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Thalhammer M, Schulz J, Scheulen F, Oubaggi MEM, Kirschner M, Kaiser S, Schmidt A, Borgwardt S, Avram M, Brandl F, Sorg C. Distinct Volume Alterations of Thalamic Nuclei Across the Schizophrenia Spectrum. Schizophr Bull 2024; 50:1208-1222. [PMID: 38577901 PMCID: PMC11349018 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbae037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Abnormal thalamic nuclei volumes and their link to cognitive impairments have been observed in schizophrenia. However, whether and how this finding extends to the schizophrenia spectrum is unknown. We hypothesized a distinct pattern of aberrant thalamic nuclei volume across the spectrum and examined its potential associations with cognitive symptoms. STUDY DESIGN We performed a FreeSurfer-based volumetry of T1-weighted brain MRIs from 137 healthy controls, 66 at-risk mental state (ARMS) subjects, 89 first-episode psychosis (FEP) individuals, and 126 patients with schizophrenia to estimate thalamic nuclei volumes of six nuclei groups (anterior, lateral, ventral, intralaminar, medial, and pulvinar). We used linear regression models, controlling for sex, age, and estimated total intracranial volume, both to compare thalamic nuclei volumes across groups and to investigate their associations with positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. STUDY RESULTS We observed significant volume alterations in medial and lateral thalamic nuclei. Medial nuclei displayed consistently reduced volumes across the spectrum compared to controls, while lower lateral nuclei volumes were only observed in schizophrenia. Whereas positive and negative symptoms were not associated with reduced nuclei volumes across all groups, higher cognitive scores were linked to lower volumes of medial nuclei in ARMS. In FEP, cognition was not linked to nuclei volumes. In schizophrenia, lower cognitive performance was associated with lower medial volumes. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrate distinct thalamic nuclei volume reductions across the schizophrenia spectrum, with lower medial nuclei volumes linked to cognitive deficits in ARMS and schizophrenia. Data suggest a distinctive trajectory of thalamic nuclei abnormalities along the course of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Thalhammer
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Schulz
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Felicitas Scheulen
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Mohamed El Mehdi Oubaggi
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Kirschner
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - André Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mihai Avram
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Felix Brandl
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Sorg
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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Thalhammer M, Nimpal M, Schulz J, Meedt V, Menegaux A, Schmitz-Koep B, Daamen M, Boecker H, Zimmer C, Priller J, Wolke D, Bartmann P, Hedderich D, Sorg C. Consistently lower volumes across thalamus nuclei in very premature-born adults. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120732. [PMID: 39004408 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120732] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Lasting thalamus volume reduction after preterm birth is a prominent finding. However, whether thalamic nuclei volumes are affected differentially by preterm birth and whether nuclei aberrations are relevant for cognitive functioning remains unknown. Using T1-weighted MR-images of 83 adults born very preterm (≤ 32 weeks' gestation; VP) and/or with very low body weight (≤ 1,500 g; VLBW) as well as of 92 full-term born (≥ 37 weeks' gestation) controls, we compared thalamic nuclei volumes of six subregions (anterior, lateral, ventral, intralaminar, medial, and pulvinar) across groups at the age of 26 years. To characterize the functional relevance of volume aberrations, cognitive performance was assessed by full-scale intelligence quotient using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and linked to volume reductions using multiple linear regression analyses. Thalamic volumes were significantly lower across all examined nuclei in VP/VLBW adults compared to controls, suggesting an overall rather than focal impairment. Lower nuclei volumes were linked to higher intensity of neonatal treatment, indicating vulnerability to stress exposure after birth. Furthermore, we found that single results for lateral, medial, and pulvinar nuclei volumes were associated with full-scale intelligence quotient in preterm adults, albeit not surviving correction for multiple hypotheses testing. These findings provide evidence that lower thalamic volume in preterm adults is observable across all subregions rather than focused on single nuclei. Data suggest the same mechanisms of aberrant thalamus development across all nuclei after premature birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Thalhammer
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany; Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Munich, Germany.
| | - Mehul Nimpal
- Faculty of Biology, Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
| | - Julia Schulz
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany; Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Veronica Meedt
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
| | - Aurore Menegaux
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany; Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Benita Schmitz-Koep
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany; Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcel Daamen
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Clinical Functional Imaging Group, Bonn, Germany; Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Henning Boecker
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Clinical Functional Imaging Group, Bonn, Germany
| | - Claus Zimmer
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany; Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Josef Priller
- Department of Psychiatry, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Dieter Wolke
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Peter Bartmann
- Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dennis Hedderich
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany; Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Sorg
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany; Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
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3
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Lustig C, Bohnen NI. The Middle Managers: Thalamic and Cholinergic Contributions To Coordinating Top-Down And Bottom-Up Processing. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2024; 58:101406. [PMID: 39220566 PMCID: PMC11361277 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2024.101406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Methodological advances have facilitated extensive revision of traditional views of thalamic and cholinergic contributions to cognition and behavior. Increasing attention to the integrative capabilities of the thalamus highlights its role beyond a simple sensory relay, recognizing its complex connectivity and role in orchestrating different phases of attention. Correspondingly, modern conceptualizations position the cholinergic system as key in integrating sensory information with attention and goals. These theoretical developments have occurred largely in parallel, but have large conceptual overlap. We review this overlap, including evidence from animal, patient, neuroimaging, and computational studies, and suggest thalamo-cholinergic cognition plays a key role in coordinating stable and flexible attention.
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Scott DN, Mukherjee A, Nassar MR, Halassa MM. Thalamocortical architectures for flexible cognition and efficient learning. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:739-756. [PMID: 38886139 PMCID: PMC11305962 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.05.006] [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: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The brain exhibits a remarkable ability to learn and execute context-appropriate behaviors. How it achieves such flexibility, without sacrificing learning efficiency, is an important open question. Neuroscience, psychology, and engineering suggest that reusing and repurposing computations are part of the answer. Here, we review evidence that thalamocortical architectures may have evolved to facilitate these objectives of flexibility and efficiency by coordinating distributed computations. Recent work suggests that distributed prefrontal cortical networks compute with flexible codes, and that the mediodorsal thalamus provides regularization to promote efficient reuse. Thalamocortical interactions resemble hierarchical Bayesian computations, and their network implementation can be related to existing gating, synchronization, and hub theories of thalamic function. By reviewing recent findings and providing a novel synthesis, we highlight key research horizons integrating computation, cognition, and systems neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Scott
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Arghya Mukherjee
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew R Nassar
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Chen X, Leach SC, Hollis J, Cellier D, Hwang K. Thalamocortical contributions to hierarchical cognitive control. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.24.600427. [PMID: 38979282 PMCID: PMC11230235 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.24.600427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility relies on hierarchically structured task representations that organize task contexts, relevant environmental features, and subordinate decisions. Despite ongoing interest in the human thalamus, its role in cognitive control has been understudied. This study explored thalamic representation and thalamocortical interactions that contribute to hierarchical cognitive control in humans. We found that several thalamic nuclei, including the anterior, mediodorsal, ventrolateral, and pulvinar nuclei, exhibited stronger evoked responses when subjects switch between task contexts. Decoding analysis revealed that thalamic activity preferentially encodes task contexts within the hierarchical task representations. To determine how thalamocortical interactions contribute to task representations, we developed a thalamocortical functional interaction model to predict task-related cortical representation. This data-driven model outperformed comparison models, particularly in predicting activity patterns in cortical regions that encode context representations. Collectively, our findings highlight the significant contribution of thalamic activity and thalamocortical interactions for contextually guided hierarchical cognitive control.
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6
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Hall S. Is the Papez circuit the location of the elusive episodic memory engram? IBRO Neurosci Rep 2024; 16:249-259. [PMID: 38370006 PMCID: PMC10869290 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.01.016] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
All of the brain structures and white matter that make up Papez' circuit, as well as the circuit as a whole, are implicated in the literature in episodic memory formation and recall. This paper shows that Papez' circuit has the detailed structure and connectivity that is evidently required to support the episodic memory engram, and that identifying Papez' circuit as the location of the engram answers a number of long-standing questions regarding the role of medial temporal lobe structures in episodic memory. The paper then shows that the process by which the episodic memory engram may be formed is a network-wide Hebbian potentiation termed "racetrack potentiation", whose frequency corresponds to that observed in vivo in humans for memory functions. Further, by considering the microcircuits observed in the medial temporal lobe structures forming Papez' circuit, the paper establishes the neural mechanisms behind the required functions of sensory information storage and recall, pattern completion, pattern separation, and memory consolidation. The paper shows that Papez' circuit has the necessary connectivity to gather the various elements of an episodic memory occurring within Pöppel's experienced time or "quantum of experience". Finally, the paper shows how the memory engram located in Papez' circuit might be central to the formation of a duplicate engram in the cortex enabling consolidation and long-term storage of episodic memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Hall
- Department of Psychology, University of Bolton, Deane Road, Bolton BL3 5AB, UK
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7
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Zhi D, Jiang R, Pearlson G, Fu Z, Qi S, Yan W, Feng A, Xu M, Calhoun V, Sui J. Triple Interactions Between the Environment, Brain, and Behavior in Children: An ABCD Study. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:828-838. [PMID: 38151182 PMCID: PMC11006588 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental exposures play a crucial role in shaping children's behavioral development. However, the mechanisms by which these exposures interact with brain functional connectivity and influence behavior remain unexplored. METHODS We investigated the comprehensive environment-brain-behavior triple interactions through rigorous association, prediction, and mediation analyses, while adjusting for multiple confounders. Particularly, we examined the predictive power of brain functional network connectivity (FNC) and 41 environmental exposures for 23 behaviors related to cognitive ability and mental health in 7655 children selected from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study at both baseline and follow-up. RESULTS FNC demonstrated more predictability for cognitive abilities than for mental health, with cross-validation from the UK Biobank study (N = 20,852), highlighting the importance of thalamus and hippocampus in longitudinal prediction, while FNC+environment demonstrated more predictive power than FNC in both cross-sectional and longitudinal prediction of all behaviors, especially for mental health (r = 0.32-0.63). We found that family and neighborhood exposures were common critical environmental influencers on cognitive ability and mental health, which can be mediated by FNC significantly. Healthy perinatal development was a unique protective factor for higher cognitive ability, whereas sleep problems, family conflicts, and adverse school environments specifically increased risk of poor mental health. CONCLUSIONS This work revealed comprehensive environment-brain-behavior triple interactions based on the ABCD Study, identified cognitive control and default mode networks as the most predictive functional networks for a wide repertoire of behaviors, and underscored the long-lasting impact of critical environmental exposures on childhood development, in which sleep problems were the most prominent factors affecting mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Zhi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Rongtao Jiang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Godfrey Pearlson
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Zening Fu
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, and Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Shile Qi
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
| | - Weizheng Yan
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Lab of Neuroimaging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Aichen Feng
- Brainnetome Center and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Xu
- Brainnetome Center and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Vince Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, and Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Jing Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, and Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.
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8
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Delavari F, Sandini C, Kojovic N, Saccaro LF, Eliez S, Van De Ville D, Bolton TAW. Thalamic contributions to psychosis susceptibility: Evidence from co-activation patterns accounting for intra-seed spatial variability (μCAPs). Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26649. [PMID: 38520364 PMCID: PMC10960557 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The temporal variability of the thalamus in functional networks may provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. To address the complexity of the role of the thalamic nuclei in psychosis, we introduced micro-co-activation patterns (μCAPs) and employed this method on the human genetic model of schizophrenia 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). Participants underwent resting-state functional MRI and a data-driven iterative process resulting in the identification of six whole-brain μCAPs with specific activity patterns within the thalamus. Unlike conventional methods, μCAPs extract dynamic spatial patterns that reveal partially overlapping and non-mutually exclusive functional subparts. Thus, the μCAPs method detects finer foci of activity within the initial seed region, retaining valuable and clinically relevant temporal and spatial information. We found that a μCAP showing co-activation of the mediodorsal thalamus with brain-wide cortical regions was expressed significantly less frequently in patients with 22q11.2DS, and its occurrence negatively correlated with the severity of positive psychotic symptoms. Additionally, activity within the auditory-visual cortex and their respective geniculate nuclei was expressed in two different μCAPs. One of these auditory-visual μCAPs co-activated with salience areas, while the other co-activated with the default mode network (DMN). A significant shift of occurrence from the salience+visuo-auditory-thalamus to the DMN + visuo-auditory-thalamus μCAP was observed in patients with 22q11.2DS. Thus, our findings support existing research on the gatekeeping role of the thalamus for sensory information in the pathophysiology of psychosis and revisit the evidence of geniculate nuclei hyperconnectivity with the audio-visual cortex in 22q11.2DS in the context of dynamic functional connectivity, seen here as the specific hyper-occurrence of these circuits with the task-negative brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Delavari
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology LaboratoryUniversity of Geneva School of MedicineGenevaSwitzerland
- Neuro‐X InstituteÉcole Polytechnique FÉdÉrale de LausanneGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Corrado Sandini
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology LaboratoryUniversity of Geneva School of MedicineGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Nada Kojovic
- Autism Brain and Behavior Lab, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Luigi F. Saccaro
- Faculty of Medicine, Psychiatry DepartmentUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Psychiatry DepartmentGeneva University HospitalGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology LaboratoryUniversity of Geneva School of MedicineGenevaSwitzerland
- Department of Genetic Medicine and DevelopmentUniversity of Geneva School of MedicineGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Neuro‐X InstituteÉcole Polytechnique FÉdÉrale de LausanneGenevaSwitzerland
- Department of Radiology and Medical InformaticsUniversity of Geneva (UNIGE)GenevaSwitzerland
| | - Thomas A. W. Bolton
- Neuro‐X InstituteÉcole Polytechnique FÉdÉrale de LausanneGenevaSwitzerland
- Connectomics Laboratory, Department of RadiologyCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV)LausanneSwitzerland
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9
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Wolff M, Halassa MM. The mediodorsal thalamus in executive control. Neuron 2024; 112:893-908. [PMID: 38295791 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Executive control, the ability to organize thoughts and action plans in real time, is a defining feature of higher cognition. Classical theories have emphasized cortical contributions to this process, but recent studies have reinvigorated interest in the role of the thalamus. Although it is well established that local thalamic damage diminishes cognitive capacity, such observations have been difficult to inform functional models. Recent progress in experimental techniques is beginning to enrich our understanding of the anatomical, physiological, and computational substrates underlying thalamic engagement in executive control. In this review, we discuss this progress and particularly focus on the mediodorsal thalamus, which regulates the activity within and across frontal cortical areas. We end with a synthesis that highlights frontal thalamocortical interactions in cognitive computations and discusses its functional implications in normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Wolff
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, 33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Dai W, Qiu E, Lin X, Zhang S, Zhang M, Han X, Jia Z, Su H, Bian X, Zang X, Li M, Zhang Q, Ran Y, Gong Z, Wang X, Wang R, Tian L, Dong Z, Yu S. Abnormal Thalamo-Cortical Interactions in Overlapping Communities of Migraine: An Edge Functional Connectivity Study. Ann Neurol 2023; 94:1168-1181. [PMID: 37635687 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Migraine has been demonstrated to exhibit abnormal functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks, which is closely associated with its pathophysiology and has not yet been explored by edge functional connectivity. We used an edge-centric approach combined with motif analysis to evaluate higher-order communication patterns of brain networks in migraine. METHODS We investigated edge-centric metrics in 108 interictal migraine patients and 71 healthy controls. We parcellated the brain into networks using independent component analysis. We applied edge graph construction, k-means clustering, community overlap detection, graph-theory-based evaluations, and clinical correlation analysis. We conducted motif analysis to explore the interactions among regions, and a classification model to test the specificity of edge-centric results. RESULTS The normalized entropy of lateral thalamus was significantly increased in migraine, which was positively correlated with the baseline headache duration, and negatively correlated with headache duration reduction following preventive medications at 3-month follow-up. Network-wise entropy of the sensorimotor network was significantly elevated in migraine. The community similarity between lateral thalamus and postcentral gyrus was enhanced in migraine. Migraine patients showed overrepresented L-shape and diverse motifs, and underrepresented forked motifs with lateral thalamus serving as the reference node. Furthermore, migraine patients presented with overrepresented L-shape triads, where the postcentral gyrus shared different edges with the lateral thalamus. The classification model showed that entropy of the lateral thalamus had the highest discriminative power, with an area under the curve of 0.86. INTERPRETATION Our findings indicated an abnormal higher-order thalamo-cortical communication pattern in migraine patients. The thalamo-cortical-somatosensory disturbance of concerted working may potentially lead to aberrant information flow and deficit pain processing of migraine. ANN NEUROL 2023;94:1168-1181.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Dai
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Enchao Qiu
- Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xiaoxue Lin
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shuhua Zhang
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Mingjie Zhang
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xun Han
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihua Jia
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Su
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangbing Bian
- Department of Radiology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Zang
- Department of Radiology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Radiology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Qingkui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Ran
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zihua Gong
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolin Wang
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Rongfei Wang
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lixia Tian
- School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhao Dong
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shengyuan Yu
- Department of Neurology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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11
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Howell AM, Warrington S, Fonteneau C, Cho YT, Sotiropoulos SN, Murray JD, Anticevic A. The spatial extent of anatomical connections within the thalamus varies across the cortical hierarchy in humans and macaques. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.22.550168. [PMID: 37546767 PMCID: PMC10401924 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.22.550168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Each cortical area has a distinct pattern of anatomical connections within the thalamus, a central subcortical structure composed of functionally and structurally distinct nuclei. Previous studies have suggested that certain cortical areas may have more extensive anatomical connections that target multiple thalamic nuclei, which potentially allows them to modulate distributed information flow. However, there is a lack of quantitative investigations into anatomical connectivity patterns within the thalamus. Consequently, it remains unknown if cortical areas exhibit systematic differences in the extent of their anatomical connections within the thalamus. To address this knowledge gap, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) to perform brain-wide probabilistic tractography for 828 healthy adults from the Human Connectome Project. We then developed a framework to quantify the spatial extent of each cortical area's anatomical connections within the thalamus. Additionally, we leveraged resting-state functional MRI, cortical myelin, and human neural gene expression data to test if the extent of anatomical connections within the thalamus varied along the cortical hierarchy. Our results revealed two distinct corticothalamic tractography motifs: 1) a sensorimotor cortical motif characterized by focal thalamic connections targeting posterolateral thalamus, associated with fast, feed-forward information flow; and 2) an associative cortical motif characterized by diffuse thalamic connections targeting anteromedial thalamus, associated with slow, feed-back information flow. These findings were consistent across human subjects and were also observed in macaques, indicating cross-species generalizability. Overall, our study demonstrates that sensorimotor and association cortical areas exhibit differences in the spatial extent of their anatomical connections within the thalamus, which may support functionally-distinct cortico-thalamic information flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M Howell
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Shaun Warrington
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Clara Fonteneau
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Youngsun T Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Stamatios N Sotiropoulos
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - John D Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
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12
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Shine JM, Lewis LD, Garrett DD, Hwang K. The impact of the human thalamus on brain-wide information processing. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:416-430. [PMID: 37237103 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00701-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus is a small, bilateral structure in the diencephalon that integrates signals from many areas of the CNS. This critical anatomical position allows the thalamus to influence whole-brain activity and adaptive behaviour. However, traditional research paradigms have struggled to attribute specific functions to the thalamus, and it has remained understudied in the human neuroimaging literature. Recent advances in analytical techniques and increased accessibility to large, high-quality data sets have brought forth a series of studies and findings that (re-)establish the thalamus as a core region of interest in human cognitive neuroscience, a field that otherwise remains cortico-centric. In this Perspective, we argue that using whole-brain neuroimaging approaches to investigate the thalamus and its interaction with the rest of the brain is key for understanding systems-level control of information processing. To this end, we highlight the role of the thalamus in shaping a range of functional signatures, including evoked activity, interregional connectivity, network topology and neuronal variability, both at rest and during the performance of cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laura D Lewis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Douglas D Garrett
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Hwang
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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13
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Stockert A, Hormig-Rauber S, Wawrzyniak M, Klingbeil J, Schneider HR, Pirlich M, Schob S, Hoffmann KT, Saur D. Involvement of Thalamocortical Networks in Patients With Poststroke Thalamic Aphasia. Neurology 2023; 100:e485-e496. [PMID: 36302664 PMCID: PMC9931083 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000201488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Theories assume that thalamic stroke may cause aphasia because of dysfunction in connected cortical networks. This takes into account that brain functions are organized in distributed networks, and in turn, localized damage may result in a network disorder such as thalamic aphasia. With this study, we investigate whether the integration of the thalamus into specific thalamocortical networks underlies symptoms after thalamic stroke. We hypothesize that thalamic lesions in patients with language impairments are functionally connected to cortical networks for language and cognition. METHODS We combined nonparametric lesion mapping methods in a retrospective cohort of patients with acute or subacute first-ever thalamic stroke. A relationship between lesion location and language impairments was assessed using nonparametric voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping. This method reveals regions more frequently damaged in patients with compared with those without a symptom of interest. To test whether these symptoms are linked to a common thalamocortical network, we additionally performed lesion-network-symptom mapping. This method uses normative connectome data from resting-state fMRI of healthy participants (n = 65) for functional connectivity analyses, with lesion sites serving as seeds. Resulting lesion-dependent network connectivity of patients with language impairments was compared with those with motor and sensory deficits as baseline. RESULTS A total of 101 patients (mean [SD] age 64.1 [14.6] years, 57 left, 42 right, and 2 bilateral lesions) were included in the study. Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping showed an association of language impairments with damage to left mediodorsal thalamic nucleus lesions. Lesion-network-symptom mapping revealed that language compared with sensory deficits were associated with higher normative lesion-dependent network connectivity to left frontotemporal language networks and bilateral prefrontal, insulo-opercular, midline cingular, and parietal domain-general networks. Lesions related to motor and sensory deficits showed higher lesion-dependent network connectivity within the sensorimotor network spanning prefrontal, precentral, and postcentral cortices. DISCUSSION Thalamic aphasia relates to lesions in the left mediodorsal thalamic nucleus and to functionally connected left cortical language and bilateral cortical networks for cognitive control. This suggests that dysfunction in thalamocortical networks contributes to thalamic aphasia. We propose that inefficient integration between otherwise undamaged domain-general and language networks may cause thalamic aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Stockert
- From the Language and Aphasia Laboratory (A.S., S.H.-R., M.W., J.K., H.R.S., M.P., D.S.), Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology (S.S.), Clinic and Policlinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany; and Department of Neuroradiology (K.-T.H.), University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Sophia Hormig-Rauber
- From the Language and Aphasia Laboratory (A.S., S.H.-R., M.W., J.K., H.R.S., M.P., D.S.), Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology (S.S.), Clinic and Policlinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany; and Department of Neuroradiology (K.-T.H.), University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Max Wawrzyniak
- From the Language and Aphasia Laboratory (A.S., S.H.-R., M.W., J.K., H.R.S., M.P., D.S.), Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology (S.S.), Clinic and Policlinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany; and Department of Neuroradiology (K.-T.H.), University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julian Klingbeil
- From the Language and Aphasia Laboratory (A.S., S.H.-R., M.W., J.K., H.R.S., M.P., D.S.), Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology (S.S.), Clinic and Policlinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany; and Department of Neuroradiology (K.-T.H.), University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hans Ralf Schneider
- From the Language and Aphasia Laboratory (A.S., S.H.-R., M.W., J.K., H.R.S., M.P., D.S.), Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology (S.S.), Clinic and Policlinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany; and Department of Neuroradiology (K.-T.H.), University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mandy Pirlich
- From the Language and Aphasia Laboratory (A.S., S.H.-R., M.W., J.K., H.R.S., M.P., D.S.), Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology (S.S.), Clinic and Policlinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany; and Department of Neuroradiology (K.-T.H.), University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefan Schob
- From the Language and Aphasia Laboratory (A.S., S.H.-R., M.W., J.K., H.R.S., M.P., D.S.), Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology (S.S.), Clinic and Policlinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany; and Department of Neuroradiology (K.-T.H.), University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Karl-Titus Hoffmann
- From the Language and Aphasia Laboratory (A.S., S.H.-R., M.W., J.K., H.R.S., M.P., D.S.), Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology (S.S.), Clinic and Policlinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany; and Department of Neuroradiology (K.-T.H.), University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dorothee Saur
- From the Language and Aphasia Laboratory (A.S., S.H.-R., M.W., J.K., H.R.S., M.P., D.S.), Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology (S.S.), Clinic and Policlinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany; and Department of Neuroradiology (K.-T.H.), University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
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14
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Therapeutic Potential and Limitation of Serotonin Type 7 Receptor Modulation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032070. [PMID: 36768393 PMCID: PMC9916679 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Although a number of mood-stabilising atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants modulate serotonin type 7 receptor (5-HT7), the detailed contributions of 5-HT7 function to clinical efficacy and pathophysiology have not been fully understood. The mood-stabilising antipsychotic agent, lurasidone, and the serotonin partial agonist reuptake inhibitor, vortioxetine, exhibit higher binding affinity to 5-HT7 than other conventional antipsychotics and antidepressants. To date, the initially expected rapid onset of antidepressant effects-in comparison with conventional antidepressants or mood-stabilising antipsychotics-due to 5-HT7 inhibition has not been observed with lurasidone and vortioxetine; however, several clinical studies suggest that 5-HT7 inhibition likely contributes to quality of life of patients with schizophrenia and mood disorders via the improvement of cognition. Furthermore, recent preclinical studies reported that 5-HT7 inhibition might mitigate antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic complication by blocking other monoamine receptors. Further preclinical studies for the development of 5-HT7 modulation against neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases have been ongoing. To date, various findings from various preclinical studies indicate the possibility that 5-HT7 modifications can provide two independent strategies. The first is that 5-HT7 inhibition ameliorates the dysfunction of inter-neuronal transmission in mature networks. The other is that activation of 5-HT7 can improve transmission dysfunction due to microstructure abnormality in the neurotransmission network-which could be unaffected by conventional therapeutic agents-via modulating intracellular signalling during the neurodevelopmental stage or via loss of neural networks with aging. This review attempts to describe the current and novel clinical applications of 5-HT7 modulation based on preclinical findings.
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15
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Altered structural and functional homotopic connectivity associated with the progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. Psychiatry Res 2023; 319:115000. [PMID: 36502711 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.115000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The progressive mild cognitive impairment (pMCI) is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Many studies have reported the disrupted brain alteration during the imminent conversion from pMCI to AD. However, the subtle difference of structural and functional of inter-hemispheric between pMCI and stable mild cognitive impairment (sMCI) remains unknown. In the present study, we scanned the multimodal magnetic resonance imaging of 38 sMCI, 26 pMCI, and 50 healthy controls (HC) and assessed the cognitive function. The voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and volume of corpus callosum were calculated. A structural equation modeling (SEM) was established to determine the relationships between the corpus callosum, the inter-hemispheric connectivity, and cognitive assessment. Compared to sMCI, pMCI exhibited decreased VMHC in insular and thalamus, and reduced volume of corpus callosum. SEM results showed that decreased inter-hemispheric connectivity was directly associated with cognitive impairment and corpus callosum atrophy, and corpus callosum atrophy indirectly caused cognitive impairment by mediating inter-hemispheric connectivity in pMCI. In conclusion, the destruction of homotopic connectivity is related to cognitive impairment, and the corpus callosum atrophy partially mediates the association between the homotopic connectivity and cognitive impairment in pMCI.
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16
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Perry BAL, Mendez JC, Mitchell AS. Cortico-thalamocortical interactions for learning, memory and decision-making. J Physiol 2023; 601:25-35. [PMID: 35851953 PMCID: PMC10087288 DOI: 10.1113/jp282626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamus and cortex are interconnected both functionally and anatomically and share a common developmental trajectory. Interactions between the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) and different parts of the prefrontal cortex are essential in cognitive processes, such as learning and adaptive decision-making. Cortico-thalamocortical interactions involving other dorsal thalamic nuclei, including the anterior thalamus and pulvinar, also influence these cognitive processes. Our work, and that of others, indicates a crucial influence of these interdependent cortico-thalamocortical neural networks that contributes actively to the processing of information within the cortex. Each of these thalamic nuclei also receives potent subcortical inputs that are likely to provide additional influences on their regulation of cortical activity. Here, we highlight our current neuroscientific research aimed at establishing when cortico-MD thalamocortical neural network communication is vital within the context of a rapid learning and memory discrimination task. We are collecting evidence of MD-prefrontal cortex neural network communication in awake, behaving male rhesus macaques. Given the prevailing evidence, further studies are needed to identify both broad and specific mechanisms that govern how the MD, anterior thalamus and pulvinar cortico-thalamocortical interactions support learning, memory and decision-making. Current evidence shows that the MD (and the anterior thalamus) are crucial for frontotemporal communication, and the pulvinar is crucial for frontoparietal communication. Such work is crucial to advance our understanding of the neuroanatomical and physiological bases of these brain functions in humans. In turn, this might offer avenues to develop effective treatment strategies to improve the cognitive deficits often observed in many debilitating neurological disorders and diseases and in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brook A L Perry
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Juan Carlos Mendez
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Anna S Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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17
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Hwang K, Shine JM, Cole MW, Sorenson E. Thalamocortical contributions to cognitive task activity. eLife 2022; 11:e81282. [PMID: 36537658 PMCID: PMC9799971 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalamocortical interaction is a ubiquitous functional motif in the mammalian brain. Previously (Hwang et al., 2021), we reported that lesions to network hubs in the human thalamus are associated with multi-domain behavioral impairments in language, memory, and executive functions. Here, we show how task-evoked thalamic activity is organized to support these broad cognitive abilities. We analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from human subjects that performed 127 tasks encompassing a broad range of cognitive representations. We first investigated the spatial organization of task-evoked activity and found a basis set of activity patterns evoked to support processing needs of each task. Specifically, the anterior, medial, and posterior-medial thalamus exhibit hub-like activity profiles that are suggestive of broad functional participation. These thalamic task hubs overlapped with network hubs interlinking cortical systems. To further determine the cognitive relevance of thalamic activity and thalamocortical functional connectivity, we built a data-driven thalamocortical model to test whether thalamic activity can be used to predict cortical task activity. The thalamocortical model predicted task-specific cortical activity patterns, and outperformed comparison models built on cortical, hippocampal, and striatal regions. Simulated lesions to low-dimensional, multi-task thalamic hub regions impaired task activity prediction. This simulation result was further supported by profiles of neuropsychological impairments in human patients with focal thalamic lesions. In summary, our results suggest a general organizational principle of how the human thalamocortical system supports cognitive task activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hwang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, University of SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Michael W Cole
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-NewarkNewarkUnited States
| | - Evan Sorenson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
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18
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Aggleton JP, Nelson AJD, O'Mara SM. Time to retire the serial Papez circuit: Implications for space, memory, and attention. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104813. [PMID: 35940310 PMCID: PMC10804970 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
After more than 80 years, Papez serial circuit remains a hugely influential concept, initially for emotion, but in more recent decades, for memory. Here, we show how this circuit is anatomically and mechanistically naïve as well as outdated. We argue that a new conceptualisation is necessitated by recent anatomical and functional findings that emphasize the more equal, working partnerships between the anterior thalamic nuclei and the hippocampal formation, along with their neocortical interactions in supporting, episodic memory. Furthermore, despite the importance of the anterior thalamic for mnemonic processing, there is growing evidence that these nuclei support multiple aspects of cognition, only some of which are directly associated with hippocampal function. By viewing the anterior thalamic nuclei as a multifunctional hub, a clearer picture emerges of extra-hippocampal regions supporting memory. The reformulation presented here underlines the need to retire Papez serially processing circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK.
| | - Andrew J D Nelson
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK
| | - Shane M O'Mara
- School of Psychology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
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19
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White matter volume loss drives cortical reshaping after thalamic infarcts. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 33:102953. [PMID: 35139478 PMCID: PMC8844789 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
White matter volume loss after unilateral thalamic infarcts shows the trajectories of sensory and ocular motor input from the brainstem to the thalamus and their thalamocortical connections. The extensive volume loss drives reshaping of the cortex more than grey matter atrophy. Associated ocular motor and vestibular symptoms are compensated over time due to their redundant and intermingled connectivity and an early integration with other sensory modalities. Associated ocular motor and vestibular symptoms are compensated over time due to their redundant and intermingled connectivity and an early integration with other sensory modalities.
Objective The integration of somatosensory, ocular motor and vestibular signals is necessary for self-location in space and goal-directed action. We aimed to detect remote changes in the cerebral cortex after thalamic infarcts to reveal the thalamo-cortical connections necessary for multisensory processing and ocular motor control. Methods Thirteen patients with unilateral ischemic thalamic infarcts presenting with vestibular, somatosensory, and ocular motor symptoms were examined longitudinally in the acute phase and after six months. Voxel- and surface-based morphometry were used to detect changes in vestibular and multisensory cortical areas and known hubs of central ocular motor processing. The results were compared with functional connectivity data in 50 healthy volunteers. Results Patients with paramedian infarcts showed impaired saccades and vestibular perception, i.e., tilts of the subjective visual vertical (SVV). The most common complaint in these patients was double vision or vertigo / dizziness. Posterolateral thalamic infarcts led to tilts of the SVV and somatosensory deficits without vertigo. Tilts of the SVV were higher in paramedian compared to posterolateral infarcts (median 11.2° vs 3.8°). Vestibular and ocular motor symptoms recovered within six months. Somatosensory deficits persisted. Structural longitudinal imaging showed significant volume reduction in subcortical structures connected to the infarcted thalamic nuclei (vestibular nuclei region, dentate nucleus region, trigeminal root entry zone, medial lemniscus, superior colliculi). Volume loss was evident in connections to the frontal, parietal and cingulate lobes. Changes were larger in the ipsilesional hemisphere but were also detected in homotopical regions contralesionally. The white matter volume reduction led to deformation of the cortical projection zones of the infarcted nuclei. Conclusions White matter volume loss after thalamic infarcts reflects sensory input from the brainstem as well the cortical projections of the main affected nuclei for sensory and ocular motor processing. Changes in the cortical geometry seem not to reflect gray matter atrophy but rather reshaping of the cortical surface due to the underlying white matter atrophy.
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20
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Hwang K, Shine JM, Bruss J, Tranel D, Boes A. Neuropsychological evidence of multi-domain network hubs in the human thalamus. eLife 2021; 10:69480. [PMID: 34622776 PMCID: PMC8526062 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hubs in the human brain support behaviors that arise from brain network interactions. Previous studies have identified hub regions in the human thalamus that are connected with multiple functional networks. However, the behavioral significance of thalamic hubs has yet to be established. Our framework predicts that thalamic subregions with strong hub properties are broadly involved in functions across multiple cognitive domains. To test this prediction, we studied human patients with focal thalamic lesions in conjunction with network analyses of the human thalamocortical functional connectome. In support of our prediction, lesions to thalamic subregions with stronger hub properties were associated with widespread deficits in executive, language, and memory functions, whereas lesions to thalamic subregions with weaker hub properties were associated with more limited deficits. These results highlight how a large-scale network model can broaden our understanding of thalamic function for human cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hwang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Cognitive Control Collaborative, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Joel Bruss
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Neurology, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States
| | - Daniel Tranel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Neurology, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States
| | - Aaron Boes
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Neurology, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa & The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, United States
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