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Sibener LJ, Mosberger AC, Chen TX, Athalye VR, Murray JM, Costa RM. Dissociable roles of thalamic nuclei in the refinement of reaches to spatial targets. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.20.558560. [PMID: 37790555 PMCID: PMC10542479 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.20.558560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Reaches are complex movements that are critical for survival, and encompass the control of different aspects such as direction, speed, and endpoint precision. Complex movements have been postulated to be learned and controlled through distributed motor networks, of which the thalamus is a highly connected node. Still, the role of different thalamic circuits in learning and controlling specific aspects of reaches has not been investigated. We report dissociable roles of two distinct thalamic nuclei - the parafascicular (Pf) and ventroanterior/ventrolateral (VAL) nuclei - in the refinement of spatial target reaches in mice. Using 2-photon calcium imaging in a head-fixed joystick task where mice learned to reach to a target in space, we found that glutamatergic neurons in both areas were most active during reaches early in learning. Reach-related activity in both areas decreased late in learning, as movement direction was refined and reaches increased in accuracy. Furthermore, the population dynamics of Pf, but not VAL, covaried in different subspaces in early and late learning, but eventually stabilized in late learning. The neural activity in Pf, but not VAL, encoded the direction of reaches in early but not late learning. Accordingly, bilateral lesions of Pf before, but not after learning, strongly and specifically impaired the refinement of reach direction. VAL lesions did not impact direction refinement, but instead resulted in increased speed and target overshoot. Our findings provide new evidence that the thalamus is a critical motor node in the learning and control of reaching movements, with specific subnuclei controlling distinct aspects of the reach early in learning.
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Cheng HY, Fournier DI, Todd TP. Retrosplenial cortex and aversive conditioning. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1341705. [PMID: 38983870 PMCID: PMC11232490 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1341705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is well-known for its contribution to episodic memory, as well as contextual and spatial learning and memory. However, two literatures have also emerged examining the role of the RSC in aversive conditioning. The purpose of this manuscript is to review, and attempt to integrate, these two literatures. We focus on studies in which discrete cues, such as tones, predict the occurrence of aversive outcomes, such as mild shocks. Using both electrophysiological recordings and lesion methods, the first literature has examined RSC contributions to discriminative avoidance conditioning. The second, and more recent literature, has focused on the role of the RSC in Pavlovian fear conditioning. We discuss both literatures in terms of the type of information processed by the RSC, the role of the RSC in memory storage, and how the aversive conditioning literature might be consistent with a role for the RSC in contextual learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Travis P. Todd
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
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Wilbrecht L, Davidow JY. Goal-directed learning in adolescence: neurocognitive development and contextual influences. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:176-194. [PMID: 38263216 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00783-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time during which we transition to independence, explore new activities and begin pursuit of major life goals. Goal-directed learning, in which we learn to perform actions that enable us to obtain desired outcomes, is central to many of these processes. Currently, our understanding of goal-directed learning in adolescence is itself in a state of transition, with the scientific community grappling with inconsistent results. When we examine metrics of goal-directed learning through the second decade of life, we find that many studies agree there are steady gains in performance in the teenage years, but others report that adolescent goal-directed learning is already adult-like, and some find adolescents can outperform adults. To explain the current variability in results, sophisticated experimental designs are being applied to test learning in different contexts. There is also increasing recognition that individuals of different ages and in different states will draw on different neurocognitive systems to support goal-directed learning. Through adoption of more nuanced approaches, we can be better prepared to recognize and harness adolescent strengths and to decipher the purpose (or goals) of adolescence itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Wilbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Juliet Y Davidow
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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Wilcox O, Amin M, Hancock L, Nakamura K, Lace J, Ontaneda D, Galioto R. Associations Between Cognitive Impairment and Neuroimaging in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 39:196-203. [PMID: 37699528 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acad070] [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] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease which commonly involves cognitive dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have shown that patients with MS (pwMS) have diffuse patterns of brain atrophy, however, the relationship between the presentation of cognitive dysfunction and brain tissue loss remains understudied. Given the integral function of thalamus as a central nervous system relay center and its involvement in various brain circuits, thalamic atrophy may play a key role in the development and progression of cognitive dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between cognitive impairment in pwMS and thalamic atrophy. METHODS A total of 121 pwMS who had neuropsychological testing and quantitative MRI within 1 year of each were retrospectively identified. Grouped LASSO linear regression with 10-fold cross validation was used to estimate each neuropsychological test score with thalamic volume as the focal predictor and all other demographic and MRI metrics as covariates. RESULTS Rates of impairment ranged from 19% to 44%. Results showed notable associations between thalamic volume and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (β = 0.11), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, delayed (β = 0.12), California Verbal Learning Test, delayed and total (β = 0.24 and β = 0.15 respectively), and Trail Making Test Part A (β = -0.01), after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate an independent association between thalamic volumes and processing speed and memory performance, after accounting for demographic, clinical, and other MRI variables, among pwMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Wilcox
- Neurological Institute, Section of Neuropsychology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Moein Amin
- Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Laura Hancock
- Neurological Institute, Section of Neuropsychology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Kunio Nakamura
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Daniel Ontaneda
- Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Rachel Galioto
- Neurological Institute, Section of Neuropsychology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH USA
- Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH USA
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5
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Chaudhary R, Singh R. Therapeutic Viewpoint on Rat Models of Locomotion Abnormalities and Neurobiological Indicators in Parkinson's Disease. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2024; 23:488-503. [PMID: 37202886 DOI: 10.2174/1871527322666230518111323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Locomotion problems in Parkinson's syndrome are still a research and treatment difficulty. With the recent introduction of brain stimulation or neuromodulation equipment that is sufficient to monitor activity in the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp, new locomotion investigations in patients having the capacity to move freely have sprung up. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to find rat models and locomotion-connected neuronal indicators and use them all over a closed-loop system to enhance the future and present treatment options available for Parkinson's disease. METHODS Various publications on locomotor abnormalities, Parkinson's disease, animal models, and other topics have been searched using several search engines, such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Research Gate, and PubMed. RESULTS Based on the literature, we can conclude that animal models are used for further investigating the locomotion connectivity deficiencies of many biological measuring devices and attempting to address unanswered concerns from clinical and non-clinical research. However, translational validity is required for rat models to contribute to the improvement of upcoming neurostimulation-based medicines. This review discusses the most successful methods for modelling Parkinson's locomotion in rats. CONCLUSION This review article has examined how scientific clinical experiments lead to localised central nervous system injuries in rats, as well as how the associated motor deficits and connection oscillations reflect this. This evolutionary process of therapeutic interventions may help to improve locomotion- based treatment and management of Parkinson's syndrome in the upcoming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishabh Chaudhary
- Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda 151401, India
- Department of Pharmacology, M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana 133207, India
| | - Randhir Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda 151401, India
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Bradfield LA, Becchi S, Kendig MD. Striatal Acetylcholine and Dopamine Interactions Produce Situationappropriate Action Selection. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1491-1496. [PMID: 37702238 PMCID: PMC11097990 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230912093041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals often learn how to perform new actions for particular outcomes against a complex background of existing action-outcome associations. As such, this new knowledge can interfere or even compete with existing knowledge, such that individuals must use internal and external cues to determine which action is appropriate to the current situation. The question thus remains as to how this problem is solved at a neural level. Research over the last decade or so has begun to determine how the brain achieves situation-appropriate action selection. Several converging lines of evidence suggest that it is achieved through the complex interactions of acetylcholine and dopamine within the striatum in a manner that relies on glutamatergic inputs from the cortex and thalamus. Here we briefly review this evidence, then relate it to several very recent findings to provide new, speculative insights regarding the precise nature of striatal acetylcholine/dopamine interaction dynamics and their relation to situation- appropriate action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. Bradfield
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Serena Becchi
- Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Michael D. Kendig
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
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7
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Collomb-Clerc A, Gueguen MCM, Minotti L, Kahane P, Navarro V, Bartolomei F, Carron R, Regis J, Chabardès S, Palminteri S, Bastin J. Human thalamic low-frequency oscillations correlate with expected value and outcomes during reinforcement learning. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6534. [PMID: 37848435 PMCID: PMC10582006 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42380-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Reinforcement-based adaptive decision-making is believed to recruit fronto-striatal circuits. A critical node of the fronto-striatal circuit is the thalamus. However, direct evidence of its involvement in human reinforcement learning is lacking. We address this gap by analyzing intra-thalamic electrophysiological recordings from eight participants while they performed a reinforcement learning task. We found that in both the anterior thalamus (ATN) and dorsomedial thalamus (DMTN), low frequency oscillations (LFO, 4-12 Hz) correlated positively with expected value estimated from computational modeling during reward-based learning (after outcome delivery) or punishment-based learning (during the choice process). Furthermore, LFO recorded from ATN/DMTN were also negatively correlated with outcomes so that both components of reward prediction errors were signaled in the human thalamus. The observed differences in the prediction signals between rewarding and punishing conditions shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying action inhibition in punishment avoidance learning. Our results provide insight into the role of thalamus in reinforcement-based decision-making in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Collomb-Clerc
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Maëlle C M Gueguen
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000, Grenoble, France
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute and University Behavioral Health Care, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Lorella Minotti
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000, Grenoble, France
- Neurology Department, University Hospital of Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Kahane
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000, Grenoble, France
- Neurology Department, University Hospital of Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Vincent Navarro
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute - Institut du Cerveau, ICM, INSERM, CNRS, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Bartolomei
- Timone University Hospital, Sleep Unit, Epileptology and Cerebral Rhythmology, University Hospital of Marseille, Marseille, France
- Aix Marseille University, Inserm, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Marseille, France
| | - Romain Carron
- Aix Marseille University, Inserm, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Marseille, France
- Timone University Hospital, Department of functional and stereotactic neurosurgery, University Hospital of Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Jean Regis
- Neurosurgery Department, University Hospital of Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Stephan Chabardès
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000, Grenoble, France
- Neurosurgery Department, University Hospital of Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Stefano Palminteri
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Computationnelles, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, ENS, PSL, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Julien Bastin
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000, Grenoble, France.
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8
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Sangma JT, Trivedi AK. Light at night: effect on the daily clock, learning, memory, cognition, and expression of transcripts in different brain regions of rat. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2023; 22:2297-2314. [PMID: 37337065 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-023-00451-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
The rapid increase in urbanization is altering the natural composition of the day-night light ratio. The light/dark cycle regulates animal learning, memory, and mood swings. A study was conducted to examine the effect of different quantity and quality of light at night on the daily clock, learning, memory, cognition, and expression of transcripts in key learning centers. Treatment was similar for experiments one to three. Rats were exposed for 30 days to 12 h light and 12 h dark with a night light of 2 lx (dLAN group), 250 lx (LL), or without night light (LD). In experiment one, after 28 days, blood samples were collected and 2 days later, animals were exposed to constant darkness. In experiment two, after 30 days of treatment, animals were subjected to various tests involving learning, memory, and cognition. In experiment three, after 30 days of treatment, animals were sampled, and transcript levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, tyrosine kinase, Growth-Associated Protein 43, Neurogranin, microRNA-132, cAMP Response Element-Binding Protein, Glycogen synthase kinase-3β, and Tumor necrosis factor α were measured in hippocampus, thalamus, and cortex tissues. In experiment four, animals were exposed to night light of 0.019 W/m2 but of either red (640 nm), green (540 nm), or blue (450 nm) wavelength for 30 days, and similar tests were performed as mentioned in experiment 2. While in experiment five, after 30 days of respective wavelength treatments, all animals were sampled for gene expression studies. Our results show that exposure to dLAN and LL affects the daily clock as reflected by altered melatonin secretion and locomotor activity, compromises the learning, memory, and cognitive ability, and alterations in the expression levels of transcripts in the hypothalamus, cortex, and thalamus. The effect is night light intensity dependent. Further, blue light at night has less drastic effects than green and red light. These results could be of the potential use of framing the policies for the use of light at night.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T Sangma
- Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, 796004, India
| | - Amit K Trivedi
- Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, 796004, India.
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9
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Goñi-Erro H, Selvan R, Caggiano V, Leiras R, Kiehn O. Pedunculopontine Chx10 + neurons control global motor arrest in mice. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1516-1528. [PMID: 37501003 PMCID: PMC10471498 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01396-3] [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: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Arrest of ongoing movements is an integral part of executing motor programs. Behavioral arrest may happen upon termination of a variety of goal-directed movements or as a global motor arrest either in the context of fear or in response to salient environmental cues. The neuronal circuits that bridge with the executive motor circuits to implement a global motor arrest are poorly understood. We report the discovery that the activation of glutamatergic Chx10-derived neurons in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) in mice arrests all ongoing movements while simultaneously causing apnea and bradycardia. This global motor arrest has a pause-and-play pattern with an instantaneous interruption of movement followed by a short-latency continuation from where it was paused. Mice naturally perform arrest bouts with the same combination of motor and autonomic features. The Chx10-PPN-evoked arrest is different to ventrolateral periaqueductal gray-induced freezing. Our study defines a motor command that induces a global motor arrest, which may be recruited in response to salient environmental cues to allow for a preparatory or arousal state, and identifies a locomotor-opposing role for rostrally biased glutamatergic neurons in the PPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haizea Goñi-Erro
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Raghavendra Selvan
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vittorio Caggiano
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Meta AI Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roberto Leiras
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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10
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Baratta MV, Seligman MEP, Maier SF. From helplessness to controllability: toward a neuroscience of resilience. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1170417. [PMID: 37229393 PMCID: PMC10205144 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1170417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
"Learned helplessness" refers to debilitating outcomes, such as passivity and increased fear, that follow an uncontrollable adverse event, but do not when that event is controllable. The original explanation argued that when events are uncontrollable the animal learns that outcomes are independent of its behavior, and that this is the active ingredient in producing the effects. Controllable adverse events, in contrast, fail to produce these outcomes because they lack the active uncontrollability element. Recent work on the neural basis of helplessness, however, takes the opposite view. Prolonged exposure to aversive stimulation per se produces the debilitation by potent activation of serotonergic neurons in the brainstem dorsal raphe nucleus. Debilitation is prevented with an instrumental controlling response, which activates prefrontal circuitry detecting control and subsequently blunting the dorsal raphe nucleus response. Furthermore, learning control alters the prefrontal response to future adverse events, thereby preventing debilitation and producing long-term resiliency. The general implications of these neuroscience findings may apply to psychological therapy and prevention, in particular by suggesting the importance of cognitions and control, rather than habits of control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V. Baratta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Martin E. P. Seligman
- Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Steven F. Maier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
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11
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Zhang Y, Wang Y, Li Z, Wang Z, Cheng J, Bai X, Hsu YC, Sun Y, Li S, Shi J, Sui B, Bai R. Vascular-water-exchange MRI (VEXI) enables the detection of subtle AXR alterations in Alzheimer's disease without MRI contrast agent, which may relate to BBB integrity. Neuroimage 2023; 270:119951. [PMID: 36805091 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment is an important pathophysiological process in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of AD. However, most current neuroimaging methods assessing BBB function need the injection of exogenous contrast agents (or tracers), which limits the application of these methods in a large population. In this study, we aim to explore the feasibility of vascular water exchange MRI (VEXI), a diffusion-MRI-based method proposed to assess the BBB permeability to water molecules without using a contrast agent, in the detection of the BBB breakdown in AD. We tested VEXI on a 3T MRI scanner on three groups: AD patients (AD group), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients due to AD (MCI group), and the age-matched normal cognition subjects (NC group). Interestingly, we find that the apparent water exchange across the BBB (AXRBBB) measured by VEXI shows higher values in MCI compared with NC, and this higher AXRBBB happens specifically in the hippocampus. This increase in AXRBBB value gets larger and extends to more brain regions (medial orbital frontal cortex and thalamus) from MCI group to the AD group. Furthermore, we find that the AXRBBB values of these three regions is correlated significantly with the impairment of respective cognitive domains independent of age, sex and education. These results suggest VEXI is a promising method to assess the BBB breakdown in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Zhang
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Affiliated Sir Run Shaw Hospital AND Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yue Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaoqing Li
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Affiliated Sir Run Shaw Hospital AND Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zejun Wang
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Affiliated Sir Run Shaw Hospital AND Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Juange Cheng
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Affiliated Sir Run Shaw Hospital AND Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Bai
- Tiantan Neuroimaging Center of Excellence, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China; Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Cheng Hsu
- MR Collaboration, Siemens Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Sun
- MR Collaboration, Siemens Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | - Shiping Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiong Shi
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Binbin Sui
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Ruiliang Bai
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Affiliated Sir Run Shaw Hospital AND Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University.
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12
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Herzallah MM, Amir A, Paré D. Influence of Rat Central Thalamic Neurons on Foraging Behavior in a Hazardous Environment. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6053-6068. [PMID: 35772968 PMCID: PMC9351640 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0461-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging entails a complex balance between approach and avoidance alongside sensorimotor and homeostatic processes under the control of multiple cortical and subcortical areas. Recently, it has become clear that several thalamic nuclei located near the midline regulate motivated behaviors. However, one midline thalamic nucleus that projects to key nodes in the foraging network, the central medial thalamic nucleus (CMT), has received little attention so far. Therefore, the present study examined CMT contributions to foraging behavior using inactivation and unit recording techniques in male rats. Inactivation of CMT or the basolateral amygdala (BLA) with muscimol abolished the normally cautious behavior of rats in the foraging task. Moreover, CMT neurons showed large but heterogeneous activity changes during the foraging task, with many neurons decreasing or increasing their discharge rates, with a modest bias for the latter. A generalized linear model revealed that the nature (inhibitory vs excitatory) and relative magnitude of the activity modulations seen in CMT neurons differed markedly from those of principal BLA cells but were very similar to those of fast-spiking BLA interneurons. Together, these findings suggest that CMT is an important regulator of foraging behavior. In the Discussion, we consider how CMT is integrated into the network of structures that regulate foraging.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Foraging entails a complex balance between approach and avoidance alongside sensorimotor and homeostatic processes under the control of multiple cortical and subcortical areas. Although the central medial thalamic nucleus (CMT) is connected to many nodes in this network, its role in the regulation of foraging behavior has not been investigated so far. Here, we examined CMT contributions to foraging behavior using inactivation and unit recording techniques. We found that CMT inactivation abolishes the normally cautious foraging behavior of rats and that CMT neurons show large but heterogeneous changes in firing rates during the foraging task. Together, these results suggest that CMT is an important regulator of foraging behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad M Herzallah
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
- Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine 20002
| | - Alon Amir
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
| | - Denis Paré
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102,
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13
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Tolulope A, Ogundele OM. Anterior thalamic glutamatergic neurons modulate prefrontal cortical firing and regularity. Neurosci Lett 2022; 776:136565. [PMID: 35278647 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
For several decades, studies on learning and memory focused extensively on the neural circuitry between the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, with minimal attention to the role of the anterior thalamic nucleus (ATN). The diencephalic nucleus is rich in excitatory glutamate neurons that project to both the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Neural projections from the hippocampus and mPFC have also been identified in the ATN through reciprocal circuits. Although ATN lesioning leads to memory loss (amnesia), the role of the ATN in the propagation of cognitive processes in the mPFC is still poorly understood. In the current study, we employed adeno-associated viral labeling and in vivo electrophysiology to trace ATN glutamate neural projections in the layers of the mPFC. Neuroanatomical mapping of ATN Vglut2+ projections revealed a topographic gradient in the infralimbic cortex (IL), prelimbic cortex (PrL), and cingulate cortex (Cg1). Specifically, the IL has the least ATN Vglut2+ terminals while the PrL (layer III) and Cg1 (layers III, Va/b, VI) have robust innervation. Functional tracing of the thalamocortical projection was performed by combining extracellular Cg1 and ATN recording with ATN Vglut2+ neuron photostimulation. Our results show that light-activated ATN Vglut2+ neurons drive Cg1 neural activity and increase the firing rate of putative pyramidal neurons in anesthetized mice. In addition, light-activated Cg1 putative neurons were characterized by a significant increase in firing regularity when compared with baseline response. Together, our results show that ATN Vglut2+ neurons modulate the firing rate and firing regularity of the putative Cg1 putative pyramidal cells, thus, creating a premise for direct influence on cognitive processes in cortical networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeyelu Tolulope
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. Baton Rouge, LA70803, Louisiana, USA
| | - Olalekan M Ogundele
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. Baton Rouge, LA70803, Louisiana, USA.
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14
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Ouhaz Z, Perry BAL, Nakamura K, Mitchell AS. Mediodorsal Thalamus Is Critical for Updating during Extradimensional Shifts But Not Reversals in the Attentional Set-Shifting Task. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0162-21.2022. [PMID: 35105661 PMCID: PMC8906789 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0162-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility, attributed to frontal cortex, is vital for navigating the complexities of everyday life. The mediodorsal thalamus (MD), interconnected to frontal cortex, may influence cognitive flexibility. Here, male rats performed an attentional set-shifting task measuring intradimensional (ID) and extradimensional (ED) shifts in sensory discriminations. MD lesion rats needed more trials to learn the rewarded sensory dimension. However, once the choice response strategy was established, learning further two-choice discriminations in the same sensory dimension, and reversals of the reward contingencies in the same dimension, were unimpaired. Critically though, MD lesion rats were impaired during the ED shift, when they must rapidly update the optimal choice response strategy. Behavioral analyses showed MD lesion rats had significantly reduced correct within-trial second choice responses. This evidence shows that transfer of information via the MD is critical when rapid within-trial updates in established choice response strategies are required after a rule change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakaria Ouhaz
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, United Kingdom
- Institut Supérieur des Professions Infirmières et Techniques de la Santé, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
| | - Brook A L Perry
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, United Kingdom
| | - Kouichi Nakamura
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, United Kingdom
| | - Anna S Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, United Kingdom
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15
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Park G, Shin W, Park Y, Chung S, Kim D, Kim J. Neural correlates of multidimensional motor outputs in an excitatory parafascicular-zona incerta circuit. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 591:102-109. [PMID: 35007833 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.12.036] [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: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The parafascicular nucleus (Pf) in medial thalamus is interconnected with prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia. Though much research has determined its importance in cognitive regulation of behaviour, its projections to regions in subthalamus remain less known. Such connections include those to zona incerta (ZI), located immediately dorsal to subthalamic nuclei (STN) regulating motor output, and whose role in a motor context is only beginning to be investigated. We thus examined circuits from parafascicular (Pf) thalamus to ZI, and its activity during locomotion and spontaneous behaviours in mice. We found that a distinct group of CaMKIIα-positive excitatory parafascicular neurons, separated from VGLUT2-positive excitatory neurons, project widely into ZI, more than adjacent STN. Our results from fibre photometry and decoding with general linear model (GLM) indicate that PF-ZI pathways do not specifically correlate with amount of locomotion or movement velocity, but instead show more specified activity during relative directional changes of movements observed in turning, sniffing behaviours. These results hint at the PF-ZI pathway having a distinct role in directing action specificity and have implications for subcortical bases in dimensional control of behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geunhong Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea; Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Wooyeon Shin
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea; Program of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Yongjun Park
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Sooyoung Chung
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Daesoo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea.
| | - Jeongjin Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, South Korea.
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16
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Shipman ML, Corbit LH. Diet-induced deficits in goal-directed control are rescued by agonism of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors in the dorsomedial striatum. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:42. [PMID: 35091538 PMCID: PMC8799694 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01807-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Many overweight or obese people struggle to sustain the behavioural changes necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss. In rodents, obesogenic diet can disrupt goal-directed control of responding for food reinforcers, which may indicate that diet can disrupt brain regions associated with behavioural control. We investigated a potential glutamatergic mechanism to return goal-directed control to rats who had been given an obesogenic diet prior to operant training. We found that an obesogenic diet reduced goal-directed control and that systemic injection of LY379268, a Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR2/3) agonist, returned goal-directed responding in these rats. Further, we found that direct infusion of LY379268 into the dorsomedial striatum, a region associated with goal-directed control, also restored goal-directed responding in the obesogenic-diet group. This indicates that one mechanism through which obesogenic diet disrupts goal-directed control is glutamatergic, and infusion of a mGluR2/3 agonist into the DMS is sufficient to ameliorate deficits in goal-directed control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Shipman
- University of Toronto Department of Psychology, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
| | - Laura H Corbit
- University of Toronto Department of Psychology, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada.
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17
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Shapiro LP, Pitts EG, Li DC, Barbee BR, Hinton EA, Bassell GJ, Gross C, Gourley SL. The PI3-Kinase p110β Isoform Controls Severity of Cocaine-Induced Sequelae and Alters the Striatal Transcriptome. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:959-969. [PMID: 33773752 PMCID: PMC8202243 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The PI3-kinase (PI3K) complex is a well-validated target for mitigating cocaine-elicited sequelae, but pan-PI3K inhibitors are not viable long-term treatment options. The PI3K complex is composed of p110 catalytic and regulatory subunits, which can be individually manipulated for therapeutic purposes. However, this possibility has largely not been explored in behavioral contexts. METHODS Here, we inhibited PI3K p110β in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of cocaine-exposed mice. Behavioral models for studying relapse, sensitization, and decision-making biases were paired with protein quantification, RNA sequencing, and cell type-specific chemogenetic manipulation and RNA quantification to determine whether and how inhibiting PI3K p110β confers resilience to cocaine. RESULTS Viral-mediated PI3K p110β silencing reduced cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking by half, blocked locomotor sensitization, and restored mPFC synaptic marker content after exposure to cocaine. Cocaine blocked the ability of mice to select actions based on their consequences, and p110β inhibition restored this ability. Silencing dopamine D2 receptor-expressing excitatory mPFC neurons mimicked cocaine, impairing goal-seeking behavior, and again, p110β inhibition restored goal-oriented action. We verified the presence of p110β in mPFC neurons projecting to the dorsal striatum and orbitofrontal cortex and found that inhibiting p110β in the mPFC altered the expression of functionally defined gene clusters within the dorsal striatum and not orbitofrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS Subunit-selective PI3K silencing potently mitigates drug seeking, sensitization, and decision-making biases after exposure to cocaine. We suggest that inhibiting PI3K p110β provides neuroprotection against cocaine by triggering coordinated corticostriatal adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren P. Shapiro
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center
| | - Elizabeth G. Pitts
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University
| | - Dan C. Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University
| | - Britton R. Barbee
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center
| | - Elizabeth A. Hinton
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University
| | - Gary J. Bassell
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University,Department of Cell Biology, Emory University
| | - Christina Gross
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Shannon L. Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University,Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
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18
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Exploring communication between the thalamus and cognitive control-related functional networks in the cerebral cortex. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 21:656-677. [PMID: 33864195 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00892-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested by multiple studies (postmortem studies, invasive animal studies, and diffusion tensor imaging in the human brain) that the thalamus is important for communication among cortical regions. Many functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, including noninvasive and whole-brain studies, have reported thalamic co-activation with several cognitive control-related cortical systems. This forms a complex network that may be important for advanced cognitive control-related processes, such as working memory and attention. Nevertheless, how the thalamus communicates with the cognitive control-related network in the intact human brain is an essential question and needs further investigation. To address this question, we conducted a study using dynamic functional connectivity analysis and effective connectivity analysis based on fMRI data from young, healthy adult participants. The results showed that the middle thalamus exhibited both high in- and out-degree regarding the complex network related to cognitive control during both rest and task conditions. Furthermore, intrinsic communication via the middle thalamic regions showed dynamically co-varying patterns, and the thalamic regions showed high flexibility in dynamic community analysis. These results indicated that the mid-thalamic region is an important station for communication between nodes in cognitive control-related networks.
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19
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Mair RG, Francoeur MJ, Gibson BM. Central Thalamic-Medial Prefrontal Control of Adaptive Responding in the Rat: Many Players in the Chamber. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:642204. [PMID: 33897387 PMCID: PMC8060444 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.642204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has robust afferent and efferent connections with multiple nuclei clustered in the central thalamus. These nuclei are elements in large-scale networks linking mPFC with the hippocampus, basal ganglia, amygdala, other cortical areas, and visceral and arousal systems in the brainstem that give rise to adaptive goal-directed behavior. Lesions of the mediodorsal nucleus (MD), the main source of thalamic input to middle layers of PFC, have limited effects on delayed conditional discriminations, like DMTP and DNMTP, that depend on mPFC. Recent evidence suggests that MD sustains and amplifies neuronal responses in mPFC that represent salient task-related information and is important for detecting and encoding contingencies between actions and their consequences. Lesions of rostral intralaminar (rIL) and ventromedial (VM) nuclei produce delay-independent impairments of egocentric DMTP and DNMTP that resemble effects of mPFC lesions on response speed and accuracy: results consistent with projections of rIL to striatum and VM to motor cortices. The ventral midline and anterior thalamic nuclei affect allocentric spatial cognition and memory consistent with their connections to mPFC and hippocampus. The dorsal midline nuclei spare DMTP and DNMTP. They have been implicated in behavioral-state control and response to salient stimuli in associative learning. mPFC functions are served during DNMTP by discrete populations of neurons with responses related to motor preparation, movements, lever press responses, reinforcement anticipation, reinforcement delivery, and memory delay. Population analyses show that different responses are timed so that they effectively tile the temporal interval from when DNMTP trials are initiated until the end. Event-related responses of MD neurons during DNMTP are predominantly related to movement and reinforcement, information important for DNMTP choice. These responses closely mirror the activity of mPFC neurons with similar responses. Pharmacological inactivation of MD and adjacent rIL affects the expression of diverse action- and outcome-related responses of mPFC neurons. Lesions of MD before training are associated with a shift away from movement-related responses in mPFC important for DNMTP choice. These results suggest that MD has short-term effects on the expression of event-related activity in mPFC and long-term effects that tune mPFC neurons to respond to task-specific information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Mair
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
| | - Miranda J Francoeur
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States.,Neural Engineering and Translation Lab, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Brett M Gibson
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
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20
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O'Reilly C, Iavarone E, Yi J, Hill SL. Rodent somatosensory thalamocortical circuitry: Neurons, synapses, and connectivity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:213-235. [PMID: 33766672 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
As our understanding of the thalamocortical system deepens, the questions we face become more complex. Their investigation requires the adoption of novel experimental approaches complemented with increasingly sophisticated computational modeling. In this review, we take stock of current data and knowledge about the circuitry of the somatosensory thalamocortical loop in rodents, discussing common principles across modalities and species whenever appropriate. We review the different levels of organization, including the cells, synapses, neuroanatomy, and network connectivity. We provide a complete overview of this system that should be accessible for newcomers to this field while nevertheless being comprehensive enough to serve as a reference for seasoned neuroscientists and computational modelers studying the thalamocortical system. We further highlight key gaps in data and knowledge that constitute pressing targets for future experimental work. Filling these gaps would provide invaluable information for systematically unveiling how this system supports behavioral and cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian O'Reilly
- Azrieli Centre for Autism Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Ronin Institute, Montclair, NJ, USA; Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Elisabetta Iavarone
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jane Yi
- Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sean L Hill
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
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21
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Stayte S, Dhungana A, Vissel B, Bradfield LA. Parafascicular Thalamic and Orbitofrontal Cortical Inputs to Striatum Represent States for Goal-Directed Action Selection. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:655029. [PMID: 33841111 PMCID: PMC8029974 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.655029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Several lines of evidence accrued over the last 5–10 years have converged to suggest that the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex each represent or contribute to internal state/context representations that guide action selection in partially observable task situations. In rodents, inactivations of each structure have been found to selectively impair performance in paradigms testing goal-directed action selection, but only when that action selection relies on state representations. Electrophysiological evidence has suggested that each structure achieves this function via inputs onto cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in the dorsomedial striatum. Here, we briefly review these studies, then point to anatomical evidence regarding the afferents of each structure and what they suggest about the specific features that each contribute to internal state representations. Finally, we speculate as to whether this role might be achieved interdependently through direct PF→OFC projections, or through the convergence of independent direct orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus (PF) inputs onto striatal targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Stayte
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Amolika Dhungana
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bryce Vissel
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Laura A Bradfield
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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22
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Murray JM, Escola GS. Remembrance of things practiced with fast and slow learning in cortical and subcortical pathways. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6441. [PMID: 33361766 PMCID: PMC7758336 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19788-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The learning of motor skills unfolds over multiple timescales, with rapid initial gains in performance followed by a longer period in which the behavior becomes more refined, habitual, and automatized. While recent lesion and inactivation experiments have provided hints about how various brain areas might contribute to such learning, their precise roles and the neural mechanisms underlying them are not well understood. In this work, we propose neural- and circuit-level mechanisms by which motor cortex, thalamus, and striatum support motor learning. In this model, the combination of fast cortical learning and slow subcortical learning gives rise to a covert learning process through which control of behavior is gradually transferred from cortical to subcortical circuits, while protecting learned behaviors that are practiced repeatedly against overwriting by future learning. Together, these results point to a new computational role for thalamus in motor learning and, more broadly, provide a framework for understanding the neural basis of habit formation and the automatization of behavior through practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Murray
- Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
| | - G Sean Escola
- Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
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23
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Sami M, Cole JH, Kempton MJ, Annibale L, Das D, Kelbrick M, Eranti S, Collier T, Onyejiaka C, O'Neill A, Lythgoe DJ, McGuire P, Williams SCR, Bhattacharyya S. Cannabis use in patients with early psychosis is associated with alterations in putamen and thalamic shape. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4386-4396. [PMID: 32687254 PMCID: PMC7502838 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Around half of patients with early psychosis have a history of cannabis use. We aimed to determine if there are neurobiological differences in these the subgroups of persons with psychosis with and without a history of cannabis use. We expected to see regional deflations in hippocampus as a neurotoxic effect and regional inflations in striatal regions implicated in addictive processes. Volumetric, T1w MRIs were acquired from people with a diagnosis psychosis with (PwP + C = 28) or without (PwP - C = 26) a history of cannabis use; and Controls with (C + C = 16) or without (C - C = 22) cannabis use. We undertook vertex-based shape analysis of the brainstem, amygdala, hippocampus, globus pallidus, nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen, thalamus using FSL FIRST. Clusters were defined through Threshold Free Cluster Enhancement and Family Wise Error was set at p < .05. We adjusted analyses for age, sex, tobacco and alcohol use. The putamen (bilaterally) and the right thalamus showed regional enlargement in PwP + C versus PwP - C. There were no areas of regional deflation. There were no significant differences between C + C and C - C. Cannabis use in participants with psychosis is associated with morphological alterations in subcortical structures. Putamen and thalamic enlargement may be related to compulsivity in patients with a history of cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musa Sami
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - James H. Cole
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Matthew J. Kempton
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Luciano Annibale
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Debasis Das
- Leicestershire Partnership NHS TrustLondonUK
| | | | | | - Tracy Collier
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Aisling O'Neill
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - David J. Lythgoe
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Philip McGuire
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Steve C. R. Williams
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Institute of PsychiatryPsychology and Neurosciences King's College LondonLondonUK
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24
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Johnson KA, Voyvodic L, Loewinger GC, Mateo Y, Lovinger DM. Operant self-stimulation of thalamic terminals in the dorsomedial striatum is constrained by metabotropic glutamate receptor 2. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1454-1462. [PMID: 31995814 PMCID: PMC7360544 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0626-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Dorsal striatal manipulations including stimulation of dopamine release and activation of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are sufficient to drive reinforcement-based learning. Glutamatergic innervation of the striatum by the cortex and thalamus is a critical determinant of MSN activity and local regulation of dopamine release. However, the relationship between striatal glutamatergic afferents and behavioral reinforcement is not well understood. We evaluated the reinforcing properties of optogenetic stimulation of thalamostriatal terminals, which are associated with vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (Vglut2) expression, in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS), a region implicated in goal-directed behaviors. In mice expressing channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) under control of the Vglut2 promoter, optical stimulation of the DMS reinforced operant lever-pressing behavior. Mice also acquired operant self-stimulation of thalamostriatal terminals when ChR2 expression was virally targeted to the intralaminar thalamus. Stimulation trains that supported operant responding evoked dopamine release in the DMS and excitatory postsynaptic currents in DMS MSNs. Our previous work demonstrated that the presynaptic G protein-coupled receptor metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGlu2) robustly inhibits glutamate and dopamine release induced by activation of thalamostriatal afferents. Thus, we examined the regulation of thalamostriatal self-stimulation by mGlu2. Administration of an mGlu2/3 agonist or an mGlu2-selective positive allosteric modulator reduced self-stimulation. Conversely, blockade of these receptors increased thalamostriatal self-stimulation, suggesting that endogenous activation of these receptors negatively modulates the reinforcing properties of thalamostriatal activity. These findings demonstrate that stimulation of thalamic terminals in the DMS is sufficient to reinforce a self-initiated action, and that thalamostriatal reinforcement is constrained by mGlu2 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari A. Johnson
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA ,0000 0001 0421 5525grid.265436.0Present Address: Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, C2019, Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
| | - Lucas Voyvodic
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA
| | - Gabriel C. Loewinger
- 000000041936754Xgrid.38142.3cDepartment of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Yolanda Mateo
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA
| | - David M. Lovinger
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA
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25
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Woon EP, Sequeira MK, Barbee BR, Gourley SL. Involvement of the rodent prelimbic and medial orbitofrontal cortices in goal-directed action: A brief review. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:1020-1030. [PMID: 31820488 PMCID: PMC7392403 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Goal-directed action refers to selecting behaviors based on the expectation that they will be reinforced with desirable outcomes. It is typically conceptualized as opposing habit-based behaviors, which are instead supported by stimulus-response associations and insensitive to consequences. The prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL) is positioned along the medial wall of the rodent prefrontal cortex. It is indispensable for action-outcome-driven (goal-directed) behavior, consolidating action-outcome relationships and linking contextual information with instrumental behavior. In this brief review, we will discuss the growing list of molecular factors involved in PL function. Ventral to the PL is the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). We will also summarize emerging evidence from rodents (complementing existing literature describing humans) that it too is involved in action-outcome conditioning. We describe experiments using procedures that quantify responding based on reward value, the likelihood of reinforcement, or effort requirements, touching also on experiments assessing food consumption more generally. We synthesize these findings with the argument that the mOFC is essential to goal-directed action when outcome value information is not immediately observable and must be recalled and inferred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen P. Woon
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Translational and Social Neuroscience
| | - Michelle K. Sequeira
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Translational and Social Neuroscience
| | - Britton R. Barbee
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Translational and Social Neuroscience
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Shannon L. Gourley
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Translational and Social Neuroscience
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Emory University, Atlanta, GA
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26
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Wei Q, Bai T, Brown EC, Xie W, Chen Y, Ji G, Ramasubbu R, Tian Y, Wang K. Thalamocortical connectivity in electroconvulsive therapy for major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord 2020; 264:163-171. [PMID: 32056746 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Revised: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can lead to rapid and effective responses in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the precise neural mechanisms of ECT for MDD are still unclear. Previous work has confirmed that thalamocortical circuits play an important role in emotion and cognition. However, the relationship between mechanisms of ECT for MDD and thalamocortical connectivity has not yet been investigated. METHOD Thalamocortical functional connectivity analysis was performed on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected from 28 MDD patients both pre- and post-ECT treatment, as well as 20 healthy controls. The cortex was parceled into six regions of interest (ROIs), which were used as seeds to assess the functional connectivity between the cortex and each voxel in the thalamus. Then, functional connectivity between the identified thalamic subregions and the rest of the brain was quantified to better localize thalamocortical connectivity related to ECT. Structural connectivity among the functionally abnormal regions was also determined using probabilistic tractography from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data. RESULTS There was decreased parietal cortex-left pulvinar and left pulvinar-bilateral precuneus functional connectivity in post-ECT MDD patients, compared to pre-ECT MDD patients. Furthermore, functional connectivity strength of parietal cortex-left pulvinar and left pulvinar-bilateral precuneus was negative correlation with verbal fluency test scores in post-ECT MDD patients. No significant change was found in structural connectivity analysis. LIMITATIONS The sample size of our study was not large. CONCLUSION Our findings implicate that the specific abnormalities in thalamocortical circuit may be associated with cognitive impairment induced by ECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wei
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Tongjian Bai
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Elliot C Brown
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Neuroscience Research Center, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany; Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Wen Xie
- Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Yang Chen
- Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Gongjun Ji
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Rajamannar Ramasubbu
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Yanghua Tian
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China.
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China.
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27
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Huerta-Ocampo I, Hacioglu-Bay H, Dautan D, Mena-Segovia J. Distribution of Midbrain Cholinergic Axons in the Thalamus. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0454-19.2019. [PMID: 31882534 PMCID: PMC6957312 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0454-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic transmission is essential for adaptive behavior and has been suggested to play a central role in the modulation of brain states by means of the modulation of thalamic neurons. Midbrain cholinergic neurons from the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) and the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) provide dense innervation of the thalamus, but a detailed connectivity mapping is missing. Using conditional tracing of midbrain cholinergic axons in the rat, together with a detailed segmentation of thalamic structures, we show that projections arising in PPN and LDT are topographically organized along the entire extent of the thalamus. PPN cholinergic neurons preferentially innervate thalamic relay structures, whereas LDT cholinergic neurons preferentially target thalamic limbic nuclei. Moreover, both PPN and LDT provide a dense innervation of the intralaminar thalamic nuclei. Notably, we observe a differential synaptic density that functionally dissociates between PPN and LDT innervation. Our results show that midbrain cholinergic neurons innervate virtually all thalamic structures and this innervation is functionally segregated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Icnelia Huerta-Ocampo
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102
- MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, United Kingdom
| | - Husniye Hacioglu-Bay
- MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, United Kingdom
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Marmara University, 34854 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Daniel Dautan
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102
| | - Juan Mena-Segovia
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102
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28
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The striatum, the hippocampus, and short-term memory binding: Volumetric analysis of the subcortical grey matter's role in mild cognitive impairment. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 25:102158. [PMID: 31918064 PMCID: PMC7036699 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal atrophy plays no role in short-term memory binding. The globus pallidus could be part of the brain network supporting binding. Total brain atrophy does not correlate with striatal grey matter atrophy in MCI. Striatal grey matter atrophy reflects in total brain atrophy in controls. Hippocampal and parahippocampal volumes correlate in MCI and controls.
Background Deficits in short-term memory (STM) binding are a distinguishing feature of preclinical stages leading to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the neuroanatomical correlates of conjunctive STM binding are largely unexplored. Here we examine the possible association between the volumes of hippocampi, parahippocampal gyri, and grey matter within the subcortical structures – all found to have foci that seemingly correlate with basic daily living activities in AD patients - with cognitive tests related to conjunctive STM binding. Materials and methods Hippocampal, thalamic, parahippocampal and corpus striatum volumes were semi-automatically quantified in brain magnetic resonance images from 25 cognitively normal people and 21 patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) at high risk of AD progression, who undertook a battery of cognitive tests and the short-term memory binding test. Associations were assessed using linear regression models and group differences were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results Hippocampal and parahippocampal gyrus volumes differed between MCI and control groups. Although the grey matter volume in the globus pallidus (r = -0.71, p < 0.001) and parahippocampal gyry (r = -0.63, p < 0.05) correlated with a STM binding task in the MCI group, only the former remained associated with STM binding deficits in MCI patients, after correcting for age, gender and years of education (β = -0.56,P = 0.042) although with borderline significance. Conclusions Loss of hippocampal volume plays no role in the processing of STM binding. Structures within the basal ganglia, namely the globus pallidus, could be part of the extrahippocampal network supporting binding. Replication of this study in large samples is now needed.
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29
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Schreiner DC, Renteria R, Gremel CM. Fractionating the all-or-nothing definition of goal-directed and habitual decision-making. J Neurosci Res 2019; 98:998-1006. [PMID: 31642551 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Goal-directed and habitual decision-making are fundamental processes that support the ongoing adaptive behavior. There is a growing interest in examining their disruption in psychiatric disease, often with a focus on a disease shifting control from one process to the other, usually a shift from goal-directed to habitual control. However, several different experimental procedures can be used to probe whether decision-making is under goal-directed or habitual control, including outcome devaluation and contingency degradation. These different experimental procedures may recruit diverse behavioral and neural processes. Thus, there are potentially many opportunities for these disease phenotypes to manifest as alterations to both goal-directed and habitual controls. In this review, we highlight the examples of behavioral and neural circuit divergence and similarity, and suggest that interpretation based on behavioral processes recruited during testing may leave more room for goal-directed and habitual decision-making to coexist. Furthermore, this may improve our understanding of precisely what the involved neural mechanisms underlying aspects of goal-directed and habitual behavior are, as well as how disease affects behavior and these circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew C Schreiner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rafael Renteria
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christina M Gremel
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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30
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Thompson SL, Welch AC, Ho EV, Bessa JM, Portugal-Nunes C, Morais M, Young JW, Knowles JA, Dulawa SC. Btbd3 expression regulates compulsive-like and exploratory behaviors in mice. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:222. [PMID: 31501410 PMCID: PMC6733800 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0558-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BTB/POZ domain-containing 3 (BTBD3) was identified as a potential risk gene in the first genome-wide association study of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). BTBD3 is a putative transcription factor implicated in dendritic pruning in developing primary sensory cortices. We assessed whether BTBD3 also regulates neural circuit formation within limbic cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits and behaviors related to OCD in mice. Behavioral phenotypes associated with OCD that are measurable in animals include compulsive-like behaviors and reduced exploration. We tested Btbd3 wild-type, heterozygous, and knockout mice for compulsive-like behaviors including cage-mate barbering, excessive wheel-running, repetitive locomotor patterns, and reduced goal-directed behavior in the probabilistic learning task (PLT), and for exploratory behavior in the open field, digging, and marble-burying tests. Btbd3 heterozygous and knockout mice showed excessive barbering, wheel-running, impaired goal-directed behavior in the PLT, and reduced exploration. Further, chronic treatment with fluoxetine, but not desipramine, reduced barbering in Btbd3 wild-type and heterozygous, but not knockout mice. In contrast, Btbd3 expression did not alter anxiety-like, depression-like, or sensorimotor behaviors. We also quantified dendritic morphology within anterior cingulate cortex, mediodorsal thalamus, and hippocampus, regions of high Btbd3 expression. Surprisingly, Btbd3 knockout mice only showed modest increases in spine density in the anterior cingulate, while dendritic morphology was unaltered elsewhere. Finally, we virally knocked down Btbd3 expression in whole, or just dorsal, hippocampus during neonatal development and assessed behavior during adulthood. Whole, but not dorsal, hippocampal Btbd3 knockdown recapitulated Btbd3 knockout phenotypes. Our findings reveal that hippocampal Btbd3 expression selectively modulates compulsive-like and exploratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Summer L Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Committee on Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Amanda C Welch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Emily V Ho
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - João M Bessa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carlos Portugal-Nunes
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Mónica Morais
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - James A Knowles
- Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA
| | - Stephanie C Dulawa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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31
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Fresno V, Parkes SL, Faugère A, Coutureau E, Wolff M. A thalamocortical circuit for updating action-outcome associations. eLife 2019; 8:46187. [PMID: 31012845 PMCID: PMC6478430 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to flexibly use knowledge is one cardinal feature of goal-directed behaviors. We recently showed that thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways connecting the medial prefrontal cortex and the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) contribute to adaptive decision-making (Alcaraz et al., 2018). In this study, we examined the impact of disconnecting the MD from its other main cortical target, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in a task assessing outcome devaluation after initial instrumental training and after reversal of action-outcome contingencies. Crossed MD and OFC lesions did not impair instrumental performance. Using the same approach, we found however that disconnecting the OFC from its other main thalamic afferent, the submedius nucleus, produced a specific impairment in adaptive responding following action-outcome reversal. Altogether, this suggests that multiple thalamocortical circuits may act synergistically to achieve behaviorally relevant functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Fresno
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Shauna L Parkes
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Angélique Faugère
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Mathieu Wolff
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
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32
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Francoeur MJ, Wormwood BA, Gibson BM, Mair RG. Central thalamic inactivation impairs the expression of action- and outcome-related responses of medial prefrontal cortex neurons in the rat. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 50:1779-1798. [PMID: 30919548 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The mediodorsal (MD) and adjacent intralaminar (IL) and midline nuclei provide the main thalamic input to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and are critical for associative learning and decision-making. MD neurons exhibit activity related to actions and outcomes that mirror responses of mPFC neurons in rats during dynamic delayed non-match to position (dDNMTP), a variation of DNMTP where start location is varied randomly within an open octagonal arena to avoid confounding behavioral events with spatial location. To test whether the thalamus affects the expression of these responses in mPFC, we inhibited the central thalamus unilaterally by microinjecting muscimol at doses and sites found to affect decision-making when applied bilaterally. Unilateral inactivation reduced normalized task-related responses in the ipsilateral mPFC without disrupting behavior needed to characterize event-related neuronal activity. Our results extend earlier findings that focused on delay-related activity by showing that central thalamic inactivation interferes with responses related to actions and outcomes that occur outside the period of memory delay. These findings are consistent with the broad effects of central thalamic lesions on behavioral measures of reinforcement-guided responding. Most (7/8) of the prefrontal response types affected by thalamic inactivation have also been observed in MD during dDNMTP. These results support the hypothesis that MD and IL act as transthalamic gates: monitoring prefrontal activity through corticothalamic inputs; integrating this information with signals from motivational and sensorimotor systems that converge in thalamus; and acting through thalamocortical projections to enhance expression of neuronal responses in the PFC that support adaptive goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda J Francoeur
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Benjamin A Wormwood
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Brett M Gibson
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Robert G Mair
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
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33
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Mandelbaum G, Taranda J, Haynes TM, Hochbaum DR, Huang KW, Hyun M, Umadevi Venkataraju K, Straub C, Wang W, Robertson K, Osten P, Sabatini BL. Distinct Cortical-Thalamic-Striatal Circuits through the Parafascicular Nucleus. Neuron 2019; 102:636-652.e7. [PMID: 30905392 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.02.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The thalamic parafascicular nucleus (PF), an excitatory input to the basal ganglia, is targeted with deep-brain stimulation to alleviate a range of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, PF lesions disrupt the execution of correct motor actions in uncertain environments. Nevertheless, the circuitry of the PF and its contribution to action selection are poorly understood. We find that, in mice, PF has the highest density of striatum-projecting neurons among all sub-cortical structures. This projection arises from transcriptionally and physiologically distinct classes of PF neurons that are also reciprocally connected with functionally distinct cortical regions, differentially innervate striatal neurons, and are not synaptically connected in PF. Thus, mouse PF contains heterogeneous neurons that are organized into parallel and independent associative, limbic, and somatosensory circuits. Furthermore, these subcircuits share motifs of cortical-PF-cortical and cortical-PF-striatum organization that allow each PF subregion, via its precise connectivity with cortex, to coordinate diverse inputs to striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gil Mandelbaum
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julian Taranda
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Trevor M Haynes
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Daniel R Hochbaum
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Society of Fellows, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kee Wui Huang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Minsuk Hyun
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Christoph Straub
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wengang Wang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Keiramarie Robertson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Pavel Osten
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Bernardo L Sabatini
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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34
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Sharpe MJ, Stalnaker T, Schuck NW, Killcross S, Schoenbaum G, Niv Y. An Integrated Model of Action Selection: Distinct Modes of Cortical Control of Striatal Decision Making. Annu Rev Psychol 2019; 70:53-76. [PMID: 30260745 PMCID: PMC9333553 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Making decisions in environments with few choice options is easy. We select the action that results in the most valued outcome. Making decisions in more complex environments, where the same action can produce different outcomes in different conditions, is much harder. In such circumstances, we propose that accurate action selection relies on top-down control from the prelimbic and orbitofrontal cortices over striatal activity through distinct thalamostriatal circuits. We suggest that the prelimbic cortex exerts direct influence over medium spiny neurons in the dorsomedial striatum to represent the state space relevant to the current environment. Conversely, the orbitofrontal cortex is argued to track a subject's position within that state space, likely through modulation of cholinergic interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Sharpe
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA; ,
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; ,
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia;
| | - Thomas Stalnaker
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA; ,
| | - Nicolas W Schuck
- Max Planck Research Group NeuroCode, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Simon Killcross
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia;
| | - Geoffrey Schoenbaum
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA; ,
- Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
| | - Yael Niv
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; ,
- Psychology Department, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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35
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Wolff M, Vann SD. The Cognitive Thalamus as a Gateway to Mental Representations. J Neurosci 2019; 39:3-14. [PMID: 30389839 PMCID: PMC6325267 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0479-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Historically, the thalamus has been viewed as little more than a relay, simply transferring information to key players of the cast, the cortex and hippocampus, without providing any unique functional contribution. In recent years, evidence from multiple laboratories researching different thalamic nuclei has contradicted this idea of the thalamus as a passive structure. Dated models of thalamic functions are being pushed aside, revealing a greater and far more complex contribution of the thalamus for cognition. In this Viewpoints article, we show how recent data support novel views of thalamic functions that emphasize integrative roles in cognition, ranging from learning and memory to flexible adaption. We propose that these apparently separate cognitive functions may indeed be supported by a more general role in shaping mental representations. Several features of thalamocortical circuits are consistent with this suggested role, and we highlight how divergent and convergent thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways may complement each other to support these functions. Furthermore, the role of the thalamus for subcortical integration is highlighted as a key mechanism for maintaining and updating representations. Finally, we discuss future areas of research and stress the importance of incorporating new experimental findings into existing knowledge to continue developing thalamic models. The presence of thalamic pathology in a number of neurological conditions reinforces the need to better understand the role of this region in cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Wolff
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INCIA, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5287, Bordeaux, France,
- University of Bordeaux, INCIA, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5287, Bordeaux, France, and
| | - Seralynne D Vann
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
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36
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Rosas-Vidal LE, Lozada-Miranda V, Cantres-Rosario Y, Vega-Medina A, Melendez L, Quirk GJ. Alteration of BDNF in the medial prefrontal cortex and the ventral hippocampus impairs extinction of avoidance. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:2636-2644. [PMID: 30127343 PMCID: PMC6224579 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0176-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is critical for establishing activity-related neural plasticity. There is increasing interest in the mechanisms of active avoidance and its extinction, but little is known about the role of BDNF in these processes. Using the platform-mediated avoidance task combined with local infusions of an antibody against BDNF, we show that blocking BDNF in either prelimbic (PL) or infralimbic (IL) medial prefrontal cortex during extinction training impairs subsequent recall of extinction of avoidance, differing from extinction of conditioned freezing. By combining retrograde tracers with BDNF immunohistochemistry, we show that extinction of avoidance increases BDNF expression in ventral hippocampal (vHPC) neurons, but not amygdala neurons, projecting to PL and IL. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we further show that reducing BDNF production in vHPC neurons impairs recall of avoidance extinction. Thus, the vHPC may mediate behavioral flexibility in avoidance by driving extinction-related plasticity via BDNFergic projections to both PL and IL. These findings add to the growing body of knowledge implicating the hippocampal-prefrontal pathway in anxiety-related disorders and extinction-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Rosas-Vidal
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Valeria Lozada-Miranda
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Yisel Cantres-Rosario
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Alexis Vega-Medina
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Loyda Melendez
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Gregory J Quirk
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA.
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Díaz-Hernández E, Contreras-López R, Sánchez-Fuentes A, Rodríguez-Sibrían L, Ramírez-Jarquín JO, Tecuapetla F. The Thalamostriatal Projections Contribute to the Initiation and Execution of a Sequence of Movements. Neuron 2018; 100:739-752.e5. [PMID: 30344045 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
One of the main inputs driving striatal activity is the thalamostriatal projection. While the hypothesis postulating that the different thalamostriatal projections contribute differentially to shape the functions of the striatum is largely accepted, existing technical limitations have hampered efforts to prove it. Here, through the use of electrophysiological recordings of antidromically photo-identified thalamostriatal neurons and the optogenetic inhibition of thalamostriatal terminals, we identify that the thalamostriatal projections from the parafascicular and the ventroposterior regions of the thalamus contribute to the smooth initiation and the appropriate execution of a sequence of movements. Our results support a model in which both thalamostriatal projections have specific contributions to the initiation and execution of sequences, highlighting the specific contribution of the ventroposterior thalamostriatal connection for the repetition of actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Díaz-Hernández
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito exterior s/n, 04510 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Rubén Contreras-López
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito exterior s/n, 04510 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Asai Sánchez-Fuentes
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito exterior s/n, 04510 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Luis Rodríguez-Sibrían
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito exterior s/n, 04510 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Josué O Ramírez-Jarquín
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito exterior s/n, 04510 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Fatuel Tecuapetla
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito exterior s/n, 04510 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico.
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Xiao L, Bornmann C, Hatstatt-Burklé L, Scheiffele P. Regulation of striatal cells and goal-directed behavior by cerebellar outputs. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3133. [PMID: 30087345 PMCID: PMC6081479 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05565-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum integrates descending motor commands and sensory information to generate predictions and detect errors during ongoing behaviors. Cerebellar computation has been proposed to control motor but also non-motor behaviors, including reward expectation and cognitive flexibility. However, the organization and functional contribution of cerebellar output channels are incompletely understood. Here, we elaborate the cell-type specificity of a broad connectivity matrix from the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) to the dorsal striatum in mice. Cerebello-striatal connections arise from all deep cerebellar subnuclei and are relayed through intralaminar thalamic nuclei (ILN). In the dorsal striatum, these connections target medium spiny neurons, but also ChAT-positive interneurons, a class of tonically active interneurons implicated in shifting and updating behavioral strategies. Chemogenetic silencing of cerebello-striatal connectivity modifies function of striatal ChAT-positive interneurons. We propose that cerebello-striatal connections relay cerebellar computation to striatal circuits for goal-directed behaviors. Cerebellar outputs contribute to motor as well as cognitive behaviors. Here, the authors elucidate the connectivity between deep cerebellar nuclei and specific cell types in the striatum via the intralaminar thalamic nucleus and the participation of this circuit in striatum-dependent behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Xiao
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
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Peak J, Hart G, Balleine BW. From learning to action: the integration of dorsal striatal input and output pathways in instrumental conditioning. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 49:658-671. [PMID: 29791051 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Considerable evidence suggests that the learning and performance of instrumental actions depend on activity in basal ganglia circuitry; however, these two functions have generally been considered independently. Whereas research investigating the associative mechanisms underlying instrumental conditioning has identified critical cortical and limbic input pathways to the dorsal striatum, the performance of instrumental actions has largely been attributed to activity in the dorsal striatal output pathways, with direct and indirect pathway projection neurons mediating action initiation, perseveration and cessation. Here, we discuss evidence that the dorsal striatal input and basal ganglia output pathways mediate the learning and performance of instrumental actions, respectively, with the dorsal striatum functioning as a transition point. From this perspective, the issue of how multiple striatal inputs are integrated at the level of the dorsal striatum and converted into relatively restricted outputs becomes one of critical significance for understanding how learning is translated into action. So too does the question of how learning signals are modulated by recent experience. We propose that this occurs through recurrent corticostriatothalamic feedback circuits that serve to integrate performance signals by updating ongoing action-related learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Peak
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Genevra Hart
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Bernard W Balleine
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia
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Cariaga-Martinez A, Gutiérrez K, Alelú-Paz R. Rethinking schizophrenia through the lens of evolution: shedding light on the enigma. RESEARCH IDEAS AND OUTCOMES 2018. [DOI: 10.3897/rio.4.e28459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia refers to a complex psychiatric illness characterized by the heterogenic presence of positive, negative and cognitive symptoms occurring in all human societies. The fact that the disorder lacks a unifying neuropathology, presents a decreased fecundity of the affected individuals and has a cross-culturally stable incidence rate, makes it necessary for an evolutionary explanation that fully accounts for the preservation of “schizophrenic genes” in the global human genepool, explaining the potential sex differences and the heterogeneous cognitive symptomatology of the disorder and is consistent with the neuropsychological, developmental and evolutionary findings regarding the human brain. Here we proposed a new evolutionary framework for schizophrenia that is consistent with findings presented in different dimensions, considering the disorder as a form of brain functioning that allows us to adapt to the environment and, ultimately, maintain the survival of the species. We focus on the epigenetic regulation of thalamic interneurons as a major player involved in the development of the clinical picture characteristic of schizophrenia.
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Chang DH, Ban H, Ikegaya Y, Fujita I, Troje NF. Cortical and subcortical responses to biological motion. Neuroimage 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Nicholson DA, Roberts TF, Sober SJ. Thalamostriatal and cerebellothalamic pathways in a songbird, the Bengalese finch. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:1550-1570. [PMID: 29520771 PMCID: PMC5899675 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The thalamostriatal system is a major network in the mammalian brain, originating principally from the intralaminar nuclei of thalamus. Its functions remain unclear, but a subset of these projections provides a pathway through which the cerebellum communicates with the basal ganglia. Both the cerebellum and basal ganglia play crucial roles in motor control. Although songbirds have yielded key insights into the neural basis of vocal learning, it is unknown whether a thalamostriatal system exists in the songbird brain. Thalamic nucleus DLM is an important part of the song system, the network of nuclei required for learning and producing song. DLM receives output from song system basal ganglia nucleus Area X and sits within dorsal thalamus, the proposed avian homolog of the mammalian intralaminar nuclei that also receives projections from the cerebellar nuclei. Using a viral vector that specifically labels presynaptic axon segments, we show in Bengalese finches that dorsal thalamus projects to Area X, the basal ganglia nucleus of the song system, and to surrounding medial striatum. To identify the sources of thalamic input to Area X, we map DLM and cerebellar-recipient dorsal thalamus (DTCbN ). Surprisingly, we find both DLM and dorsal anterior DTCbN adjacent to DLM project to Area X. In contrast, the ventral medial subregion of DTCbN projects to medial striatum outside Area X. Our results suggest the basal ganglia in the song system, like the mammalian basal ganglia, integrate feedback from the thalamic region to which they project as well as thalamic regions that receive cerebellar output.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Nicholson
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia
| | - Todd F Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, 75390-9111
| | - Samuel J Sober
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia
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Cavaccini A, Gritti M, Giorgi A, Locarno A, Heck N, Migliarini S, Bertero A, Mereu M, Margiani G, Trusel M, Catelani T, Marotta R, De Luca MA, Caboche J, Gozzi A, Pasqualetti M, Tonini R. Serotonergic Signaling Controls Input-Specific Synaptic Plasticity at Striatal Circuits. Neuron 2018; 98:801-816.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Parnaudeau S, Bolkan SS, Kellendonk C. The Mediodorsal Thalamus: An Essential Partner of the Prefrontal Cortex for Cognition. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:648-656. [PMID: 29275841 PMCID: PMC5862748 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in cognition are a core feature of many psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, where the severity of such deficits is a strong predictor of long-term outcome. Impairment in cognitive domains such as working memory and behavioral flexibility has typically been associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction. However, there is increasing evidence that the PFC cannot be dissociated from its main thalamic counterpart, the mediodorsal thalamus (MD). Since the causal relationships between MD-PFC abnormalities and cognitive impairment, as well as the neuronal mechanisms underlying them, are difficult to address in humans, animal models have been employed for mechanistic insight. In this review, we discuss anatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological findings from animal studies that provide a new understanding on how MD-PFC circuits support higher-order cognitive function. We argue that the MD may be required for amplifying and sustaining cortical representations under different behavioral conditions. These findings advance a new framework for the broader involvement of distributed thalamo-frontal circuits in cognition and point to the MD as a potential therapeutic target for improving cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and other disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Parnaudeau
- Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 06, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine UM119, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8246, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France
| | - Scott S Bolkan
- Graduate Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York
| | - Christoph Kellendonk
- Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York.
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45
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Alcaraz F, Fresno V, Marchand AR, Kremer EJ, Coutureau E, Wolff M. Thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways differentially contribute to goal-directed behaviors in the rat. eLife 2018; 7:32517. [PMID: 29405119 PMCID: PMC5800843 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Highly distributed neural circuits are thought to support adaptive decision-making in volatile and complex environments. Notably, the functional interactions between prefrontal and reciprocally connected thalamic nuclei areas may be important when choices are guided by current goal value or action-outcome contingency. We examined the functional involvement of selected thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways connecting the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) in the behaving rat. Using a chemogenetic approach to inhibit projection-defined dmPFC and MD neurons during an instrumental learning task, we show that thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways differentially support goal attributes. Both pathways participate in adaptation to the current goal value, but only thalamocortical neurons are required to integrate current causal relationships. These data indicate that antiparallel flow of information within thalamocortical circuits may convey qualitatively distinct aspects of adaptive decision-making and highlight the importance of the direction of information flow within neural circuits. Planning and decision-making rely upon a region of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. But the prefrontal cortex does not act in isolation. Instead, it works together with a number of other brain regions. These include the thalamus, an area long thought to pass information on to the cortex for further processing. But signals also travel in the opposite direction, from the cortex back to the thalamus. Does the cortex-to-thalamus pathway carry the same information as the thalamus-to-cortex pathway? To find out, Alcaraz et al. blocked each pathway in rats performing a decision-making task. The rats had learned that pressing a lever led to one type of reward, whereas moving a rod led to another. Alcaraz et al. reduced the desirability of one of the rewards by giving the rats free access to it for an hour. Afterwards, the rats opted mainly for the action associated with the reward that had remained desirable. However, blocking either the thalamus-to-cortex or cortex-to-thalamus pathway prevented this preference from emerging. This suggests that an information flow in both directions is necessary to update knowledge about the value of a reward. In a second experiment, Alcaraz et al. removed the link between one of the actions and its reward. The reward instead appeared at random, irrespective of the rat’s own behavior. Control rats responded by focusing their efforts on the action that still delivered a reliable reward, and by performing the other action less often. Blocking the thalamus-to-cortex pathway prevented this response, but blocking the cortex-to-thalamus pathway did not. This suggests that only the former pathway is necessary to re-evaluate the relationship between an action and an outcome. Two key aspects of goal-directed behavior – recognizing the value of a reward and the link between an action and an outcome – thus depend differently on the thalamus-to-cortex and cortex-to-thalamus pathways. This same principle may also be at work in other neural circuits with bidirectional connections. Understanding such principles may lead to better strategies for treating disorders of brain connectivity, such as schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Alcaraz
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Virginie Fresno
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Alain R Marchand
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Eric J Kremer
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Etienne Coutureau
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Mathieu Wolff
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
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Mediodorsal Thalamic Neurons Mirror the Activity of Medial Prefrontal Neurons Responding to Movement and Reinforcement during a Dynamic DNMTP Task. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0196-17. [PMID: 29034318 PMCID: PMC5639418 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0196-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The mediodorsal nucleus (MD) interacts with medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to support learning and adaptive decision-making. MD receives driver (layer 5) and modulatory (layer 6) projections from PFC and is the main source of driver thalamic projections to middle cortical layers of PFC. Little is known about the activity of MD neurons and their influence on PFC during decision-making. We recorded MD neurons in rats performing a dynamic delayed nonmatching to position (dDNMTP) task and compared results to a previous study of mPFC with the same task (Onos et al., 2016). Criterion event-related responses were observed for 22% (254/1179) of neurons recorded in MD, 237 (93%) of which exhibited activity consistent with mPFC response types. More MD than mPFC neurons exhibited responses related to movement (45% vs. 29%) and reinforcement (51% vs. 27%). MD had few responses related to lever presses, and none related to preparation or memory delay, which constituted 43% of event-related activity in mPFC. Comparison of averaged normalized population activity and population response times confirmed the broad similarity of common response types in MD and mPFC and revealed differences in the onset and offset of some response types. Our results show that MD represents information about actions and outcomes essential for decision-making during dDNMTP, consistent with evidence from lesion studies that MD supports reward-based learning and action-selection. These findings support the hypothesis that MD reinforces task-relevant neural activity in PFC that gives rise to adaptive behavior.
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Inter-individual differences in decision-making, flexible and goal-directed behaviors: novel insights within the prefronto-striatal networks. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:897-912. [PMID: 29026986 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1530-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Inflexible behavior is a hallmark of several decision-making-related disorders such as ADHD and addiction. As in humans, a subset of healthy rats makes poor decisions and prefers immediate larger rewards despite suffering large losses in a rat gambling task (RGT). They also display a combination of traits reminiscent of addiction, notably inflexible behavior and perseverative responses. The goal of the present work was twofold: (1) to elucidate if behavioral inflexibility of poor decision-makers could be related to a lower quality of goal-directed behavior (action-outcome associations); (2) to uncover the neural basis of inter-individual differences in goal-directed behavior. We specifically assessed inter-individual differences in decision-making in the RGT, flexibility in the RGT-reversed version and goal-directed behavior in a contingency degradation test, i.e., response adaptation when dissociating reward delivery from the animal's action. The contributions of the medial prefrontal cortex and the dorsal striatum to action-outcome associations were assessed using Zif268 immunodetection. Inflexible behavior was related to a lower sensitivity to contingency degradation in all poor decision-makers and only in a few good decision-makers. This poorer sensitivity was associated with a lower immunoreactivity in prelimbic and infralimbic cortices and a higher one in the dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum. These findings suggest that an imbalanced prefronto-striatal activity could underlie inaccurate goal representation in changing environments and may promote maladaptive habit formation among poor decision-makers. These data strengthen our previous work identifying biomarkers of vulnerability to develop psychiatric disorders and demonstrate the relevance of inter-individual differences to model maladaptive behaviors.
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Saniya K, Patil BG, Chavan MD, Prakash KG, Sailesh KS, Archana R, Johny M. Neuroanatomical Changes in Brain Structures Related to Cognition in Epilepsy: An Update. J Nat Sci Biol Med 2017; 8:139-143. [PMID: 28781476 PMCID: PMC5523517 DOI: 10.4103/0976-9668.210016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the microanatomical changes in brain structures is necessary for developing innovative therapeutic approaches to prevent/delay the cognitive impairment in epilepsy. We review here the microanatomical changes in the brain structures related to cognition in epilepsy. Here, we have presented the changes in major brain structures related to cognition, which helps the clinicians understand epilepsy more clearly and also helps researchers develop new treatment procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Saniya
- Department of Anatomy, Azeezia Institute of Medical Sciences, Kollam, Kerala, India
| | - B G Patil
- Department of Anatomy, Shri B. M. Patil Medical College, Bijapur, Karnataka, India
| | - Madhavrao D Chavan
- Department of Pharmacology, Azeezia Institute of Medical Sciences, Kollam, Kerala, India
| | - K G Prakash
- Department of Anatomy, Azeezia Institute of Medical Sciences, Kollam, Kerala, India
| | - Kumar Sai Sailesh
- Department of Physiology, Little Flower Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Angamaly, Kerala, India
| | - R Archana
- Department of Anatomy, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Minu Johny
- Department of Physiology, Little Flower Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Angamaly, Kerala, India
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Saund J, Dautan D, Rostron C, Urcelay GP, Gerdjikov TV. Thalamic inputs to dorsomedial striatum are involved in inhibitory control: evidence from the five-choice serial reaction time task in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2399-2407. [PMID: 28451710 PMCID: PMC5537317 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4627-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Corticostriatal circuits are widely implicated in the top-down control of attention including inhibitory control and behavioural flexibility. However, recent neurophysiological evidence also suggests a role for thalamic inputs to striatum in behaviours related to salient, reward-paired cues. OBJECTIVES Here, we used designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) to investigate the role of parafascicular (Pf) thalamic inputs to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) using the five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) in rats. METHODS The 5CSRTT requires sustained attention in order to detect spatially and temporally distributed visual cues and provides measures of inhibitory control related to impulsivity (premature responses) and compulsivity (perseverative responses). Rats underwent bilateral Pf injections of the DREADD vector, AAV2-CaMKIIa-HA-hM4D(Gi)-IRES-mCitrine. The DREADD agonist, clozapine N-oxide (CNO; 1 μl bilateral; 3 μM) or vehicle, was injected into DMS 1 h before behavioural testing. Task parameters were manipulated to increase attention load or reduce stimulus predictability respectively. RESULTS We found that inhibition of the Pf-DMS projection significantly increased perseverative responses when stimulus predictability was reduced but had no effect on premature responses or response accuracy, even under increased attentional load. Control experiments showed no effects on locomotor activity in an open field. CONCLUSIONS These results complement previous lesion work in which the DMS and orbitofrontal cortex were similarly implicated in perseverative responses and suggest a specific role for thalamostriatal inputs in inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasjot Saund
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Daniel Dautan
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 197 University Ave, Newark, NJ, 07102, UK
| | - Claire Rostron
- Department of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences, Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Gonzalo P Urcelay
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Todor V Gerdjikov
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK.
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Wunsch AM, Yager LM, Donckels EA, Le CT, Neumaier JF, Ferguson SM. Chemogenetic inhibition reveals midline thalamic nuclei and thalamo-accumbens projections mediate cocaine-seeking in rats. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 46:1850-1862. [PMID: 28664636 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a chronic disease that is shaped by alterations in neuronal function within the cortical-basal ganglia-thalamic circuit. However, our understanding of how this circuit regulates drug-seeking remains incomplete, and relapse rates remain high. The midline thalamic nuclei are an integral component of the cortical-basal ganglia-thalamic circuit and are poised to mediate addiction behaviors, including relapse. It is surprising that little research has examined the contribution of midline thalamic nuclei and their efferent projections in relapse. To address this, we expressed inhibitory, Gi/o -coupled DREADDs (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) in a subset of the midline thalamic nuclei or in midline thalamic nuclei neurons projecting to either the nucleus accumbens or the amygdala. We examined the effect of transiently decreasing activity of these neuronal populations on cue-induced and cocaine-primed reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. Reducing activity of midline thalamic nuclei neurons attenuated both cue-induced and cocaine-primed reinstatement, but had no effect on cue-induced reinstatement of sucrose-seeking or locomotor activity. Interestingly, attenuating activity of efferent projections from the anterior portion of midline thalamic nuclei to the nucleus accumbens blocked cocaine-primed reinstatement but enhanced cue-induced reinstatement. Decreasing activity of efferent projections from either the posterior midline thalamic nuclei to the nucleus accumbens or the midline thalamic nuclei to amygdala had no effect. These results reveal a novel contribution of subsets of midline thalamic nuclei neurons in drug-seeking behaviors and suggest that modulation of midline thalamic nuclei activity may be a promising therapeutic target for preventing relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Wunsch
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lindsay M Yager
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Donckels
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Calvin T Le
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - John F Neumaier
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susan M Ferguson
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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