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Średniawa W, Borzymowska Z, Kondrakiewicz K, Jurgielewicz P, Mindur B, Hottowy P, Wójcik DK, Kublik E. Local contribution to the somatosensory evoked potentials in rat's thalamus. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301713. [PMID: 38593141 PMCID: PMC11003638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Local Field Potential (LFP), despite its name, often reflects remote activity. Depending on the orientation and synchrony of their sources, both oscillations and more complex waves may passively spread in brain tissue over long distances and be falsely interpreted as local activity at such distant recording sites. Here we show that the whisker-evoked potentials in the thalamic nuclei are of local origin up to around 6 ms post stimulus, but the later (7-15 ms) wave is overshadowed by a negative component reaching from cortex. This component can be analytically removed and local thalamic LFP can be recovered reliably using Current Source Density analysis. We used model-based kernel CSD (kCSD) method which allowed us to study the contribution of local and distant currents to LFP from rat thalamic nuclei and barrel cortex recorded with multiple, non-linear and non-regular multichannel probes. Importantly, we verified that concurrent recordings from the cortex are not essential for reliable thalamic CSD estimation. The proposed framework can be used to analyze LFP from other brain areas and has consequences for general LFP interpretation and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Władysław Średniawa
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Borzymowska
- Neurobiology of Emotions Laboratory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kacper Kondrakiewicz
- Neurobiology of Emotions Laboratory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Jurgielewicz
- AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Krakow, Poland
| | - Bartosz Mindur
- AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Krakow, Poland
| | - Paweł Hottowy
- AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Krakow, Poland
| | - Daniel K. Wójcik
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social Communication, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ewa Kublik
- Neurobiology of Emotions Laboratory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Jiang J, Zhao Y, Liu J, Yang Y, Liang P, Huang H, Wu Y, Kang Y, Zhu T, Zhou C. Signatures of Thalamocortical Alpha Oscillations and Synchronization With Increased Anesthetic Depths Under Isoflurane. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:887981. [PMID: 35721144 PMCID: PMC9204038 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.887981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings under propofol exhibit an increase in slow and alpha oscillation power and dose-dependent phase–amplitude coupling (PAC), which underlie GABAA potentiation and the central role of thalamocortical entrainment. However, the exact EEG signatures elicited by volatile anesthetics and the possible neurophysiological mechanisms remain unclear.Methods: Cortical EEG signals and thalamic local field potential (LFP) were recorded in a mouse model to detect EEG signatures induced by 0.9%, 1.5%, and 2.0% isoflurane. Then, the power of the EEG spectrum, thalamocortical coherence, and slow–alpha phase–amplitude coupling were analyzed. A computational model based on the thalamic network was used to determine the primary neurophysiological mechanisms of alpha spiking of thalamocortical neurons under isoflurane anesthesia.Results: Isoflurane at 0.9% (light anesthesia) increased the power of slow and delta oscillations both in cortical EEG and in thalamic LFP. Isoflurane at 1.5% (surgery anesthesia) increased the power of alpha oscillations both in cortical EEG and in thalamic LFP. Isoflurane at 2% (deep anesthesia) further increased the power of cortical alpha oscillations, while thalamic alpha oscillations were unchanged. Thalamocortical coherence of alpha oscillation only exhibited a significant increase under 1.5% isoflurane. Isoflurane-induced PAC modulation remained unchanged throughout under various concentrations of isoflurane. By adjusting the parameters in the computational model, isoflurane-induced alpha spiking in thalamocortical neurons was simulated, which revealed the potential molecular targets and the thalamic network involved in isoflurane-induced alpha spiking in thalamocortical neurons.Conclusion: The EEG changes in the cortical alpha oscillation, thalamocortical coherence, and slow–alpha PAC may provide neurophysiological signatures for monitoring isoflurane anesthesia at various depths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyao Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yaoxin Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Peng Liang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Han Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yongkang Wu
- Intelligent Manufacturing Institute, Chengdu Jincheng College, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Kang
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Tao Zhu, ; Cheng Zhou,
| | - Cheng Zhou
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Tao Zhu, ; Cheng Zhou,
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Cardoso FDS, Barrett DW, Wade Z, Gomes da Silva S, Gonzalez-Lima F. Photobiomodulation of Cytochrome c Oxidase by Chronic Transcranial Laser in Young and Aged Brains. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:818005. [PMID: 35368252 PMCID: PMC8971717 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.818005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In cellular bioenergetics, cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) is the enzyme responsible for oxygen consumption in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, which drives oxidative phosphorylation for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. CCO is also the major intracellular acceptor of photons in the light wavelengths used for photobiomodulation (PBM). Brain function is critically dependent on oxygen consumption by CCO for ATP production. Therefore, our objectives were (1) to conduct the first detailed brain mapping study of the effects of PBM on regional CCO activity, and (2) to compare the chronic effects of PBM on young and aged brains. Specifically, we used quantitative CCO histochemistry to map the differences in CCO activity of brain regions in healthy young (4 months old) and aged (20 months old) rats from control groups with sham stimulation and from treated groups with 58 consecutive days of transcranial laser PBM (810 nm wavelength and 100 mW power). We found that aging predominantly decreased regional brain CCO activity and systems-level functional connectivity, while the chronic laser stimulation predominantly reversed these age-related effects. We concluded that chronic PBM modified the effects of aging by causing the CCO activity on brain regions in laser-treated aged rats to reach levels similar to those found in young rats. Given the crucial role of CCO in bioenergetics, PBM may be used to augment brain and behavioral functions of older individuals by improving oxidative energy metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrízio dos Santos Cardoso
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Núcleo de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Douglas W. Barrett
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Zachary Wade
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Sérgio Gomes da Silva
- Núcleo de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil
- Centro Universitário UNIFAMINAS, Muriaé, Brazil
- Hospital do Câncer de Muriaé, Fundação Cristiano Varella, Muriaé, Brazil
| | - F. Gonzalez-Lima
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: F. Gonzalez-Lima,
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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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5
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Staiger JF, Petersen CCH. Neuronal Circuits in Barrel Cortex for Whisker Sensory Perception. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:353-415. [PMID: 32816652 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00019.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The array of whiskers on the snout provides rodents with tactile sensory information relating to the size, shape and texture of objects in their immediate environment. Rodents can use their whiskers to detect stimuli, distinguish textures, locate objects and navigate. Important aspects of whisker sensation are thought to result from neuronal computations in the whisker somatosensory cortex (wS1). Each whisker is individually represented in the somatotopic map of wS1 by an anatomical unit named a 'barrel' (hence also called barrel cortex). This allows precise investigation of sensory processing in the context of a well-defined map. Here, we first review the signaling pathways from the whiskers to wS1, and then discuss current understanding of the various types of excitatory and inhibitory neurons present within wS1. Different classes of cells can be defined according to anatomical, electrophysiological and molecular features. The synaptic connectivity of neurons within local wS1 microcircuits, as well as their long-range interactions and the impact of neuromodulators, are beginning to be understood. Recent technological progress has allowed cell-type-specific connectivity to be related to cell-type-specific activity during whisker-related behaviors. An important goal for future research is to obtain a causal and mechanistic understanding of how selected aspects of tactile sensory information are processed by specific types of neurons in the synaptically connected neuronal networks of wS1 and signaled to downstream brain areas, thus contributing to sensory-guided decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen F Staiger
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carl C H Petersen
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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6
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Rodriguez-Moreno J, Rollenhagen A, Arlandis J, Santuy A, Merchan-Pérez A, DeFelipe J, Lübke JHR, Clasca F. Quantitative 3D Ultrastructure of Thalamocortical Synapses from the "Lemniscal" Ventral Posteromedial Nucleus in Mouse Barrel Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3159-3175. [PMID: 28968773 PMCID: PMC6946031 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Thalamocortical synapses from “lemniscal” neurons of the dorsomedial portion of the rodent ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPMdm) are able to induce with remarkable efficacy, despite their relative low numbers, the firing of primary somatosensory cortex (S1) layer 4 (L4) neurons. To which extent this high efficacy depends on structural synaptic features remains unclear. Using both serial transmission (TEM) and focused ion beam milling scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM), we 3D-reconstructed and quantitatively analyzed anterogradely labeled VPMdm axons in L4 of adult mouse S1. All VPMdm synapses are asymmetric. Virtually all are established by axonal boutons, 53% of which contact multiple (2–4) elements (overall synapse/bouton ratio = 1.6). Most boutons are large (mean 0.47 μm3), and contain 1–3 mitochondria. Vesicle pools and postsynaptic density (PSD) surface areas are large compared to others in rodent cortex. Most PSDs are complex. Most synapses (83%) are established on dendritic spine heads. Furthermore, 15% of the postsynaptic spines receive a second, symmetric synapse. In addition, 13% of the spine heads have a large protrusion inserted into a membrane pouch of the VPMdm bouton. The unusual combination of structural features in VPMdm synapses is likely to contribute significantly to the high efficacy, strength, and plasticity of these thalamocortical synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Rodriguez-Moreno
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Autonoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Astrid Rollenhagen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-2, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Jaime Arlandis
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Autonoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrea Santuy
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERNED, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Angel Merchan-Pérez
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERNED, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Arquitectura y Tecnología de Sistemas Informáticos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERNED, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joachim H R Lübke
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-2, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
| | - Francisco Clasca
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Autonoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
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Viswanathan S, Sheikh A, Looger LL, Kanold PO. Molecularly Defined Subplate Neurons Project Both to Thalamocortical Recipient Layers and Thalamus. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:4759-4768. [PMID: 27655928 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, subplate neurons (SPNs) are among the first generated cortical neurons. While most SPNs exist only transiently during development, a number of SPNs persist among adult Layer 6b (L6b). During development, SPNs receive thalamic and intra-cortical input, and primarily project to Layer 4 (L4). SPNs are critical for the anatomical and functional development of thalamocortical connections and also pioneer corticothalamic projections. Since SPNs are heterogeneous, SPN subpopulations might serve different roles. Here, we investigate the connectivity of one subpopulation, complexin-3 (Cplx3)-positive SPNs (Cplx3-SPNs), in mouse whisker somatosensory (barrel) cortex (S1). We find that many Cplx3-SPNs survive into adulthood and become a subpopulation of L6b. Cplx3-SPNs axons project to thalamorecipient layers, that is, L4, 5a, and 1. The L4 projections are biased towards the septal regions between barrels in the second postnatal week. Thus, S1 Cplx3-SPN targets co-localize with the eventual projections of the medial posterior thalamic nucleus (POm). In addition to their cortical targets, Cplx3-SPNs also extend long-range axons to several thalamic nuclei, including POm. Thus, Cplx3-SPN/L6b neurons are associated with paralemniscal pathways and can potentially directly link thalamocortical and corticothalamic circuits. This suggests an additional key role for SPNs in the establishment and maintenance of thalamocortical processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarada Viswanathan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Aminah Sheikh
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Loren L Looger
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Abstract
Somatosensory areas containing topographic maps of the body surface are a major feature of parietal cortex. In primates, parietal cortex contains four somatosensory areas, each with its own map, with the primary cutaneous map in area 3b. Rodents have at least three parietal somatosensory areas. Maps are not isomorphic to the body surface, but magnify behaviorally important skin regions, which include the hands and face in primates, and the whiskers in rodents. Within each map, intracortical circuits process tactile information, mediate spatial integration, and support active sensation. Maps may also contain fine-scale representations of touch submodalities, or direction of tactile motion. Functional representations are more overlapping than suggested by textbook depictions of map topography. The whisker map in rodent somatosensory cortex is a canonic system for studying cortical microcircuits, sensory coding, and map plasticity. Somatosensory maps are plastic throughout life in response to altered use or injury. This chapter reviews basic principles and recent findings in primate, human, and rodent somatosensory maps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Harding-Forrester
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Daniel E Feldman
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States.
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Castejon C, Barros-Zulaica N, Nuñez A. Control of Somatosensory Cortical Processing by Thalamic Posterior Medial Nucleus: A New Role of Thalamus in Cortical Function. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148169. [PMID: 26820514 PMCID: PMC4731153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Current knowledge of thalamocortical interaction comes mainly from studying lemniscal thalamic systems. Less is known about paralemniscal thalamic nuclei function. In the vibrissae system, the posterior medial nucleus (POm) is the corresponding paralemniscal nucleus. POm neurons project to L1 and L5A of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in the rat brain. It is known that L1 modifies sensory-evoked responses through control of intracortical excitability suggesting that L1 exerts an influence on whisker responses. Therefore, thalamocortical pathways targeting L1 could modulate cortical firing. Here, using a combination of electrophysiology and pharmacology in vivo, we have sought to determine how POm influences cortical processing. In our experiments, single unit recordings performed in urethane-anesthetized rats showed that POm imposes precise control on the magnitude and duration of supra- and infragranular barrel cortex whisker responses. Our findings demonstrated that L1 inputs from POm imposed a time and intensity dependent regulation on cortical sensory processing. Moreover, we found that blocking L1 GABAergic inhibition or blocking P/Q-type Ca2+ channels in L1 prevents POm adjustment of whisker responses in the barrel cortex. Additionally, we found that POm was also controlling the sensory processing in S2 and this regulation was modulated by corticofugal activity from L5 in S1. Taken together, our data demonstrate the determinant role exerted by the POm in the adjustment of somatosensory cortical processing and in the regulation of cortical processing between S1 and S2. We propose that this adjustment could be a thalamocortical gain regulation mechanism also present in the processing of information between cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Castejon
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Natali Barros-Zulaica
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Angel Nuñez
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Bale MR, Ince RAA, Santagata G, Petersen RS. Efficient population coding of naturalistic whisker motion in the ventro-posterior medial thalamus based on precise spike timing. Front Neural Circuits 2015; 9:50. [PMID: 26441549 PMCID: PMC4585317 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The rodent whisker-associated thalamic nucleus (VPM) contains a somatotopic map where whisker representation is divided into distinct neuronal sub-populations, called “barreloids”. Each barreloid projects to its associated cortical barrel column and so forms a gateway for incoming sensory stimuli to the barrel cortex. We aimed to determine how the population of neurons within one barreloid encodes naturalistic whisker motion. In rats, we recorded the extracellular activity of up to nine single neurons within a single barreloid, by implanting silicon probes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the barreloids. We found that play-back of texture-induced whisker motion evoked sparse responses, timed with millisecond precision. At the population level, there was synchronous activity: however, different subsets of neurons were synchronously active at different times. Mutual information between population responses and whisker motion increased near linearly with population size. When normalized to factor out firing rate differences, we found that texture was encoded with greater informational-efficiency than white noise. These results indicate that, within each VPM barreloid, there is a rich and efficient population code for naturalistic whisker motion based on precisely timed, population spike patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Bale
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex Brighton, UK ; Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester Manchester, UK ; Instituto de Neurociencias Alicante UMH-CSIC Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Robin A A Ince
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester Manchester, UK ; Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK
| | - Greta Santagata
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester Manchester, UK
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Lottem E, Gugig E, Azouz R. Parallel coding schemes of whisker velocity in the rat's somatosensory system. J Neurophysiol 2014; 113:1784-99. [PMID: 25552637 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00485.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of rodents' whisker somatosensory system is to transform tactile cues, in the form of vibrissa vibrations, into neuronal responses. It is well established that rodents can detect numerous tactile stimuli and tell them apart. However, the transformation of tactile stimuli obtained through whisker movements to neuronal responses is not well-understood. Here we examine the role of whisker velocity in tactile information transmission and its coding mechanisms. We show that in anaesthetized rats, whisker velocity is related to the radial distance of the object contacted and its own velocity. Whisker velocity is accurately and reliably coded in first-order neurons in parallel, by both the relative time interval between velocity-independent first spike latency of rapidly adapting neurons and velocity-dependent first spike latency of slowly adapting neurons. At the same time, whisker velocity is also coded, although less robustly, by the firing rates of slowly adapting neurons. Comparing first- and second-order neurons, we find similar decoding efficiencies for whisker velocity using either temporal or rate-based methods. Both coding schemes are sufficiently robust and hardly affected by neuronal noise. Our results suggest that whisker kinematic variables are coded by two parallel coding schemes and are disseminated in a similar way through various brain stem nuclei to multiple brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Lottem
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Erez Gugig
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Rony Azouz
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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Kleinfeld D, Deschênes M. Neuronal basis for object location in the vibrissa scanning sensorimotor system. Neuron 2011; 72:455-68. [PMID: 22078505 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
An essential issue in perception is how the location of an object is estimated from tactile signals in the context of self-generated changes in sensor configuration. Here, we review the pathways and dynamics of neuronal signals that encode touch in the rodent vibrissa sensorimotor system. Rodents rhythmically scan an array of long, facial hairs across a region of interest. Behavioral evidence shows that these animals maintain knowledge of the azimuthal position of their vibrissae. Electrophysiological measurements have identified a reafferent signal of the azimuth that is coded in normalized coordinates, broadcast throughout primary sensory cortex and provides strong modulation of signals of vibrissa contact. Efferent signals in motor cortex report the range of the scan. Collectively, these signals allow the rodent to form a percept of object location.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics and Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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