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Zioga I, Zhou YJ, Weissbart H, Martin AE, Haegens S. Alpha and Beta Oscillations Differentially Support Word Production in a Rule-Switching Task. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0312-23.2024. [PMID: 38490743 PMCID: PMC10988358 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0312-23.2024] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Research into the role of brain oscillations in basic perceptual and cognitive functions has suggested that the alpha rhythm reflects functional inhibition while the beta rhythm reflects neural ensemble (re)activation. However, little is known regarding the generalization of these proposed fundamental operations to linguistic processes, such as speech comprehension and production. Here, we recorded magnetoencephalography in participants performing a novel rule-switching paradigm. Specifically, Dutch native speakers had to produce an alternative exemplar from the same category or a feature of a given target word embedded in spoken sentences (e.g., for the word "tuna", an exemplar from the same category-"seafood"-would be "shrimp", and a feature would be "pink"). A cue indicated the task rule-exemplar or feature-either before (pre-cue) or after (retro-cue) listening to the sentence. Alpha power during the working memory delay was lower for retro-cue compared with that for pre-cue in the left hemispheric language-related regions. Critically, alpha power negatively correlated with reaction times, suggestive of alpha facilitating task performance by regulating inhibition in regions linked to lexical retrieval. Furthermore, we observed a different spatiotemporal pattern of beta activity for exemplars versus features in the right temporoparietal regions, in line with the proposed role of beta in recruiting neural networks for the encoding of distinct categories. Overall, our study provides evidence for the generalizability of the role of alpha and beta oscillations from perceptual to more "complex, linguistic processes" and offers a novel task to investigate links between rule-switching, working memory, and word production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Zioga
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Ying Joey Zhou
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hugo Weissbart
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea E Martin
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032
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2
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Dubey A, Markowitz DA, Pesaran B. Top-down control of exogenous attentional selection is mediated by beta coherence in prefrontal cortex. Neuron 2023; 111:3321-3334.e5. [PMID: 37499660 PMCID: PMC10935562 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Salience-driven exogenous and goal-driven endogenous attentional selection are two distinct forms of attention that guide selection of task-irrelevant and task-relevant targets in primates. Top-down attentional control mechanisms enable selection of the task-relevant target by limiting the influence of sensory information. Although the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) is known to mediate top-down control, the neuronal mechanisms of top-down control of attentional selection are poorly understood. Here, we trained two rhesus monkeys on a two-target, free-choice luminance-reward selection task. We demonstrate that visual-movement (VM) neurons and nonvisual neurons or movement neurons encode exogenous and endogenous selection. We then show that coherent beta activity selectively modulates mechanisms of exogenous selection specifically during conflict and consequently may support top-down control. These results reveal the VM-neuron-specific network mechanisms of attentional selection and suggest a functional role for beta-frequency coherent neural dynamics in the modulation of sensory communication channels for the top-down control of attentional selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agrita Dubey
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - David A Markowitz
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Bijan Pesaran
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; Departments of Neurosurgery, Neuroscience, and Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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3
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Comeaux P, Clark K, Noudoost B. A recruitment through coherence theory of working memory. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 228:102491. [PMID: 37393039 PMCID: PMC10530428 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between prefrontal cortex and other areas during working memory have been studied for decades. Here we outline a conceptual framework describing interactions between these areas during working memory, and review evidence for key elements of this model. We specifically suggest that a top-down signal sent from prefrontal to sensory areas drives oscillations in these areas. Spike timing within sensory areas becomes locked to these working-memory-driven oscillations, and the phase of spiking conveys information about the representation available within these areas. Downstream areas receiving these phase-locked spikes from sensory areas can recover this information via a combination of coherent oscillations and gating of input efficacy based on the phase of their local oscillations. Although the conceptual framework is based on prefrontal interactions with sensory areas during working memory, we also discuss the broader implications of this framework for flexible communication between brain areas in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Comeaux
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 36 S. Wasatch Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, 65 Mario Capecchi Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Kelsey Clark
- Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, 65 Mario Capecchi Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Behrad Noudoost
- Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, 65 Mario Capecchi Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
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4
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Pinotsis DA, Fridman G, Miller EK. Cytoelectric Coupling: Electric fields sculpt neural activity and "tune" the brain's infrastructure. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 226:102465. [PMID: 37210066 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
We propose and present converging evidence for the Cytoelectric Coupling Hypothesis: Electric fields generated by neurons are causal down to the level of the cytoskeleton. This could be achieved via electrodiffusion and mechanotransduction and exchanges between electrical, potential and chemical energy. Ephaptic coupling organizes neural activity, forming neural ensembles at the macroscale level. This information propagates to the neuron level, affecting spiking, and down to molecular level to stabilize the cytoskeleton, "tuning" it to process information more efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris A Pinotsis
- Centre for Mathematical Neuroscience and Psychology and Department of Psychology, City -University of London, London EC1V 0HB, United Kingdom; The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Gene Fridman
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Biomedical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Earl K Miller
- The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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5
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Zioga I, Weissbart H, Lewis AG, Haegens S, Martin AE. Naturalistic Spoken Language Comprehension Is Supported by Alpha and Beta Oscillations. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3718-3732. [PMID: 37059462 PMCID: PMC10198453 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1500-22.2023] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain oscillations are prevalent in all species and are involved in numerous perceptual operations. α oscillations are thought to facilitate processing through the inhibition of task-irrelevant networks, while β oscillations are linked to the putative reactivation of content representations. Can the proposed functional role of α and β oscillations be generalized from low-level operations to higher-level cognitive processes? Here we address this question focusing on naturalistic spoken language comprehension. Twenty-two (18 female) Dutch native speakers listened to stories in Dutch and French while MEG was recorded. We used dependency parsing to identify three dependency states at each word: the number of (1) newly opened dependencies, (2) dependencies that remained open, and (3) resolved dependencies. We then constructed forward models to predict α and β power from the dependency features. Results showed that dependency features predict α and β power in language-related regions beyond low-level linguistic features. Left temporal, fundamental language regions are involved in language comprehension in α, while frontal and parietal, higher-order language regions, and motor regions are involved in β. Critically, α- and β-band dynamics seem to subserve language comprehension tapping into syntactic structure building and semantic composition by providing low-level mechanistic operations for inhibition and reactivation processes. Because of the temporal similarity of the α-β responses, their potential functional dissociation remains to be elucidated. Overall, this study sheds light on the role of α and β oscillations during naturalistic spoken language comprehension, providing evidence for the generalizability of these dynamics from perceptual to complex linguistic processes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It remains unclear whether the proposed functional role of α and β oscillations in perceptual and motor function is generalizable to higher-level cognitive processes, such as spoken language comprehension. We found that syntactic features predict α and β power in language-related regions beyond low-level linguistic features when listening to naturalistic speech in a known language. We offer experimental findings that integrate a neuroscientific framework on the role of brain oscillations as "building blocks" with spoken language comprehension. This supports the view of a domain-general role of oscillations across the hierarchy of cognitive functions, from low-level sensory operations to abstract linguistic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Zioga
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo Weissbart
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525 EN, The Netherlands
| | - Ashley G Lewis
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032
| | - Andrea E Martin
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6525 XD, The Netherlands
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6
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Abdalaziz M, Redding ZV, Fiebelkorn IC. Rhythmic temporal coordination of neural activity prevents representational conflict during working memory. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1855-1863.e3. [PMID: 37100058 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Selective attention1 is characterized by alternating states associated with either attentional sampling or attentional shifting, helping to prevent functional conflicts by isolating function-specific neural activity in time.2,3,4,5 We hypothesized that such rhythmic temporal coordination might also help to prevent representational conflicts during working memory.6 Multiple items can be simultaneously held in working memory, and these items can be represented by overlapping neural populations.7,8,9 Traditional theories propose that the short-term storage of to-be-remembered items occurs through persistent neural activity,10,11,12 but when neurons are simultaneously representing multiple items, persistent activity creates a potential for representational conflicts. In comparison, more recent, "activity-silent" theories of working memory propose that synaptic changes also contribute to short-term storage of to-be-remembered items.13,14,15,16 Transient bursts in neural activity,17 rather than persistent activity, could serve to occasionally refresh these synaptic changes. Here, we used EEG and response times to test whether rhythmic temporal coordination helps to isolate neural activity associated with different to-be-remembered items, thereby helping to prevent representational conflicts. Consistent with this hypothesis, we report that the relative strength of different item representations alternates over time as a function of the frequency-specific phase. Although RTs were linked to theta (∼6 Hz) and beta (∼25 Hz) phases during a memory delay, the relative strength of item representations only alternated as a function of the beta phase. The present findings (1) are consistent with rhythmic temporal coordination being a general mechanism for preventing functional or representational conflicts during cognitive processes and (2) inform models describing the role of oscillatory dynamics in organizing working memory.13,18,19,20,21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miral Abdalaziz
- Department of Neuroscience and Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Zach V Redding
- Department of Neuroscience and Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Ian C Fiebelkorn
- Department of Neuroscience and Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
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7
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Blackman RK, Crowe DA, DeNicola AL, Sakellaridi S, Westerberg JA, Huynh AM, MacDonald AW, Sponheim SR, Chafee MV. Shared Neural Activity But Distinct Neural Dynamics for Cognitive Control in Monkey Prefrontal and Parietal Cortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2767-2781. [PMID: 36894317 PMCID: PMC10089244 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1641-22.2023] [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: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
To better understand how prefrontal networks mediate forms of cognitive control disrupted in schizophrenia, we translated a variant of the AX continuous performance task that measures specific deficits in the human disease to 2 male monkeys and recorded neurons in PFC and parietal cortex during task performance. In the task, contextual information instructed by cue stimuli determines the response required to a subsequent probe stimulus. We found parietal neurons encoding the behavioral context instructed by cues that exhibited nearly identical activity to their prefrontal counterparts (Blackman et al., 2016). This neural population switched their preference for stimuli over the course of the trial depending on whether the stimuli signaled the need to engage cognitive control to override a prepotent response. Cues evoked visual responses that appeared in parietal neurons first, whereas population activity encoding contextual information instructed by cues was stronger and more persistent in PFC. Increasing cognitive control demand biased the representation of contextual information toward the PFC and augmented the temporal correlation of task-defined information encoded by neurons in the two areas. Oscillatory dynamics in local field potentials differed between cortical areas and carried as much information about task conditions as spike rates. We found that, at the single-neuron level, patterns of activity evoked by the task were nearly identical between the two cortical areas. Nonetheless, distinct population dynamics in PFC and parietal cortex were evident. suggesting differential contributions to cognitive control.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We recorded neural activity in PFC and parietal cortex of monkeys performing a task that measures cognitive control deficits in schizophrenia. This allowed us to characterize computations performed by neurons in the two areas to support forms of cognitive control disrupted in the disease. Subpopulations of neurons in the two areas exhibited parallel modulations in firing rate; and as a result, all patterns of task-evoked activity were distributed between PFC and parietal cortex. This included the presence in both cortical areas of neurons reflecting proactive and reactive cognitive control dissociated from stimuli or responses in the task. However, differences in the timing, strength, synchrony, and correlation of information encoded by neural activity were evident, indicating differential contributions to cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael K Blackman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Brain Sciences Center, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417
- Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - David A Crowe
- Brain Sciences Center, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417
- Department of Biology, Augsburg University, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454
| | - Adele L DeNicola
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Brain Sciences Center, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417
| | - Sofia Sakellaridi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Brain Sciences Center, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417
| | | | - Anh M Huynh
- Department of Biology, Augsburg University, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454
| | - Angus W MacDonald
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Scott R Sponheim
- Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454
| | - Matthew V Chafee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Brain Sciences Center, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417
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Pavlova A, Tyulenev N, Tretyakova V, Skavronskaya V, Nikolaeva A, Prokofyev A, Stroganova T, Chernyshev B. Learning of new associations invokes a major change in modulations of cortical beta oscillations in human adults. Psychophysiology 2023:e14284. [PMID: 36906906 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale cortical beta (β) oscillations were implicated in the learning processes, but their exact role is debated. We used MEG to explore the dynamics of movement-related β-oscillations while 22 adults learned, through trial and error, novel associations between four auditory pseudowords and movements of four limbs. As learning proceeded, spatial-temporal characteristics of β-oscillations accompanying cue-triggered movements underwent a major transition. Early in learning, widespread suppression of β-power occurred long before movement initiation and sustained throughout the whole behavioral trial. When learning advanced and performance reached asymptote, β-suppression after the initiation of correct motor response was replaced by a rise in β-power mainly in the prefrontal and medial temporal regions of the left hemisphere. This post-decision β-power predicted trial-by-trial response times (RT) at both stages of learning (before and after the rules become familiar), but with different signs of interaction. When a subject just started to acquire associative rules and gradually improved task performance, a decrease in RT correlated with the increase in the post-decision β-band power. When the participants implemented the already acquired rules, faster (more confident) responses were associated with the weaker post-decision β-band synchronization. Our findings suggest that maximal beta activity is pertinent to a distinct stage of learning and may serve to strengthen the newly learned association in a distributed memory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pavlova
- Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Department of Psychology, HSE University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Nikita Tyulenev
- Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Vera Tretyakova
- Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Valeriya Skavronskaya
- Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Anastasia Nikolaeva
- Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Andrey Prokofyev
- Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Tatiana Stroganova
- Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Boris Chernyshev
- Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Department of Psychology, HSE University, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Department of Higher Nervous Activity, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
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9
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Coupled Dynamics of Stimulus-Evoked Gustatory Cortical and Basolateral Amygdalar Activity. J Neurosci 2023; 43:386-404. [PMID: 36443002 PMCID: PMC9864615 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1412-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Gustatory cortical (GC) single-neuron taste responses reflect taste quality and palatability in successive epochs. Ensemble analyses reveal epoch-to-epoch firing-rate changes in these responses to be sudden, coherent transitions. Such nonlinear dynamics suggest that GC is part of a recurrent network, producing these dynamics in concert with other structures. Basolateral amygdala (BLA), which is reciprocally connected to GC and central to hedonic processing, is a strong candidate partner for GC, in that BLA taste responses evolve on the same general clock as GC and because inhibition of activity in the BLA→GC pathway degrades the sharpness of GC transitions. These facts motivate, but do not test, our overarching hypothesis that BLA and GC act as a single, comodulated network during taste processing. Here, we provide just this test of simultaneous (BLA and GC) extracellular taste responses in female rats, probing the multiregional dynamics of activity to directly test whether BLA and GC responses contain coupled dynamics. We show that BLA and GC response magnitudes covary across trials and within single responses, and that changes in BLA-GC local field potential phase coherence are epoch specific. Such classic coherence analyses, however, obscure the most salient facet of BLA-GC coupling: sudden transitions in and out of the epoch known to be involved in driving gaping behavior happen near simultaneously in the two regions, despite huge trial-to-trial variability in transition latencies. This novel form of inter-regional coupling, which we show is easily replicated in model networks, suggests collective processing in a distributed neural network.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT There has been little investigation into real-time communication between brain regions during taste processing, a fact reflecting the dominant belief that taste circuitry is largely feedforward. Here, we perform an in-depth analysis of real-time interactions between GC and BLA in response to passive taste deliveries, using both conventional coherence metrics and a novel methodology that explicitly considers trial-to-trial variability and fast single-trial dynamics in evoked responses. Our results demonstrate that BLA-GC coherence changes as the taste response unfolds, and that BLA and GC specifically couple for the sudden transition into (and out of) the behaviorally relevant neural response epoch, suggesting (although not proving) that: (1) recurrent interactions subserve the function of the dyad as (2) a putative attractor network.
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10
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Dubey A, Markowitz DA, Pesaran B. Top-down control of exogenous attentional selection is mediated by beta coherence in prefrontal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523664. [PMID: 36711697 PMCID: PMC9882082 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Salience-driven exogenous and goal-driven endogenous attentional selection are two distinct forms of attention that guide selection of task-irrelevant and task-relevant targets in primates. During conflict i.e, when salience and goal each favor the selection of different targets, endogenous selection of the task-relevant target relies on top-down control. Top-down attentional control mechanisms enable selection of the task-relevant target by limiting the influence of sensory information. Although the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) is known to mediate top-down control, the neuronal mechanisms of top-down control of attentional selection are poorly understood. Here, using a two-target free-choice luminance-reward selection task, we demonstrate that visual-movement neurons and not visual neurons or movement neurons encode exogenous and endogenous selection. We then show that coherent-beta activity selectively modulates mechanisms of exogenous selection specifically during conflict and consequently may support top-down control. These results reveal the VM-neuron-specific network mechanisms of attentional selection and suggest a functional role for beta-frequency coherent neural dynamics in the modulation of sensory communication channels for the top-down control of attentional selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agrita Dubey
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York 10003
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104
| | | | - Bijan Pesaran
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York 10003
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104
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11
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Buschman TJ, Miller EK. Working Memory Is Complex and Dynamic, Like Your Thoughts. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:17-23. [PMID: 36322832 PMCID: PMC9832367 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Working memory is where thoughts are held and manipulated. For many years, the dominant model was that working memory relied on steady-state neural dynamics. A neural representation was activated and then held in that state. However, as often happens, the more we examine working memory (especially with new technology), the more complex it looks. Recent discoveries show that working memory involves multiple mechanisms, including discontinuous bouts of spiking. Memories are also dynamic, evolving in a task-dependent manner. Cortical rhythms may control those dynamics, thereby endowing top-down "executive" control over our thoughts.
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12
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Zhou Y, Mohan K, Freedman DJ. Abstract Encoding of Categorical Decisions in Medial Superior Temporal and Lateral Intraparietal Cortices. J Neurosci 2022; 42:9069-9081. [PMID: 36261285 PMCID: PMC9732825 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0017-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Categorization is an essential cognitive and perceptual process for decision-making and recognition. The posterior parietal cortex, particularly the lateral intraparietal (LIP) area has been suggested to transform visual feature encoding into abstract categorical representations. By contrast, areas closer to sensory input, such as the middle temporal (MT) area, encode stimulus features but not more abstract categorical information during categorization tasks. Here, we compare the contributions of the medial superior temporal (MST) and LIP areas in category computation by recording neuronal activity in both areas from two male rhesus macaques trained to perform a visual motion categorization task. MST is a core motion-processing region interconnected with MT and is often considered an intermediate processing stage between MT and LIP. We show that MST exhibits robust decision-correlated motion category encoding and working memory encoding similar to LIP, suggesting that MST plays a substantial role in cognitive computation, extending beyond its widely recognized role in visual motion processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Categorization requires assigning incoming sensory stimuli into behaviorally relevant groups. Previous work found that parietal area LIP shows a strong encoding of the learned category membership of visual motion stimuli, while visual area MT shows strong direction tuning but not category tuning during a motion direction categorization task. Here we show that the medial superior temporal (MST) area, a visual motion-processing region interconnected with both LIP and MT, shows strong visual category encoding similar to that observed in LIP. This suggests that MST plays a greater role in abstract cognitive functions, extending beyond its well known role in visual motion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Krithika Mohan
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - David J Freedman
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
- The University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
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13
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Karimi F, Almeida Q, Jiang N. Large-scale frontoparietal theta, alpha, and beta phase synchronization: A set of EEG differential characteristics for freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease? Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:988037. [PMID: 36389071 PMCID: PMC9643859 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.988037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Freezing of gait (FOG) is a complex gait disturbance in Parkinson's disease (PD), during which the patient is not able to effectively initiate gait or continue walking. The mystery of the FOG phenomenon is still unsolved. Recent studies have revealed abnormalities in cortical activities associated with FOG, which highlights the importance of cortical and cortical-subcortical network dysfunction in PD patients with FOG. In this paper, phase-locking value (PLV) of eight frequency sub-bands between 0.05 Hz and 35 Hz over frontal, motor, and parietal areas [during an ankle dorsiflexion (ADF) task] is used to investigate EEG phase synchronization. PLV was investigated over both superficial and deeper networks by analyzing EEG signals preprocessed with and without Surface Laplacian (SL) spatial filter. Four groups of participants were included: PD patients with severe FOG (N = 5, 5 males), PD patients with mild FOG (N = 7, 6 males), PD patients without FOG (N = 14, 13 males), and healthy age-matched controls (N = 13, 10 males). Fifteen trials were recorded from each participant. At superficial layers, frontoparietal theta phase synchrony was a unique feature present in PD with FOG groups. At deeper networks, significant dominance of interhemispheric frontoparietal alpha phase synchrony in PD with FOG, in contrast to beta phase synchrony in PD without FOG, was identified. Alpha phase synchrony was more distributed in PD with severe FOG, with higher levels of frontoparietal alpha phase synchrony. In addition to FOG-related abnormalities in PLV analysis, phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) analysis was also performed on frequency bands with PLV abnormalities. PAC analysis revealed abnormal coupling between theta and low beta frequency bands in PD with severe FOG at the superficial layers over frontal areas. At deeper networks, theta and alpha frequency bands show high PAC over parietal areas in PD with severe FOG. Alpha and low beta also presented PAC over frontal areas in PD groups with FOG. The results introduced significant phase synchrony differences between PD with and without FOG and provided important insight into a possible unified underlying mechanism for FOG. These results thus suggest that PLV and PAC can potentially be used as EEG-based biomarkers for FOG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Karimi
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Quincy Almeida
- Movement Disorders Research and Rehabilitation Consortium, Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Ning Jiang
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Med-X Center for Manufacturing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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14
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Dynamic and stable population coding of attentional instructions coexist in the prefrontal cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202564119. [PMID: 36161937 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202564119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A large body of recent work suggests that neural representations in prefrontal cortex (PFC) are changing over time to adapt to task demands. However, it remains unclear whether and how such dynamic coding schemes depend on the encoded variable and are influenced by anatomical constraints. Using a cued attention task and multivariate classification methods, we show that neuronal ensembles in PFC encode and retain in working memory spatial and color attentional instructions in an anatomically specific manner. Spatial instructions could be decoded both from the frontal eye field (FEF) and the ventrolateral PFC (vlPFC) population, albeit more robustly from FEF, whereas color instructions were decoded more robustly from vlPFC. Decoding spatial and color information from vlPFC activity in the high-dimensional state space indicated stronger dynamics for color, across the cue presentation and memory periods. The change in the color code was largely due to rapid changes in the network state during the transition to the delay period. However, we found that dynamic vlPFC activity contained time-invariant color information within a low-dimensional subspace of neural activity that allowed for stable decoding of color across time. Furthermore, spatial attention influenced decoding of stimuli features profoundly in vlPFC, but less so in visual area V4. Overall, our results suggest that dynamic population coding of attentional instructions within PFC is shaped by anatomical constraints and can coexist with stable subspace coding that allows time-invariant decoding of information about the future target.
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15
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Guex R, Meaux E, Mégevand P, Domínguez-Borràs J, Seeck M, Vuilleumier P. Frequency-specific gaze modulation of emotional face processing in the human amygdala. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4859-4869. [PMID: 36155769 PMCID: PMC10110432 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the social significance of emotional face expression is of major importance for adaptive behavior, and gaze direction provides critical information in this process. The amygdala is implicated in both emotion and gaze processing, but how and when it integrates expression and gaze cues remains unresolved. We tackled this question using intracranial electroencephalography in epileptic patients to assess both amygdala (n = 12) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC; n = 11) time-frequency evoked responses to faces with different emotional expressions and different gaze directions. As predicted, self-relevant threat signals (averted fearful and directed angry faces) elicited stronger amygdala activity than self-irrelevant threat (directed fearful and averted angry faces). Fear effects started at early latencies in both amygdala and OFC (~110 and 160 ms, respectively), while gaze direction effects and their interaction with emotion occurred at later latencies. Critically, the amygdala showed differential gamma band increases to fearful averted gaze (starting ~550 ms) and to angry directed gaze (~470 ms). Moreover, when comparing the 2 self-relevant threat conditions among them, we found higher gamma amygdala activity for averted fearful faces and higher beta OFC activity for angry directed faces. Together, these results reveal for the first time frequency-specific effects of emotion and gaze on amygdala and OFC neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Guex
- Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Geneva-Campus Biotech, HUG, Chem. des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Geneva-HUG, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.,Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Chem. des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emilie Meaux
- Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Geneva-Campus Biotech, HUG, Chem. des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Mégevand
- Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Geneva-Campus Biotech, HUG, Chem. des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Geneva-HUG, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Judith Domínguez-Borràs
- Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Geneva-Campus Biotech, HUG, Chem. des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.,Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Chem. des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona: Passeig de laVall d'Hebron, 171 08035 Barcelona
| | - Margitta Seeck
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Geneva-HUG, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Geneva-Campus Biotech, HUG, Chem. des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.,Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Chem. des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
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16
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Formica S, González-García C, Senoussi M, Marinazzo D, Brass M. Theta-phase connectivity between medial prefrontal and posterior areas underlies novel instructions implementation. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0225-22.2022. [PMID: 35868857 PMCID: PMC9374157 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0225-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Implementing novel instructions is a complex and uniquely human cognitive ability, that requires the rapid and flexible conversion of symbolic content into a format that enables the execution of the instructed behavior. Preparing to implement novel instructions, as opposed to their mere maintenance, involves the activation of the instructed motor plans, and the binding of the action information to the specific context in which this should be executed. Recent evidence and prominent computational models suggest that this efficient configuration of the system might involve a central role of frontal theta oscillations in establishing top-down long-range synchronization between distant and task-relevant brain areas. In the present EEG study (human subjects, 30 females, 4 males), we demonstrate that proactively preparing for the implementation of novels instructions, as opposed to their maintenance, involves a strengthened degree of connectivity in the theta frequency range between medial prefrontal and motor/visual areas. Moreover, we replicated previous results showing oscillatory features associated specifically with implementation demands, and extended on them demonstrating the role of theta oscillations in mediating the effect of task demands on behavioral performance. Taken together, these findings support our hypothesis that the modulation of connectivity patterns between frontal and task-relevant posterior brain areas is a core factor in the emergence of a behavior-guiding format from novel instructions.Significance statementEveryday life requires the use and manipulation of currently available information to guide behavior and reach specific goals. In the present study we investigate how the same instructed content elicits different neural activity depending on the task being performed. Crucially, connectivity between medial prefrontal cortex and posterior brain areas is strengthened when novel instructions have to be implemented, rather than simply maintained. This finding suggests that theta oscillations play a role in setting up a dynamic and flexible network of task-relevant regions optimized for the execution of the instructed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Formica
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Department of Psychology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10117, Germany
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Carlos González-García
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Mehdi Senoussi
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | | | - Marcel Brass
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Department of Psychology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10117, Germany
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium
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17
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Soleimani B, Das P, Dushyanthi Karunathilake IM, Kuchinsky SE, Simon JZ, Babadi B. NLGC: Network Localized Granger Causality with Application to MEG Directional Functional Connectivity Analysis. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119496. [PMID: 35870697 PMCID: PMC9435442 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the directed connectivity that underlie networked activity between different cortical areas is critical for understanding the neural mechanisms behind sensory processing. Granger causality (GC) is widely used for this purpose in functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis, but there the temporal resolution is low, making it difficult to capture the millisecond-scale interactions underlying sensory processing. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has millisecond resolution, but only provides low-dimensional sensor-level linear mixtures of neural sources, which makes GC inference challenging. Conventional methods proceed in two stages: First, cortical sources are estimated from MEG using a source localization technique, followed by GC inference among the estimated sources. However, the spatiotemporal biases in estimating sources propagate into the subsequent GC analysis stage, may result in both false alarms and missing true GC links. Here, we introduce the Network Localized Granger Causality (NLGC) inference paradigm, which models the source dynamics as latent sparse multivariate autoregressive processes and estimates their parameters directly from the MEG measurements, integrated with source localization, and employs the resulting parameter estimates to produce a precise statistical characterization of the detected GC links. We offer several theoretical and algorithmic innovations within NLGC and further examine its utility via comprehensive simulations and application to MEG data from an auditory task involving tone processing from both younger and older participants. Our simulation studies reveal that NLGC is markedly robust with respect to model mismatch, network size, and low signal-to-noise ratio, whereas the conventional two-stage methods result in high false alarms and mis-detections. We also demonstrate the advantages of NLGC in revealing the cortical network-level characterization of neural activity during tone processing and resting state by delineating task- and age-related connectivity changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behrad Soleimani
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Proloy Das
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - I M Dushyanthi Karunathilake
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Stefanie E Kuchinsky
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Jonathan Z Simon
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Department of Biology, University of Maryland College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Behtash Babadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
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18
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Ros T, Michela A, Mayer A, Bellmann A, Vuadens P, Zermatten V, Saj A, Vuilleumier P. Disruption of large-scale electrophysiological networks in stroke patients with visuospatial neglect. Netw Neurosci 2022; 6:69-89. [PMID: 35356193 PMCID: PMC8959119 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Stroke frequently produces attentional dysfunctions including symptoms of hemispatial neglect, which is characterized by a breakdown of awareness for the contralesional hemispace. Recent studies with functional MRI (fMRI) suggest that hemineglect patients display abnormal intra- and interhemispheric functional connectivity. However, since stroke is a vascular disorder and fMRI signals remain sensitive to nonneuronal (i.e., vascular) coupling, more direct demonstrations of neural network dysfunction in hemispatial neglect are warranted. Here, we utilize electroencephalogram (EEG) source imaging to uncover differences in resting-state network organization between patients with right hemispheric stroke (N = 15) and age-matched, healthy controls (N = 27), and determine the relationship between hemineglect symptoms and brain network organization. We estimated intra- and interregional differences in cortical communication by calculating the spectral power and amplitude envelope correlations of narrow-band EEG oscillations. We first observed focal frequency-slowing within the right posterior cortical regions, reflected in relative delta/theta power increases and alpha/beta/gamma decreases. Secondly, nodes within the right temporal and parietal cortex consistently displayed anomalous intra- and interhemispheric coupling, stronger in delta and gamma bands, and weaker in theta, alpha, and beta bands. Finally, a significant association was observed between the severity of left-hemispace search deficits (e.g., cancellation test omissions) and reduced functional connectivity within the alpha and beta bands. In sum, our novel results validate the hypothesis of large-scale cortical network disruption following stroke and reinforce the proposal that abnormal brain oscillations may be intimately involved in the pathophysiology of visuospatial neglect. Stroke patients often exhibit a disabling deficit of visual awareness in the hemifield opposite to their brain lesion, known as hemineglect. Recent studies with functional MRI (fMRI) suggest that hemineglect patients display abnormal functional coupling (i.e., connectivity) within and between brain hemispheres. However, since stroke is a vascular disorder and fMRI measures nonneuronal (i.e., vascular) coupling, we here provide direct evidence of neural network dysfunction in hemineglect by using electroencephalogram (EEG) source imaging, which measures the electrical fluctuations of large neuronal populations. Overall, we observed a breakdown of interhemispheric network connectivity within alpha/beta rhythms, which specifically correlated with the degree of patients’ hemispatial errors. The high temporal resolution and frequency content of EEG signals could lead to more sensitive markers and targeted rehabilitation approaches of hemineglect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Ros
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Abele Michela
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anaïs Mayer
- Romand Clinic of Readaptation, SUVA, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Anne Bellmann
- Romand Clinic of Readaptation, SUVA, Sion, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Arnaud Saj
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
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19
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Rezayat E, Clark K, Dehaqani MRA, Noudoost B. Dependence of Working Memory on Coordinated Activity Across Brain Areas. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 15:787316. [PMID: 35095433 PMCID: PMC8792503 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.787316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural signatures of working memory (WM) have been reported in numerous brain areas, suggesting a distributed neural substrate for memory maintenance. In the current manuscript we provide an updated review of the literature focusing on intracranial neurophysiological recordings during WM in primates. Such signatures of WM include changes in firing rate or local oscillatory power within an area, along with measures of coordinated activity between areas based on synchronization between oscillations. In comparing the ability of various neural signatures in any brain area to predict behavioral performance, we observe that synchrony between areas is more frequently and robustly correlated with WM performance than any of the within-area neural signatures. We further review the evidence for alteration of inter-areal synchrony in brain disorders, consistent with an important role for such synchrony during behavior. Additionally, results of causal studies indicate that manipulating synchrony across areas is especially effective at influencing WM task performance. Each of these lines of research supports the critical role of inter-areal synchrony in WM. Finally, we propose a framework for interactions between prefrontal and sensory areas during WM, incorporating a range of experimental findings and offering an explanation for the observed link between intra-areal measures and WM performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Rezayat
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Kelsey Clark
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Mohammad-Reza A. Dehaqani
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
- Cognitive Systems Laboratory, Control and Intelligent Processing Center of Excellence (CIPCE), School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behrad Noudoost
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- *Correspondence: Behrad Noudoost,
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20
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OUP accepted manuscript. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4284-4292. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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21
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Alavash M, Tune S, Obleser J. Dynamic large-scale connectivity of intrinsic cortical oscillations supports adaptive listening in challenging conditions. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001410. [PMID: 34634031 PMCID: PMC8530332 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In multi-talker situations, individuals adapt behaviorally to this listening challenge mostly with ease, but how do brain neural networks shape this adaptation? We here establish a long-sought link between large-scale neural communications in electrophysiology and behavioral success in the control of attention in difficult listening situations. In an age-varying sample of N = 154 individuals, we find that connectivity between intrinsic neural oscillations extracted from source-reconstructed electroencephalography is regulated according to the listener's goal during a challenging dual-talker task. These dynamics occur as spatially organized modulations in power-envelope correlations of alpha and low-beta neural oscillations during approximately 2-s intervals most critical for listening behavior relative to resting-state baseline. First, left frontoparietal low-beta connectivity (16 to 24 Hz) increased during anticipation and processing of a spatial-attention cue before speech presentation. Second, posterior alpha connectivity (7 to 11 Hz) decreased during comprehension of competing speech, particularly around target-word presentation. Connectivity dynamics of these networks were predictive of individual differences in the speed and accuracy of target-word identification, respectively, but proved unconfounded by changes in neural oscillatory activity strength. Successful adaptation to a listening challenge thus latches onto two distinct yet complementary neural systems: a beta-tuned frontoparietal network enabling the flexible adaptation to attentive listening state and an alpha-tuned posterior network supporting attention to speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Alavash
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior, and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- * E-mail: (MA); (JO)
| | - Sarah Tune
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior, and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jonas Obleser
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior, and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- * E-mail: (MA); (JO)
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22
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Alanazi FI, Al-Ozzi TM, Kalia SK, Hodaie M, Lozano AM, Cohn M, Hutchison WD. Neurophysiological responses of globus pallidus internus during the auditory oddball task in Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 159:105490. [PMID: 34461266 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease can be associated with significant cognitive impairment that may lead to dementia. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus is an effective therapy for motor symptoms but is associated with cognitive decline. DBS of globus pallidus internus (GPi) poses less risk of cognitive decline so may be the preferred target. A research priority is to identify biomarkers of cognitive decline in this population, but efforts are hampered by a lack of understanding of the role of the different basal ganglia nuclei, such as the globus pallidus, in cognitive processing. During deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, we monitored single units, beta oscillatory LFP activity as well as event related potentials (ERPs) from the globus pallidus internus (GPi) of 16 Parkinson's disease patients, while they performed an auditory attention task. We used an auditory oddball task, during which one standard tone is presented at regular intervals and a second deviant tone is presented with a low probability that the subject is requested to count and report at the end of the task. All forms of neuronal activity studied were selective modulated by the attended tones. Of 62 neurons studied, the majority (51 or 82%) responded selectively to the deviant tone. Beta oscillatory activity showed an overall desynchronization during both types of attended tones interspersed by bursts of beta activity giving rise to peaks at a latency of around 200 ms after tone onset. cognitive ERPs recorded in GPi were selective to the attended tone and the right-side cERP was larger than the left side. The averages of trials showing a difference in beta oscillatory activity between deviant and standard also had a significant difference in cERP amplitude. In one block of trials, the random occurrence of 3 deviant tones in short succession silenced the activity of the GPi neuron being recorded. Trial blocks where a clear difference in LFP beta was seen were twice as likely to yield a correct tone count (25 vs 11). The data demonstrate strong modulation of GPi neuronal activity during the auditory oddball task. Overall, this study demonstrates an involvement of GPi in processing of non-motor cognitive tasks such as working memory and attention, and suggests that direct effects of DBS in non-motor GPi may contribute to cognitive changes observed post-operatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frhan I Alanazi
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tameem M Al-Ozzi
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Suneil K Kalia
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital - University Health Network, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital - University Health Network, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andres M Lozano
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital - University Health Network, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Melanie Cohn
- Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - William D Hutchison
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital - University Health Network, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.
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23
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Hsu SM. A neural-based account of sequential bias during perceptual judgment. Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 28:1051-1059. [PMID: 33742422 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-01894-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sequential effects are prominent and pervasive phenomena that exist in most perceptual judgments. Of importance, these effects reflect dynamic aspects in our judgment bias induced by the recent context. When making successive judgments in response to a sequence of stimuli, two opposing consequences have frequently been observed: assimilation effects - current stimuli judged as being closer to preceding stimuli than they actually are, and contrast effects - current stimuli judged as being further from preceding stimuli than they actually are. Although several cognitive accounts have been previously proposed, there is still a lack of consensus on the underlying mechanism, particularly regarding the insights of the temporal dynamics. Building upon accumulating human M/EEG findings, I propose a framework to explain how sequential bias is generated, unfolded over time, and eventually incorporated into the formation of current biased judgment. By bringing sequential effects closer to a biologically plausible framework, this synthetic view could account for how the opposing consequences of sequential effects differentially evolve, distinguish the effects from other perceptual phenomena with similar behavioral outcomes (such as aftereffects and priming), and illuminate how perceptual judgment is adaptively adjusted under the impact of temporal context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen-Mou Hsu
- Imaging Center for Integrated Body, Mind and Culture Research, National Taiwan University, No.49, Fanglan Rd., Da'an Dist., Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
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24
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Vallesi A. The Quest for Hemispheric Asymmetries Supporting and Predicting Executive Functioning. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:1679-1697. [PMID: 33135967 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This narrative review addresses the neural bases of two executive functions: criterion setting, that is, the capacity to flexibly set up and select task rules and associations between stimuli, responses, and nonresponses, and monitoring, that is, the process of continuously evaluating whether task rules are being applied optimally. There is a documented tendency for criterion setting and monitoring to differentially recruit left and right lateral prefrontal regions and connected networks, respectively, above and beyond the specific task context. This model, known as the ROtman-Baycrest Battery to Investigate Attention (ROBBIA) model, initially sprung from extensive neuropsychological work led by Don Stuss. In subsequent years, multimodal lines of empirical investigation on both healthy individuals and patients with brain damage, coming from functional neuroimaging, EEG, neurostimulation, individual difference approaches, and, again, neuropsychology, so to "complete the circle," corroborated the functional mapping across the two hemispheres as predicted by the model. More recent electrophysiological evidence has further shown that hemispheric differences in intrinsic prefrontal dynamics are able to predict cognitive performance in tasks tapping these domain-general functions. These empirical contributions will be presented together with contrasting evidence, limits, and possible future directions to better fine-tune this model and extend its scope to new fields.
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25
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Conklin BD, Bressler SL. Organization of areal connectivity in the monkey frontoparietal network. Neuroimage 2021; 241:118414. [PMID: 34298082 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity observed in biological neural networks is determined by anatomical connectivity between cortical areas. The monkey frontoparietal network facilitates cognitive functions, but the organization of its connectivity is unknown. Here, a new connectivity matrix is proposed which shows that the network utilizes a small-world architecture and the 3-node M9 motif. Its areas exhibit relatively homogeneous connectivity with no suggestion of the hubs seen in scale-free networks. Crucially, its M9 dynamical relay motif is optimally arranged for near-zero and non-zero phase synchrony to arise in support of cognition, serving as a candidate topological mechanism for previously reported findings. These results can serve as a benchmark to be used in the treatment of neurological disorders where the types of cognition the frontoparietal network supports are impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D Conklin
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 654 Cherry Str. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332, United States.
| | - Steven L Bressler
- Center for Complex Systems & Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, United States
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26
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Riddle J, McFerren A, Frohlich F. Causal role of cross-frequency coupling in distinct components of cognitive control. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 202:102033. [PMID: 33741402 PMCID: PMC8184612 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive control is the capacity to guide motor and perceptual systems towards abstract goals. High-frequency neural oscillations related to motor activity in the beta band (13-30 Hz) and to visual processing in the gamma band (>30 Hz) are known to be modulated by cognitive control signals. One proposed mechanism for cognitive control is via cross-frequency coupling whereby low frequency network oscillations in prefrontal cortex (delta from 2-3 Hz and theta from 4-8 Hz) guide the expression of motor-related activity in action planning and guide perception-related activity in memory access. However, there is no causal evidence for cross-frequency coupling in these dissociable components of cognitive control. To address this important gap in knowledge, we delivered cross-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (CF-tACS) during performance of a task that manipulated cognitive control demands along two dimensions: the abstraction of the rules of the task (nested levels of action selection) that increased delta-beta coupling and the number of rules (set-size held in memory) that increased theta-gamma coupling. As hypothesized, we found that CF-tACS increased the targeted phase-amplitude coupling and modulated task performance of the associated cognitive control component. These findings provide causal evidence that prefrontal cortex orchestrates different components of cognitive control via two different cross-frequency coupling modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Riddle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Amber McFerren
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Flavio Frohlich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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Hernández-Arteaga E, Cruz-Aguilar MA, Hernández-González M, Guevara MA, Molina Del Río J, Sotelo Tapia C. Topographic distribution of the EEG ad hoc broad bands during sleep and wakefulness in the spider monkey (Ateles Geoffroyi). Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23257. [PMID: 33772826 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence that research on sleep among New World monkeys may provide important knowledge related to the evolution of sleep more broadly in the primate order. Digital electroencephalographic (EEG) analyses provide essential knowledge on sleep in the spider monkey. Recently, specific EEG bands related to sleep in these animals have been obtained using principal component analysis, but the exact spatio-temporal distribution of these EEG bands in this species has not yet been analyzed. This study determined the topographic distribution of the EEG spectral power of ad hoc broad bands during rapid eye movement sleep, nonrapid eye movement sleep, and wakefulness. Superficial EEG activity was obtained from the occipital, frontal, and central areas of six young adult male monkeys housed in a laboratory. During wakefulness, occipital areas showed high absolute power in the 1-3, 3-12, and 11-30 Hz ranges, while during nonrapid eye movement 1 sleep the highest absolute power was in the 13-30 Hz range. During nonrapid eye movement 3 sleep, frontal and central areas showed a high absolute power in the 18-19 Hz range. Finally, the right central area showed a high absolute power in the 20-30 Hz range during rapid eye movement sleep. This topographic distribution of EEG bands could represent the brain organization required for arousal and mnemonic processing during sleep in the spider monkey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Hernández-Arteaga
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología de la Conducta Reproductiva, Instituto de Neurociencias, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Manuel Alejandro Cruz-Aguilar
- Laboratorio de Cronobiología y Sueño, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Mexico City, México
| | - Marisela Hernández-González
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología de la Conducta Reproductiva, Instituto de Neurociencias, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Miguel Angel Guevara
- Laboratorio de Correlación Electroencefalográfica y Conducta, Instituto de Neurociencias, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Jahaziel Molina Del Río
- Laboratorio de Neuropsicología, División de Estudios de la Salud, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Centro Universitario de los Valles, Universidad de Guadalajara, Ameca, Jalisco, México
| | - Carolina Sotelo Tapia
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología de la Conducta Reproductiva, Instituto de Neurociencias, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
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28
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Dalton SGH, Cavanagh JF, Richardson JD. Spectral Resting-State EEG (rsEEG) in Chronic Aphasia Is Reliable, Sensitive, and Correlates With Functional Behavior. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:624660. [PMID: 33815079 PMCID: PMC8010195 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.624660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated spectral resting-state EEG in persons with chronic stroke-induced aphasia to determine its reliability, sensitivity, and relationship to functional behaviors. Resting-state EEG has not yet been characterized in this population and was selected given the demonstrated potential of resting-state investigations using other neuroimaging techniques to guide clinical decision-making. Controls and persons with chronic stroke-induced aphasia completed two EEG recording sessions, separated by approximately 1 month, as well as behavioral assessments of language, sensorimotor, and cognitive domains. Power in the classic frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta) was examined via spectral analysis of resting-state EEG data. Results suggest that power in the theta, alpha, and beta bands is reliable for use as a repeated measure. Significantly greater theta and lower beta power was observed in persons with aphasia (PWAs) than controls. Finally, in PWAs theta power negatively correlated with performance on a discourse informativeness measure, while alpha and beta power positively correlated with performance on the same measure. This indicates that spectral rsEEG slowing observed in PWAs in the chronic stage is pathological and suggests a possible avenue for directly altering brain activation to improve behavioral function. Taken together, these results suggest that spectral resting-state EEG holds promise for sensitive measurement of functioning and change in persons with chronic aphasia. Future studies investigating the utility of these measures as biomarkers of frank or latent aphasic deficits and treatment response in chronic stroke-induced aphasia are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah G. H. Dalton
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - James F. Cavanagh
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jessica D. Richardson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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29
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Tseng HA, Han X. Distinct Spiking Patterns of Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons and LFP Oscillations in Prefrontal Cortex During Sensory Discrimination. Front Physiol 2021; 12:618307. [PMID: 33679434 PMCID: PMC7928411 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.618307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) are broadly linked to various aspects of behavior. During sensory discrimination, PFC neurons can encode a range of task related information, including the identity of sensory stimuli and related behavioral outcome. However, it remains largely unclear how different neuron subtypes and local field potential (LFP) oscillation features in the mouse PFC are modulated during sensory discrimination. To understand how excitatory and inhibitory PFC neurons are selectively engaged during sensory discrimination and how their activity relates to LFP oscillations, we used tetrode recordings to probe well-isolated individual neurons, and LFP oscillations, in mice performing a three-choice auditory discrimination task. We found that a majority of PFC neurons, 78% of the 711 recorded individual neurons, exhibited sensory discrimination related responses that are context and task dependent. Using spike waveforms, we classified these responsive neurons into putative excitatory neurons with broad waveforms or putative inhibitory neurons with narrow waveforms, and found that both neuron subtypes were transiently modulated, with individual neurons' responses peaking throughout the entire duration of the trial. While the number of responsive excitatory neurons remain largely constant throughout the trial, an increasing fraction of inhibitory neurons were gradually recruited as the trial progressed. Further examination of the coherence between individual neurons and LFPs revealed that inhibitory neurons exhibit higher spike-field coherence with LFP oscillations than excitatory neurons during all aspects of the trial and across multiple frequency bands. Together, our results demonstrate that PFC excitatory neurons are continuously engaged during sensory discrimination, whereas PFC inhibitory neurons are increasingly recruited as the trial progresses and preferentially coordinated with LFP oscillations. These results demonstrate increasing involvement of inhibitory neurons in shaping the overall PFC dynamics toward the completion of the sensory discrimination task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-an Tseng
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xue Han
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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30
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Womelsdorf T. Translating Expectation into Visual Selection through a Beta-Synchronous Fronto-Parietal Neural Subnetwork. Neuron 2021; 109:8-10. [PMID: 33412097 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Top-down expectancy critically determines how fast sensory inputs are processed. Fiebelkorn & Kastner show that translating expectancy into fast stimulus processing is mediated by a subnetwork of beta-synchronized neurons across the fronto-parietal attention network. This finding suggests that precise spike timing determines how efficient fronto-parietal activity selects visual inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilo Womelsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA.
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31
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Ramon-Duaso C, Gener T, Consegal M, Fernández-Avilés C, Gallego JJ, Castarlenas L, Swanson MS, de la Torre R, Maldonado R, Puig MV, Robledo P. Methylphenidate Attenuates the Cognitive and Mood Alterations Observed in Mbnl2 Knockout Mice and Reduces Microglia Overexpression. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:2978-2997. [PMID: 30060068 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystem disorder affecting muscle and central nervous system (CNS) function. The cellular mechanisms underlying CNS alterations are poorly understood and no useful treatments exist for the neuropsychological deficits observed in DM1 patients. We investigated the progression of behavioral deficits present in male and female muscleblind-like 2 (Mbnl2) knockout (KO) mice, a rodent model of CNS alterations in DM1, and determined the biochemical and electrophysiological correlates in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), striatum and hippocampus (HPC). Male KO exhibited more cognitive impairment and depressive-like behavior than female KO mice. In the mPFC, KO mice showed an overexpression of proinflammatory microglia, increased transcriptional levels of Dat, Drd1, and Drd2, exacerbated dopamine levels, and abnormal neural spiking and oscillatory activities in the mPFC and HPC. Chronic treatment with methylphenidate (MPH) (1 and 3 mg/kg) reversed the behavioral deficits, reduced proinflammatory microglia in the mPFC, normalized prefrontal Dat and Drd2 gene expression, and increased Bdnf and Nrf2 mRNA levels. These findings unravel the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of MPH on cognitive deficits and depressive-like behaviors observed in Mbnl2 KO mice, and suggest that MPH could be a potential candidate to treat the CNS deficiencies in DM1 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Ramon-Duaso
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thomas Gener
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Consegal
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Fernández-Avilés
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan José Gallego
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Castarlenas
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maurice S Swanson
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and the Center for NeuroGenetics, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Rafael de la Torre
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición (CIBERON), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental al Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Victoria Puig
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patricia Robledo
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental al Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
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32
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Phase of firing coding of learning variables across the fronto-striatal network during feature-based learning. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4669. [PMID: 32938940 PMCID: PMC7495418 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18435-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex and striatum form a recurrent network whose spiking activity encodes multiple types of learning-relevant information. This spike-encoded information is evident in average firing rates, but finer temporal coding might allow multiplexing and enhanced readout across the connected network. We tested this hypothesis in the fronto-striatal network of nonhuman primates during reversal learning of feature values. We found that populations of neurons encoding choice outcomes, outcome prediction errors, and outcome history in their firing rates also carry significant information in their phase-of-firing at a 10–25 Hz band-limited beta frequency at which they synchronize across lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and anterior striatum when outcomes were processed. The phase-of-firing code exceeds information that can be obtained from firing rates alone and is evident for inter-areal connections between anterior cingulate cortex, lateral prefrontal cortex and anterior striatum. For the majority of connections, the phase-of-firing information gain is maximal at phases of the beta cycle that were offset from the preferred spiking phase of neurons. Taken together, these findings document enhanced information of three important learning variables at specific phases of firing in the beta cycle at an inter-areally shared beta oscillation frequency during goal-directed behavior. The average spiking frequency in the fronto-striatal network encodes multiple types of learning-relevant information. Here, the authors show that populations of neurons in non-human primates also carry significant information in their phase-of-firing when learning-relevant outcomes are processed.
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33
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Beta oscillations following performance feedback predict subsequent recall of task-relevant information. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15114. [PMID: 32934274 PMCID: PMC7493892 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72128-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Reward delivery in reinforcement learning tasks elicits increased beta power in the human EEG over frontal areas of the scalp but it is unclear whether these 20–30 Hz oscillations directly facilitate reward learning. We previously proposed that frontal beta is not specific to reward processing but rather reflects the role of prefrontal cortex in maintaining and transferring task-related information to other brain areas. To test this proposal, we had subjects perform a reinforcement learning task followed by a memory recall task in which subjects were asked to recall stimuli associated either with reward feedback (Reward Recall condition) or error feedback (Error Recall condition). We trained a classifier on post-feedback beta power in the Reward Recall condition to discriminate trials associated with reward feedback from those associated with error feedback and then tested the classifier on post-feedback beta power in the Error Recall condition. Crucially, the model classified error-related beta in the Error Recall condition as reward-related. The model also predicted stimulus recall from post-feedback beta power irrespective of feedback valence and task condition. These results indicate that post-feedback beta power is not specific to reward processing but rather reflects a more general task-related process.
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34
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Nested oscillations and brain connectivity during sequential stages of feature-based attention. Neuroimage 2020; 223:117354. [PMID: 32916284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain mechanisms of visual selective attention involve both local and network-level activity changes at specific oscillatory rhythms, but their interplay remains poorly explored. Here, we investigate anticipatory and reactive effects of feature-based attention using separate fMRI and EEG recordings, while participants attended to one of two spatially overlapping visual features (motion and orientation). We focused on EEG source analysis of local neuronal rhythms and nested oscillations and on graph analysis of connectivity changes in a network of fMRI-defined regions of interest, and characterized a cascade of attentional effects at multiple spatial scales. We discuss how the results may reconcile several theories of selective attention, by showing how β rhythms support anticipatory information routing through increased network efficiency, while reactive α-band desynchronization patterns and increased α-γ coupling in task-specific sensory areas mediate stimulus-evoked processing of task-relevant signals.
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35
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Distinct Oscillatory Dynamics Underlie Different Components of Hierarchical Cognitive Control. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4945-4953. [PMID: 32430297 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0617-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Hierarchical cognitive control enables us to execute actions guided by abstract goals. Previous research has suggested that neuronal oscillations at different frequency bands are associated with top-down cognitive control; however, whether distinct neural oscillations have similar or different functions for cognitive control is not well understood. The aim of the current study was to investigate the oscillatory neuronal mechanisms underlying two distinct components of hierarchical cognitive control: the level of abstraction of a rule, and the number of rules that must be maintained (set-size). We collected EEG data in 31 men and women who performed a hierarchical cognitive control task that varied in levels of abstraction and set-size. Results from time-frequency analysis in frontal electrodes showed an increase in theta amplitude for increased set-size, whereas an increase in δ was associated with increased abstraction. Both theta and δ amplitude correlated with behavioral performance in the tasks but in an opposite manner: theta correlated with response time slowing when the number of rules increased, whereas δ correlated with response time when rules became more abstract. Phase-amplitude coupling analysis revealed that δ phase-coupled with β amplitude during conditions with a higher level of abstraction, whereby beta band may potentially represent motor output that was guided by the δ phase. These results suggest that distinct neural oscillatory mechanisms underlie different components of hierarchical cognitive control.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cognitive control allows us to perform immediate actions while maintaining more abstract, overarching goals in mind and to choose between competing actions. We found distinct oscillatory signatures that correspond to two different components of hierarchical control: the level of abstraction of a rule and the number of rules in competition. An increase in the level of abstraction was associated with δ oscillations, whereas theta oscillations were observed when the number of rules increased. Oscillatory amplitude correlated with behavioral performance in the task. Finally, the expression of β amplitude was coordinated via the phase of δ oscillations, and theta phase-coupled with γ amplitude. These results suggest that distinct neural oscillatory mechanisms underlie different components of hierarchical cognitive control.
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36
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Al‐Ozzi TM, Botero-Posada LF, Lopez Rios AL, Hutchison WD. Single unit and beta oscillatory activities in subthalamic nucleus are modulated during visual choice preference. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:2220-2233. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tameem M. Al‐Ozzi
- Department of Physiology University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Department of Surgery University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Krembil Research Institute Toronto ON Canada
| | - Luis F. Botero-Posada
- Hospital Universitario y Centros Especializados de Saint Vicente Fundacion Rionegro/Medellin Colombia
| | - Adriana L. Lopez Rios
- Hospital Universitario y Centros Especializados de Saint Vicente Fundacion Rionegro/Medellin Colombia
| | - William D. Hutchison
- Department of Physiology University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Department of Surgery University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Krembil Research Institute Toronto ON Canada
- Hospital Universitario y Centros Especializados de Saint Vicente Fundacion Rionegro/Medellin Colombia
- Division of Neurosurgery Toronto Western Hospital – University Health Network Toronto ON Canada
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37
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Saarinen T, Kujala J, Laaksonen H, Jalava A, Salmelin R. Task-Modulated Corticocortical Synchrony in the Cognitive-Motor Network Supporting Handwriting. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:1871-1886. [PMID: 31670795 PMCID: PMC7132916 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Both motor and cognitive aspects of behavior depend on dynamic, accurately timed neural processes in large-scale brain networks. Here, we studied synchronous interplay between cortical regions during production of cognitive-motor sequences in humans. Specifically, variants of handwriting that differed in motor variability, linguistic content, and memorization of movement cues were contrasted to unveil functional sensitivity of corticocortical connections. Data-driven magnetoencephalography mapping (n = 10) uncovered modulation of mostly left-hemispheric corticocortical interactions, as quantified by relative changes in phase synchronization. At low frequencies (~2–13 Hz), enhanced frontoparietal synchrony was related to regular handwriting, whereas premotor cortical regions synchronized for simple loop production and temporo-occipital areas for a writing task substituting normal script with loop patterns. At the beta-to-gamma band (~13–45 Hz), enhanced synchrony was observed for regular handwriting in the central and frontoparietal regions, including connections between the sensorimotor and supplementary motor cortices and between the parietal and dorsal premotor/precentral cortices. Interpreted within a modular framework, these modulations of synchrony mainly highlighted interactions of the putative pericentral subsystem of hand coordination and the frontoparietal subsystem mediating working memory operations. As part of cortical dynamics, interregional phase synchrony varies depending on task demands in production of cognitive-motor sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Saarinen
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Address correspondence to Timo Saarinen, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland.
| | - Jan Kujala
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Hannu Laaksonen
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
| | - Antti Jalava
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
| | - Riitta Salmelin
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
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38
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Pinotsis DA, Siegel M, Miller EK. Sensory processing and categorization in cortical and deep neural networks. Neuroimage 2019; 202:116118. [PMID: 31445126 PMCID: PMC6819254 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Many recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are rooted in visual neuroscience. However, ideas from more complicated paradigms like decision-making are less used. Although automated decision-making systems are ubiquitous (driverless cars, pilot support systems, medical diagnosis algorithms etc.), achieving human-level performance in decision making tasks is still a challenge. At the same time, these tasks that are hard for AI are easy for humans. Thus, understanding human brain dynamics during these decision-making tasks and modeling them using deep neural networks could improve AI performance. Here we modelled some of the complex neural interactions during a sensorimotor decision making task. We investigated how brain dynamics flexibly represented and distinguished between sensory processing and categorization in two sensory domains: motion direction and color. We used two different approaches for understanding neural representations. We compared brain responses to 1) the geometry of a sensory or category domain (domain selectivity) and 2) predictions from deep neural networks (computation selectivity). Both approaches gave us similar results. This confirmed the validity of our analyses. Using the first approach, we found that neural representations changed depending on context. We then trained deep recurrent neural networks to perform the same tasks as the animals. Using the second approach, we found that computations in different brain areas also changed flexibly depending on context. Color computations appeared to rely more on sensory processing, while motion computations more on abstract categories. Overall, our results shed light to the biological basis of categorization and differences in selectivity and computations in different brain areas. They also suggest a way for studying sensory and categorical representations in the brain: compare brain responses to both a behavioral model and a deep neural network and test if they give similar results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris A Pinotsis
- Centre for Mathematical Neuroscience and Psychology and Department of Psychology, City -University of London, London, EC1V 0HB, United Kingdom; The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Markus Siegel
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience and MEG Center, University of Tubingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Earl K Miller
- The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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Brain oscillations in cognitive control: A cross-sectional study with a spatial stroop task. Neuropsychologia 2019; 133:107190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Román-López TV, Caballero-Sánchez U, Cisneros-Luna S, Franco-Rodríguez JA, Méndez-Díaz M, Prospéro-García O, Ruiz-Contreras AE. Brain electrical activity from encoding to retrieval while maintaining and manipulating information in working memory. Memory 2019; 27:1063-1078. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1620287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Talía V. Román-López
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ulises Caballero-Sánchez
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Silvia Cisneros-Luna
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - J. Antonio Franco-Rodríguez
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Mónica Méndez-Díaz
- Lab. Cannabinoides, Depto. Fisiología, Fac. Medicina, UNAM, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Oscar Prospéro-García
- Lab. Cannabinoides, Depto. Fisiología, Fac. Medicina, UNAM, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alejandra E. Ruiz-Contreras
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
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41
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Peelle JE. Listening Effort: How the Cognitive Consequences of Acoustic Challenge Are Reflected in Brain and Behavior. Ear Hear 2019; 39:204-214. [PMID: 28938250 PMCID: PMC5821557 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000000494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 315] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Everyday conversation frequently includes challenges to the clarity of the acoustic speech signal, including hearing impairment, background noise, and foreign accents. Although an obvious problem is the increased risk of making word identification errors, extracting meaning from a degraded acoustic signal is also cognitively demanding, which contributes to increased listening effort. The concepts of cognitive demand and listening effort are critical in understanding the challenges listeners face in comprehension, which are not fully predicted by audiometric measures. In this article, the authors review converging behavioral, pupillometric, and neuroimaging evidence that understanding acoustically degraded speech requires additional cognitive support and that this cognitive load can interfere with other operations such as language processing and memory for what has been heard. Behaviorally, acoustic challenge is associated with increased errors in speech understanding, poorer performance on concurrent secondary tasks, more difficulty processing linguistically complex sentences, and reduced memory for verbal material. Measures of pupil dilation support the challenge associated with processing a degraded acoustic signal, indirectly reflecting an increase in neural activity. Finally, functional brain imaging reveals that the neural resources required to understand degraded speech extend beyond traditional perisylvian language networks, most commonly including regions of prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, and the cingulo-opercular network. Far from being exclusively an auditory problem, acoustic degradation presents listeners with a systems-level challenge that requires the allocation of executive cognitive resources. An important point is that a number of dissociable processes can be engaged to understand degraded speech, including verbal working memory and attention-based performance monitoring. The specific resources required likely differ as a function of the acoustic, linguistic, and cognitive demands of the task, as well as individual differences in listeners' abilities. A greater appreciation of cognitive contributions to processing degraded speech is critical in understanding individual differences in comprehension ability, variability in the efficacy of assistive devices, and guiding rehabilitation approaches to reducing listening effort and facilitating communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan E Peelle
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
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42
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Broschard MB, Kim J, Love BC, Wasserman EA, Freeman JH. Selective attention in rat visual category learning. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 26:84-92. [PMID: 30770465 PMCID: PMC6380202 DOI: 10.1101/lm.048942.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A prominent theory of category learning, COVIS, posits that new categories are learned with either a declarative or procedural system, depending on the task. The declarative system uses the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to learn rule-based (RB) category tasks in which there is one relevant sensory dimension that can be used to establish a rule for solving the task, whereas the procedural system uses corticostriatal circuits for information integration (II) tasks in which there are multiple relevant dimensions, precluding use of explicit rules. Previous studies have found faster learning of RB versus II tasks in humans and monkeys but not in pigeons. The absence of a learning rate difference in pigeons has been attributed to their lacking a PFC. A major gap in this comparative analysis, however, is the lack of data from a nonprimate mammalian species, such as rats, that have a PFC but a less differentiated PFC than primates. Here, we investigated RB and II category learning in rats. Similar to pigeons, RB and II tasks were learned at the same rate. After reaching a learning criterion, wider distributions of stimuli were presented to examine generalization. A second experiment found equivalent RB and II learning with wider category distributions. Computational modeling revealed that rats extract and selectively attend to category-relevant information but do not consistently use rules to solve the RB task. These findings suggest rats are on a continuum of PFC function between birds and primates, with selective attention but limited ability to utilize rules relative to primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Broschard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - Jangjin Kim
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - Bradley C Love
- Department of Experimental Psychology and The Alan Turing Institute, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, United Kingdom
| | - Edward A Wasserman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - John H Freeman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
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43
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Riddle J, Hwang K, Cellier D, Dhanani S, D'Esposito M. Causal Evidence for the Role of Neuronal Oscillations in Top-Down and Bottom-Up Attention. J Cogn Neurosci 2019; 31:768-779. [PMID: 30726180 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Beta and gamma frequency neuronal oscillations have been implicated in top-down and bottom-up attention. In this study, we used rhythmic TMS to modulate ongoing beta and gamma frequency neuronal oscillations in frontal and parietal cortex while human participants performed a visual search task that manipulates bottom-up and top-down attention (single feature and conjunction search). Both task conditions will engage bottom-up attention processes, although the conjunction search condition will require more top-down attention. Gamma frequency TMS to superior precentral sulcus (sPCS) slowed saccadic RTs during both task conditions and induced a response bias to the contralateral visual field. In contrary, beta frequency TMS to sPCS and intraparietal sulcus decreased search accuracy only during the conjunction search condition that engaged more top-down attention. Furthermore, beta frequency TMS increased trial errors specifically when the target was in the ipsilateral visual field for the conjunction search condition. These results indicate that beta frequency TMS to sPCS and intraparietal sulcus disrupted top-down attention, whereas gamma frequency TMS to sPCS disrupted bottom-up, stimulus-driven attention processes. These findings provide causal evidence suggesting that beta and gamma oscillations have distinct functional roles for cognition.
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Cavanagh JF. Electrophysiology as a theoretical and methodological hub for the neural sciences. Psychophysiology 2019; 56:e13314. [PMID: 30556196 PMCID: PMC6687291 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Electrophysiology is a direct measure of neuronal processes, and it is uniquely sensitive to canonical neural operations that underlie emergent psychological operations. These qualities make it well suited for discovery of aberrant neural mechanisms that underlie complicated disease states. This technique is routinely utilized in vitro, in vivo, and in outpatient neurological clinics, offering a translatable bridge between animal models and human patients. The bench-to-bedside potential of this approach is unparalleled, yet it also remains undeveloped due to the slow inertia of legacy techniques and interpretations. In this review, I discuss these strengths of the method, and I detail compelling reasons why future advancements can have a direct and tangible influence over clinical practice. I hope to motivate a blurring of traditional boundaries between preclinical, computational, imaging, and clinical fields by advancing electrophysiology as a common hub for methodological integration and theoretical advancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F Cavanagh
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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45
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Johnson EL, King-Stephens D, Weber PB, Laxer KD, Lin JJ, Knight RT. Spectral Imprints of Working Memory for Everyday Associations in the Frontoparietal Network. Front Syst Neurosci 2019; 12:65. [PMID: 30670953 PMCID: PMC6333050 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2018.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
How does the human brain rapidly process incoming information in working memory? In growing divergence from a single-region focus on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), recent work argues for emphasis on how distributed neural networks are rapidly coordinated in support of this central neurocognitive function. Previously, we showed that working memory for everyday “what,” “where,” and “when” associations depends on multiplexed oscillatory systems, in which signals of different frequencies simultaneously link the PFC to parieto-occipital and medial temporal regions, pointing to a complex web of sub-second, bidirectional interactions. Here, we used direct brain recordings to delineate the frontoparietal oscillatory correlates of working memory with high spatiotemporal precision. Seven intracranial patients with electrodes simultaneously localized to prefrontal and parietal cortices performed a visuospatial working memory task that operationalizes the types of identity and spatiotemporal information we encounter every day. First, task-induced oscillations in the same delta-theta (2–7 Hz) and alpha-beta (9–24 Hz) frequency ranges previously identified using scalp electroencephalography (EEG) carried information about the contents of working memory. Second, maintenance was linked to directional connectivity from the parietal cortex to the PFC. However, presentation of the test prompt to cue identity, spatial, or temporal information changed delta-theta coordination from a unidirectional, parietal-led system to a bidirectional, frontoparietal system. Third, the processing of spatiotemporal information was more bidirectional in the delta-theta range than was the processing of identity information, where alpha-beta connectivity did not exhibit sensitivity to the contents of working memory. These findings implicate a bidirectional delta-theta mechanism for frontoparietal control over the contents of working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Johnson
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States.,Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - David King-Stephens
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Peter B Weber
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kenneth D Laxer
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jack J Lin
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Robert T Knight
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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Miller EK, Lundqvist M, Bastos AM. Working Memory 2.0. Neuron 2018; 100:463-475. [PMID: 30359609 PMCID: PMC8112390 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 392] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Working memory is the fundamental function by which we break free from reflexive input-output reactions to gain control over our own thoughts. It has two types of mechanisms: online maintenance of information and its volitional or executive control. Classic models proposed persistent spiking for maintenance but have not explicitly addressed executive control. We review recent theoretical and empirical studies that suggest updates and additions to the classic model. Synaptic weight changes between sparse bursts of spiking strengthen working memory maintenance. Executive control acts via interplay between network oscillations in gamma (30-100 Hz) in superficial cortical layers (layers 2 and 3) and alpha and beta (10-30 Hz) in deep cortical layers (layers 5 and 6). Deep-layer alpha and beta are associated with top-down information and inhibition. It regulates the flow of bottom-up sensory information associated with superficial layer gamma. We propose that interactions between different rhythms in distinct cortical layers underlie working memory maintenance and its volitional control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Earl K Miller
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Mikael Lundqvist
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - André M Bastos
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Mineroff Z, Blank IA, Mahowald K, Fedorenko E. A robust dissociation among the language, multiple demand, and default mode networks: Evidence from inter-region correlations in effect size. Neuropsychologia 2018; 119:501-511. [PMID: 30243926 PMCID: PMC6191329 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Complex cognitive processes, including language, rely on multiple mental operations that are carried out by several large-scale functional networks in the frontal, temporal, and parietal association cortices of the human brain. The central division of cognitive labor is between two fronto-parietal bilateral networks: (a) the multiple demand (MD) network, which supports executive processes, such as working memory and cognitive control, and is engaged by diverse task domains, including language, especially when comprehension gets difficult; and (b) the default mode network (DMN), which supports introspective processes, such as mind wandering, and is active when we are not engaged in processing external stimuli. These two networks are strongly dissociated in both their functional profiles and their patterns of activity fluctuations during naturalistic cognition. Here, we focus on the functional relationship between these two networks and a third network: (c) the fronto-temporal left-lateralized "core" language network, which is selectively recruited by linguistic processing. Is the language network distinct and dissociated from both the MD network and the DMN, or is it synchronized and integrated with one or both of them? Recent work has provided evidence for a dissociation between the language network and the MD network. However, the relationship between the language network and the DMN is less clear, with some evidence for coordinated activity patterns and similar response profiles, perhaps due to the role of both in semantic processing. Here we use a novel fMRI approach to examine the relationship among the three networks: we measure the strength of activations in different language, MD, and DMN regions to functional contrasts typically used to identify each network, and then test which regions co-vary in their contrast effect sizes across 60 individuals. We find that effect sizes correlate strongly within each network (e.g., one language region and another language region, or one DMN region and another DMN region), but show little or no correlation for region pairs across networks (e.g., a language region and a DMN region). Thus, using our novel method, we replicate the language/MD network dissociation discovered previously with other approaches, and also show that the language network is robustly dissociated from the DMN, overall suggesting that these three networks contribute to high-level cognition in different ways and, perhaps, support distinct computations. Inter-individual differences in effect sizes therefore do not simply reflect general differences in vascularization or attention, but exhibit sensitivity to the functional architecture of the brain. The strength of activation in each network can thus be probed separately in studies that attempt to link neural variability to behavioral or genetic variability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Evelina Fedorenko
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, USA.
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On the Role of Cortex-Basal Ganglia Interactions for Category Learning: A Neurocomputational Approach. J Neurosci 2018; 38:9551-9562. [PMID: 30228231 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0874-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the basal ganglia (BG) have been increasingly often reported to play a fundamental role in category learning, but the circuit mechanisms mediating their interaction remain to be explored. We developed a novel neurocomputational model of category learning that particularly addresses the BG-PFC interplay. We propose that the BG bias PFC activity by removing the inhibition of cortico-thalamo-cortical loop and thereby provide a teaching signal to guide the acquisition of category representations in the corticocortical associations to the PFC. Our model replicates key behavioral and physiological data of macaque monkey learning a prototype distortion task from Antzoulatos and Miller (2011) Our simulations allowed us to gain a deeper insight into the observed drop of category selectivity in striatal neurons seen in the experimental data and in the model. The simulation results and a new analysis of the experimental data based on the model's predictions show that the drop in category selectivity of the striatum emerges as the variability of responses in the striatum rises when confronting the BG with an increasingly larger number of stimuli to be classified. The neurocomputational model therefore provides new testable insights of systems-level brain circuits involved in category learning that may also be generalized to better understand other cortico-BG-cortical loops.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Inspired by the idea that basal ganglia (BG) teach the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to acquire category representations, we developed a novel neurocomputational model and tested it on a task that was recently applied in monkey experiments. As an advantage over previous models of category learning, our model allows to compare simulation data with single-cell recordings in PFC and BG. We not only derived model predictions, but already verified a prediction to explain the observed drop in striatal category selectivity. When testing our model with a simple, real-world face categorization task, we observed that the fast striatal learning with a performance of 85% correct responses can teach the slower PFC learning to push the model performance up to almost 100%.
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Structuring of Abstract Working Memory Content by Fronto-parietal Synchrony in Primate Cortex. Neuron 2018; 99:588-597.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Abstract
The earliest stages of processing in cerebral cortex reflect a relatively faithful copy of sensory inputs, but intelligent behavior requires abstracting behaviorally relevant concepts and categories. We examined how this transformation progresses through multiple levels of the cortical hierarchy by comparing neural representations in six cortical areas in monkeys categorizing across three visual domains. We found that categorical abstraction occurred in a gradual fashion across the cortical hierarchy and reached an apex in prefrontal cortex. Categorical coding did not respect classical models of large-scale cortical organization. The dimensionality of neural population activity was reduced in parallel with these representational changes. Our results shed light on how raw sensory inputs are transformed into behaviorally relevant abstractions. Somewhere along the cortical hierarchy, behaviorally relevant information is distilled from raw sensory inputs. We examined how this transformation progresses along multiple levels of the hierarchy by comparing neural representations in visual, temporal, parietal, and frontal cortices in monkeys categorizing across three visual domains (shape, motion direction, and color). Representations in visual areas middle temporal (MT) and V4 were tightly linked to external sensory inputs. In contrast, lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) largely represented the abstracted behavioral relevance of stimuli (task rule, motion category, and color category). Intermediate-level areas, including posterior inferotemporal (PIT), lateral intraparietal (LIP), and frontal eye fields (FEF), exhibited mixed representations. While the distribution of sensory information across areas aligned well with classical functional divisions (MT carried stronger motion information, and V4 and PIT carried stronger color and shape information), categorical abstraction did not, suggesting these areas may participate in different networks for stimulus-driven and cognitive functions. Paralleling these representational differences, the dimensionality of neural population activity decreased progressively from sensory to intermediate to frontal cortex. This shows how raw sensory representations are transformed into behaviorally relevant abstractions and suggests that the dimensionality of neural activity in higher cortical regions may be specific to their current task.
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