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Nakamura H, Ohta K. Understanding subcortical projections to the lateral posterior thalamic nucleus and its subregions using retrograde neural tracing. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1430636. [PMID: 39170852 PMCID: PMC11335648 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1430636] [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: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The rat lateral posterior thalamic nucleus (LP) is composed of the rostromedial (LPrm), lateral (LPl), and caudomedial parts, with LPrm and LPl being areas involved in information processing within the visual cortex. Nevertheless, the specific differences in the subcortical projections to the LPrm and LPl remain elusive. In this study, we aimed to reveal the subcortical regions that project axon fibers to the LPl and LPrm using a retrograde neural tracer, Fluorogold (FG). After FG injection into the LPrm or LPl, the area was visualized immunohistochemically. Retrogradely labeled neurons from the LPrm were distributed in the retina and the region from the diencephalon to the medulla oblongata. Diencephalic labeling was found in the reticular thalamic nucleus (Rt), zona incerta (ZI), ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (LGv), intergeniculate leaflet (IGL), and hypothalamus. In the midbrain, prominent labeling was found in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and deep layers of the superior colliculus. Additionally, retrograde labeling was observed in the cerebellar and trigeminal nuclei. When injected into the LPl, several cell bodies were labeled in the visual-related regions, including the retina, LGv, IGL, and olivary pretectal nucleus (OPT), as well as in the Rt and anterior pretectal nucleus (APT). Less labeling was found in the cerebellum and medulla oblongata. When the number of retrogradely labeled neurons from the LPrm or LPl was compared as a percentage of total subcortical labeling, a larger percentage of subcortical inputs to the LPl included projections from the APT, OPT, and Rt, whereas a large proportion of subcortical inputs to the LPrm originated from the ZI, reticular formation, and PAG. These results suggest that LPrm not only has visual but also multiple sensory-and motor-related functions, whereas the LPl takes part in a more visual-specific role. This study enhances our understanding of subcortical neural circuits in the thalamus and may contribute to our exploration of the mechanisms and disorders related to sensory perception and sensory-motor integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisashi Nakamura
- Division of Microscopic and Developmental Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Keisuke Ohta
- Division of Microscopic and Developmental Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
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2
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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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3
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Scott DN, Mukherjee A, Nassar MR, Halassa MM. Thalamocortical architectures for flexible cognition and efficient learning. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:739-756. [PMID: 38886139 PMCID: PMC11305962 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The brain exhibits a remarkable ability to learn and execute context-appropriate behaviors. How it achieves such flexibility, without sacrificing learning efficiency, is an important open question. Neuroscience, psychology, and engineering suggest that reusing and repurposing computations are part of the answer. Here, we review evidence that thalamocortical architectures may have evolved to facilitate these objectives of flexibility and efficiency by coordinating distributed computations. Recent work suggests that distributed prefrontal cortical networks compute with flexible codes, and that the mediodorsal thalamus provides regularization to promote efficient reuse. Thalamocortical interactions resemble hierarchical Bayesian computations, and their network implementation can be related to existing gating, synchronization, and hub theories of thalamic function. By reviewing recent findings and providing a novel synthesis, we highlight key research horizons integrating computation, cognition, and systems neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Scott
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Arghya Mukherjee
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew R Nassar
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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Zhang Y, Ma H, Bai Y, Hou X, Yang Y, Wang G, Li Y. Chronic Neuropathic Pain and Comorbid Depression Syndrome: From Neural Circuit Mechanisms to Treatment. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:2432-2444. [PMID: 38916052 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00125] [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] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic neuropathic pain and comorbid depression syndrome (CDS) is a major worldwide health problem that affects the quality of life of patients and imposes a tremendous socioeconomic burden. More than half of patients with chronic neuropathic pain also suffer from moderate or severe depression. Due to the complex pathogenesis of CDS, there are no effective therapeutic drugs available. The lack of research on the neural circuit mechanisms of CDS limits the development of treatments. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the various circuits involved in CDS. Notably, activating some neural circuits can alleviate pain and/or depression, while activating other circuits can exacerbate these conditions. Moreover, we discuss current and emerging pharmacotherapies for CDS, such as ketamine. Understanding the circuit mechanisms of CDS may provide clues for the development of novel drug treatments for improved CDS management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Hui Ma
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Yafan Bai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xiaojuan Hou
- Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, 075000, China
| | - Yixin Yang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Guyan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yunfeng Li
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing, 100850, China
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5
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Yi R, Cheng S, Zhong F, Luo D, You Y, Yu T, Wang H, Zhou L, Zhang Y. GABAergic neurons of anterior thalamic reticular nucleus regulate states of consciousness in propofol- and isoflurane-mediated general anesthesia. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14782. [PMID: 38828651 PMCID: PMC11145368 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14782] [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: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The thalamus system plays critical roles in the regulation of reversible unconsciousness induced by general anesthetics, especially the arousal stage of general anesthesia (GA). But the function of thalamus in GA-induced loss of consciousness (LOC) is little known. The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is the only GABAergic neurons-composed nucleus in the thalamus, which is composed of parvalbumin (PV) and somatostatin (SST)-expressing GABAergic neurons. The anterior sector of TRN (aTRN) is indicated to participate in the induction of anesthesia, but the roles remain unclear. This study aimed to reveal the role of the aTRN in propofol and isoflurane anesthesia. METHODS We first set up c-Fos straining to monitor the activity variation of aTRNPV and aTRNSST neurons during propofol and isoflurane anesthesia. Subsequently, optogenetic tools were utilized to activate aTRNPV and aTRNSST neurons to elucidate the roles of aTRNPV and aTRNSST neurons in propofol and isoflurane anesthesia. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings and behavioral tests were recorded and analyzed. Lastly, chemogenetic activation of the aTRNPV neurons was applied to confirm the function of the aTRN neurons in propofol and isoflurane anesthesia. RESULTS c-Fos straining showed that both aTRNPV and aTRNSST neurons are activated during the LOC period of propofol and isoflurane anesthesia. Optogenetic activation of aTRNPV and aTRNSST neurons promoted isoflurane induction and delayed the recovery of consciousness (ROC) after propofol and isoflurane anesthesia, meanwhile chemogenetic activation of the aTRNPV neurons displayed the similar effects. Moreover, optogenetic and chemogenetic activation of the aTRN neurons resulted in the accumulated burst suppression ratio (BSR) during propofol and isoflurane GA, although they represented different effects on the power distribution of EEG frequency. CONCLUSION Our findings reveal that the aTRN GABAergic neurons play a critical role in promoting the induction of propofol- and isoflurane-mediated GA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rulan Yi
- Department of AnesthesiologyAffiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection (Zunyi Medical University), Ministry of EducationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Brain ScienceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ ProtectionZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Shiyu Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection (Zunyi Medical University), Ministry of EducationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Brain ScienceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ ProtectionZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Fuwang Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection (Zunyi Medical University), Ministry of EducationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Brain ScienceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ ProtectionZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Dan Luo
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection (Zunyi Medical University), Ministry of EducationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Brain ScienceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ ProtectionZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Ying You
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection (Zunyi Medical University), Ministry of EducationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Brain ScienceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ ProtectionZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Tian Yu
- Department of AnesthesiologyAffiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection (Zunyi Medical University), Ministry of EducationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Brain ScienceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ ProtectionZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Haiying Wang
- Department of AnesthesiologyAffiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection (Zunyi Medical University), Ministry of EducationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Brain ScienceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ ProtectionZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Liang Zhou
- Department of AnesthesiologyAffiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection (Zunyi Medical University), Ministry of EducationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Brain ScienceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ ProtectionZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of AnesthesiologyAffiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection (Zunyi Medical University), Ministry of EducationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Key Laboratory of Brain ScienceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ ProtectionZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
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6
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Zhang Y, Zhang W, Wang L, Liu D, Xie T, Le Z, Li X, Gong H, Xu XH, Xu M, Yao H. Whole-brain Mapping of Inputs and Outputs of Specific Orbitofrontal Cortical Neurons in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01229-8. [PMID: 38801564 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01229-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (ORB), a region crucial for stimulus-reward association, decision-making, and flexible behaviors, extensively connects with other brain areas. However, brain-wide inputs to projection-defined ORB neurons and the distribution of inhibitory neurons postsynaptic to neurons in specific ORB subregions remain poorly characterized. Here we mapped the inputs of five types of projection-specific ORB neurons and ORB outputs to two types of inhibitory neurons. We found that different projection-defined ORB neurons received inputs from similar cortical and thalamic regions, albeit with quantitative variations, particularly in somatomotor areas and medial groups of the dorsal thalamus. By counting parvalbumin (PV) or somatostatin (SST) interneurons innervated by neurons in specific ORB subregions, we found a higher fraction of PV neurons in sensory cortices and a higher fraction of SST neurons in subcortical regions targeted by medial ORB neurons. These results provide insights into understanding and investigating the function of specific ORB neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Lizhao Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Dechen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Taorong Xie
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Ziwei Le
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiangning Li
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Hui Gong
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Min Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Haishan Yao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 201210, China.
- Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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7
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Seo J, Lee J, Min BK. Out-of-phase transcranial alternating current stimulation modulates the neurodynamics of inhibitory control. Neuroimage 2024; 292:120612. [PMID: 38648868 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120612] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is an efficient neuromodulation technique that enhances cognitive function in a non-invasive manner. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated whether tACS with different phase lags (0° and 180°) between the dorsal anterior cingulate and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortices modulated inhibitory control performance during the Stroop task. We found out-of-phase tACS mediated improvements in task performance, which was neurodynamically reflected as putamen, dorsolateral prefrontal, and primary motor cortical activation as well as prefrontal-based top-down functional connectivity. Our observations uncover the neurophysiological bases of tACS-phase-dependent neuromodulation and provide a feasible non-invasive approach to effectively modulate inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeehye Seo
- Institute of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea; BK21 Four Institute of Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jehyeop Lee
- BK21 Four Institute of Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea; Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Byoung-Kyong Min
- Institute of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea; BK21 Four Institute of Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea; Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea.
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8
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Wolff M, Halassa MM. The mediodorsal thalamus in executive control. Neuron 2024; 112:893-908. [PMID: 38295791 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Executive control, the ability to organize thoughts and action plans in real time, is a defining feature of higher cognition. Classical theories have emphasized cortical contributions to this process, but recent studies have reinvigorated interest in the role of the thalamus. Although it is well established that local thalamic damage diminishes cognitive capacity, such observations have been difficult to inform functional models. Recent progress in experimental techniques is beginning to enrich our understanding of the anatomical, physiological, and computational substrates underlying thalamic engagement in executive control. In this review, we discuss this progress and particularly focus on the mediodorsal thalamus, which regulates the activity within and across frontal cortical areas. We end with a synthesis that highlights frontal thalamocortical interactions in cognitive computations and discusses its functional implications in normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Wolff
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, 33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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9
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Masilamoni GJ, Kelly H, Swain AJ, Pare JF, Villalba RM, Smith Y. Structural Plasticity of GABAergic Pallidothalamic Terminals in MPTP-Treated Parkinsonian Monkeys: A 3D Electron Microscopic Analysis. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0241-23.2024. [PMID: 38514185 PMCID: PMC10957232 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0241-23.2024] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The internal globus pallidus (GPi) is a major source of tonic GABAergic inhibition to the motor thalamus. In parkinsonism, the firing rate of GPi neurons is increased, and their pattern switches from a tonic to a burst mode, two pathophysiological changes associated with increased GABAergic pallidothalamic activity. In this study, we used high-resolution 3D electron microscopy to demonstrate that GPi terminals in the parvocellular ventral anterior nucleus (VApc) and the centromedian nucleus (CM), the two main GPi-recipient motor thalamic nuclei in monkeys, undergo significant morphometric changes in parkinsonian monkeys including (1) increased terminal volume in both nuclei; (2) increased surface area of synapses in both nuclei; (3) increased number of synapses/GPi terminals in the CM, but not VApc; and (4) increased total volume, but not number, of mitochondria/terminals in both nuclei. In contrast to GPi terminals, the ultrastructure of putative GABAergic nonpallidal terminals was not affected. Our results also revealed striking morphological differences in terminal volume, number/area of synapses, and volume/number of mitochondria between GPi terminals in VApc and CM of control monkeys. In conclusion, GABAergic pallidothalamic terminals are endowed with a high level of structural plasticity that may contribute to the development and maintenance of the abnormal increase in pallidal GABAergic outflow to the thalamus in the parkinsonian state. Furthermore, the evidence for ultrastructural differences between GPi terminals in VApc and CM suggests that morphologically distinct pallidothalamic terminals from single pallidal neurons may underlie specific physiological properties of pallidal inputs to VApc and CM in normal and diseased states.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Masilamoni
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - H Kelly
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - A J Swain
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - J F Pare
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - R M Villalba
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Y Smith
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
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10
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Mukherjee A, Halassa MM. The Associative Thalamus: A Switchboard for Cortical Operations and a Promising Target for Schizophrenia. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:132-147. [PMID: 38279699 PMCID: PMC10822032 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221112861] [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] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that profoundly perturbs cognitive processing. Despite the success in treating many of its symptoms, the field lacks effective methods to measure and address its impact on reasoning, inference, and decision making. Prefrontal cortical abnormalities have been well documented in schizophrenia, but additional dysfunction in the interactions between the prefrontal cortex and thalamus have recently been described. This dysfunction may be interpreted in light of parallel advances in neural circuit research based on nonhuman animals, which show critical thalamic roles in maintaining and switching prefrontal activity patterns in various cognitive tasks. Here, we review this basic literature and connect it to emerging innovations in clinical research. We highlight the value of focusing on associative thalamic structures not only to better understand the very nature of cognitive processing but also to leverage these circuits for diagnostic and therapeutic development in schizophrenia. We suggest that the time is right for building close bridges between basic thalamic research and its clinical translation, particularly in the domain of cognition and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghya Mukherjee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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11
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Beas S, Khan I, Gao C, Loewinger G, Macdonald E, Bashford A, Rodriguez-Gonzalez S, Pereira F, Penzo MA. Dissociable encoding of motivated behavior by parallel thalamo-striatal projections. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.07.548113. [PMID: 37781624 PMCID: PMC10541145 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.07.548113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The successful pursuit of goals requires the coordinated execution and termination of actions that lead to positive outcomes. This process is thought to rely on motivational states that are guided by internal drivers, such as hunger or fear. However, the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions are not fully understood. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is a midline thalamic nucleus that shapes motivated behaviors via its projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc)1-8 and monitors internal state via interoceptive inputs from the hypothalamus and brainstem3,9-14. Recent studies indicate that the PVT can be subdivided into two major neuronal subpopulations, namely PVTD2(+) and PVTD2(-), which differ in genetic identity, functionality, and anatomical connectivity to other brain regions, including the NAc4,15,16. In this study, we used fiber photometry to investigate the in vivo dynamics of these two distinct PVT neuronal types in mice performing a reward foraging-like behavioral task. We discovered that PVTD2(+) and PVTD2(-) neurons encode the execution and termination of goal-oriented actions, respectively. Furthermore, activity in the PVTD2(+) neuronal population mirrored motivation parameters such as vigor and satiety. Similarly, PVTD2(-) neurons, also mirrored some of these parameters but to a much lesser extent. Importantly, these features were largely preserved when activity in PVT projections to the NAc was selectively assessed. Collectively, our results highlight the existence of two parallel thalamo-striatal projections that participate in the dynamic regulation of goal pursuits and provide insight into the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Beas
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Isbah Khan
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Claire Gao
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gabriel Loewinger
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emma Macdonald
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alison Bashford
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Francisco Pereira
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mario A. Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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12
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Gonzalo-Martín E, Alonso-Martínez C, Sepúlveda LP, Clasca F. Micropopulation mapping of the mouse parafascicular nucleus connections reveals diverse input-output motifs. Front Neuroanat 2024; 17:1305500. [PMID: 38260117 PMCID: PMC10800635 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1305500] [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: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction In primates, including humans, the centromedian/parafascicular (CM-Pf) complex is a key thalamic node of the basal ganglia system. Deep brain stimulation in CM-Pf has been applied for the treatment of motor disorders such as Parkinson's disease or Tourette syndrome. Rodents have become widely used models for the study of the cellular and genetic mechanisms of these and other motor disorders. However, the equivalence between the primate CM-Pf and the nucleus regarded as analogous in rodents (Parafascicular, Pf) remains unclear. Methods Here, we analyzed the neurochemical architecture and carried out a brain-wide mapping of the input-output motifs in the mouse Pf at micropopulation level using anterograde and retrograde labeling methods. Specifically, we mapped and quantified the sources of cortical and subcortical input to different Pf subregions, and mapped and compared the distribution and terminal structure of their axons. Results We found that projections to Pf arise predominantly (>75%) from the cerebral cortex, with an unusually strong (>45%) Layer 5b component, which is, in part, contralateral. The intermediate layers of the superior colliculus are the main subcortical input source to Pf. On its output side, Pf neuron axons predominantly innervate the striatum. In a sparser fashion, they innervate other basal ganglia nuclei, including the subthalamic nucleus (STN), and the cerebral cortex. Differences are evident between the lateral and medial portions of Pf, both in chemoarchitecture and in connectivity. Lateral Pf axons innervate territories of the striatum, STN and cortex involved in the sensorimotor control of different parts of the contralateral hemibody. In contrast, the mediodorsal portion of Pf innervates oculomotor-limbic territories in the above three structures. Discussion Our data thus indicate that the mouse Pf consists of several neurochemically and connectively distinct domains whose global organization bears a marked similarity to that described in the primate CM-Pf complex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Francisco Clasca
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
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13
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Karittevlis C, Papadopoulos M, Lima V, Orphanides GA, Tiwari S, Antonakakis M, Papadopoulou Lesta V, Ioannides AA. First activity and interactions in thalamus and cortex using raw single-trial EEG and MEG elicited by somatosensory stimulation. Front Syst Neurosci 2024; 17:1305022. [PMID: 38250330 PMCID: PMC10797085 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1305022] [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: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction One of the primary motivations for studying the human brain is to comprehend how external sensory input is processed and ultimately perceived by the brain. A good understanding of these processes can promote the identification of biomarkers for the diagnosis of various neurological disorders; it can also provide ways of evaluating therapeutic techniques. In this work, we seek the minimal requirements for identifying key stages of activity in the brain elicited by median nerve stimulation. Methods We have used a priori knowledge and applied a simple, linear, spatial filter on the electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography signals to identify the early responses in the thalamus and cortex evoked by short electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist. The spatial filter is defined first from the average EEG and MEG signals and then refined using consistency selection rules across ST. The refined spatial filter is then applied to extract the timecourses of each ST in each targeted generator. These ST timecourses are studied through clustering to quantify the ST variability. The nature of ST connectivity between thalamic and cortical generators is then studied within each identified cluster using linear and non-linear algorithms with time delays to extract linked and directional activities. A novel combination of linear and non-linear methods provides in addition discrimination of influences as excitatory or inhibitory. Results Our method identifies two key aspects of the evoked response. Firstly, the early onset of activity in the thalamus and the somatosensory cortex, known as the P14 and P20 in EEG and the second M20 for MEG. Secondly, good estimates are obtained for the early timecourse of activity from these two areas. The results confirm the existence of variability in ST brain activations and reveal distinct and novel patterns of connectivity in different clusters. Discussion It has been demonstrated that we can extract new insights into stimulus processing without the use of computationally costly source reconstruction techniques which require assumptions and detailed modeling of the brain. Our methodology, thanks to its simplicity and minimal computational requirements, has the potential for real-time applications such as in neurofeedback systems and brain-computer interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christodoulos Karittevlis
- AAI Scientific Cultural Services Ltd., Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Computer Science, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Vinicius Lima
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Marseille, France
| | - Gregoris A. Orphanides
- AAI Scientific Cultural Services Ltd., Nicosia, Cyprus
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shubham Tiwari
- Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Marios Antonakakis
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, Medicine Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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14
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Li J, Li Z, Wang X, Liu Y, Wang S, Wang X, Li Y, Qin L. The Thalamocortical Mechanism Underlying the Generation and Regulation of the Auditory Steady-State Responses in Awake Mice. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1166232023. [PMID: 37945348 PMCID: PMC10851679 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1166-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is a cortical oscillation induced by trains of 40 Hz acoustic stimuli. While the ASSR has been widely used in clinic measurement, the underlying neural mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the contribution of different stages of auditory thalamocortical pathway-medial geniculate body (MGB), thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), and auditory cortex (AC)-to the generation and regulation of 40 Hz ASSR in C57BL/6 mice of both sexes. We found that the neural response synchronizing to 40 Hz sound stimuli was most prominent in the GABAergic neurons in the granular layer of AC and the ventral division of MGB (MGBv), which were regulated by optogenetic manipulation of TRN neurons. Behavioral experiments confirmed that disrupting TRN activity has a detrimental effect on the ability of mice to discriminate 40 Hz sounds. These findings revealed a thalamocortical mechanism helpful to interpret the results of clinical ASSR examinations.Significance Statement Our study contributes to clarifying the thalamocortical mechanisms underlying the generation and regulation of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR), which is commonly used in both clinical and neuroscience research to assess the integrity of auditory function. Combining a series of electrophysiological and optogenetic experiments, we demonstrate that the generation of cortical ASSR is dependent on the lemniscal thalamocortical projections originating from the ventral division of medial geniculate body to the GABAergic interneurons in the granule layer of the auditory cortex. Furthermore, the thalamocortical process for ASSR is strictly regulated by the activity of thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) neurons. Behavioral experiments confirmed that dysfunction of TRN would cause a disruption of mice's behavioral performance in the auditory discrimination task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhong Li
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Zijie Li
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueru Wang
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunhan Liu
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuejiao Wang
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingna Li
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling Qin
- Department of Physiology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
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15
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Karavallil Achuthan S, Stavrinos D, Argueta P, Vanderburgh C, Holm HB, Kana RK. Thalamic functional connectivity and sensorimotor processing in neurodevelopmental disorders. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1279909. [PMID: 38161799 PMCID: PMC10755010 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1279909] [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: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the earliest neurobiological findings in autism has been the differences in the thalamocortical pathway connectivity, suggesting the vital role thalamus plays in human experience. The present functional MRI study investigated resting-state functional connectivity of the thalamus in 49 (autistic, ADHD, and neurotypical) young adults. All participants underwent structural MRI and eyes-open resting state functional MRI scans. After preprocessing the imaging data using Conn's connectivity toolbox, a seed-based functional connectivity analysis was conducted using bilateral thalamus as primary seeds. Autistic participants showed stronger thalamic connectivity, relative to ADHD and neurotypical participants, between the right thalamus and right precentral gyrus, right pars opercularis-BA44, right postcentral gyrus, and the right superior parietal lobule (RSPL). Autistic participants also showed significantly increased connectivity between the left thalamus and the right precentral gyrus. Furthermore, regression analyses revealed a significant relationship between autistic traits and left thalamic-precentral connectivity (R2 = 0.1113), as well as between autistic traits and right postcentral gyrus and RSPL connectivity (R2 = 0.1204) in autistic participants compared to ADHD. These findings provide significant insights into the role of thalamus in coordinating neural information processing and its alterations in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smitha Karavallil Achuthan
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Innovative Research in Autism, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Despina Stavrinos
- Department of Psychology and the Institute of Social Science Research, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Paula Argueta
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Innovative Research in Autism, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Caroline Vanderburgh
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Innovative Research in Autism, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Haley B. Holm
- Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Rajesh K. Kana
- Department of Psychology and the Center for Innovative Research in Autism, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
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16
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Cavarretta F, Jaeger D. Modeling Synaptic Integration of Bursty and β Oscillatory Inputs in Ventromedial Motor Thalamic Neurons in Normal and Parkinsonian States. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0237-23.2023. [PMID: 37989589 PMCID: PMC10726287 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0237-23.2023] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventromedial motor thalamus (VM) is implicated in multiple motor functions and occupies a central position in the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical loop. It integrates glutamatergic inputs from motor cortex (MC) and motor-related subcortical areas, and it is a major recipient of inhibition from basal ganglia. Previous in vitro experiments performed in mice showed that dopamine depletion enhances the excitability of thalamocortical (TC) neurons in VM due to reduced M-type potassium currents. To understand how these excitability changes impact synaptic integration in vivo, we constructed biophysically detailed mouse VM TC model neurons fit to normal and dopamine-depleted conditions, using the NEURON simulator. These models allowed us to assess the influence of excitability changes with dopamine depletion on the integration of synaptic inputs expected in vivo We found that VM neuron models in the dopamine-depleted state showed increased firing rates with the same synaptic inputs. Synchronous bursting in inhibitory input from the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR), as observed in parkinsonian conditions, evoked a postinhibitory firing rate increase with a longer duration in dopamine-depleted than control conditions, due to different M-type potassium channel densities. With β oscillations in the inhibitory inputs from SNR and the excitatory inputs from cortex, we observed spike-phase locking in the activity of the models in normal and dopamine-depleted states, which relayed and amplified the oscillations of the inputs, suggesting that the increased β oscillations observed in VM of parkinsonian animals are predominantly a consequence of changes in the presynaptic activity rather than changes in intrinsic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dieter Jaeger
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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17
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Ohno-Shosaku T, Yoneda M, Maejima T, Wang M, Kikuchi Y, Onodera K, Kanazawa Y, Takayama C, Mieda M. Action Sequence Learning Is Impaired in Genetically Modified Mice with the Suppressed GABAergic Transmission from the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus to the Thalamus. Neuroscience 2023; 532:87-102. [PMID: 37778689 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.09.019] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is a thin sheet of GABAergic neurons surrounding the thalamus, and it regulates the activity of thalamic relay neurons. The TRN has been reported to be involved in sensory gating, attentional regulation, and some other functions. However, little is known about the contribution of the TRN to sequence learning. In the present study, we examined whether the TRN is involved in reward-based learning of action sequence with no eliciting stimuli (operant conditioning), by analyzing the performance of male and female Avp-Vgat-/- mice (Vgatflox/flox mice crossed to an Avp-Cre driver line) on tasks conducted in an operant box having three levers. Our histological and electrophysiological data demonstrated that in adult Avp-Vgat-/- mice, vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) was absent in most TRN neurons and the GABAergic transmission from the TRN to the thalamus was largely suppressed. The performance on a task in which mice needed to press an active lever for food reward showed that simple operant learning of lever pressing and learning of win-stay and lose-shift strategies are not affected in Avp-Vgat-/- mice. In contrast, the performance on a task in which mice needed to press three levers in a correct order for food reward showed that learning of the order of lever pressing (action sequence learning) was impaired in Avp-Vgat-/- mice. These results suggest that the TRN plays an important role in action sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Ohno-Shosaku
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0942, Japan; Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa 920-1180, Japan.
| | - Mitsugu Yoneda
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0942, Japan
| | - Takashi Maejima
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Mohan Wang
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yui Kikuchi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0942, Japan
| | - Kaito Onodera
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yuji Kanazawa
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa 920-1180, Japan
| | - Chitoshi Takayama
- Department of Molecular Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Uehara 207, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan
| | - Michihiro Mieda
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
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18
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Wang XY, Xu X, Chen R, Jia WB, Xu PF, Liu XQ, Zhang Y, Liu XF, Zhang Y. The thalamic reticular nucleus-lateral habenula circuit regulates depressive-like behaviors in chronic stress and chronic pain. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113170. [PMID: 37738124 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress and chronic pain are two major predisposing factors to trigger depression. Enhanced excitatory input to the lateral habenula (LHb) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. However, the contribution of inhibitory transmission remains unclear. Here, we dissect an inhibitory projection from the sensory thalamic reticular nucleus (sTRN) to the LHb, which is activated by acute aversive stimuli. However, chronic restraint stress (CRS) weakens sTRN-LHb synaptic strength, and this synaptic attenuation is indispensable for CRS-induced LHb neural hyperactivity and depression onset. Moreover, artificially inhibiting the sTRN-LHb circuit induces depressive-like behaviors in healthy mice, while enhancing this circuit relieves depression induced by both chronic stress and chronic pain. Intriguingly, neither neuropathic pain nor comorbid mechanical hypersensitivity in chronic stress is affected by this pathway. Altogether, our study demonstrates an sTRN-LHb circuit in establishing and modulating depression, thus shedding light on potential therapeutic targets for preventing or managing depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yue Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Xiang Xu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Wen-Bin Jia
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Peng-Fei Xu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission of China, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Xin-Feng Liu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China.
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19
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Shine JM, Lewis LD, Garrett DD, Hwang K. The impact of the human thalamus on brain-wide information processing. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:416-430. [PMID: 37237103 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00701-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus is a small, bilateral structure in the diencephalon that integrates signals from many areas of the CNS. This critical anatomical position allows the thalamus to influence whole-brain activity and adaptive behaviour. However, traditional research paradigms have struggled to attribute specific functions to the thalamus, and it has remained understudied in the human neuroimaging literature. Recent advances in analytical techniques and increased accessibility to large, high-quality data sets have brought forth a series of studies and findings that (re-)establish the thalamus as a core region of interest in human cognitive neuroscience, a field that otherwise remains cortico-centric. In this Perspective, we argue that using whole-brain neuroimaging approaches to investigate the thalamus and its interaction with the rest of the brain is key for understanding systems-level control of information processing. To this end, we highlight the role of the thalamus in shaping a range of functional signatures, including evoked activity, interregional connectivity, network topology and neuronal variability, both at rest and during the performance of cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laura D Lewis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Douglas D Garrett
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Hwang
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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20
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Villalobos N, Magdaleno-Madrigal VM. Pallidal GABA B receptors: involvement in cortex beta dynamics and thalamic reticular nucleus activity. J Physiol Sci 2023; 73:14. [PMID: 37328793 DOI: 10.1186/s12576-023-00870-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The external globus pallidus (GP) firing rate synchronizes the basal ganglia-thalamus-cortex network controlling GABAergic output to different nuclei. In this context, two findings are significant: the activity and GABAergic transmission of the GP modulated by GABA B receptors and the presence of the GP-thalamic reticular nucleus (RTn) pathway, the functionality of which is unknown. The functional participation of GABA B receptors through this network in cortical dynamics is feasible because the RTn controls transmission between the thalamus and cortex. To analyze this hypothesis, we used single-unit recordings of RTn neurons and electroencephalograms of the motor cortex (MCx) before and after GP injection of the GABA B agonist baclofen and the antagonist saclofen in anesthetized rats. We found that GABA B agonists increase the spiking rate of the RTn and that this response decreases the spectral density of beta frequency bands in the MCx. Additionally, injections of GABA B antagonists decreased the firing activity of the RTn and reversed the effects in the power spectra of beta frequency bands in the MCx. Our results proved that the GP modulates cortical oscillation dynamics through the GP-RTn network via tonic modulation of RTn activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Villalobos
- Academia de Fisiología, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Colonia Casco de Santo Tomás, 11340, México City, México.
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación de la Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Colonia Casco de Santo Tomás, 11340, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Victor Manuel Magdaleno-Madrigal
- Laboratorio de Neuromodulación Experimental, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico
- Carrera de Psicología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza-UNAM, México City, México
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21
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Martín-Cortecero J, Isaías-Camacho EU, Boztepe B, Ziegler K, Mease RA, Groh A. Monosynaptic trans-collicular pathways link mouse whisker circuits to integrate somatosensory and motor cortical signals. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002126. [PMID: 37205722 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC), a conserved midbrain node with extensive long-range connectivity throughout the brain, is a key structure for innate behaviors. Descending cortical pathways are increasingly recognized as central control points for SC-mediated behaviors, but how cortico-collicular pathways coordinate SC activity at the cellular level is poorly understood. Moreover, despite the known role of the SC as a multisensory integrator, the involvement of the SC in the somatosensory system is largely unexplored in comparison to its involvement in the visual and auditory systems. Here, we mapped the connectivity of the whisker-sensitive region of the SC in mice with trans-synaptic and intersectional tracing tools and in vivo electrophysiology. The results reveal a novel trans-collicular connectivity motif in which neurons in motor- and somatosensory cortices impinge onto the brainstem-SC-brainstem sensory-motor arc and onto SC-midbrain output pathways via only one synapse in the SC. Intersectional approaches and optogenetically assisted connectivity quantifications in vivo reveal convergence of motor and somatosensory cortical input on individual SC neurons, providing a new framework for sensory-motor integration in the SC. More than a third of the cortical recipient neurons in the whisker SC are GABAergic neurons, which include a hitherto unknown population of GABAergic projection neurons targeting thalamic nuclei and the zona incerta. These results pinpoint a whisker region in the SC of mice as a node for the integration of somatosensory and motor cortical signals via parallel excitatory and inhibitory trans-collicular pathways, which link cortical and subcortical whisker circuits for somato-motor integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Martín-Cortecero
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | | | - Berin Boztepe
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Katharina Ziegler
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Rebecca Audrey Mease
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Alexander Groh
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Germany
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22
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Kiral FR, Cakir B, Tanaka Y, Kim J, Yang WS, Wehbe F, Kang YJ, Zhong M, Sancer G, Lee SH, Xiang Y, Park IH. Generation of ventralized human thalamic organoids with thalamic reticular nucleus. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:677-688.e5. [PMID: 37019105 PMCID: PMC10329908 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Human brain organoids provide unique platforms for modeling several aspects of human brain development and pathology. However, current brain organoid systems mostly lack the resolution to recapitulate the development of finer brain structures with subregional identity, including functionally distinct nuclei in the thalamus. Here, we report a method for converting human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into ventral thalamic organoids (vThOs) with transcriptionally diverse nuclei identities. Notably, single-cell RNA sequencing revealed previously unachieved thalamic patterning with a thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) signature, a GABAergic nucleus located in the ventral thalamus. Using vThOs, we explored the functions of TRN-specific, disease-associated genes patched domain containing 1 (PTCHD1) and receptor tyrosine-protein kinase (ERBB4) during human thalamic development. Perturbations in PTCHD1 or ERBB4 impaired neuronal functions in vThOs, albeit not affecting the overall thalamic lineage development. Together, vThOs present an experimental model for understanding nuclei-specific development and pathology in the thalamus of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdi Ridvan Kiral
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Bilal Cakir
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yoshiaki Tanaka
- Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Jonghun Kim
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Woo Sub Yang
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Fabien Wehbe
- Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Young-Jin Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Mei Zhong
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Gizem Sancer
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sang-Hun Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Yangfei Xiang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
| | - In-Hyun Park
- Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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23
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Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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24
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Qin Y, Sheremet A, Cooper TL, Burke SN, Maurer AP. Nonlinear Theta-Gamma Coupling between the Anterior Thalamus and Hippocampus Increases as a Function of Running Speed. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0470-21.2023. [PMID: 36858827 PMCID: PMC10027116 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0470-21.2023] [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: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampal theta rhythm strongly correlates to awake behavior leading to theories that it represents a cognitive state of the brain. As theta has been observed in other regions of the Papez circuit, it has been theorized that activity propagates in a reentrant manner. These observations complement the energy cascade hypothesis in which large-amplitude, slow-frequency oscillations reflect activity propagating across a large population of neurons. Higher frequency oscillations, such as gamma, are related to the speed with which inhibitory and excitatory neurons interact and distribute activity on the local level. The energy cascade hypothesis suggests that the larger anatomic loops, maintaining theta, drive the smaller loops. As hippocampal theta increases in power with running speed, so does the power and frequency of the gamma rhythm. If theta is propagated through the circuit, it stands to reason that the local field potential (LFP) recorded in other regions would be coupled to the hippocampal theta, with the coupling increasing with running speed. We explored this hypothesis using open-source simultaneous recorded data from the CA1 region of the hippocampus and the anterior dorsal and anterior ventral thalamus. Cross-regional theta coupling increased with running speed. Although the power of the gamma rhythm was lower in the anterior thalamus, there was an increase in the coupling of hippocampal theta to anterior thalamic gamma. Broadly, the data support models of how activity moves across the nervous system, suggesting that the brain uses large-scale volleys of activity to support higher cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Qin
- Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Alex Sheremet
- Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Tara L Cooper
- McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Sara N Burke
- McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Andrew P Maurer
- Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
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25
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Huerga-Gómez I, Martini FJ, López-Bendito G. Building thalamic neuronal networks during mouse development. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1098913. [PMID: 36817644 PMCID: PMC9936079 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1098913] [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: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamic nuclear complex contains excitatory projection neurons and inhibitory local neurons, the two cell types driving the main circuits in sensory nuclei. While excitatory neurons are born from progenitors that reside in the proliferative zone of the developing thalamus, inhibitory local neurons are born outside the thalamus and they migrate there during development. In addition to these cell types, which occupy most of the thalamus, there are two small thalamic regions where inhibitory neurons target extra-thalamic regions rather than neighboring neurons, the intergeniculate leaflet and the parahabenular nucleus. Like excitatory thalamic neurons, these inhibitory neurons are derived from progenitors residing in the developing thalamus. The assembly of these circuits follows fine-tuned genetic programs and it is coordinated by extrinsic factors that help the cells find their location, associate with thalamic partners, and establish connections with their corresponding extra-thalamic inputs and outputs. In this review, we bring together what is currently known about the development of the excitatory and inhibitory components of the thalamocortical sensory system, in particular focusing on the visual pathway and thalamic interneurons in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Huerga-Gómez
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UMH-CSIC), Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
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26
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Wu FL, Chen SH, Li JN, Zhao LJ, Wu XM, Hong J, Zhu KH, Sun HX, Shi SJ, Mao E, Zang WD, Cao J, Kou ZZ, Li YQ. Projections from the Rostral Zona Incerta to the Thalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Mediate Nociceptive Neurotransmission in Mice. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13020226. [PMID: 36837844 PMCID: PMC9966812 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13020226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Zona incerta (ZI) is an integrative subthalamic region in nociceptive neurotransmission. Previous studies demonstrated that the rostral ZI (ZIR) is an important gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) source to the thalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVT), but whether the ZIR-PVT pathway participates in nociceptive modulation is still unclear. Therefore, our investigation utilized anatomical tracing, fiber photometry, chemogenetic, optogenetic and local pharmacological approaches to investigate the roles of the ZIRGABA+-PVT pathway in nociceptive neurotransmission in mice. We found that projections from the GABAergic neurons in ZIR to PVT were involved in nociceptive neurotransmission. Furthermore, chemogenetic and optogenetic activation of the ZIRGABA+-PVT pathway alleviates pain, whereas inhibiting the activities of the ZIRGABA+-PVT circuit induces mechanical hypersensitivity and partial heat hyperalgesia. Importantly, in vivo pharmacology combined with optogenetics revealed that the GABA-A receptor (GABAAR) is crucial for GABAergic inhibition from ZIR to PVT. Our data suggest that the ZIRGABA+-PVT pathway acts through GABAAR-expressing glutamatergic neurons in PVT mediates nociceptive neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Ling Wu
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Si-Hai Chen
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Jia-Ni Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Liu-Jie Zhao
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Xue-Mei Wu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Jie Hong
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, Baotou Medical College Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014040, China
| | - Ke-Hua Zhu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Han-Xue Sun
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Su-Juan Shi
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - E Mao
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Wei-Dong Zang
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Jing Cao
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Kou
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Correspondence: (Z.-Z.K.); (Y.-Q.L.); Tel.: +86-29-8477-2706; Fax: +86-29-8328-3229 (Y.-Q.L.)
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Human Anatomy, College of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Department of Geriatrics, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710038, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Science Research and Transformation in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medicine, Dali University, Dali 671000, China
- Correspondence: (Z.-Z.K.); (Y.-Q.L.); Tel.: +86-29-8477-2706; Fax: +86-29-8328-3229 (Y.-Q.L.)
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27
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Xi K, Xiao H, Huang X, Yuan Z, Liu M, Mao H, Liu H, Ma G, Cheng Z, Xie Y, Liu Y, Feng D, Wang W, Guo B, Wu S. Reversal of hyperactive higher-order thalamus attenuates defensiveness in a mouse model of PTSD. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade5987. [PMID: 36735778 PMCID: PMC9897664 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade5987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disease often accompanied by severe defensive behaviors, preventing individuals from integrating into society. However, the neural mechanisms of defensiveness in PTSD remain largely unknown. Here, we identified that the higher-order thalamus, the posteromedial complex of the thalamus (PoM), was overactivated in a mouse model of PTSD, and suppressing PoM activity alleviated excessive defensive behaviors. Moreover, we found that diminished thalamic inhibition derived from the thalamic reticular nucleus was the major cause of thalamic hyperactivity in PTSD mice. Overloaded thalamic innervation to the downstream cortical area, frontal association cortex, drove abnormal defensiveness. Overall, our study revealed that the malfunction of the higher-order thalamus mediates defensive behaviors and highlighted the thalamocortical circuit as a potential target for treating PTSD-related overreactivity symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiwen Xi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Haoxiang Xiao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Ziduo Yuan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Medical School, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
| | - Mingyue Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Medical School, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
| | - Honghui Mao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Haiying Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Guaiguai Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
- Medical School, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
| | - Zishuo Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Yuqiao Xie
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Dayun Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Baolin Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
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28
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Zheng B, Liu DD, Theyel BB, Abdulrazeq H, Kimata AR, Lauro PM, Asaad WF. Thalamic neuromodulation in epilepsy: A primer for emerging circuit-based therapies. Expert Rev Neurother 2023; 23:123-140. [PMID: 36731858 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2023.2176752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epilepsy is a common, often debilitating disease of hyperexcitable neural networks. While medically intractable cases may benefit from surgery, there may be no single, well-localized focus for resection or ablation. In such cases, approaching the disease from a network-based perspective may be beneficial. AREAS COVERED Herein, the authors provide a narrative review of normal thalamic anatomy and physiology and propose general strategies for preventing and/or aborting seizures by modulating this structure. Additionally, they make specific recommendations for targeting the thalamus within different contexts, motivated by a more detailed discussion of its distinct nuclei and their respective connectivity. By describing important principles governing thalamic function and its involvement in seizure networks, the authors aim to provide a primer for those now entering this fast-growing field of thalamic neuromodulation for epilepsy. EXPERT OPINION The thalamus is critically involved with the function of many cortical and subcortical areas, suggesting it may serve as a compelling node for preventing or aborting seizures, and so it has increasingly been targeted for the surgical treatment of epilepsy. As various thalamic neuromodulation strategies for seizure control are developed, there is a need to ground such interventions in a mechanistic, circuit-based framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Zheng
- The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - David D Liu
- The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Brian B Theyel
- Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Hael Abdulrazeq
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Anna R Kimata
- The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Peter M Lauro
- The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Wael F Asaad
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,The Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,The Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
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29
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Govindaiah G, Fox MA, Guido W. Pattern of Driver-Like Input onto Neurons of the Mouse Ventral Lateral Geniculate Nucleus. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0386-22.2022. [PMID: 36609305 PMCID: PMC9850909 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0386-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) is a retinorecipient region of thalamus that contributes to a number of complex visual behaviors. Retinal axons that target vLGN terminate exclusively in the external subdivision (vLGNe), which is also transcriptionally and cytoarchitectonically distinct from the internal subdivision (vLGNi). While recent studies shed light on the cell types and efferent projections of vLGNe and vLGNi, we have a crude understanding of the source and nature of the excitatory inputs driving postsynaptic activity in these regions. Here, we address this by conducting in vitro whole-cell recordings in acutely prepared thalamic slices and using electrical and optical stimulation techniques to examine the postsynaptic excitatory activity evoked by the activation of retinal or cortical layer V input onto neurons in vLGNe and vLGNi. Activation of retinal afferents by electrical stimulation of optic tract or optical stimulation of retinal terminals resulted in robust driver-like excitatory activity in vLGNe. Optical activation of corticothalamic terminals from layer V resulted in similar driver-like activity in both vLGNe and vLGNi. Using a dual-color optogenetic approach, we found that many vLGNe neurons received convergent input from these two sources. Both individual pathways displayed similar driver-like properties, with corticothalamic stimulation leading to a stronger form of synaptic depression than retinogeniculate stimulation. We found no evidence of convergence in vLGNi, with neurons only responding to corticothalamic stimulation. These data provide insight into the influence of excitatory inputs to vLGN and reveal that only neurons in vLGNe receive convergent input from both sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gubbi Govindaiah
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
| | - Michael A. Fox
- Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, Virginia 24016
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
| | - William Guido
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
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30
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Anticevic A, Halassa MM. The thalamus in psychosis spectrum disorder. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1163600. [PMID: 37123374 PMCID: PMC10133512 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1163600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychosis spectrum disorder (PSD) affects 1% of the world population and results in a lifetime of chronic disability, causing devastating personal and economic consequences. Developing new treatments for PSD remains a challenge, particularly those that target its core cognitive deficits. A key barrier to progress is the tenuous link between the basic neurobiological understanding of PSD and its clinical phenomenology. In this perspective, we focus on a key opportunity that combines innovations in non-invasive human neuroimaging with basic insights into thalamic regulation of functional cortical connectivity. The thalamus is an evolutionary conserved region that forms forebrain-wide functional loops critical for the transmission of external inputs as well as the construction and update of internal models. We discuss our perspective across four lines of evidence: First, we articulate how PSD symptomatology may arise from a faulty network organization at the macroscopic circuit level with the thalamus playing a central coordinating role. Second, we discuss how recent animal work has mechanistically clarified the properties of thalamic circuits relevant to regulating cortical dynamics and cognitive function more generally. Third, we present human neuroimaging evidence in support of thalamic alterations in PSD, and propose that a similar "thalamocortical dysconnectivity" seen in pharmacological imaging (under ketamine, LSD and THC) in healthy individuals may link this circuit phenotype to the common set of symptoms in idiopathic and drug-induced psychosis. Lastly, we synthesize animal and human work, and lay out a translational path for biomarker and therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Anticevic
- School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- *Correspondence: Alan Anticevic,
| | - Michael M. Halassa
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Michael M. Halassa,
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31
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Hádinger N, Bősz E, Tóth B, Vantomme G, Lüthi A, Acsády L. Region-selective control of the thalamic reticular nucleus via cortical layer 5 pyramidal cells. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:116-130. [PMID: 36550291 PMCID: PMC9829539 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01217-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Corticothalamic pathways, responsible for the top-down control of the thalamus, have a canonical organization such that every cortical region sends output from both layer 6 (L6) and layer 5 (L5) to the thalamus. Here we demonstrate a qualitative, region-specific difference in the organization of mouse corticothalamic pathways. Specifically, L5 pyramidal cells of the frontal cortex, but not other cortical regions, establish monosynaptic connections with the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). The frontal L5-TRN pathway parallels the L6-TRN projection but has distinct morphological and physiological features. The exact spike output of the L5-contacted TRN cells correlated with the level of cortical synchrony. Optogenetic perturbation of the L5-TRN connection disrupted the tight link between cortical and TRN activity. L5-driven TRN cells innervated thalamic nuclei involved in the control of frontal cortex activity. Our data show that frontal cortex functions require a highly specialized cortical control over intrathalamic inhibitory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nóra Hádinger
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Emília Bősz
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Boglárka Tóth
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gil Vantomme
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anita Lüthi
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - László Acsády
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
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Seo J, Kim DJ, Choi SH, Kim H, Min BK. The thalamocortical inhibitory network controls human conscious perception. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119748. [PMID: 36370957 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Although conscious perception is a fundamental cognitive function, its neural correlates remain unclear. It remains debatable whether thalamocortical interactions play a decisive role in conscious perception. To clarify this, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) where flickering red and green visual cues could be perceived either as a non-fused colour or fused colour. Here we show significantly differentiated fMRI neurodynamics only in higher-order thalamocortical regions, compared with first-order thalamocortical regions. Anticorrelated neurodynamic behaviours were observed between the visual stream network and default-mode network. Its dynamic causal modelling consistently provided compelling evidence for the involvement of higher-order thalamocortical iterative integration during conscious perception of fused colour, while inhibitory control was revealed during the non-fusion condition. Taken together with our recent magnetoencephalography study, our fMRI findings corroborate a thalamocortical inhibitory model for consciousness, where both thalamic inhibitory regulation and integrative signal iterations across higher-order thalamocortical regions are essential for conscious perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeehye Seo
- Institute for Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Dae-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States of America
| | - Sang-Han Choi
- Institute for Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Hyoungkyu Kim
- Institute for Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Byoung-Kyong Min
- Institute for Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea; Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea.
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Shine JM. Adaptively navigating affordance landscapes: How interactions between the superior colliculus and thalamus coordinate complex, adaptive behaviour. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104921. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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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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Szabó JP, Fabó D, Pető N, Sákovics A, Bódizs R. Role of anterior thalamic circuitry during sleep. Epilepsy Res 2022; 186:106999. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2022.106999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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36
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The caudal prethalamus: Inhibitory switchboard for behavioral control? Neuron 2022; 110:2728-2742. [PMID: 36076337 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Prethalamic nuclei in the mammalian brain include the zona incerta, the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, and the intergeniculate leaflet, which provide long-range inhibition to many targets in the midbrain, hindbrain, and thalamus. These nuclei in the caudal prethalamus can integrate sensory and non-sensory information, and together they exert powerful inhibitory control over a wide range of brain functions and behaviors that encompass most aspects of the behavioral repertoire of mammals, including sleep, circadian rhythms, feeding, drinking, predator avoidance, and exploration. In this perspective, we highlight the evidence for this wide-ranging control and lay out the hypothesis that one role of caudal prethalamic nuclei may be that of a behavioral switchboard that-depending on the sensory input, the behavioral context, and the state of the animal-can promote a behavioral strategy and suppress alternative, competing behaviors by modulating inhibitory drive onto diverse target areas.
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Villalobos N, Almazán-Alvarado S, Magdaleno-Madrigal VM. Elevation of GABA levels in the globus pallidus disinhibits the thalamic reticular nucleus and desynchronized cortical beta oscillations. J Physiol Sci 2022; 72:17. [PMID: 35896962 DOI: 10.1186/s12576-022-00843-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The external globus pallidus (GP) is a GABAergic node involved in motor control regulation and coordinates firing and synchronization in the basal ganglia-thalamic-cortical network through inputs and electrical activity. In Parkinson's disease, high GABA levels alter electrical activity in the GP and contribute to motor symptoms. Under normal conditions, GABA levels are regulated by GABA transporters (GATs). GAT type 1 (GAT-1) is highly expressed in the GP, and pharmacological blockade of GAT-1 increases the duration of currents mediated by GABA A receptors and induces tonic inhibition. The functional contribution of the pathway between the GP and the reticular thalamic nucleus (RTn) is unknown. This pathway is important since the RTn controls the flow of information between the thalamus and cortex, suggesting that it contributes to cortical dynamics. In this work, we investigated the effect of increased GABA levels on electrical activity in the RTn by obtaining single-unit extracellular recordings from anesthetized rats and on the motor cortex (MCx) by corticography. Our results show that high GABA levels increase the spontaneous activity rate of RTn neurons and desynchronize oscillations in the beta frequency band in the MCx. Our findings provide evidence that the GP exerts tonic control over RTn activity through the GP-reticular pathway and functionally contributes to cortical oscillation dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Villalobos
- Academia de Fisiología, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Colonia Casco de Santo Tomás, 11340, Ciudad de México, Mexico. .,Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación de la Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Colonia Casco de Santo Tomás, 11340, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Salvador Almazán-Alvarado
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología del Control y la Regulación, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Victor Manuel Magdaleno-Madrigal
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología del Control y la Regulación, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, Mexico. .,Carrera de Psicología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza-UNAM, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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Investigating the Role of GABA in Neural Development and Disease Using Mice Lacking GAD67 or VGAT Genes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147965. [PMID: 35887307 PMCID: PMC9318753 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Normal development and function of the central nervous system involves a balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Activity of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons is modulated by inhibitory signalling of the GABAergic and glycinergic systems. Mechanisms that regulate formation, maturation, refinement, and maintenance of inhibitory synapses are established in early life. Deviations from ideal excitatory and inhibitory balance, such as down-regulated inhibition, are linked with many neurological diseases, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders. In the mammalian forebrain, GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, binding to GABA receptors, opening chloride channels and hyperpolarizing the cell. We review the involvement of down-regulated inhibitory signalling in neurological disorders, possible mechanisms for disease progression, and targets for therapeutic intervention. We conclude that transgenic models of disrupted inhibitory signalling—in GAD67+/− and VGAT−/− mice—are useful for investigating the effects of down-regulated inhibitory signalling in a range of neurological diseases.
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Weil T, Daly KM, Yarur Castillo H, Thomsen MB, Wang H, Mercau ME, Hattar S, Tejeda H, Fernandez DC. Daily changes in light influence mood via inhibitory networks within the thalamic perihabenular nucleus. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn3567. [PMID: 35687680 PMCID: PMC9187232 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to irregular lighting schedules leads to deficits in affective behaviors. The retino-recipient perihabenular nucleus (PHb) of the dorsal thalamus has been shown to mediate these effects in mice. However, the mechanisms of how light information is processed within the PHb remains unknown. Here, we show that the PHb contains a distinct cluster of GABAergic neurons that receive direct retinal input. These neurons are part of a larger inhibitory network composed of the thalamic reticular nucleus and zona incerta, known to modulate thalamocortical communication. In addition, PHbGABA neurons locally modulate excitatory-relay neurons, which project to limbic centers. Chronic exposure to irregular light-dark cycles alters photo-responsiveness and synaptic output of PHbGABA neurons, disrupting daily oscillations of genes associated with inhibitory and excitatory PHb signaling. Consequently, selective and chronic PHbGABA manipulation results in mood alterations that mimic those caused by irregular light exposure. Together, light-mediated disruption of PHb inhibitory networks underlies mood deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tenley Weil
- Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms (SLCR), National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - K. M. Daly
- Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms (SLCR), National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Hector Yarur Castillo
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael B. Thomsen
- Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms (SLCR), National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Huikun Wang
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Maria E. Mercau
- Department of Immunobiology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Samer Hattar
- Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms (SLCR), National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hugo Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Diego C. Fernandez
- Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms (SLCR), National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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40
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Planar cell polarity and the pathogenesis of Tourette Disorder: New hypotheses and perspectives. Dev Biol 2022; 489:14-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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41
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The role of thalamic nuclei in genetic generalized epilepsies. Epilepsy Res 2022; 182:106918. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2022.106918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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42
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Modulation of itch and pain signals processing in ventrobasal thalamus by thalamic reticular nucleus. iScience 2022; 25:103625. [PMID: 35106466 PMCID: PMC8786640 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is known to be crucial for dynamically modulating sensory processing. Recently, the functional role of TRN in itch and pain sensation processing has drawn much attention. We found that ventrobasal thalamus (VB) neurons exhibited scratching behavior-related and nociceptive behavior-related neuronal activity changes, and most of VB neurons responsive to pruritic stimulus were also activated by nociceptive stimulus. Inhibition of VB could relieve itch-induced scratching behaviors and pathological pain without affecting basal nociceptive thresholds, and activation of VB could facilitate scratching behaviors. Tracing and electrophysiology recording results showed that VB mainly received inhibitory inputs from ventral TRN. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of TRN-VB projections suppressed scratching behaviors, and ablation of TRN enhanced scratching behaviors. In addition, activation of TRN-VB projections relieved the pathological pain without affecting basal nociceptive thresholds. Thus, our study indicates that TRN modulates itch and pain signals processing via TRN-VB inhibitory projections. VB is involved in both itch and pain signals processing Manipulation of VB or TRN-VB inhibitory projections modulates both itch and pain Enhancing the inhibitory tone might be a strategy for treating itch and pain
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43
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mGluR5 binding changes during a mismatch negativity task in a multimodal protocol with [ 11C]ABP688 PET/MR-EEG. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:6. [PMID: 35013095 PMCID: PMC8748790 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01763-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) is the subject of several lines of research in the context of neurology and is of high interest as a target for positron-emission tomography (PET). Here, we assessed the feasibility of using [11C]ABP688, a specific antagonist radiotracer for an allosteric site on the mGluR5, to evaluate changes in glutamatergic neurotransmission through a mismatch-negativity (MMN) task as a part of a simultaneous and synchronized multimodal PET/MR-EEG study. We analyzed the effect of MMN by comparing the changes in nondisplaceable binding potential (BPND) prior to (baseline) and during the task in 17 healthy subjects by applying a bolus/infusion protocol. Anatomical and functional regions were analyzed. A small change in BPND was observed in anatomical regions (posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus) and in a functional network (precuneus) after the start of the task. The effect size was quantified using Kendall's W value and was 0.3. The motor cortex was used as a control region for the task and did not show any significant BPND changes. There was a significant ΔBPND between acquisition conditions. On average, the reductions in binding across the regions were - 8.6 ± 3.2% in anatomical and - 6.4 ± 0.5% in the functional network (p ≤ 0.001). Correlations between ΔBPND and EEG latency for both anatomical (p = 0.008) and functional (p = 0.022) regions were found. Exploratory analyses suggest that the MMN task played a role in the glutamatergic neurotransmission, and mGluR5 may be indirectly modulated by these changes.
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Wang C, Li S, Wu S. Analysis of the Neuron Dynamics in Thalamic Reticular Nucleus by a Reduced Model. Front Comput Neurosci 2021; 15:764153. [PMID: 34867253 PMCID: PMC8635031 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2021.764153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Strategically located between the thalamus and the cortex, the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is a hub to regulate selective attention during wakefulness and control the thalamic and cortical oscillations during sleep. A salient feature of TRN neurons contributing to these functions is their characteristic firing patterns, ranging in a continuum from tonic spiking to bursting spiking. However, the dynamical mechanism under these firing behaviors is not well understood. In this study, by applying a reduction method to a full conductance-based neuron model, we construct a reduced three-variable model to investigate the dynamics of TRN neurons. We show that the reduced model can effectively reproduce the spiking patterns of TRN neurons as observed in vivo and in vitro experiments, and meanwhile allow us to perform bifurcation analysis of the spiking dynamics. Specifically, we demonstrate that the rebound bursting of a TRN neuron is a type of “fold/homo-clinic” bifurcation, and the tonic spiking is the fold cycle bifurcation. Further one-parameter bifurcation analysis reveals that the transition between these discharge patterns can be controlled by the external current. We expect that this reduced neuron model will help us to further study the complicated dynamics and functions of the TRN network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoming Wang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China.,Chinese Institute for BrainResearch, Beijing, China
| | - Shangyang Li
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Si Wu
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
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45
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Kirchgessner MA, Franklin AD, Callaway EM. Distinct "driving" versus "modulatory" influences of different visual corticothalamic pathways. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5121-5137.e7. [PMID: 34614389 PMCID: PMC8665059 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Higher-order (HO) thalamic nuclei interact extensively and reciprocally with the cerebral cortex. These corticothalamic (CT) interactions are thought to be important for sensation and perception, attention, and many other important brain functions. CT projections to HO thalamic nuclei, such as the visual pulvinar, originate from two different excitatory populations in cortical layers 5 and 6, whereas first-order nuclei (such as the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus; dLGN) only receive layer 6 CT input. It has been proposed that these layer 5 and layer 6 CT pathways have different functional influences on the HO thalamus, but this has never been directly tested. By optogenetically inactivating different CT populations in the primary visual cortex (V1) and recording single-unit activity from V1, dLGN, and pulvinar of awake mice, we demonstrate that layer 5, but not layer 6, CT projections drive visual responses in the pulvinar, even while both pathways provide retinotopic, baseline excitation to their thalamic targets. Inactivating the superior colliculus also suppressed visual responses in the same subregion of the pulvinar, demonstrating that cortical layer 5 and subcortical inputs both contribute to HO visual thalamic activity-even at the level of putative single neurons. Altogether, these results indicate a functional division of "driver" and "modulator" CT pathways from V1 to the visual thalamus in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Kirchgessner
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alexis D Franklin
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Edward M Callaway
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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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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47
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Wang H, Haas JS. GABA BR Modulation of Electrical Synapses and Plasticity in the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212138. [PMID: 34830020 PMCID: PMC8621091 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Two distinct types of neuronal activity result in long-term depression (LTD) of electrical synapses, with overlapping biochemical intracellular signaling pathways that link activity to synaptic strength, in electrically coupled neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Because components of both signaling pathways can also be modulated by GABAB receptor activity, here we examined the impact of GABAB receptor activation on the two established inductors of LTD in electrical synapses. Recording from patched pairs of coupled rat neurons in vitro, we show that GABAB receptor inactivation itself induces a modest depression of electrical synapses and occludes LTD induction by either paired bursting or metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation. GABAB activation also occludes LTD from either paired bursting or mGluR activation. Together, these results indicate that afferent sources of GABA, such as those from the forebrain or substantia nigra to the reticular nucleus, gate the induction of LTD from either neuronal activity or afferent glutamatergic receptor activation. These results add to a growing body of evidence that the regulation of thalamocortical transmission and sensory attention by TRN is modulated and controlled by other brain regions. Significance: We show that electrical synapse plasticity is gated by GABAB receptors in the thalamic reticular nucleus. This effect is a novel way for afferent GABAergic input from the basal ganglia to modulate thalamocortical relay and is a possible mediator of intra-TRN inhibitory effects.
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48
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Kimura A. Sound Intensity-dependent Multiple Tonotopic Organizations and Complex Sub-threshold Alterations of Auditory Response Across Sound Frequencies in the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus. Neuroscience 2021; 475:10-51. [PMID: 34481912 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.08.027] [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: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), a cluster of GABAergic cells, modulates sensory attention and perception through its inhibitory projections to thalamic nuclei. Cortical and thalamic topographic projections to the auditory TRN are thought to compose tonotopic organizations for modulation of thalamic auditory processing. The present study determined tonotopies in the TRN and examined interactions between probe and masker sounds to obtain insights into temporal processing associated with tonotopies. Experiments were performed on anesthetized rats, using juxta-cellular recording and labeling techniques. Following determination of tonotopies, effects of sub-threshold masker sound stimuli on onset and late responses evoked by a probe sound were examined. The main findings are as follows. Tonotopic organizations were recognized in cell location and axonal projection. Tonotopic gradients and their clarities were diverse, depending on sound intensity, response type and the tiers of the TRN. Robust alterations in response magnitude, latency and/or burst spiking took place following masker sounds in either a broad or narrow range of frequencies that were close or far away from the probe sound frequency. The majority of alterations were suppression recognizable up to 600 ms in the interval between masker and probe sounds, and directions of alteration differed depending on the interval. Finally, masker sound effects were associated with tonotopic organizations. These findings suggest that the auditory TRN is comprised of sound intensity-dependent multiple tonotopic organizations, which could configure temporal interactions of auditory information across sound frequencies and impose complex but spatiotemporally structured influences on thalamic auditory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihisa Kimura
- Department of Physiology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama Kimiidera 811-1, 641-8509, Japan.
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49
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Necula D, Cho FS, He A, Paz JT. Secondary thalamic neuroinflammation after focal cortical stroke and traumatic injury mirrors corticothalamic functional connectivity. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:998-1019. [PMID: 34633669 PMCID: PMC8957545 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
While cortical injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neocortical stroke, acutely disrupt the neocortex, most of their consequent disabilities reflect secondary injuries that develop over time. Thalamic neuroinflammation has been proposed to be a biomarker of cortical injury and of the long-term cognitive and neurological deficits that follow. However, the extent to which thalamic neuroinflammation depends on the type of cortical injury or its location remains unknown. Using two mouse models of focal neocortical injury that do not directly damage subcortical structures-controlled cortical impact and photothrombotic ischemic stroke-we found that chronic neuroinflammation in the thalamic region mirrors the functional connections with the injured cortex, and that sensory corticothalamic regions may be more likely to sustain long-term damage than nonsensory circuits. Currently, heterogeneous clinical outcomes complicate treatment. Understanding how thalamic inflammation depends on the injury site can aid in predicting features of subsequent deficits and lead to more effective, customized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna Necula
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Neurology and the Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Frances S Cho
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Neurology and the Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Andrea He
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jeanne T Paz
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Neurology and the Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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50
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Mease RA, Gonzalez AJ. Corticothalamic Pathways From Layer 5: Emerging Roles in Computation and Pathology. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:730211. [PMID: 34566583 PMCID: PMC8458899 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.730211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Large portions of the thalamus receive strong driving input from cortical layer 5 (L5) neurons but the role of this important pathway in cortical and thalamic computations is not well understood. L5-recipient "higher-order" thalamic regions participate in cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuits that are increasingly recognized to be (1) anatomically and functionally distinct from better-studied "first-order" CTC networks, and (2) integral to cortical activity related to learning and perception. Additionally, studies are beginning to elucidate the clinical relevance of these networks, as dysfunction across these pathways have been implicated in several pathological states. In this review, we highlight recent advances in understanding L5 CTC networks across sensory modalities and brain regions, particularly studies leveraging cell-type-specific tools that allow precise experimental access to L5 CTC circuits. We aim to provide a focused and accessible summary of the anatomical, physiological, and computational properties of L5-originating CTC networks, and outline their underappreciated contribution in pathology. We particularly seek to connect single-neuron and synaptic properties to network (dys)function and emerging theories of cortical computation, and highlight information processing in L5 CTC networks as a promising focus for computational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Mease
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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