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Rolls ET, Treves A. A theory of hippocampal function: New developments. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 238:102636. [PMID: 38834132 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102636] [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: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
We develop further here the only quantitative theory of the storage of information in the hippocampal episodic memory system and its recall back to the neocortex. The theory is upgraded to account for a revolution in understanding of spatial representations in the primate, including human, hippocampus, that go beyond the place where the individual is located, to the location being viewed in a scene. This is fundamental to much primate episodic memory and navigation: functions supported in humans by pathways that build 'where' spatial view representations by feature combinations in a ventromedial visual cortical stream, separate from those for 'what' object and face information to the inferior temporal visual cortex, and for reward information from the orbitofrontal cortex. Key new computational developments include the capacity of the CA3 attractor network for storing whole charts of space; how the correlations inherent in self-organizing continuous spatial representations impact the storage capacity; how the CA3 network can combine continuous spatial and discrete object and reward representations; the roles of the rewards that reach the hippocampus in the later consolidation into long-term memory in part via cholinergic pathways from the orbitofrontal cortex; and new ways of analysing neocortical information storage using Potts networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund T Rolls
- Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience, Oxford, UK; Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
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2
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Hegarty BE, Gruenhagen GW, Johnson ZV, Baker CM, Streelman JT. Spatially resolved cell atlas of the teleost telencephalon and deep homology of the vertebrate forebrain. Commun Biol 2024; 7:612. [PMID: 38773256 PMCID: PMC11109250 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06315-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The telencephalon has undergone remarkable diversification and expansion throughout vertebrate evolution, exhibiting striking variations in structural and functional complexity. Nevertheless, fundamental features are shared across vertebrate taxa, such as the presence of distinct regions including the pallium, subpallium, and olfactory structures. Teleost fishes have a uniquely "everted" telencephalon, which has confounded comparisons of their brain regions to other vertebrates. Here we combine spatial transcriptomics and single nucleus RNA-sequencing to generate a spatially-resolved transcriptional atlas of the Mchenga conophorus cichlid fish telencephalon. We then compare cell-types and anatomical regions in the cichlid telencephalon with those in amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. We uncover striking transcriptional similarities between cell-types in the fish telencephalon and subpallial, hippocampal, and cortical cell-types in tetrapods, and find support for partial eversion of the teleost telencephalon. Ultimately, our work lends new insights into the organization and evolution of conserved cell-types and regions in the vertebrate forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna E Hegarty
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - George W Gruenhagen
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
| | - Zachary V Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Cristina M Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jeffrey T Streelman
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
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3
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Luu P, Tucker DM, Friston K. From active affordance to active inference: vertical integration of cognition in the cerebral cortex through dual subcortical control systems. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad458. [PMID: 38044461 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad458] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In previous papers, we proposed that the dorsal attention system's top-down control is regulated by the dorsal division of the limbic system, providing a feedforward or impulsive form of control generating expectancies during active inference. In contrast, we proposed that the ventral attention system is regulated by the ventral limbic division, regulating feedback constraints and error-correction for active inference within the neocortical hierarchy. Here, we propose that these forms of cognitive control reflect vertical integration of subcortical arousal control systems that evolved for specific forms of behavior control. The feedforward impetus to action is regulated by phasic arousal, mediated by lemnothalamic projections from the reticular activating system of the lower brainstem, and then elaborated by the hippocampus and dorsal limbic division. In contrast, feedback constraint-based on environmental requirements-is regulated by the tonic activation furnished by collothalamic projections from the midbrain arousal control centers, and then sustained and elaborated by the amygdala, basal ganglia, and ventral limbic division. In an evolutionary-developmental analysis, understanding these differing forms of active affordance-for arousal and motor control within the subcortical vertebrate neuraxis-may help explain the evolution of active inference regulating the cognition of expectancy and error-correction within the mammalian 6-layered neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phan Luu
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Don M Tucker
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Karl Friston
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
- VERSES AI Research Lab, Los Angeles, CA 90016, USA
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Hegarty BE, Gruenhagen GW, Johnson ZV, Baker CM, Streelman JT. Spatially resolved cell atlas of the teleost telencephalon and deep homology of the vertebrate forebrain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.20.549873. [PMID: 37503039 PMCID: PMC10370212 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.20.549873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The telencephalon has undergone remarkable diversification and expansion throughout vertebrate evolution, exhibiting striking differences in structural and functional complexity. Nevertheless, fundamental features are shared across vertebrate taxa, such as the presence of distinct regions including the pallium, subpallium, and olfactory structures. Teleost fishes have a uniquely 'everted' telencephalon, which has made it challenging to compare brain regions in fish to those in other vertebrates. Here we combine spatial transcriptomics and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing to generate a spatially-resolved transcriptional atlas of the cichlid fish telencephalon. We then compare cell-types and anatomical regions in the cichlid telencephalon with those in amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. We uncover striking transcriptional similarities between cell populations in the fish telencephalon and subpallial, hippocampal, and cortical cell populations in tetrapods. Ultimately, our work lends new insights into the organization and evolution of conserved cell-types and regions in the vertebrate forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna E Hegarty
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - George W Gruenhagen
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Zachary V Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Cristina M Baker
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jeffrey T Streelman
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
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5
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Hussan MT, Sakai A, Matsui H. Glutamatergic pathways in the brains of turtles: A comparative perspective among reptiles, birds, and mammals. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:937504. [PMID: 36059432 PMCID: PMC9428285 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.937504] [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: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate acts as the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and plays a vital role in physiological and pathological neuronal functions. In mammals, glutamate can cause detrimental excitotoxic effects under anoxic conditions. In contrast, Trachemys scripta, a freshwater turtle, is one of the most anoxia-tolerant animals, being able to survive up to months without oxygen. Therefore, turtles have been investigated to assess the molecular mechanisms of neuroprotective strategies used by them in anoxic conditions, such as maintaining low levels of glutamate, increasing adenosine and GABA, upregulating heat shock proteins, and downregulating KATP channels. These mechanisms of anoxia tolerance of the turtle brain may be applied to finding therapeutics for human glutamatergic neurological disorders such as brain injury or cerebral stroke due to ischemia. Despite the importance of glutamate as a neurotransmitter and of the turtle as an ideal research model, the glutamatergic circuits in the turtle brain remain less described whereas they have been well studied in mammalian and avian brains. In reptiles, particularly in the turtle brain, glutamatergic neurons have been identified by examining the expression of vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs). In certain areas of the brain, some ionotropic glutamate receptors (GluRs) have been immunohistochemically studied, implying that there are glutamatergic target areas. Based on the expression patterns of these glutamate-related molecules and fiber connection data of the turtle brain that is available in the literature, many candidate glutamatergic circuits could be clarified, such as the olfactory circuit, hippocampal–septal pathway, corticostriatal pathway, visual pathway, auditory pathway, and granule cell–Purkinje cell pathway. This review summarizes the probable glutamatergic pathways and the distribution of glutamatergic neurons in the pallium of the turtle brain and compares them with those of avian and mammalian brains. The integrated knowledge of glutamatergic pathways serves as the fundamental basis for further functional studies in the turtle brain, which would provide insights on physiological and pathological mechanisms of glutamate regulation as well as neural circuits in different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Tufazzal Hussan
- Department of Neuroscience of Disease, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Barishal, Bangladesh
- *Correspondence: Mohammad Tufazzal Hussan,
| | - Akiko Sakai
- Department of Neuroscience of Disease, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hideaki Matsui
- Department of Neuroscience of Disease, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Hideaki Matsui,
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Baratti G, Potrich D, Lee SA, Morandi-Raikova A, Sovrano VA. The Geometric World of Fishes: A Synthesis on Spatial Reorientation in Teleosts. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:881. [PMID: 35405870 PMCID: PMC8997125 DOI: 10.3390/ani12070881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fishes navigate through underwater environments with remarkable spatial precision and memory. Freshwater and seawater species make use of several orientation strategies for adaptative behavior that is on par with terrestrial organisms, and research on cognitive mapping and landmark use in fish have shown that relational and associative spatial learning guide goal-directed navigation not only in terrestrial but also in aquatic habitats. In the past thirty years, researchers explored spatial cognition in fishes in relation to the use of environmental geometry, perhaps because of the scientific value to compare them with land-dwelling animals. Geometric navigation involves the encoding of macrostructural characteristics of space, which are based on the Euclidean concepts of "points", "surfaces", and "boundaries". The current review aims to inspect the extant literature on navigation by geometry in fishes, emphasizing both the recruitment of visual/extra-visual strategies and the nature of the behavioral task on orientation performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Baratti
- CIMeC, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; (D.P.); (A.M.-R.)
| | - Davide Potrich
- CIMeC, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; (D.P.); (A.M.-R.)
| | - Sang Ah Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea;
| | - Anastasia Morandi-Raikova
- CIMeC, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; (D.P.); (A.M.-R.)
| | - Valeria Anna Sovrano
- CIMeC, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; (D.P.); (A.M.-R.)
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
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7
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Geary DC. Spatial ability as a distinct domain of human cognition: An evolutionary perspective. INTELLIGENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2021.101616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Fiedler J, De Leonibus E, Treves A. Has the hippocampus really forgotten about space? Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:164-169. [PMID: 34847486 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence, including the discovery of place cells, have contributed to the notion that the hippocampus serves primarily to navigate the environment, as a repository of spatial memories, like a drawer full of charts; and that in some species it has exapted on this original one an episodic memory function. We argue that recent evidence questions the primacy of space, and points at memory load, whether spatial or not, as the challenge that mammalian hippocampal circuitry has evolved to meet.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alessandro Treves
- SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, Trieste, Italy; Kavli Centre for Neural Computation, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
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Bennett MS. Five Breakthroughs: A First Approximation of Brain Evolution From Early Bilaterians to Humans. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:693346. [PMID: 34489649 PMCID: PMC8418099 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.693346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Retracing the evolutionary steps by which human brains evolved can offer insights into the underlying mechanisms of human brain function as well as the phylogenetic origin of various features of human behavior. To this end, this article presents a model for interpreting the physical and behavioral modifications throughout major milestones in human brain evolution. This model introduces the concept of a "breakthrough" as a useful tool for interpreting suites of brain modifications and the various adaptive behaviors these modifications enabled. This offers a unique view into the ordered steps by which human brains evolved and suggests several unique hypotheses on the mechanisms of human brain function.
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10
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Hunt LT, Daw ND, Kaanders P, MacIver MA, Mugan U, Procyk E, Redish AD, Russo E, Scholl J, Stachenfeld K, Wilson CRE, Kolling N. Formalizing planning and information search in naturalistic decision-making. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1051-1064. [PMID: 34155400 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00866-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Decisions made by mammals and birds are often temporally extended. They require planning and sampling of decision-relevant information. Our understanding of such decision-making remains in its infancy compared with simpler, forced-choice paradigms. However, recent advances in algorithms supporting planning and information search provide a lens through which we can explain neural and behavioral data in these tasks. We review these advances to obtain a clearer understanding for why planning and curiosity originated in certain species but not others; how activity in the medial temporal lobe, prefrontal and cingulate cortices may support these behaviors; and how planning and information search may complement each other as means to improve future action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- L T Hunt
- Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - N D Daw
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - P Kaanders
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - M A MacIver
- Center for Robotics and Biosystems, Department of Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - U Mugan
- Center for Robotics and Biosystems, Department of Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - E Procyk
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - A D Redish
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - E Russo
- Department of Theoretical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - J Scholl
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - C R E Wilson
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - N Kolling
- Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Bennett MS. What Behavioral Abilities Emerged at Key Milestones in Human Brain Evolution? 13 Hypotheses on the 600-Million-Year Phylogenetic History of Human Intelligence. Front Psychol 2021; 12:685853. [PMID: 34393912 PMCID: PMC8358274 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents 13 hypotheses regarding the specific behavioral abilities that emerged at key milestones during the 600-million-year phylogenetic history from early bilaterians to extant humans. The behavioral, intellectual, and cognitive faculties of humans are complex and varied: we have abilities as diverse as map-based navigation, theory of mind, counterfactual learning, episodic memory, and language. But these faculties, which emerge from the complex human brain, are likely to have evolved from simpler prototypes in the simpler brains of our ancestors. Understanding the order in which behavioral abilities evolved can shed light on how and why our brains evolved. To propose these hypotheses, I review the available data from comparative psychology and evolutionary neuroscience.
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12
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Learning by Doing: The Use of Distance, Corners and Length in Rewarded Geometric Tasks by Zebrafish ( Danio rerio). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11072001. [PMID: 34359129 PMCID: PMC8300093 DOI: 10.3390/ani11072001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Geometric navigation allows animals to efficiently move towards essential life-spaces by taking advantage of macrostructural information such as distance, angular magnitude, and length, in relation to left-right positional sense. In natural contexts, these cues can be referred to extensive three-dimensional surfaces such as a slope or a riverbed, thus becoming crucial to orient and find useful supplies. In controlled contexts, it is possible to set apart these components by handling the global shape of the experimental space (rectangular or square) as well, with the aim to specially probe the impact of each of them on navigation behavior of animals, including fishes. The present study aimed at investigating whether a well-known vertebrate, the zebrafish, could learn to encode and retain in memory such metric information (in terms of distances, corners, and lengths) in association with left–right directions, to gain rewards. Our results showed that zebrafish learned to use all these geometric attributes when repeatedly exposed to them, over a period of training, thereby giving strength to the ecological relevance of environmental geometry as a source of spatial knowledge. Generally, the engagement of zebrafish may consent to assess computations underlying large-scale-based navigation, also by drawing targeted comparisons, due to its behavioral, cognitive, and even emotional similarities with mammals. Abstract Zebrafish spontaneously use distance and directional relationships among three-dimensional extended surfaces to reorient within a rectangular arena. However, they fail to take advantage of either an array of freestanding corners or an array of unequal-length surfaces to search for a no-longer-present goal under a spontaneous cued memory procedure, being unable to use the information supplied by corners and length without some kind of rewarded training. The present study aimed to tease apart the geometric components characterizing a rectangular enclosure under a procedure recruiting the reference memory, thus training zebrafish in fragmented layouts that provided differences in surface distance, corners, and length. Results showed that fish, besides the distance, easily learned to use both corners and length if subjected to a rewarded exit task over time, suggesting that they can represent all the geometrically informative parts of a rectangular arena when consistently exposed to them. Altogether, these findings highlight crucially important issues apropos the employment of different behavioral protocols (spontaneous choice versus training over time) to assess spatial abilities of zebrafish, further paving the way to deepen the role of visual and nonvisual encodings of isolated geometric components in relation to macrostructural boundaries.
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Morandi-Raikova A, Mayer U. Selective activation of the right hippocampus during navigation by spatial cues in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 177:107344. [PMID: 33242588 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In different vertebrate species, hippocampus plays a crucial role for spatial orientation. However, even though cognitive lateralization is widespread in the animal kingdom, the lateralization of this hippocampal function has been poorly studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the lateralization of hippocampal activation in domestic chicks, during spatial navigation in relation to free-standing objects. Two groups of chicks were trained to find food in one of the feeders located in a large circular arena. Chicks of one group solved the task using the relational spatial information provided by free-standing objects present in the arena, while the other group used the local appearance of the baited feeder as a beacon. The immediate early gene product c-Fos was employed to map neural activation of hippocampus and medial striatum of both hemispheres. Chicks that used spatial cues for navigation showed higher activation of the right hippocampus compared to chicks that oriented by local features and compared to the left hippocampus. Such differences between the two groups were not present in the left hippocampus or in the medial striatum. Relational spatial information seems thus to be selectively processed by the right hippocampus in domestic chicks. The results are discussed in light of existing evidence of hippocampal lateralization of spatial processing in chicks, with particular attention to the contrasting evidence found in pigeons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Morandi-Raikova
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, I-38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy
| | - Uwe Mayer
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, I-38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy.
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14
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Neural basis of unfamiliar conspecific recognition in domestic chicks (Gallus Gallus domesticus). Behav Brain Res 2020; 397:112927. [PMID: 32980353 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Domestic chickens are able to distinguish familiar from unfamiliar conspecifics, however the neuronal mechanisms mediating this behaviour are almost unknown. Moreover, the lateralisation of chicks' social recognition has only been investigated at the behavioural level, but not at the neural level. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that exposure to unfamiliar conspecifics will selectively activate septum, hippocampus or nucleus taeniae of the amygdala of young domestic chicks. Moreover we also wanted to test the lateralisation of this response. For this purpose, we used the immediate early gene product c-Fos to map neural activity. Chicks were housed in pairs for one week. At test, either one of the two chicks was exchanged by an unfamiliar individual (experimental 'unfamiliar' group) or the familiar individual was briefly removed and then placed back in its original cage (control 'familiar' group). Analyses of chicks' interactions with the familiar/unfamiliar social companion revealed a higher number of social pecks directed towards unfamiliar individuals, compared to familiar controls. Moreover, in the group exposed to the unfamiliar individual a significantly higher activation was present in the dorsal and ventral septum of the left hemisphere and in the ventral hippocampus of the right hemisphere, compared to the control condition. These effects were neither present in other subareas of hippocampus or septum, nor in the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala. Our study thus indicates selective lateralised involvement of domestic chicks' septal and hippocampal subregions in responses to unfamiliar conspecific.
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15
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Spatial planning with long visual range benefits escape from visual predators in complex naturalistic environments. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3057. [PMID: 32546681 PMCID: PMC7298009 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16102-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
It is uncontroversial that land animals have more elaborated cognitive abilities than their aquatic counterparts such as fish. Yet there is no apparent a-priori reason for this. A key cognitive faculty is planning. We show that in visually guided predator-prey interactions, planning provides a significant advantage, but only on land. During animal evolution, the water-to-land transition resulted in a massive increase in visual range. Simulations of behavior identify a specific type of terrestrial habitat, clustered open and closed areas (savanna-like), where the advantage of planning peaks. Our computational experiments demonstrate how this patchy terrestrial structure, in combination with enhanced visual range, can reveal and hide agents as a function of their movement and create a selective benefit for imagining, evaluating, and selecting among possible future scenarios-in short, for planning. The vertebrate invasion of land may have been an important step in their cognitive evolution.
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16
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The effect of monocular occlusion on hippocampal c-Fos expression in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Sci Rep 2020; 10:7205. [PMID: 32350337 PMCID: PMC7190859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64224-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In birds, like in mammals, the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to exposure to novel environments, a function that is based on visual input. Chicks' eyes are placed laterally and their optic fibers project mainly to the contralateral brain hemispheres, with only little direct interhemispheric coupling. Thus, monocular occlusion has been frequently used in chicks to document functional specialization of the two hemispheres. However, we do not know whether monocular occlusion influences hippocampal activation. The aim of the present work was to fill this gap by directly testing this hypothesis. To induce hippocampal activation, chicks were exposed to a novel environment with their left or right eye occluded, or in conditions of binocular vision. Their hippocampal expression of c-Fos (neural activity marker) was compared to a baseline group that remained in a familiar environment. Interestingly, while the hippocampal activation in the two monocular groups was not different from the baseline, it was significantly higher in the binocular group exposed to the novel environment. This suggest that the representation of environmental novelty in the hippocampus of domestic chicks involves strong binocular integration.
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Yoshida M, Tsuji T, Mukuda T. Relationship between Brain Morphology and Life History in Four Bottom-Dwelling Gobiids. Zoolog Sci 2020; 37:168-176. [PMID: 32282148 DOI: 10.2108/zs190109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In terrestrial vertebrates, the hippocampus plays a major role in spatial cognition. Recent developmental, anatomical, and histological studies suggest that the ventral region of the lateral part of the dorsal telencephalic area (Dlv) in teleost fishes is homologous to the hippocampus in terrestrial vertebrates. We hypothesized that fish species with higher spatial cognitive demands have a more highly developed Dlv compared to closely related species with relatively lower spatial cognitive demands. The fishes selected for this study were Favonigobius gymnauchen, Istigobius hoshinonis, Tridentiger trigonocephalus, and Chaenogobius annularis; all are bottom-dwelling gobiid species found in habitats that vary with respect to their spatial complexity. Volumetric analysis of the telencephalic subregions, including the Dlv, and other major brain regions showed that species from stable rocky areas had a larger Dlv than species from relatively homogenous sandy/ muddy environments. These findings support the hypothesis that the teleost Dlv is homologous to the hippocampus in terrestrial vertebrates, and that the relative development of these areas is positively correlated with spatial cognitive demand in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Yoshida
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 739-8528, Japan,
| | - Tomoya Tsuji
- Graduate School of Biosphere Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 739-8528, Japan
| | - Takao Mukuda
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan
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Cerqueira M, Millot S, Felix A, Silva T, Oliveira GA, Oliveira CCV, Rey S, MacKenzie S, Oliveira R. Cognitive appraisal in fish: stressor predictability modulates the physiological and neurobehavioural stress response in sea bass. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192922. [PMID: 32183629 PMCID: PMC7126027 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of cognitive factors in triggering the stress response is well established in humans and mammals (aka cognitive appraisal theory) but very seldom studied in other vertebrate taxa. Predictability is a key factor of the cognitive evaluation of stimuli. In this study, we tested the effects of stressor predictability on behavioral, physiological and neuromolecular responses in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Groups of four fish were exposed to a predictable (signalled) or unpredictable (unsignalled) stressor. Stressor predictability elicited a lower behavioural response and reduced cortisol levels. Using the expression of immediate early genes (c-fos, egr-1, bdnf and npas4) as markers of neuronal activity, we monitored the activity of three sea bass brain regions known to be implicated in stressor appraisal: the dorsomedian telencephalon, Dm (putative homologue of the pallial amygdala); and the dorsal (Dld) and ventral (Dlv) subareas of the dorsolateral telencephalon (putative homologue of the hippocampus). The activity of both the Dm and Dlv significantly responded to stressor predictability, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved role of these two brain regions in information processing related to stressor appraisal. These results indicate that stressor predictability plays a key role in the activation of the stress response in a teleost fish, hence highlighting the role of cognitive processes in fish stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Cerqueira
- Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - S. Millot
- Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques, Ifremer, L'Houmeau, France
| | - A. Felix
- ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - G. A. Oliveira
- ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - C. C. V. Oliveira
- Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - S. Rey
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - S. MacKenzie
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - R. Oliveira
- ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research, Lisbon, Portugal
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The role of learning and environmental geometry in landmark-based spatial reorientation of fish (Xenotoca eiseni). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229608. [PMID: 32126075 PMCID: PMC7053775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Disoriented animals and humans use both the environmental geometry and visual landmarks to guide their spatial behavior. Although there is a broad consensus on the use of environmental geometry across various species of vertebrates, the nature of disoriented landmark-use has been greatly debated in the field. In particular, the discrepancy in performance under spontaneous choice conditions (sometimes called “working memory” task) and training over time (“reference memory” task) has raised questions about the task-dependent dissociability of mechanisms underlying the use of landmarks. Until now, this issue has not been directly addressed, due to the inclusion of environmental geometry in most disoriented navigation paradigms. In the present study, therefore, we placed our focus on landmark-based navigation in fish (Xenotoca eiseni), an animal model that has provided fruitful research in spatial reorientation. We began with a test of spontaneous navigation by geometry and landmarks (Experiment 1), showing a preference for the correct corner, even in the absence of reinforced training. We then proceeded to test landmarks without the influence of informative geometry through the use of square environments (Experiment 2–4), varying the numerosity of present landmarks, the distance of landmarks from the target corner, and the type of task (i.e., spontaneous cued memory or reference memory). We found marked differences in landmark-use in the absence of environmental geometry. In the spontaneous memory task, visual landmarks acquired perceptive salience (and attracted the fish) but without serving as a spatial cue to location when they were distal from the target. Across learning in the reference memory task, the fish overcame these effects and gradually improved in their performance, although they were still biased to learn visual landmarks near the target (i.e., as beacons). We discuss these results in relation to the existing literature on dissociable mechanisms of spatial learning.
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20
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Mes D, Palstra AP, Henkel CV, Mayer I, Vindas MA. Swimming exercise enhances brain plasticity in fish. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191640. [PMID: 32218982 PMCID: PMC7029906 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
It is well-established that sustained exercise training can enhance brain plasticity and boost cognitive performance in mammals, but this phenomenon has not received much attention in fish. The aim of this study was to determine whether sustained swimming exercise can enhance brain plasticity in juvenile Atlantic salmon. Brain plasticity was assessed by both mapping the whole telencephalon transcriptome and conducting telencephalic region-specific microdissections on target genes. We found that 1772 transcripts were differentially expressed between the exercise and control groups. Gene ontology (GO) analysis identified 195 and 272 GO categories with a significant overrepresentation of up- or downregulated transcripts, respectively. A multitude of these GO categories was associated with neuronal excitability, neuronal signalling, cell proliferation and neurite outgrowth (i.e. cognition-related neuronal markers). Additionally, we found an increase in proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna) after both three and eight weeks of exercise in the equivalent to the hippocampus in fish. Furthermore, the expression of the neural plasticity markers synaptotagmin (syt) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) were also increased due to exercise in the equivalent to the lateral septum in fish. In conclusion, this is the first time that swimming exercise has been directly linked to increased telencephalic neurogenesis and neural plasticity in a teleost, and our results pave the way for future studies on exercise-induced neuroplasticity in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan Mes
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Arjan P. Palstra
- Wageningen University and Research Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan V. Henkel
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ian Mayer
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marco A. Vindas
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
- Uni Environment, Uni Research AS, Bergen, Norway
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21
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Mes D, van Os R, Gorissen M, Ebbesson LOE, Finstad B, Mayer I, Vindas MA. Effects of environmental enrichment on forebrain neural plasticity and survival success of stocked Atlantic salmon. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.212258. [PMID: 31712354 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.212258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fish reared for stocking programmes are severely stimulus deprived compared with their wild conspecifics raised under natural conditions. This leads to reduced behavioural plasticity and low post-release survival of stocked fish. Environmental enrichment can have positive effects on important life skills, such as predator avoidance and foraging behaviour, but the neural mechanisms underpinning these behavioural changes are still largely unknown. In this study, juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were reared in an enriched hatchery environment for 7 weeks, after which neurobiological characteristics and post-release survival were compared with those of fish reared under normal hatchery conditions. Using in situ hybridization and qPCR, we quantified the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) and the neural activity marker cfos in telencephalic subregions associated with relational memory, emotional learning and stress reactivity. Aside from lower expression of bdnf in the Dlv (a region associated with relational memory) of enriched salmon, we observed no other significant effects of enrichment in the studied regions. Exposure to an enriched environment increased post-release survival during a 5 month residence in a natural river by 51%. Thus, we demonstrate that environmental enrichment can improve stocking success of Atlantic salmon parr and that environmental enrichment is associated with changes in bdnf expression in the fish's hippocampus-equivalent structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan Mes
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Renske van Os
- Institute of Water and Wetland Research, Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marnix Gorissen
- Institute of Water and Wetland Research, Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Bengt Finstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ian Mayer
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Marco A Vindas
- Uni Environment, Uni Research AS, 5008 Bergen, Norway .,Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden
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22
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Golüke S, Bischof HJ, Engelmann J, Caspers BA, Mayer U. Social odour activates the hippocampal formation in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Behav Brain Res 2019; 364:41-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Papini MR, Penagos-Corzo JC, Pérez-Acosta AM. Avian Emotions: Comparative Perspectives on Fear and Frustration. Front Psychol 2019; 9:2707. [PMID: 30705652 PMCID: PMC6344452 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotions are complex reactions that allow individuals to cope with significant positive and negative events. Research on emotion was pioneered by Darwin’s work on emotional expressions in humans and animals. But Darwin was concerned mainly with facial and bodily expressions of significance for humans, citing mainly examples from mammals (e.g., apes, dogs, and cats). In birds, emotional expressions are less evident for a human observer, so a different approach is needed. Understanding avian emotions will provide key evolutionary information on the evolution of related behaviors and brain circuitry. Birds and mammals are thought to have evolved from different groups of Mesozoic reptiles, theropod dinosaurs and therapsids, respectively, and therefore, their common ancestor is likely to be a basal reptile living about 300 million years ago, during the Carboniferous or Permian period. Yet, birds and mammals exhibit extensive convergence in terms of relative brain size, high levels of activity, sleep/wakefulness cycles, endothermy, and social behavior, among others. This article focuses on two basic emotions with negative valence: fear and frustration. Fear is related to the anticipation of dangerous or threatening stimuli (e.g., predators or aggressive conspecifics). Frustration is related to unexpected reward omissions or devaluations (e.g., loss of food or sexual resources). These results have implications for an understanding of the conditions that promote fear and frustration and for the evolution of supporting brain circuitry.
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Mes D, von Krogh K, Gorissen M, Mayer I, Vindas MA. Neurobiology of Wild and Hatchery-Reared Atlantic Salmon: How Nurture Drives Neuroplasticity. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:210. [PMID: 30254575 PMCID: PMC6141658 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Life experiences in the rearing environment shape the neural and behavioral plasticity of animals. In fish stocking practices, the hatchery environment is relatively stimulus-deprived and does not optimally prepare fish for release into the wild. While the behavioral differences between wild and hatchery-reared fish have been examined to some extent, few studies have compared neurobiological characteristics between wild and hatchery-reared individuals. Here, we compare the expression of immediate early gene cfos and neuroplasticity marker brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) in telencephalic subregions associated with processing of stimuli in wild and hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon at basal and 30 min post (acute) stress conditions. Using in situ hybridization, we found that the expression level of these markers is highly specific per neuronal region and affected by both the origin of the fish, and exposure to acute stress. Expression of cfos was increased by stress in all brain regions and cfos was more highly expressed in the Dlv (functional equivalent to the mammalian hippocampus) of hatchery-reared compared to wild fish. Expression of bdnf was higher overall in hatchery fish, while acute stress upregulated bdnf in the Dm (functional equivalent to the mammalian amygdala) of wild, but not hatchery individuals. Our findings demonstrate that the hatchery environment affects neuroplasticity and neural activation in brain regions that are important for learning processes and stress reactivity, providing a neuronal foundation for the behavioral differences observed between wild and hatchery-reared fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan Mes
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristine von Krogh
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marnix Gorissen
- Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Institute of Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Ian Mayer
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marco A Vindas
- Uni Environment, Uni Research AS, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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25
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Early life stress induces long-term changes in limbic areas of a teleost fish: the role of catecholamine systems in stress coping. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5638. [PMID: 29618742 PMCID: PMC5884775 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23950-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) shapes the way individuals cope with future situations. Animals use cognitive flexibility to cope with their ever-changing environment and this is mainly processed in forebrain areas. We investigated the performance of juvenile gilthead seabream, previously subjected to an ELS regime. ELS fish showed overall higher brain catecholaminergic (CA) signalling and lower brain derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) and higher cfos expression in region-specific areas. All fish showed a normal cortisol and serotonergic response to acute stress. Brain dopaminergic activity and the expression of the α2Α adrenergic receptor were overall higher in the fish homologue to the lateral septum (Vv), suggesting that the Vv is important in CA system regulation. Interestingly, ELS prevented post-acute stress downregulation of the α2Α receptor in the amygdala homologue (Dm3). There was a lack of post-stress response in the β2 adrenergic receptor expression and a downregulation in bdnf in the Dm3 of ELS fish, which together indicate an allostatic overload in their stress coping ability. ELS fish showed higher neuronal activity (cfos) post-acute stress in the hippocampus homologue (Dlv) and the Dm3. Our results show clear long-term effects on limbic systems of seabream that may compromise their future coping ability to environmental challenges.
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26
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Representation of environmental shape in the hippocampus of domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:941-953. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1537-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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27
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Vallortigara G. Comparative cognition of number and space: the case of geometry and of the mental number line. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 373:20170120. [PMID: 29292353 PMCID: PMC5784052 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence is discussed about the use of geometric information for spatial orientation and the association between space and numbers in non-human animals. A variety of vertebrate species can reorient using simple Euclidian geometry of the environmental surface layout, i.e. in accord with metric and sense (right/left) relationships among extended surfaces. There seems to be a primacy of geometric over non-geometric information in spatial reorientation and, possibly, innate encoding of the sense of direction. The hippocampal formation plays a key role in geometry-based reorientation in mammals, birds, amphibians and fish. Although some invertebrate species show similar behaviours, it is unclear whether the underlying mechanisms are the same as in vertebrates. As to the links between space and number representations, a disposition to associate numerical magnitudes onto a left-to-right-oriented mental number line appears to exist independently of socio-cultural factors, and can be observed in animals with very little numerical experience, such as newborn chicks and human infants. Such evidence supports a nativistic foundation of number-space association. Some speculation about the possible underlying mechanisms is provided together with consideration on the difficulties inherent to any comparison among species of different taxonomic groups.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Vallortigara
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Trento, Italy
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28
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Vindas MA, Gorissen M, Höglund E, Flik G, Tronci V, Damsgård B, Thörnqvist PO, Nilsen TO, Winberg S, Øverli Ø, Ebbesson LOE. How do individuals cope with stress? Behavioural, physiological and neuronal differences between proactive and reactive coping styles in fish. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:1524-1532. [PMID: 28167808 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.153213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite the use of fish models to study human mental disorders and dysfunctions, knowledge of regional telencephalic responses in non-mammalian vertebrates expressing alternative stress coping styles is poor. As perception of salient stimuli associated with stress coping in mammals is mainly under forebrain limbic control, we tested region-specific forebrain neural (i.e. mRNA abundance and monoamine neurochemistry) and endocrine responses under basal and acute stress conditions for previously characterised proactive and reactive Atlantic salmon. Reactive fish showed a higher degree of the neurogenesis marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna) and dopamine activity under basal conditions in the proposed hippocampus homologue (Dl) and higher post-stress plasma cortisol levels. Proactive fish displayed higher post-stress serotonergic signalling (i.e. higher serotonergic activity and expression of the 5-HT1A receptor) in the proposed amygdala homologue (Dm), increased expression of the neuroplasticity marker brain-derived neurotropic factor (bdnf) in both Dl and the lateral septum homologue (Vv), as well as increased expression of the corticotropin releasing factor 1 (crf1 ) receptor in the Dl, in line with active coping neuro-profiles reported in the mammalian literature. We present novel evidence of proposed functional equivalences in the fish forebrain with mammalian limbic structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A Vindas
- Uni Environment, Uni Research AS, Bergen NO-5020, Norway .,Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo NO-0316, Norway
| | - Marnix Gorissen
- Radboud University, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Department of Animal Ecology & Physiology, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Erik Höglund
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Hirtshals DK-9850, Denmark
| | - Gert Flik
- Radboud University, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Department of Animal Ecology & Physiology, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | | | - Børge Damsgård
- The University Centre of Svalbard, Longyearbyen NO-9171, Norway.,Nofima, Tromsø NO-9291, Norway
| | - Per-Ove Thörnqvist
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-75124, Sweden
| | - Tom O Nilsen
- Uni Environment, Uni Research AS, Bergen NO-5020, Norway
| | - Svante Winberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-75124, Sweden
| | - Øyvind Øverli
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo NO-0033, Norway
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29
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Cannabinoid modulation of zebrafish fear learning and its functional analysis investigated by c-Fos expression. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2016; 153:18-31. [PMID: 27965084 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
It has been shown that zebrafish fear learning proceeds in the same way as reported for rodents. However, in zebrafish fear learning it is possible to substitute the use of electric shocks as unconditioned stimulus and utilize the inborn fear responses to the alarm substance Schreckstoff, instead. The skin extract Schreckstoff elicits typical fear reactions such as preferred bottom dwelling, swimming in a tighter shoal, erratic movements and freezing. This natural fear behavior can be transferred from Schreckstoff to any other sensory stimulus by associative conditioning (fear learning). We presented Schreckstoff simultaneously with a red light stimulus and tested the effectiveness of fear learning during memory retrieval. The two brain regions known to be relevant for learning in zebrafish are the medial and the lateral pallium of the dorsal telencephalon, both containing rich expressions of the endocannabinoid receptor CB1. To test the influence of the zebrafish endocannabinoid system on fear acquisition learning, an experimental group of ten fish was pretreated with the CB1 receptor agonist THC (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol; 100nM for 1h). We found that CB1 activation significantly inhibited acquisition of fear learning, possibly by impairing stimulus encoding processes in pallial areas. This was supported by analyzes of c-Fos expression in the brains of experimental animals. Schreckstoff exposure during fear acquisition learning and memory retrieval during red light presentation increased the number of labelled cells in pallial structures, but in no other brain region investigated (e.g. striatum, thalamus, and habenula). THC administration before fear conditioning significantly decreased c-Fos expression in these structures to a level similar to the control group without Schreckstoff experience, suggesting that Schreckstoff induced fear learning requires brain circuits restricted mainly to pallial regions of the dorsal telencephalon.
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Gutierrez-Ibanez C, Iwaniuk AN, Jensen M, Graham DJ, Pogány Á, Mongomery BC, Stafford JL, Luksch H, Wylie DR. Immunohistochemical localization of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (CARTp) in the brain of the pigeon (Columba livia) and zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). J Comp Neurol 2016; 524:3747-3773. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew N. Iwaniuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience; University of Lethbridge; Lethbridge AB T1K 3M4 Canada
| | - Megan Jensen
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Institute; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - David J. Graham
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Institute; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Ákos Pogány
- Department of Ethology; Eötvös Loránd University; H-1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - Benjamin C. Mongomery
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - James L. Stafford
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Harald Luksch
- Department of Zoology; Technical University of Munich; 85354 Freising-Weihenstephan Germany
| | - Douglas R. Wylie
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Institute; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
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Krochmal AR, Roth TC, Rush S, Wachter K. Turtles outsmart rapid environmental change: The role of cognition in navigation. Commun Integr Biol 2015; 8:e1052922. [PMID: 27065017 PMCID: PMC4802741 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2015.1052922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals inhabiting changing environments show high levels of cognitive plasticity. Cognition may be a means by which animals buffer the impact of environmental change. However, studies examining the evolution of cognition seldom compare populations where change is rapid and selection pressures are strong. We investigated this phenomenon by radiotracking experienced and naïve Eastern painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) as they sought new habitats when their pond was drained. Resident adults repeatedly used specific routes to permanent water sources with exceptional precision, while adults translocated to the site did not. Naïve 1-3 y olds from both populations used the paths taken by resident adults, an ability lost by age 4. Experience did not, however, influence the timing of movement or the latency to begin navigation. This suggests that learning during a critical period may be important for how animals respond to changing environments, highlighting the importance of incorporating cognition into conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy C Roth
- Department of Psychology; Franklin and Marshall College ; Lancaster, PA USA
| | - Sage Rush
- Department of Psychology; Franklin and Marshall College ; Lancaster, PA USA
| | - Katrina Wachter
- Department of Psychology; Franklin and Marshall College ; Lancaster, PA USA
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