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Fazio L, Naik VN, Therpurakal RN, Gomez Osorio FM, Rychlik N, Ladewig J, Strüber M, Cerina M, Meuth SG, Budde T. Retigabine, a potassium channel opener, restores thalamocortical neuron functionality in a murine model of autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 122:202-215. [PMID: 39142423 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disease, whose primary hallmark is the occurrence of inflammatory lesions in white and grey matter structures. Increasing evidence in MS patients and respective murine models reported an impaired ionic homeostasis driven by inflammatory-demyelination, thereby profoundly affecting signal propagation. However, the impact of a focal inflammatory lesion on single-cell and network functionality has hitherto not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVES In this study, we sought to determine the consequences of a localized cortical inflammatory lesion on the excitability and firing pattern of thalamic neurons in the auditory system. Moreover, we tested the neuroprotective effect of Retigabine (RTG), a specific Kv7 channel opener, on disease outcome. METHODS To resemble the human disease, we focally administered pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IFN-γ, in the primary auditory cortex (A1) of MOG35-55 immunized mice. Thereafter, we investigated the impact of the induced inflammatory milieu on afferent thalamocortical (TC) neurons, by performing ex vivo recordings. Moreover, we explored the effect of Kv7 channel modulation with RTG on auditory information processing, using in vivo electrophysiological approaches. RESULTS Our results revealed that a cortical inflammatory lesion profoundly affected the excitability and firing pattern of neighboring TC neurons. Noteworthy, RTG restored control-like values and TC tonotopic mapping. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that RTG treatment might robustly mitigate inflammation-induced altered excitability and preserve ascending information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Fazio
- Department of Neurology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Venu Narayanan Naik
- Department of Neurology with Institute of Translational Neurology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
| | | | | | - Nicole Rychlik
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
| | - Julia Ladewig
- Department of Translational Brain Research, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty Mannheim, Germany; HITBR Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research gGmbH, Mannheim, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Michael Strüber
- Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Center of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Manuela Cerina
- Department of Neurology with Institute of Translational Neurology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Sven G Meuth
- Department of Neurology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Thomas Budde
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
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Lemos MD, Barbosa LM, Andrade DCD, Lucato LT. Contributions of neuroimaging in central poststroke pain: a review. ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA 2024; 82:1-11. [PMID: 39216489 DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1789225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central neuropathic poststroke pain (CNPSP) affects up to 12% of patients with stroke in general and up to 18% of patients with sensory deficits. This pain syndrome is often incapacitating and refractory to treatment. Brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are widely used methods in the evaluation of CNPSP. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to review the role of neuroimaging methods in CNPSP. METHODS We performed a literature review of the main clinical aspects of CNPSP and the contribution of neuroimaging methods to study its pathophysiology, commonly damaged brain sites, and possible differential diagnoses. Lastly, we briefly mention how neuroimaging can contribute to the non-pharmacological CNPSP treatment. Additionally, we used a series of MRI from our institution to illustrate this review. RESULTS Imaging has been used to explain CNPSP pathogenesis based on spinothalamic pathway damage and connectome dysfunction. Imaging locations associated with CNPSP include the brainstem (mainly the dorsolateral medulla), thalamus (especially the ventral posterolateral/ventral posteromedial nuclei), cortical areas such as the posterior insula and the parietal operculum, and, more recently, the thalamocortical white matter in the posterior limb of the internal capsule. Imaging also brings the prospect of helping search for new targets for non-pharmacological treatments for CNPSP. Other neuropathic pain causes identified by imaging include syringomyelia, multiple sclerosis, and herniated intervertebral disc. CONCLUSION Imaging is a valuable tool in the complimentary evaluation of CNPSP patients in clinical and research scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Delboni Lemos
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Radiologia, São Paulo SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana Mendonça Barbosa
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia, São Paulo SP, Brazil
| | - Daniel Ciampi de Andrade
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia, São Paulo SP, Brazil
| | - Leandro Tavares Lucato
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Radiologia, São Paulo SP, Brazil
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Park G, Park Y, Yang S, Cho Y, Serikov A, Jung D, Seo DC, Lee SE, Nam MH, Kim D, Kim J. Neurotensin-specific corticothalamic circuit regulates innate response conflict. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3473-3487.e6. [PMID: 39067450 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Animals must simultaneously select and balance multiple action contingencies in ambiguous situations: for instance, evading danger during feeding. This has rarely been examined in the context of information selection; despite corticothalamic pathways that mediate sensory attention being relatively well characterized, neural mechanisms filtering conflicting actions remain unclear. Here, we develop a new loom/feed test to observe conflict between naturally induced fear and feeding and identify a novel anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) output to the ventral anterior and ventral lateral thalamus (VA/VL) that adjusts selectivity between these innate actions. Using micro-endoscopy and fiber photometry, we reveal that activity in corticofugal outputs was lowered during unbalanced/singularly occupied periods, as were the resulting decreased thalamic initiation-related signals for less-favored actions, suggesting that the integration of ACC-thalamic firing may directly regulate the output of behavior choices. Accordingly, the optoinhibition of ACC-VA/VL circuits induced high bias toward feeding at the expense of defense. To identify upstream "commander" cortical cells gating this output, we established dual-order tracing (DOT)-translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP)-a scheme to label upstream neurons with transcriptome analysis-and found a novel population of neurotensin-positive interneurons (ACCNts). The photoexcitation of ACCNts cells indeed caused similarly hyper-selective behaviors. Collectively, this new "corticofugal action filter" scheme suggests that communication in multi-step cingulate circuits may critically influence the summation of motor signals in thalamic outputs, regulating bias between innate action types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geunhong Park
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongjun Park
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Seulkee Yang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonjeong Cho
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Almas Serikov
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dajung Jung
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Chan Seo
- Research Animal Resources Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Eun Lee
- Research Animal Resources Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ho Nam
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Daesoo Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongjin Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
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Ma J, O'Malley JJ, Kreiker M, Leng Y, Khan I, Kindel M, Penzo MA. Convergent direct and indirect cortical streams shape avoidance decisions in mice via the midline thalamus. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6598. [PMID: 39097600 PMCID: PMC11297946 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50941-6] [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: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Current concepts of corticothalamic organization in the mammalian brain are mainly based on sensory systems, with less focus on circuits for higher-order cognitive functions. In sensory systems, first-order thalamic relays are driven by subcortical inputs and modulated by cortical feedback, while higher-order relays receive strong excitatory cortical inputs. The applicability of these principles beyond sensory systems is uncertain. We investigated mouse prefronto-thalamic projections to the midline thalamus, revealing distinct top-down control. Unlike sensory systems, this pathway relies on indirect modulation via the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Specifically, the prelimbic area, which influences emotional and motivated behaviors, impacts instrumental avoidance responses through direct and indirect projections to the paraventricular thalamus. Both pathways promote defensive states, but the indirect pathway via the TRN is essential for organizing avoidance decisions through disinhibition. Our findings highlight intra-thalamic circuit dynamics that integrate cortical cognitive signals and their role in shaping complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ma
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - John J O'Malley
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Malaz Kreiker
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yan Leng
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Isbah Khan
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Morgan Kindel
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mario A Penzo
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Cheng X, Nareddula S, Gao HC, Chen Y, Xiao T, Nadew YY, Xu F, Edens PA, Quinn CJ, Kimbrough A, Huang F, Chubykin AA. Impaired Experience-Dependent Theta Oscillation Synchronization and Inter-Areal Synaptic Connectivity in the Visual Cortex of Fmr1 KO Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.23.601989. [PMID: 39211264 PMCID: PMC11360911 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.23.601989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FX) is the most prevalent inheritable form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), characterized by hypersensitivity, difficulty in habituating to new sensory stimuli, and intellectual disability. Individuals with FX often experience visual perception and learning deficits. Visual experience leads to the emergence of the familiarity-evoked theta band oscillations in the primary visual cortex (V1) and the lateromedial area (LM) of mice. These theta oscillations in V1 and LM are synchronized with each other, providing a mechanism of sensory multi-areal binding. However, how this multi-areal binding and the corresponding theta oscillations are altered in FX is not known. Using iDISCO whole brain clearing with light-sheet microscopy, we quantified immediate early gene Fos expression in V1 and LM, identifying deficits in experience-dependent neural activity in FX mice. We performed simultaneous in vivo recordings with silicon probes in V1 and LM of awake mice and channelrhodopsin-2-assisted circuit mapping (CRACM) in acute brain slices to examine the neural activity and strength of long-range synaptic connections between V1 and LM in both wildtype (WT) and Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice, the model of FX, before and after visual experience. Our findings reveal synchronized familiarity-evoked theta oscillations in V1 and LM, the increased strength of V1→LM functional and synaptic connections, which correlated with the corresponding changes of presynaptic short-term plasticity in WT mice. The LM oscillations were attenuated in FX mice and correlated with impaired functional and synaptic connectivity and short-term plasticity in the feedforward (FF) V1→LM and feedback (FB) LM→V1 pathways. Finally, using 4Pi single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) in thick brain tissue, we identified experience-dependent changes in the density and shape of dendritic spines in layer 5 pyramidal cells of WT mice, which correlated with the functional synaptic measurements. Interestingly, there was an increased dendritic spine density and length in naïve FX mice that failed to respond to experience. Our study provides the first comprehensive characterization of the role of visual experience in triggering inter-areal neural synchrony and shaping synaptic connectivity in WT and FX mice.
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Tauste Campo A, Zainos A, Vázquez Y, Adell Segarra R, Álvarez M, Deco G, Díaz H, Parra S, Romo R, Rossi-Pool R. Thalamocortical interactions shape hierarchical neural variability during stimulus perception. iScience 2024; 27:110065. [PMID: 38993679 PMCID: PMC11237863 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The brain is organized hierarchically to process sensory signals. But, how do functional connections within and across areas contribute to this hierarchical order? We addressed this problem in the thalamocortical network, while monkeys detected vibrotactile stimulus. During this task, we quantified neural variability and directed functional connectivity in simultaneously recorded neurons sharing the cutaneous receptive field within and across VPL and areas 3b and 1. Before stimulus onset, VPL and area 3b exhibited similar fast dynamics while area 1 showed slower timescales. During the stimulus presence, inter-trial neural variability increased along the network VPL-3b-1 while VPL established two main feedforward pathways with areas 3b and 1 to process the stimulus. This lower variability of VPL and area 3b was found to regulate feedforward thalamocortical pathways. Instead, intra-cortical interactions were only anticipated by higher intrinsic timescales in area 1. Overall, our results provide evidence of hierarchical functional roles along the thalamocortical network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrià Tauste Campo
- Computational Biology and Complex Systems group, Department of Physics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avinguda Dr. Marañón, 44-50, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Antonio Zainos
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular–Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Yuriria Vázquez
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular–Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Raul Adell Segarra
- Computational Biology and Complex Systems group, Department of Physics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avinguda Dr. Marañón, 44-50, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Manuel Álvarez
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular–Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition (CBC), Department of Information Technologies and Communications (DTIC), Pompeu Fabra University, Edifici Mercè Rodoreda, Carrer Trias I Fargas 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Héctor Díaz
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular–Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Sergio Parra
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular–Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | | | - Román Rossi-Pool
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular–Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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Caya-Bissonnette L, Béïque JC. Half a century legacy of long-term potentiation. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R640-R662. [PMID: 38981433 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
In 1973, two papers from Bliss and Lømo and from Bliss and Gardner-Medwin reported that high-frequency synaptic stimulation in the dentate gyrus of rabbits resulted in a long-lasting increase in synaptic strength. This form of synaptic plasticity, commonly referred to as long-term potentiation (LTP), was immediately considered as an attractive mechanism accounting for the ability of the brain to store information. In this historical piece looking back over the past 50 years, we discuss how these two landmark contributions directly motivated a colossal research effort and detail some of the resulting milestones that have shaped our evolving understanding of the molecular and cellular underpinnings of LTP. We highlight the main features of LTP, cover key experiments that defined its induction and expression mechanisms, and outline the evidence supporting a potential role of LTP in learning and memory. We also briefly explore some ramifications of LTP on network stability, consider current limitations of LTP as a model of associative memory, and entertain future research orientations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Caya-Bissonnette
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Ottawa, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Brain and Mind Research Institute's Centre for Neural Dynamics and Artificial Intelligence, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Jean-Claude Béïque
- Brain and Mind Research Institute's Centre for Neural Dynamics and Artificial Intelligence, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
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8
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Martinetti LE, Autio DM, Crandall SR. Motor Control of Distinct Layer 6 Corticothalamic Feedback Circuits. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0255-24.2024. [PMID: 38926084 PMCID: PMC11236587 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0255-24.2024] [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: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6 CT) neurons provide massive input to the thalamus, and these feedback connections enable the cortex to influence its own sensory input by modulating thalamic excitability. However, the functional role(s) feedback serves during sensory processing is unclear. One hypothesis is that CT feedback is under the control of extrasensory signals originating from higher-order cortical areas, yet we know nothing about the mechanisms of such control. It is also unclear whether such regulation is specific to CT neurons with distinct thalamic connectivity. Using mice (either sex) combined with in vitro electrophysiology techniques, optogenetics, and retrograde labeling, we describe studies of vibrissal primary motor cortex (vM1) influences on different CT neurons in the vibrissal primary somatosensory cortex (vS1) with distinct intrathalamic axonal projections. We found that vM1 inputs are highly selective, evoking stronger postsynaptic responses in CT neurons projecting to the dual ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPm) and posterior medial nucleus (POm) located in lower L6a than VPm-only-projecting CT cells in upper L6a. A targeted analysis of the specific cells and synapses involved revealed that the greater responsiveness of Dual CT neurons was due to their distinctive intrinsic membrane properties and synaptic mechanisms. These data demonstrate that vS1 has at least two discrete L6 CT subcircuits distinguished by their thalamic projection patterns, intrinsic physiology, and functional connectivity with vM1. Our results also provide insights into how a distinct CT subcircuit may serve specialized roles specific to contextual modulation of tactile-related sensory signals in the somatosensory thalamus during active vibrissa movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Martinetti
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Dawn M Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Shane R Crandall
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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9
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Martinetti LE, Autio DM, Crandall SR. Motor Control of Distinct Layer 6 Corticothalamic Feedback Circuits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.22.590613. [PMID: 38712153 PMCID: PMC11071411 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.22.590613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6 CT) neurons provide massive input to the thalamus, and these feedback connections enable the cortex to influence its own sensory input by modulating thalamic excitability. However, the functional role(s) feedback serves during sensory processing is unclear. One hypothesis is that CT feedback is under the control of extra-sensory signals originating from higher-order cortical areas, yet we know nothing about the mechanisms of such control. It is also unclear whether such regulation is specific to CT neurons with distinct thalamic connectivity. Using mice (either sex) combined with in vitro electrophysiology techniques, optogenetics, and retrograde labeling, we describe studies of vibrissal primary motor cortex (vM1) influences on different CT neurons in the vibrissal primary somatosensory cortex (vS1) with distinct intrathalamic axonal projections. We found that vM1 inputs are highly selective, evoking stronger postsynaptic responses in Dual ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPm) and posterior medial nucleus (POm) projecting CT neurons located in lower L6a than VPm-only projecting CT cells in upper L6a. A targeted analysis of the specific cells and synapses involved revealed that the greater responsiveness of Dual CT neurons was due to their distinctive intrinsic membrane properties and synaptic mechanisms. These data demonstrate that vS1 has at least two discrete L6 CT subcircuits distinguished by their thalamic projection patterns, intrinsic physiology, and functional connectivity with vM1. Our results also provide insights into how a distinct CT subcircuit may serve specialized roles specific to contextual modulation of tactile-related sensory signals in the somatosensory thalamus during active vibrissa movements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dawn M. Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
| | - Shane R. Crandall
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
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10
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Kim HH, Bonekamp KE, Gillie GR, Autio DM, Keller T, Crandall SR. Functional Dynamics and Selectivity of Two Parallel Corticocortical Pathways from Motor Cortex to Layer 5 Circuits in Somatosensory Cortex. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0154-24.2024. [PMID: 38834298 PMCID: PMC11209671 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0154-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In the rodent whisker system, active sensing and sensorimotor integration are mediated in part by the dynamic interactions between the motor cortex (M1) and somatosensory cortex (S1). However, understanding these dynamic interactions requires knowledge about the synapses and how specific neurons respond to their input. Here, we combined optogenetics, retrograde labeling, and electrophysiology to characterize the synaptic connections between M1 and layer 5 (L5) intratelencephalic (IT) and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons in S1 of mice (both sexes). We found that M1 synapses onto IT cells displayed modest short-term depression, whereas synapses onto PT neurons showed robust short-term facilitation. Despite M1 inputs to IT cells depressing, their slower kinetics resulted in summation and a response that increased during short trains. In contrast, summation was minimal in PT neurons due to the fast time course of their M1 responses. The functional consequences of this reduced summation, however, were outweighed by the strong facilitation at these M1 synapses, resulting in larger response amplitudes in PT neurons than IT cells during repetitive stimulation. To understand the impact of facilitating M1 inputs on PT output, we paired trains of inputs with single backpropagating action potentials, finding that repetitive M1 activation increased the probability of bursts in PT cells without impacting the time dependence of this coupling. Thus, there are two parallel but dynamically distinct systems of M1 synaptic excitation in L5 of S1, each defined by the short-term dynamics of its synapses, the class of postsynaptic neurons, and how the neurons respond to those inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Hyun Kim
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Kelly E Bonekamp
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Grant R Gillie
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Dawn M Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Tryton Keller
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Shane R Crandall
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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11
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Kim HH, Bonekamp KE, Gillie GR, Autio DM, Keller T, Crandall SR. Functional dynamics and selectivity of two parallel corticocortical pathways from motor cortex to layer 5 circuits in somatosensory cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.11.579810. [PMID: 38405888 PMCID: PMC10888929 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.11.579810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
In the rodent whisker system, active sensing and sensorimotor integration are mediated in part by the dynamic interactions between the motor cortex (M1) and somatosensory cortex (S1). However, understanding these dynamic interactions requires knowledge about the synapses and how specific neurons respond to their input. Here, we combined optogenetics, retrograde labeling, and electrophysiology to characterize the synaptic connections between M1 and layer 5 (L5) intratelencephalic (IT) and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons in S1 of mice (both sexes). We found that M1 synapses onto IT cells displayed modest short-term depression, whereas synapses onto PT neurons showed robust short-term facilitation. Despite M1 inputs to IT cells depressing, their slower kinetics resulted in summation and a response that increased during short trains. In contrast, summation was minimal in PT neurons due to the fast time course of their M1 responses. The functional consequences of this reduced summation, however, were outweighed by the strong facilitation at these M1 synapses, resulting in larger response amplitudes in PT neurons than IT cells during repetitive stimulation. To understand the impact of facilitating M1 inputs on PT output, we paired trains of inputs with single backpropagating action potentials, finding that repetitive M1 activation increased the probability of bursts in PT cells without impacting the time-dependence of this coupling. Thus, there are two parallel but dynamically distinct systems of M1 synaptic excitation in L5 of S1, each defined by the short-term dynamics of its synapses, the class of postsynaptic neurons, and how the neurons respond to those inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Hyun Kim
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Kelly E. Bonekamp
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Grant R. Gillie
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Dawn M. Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Tryton Keller
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Shane R. Crandall
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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12
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Tudi A, Yao M, Tang F, Zhou J, Li A, Gong H, Jiang T, Li X. Subregion preference in the long-range connectome of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. BMC Biol 2024; 22:95. [PMID: 38679719 PMCID: PMC11057135 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01880-7] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is involved in complex functions containing multiple types of neurons in distinct subregions with preferential roles. The pyramidal neurons had wide-range projections to cortical and subcortical regions with subregional preferences. Using a combination of viral tracing and fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography (fMOST) in transgenic mice, we systematically dissected the whole-brain connectomes of intratelencephalic (IT) and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons in four mPFC subregions. RESULTS IT and PT neurons of the same subregion projected to different target areas while receiving inputs from similar upstream regions with quantitative differences. IT and PT neurons all project to the amygdala and basal forebrain, but their axons target different subregions. Compared to subregions in the prelimbic area (PL) which have more connections with sensorimotor-related regions, the infralimbic area (ILA) has stronger connections with limbic regions. The connection pattern of the mPFC subregions along the anterior-posterior axis showed a corresponding topological pattern with the isocortex and amygdala but an opposite orientation correspondence with the thalamus. CONCLUSIONS By using transgenic mice and fMOST imaging, we obtained the subregional preference whole-brain connectomes of IT and pyramidal tract PT neurons in the mPFC four subregions. These results provide a comprehensive resource for directing research into the complex functions of the mPFC by offering anatomical dissections of the different subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayizuohere Tudi
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mei Yao
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Feifang Tang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiandong Zhou
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Anan Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, China
| | - Hui Gong
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, China.
| | - Xiangning Li
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
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13
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Dimwamwa ED, Pala A, Chundru V, Wright NC, Stanley GB. Dynamic corticothalamic modulation of the somatosensory thalamocortical circuit during wakefulness. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3529. [PMID: 38664415 PMCID: PMC11045850 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47863-8] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The feedback projections from cortical layer 6 (L6CT) to the sensory thalamus have long been implicated in playing a primary role in gating sensory signaling but remain poorly understood. To causally elucidate the full range of effects of these projections, we targeted silicon probe recordings to the whisker thalamocortical circuit of awake mice selectively expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 in L6CT neurons. Through optogenetic manipulation of L6CT neurons, multi-site electrophysiological recordings, and modeling of L6CT circuitry, we establish L6CT neurons as dynamic modulators of ongoing spiking in the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPm), either suppressing or enhancing VPm spiking depending on L6CT neurons' firing rate and synchrony. Differential effects across the cortical excitatory and inhibitory sub-populations point to an overall influence of L6CT feedback on cortical excitability that could have profound implications for regulating sensory signaling across a range of ethologically relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaida D Dimwamwa
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Aurélie Pala
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vivek Chundru
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nathaniel C Wright
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Garrett B Stanley
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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14
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Gutierrez-Castellanos N, Sarra D, Godinho BS, Mainen ZF. Maturation of cortical input to dorsal raphe nucleus increases behavioral persistence in mice. eLife 2024; 13:e93485. [PMID: 38477558 PMCID: PMC10994666 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93485] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to persist toward a desired objective is a fundamental aspect of behavioral control whose impairment is implicated in several behavioral disorders. One of the prominent features of behavioral persistence is that its maturation occurs relatively late in development. This is presumed to echo the developmental time course of a corresponding circuit within late-maturing parts of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, but the specific identity of the responsible circuits is unknown. Here, we used a genetic approach to describe the maturation of the projection from layer 5 neurons of the neocortex to the dorsal raphe nucleus in mice. Using optogenetic-assisted circuit mapping, we show that this projection undergoes a dramatic increase in synaptic potency between postnatal weeks 3 and 8, corresponding to the transition from juvenile to adult. We then show that this period corresponds to an increase in the behavioral persistence that mice exhibit in a foraging task. Finally, we used a genetic targeting strategy that primarily affected neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, to selectively ablate this pathway in adulthood and show that mice revert to a behavioral phenotype similar to juveniles. These results suggest that frontal cortical to dorsal raphe input is a critical anatomical and functional substrate of the development and manifestation of behavioral persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dario Sarra
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud FoundationLisbonPortugal
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Beatriz S Godinho
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud FoundationLisbonPortugal
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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15
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Varela C, Moreira JVS, Kocaoglu B, Dura-Bernal S, Ahmad S. A mechanism for deviance detection and contextual routing in the thalamus: a review and theoretical proposal. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1359180. [PMID: 38486972 PMCID: PMC10938916 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1359180] [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: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Predictive processing theories conceptualize neocortical feedback as conveying expectations and contextual attention signals derived from internal cortical models, playing an essential role in the perception and interpretation of sensory information. However, few predictive processing frameworks outline concrete mechanistic roles for the corticothalamic (CT) feedback from layer 6 (L6), despite the fact that the number of CT axons is an order of magnitude greater than that of feedforward thalamocortical (TC) axons. Here we review the functional architecture of CT circuits and propose a mechanism through which L6 could regulate thalamic firing modes (burst, tonic) to detect unexpected inputs. Using simulations in a model of a TC cell, we show how the CT feedback could support prediction-based input discrimination in TC cells by promoting burst firing. This type of CT control can enable the thalamic circuit to implement spatial and context selective attention mechanisms. The proposed mechanism generates specific experimentally testable hypotheses. We suggest that the L6 CT feedback allows the thalamus to detect deviance from predictions of internal cortical models, thereby supporting contextual attention and routing operations, a far more powerful role than traditionally assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Varela
- Psychology Department, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Joao V. S. Moreira
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Basak Kocaoglu
- Center for Connected Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Salvador Dura-Bernal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
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16
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Dimwamwa E, Pala A, Chundru V, Wright NC, Stanley GB. Dynamic corticothalamic modulation of the somatosensory thalamocortical circuit during wakefulness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.18.549491. [PMID: 37503253 PMCID: PMC10370106 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.18.549491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The feedback projections from cortical layer 6 (L6CT) to sensory thalamus have long been implicated in playing a primary role in gating sensory signaling but remain poorly understood. To causally elucidate the full range of effects of these projections, we targeted silicon probe recordings to the whisker thalamocortical circuit of awake mice selectively expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 in L6CT neurons. Through optogenetic manipulation of L6CT neurons, multi-site electrophysiological recordings, and modeling of L6CT circuitry, we establish L6CT neurons as dynamic modulators of ongoing spiking in the ventro-posterior-medial nucleus of thalamus (VPm), either suppressing or enhancing VPm spiking depending on L6CT neurons' firing rate and synchrony. Differential effects across the cortical excitatory and inhibitory sub-populations point to an overall influence of L6CT feedback on cortical excitability that could have profound implications for regulating sensory signaling across a range of ethologically relevant conditions.
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17
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Rodenkirch C, Wang Q. Optimization of Temporal Coding of Tactile Information in Rat Thalamus by Locus Coeruleus Activation. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:79. [PMID: 38392298 PMCID: PMC10886390 DOI: 10.3390/biology13020079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The brainstem noradrenergic nucleus, the locus coeruleus (LC), exerts heavy influences on sensory processing, perception, and cognition through its diffuse projections throughout the brain. Previous studies have demonstrated that LC activation modulates the response and feature selectivity of thalamic relay neurons. However, the extent to which LC modulates the temporal coding of sensory information in the thalamus remains mostly unknown. Here, we found that LC stimulation significantly altered the temporal structure of the responses of the thalamic relay neurons to repeated whisker stimulation. A substantial portion of events (i.e., time points where the stimulus reliably evoked spikes as evidenced by dramatic elevations in the firing rate of the spike density function) were removed during LC stimulation, but many new events emerged. Interestingly, spikes within the emerged events have a higher feature selectivity, and therefore transmit more information about a tactile stimulus, than spikes within the removed events. This suggests that LC stimulation optimized the temporal coding of tactile information to improve information transmission. We further reconstructed the original whisker stimulus from a population of thalamic relay neurons' responses and corresponding feature selectivity. As expected, we found that reconstruction from thalamic responses was more accurate using spike trains of thalamic neurons recorded during LC stimulation than without LC stimulation, functionally confirming LC optimization of the thalamic temporal code. Together, our results demonstrated that activation of the LC-NE system optimizes temporal coding of sensory stimulus in the thalamus, presumably allowing for more accurate decoding of the stimulus in the downstream brain structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Rodenkirch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, ET 351, 500 W. 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, ET 351, 500 W. 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA
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18
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Dura-Bernal S, Griffith EY, Barczak A, O'Connell MN, McGinnis T, Moreira JVS, Schroeder CE, Lytton WW, Lakatos P, Neymotin SA. Data-driven multiscale model of macaque auditory thalamocortical circuits reproduces in vivo dynamics. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113378. [PMID: 37925640 PMCID: PMC10727489 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We developed a detailed model of macaque auditory thalamocortical circuits, including primary auditory cortex (A1), medial geniculate body (MGB), and thalamic reticular nucleus, utilizing the NEURON simulator and NetPyNE tool. The A1 model simulates a cortical column with over 12,000 neurons and 25 million synapses, incorporating data on cell-type-specific neuron densities, morphology, and connectivity across six cortical layers. It is reciprocally connected to the MGB thalamus, which includes interneurons and core and matrix-layer-specific projections to A1. The model simulates multiscale measures, including physiological firing rates, local field potentials (LFPs), current source densities (CSDs), and electroencephalography (EEG) signals. Laminar CSD patterns, during spontaneous activity and in response to broadband noise stimulus trains, mirror experimental findings. Physiological oscillations emerge spontaneously across frequency bands comparable to those recorded in vivo. We elucidate population-specific contributions to observed oscillation events and relate them to firing and presynaptic input patterns. The model offers a quantitative theoretical framework to integrate and interpret experimental data and predict its underlying cellular and circuit mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Dura-Bernal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
| | - Erica Y Griffith
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
| | - Annamaria Barczak
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Monica N O'Connell
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Tammy McGinnis
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Joao V S Moreira
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Charles E Schroeder
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - William W Lytton
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Peter Lakatos
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samuel A Neymotin
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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19
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Hayden DJ, Finnie PSB, Thomazeau A, Li AY, Cooke SF, Bear MF. Electrophysiological Signatures of Visual Recognition Memory across All Layers of Mouse V1. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7307-7321. [PMID: 37714707 PMCID: PMC10621768 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0090-23.2023] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In mouse primary visual cortex (V1), familiar stimuli evoke significantly altered responses when compared with novel stimuli. This stimulus-selective response plasticity (SRP) was described originally as an increase in the magnitude of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited in layer 4 (L4) by familiar phase-reversing grating stimuli. SRP is dependent on NMDA receptors (NMDARs) and has been hypothesized to reflect potentiation of thalamocortical (TC) synapses in L4. However, recent evidence indicates that the synaptic modifications that manifest as SRP do not occur on L4 principal cells. To shed light on where and how SRP is induced and expressed in male and female mice, the present study had three related aims: (1) to confirm that NMDAR are required specifically in glutamatergic principal neurons of V1, (2) to investigate the consequences of deleting NMDAR specifically in L6, and (3) to use translaminar electrophysiological recordings to characterize SRP expression in different layers of V1. We find that knock-out (KO) of NMDAR in L6 principal neurons disrupts SRP. Current-source density (CSD) analysis of the VEP depth profile shows augmentation of short latency current sinks in layers 3, 4, and 6 in response to phase reversals of familiar stimuli. Multiunit recordings demonstrate that increased peak firing occurs in response to phase reversals of familiar stimuli across all layers, but that activity between phase reversals is suppressed. Together, these data reveal important aspects of the underlying phenomenology of SRP and generate new hypotheses for the expression of experience-dependent plasticity in V1.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Repeated exposure to stimuli that portend neither reward nor punishment leads to behavioral habituation, enabling organisms to dedicate attention to novel or otherwise significant features of the environment. The neural basis of this process, which is so often dysregulated in neurologic and psychiatric disorders, remains poorly understood. Learning and memory of stimulus familiarity can be studied in mouse visual cortex by measuring electrophysiological responses to simple phase-reversing grating stimuli. The current study advances knowledge of this process by documenting changes in visual evoked potentials (VEPs), neuronal spiking activity, and oscillations in the local field potentials (LFPs) across all layers of mouse visual cortex. In addition, we identify a key contribution of a specific population of neurons in layer 6 (L6) of visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J Hayden
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Peter S B Finnie
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Aurore Thomazeau
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Alyssa Y Li
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481
| | - Samuel F Cooke
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Mark F Bear
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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20
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Neske GT, Cardin JA. Transthalamic input to higher-order cortex selectively conveys state information. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.08.561424. [PMID: 37873181 PMCID: PMC10592671 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.08.561424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Communication among different neocortical areas is largely thought to be mediated by long-range synaptic interactions between cortical neurons, with the thalamus providing only an initial relay of information from the sensory periphery. Higher-order thalamic nuclei receive strong synaptic inputs from the cortex and send robust projections back to other cortical areas, providing a distinct and potentially critical route for cortico-cortical communication. However, the relative contributions of corticocortical and thalamocortical inputs to higher-order cortical function remain unclear. Using imaging of cortical neurons and projection axon terminals in combination with optogenetic manipulations, we find that the higher-order visual thalamus of mice conveys a specialized stream of information to higher-order visual cortex. Whereas corticocortical projections from lower cortical areas convey robust visual information, higher-order thalamocortical projections convey strong behavioral state information. Together, these findings suggest a key role for higher-order thalamus in providing contextual signals that flexibly modulate sensory processing in higher-order cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett T. Neske
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Present address: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jessica A. Cardin
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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21
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Ueta Y, Miyata M. Functional and structural synaptic remodeling mechanisms underlying somatotopic organization and reorganization in the thalamus. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105332. [PMID: 37524138 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The somatosensory system organizes the topographic representation of body maps, termed somatotopy, at all levels of an ascending hierarchy. Postnatal maturation of somatotopy establishes optimal somatosensation, whereas deafferentation in adults reorganizes somatotopy, which underlies pathological somatosensation, such as phantom pain and complex regional pain syndrome. Here, we focus on the mouse whisker somatosensory thalamus to study how sensory experience shapes the fine topography of afferent connectivity during the critical period and what mechanisms remodel it and drive a large-scale somatotopic reorganization after peripheral nerve injury. We will review our findings that, following peripheral nerve injury in adults, lemniscal afferent synapses onto thalamic neurons are remodeled back to immature configuration, as if the critical period reopens. The remodeling process is initiated with local activation of microglia in the brainstem somatosensory nucleus downstream to injured nerves and heterosynaptically controlled by input from GABAergic and cortical neurons to thalamic neurons. These fruits of thalamic studies complement well-studied cortical mechanisms of somatotopic organization and reorganization and unveil potential intervention points in treating pathological somatosensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Ueta
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Mariko Miyata
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
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22
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Oberle HM, Ford AN, Czarny JE, Rogalla MM, Apostolides PF. Recurrent Circuits Amplify Corticofugal Signals and Drive Feedforward Inhibition in the Inferior Colliculus. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5642-5655. [PMID: 37308295 PMCID: PMC10401644 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0626-23.2023] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) is a midbrain hub critical for perceiving complex sounds, such as speech. In addition to processing ascending inputs from most auditory brainstem nuclei, the IC receives descending inputs from auditory cortex that control IC neuron feature selectivity, plasticity, and certain forms of perceptual learning. Although corticofugal synapses primarily release the excitatory transmitter glutamate, many physiology studies show that auditory cortical activity has a net inhibitory effect on IC neuron spiking. Perplexingly, anatomy studies imply that corticofugal axons primarily target glutamatergic IC neurons while only sparsely innervating IC GABA neurons. Corticofugal inhibition of the IC may thus occur largely independently of feedforward activation of local GABA neurons. We shed light on this paradox using in vitro electrophysiology in acute IC slices from fluorescent reporter mice of either sex. Using optogenetic stimulation of corticofugal axons, we find that excitation evoked with single light flashes is indeed stronger in presumptive glutamatergic neurons compared with GABAergic neurons. However, many IC GABA neurons fire tonically at rest, such that sparse and weak excitation suffices to significantly increase their spike rates. Furthermore, a subset of glutamatergic IC neurons fire spikes during repetitive corticofugal activity, leading to polysynaptic excitation in IC GABA neurons owing to a dense intracollicular connectivity. Consequently, recurrent excitation amplifies corticofugal activity, drives spikes in IC GABA neurons, and generates substantial local inhibition in the IC. Thus, descending signals engage intracollicular inhibitory circuits despite apparent constraints of monosynaptic connectivity between auditory cortex and IC GABA neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Descending "corticofugal" projections are ubiquitous across mammalian sensory systems, and enable the neocortex to control subcortical activity in a predictive or feedback manner. Although corticofugal neurons are glutamatergic, neocortical activity often inhibits subcortical neuron spiking. How does an excitatory pathway generate inhibition? Here we study the corticofugal pathway from auditory cortex to inferior colliculus (IC), a midbrain hub important for complex sound perception. Surprisingly, cortico-collicular transmission was stronger onto IC glutamatergic compared with GABAergic neurons. However, corticofugal activity triggered spikes in IC glutamate neurons with local axons, thereby generating strong polysynaptic excitation and feedforward spiking of GABAergic neurons. Our results thus reveal a novel mechanism that recruits local inhibition despite limited monosynaptic convergence onto inhibitory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Oberle
- Neuroscience Graduate Program
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute
| | - Alexander N Ford
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute
| | - Jordyn E Czarny
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute
| | - Meike M Rogalla
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute
| | - Pierre F Apostolides
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research Institute
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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23
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Shine JM. Neuromodulatory control of complex adaptive dynamics in the brain. Interface Focus 2023; 13:20220079. [PMID: 37065268 PMCID: PMC10102735 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
How is the massive dimensionality and complexity of the microscopic constituents of the nervous system brought under sufficiently tight control so as to coordinate adaptive behaviour? A powerful means for striking this balance is to poise neurons close to the critical point of a phase transition, at which a small change in neuronal excitability can manifest a nonlinear augmentation in neuronal activity. How the brain could mediate this critical transition is a key open question in neuroscience. Here, I propose that the different arms of the ascending arousal system provide the brain with a diverse set of heterogeneous control parameters that can be used to modulate the excitability and receptivity of target neurons-in other words, to act as control parameters for mediating critical neuronal order. Through a series of worked examples, I demonstrate how the neuromodulatory arousal system can interact with the inherent topological complexity of neuronal subsystems in the brain to mediate complex adaptive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Ziegler K, Folkard R, Gonzalez AJ, Burghardt J, Antharvedi-Goda S, Martin-Cortecero J, Isaías-Camacho E, Kaushalya S, Tan LL, Kuner T, Acuna C, Kuner R, Mease RA, Groh A. Primary somatosensory cortex bidirectionally modulates sensory gain and nociceptive behavior in a layer-specific manner. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2999. [PMID: 37225702 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38798-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is a hub for body sensation of both innocuous and noxious signals, yet its role in somatosensation versus pain is debated. Despite known contributions of S1 to sensory gain modulation, its causal involvement in subjective sensory experiences remains elusive. Here, in mouse S1, we reveal the involvement of cortical output neurons in layers 5 (L5) and 6 (L6) in the perception of innocuous and noxious somatosensory signals. We find that L6 activation can drive aversive hypersensitivity and spontaneous nocifensive behavior. Linking behavior to neuronal mechanisms, we find that L6 enhances thalamic somatosensory responses, and in parallel, strongly suppresses L5 neurons. Directly suppressing L5 reproduced the pronociceptive phenotype induced by L6 activation, suggesting an anti-nociceptive function for L5 output. Indeed, L5 activation reduced sensory sensitivity and reversed inflammatory allodynia. Together, these findings reveal a layer-specific and bidirectional role for S1 in modulating subjective sensory experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ziegler
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ross Folkard
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonio J Gonzalez
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Burghardt
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sailaja Antharvedi-Goda
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jesus Martin-Cortecero
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Emilio Isaías-Camacho
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sanjeev Kaushalya
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linette Liqi Tan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudio Acuna
- Chica and Heinz Schaller Research Group, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Audrey Mease
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Alexander Groh
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Brunelle DL, Llano DA. Role of auditory-somatosensory corticothalamic circuit integration in analgesia. Cell Calcium 2023; 111:102717. [PMID: 36931195 PMCID: PMC10755628 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2023.102717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Our sensory environment is permeated by a diverse array of auditory and somatosensory stimuli. The pairing of acoustic signals with concurrent or forthcoming tactile cues are abundant in everyday life and various survival contexts across species, thus deeming the ability to integrate sensory inputs arising from the combination of these stimuli as crucial. The corticothalamic system plays a critical role in orchestrating the construction, integration and distribution of the information extracted from these sensory modalities. In this mini-review, we provide a circuit-level description of the auditory corticothalamic pathway in conjunction with adjacent corticothalamic somatosensory projections. Although the extent of the functional interactions shared by these pathways is not entirely elucidated, activation of each of these systems appears to modulate sensory perception in the complementary domain. Several specific issues are reviewed. Under certain environmental noise conditions, the spectral information of a sound could induce modulations in nociception and even induce analgesia. We begin by discussing recent findings by Zhou et al. (2022) implicating the corticothalamic system in mediating sound-induced analgesia. Next, we describe relevant components of the corticothalamic pathway's functional organization. Additionally, we describe an emerging body of literature pointing to intrathalamic circuitry being optimal for controlling and selecting sensory signals across modalities, with the thalamic reticular nucleus being a candidate mechanism for directing cross-modal interactions. Finally, Ca2+ bursting in thalamic neurons evoked by the thalamic reticular nucleus is explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri L Brunelle
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America.
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26
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Basha D, Kalia SK, Hodaie M, Lopez Rios AL, Lozano AM, Hutchison WD. Beta band oscillations in the motor thalamus are modulated by visuomotor coordination in essential tremor patients. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1082196. [PMID: 37180551 PMCID: PMC10169705 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1082196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Beta oscillations in sensorimotor structures contribute to the planning, sequencing, and stopping of movements, functions that are typically associated with the role of the basal ganglia. The presence of beta oscillations (13-30 Hz) in the cerebellar zone of the thalamus (the ventral intermediate nucleus - Vim) indicates that this rhythm may also be involved in cerebellar functions such as motor learning and visuomotor adaptation. Methods To investigate the possible role of Vim beta oscillations in visuomotor coordination, we recorded local field potential (LFP) and multiunit activity from the Vim of essential tremor (ET) patients during neurosurgery for the implantation of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes. Using a computer, patients performed a visuomotor adaptation task that required coordinating center-out movements with incongruent visual feedback imposed by inversion of the computer display. Results The results show that, in ET, Vim beta oscillations of the LFP were lower during the incongruent center-out task than during the congruent orientation. Vim firing rates increased significantly during periods of low beta power, particularly on approach to the peripheral target. In contrast, beta power in the subthalamic nucleus of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients did not differ significantly between the incongruent and the congruent orientation of the center-out task. Discussion The findings support the hypothesis that beta oscillations of the Vim are modulated by novel visuomotor tasks. The inverse relationship between the power of Vim-LFP beta oscillations and Vim firing rates suggest that the suppression of beta oscillations may facilitate information throughput to the thalamocortical circuit by modulation of Vim firing rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diellor Basha
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Suneil K. Kalia
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Adriana L. Lopez Rios
- Hospital Universitario de San Vicente Fundación, Medellín, Colombia
- Hospital de San Vicente Fundación, Rionegro, Colombia
| | - Andres M. Lozano
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - William D. Hutchison
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Hospital de San Vicente Fundación, Rionegro, Colombia
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Grosu GF, Hopp AV, Moca VV, Bârzan H, Ciuparu A, Ercsey-Ravasz M, Winkel M, Linde H, Mureșan RC. The fractal brain: scale-invariance in structure and dynamics. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:4574-4605. [PMID: 36156074 PMCID: PMC10110456 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The past 40 years have witnessed extensive research on fractal structure and scale-free dynamics in the brain. Although considerable progress has been made, a comprehensive picture has yet to emerge, and needs further linking to a mechanistic account of brain function. Here, we review these concepts, connecting observations across different levels of organization, from both a structural and functional perspective. We argue that, paradoxically, the level of cortical circuits is the least understood from a structural point of view and perhaps the best studied from a dynamical one. We further link observations about scale-freeness and fractality with evidence that the environment provides constraints that may explain the usefulness of fractal structure and scale-free dynamics in the brain. Moreover, we discuss evidence that behavior exhibits scale-free properties, likely emerging from similarly organized brain dynamics, enabling an organism to thrive in an environment that shares the same organizational principles. Finally, we review the sparse evidence for and try to speculate on the functional consequences of fractality and scale-freeness for brain computation. These properties may endow the brain with computational capabilities that transcend current models of neural computation and could hold the key to unraveling how the brain constructs percepts and generates behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- George F Grosu
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Memorandumului 28, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Vasile V Moca
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Harald Bârzan
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Memorandumului 28, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Ciuparu
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Memorandumului 28, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Maria Ercsey-Ravasz
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, Str. Mihail Kogalniceanu 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mathias Winkel
- Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Helmut Linde
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Raul C Mureșan
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Str. Ploiesti 33, 400157 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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28
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Reinhold K, Resulaj A, Scanziani M. Brain State-Dependent Modulation of Thalamic Visual Processing by Cortico-Thalamic Feedback. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1540-1554. [PMID: 36653192 PMCID: PMC10008059 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2124-21.2022] [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: 10/24/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The behavioral state of a mammal impacts how the brain responds to visual stimuli as early as in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (dLGN), the primary relay of visual information to the cortex. A clear example of this is the markedly stronger response of dLGN neurons to higher temporal frequencies of the visual stimulus in alert as compared with quiescent animals. The dLGN receives strong feedback from the visual cortex, yet whether this feedback contributes to these state-dependent responses to visual stimuli is poorly understood. Here, we show that in male and female mice, silencing cortico-thalamic feedback profoundly reduces state-dependent differences in the response of dLGN neurons to visual stimuli. This holds true for dLGN responses to both temporal and spatial features of the visual stimulus. These results reveal that the state-dependent shift of the response to visual stimuli in an early stage of visual processing depends on cortico-thalamic feedback.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Brain state affects even the earliest stages of sensory processing. A clear example of this phenomenon is the change in thalamic responses to visual stimuli depending on whether the animal's brain is in an alert or quiescent state. Despite the radical impact that brain state has on sensory processing, the underlying circuits are still poorly understood. Here, we show that both the temporal and spatial response properties of thalamic neurons to visual stimuli depend on the state of the animal and, crucially, that this state-dependent shift relies on the feedback projection from visual cortex to thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Reinhold
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, California
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, California
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
| | - Arbora Resulaj
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, California
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
| | - Massimo Scanziani
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, California
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
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29
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Thalamic control of sensory processing and spindles in a biophysical somatosensory thalamoreticular circuit model of wakefulness and sleep. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112200. [PMID: 36867532 PMCID: PMC10066598 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Thalamoreticular circuitry plays a key role in arousal, attention, cognition, and sleep spindles, and is linked to several brain disorders. A detailed computational model of mouse somatosensory thalamus and thalamic reticular nucleus has been developed to capture the properties of over 14,000 neurons connected by 6 million synapses. The model recreates the biological connectivity of these neurons, and simulations of the model reproduce multiple experimental findings in different brain states. The model shows that inhibitory rebound produces frequency-selective enhancement of thalamic responses during wakefulness. We find that thalamic interactions are responsible for the characteristic waxing and waning of spindle oscillations. In addition, we find that changes in thalamic excitability control spindle frequency and their incidence. The model is made openly available to provide a new tool for studying the function and dysfunction of the thalamoreticular circuitry in various brain states.
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English G, Ghasemi Nejad N, Sommerfelt M, Yanik MF, von der Behrens W. Bayesian surprise shapes neural responses in somatosensory cortical circuits. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112009. [PMID: 36701237 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous psychophysical studies show that Bayesian inference governs sensory decision-making; however, the specific neural circuitry underlying this probabilistic mechanism remains unclear. We record extracellular neural activity along the somatosensory pathway of mice while delivering sensory stimulation paradigms designed to isolate the response to the surprise generated by Bayesian inference. Our results demonstrate that laminar cortical circuits in early sensory areas encode Bayesian surprise. Systematic sensitivity to surprise is not identified in the somatosensory thalamus, rather emerging in the primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory cortices. Multiunit spiking activity and evoked potentials in layer 6 of these regions exhibit the highest sensitivity to surprise. Gamma power in S1 layer 2/3 exhibits an NMDAR-dependent scaling with surprise, as does alpha power in layers 2/3 and 6 of S2. These results show a precise spatiotemporal neural representation of Bayesian surprise and suggest that Bayesian inference is a fundamental component of cortical processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwendolyn English
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Newsha Ghasemi Nejad
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Sommerfelt
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mehmet Fatih Yanik
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wolfger von der Behrens
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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31
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Cruz KG, Leow YN, Le NM, Adam E, Huda R, Sur M. Cortical-subcortical interactions in goal-directed behavior. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:347-389. [PMID: 35771984 PMCID: PMC9576171 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00048.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Flexibly selecting appropriate actions in response to complex, ever-changing environments requires both cortical and subcortical regions, which are typically described as participating in a strict hierarchy. In this traditional view, highly specialized subcortical circuits allow for efficient responses to salient stimuli, at the cost of adaptability and context specificity, which are attributed to the neocortex. Their interactions are often described as the cortex providing top-down command signals for subcortical structures to implement; however, as available technologies develop, studies increasingly demonstrate that behavior is represented by brainwide activity and that even subcortical structures contain early signals of choice, suggesting that behavioral functions emerge as a result of different regions interacting as truly collaborative networks. In this review, we discuss the field's evolving understanding of how cortical and subcortical regions in placental mammals interact cooperatively, not only via top-down cortical-subcortical inputs but through bottom-up interactions, especially via the thalamus. We describe our current understanding of the circuitry of both the cortex and two exemplar subcortical structures, the superior colliculus and striatum, to identify which information is prioritized by which regions. We then describe the functional circuits these regions form with one another, and the thalamus, to create parallel loops and complex networks for brainwide information flow. Finally, we challenge the classic view that functional modules are contained within specific brain regions; instead, we propose that certain regions prioritize specific types of information over others, but the subnetworks they form, defined by their anatomical connections and functional dynamics, are the basis of true specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Guadalupe Cruz
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yi Ning Leow
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Nhat Minh Le
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Elie Adam
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Rafiq Huda
- W. M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Bieber M, Schwerin S, Kreuzer M, Klug C, Henzler M, Schneider G, Haseneder R, Kratzer S. s-ketamine enhances thalamocortical and corticocortical synaptic transmission in acute murine brain slices via increased AMPA-receptor-mediated pathways. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1044536. [PMID: 36618009 PMCID: PMC9814968 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1044536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite ongoing research efforts and routine clinical use, the neuronal mechanisms underlying the anesthesia-induced loss of consciousness are still under debate. Unlike most anesthetics, ketamine increases thalamic and cortical activity. Ketamine is considered to act via a NMDA-receptor antagonism-mediated reduction of inhibition, i.e., disinhibition. Intact interactions between the thalamus and cortex constitute a prerequisite for the maintenance of consciousness and are thus a promising target for anesthetics to induce loss of consciousness. In this study, we aim to characterize the influence of s-ketamine on the thalamocortical network using acute brain-slice preparation. We performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from pyramidal neurons in cortical lamina IV and thalamocortical relay neurons in acute brain slices from CB57BL/6N mice. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were obtained via electrical stimulation of the cortex with a bipolar electrode that was positioned to lamina II/III (electrically induced EPSPs, eEPSPs) or via optogenetic activation of thalamocortical relay neurons (optogenetically induced EPSPs, oEPSPs). Intrinsic neuronal properties (like resting membrane potential, membrane threshold for action potential generation, input resistance, and tonic action potential frequency), as well as NMDA-receptor-dependent and independent spontaneous GABAA-receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) were evaluated. Wilcoxon signed-rank test (level of significance < 0.05) served as a statistical test and Cohen's U3_1 was used to determine the actual effect size. Within 20 min, s-ketamine (5 μM) significantly increased both intracortical eEPSPs as well as thalamocortical oEPSPs. NMDA-receptor-mediated intracortical eEPSPs were significantly reduced. Intrinsic neuronal properties of cortical pyramidal neurons from lamina IV and thalamocortical relay neurons in the ventrobasal thalamic complex were not substantially affected. Neither a significant effect on NMDA-receptor-dependent GABAA sIPSCs (thought to underly a disinhibitory effect) nor a reduction of NMDA-receptor independent GABAA sIPSCs was observed. Both thalamocortical and intracortical AMPA-receptor-mediated EPSPs were significantly increased.In conclusion, our findings show no evidence for a NMDA-receptor antagonism-based disinhibition, but rather suggest an enhanced thalamocortical and intracortical synaptic transmission, which appears to be driven via increased AMPA-receptor-mediated transmission.
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Mazo C, Nissant A, Saha S, Peroni E, Lledo PM, Lepousez G. Long-range GABAergic projections contribute to cortical feedback control of sensory processing. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6879. [PMID: 36371430 PMCID: PMC9653434 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34513-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the olfactory system, the olfactory cortex sends glutamatergic projections back to the first stage of olfactory processing, the olfactory bulb (OB). Such corticofugal excitatory circuits - a canonical circuit motif described in all sensory systems- dynamically adjust early sensory processing. Here, we uncover a corticofugal inhibitory feedback to OB, originating from a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons in the anterior olfactory cortex and innervating both local and output OB neurons. In vivo imaging and network modeling showed that optogenetic activation of cortical GABAergic projections drives a net subtractive inhibition of both spontaneous and odor-evoked activity in local as well as output neurons. In output neurons, stimulation of cortical GABAergic feedback enhances separation of population odor responses in tufted cells, but not mitral cells. Targeted pharmacogenetic silencing of cortical GABAergic axon terminals impaired discrimination of similar odor mixtures. Thus, corticofugal GABAergic projections represent an additional circuit motif in cortical feedback control of sensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Mazo
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015, Paris, France.
- Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Antoine Nissant
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Soham Saha
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Enzo Peroni
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Pierre-Marie Lledo
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015, Paris, France.
| | - Gabriel Lepousez
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015, Paris, France.
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Cohen Y, Engel TA, Langdon C, Lindsay GW, Ott T, Peters MAK, Shine JM, Breton-Provencher V, Ramaswamy S. Recent Advances at the Interface of Neuroscience and Artificial Neural Networks. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8514-8523. [PMID: 36351830 PMCID: PMC9665920 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1503-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological neural networks adapt and learn in diverse behavioral contexts. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have exploited biological properties to solve complex problems. However, despite their effectiveness for specific tasks, ANNs are yet to realize the flexibility and adaptability of biological cognition. This review highlights recent advances in computational and experimental research to advance our understanding of biological and artificial intelligence. In particular, we discuss critical mechanisms from the cellular, systems, and cognitive neuroscience fields that have contributed to refining the architecture and training algorithms of ANNs. Additionally, we discuss how recent work used ANNs to understand complex neuronal correlates of cognition and to process high throughput behavioral data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yarden Cohen
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Tatiana A Engel
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY 11724
| | | | - Grace W Lindsay
- Department of Psychology, Center for Data Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - Torben Ott
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Megan A K Peters
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | | | - Srikanth Ramaswamy
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
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Shen S, Jiang X, Scala F, Fu J, Fahey P, Kobak D, Tan Z, Zhou N, Reimer J, Sinz F, Tolias AS. Distinct organization of two cortico-cortical feedback pathways. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6389. [PMID: 36302912 PMCID: PMC9613627 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33883-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical feedback is critical for attention, prediction, and learning. To mechanically understand its function requires deciphering its cell-type wiring. Recent studies revealed that feedback between primary motor to primary somatosensory areas in mice is disinhibitory, targeting vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing interneurons, in addition to pyramidal cells. It is unknown whether this circuit motif represents a general cortico-cortical feedback organizing principle. Here we show that in contrast to this wiring rule, feedback between higher-order lateromedial visual area to primary visual cortex preferentially activates somatostatin-expressing interneurons. Functionally, both feedback circuits temporally sharpen feed-forward excitation eliciting a transient increase-followed by a prolonged decrease-in pyramidal cell activity under sustained feed-forward input. However, under feed-forward transient input, the primary motor to primary somatosensory cortex feedback facilitates bursting while lateromedial area to primary visual cortex feedback increases time precision. Our findings argue for multiple cortico-cortical feedback motifs implementing different dynamic non-linear operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Shen
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaolong Jiang
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Federico Scala
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiakun Fu
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul Fahey
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dmitry Kobak
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Zhenghuan Tan
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Na Zhou
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jacob Reimer
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Fabian Sinz
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas S Tolias
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computational Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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Whitt JL, Ewall G, Chakraborty D, Adegbesan A, Lee R, Kanold PO, Lee HK. Visual Deprivation Selectively Reduces Thalamic Reticular Nucleus-Mediated Inhibition of the Auditory Thalamus in Adults. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7921-7930. [PMID: 36261269 PMCID: PMC9617613 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2032-21.2022] [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: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory loss leads to widespread cross-modal plasticity across brain areas to allow the remaining senses to guide behavior. While multimodal sensory interactions are often attributed to higher-order sensory areas, cross-modal plasticity has been observed at the level of synaptic changes even across primary sensory cortices. In particular, vision loss leads to widespread circuit adaptation in the primary auditory cortex (A1) even in adults. Here we report using mice of both sexes in which cross-modal plasticity occurs even earlier in the sensory-processing pathway at the level of the thalamus in a modality-selective manner. A week of visual deprivation reduced inhibitory synaptic transmission from the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) to the primary auditory thalamus (MGBv) without changes to the primary visual thalamus (dLGN). The plasticity of TRN inhibition to MGBv was observed as a reduction in postsynaptic gain and short-term depression. There was no observable plasticity of the cortical feedback excitatory synaptic transmission from the primary visual cortex to dLGN or TRN and A1 to MGBv, which suggests that the visual deprivation-induced plasticity occurs predominantly at the level of thalamic inhibition. We provide evidence that visual deprivation-induced change in the short-term depression of TRN inhibition to MGBv involves endocannabinoid CB1 receptors. TRN inhibition is considered critical for sensory gating, selective attention, and multimodal performances; hence, its plasticity has implications for sensory processing. Our results suggest that selective disinhibition and altered short-term dynamics of TRN inhibition in the spared thalamic nucleus support cross-modal plasticity in the adult brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Losing vision triggers adaptation of the brain to enhance the processing of the remaining senses, which can be observed as better auditory performance in blind subjects. We previously found that depriving vision of adult rodents produces widespread circuit reorganization in the primary auditory cortex and enhances auditory processing at a neural level. Here we report that visual deprivation-induced plasticity in adults occurs much earlier in the auditory pathway, at the level of thalamic inhibition. Sensory processing is largely gated at the level of the thalamus via strong cortical feedback inhibition mediated through the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). We found that TRN inhibition of the auditory thalamus is selectively reduced by visual deprivation, thus playing a role in adult cross-modal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Whitt
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Gabrielle Ewall
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Darpan Chakraborty
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Ayorinde Adegbesan
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Rachel Lee
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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Borden PY, Wright NC, Morrissette AE, Jaeger D, Haider B, Stanley GB. Thalamic bursting and the role of timing and synchrony in thalamocortical signaling in the awake mouse. Neuron 2022; 110:2836-2853.e8. [PMID: 35803270 PMCID: PMC9464711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The thalamus controls transmission of sensory signals from periphery to cortex, ultimately shaping perception. Despite this significant role, dynamic thalamic gating and the consequences for downstream cortical sensory representations have not been well studied in the awake brain. We optogenetically modulated the ventro-posterior-medial thalamus in the vibrissa pathway of the awake mouse and measured spiking activity in the thalamus and activity in primary somatosensory cortex (S1) using extracellular electrophysiology and genetically encoded voltage imaging. Thalamic hyperpolarization significantly enhanced thalamic sensory-evoked bursting; however, surprisingly, the S1 cortical response was not amplified, but instead, timing precision was significantly increased, spatial activation more focused, and there was an increased synchronization of cortical inhibitory neurons. A thalamocortical network model implicates the modulation of precise timing of feedforward thalamic population spiking, presenting a highly sensitive, timing-based gating of sensory signaling to the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Y Borden
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Nathaniel C Wright
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | | | - Dieter Jaeger
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Bilal Haider
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Garrett B Stanley
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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38
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Dash S, Autio DM, Crandall SR. State-Dependent Modulation of Activity in Distinct Layer 6 Corticothalamic Neurons in Barrel Cortex of Awake Mice. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6551-6565. [PMID: 35863890 PMCID: PMC9410757 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2219-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6 CT) neurons are in a strategic position to control sensory input to the neocortex, yet we understand very little about their functions. Apart from studying their anatomic, physiological, and synaptic properties, most recent efforts have focused on the activity-dependent influences CT cells can exert on thalamic and cortical neurons through causal optogenetic manipulations. However, few studies have attempted to study them during behavior. To address this gap, we performed juxtacellular recordings from optogenetically identified CT neurons in whisker-related primary somatosensory cortex (wS1) of awake, head-fixed mice (either sex) free to rest quietly or self-initiate bouts of whisking and locomotion. We found a rich diversity of response profiles exhibited by CT cells. Their spiking patterns were either modulated by whisking-related behavior (∼28%) or not (∼72%). Whisking-responsive neurons exhibited both increases (activated-type) and decreases in firing rates (suppressed-type) that aligned with whisking onset better than locomotion. We also encountered responsive neurons with preceding modulations in firing rate before whisking onset. Overall, whisking better explained these changes in rates than overall changes in arousal. Whisking-unresponsive CT cells were generally quiet, with many having low spontaneous firing rates (sparse-type) and others being completely silent (silent-type). Remarkably, the sparse firing CT population preferentially spiked at the state transition point when pupil diameter constricted, and the mouse entered quiet wakefulness. Thus, our results demonstrate that L6 CT cells in wS1 show diverse spiking patterns, perhaps subserving distinct functional roles related to precisely timed responses during complex behaviors and transitions between discrete waking states.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Layer 6 corticothalamic neurons provide a massive input to the sensory thalamus and local connectivity within cortex, but their role in thalamocortical processing remains unclear because of difficulty accessing and isolating their activity. Although several recent optogenetic studies reveal that the net influence of corticothalamic actions, suppression versus enhancement, depends critically on the rate these neurons fire, the factors that influence their spiking are poorly understood, particularly during wakefulness. Using the well-established Ntsr1-Cre line to target this elusive population in the whisker somatosensory cortex of awake mice, we found that corticothalamic neurons show diverse state-related responses and modulations in firing rate. These results suggest separate corticothalamic populations can differentially influence thalamocortical excitability during rapid state transitions in awake, behaving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suryadeep Dash
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Dawn M Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Shane R Crandall
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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39
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Wang X, Zhang Y, Zhu L, Bai S, Li R, Sun H, Qi R, Cai R, Li M, Jia G, Cao X, Schriver KE, Li X, Gao L. Selective corticofugal modulation on sound processing in auditory thalamus of awake marmosets. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:3372-3386. [PMID: 35851798 PMCID: PMC10068278 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Cortical feedback has long been considered crucial for the modulation of sensory perception and recognition. However, previous studies have shown varying modulatory effects of the primary auditory cortex (A1) on the auditory response of subcortical neurons, which complicate interpretations regarding the function of A1 in sound perception and recognition. This has been further complicated by studies conducted under different brain states. In the current study, we used cryo-inactivation in A1 to examine the role of corticothalamic feedback on medial geniculate body (MGB) neurons in awake marmosets. The primary effects of A1 inactivation were a frequency-specific decrease in the auditory response of most MGB neurons coupled with an increased spontaneous firing rate, which together resulted in a decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, we report for the first time that A1 robustly modulated the long-lasting sustained response of MGB neurons, which changed the frequency tuning after A1 inactivation, e.g. some neurons are sharper with corticofugal feedback and some get broader. Taken together, our results demonstrate that corticothalamic modulation in awake marmosets serves to enhance sensory processing in a manner similar to center-surround models proposed in visual and somatosensory systems, a finding which supports common principles of corticothalamic processing across sensory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Wang
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Yuanqing Zhang
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Siyi Bai
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Runze Qi
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Ruolan Cai
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Min Li
- Division of Psychology , State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No.19, Xinjiekouwai St, Haidian District, Beijing 100875 , China
| | - Guoqiang Jia
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Xinyuan Cao
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
| | - Kenneth E Schriver
- School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine , Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310020 , China
| | - Xinjian Li
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
- Department of Neurobiology , NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, and MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310020 , China
| | - Lixia Gao
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital , College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Science Building, Room 206, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020 , China
- Department of Neurobiology , NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, and MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310020 , China
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40
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Uygun DS, Basheer R. Circuits and components of delta wave regulation. Brain Res Bull 2022; 188:223-232. [PMID: 35738502 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is vital and the deepest stages of sleep occur within Non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREM), defined by high electroencephalographic power in the delta (~0.5-4Hz) wave frequency range. Delta waves are thought to facilitate a myriad of physical and mental health functions. This review aims to comprehensively cover the historical and recent advances in the understanding of the mechanisms orchestrating NREM delta waves. We discuss a complete neurocircuit - focusing on one leg of the circuit at a time - and delve deeply into the molecular mechanistic components that contribute to NREM delta wave regulation. We also discuss the relatively localized nature in which these mechanisms have been defined, and how likely they might generalize across distinct sensory and higher order modalities in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Uygun
- VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Psychiatry, West Roxbury, MA; 02132.
| | - Radhika Basheer
- VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Psychiatry, West Roxbury, MA; 02132.
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41
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Dissecting neuropathic from poststroke pain: the white matter within. Pain 2022; 163:765-778. [PMID: 35302975 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Poststroke pain (PSP) is a heterogeneous term encompassing both central neuropathic (ie, central poststroke pain [CPSP]) and nonneuropathic poststroke pain (CNNP) syndromes. Central poststroke pain is classically related to damage in the lateral brainstem, posterior thalamus, and parietoinsular areas, whereas the role of white matter connecting these structures is frequently ignored. In addition, the relationship between stroke topography and CNNP is not completely understood. In this study, we address these issues comparing stroke location in a CPSP group of 35 patients with 2 control groups: 27 patients with CNNP and 27 patients with stroke without pain. Brain MRI images were analyzed by 2 complementary approaches: an exploratory analysis using voxel-wise lesion symptom mapping, to detect significant voxels damaged in CPSP across the whole brain, and a hypothesis-driven, region of interest-based analysis, to replicate previously reported sites involved in CPSP. Odds ratio maps were also calculated to demonstrate the risk for CPSP in each damaged voxel. Our exploratory analysis showed that, besides known thalamic and parietoinsular areas, significant voxels carrying a high risk for CPSP were located in the white matter encompassing thalamoinsular connections (one-tailed threshold Z > 3.96, corrected P value <0.05, odds ratio = 39.7). These results show that the interruption of thalamocortical white matter connections is an important component of CPSP, which is in contrast with findings from nonneuropathic PSP and from strokes without pain. These data can aid in the selection of patients at risk to develop CPSP who could be candidates to pre-emptive or therapeutic interventions.
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42
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Spacek MA, Crombie D, Bauer Y, Born G, Liu X, Katzner S, Busse L. Robust effects of corticothalamic feedback and behavioral state on movie responses in mouse dLGN. eLife 2022; 11:e70469. [PMID: 35315775 PMCID: PMC9020820 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus receive a substantial proportion of modulatory inputs from corticothalamic (CT) feedback and brain stem nuclei. Hypothesizing that these modulatory influences might be differentially engaged depending on the visual stimulus and behavioral state, we performed in vivo extracellular recordings from mouse dLGN while optogenetically suppressing CT feedback and monitoring behavioral state by locomotion and pupil dilation. For naturalistic movie clips, we found CT feedback to consistently increase dLGN response gain and promote tonic firing. In contrast, for gratings, CT feedback effects on firing rates were mixed. For both stimulus types, the neural signatures of CT feedback closely resembled those of behavioral state, yet effects of behavioral state on responses to movies persisted even when CT feedback was suppressed. We conclude that CT feedback modulates visual information on its way to cortex in a stimulus-dependent manner, but largely independently of behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Spacek
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
| | - Davide Crombie
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Yannik Bauer
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Gregory Born
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Steffen Katzner
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Bernstein Centre for Computational NeuroscienceMunichGermany
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43
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Auerbach BD, Gritton HJ. Hearing in Complex Environments: Auditory Gain Control, Attention, and Hearing Loss. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:799787. [PMID: 35221899 PMCID: PMC8866963 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.799787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Listening in noisy or complex sound environments is difficult for individuals with normal hearing and can be a debilitating impairment for those with hearing loss. Extracting meaningful information from a complex acoustic environment requires the ability to accurately encode specific sound features under highly variable listening conditions and segregate distinct sound streams from multiple overlapping sources. The auditory system employs a variety of mechanisms to achieve this auditory scene analysis. First, neurons across levels of the auditory system exhibit compensatory adaptations to their gain and dynamic range in response to prevailing sound stimulus statistics in the environment. These adaptations allow for robust representations of sound features that are to a large degree invariant to the level of background noise. Second, listeners can selectively attend to a desired sound target in an environment with multiple sound sources. This selective auditory attention is another form of sensory gain control, enhancing the representation of an attended sound source while suppressing responses to unattended sounds. This review will examine both “bottom-up” gain alterations in response to changes in environmental sound statistics as well as “top-down” mechanisms that allow for selective extraction of specific sound features in a complex auditory scene. Finally, we will discuss how hearing loss interacts with these gain control mechanisms, and the adaptive and/or maladaptive perceptual consequences of this plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D. Auerbach
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: Benjamin D. Auerbach,
| | - Howard J. Gritton
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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44
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Studtmann C, Ladislav M, Topolski MA, Safari M, Swanger SA. NaV1.1 haploinsufficiency impairs glutamatergic and GABAergic neuron function in the thalamus. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 167:105672. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Selective control of synaptically-connected circuit elements by all-optical synapses. Commun Biol 2022; 5:33. [PMID: 35017641 PMCID: PMC8752598 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02981-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding percepts, engrams and actions requires methods for selectively modulating synaptic communication between specific subsets of interconnected cells. Here, we develop an approach to control synaptically connected elements using bioluminescent light: Luciferase-generated light, originating from a presynaptic axon terminal, modulates an opsin in its postsynaptic target. Vesicular-localized luciferase is released into the synaptic cleft in response to presynaptic activity, creating a real-time Optical Synapse. Light production is under experimenter-control by introduction of the small molecule luciferin. Signal transmission across this optical synapse is temporally defined by the presence of both the luciferin and presynaptic activity. We validate synaptic Interluminescence by multi-electrode recording in cultured neurons and in mice in vivo. Interluminescence represents a powerful approach to achieve synapse-specific and activity-dependent circuit control in vivo.
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46
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Jeschke M, Ohl FW, Wang X. Effects of Cortical Cooling on Sound Processing in Auditory Cortex and Thalamus of Awake Marmosets. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 15:786740. [PMID: 35069125 PMCID: PMC8766342 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.786740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory thalamus is the central nexus of bottom-up connections from the inferior colliculus and top-down connections from auditory cortical areas. While considerable efforts have been made to investigate feedforward processing of sounds in the auditory thalamus (medial geniculate body, MGB) of non-human primates, little is known about the role of corticofugal feedback in the MGB of awake non-human primates. Therefore, we developed a small, repositionable cooling probe to manipulate corticofugal feedback and studied neural responses in both auditory cortex and thalamus to sounds under conditions of normal and reduced cortical temperature. Cooling-induced increases in the width of extracellularly recorded spikes in auditory cortex were observed over the distance of several hundred micrometers away from the cooling probe. Cortical neurons displayed reduction in both spontaneous and stimulus driven firing rates with decreased cortical temperatures. In thalamus, cortical cooling led to increased spontaneous firing and either increased or decreased stimulus driven activity. Furthermore, response tuning to modulation frequencies of temporally modulated sounds and spatial tuning to sound source location could be altered (increased or decreased) by cortical cooling. Specifically, best modulation frequencies of individual MGB neurons could shift either toward higher or lower frequencies based on the vector strength or the firing rate. The tuning of MGB neurons for spatial location could both sharpen or widen. Elevation preference could shift toward higher or lower elevations and azimuth tuning could move toward ipsilateral or contralateral locations. Such bidirectional changes were observed in many parameters which suggests that the auditory thalamus acts as a filter that could be adjusted according to behaviorally driven signals from auditory cortex. Future work will have to delineate the circuit elements responsible for the observed effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Jeschke
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,Department Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Group, Cognitive Hearing in Primates Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany,*Correspondence: Marcus Jeschke
| | - Frank W. Ohl
- Department Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany,Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,Xiaoqin Wang
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47
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Kenwood MM, Kalin NH, Barbas H. The prefrontal cortex, pathological anxiety, and anxiety disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:260-275. [PMID: 34400783 PMCID: PMC8617307 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01109-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety is experienced in response to threats that are distal or uncertain, involving changes in one's subjective state, autonomic responses, and behavior. Defensive and physiologic responses to threats that involve the amygdala and brainstem are conserved across species. While anxiety responses typically serve an adaptive purpose, when excessive, unregulated, and generalized, they can become maladaptive, leading to distress and avoidance of potentially threatening situations. In primates, anxiety can be regulated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which has expanded in evolution. This prefrontal expansion is thought to underlie primates' increased capacity to engage high-level regulatory strategies aimed at coping with and modifying the experience of anxiety. The specialized primate lateral, medial, and orbital PFC sectors are connected with association and limbic cortices, the latter of which are connected with the amygdala and brainstem autonomic structures that underlie emotional and physiological arousal. PFC pathways that interface with distinct inhibitory systems within the cortex, the amygdala, or the thalamus can regulate responses by modulating neuronal output. Within the PFC, pathways connecting cortical regions are poised to reduce noise and enhance signals for cognitive operations that regulate anxiety processing and autonomic drive. Specialized PFC pathways to the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus suggest a mechanism to allow passage of relevant signals from thalamus to cortex, and in the amygdala to modulate the output to autonomic structures. Disruption of specific nodes within the PFC that interface with inhibitory systems can affect the negative bias, failure to regulate autonomic arousal, and avoidance that characterize anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaux M Kenwood
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Neuroscience Training Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Neuroscience Training Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
- Wisconsin National Primate Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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48
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Breuer TM, Krieger P. Sensory deprivation leads to subpopulation-specific changes in layer 6 corticothalamic cells. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:566-588. [PMID: 34927292 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15572] [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: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The effect of sensory deprivation on anatomical and physiological properties in two genetically defined types of layer 6 corticothalamic pyramidal cells in mouse somatosensory barrel cortex was investigated using in vitro electrophysiology. The two types analysed were the L6-Ntsr1 subtype, found preferentially in the upper region of layer 6 and projecting to both ventral posterior medial nucleus of the thalamus and posterior medial nucleus of the thalamus, and the L6-Drd1a subtype, located mostly in the lower regions of layer 6 and projecting to posterior medial nucleus. We found that the apical dendrite in L6-Ntsr1 cells is longer and more branched, compared to L6-Drd1a cells, and that the increase in firing frequency with increasing current stimulation is steeper in L6-Drd1a cells. Sensory deprivation was achieved clipping one row of whiskers from birth until the day of experiment (16 ± 2 days). Mice of this age are actively exploring. In L6-Ntsr1, but not in L6-Drd1a cells, sensory deprivation decreased apical and basal dendrite outgrowth, and calcium influx evoked by backpropagating action potentials. These results contribute to the ongoing functional characterisation of corticothalamic layer 6 cells and indicate differences in the postnatal cortical refinement of two distinct corticothalamic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrik Krieger
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine; Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
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Thalamic reticular nucleus impairments and abnormal prefrontal control of dopamine system in a developmental model of schizophrenia: prevention by N-acetylcysteine. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7679-7689. [PMID: 34193975 PMCID: PMC8716611 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01198-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence showed thalamic abnormalities in schizophrenia involving disruptions to the parvalbumin neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). However, their functional consequences, as well as a potential linkage to oxidative stress, are unclear. The TRN is posited to gate prefrontal control of dopamine neuron activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Thus, we hypothesized that schizophrenia-related TRN abnormalities might contribute to dopamine dysregulation, a well-known feature of the disorder. To test this, in adult rats exposed prenatally to methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM rats), oxidative impairments to the parvalbumin neurons in the anterior TRN were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we investigated whether inactivation of the prefrontal cortex would produce differential effects on VTA dopamine neurons in MAM rats. We show that MAM rats displayed reduced markers of parvalbumin and wisteria floribunda agglutinin-labeled perineuronal nets, correlating with increased markers of oxidative stress (8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-20-deoxyguanosine, and 3-nitrotyrosine). Moreover, MAM rats displayed heightened baseline and abnormal prefrontal control of VTA dopamine neuron activity, as tetrodotoxin-induced inactivation of the infralimbic prefrontal cortex decreased the dopamine population activity, contrary to the normal increase in controls. Such dopamine neuron dysregulation was recapitulated by enzymatic perineuronal net digestion in the TRN of normal rats. Furthermore, juvenile (postnatal day 11-25) antioxidant treatment (N-acetyl-cysteine, 900 mg/L drinking water) prevented all these impairments in MAM rats. Our findings suggest that early accumulation of oxidative stress in the TRN may shape the later onset of schizophrenia pathophysiology, highlighting redox regulation as a potential target for early intervention.
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50
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Corticothalamic feedback sculpts visual spatial integration in mouse thalamus. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1711-1720. [PMID: 34764474 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00943-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
En route from the retina to the cortex, visual information passes through the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus, where extensive corticothalamic (CT) feedback has been suggested to modulate spatial processing. How this modulation arises from direct excitatory and indirect inhibitory CT feedback pathways remains enigmatic. Here, we show that in awake mice, retinotopically organized cortical feedback sharpens receptive fields (RFs) and increases surround suppression in the dLGN. Guided by a network model indicating that widespread inhibitory CT feedback is necessary to reproduce these effects, we targeted the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus (visTRN) for recordings. We found that visTRN neurons have large RFs, show little surround suppression and exhibit strong feedback-dependent responses to large stimuli. These features make them an ideal candidate for mediating feedback-enhanced surround suppression in the dLGN. We conclude that cortical feedback sculpts spatial integration in the dLGN, likely via recruitment of neurons in the visTRN.
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