behavioral testing techniques. We use a correlative approach to evaluate potential associations between individual differences in visual feature conjunction learning rate and individual differences in dopaminergic function as indexed by neuroimaging and genetic markers. We find a significant correlation between activity in the caudate nucleus (a component of the dopaminergic system connected to visual areas of the brain) and visual feature conjunction learning rate. Specifically, individuals who showed a larger difference in activity between positive and negative feedback on an unrelated cognitive task, indicative of a more reactive dopaminergic system, learned visual feature conjunctions more quickly than those who showed a smaller activity difference. This finding supports the hypothesis that the dopaminergic system is involved in visual learning, and suggests that visual feature conjunction learning could be closely related to associative learning. However, no significant, reliable correlations were found between feature conjunction learning and genotype or dopaminergic activity in any other regions of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Reavis
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, 6207 Moore Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Sebastian M Frank
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, 6207 Moore Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Peter U Tse
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, 6207 Moore Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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31
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Deveau J, Jaeggi SM, Zordan V, Phung C, Seitz AR. How to build better memory training games. Front Syst Neurosci 2015; 8:243. [PMID: 25620916 PMCID: PMC4288240 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Can we create engaging training programs that improve working memory (WM) skills? While there are numerous procedures that attempt to do so, there is a great deal of controversy regarding their efficacy. Nonetheless, recent meta-analytic evidence shows consistent improvements across studies on lab-based tasks generalizing beyond the specific training effects (Au et al., 2014; Karbach and Verhaeghen, 2014), however, there is little research into how WM training aids participants in their daily life. Here we propose that incorporating design principles from the fields of Perceptual Learning (PL) and Computer Science might augment the efficacy of WM training, and ultimately lead to greater learning and transfer. In particular, the field of PL has identified numerous mechanisms (including attention, reinforcement, multisensory facilitation and multi-stimulus training) that promote brain plasticity. Also, computer science has made great progress in the scientific approach to game design that can be used to create engaging environments for learning. We suggest that approaches integrating knowledge across these fields may lead to a more effective WM interventions and better reflect real world conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Deveau
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Susanne M Jaeggi
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA ; Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Victor Zordan
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Riverside Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Calvin Phung
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Riverside Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Aaron R Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside Riverside, CA, USA
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32
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Cifuentes Castro VH, López Valenzuela CL, Salazar Sánchez JC, Peña KP, López Pérez SJ, Ibarra JO, Villagrán AM. An update of the classical and novel methods used for measuring fast neurotransmitters during normal and brain altered function. Curr Neuropharmacol 2014; 12:490-508. [PMID: 25977677 PMCID: PMC4428024 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x13666141223223657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand better the cerebral functions, several methods have been developed to study the brain activity, they could be related with morphological, electrophysiological, molecular and neurochemical techniques. Monitoring neurotransmitter concentration is a key role to know better how the brain works during normal or pathological conditions, as well as for studying the changes in neurotransmitter concentration with the use of several drugs that could affect or reestablish the normal brain activity. Immediate response of the brain to environmental conditions is related with the release of the fast acting neurotransmission by glutamate (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine (ACh) through the opening of ligand-operated ion channels. Neurotransmitter release is mainly determined by the classical microdialysis technique, this is generally coupled to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Detection of neurotransmitters can be done by fluorescence, optical density, electrochemistry or other detection systems more sophisticated. Although the microdialysis method is the golden technique to monitor the brain neurotransmitters, it has a poor temporal resolution. Recently, with the use of biosensor the drawback of temporal resolution has been improved considerably, however other inconveniences have merged, such as stability, reproducibility and the lack of reliable biosensors mainly for GABA. The aim of this review is to show the important advances in the different ways to measure neurotransmitter concentrations; both with the use of classic techniques as well as with the novel methods and alternant approaches to improve the temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Alberto Morales Villagrán
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Camino Ramón Padilla Sánchez 2100, Nextipac, Zapopan,
Jalisco, México, Zip code: 45110, Mexico
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33
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Kang JI, Huppé-Gourgues F, Vaucher E. Boosting visual cortex function and plasticity with acetylcholine to enhance visual perception. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:172. [PMID: 25278848 PMCID: PMC4167004 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholinergic system is a potent neuromodulatory system that plays critical roles in cortical plasticity, attention and learning. In this review, we propose that the cellular effects of acetylcholine (ACh) in the primary visual cortex during the processing of visual inputs might induce perceptual learning; i.e., long-term changes in visual perception. Specifically, the pairing of cholinergic activation with visual stimulation increases the signal-to-noise ratio, cue detection ability and long-term facilitation in the primary visual cortex. This cholinergic enhancement would increase the strength of thalamocortical afferents to facilitate the treatment of a novel stimulus while decreasing the cortico-cortical signaling to reduce recurrent or top-down modulation. This balance would be mediated by different cholinergic receptor subtypes that are located on both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons of the different cortical layers. The mechanisms of cholinergic enhancement are closely linked to attentional processes, long-term potentiation (LTP) and modulation of the excitatory/inhibitory balance. Recently, it was found that boosting the cholinergic system during visual training robustly enhances sensory perception in a long-term manner. Our hypothesis is that repetitive pairing of cholinergic and sensory stimulation over a long period of time induces long-term changes in the processing of trained stimuli that might improve perceptual ability. Various non-invasive approaches to the activation of the cholinergic neurons have strong potential to improve visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Il Kang
- École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Département de Neuroscience, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Elvire Vaucher
- École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
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34
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Shmuelof L, Krakauer JW. Recent insights into perceptual and motor skill learning. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:683. [PMID: 25232311 PMCID: PMC4153040 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lior Shmuelof
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - John W Krakauer
- Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD, USA
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35
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McDevitt EA, Rokem A, Silver MA, Mednick SC. Sex differences in sleep-dependent perceptual learning. Vision Res 2014; 99:172-9. [PMID: 24141074 PMCID: PMC4704702 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2013.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2013] [Revised: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in learning and memory suggest differences between men and women in mechanisms of neural plasticity. Such differences have been reported in a variety of explicit memory tasks, but implicit memory has not been studied in this context. We investigated differences between men and women in offline consolidation of perceptual learning (PL) of motion direction discrimination. Initially, discrimination thresholds were measured for two opposite directions of motion, followed by approximately 40 minutes of training on one of the directions. During a post-training consolidation period, subjects either took a nap or remained awake. Thresholds were then reassessed for both directions of motion. We found that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep facilitates consolidation of PL but that the pattern of specificity in the REM condition differed between men and women. PL for men whose naps contained REM sleep was highly specific to the trained direction of motion, whereas REM sleep in women resulted in generalized learning to the untrained direction as well as to a novel direction that was not previously tested. Moreover, for subjects in the REM condition, men exhibited greater PL than women for the trained direction. Our findings provide the first evidence of sex differences in the magnitude and specificity of PL and in the role of REM sleep in implicit learning. Our results have important implications for optimization of educational and training strategies designed for males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McDevitt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, Research Service, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, 9116a, San Diego, CA 92161, United States.
| | - Ariel Rokem
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, School of Optometry, and Vision Science Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, 360 Minor Hall #2020, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
| | - Michael A Silver
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, School of Optometry, and Vision Science Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, 360 Minor Hall #2020, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
| | - Sara C Mednick
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, Research Service, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, 9116a, San Diego, CA 92161, United States.
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36
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Purón-Sierra L, Miranda MI. Histaminergic modulation of cholinergic release from the nucleus basalis magnocellularis into insular cortex during taste aversive memory formation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91120. [PMID: 24625748 PMCID: PMC3953328 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2013] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of acetylcholine (ACh) to alter specific functional properties of the cortex endows the cholinergic system with an important modulatory role in memory formation. For example, an increase in ACh release occurs during novel stimulus processing, indicating that ACh activity is critical during early stages of memory processing. During novel taste presentation, there is an increase in ACh release in the insular cortex (IC), a major structure for taste memory recognition. There is extensive evidence implicating the cholinergic efferents of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) in cortical activity changes during learning processes, and new evidence suggests that the histaminergic system may interact with the cholinergic system in important ways. However, there is little information as to whether changes in cholinergic activity in the IC are modulated during taste memory formation. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the influence of two histamine receptor subtypes, H1 in the NBM and H3 in the IC, on ACh release in the IC during conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Injection of the H3 receptor agonist R-α-methylhistamine (RAMH) into the IC or of the H1 receptor antagonist pyrilamine into the NBM during CTA training impaired subsequent CTA memory, and simultaneously resulted in a reduction of ACh release in the IC. This study demonstrated that basal and cortical cholinergic pathways are finely tuned by histaminergic activity during CTA, since dual actions of histamine receptor subtypes on ACh modulation release each have a significant impact during taste memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Purón-Sierra
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Qro., México
| | - María Isabel Miranda
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Qro., México
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37
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McDevitt EA, Rowe KM, Brady M, Duggan KA, Mednick SC. The benefit of offline sleep and wake for novel object recognition. Exp Brain Res 2014; 232:1487-96. [PMID: 24504196 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-014-3830-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 01/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
How do we segment and recognize novel objects? When explicit cues from motion and color are available, object boundary detection is relatively easy. However, under conditions of deep camouflage, in which objects share the same image cues as their background, the visual system must reassign new functional roles to existing image statistics in order to group continuities for detection and segmentation of object boundaries. This bootstrapped learning process is stimulus dependent and requires extensive task-specific training. Using a between-subject design, we tested participants on their ability to segment and recognize novel objects after a consolidation period of sleep or wake. We found a specific role for rapid eye movement (REM, n = 43) sleep in context-invariant novel object learning, and that REM sleep as well as a period of active wake (AW, n = 35) increased segmentation of context-specific object learning compared to a period of quiet wake (QW, n = 38; p = .007 and p = .017, respectively). Performance in the non-REM nap group (n = 32) was not different from the other groups. The REM sleep enhancement effect was especially robust for the top performing quartile of subjects, or "super learners" (p = .037). Together, these results suggest that the construction and generalization of novel representations through bootstrapped learning may benefit from REM sleep, and more specific object learning may also benefit from AW. We discuss these results in the context of shared electrophysiological and neurochemical features of AW and REM sleep, which are distinct from QW and non-REM sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McDevitt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA,
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38
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Deveau J, Lovcik G, Seitz AR. The therapeutic benefits of perceptual learning. CURRENT TRENDS IN NEUROLOGY 2013; 7:39-49. [PMID: 25580062 PMCID: PMC4286158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The modern field of perceptual learning addresses improvements of sensory and perceptual functioning in adult observers and provides powerful tools to ameliorate the effects of neurological conditions that involve a sensory or attentional deficit. While the sensory systems were once thought to be plastic only during early development, modern research demonstrates a great deal of plasticity in the adult brain. Here we discuss the value of perceptual learning as a method to improve sensory and attentional function, with a brief overview of the current approaches in the field, including how perceptual learning can be highly specific to the training set, and also how new training approaches can overcome this specificity and transfer learning effects to untrained tasks. We discuss these in the context of extant applications of perceptual learning as a treatment for neurological conditions and how new knowledge mechanisms (including attention, exposure based learning, reinforcement learning and multisensory facilitation) that allow or restrict learning in the visual system can lead to enhanced treatment approaches. We suggest new approaches that integrate multiple mechanisms of perceptual learning that promise greater learning and more generalization to real world conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Deveau
- Department of Psychology, University of California – Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Gary Lovcik
- Anaheim Hills Optometric Center, Anaheim, CA, USA
| | - Aaron R. Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California – Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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