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Whyte CJ, Redinbaugh MJ, Shine JM, Saalmann YB. Thalamic contributions to the state and contents of consciousness. Neuron 2024; 112:1611-1625. [PMID: 38754373 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.019] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Consciousness can be conceptualized as varying along at least two dimensions: the global state of consciousness and the content of conscious experience. Here, we highlight the cellular and systems-level contributions of the thalamus to conscious state and then argue for thalamic contributions to conscious content, including the integrated, segregated, and continuous nature of our experience. We underscore vital, yet distinct roles for core- and matrix-type thalamic neurons. Through reciprocal interactions with deep-layer cortical neurons, matrix neurons support wakefulness and determine perceptual thresholds, whereas the cortical interactions of core neurons maintain content and enable perceptual constancy. We further propose that conscious integration, segregation, and continuity depend on the convergent nature of corticothalamic projections enabling dimensionality reduction, a thalamic reticular nucleus-mediated divisive normalization-like process, and sustained coherent activity in thalamocortical loops, respectively. Overall, we conclude that the thalamus plays a central topological role in brain structures controlling conscious experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Whyte
- Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - James M Shine
- Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yuri B Saalmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, USA
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Bardon AG, Ballesteros JJ, Brincat SL, Roy JE, Mahnke MK, Ishizawa Y, Brown EN, Miller EK. Convergent effects of different anesthetics are due to changes in phase alignment of cortical oscillations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.20.585943. [PMID: 38562734 PMCID: PMC10983946 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.20.585943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Many different anesthetics cause loss of responsiveness despite having diverse underlying molecular and circuit actions. To explore the convergent effects of these drugs, we examined how ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, and dexmedetomidine, an α2 adrenergic receptor agonist, affected neural oscillations in the prefrontal cortex of nonhuman primates. Previous work has shown that anesthesia increases phase locking of low-frequency local field potential activity across cortex. We observed similar increases with anesthetic doses of ketamine and dexmedetomidine in the ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, within and across hemispheres. However, the nature of the phase locking varied between regions. We found that oscillatory activity in different prefrontal subregions within each hemisphere became more anti-phase with both drugs. Local analyses within a region suggested that this finding could be explained by broad cortical distance-based effects, such as a large traveling wave. By contrast, homologous areas across hemispheres increased their phase alignment. Our results suggest that the drugs induce strong patterns of cortical phase alignment that are markedly different from those in the awake state, and that these patterns may be a common feature driving loss of responsiveness from different anesthetic drugs.
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Schüller T, Huys D, Kohl S, Visser-Vandewalle V, Dembek TA, Kuhn J, Baldermann JC, Smith EE. Thalamic deep brain stimulation for tourette syndrome increases cortical beta activity. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:197-201. [PMID: 38341176 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.01.011] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the thalamus can effectively reduce tics in severely affected patients with Tourette syndrome (TS). Its effect on cortical oscillatory activity is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE We assessed whether DBS modulates beta activity at fronto-central electrodes. We explored concurrent EEG sources and probabilistic stimulation maps. METHODS Resting state EEG of TS patients treated with thalamic DBS was recorded in repeated DBS-on and DBS-off states. A mixed linear model was employed for statistical evaluation. EEG sources were estimated with eLORETA. Thalamic probabilistic stimulation maps were obtained by assigning beta power difference scores (DBS-on minus DBS-off) to stimulation sites. RESULTS We observed increased beta power in DBS-on compared to DBS-off states. Modulation of cortical beta activity was localized to the midcingulate cortex. Beta modulation was more pronounced when stimulating the thalamus posteriorly, peaking in the ventral posterior nucleus. CONCLUSION Thalamic DBS in TS patients modulates beta frequency oscillations presumably important for sensorimotor function and relevant to TS pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Schüller
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 50935, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Daniel Huys
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 50935, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sina Kohl
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 50935, Cologne, Germany
| | - Veerle Visser-Vandewalle
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Surgery, 50935, Cologne, Germany
| | - Till A Dembek
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, 50935, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jens Kuhn
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 50935, Cologne, Germany; Johanniter Hospital Oberhausen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy & Psychosomatic Medicine, 46145, Oberhausen, Germany
| | - Juan Carlos Baldermann
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 50935, Cologne, Germany; University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, 50935, Cologne, Germany; University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
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Barry MLLR, Gerstner W. Fast adaptation to rule switching using neuronal surprise. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011839. [PMID: 38377112 PMCID: PMC10906910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In humans and animals, surprise is a physiological reaction to an unexpected event, but how surprise can be linked to plausible models of neuronal activity is an open problem. We propose a self-supervised spiking neural network model where a surprise signal is extracted from an increase in neural activity after an imbalance of excitation and inhibition. The surprise signal modulates synaptic plasticity via a three-factor learning rule which increases plasticity at moments of surprise. The surprise signal remains small when transitions between sensory events follow a previously learned rule but increases immediately after rule switching. In a spiking network with several modules, previously learned rules are protected against overwriting, as long as the number of modules is larger than the total number of rules-making a step towards solving the stability-plasticity dilemma in neuroscience. Our model relates the subjective notion of surprise to specific predictions on the circuit level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin L. L. R. Barry
- School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Wulfram Gerstner
- School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Huang Z, Mashour GA, Hudetz AG. Propofol Disrupts the Functional Core-Matrix Architecture of the Thalamus in Humans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.23.576934. [PMID: 38328136 PMCID: PMC10849566 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Research into the role of thalamocortical circuits in anesthesia-induced unconsciousness is difficult due to anatomical and functional complexity. Prior neuroimaging studies have examined either the thalamus as a whole or focused on specific subregions, overlooking the distinct neuronal subtypes like core and matrix cells. We conducted a study of heathy volunteers and functional magnetic resonance imaging during conscious baseline, deep sedation, and recovery. We advanced the functional gradient mapping technique to delineate the functional geometry of thalamocortical circuits, within a framework of the unimodal-transmodal functional axis of the cortex. We observed a significant shift in this geometry during unconsciousness, marked by the dominance of unimodal over transmodal geometry. This alteration was closely linked to the spatial variations in the density of matrix cells within the thalamus. This research bridges cellular and systems-level understanding, highlighting the crucial role of thalamic core-matrix functional architecture in understanding the neural mechanisms of states of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zirui Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - George A Mashour
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Anthony G Hudetz
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Suzuki M, Pennartz CMA, Aru J. How deep is the brain? The shallow brain hypothesis. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:778-791. [PMID: 37891398 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00756-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Deep learning and predictive coding architectures commonly assume that inference in neural networks is hierarchical. However, largely neglected in deep learning and predictive coding architectures is the neurobiological evidence that all hierarchical cortical areas, higher or lower, project to and receive signals directly from subcortical areas. Given these neuroanatomical facts, today's dominance of cortico-centric, hierarchical architectures in deep learning and predictive coding networks is highly questionable; such architectures are likely to be missing essential computational principles the brain uses. In this Perspective, we present the shallow brain hypothesis: hierarchical cortical processing is integrated with a massively parallel process to which subcortical areas substantially contribute. This shallow architecture exploits the computational capacity of cortical microcircuits and thalamo-cortical loops that are not included in typical hierarchical deep learning and predictive coding networks. We argue that the shallow brain architecture provides several critical benefits over deep hierarchical structures and a more complete depiction of how mammalian brains achieve fast and flexible computational capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mototaka Suzuki
- Department of Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Cyriel M A Pennartz
- Department of Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaan Aru
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
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Nowacki A, Zhang D, Barlatey S, Ai-Schläppi J, Rosner J, Arnold M, Pollo C. Deep Brain Stimulation of the Central Lateral and Ventral Posterior Thalamus for Central Poststroke Pain Syndrome: Preliminary Experience. Neuromodulation 2023; 26:1747-1756. [PMID: 36266180 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2022.09.005] [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: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The beneficial effects of thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) at various target sites in treating chronic central neuropathic pain (CPSP) remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of DBS at a previously untested target site in the central lateral (CL) thalamus, together with classical sensory thalamic stimulation (ventral posterior [VP] complex). MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a monocentric retrospective study of a consecutive series of six patients with CPSP who underwent combined DBS lead implantation of the CL and VP. Patient-reported outcome measures were recorded before and after surgery using the numeric rating scale (NRS), short-form McGill pain questionnaire (sf-MPQ), EuroQol 5-D quality-of-life questionnaire, and Beck Depression Inventory. DBS leads were reconstructed and projected onto a three-dimensional stereotactic atlas. RESULTS NRS-but not sf-MPQ-rated pain intensity-was significantly reduced throughout the follow-up period of 12 months compared with baseline (p = 0.005, and p = 0.06 respectively, Friedman test). At the last available follow-up (12 to 30 months), three patients described a more than 50% reduction. Two of the three long-term responders were stimulated in the CL (1000 Hz, 90 μs, 3.5-5.0 mA), whereas the third preferred VP complex stimulation (50 Hz, 200 μs, 0.7-1.2 mA). No persistent procedure- or stimulation-associated side effects were noted. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings suggest that DBS of the CL might constitute a promising alternative target in cases in which classical VP complex stimulation does not yield satisfactory postoperative pain reduction. The results need to be confirmed in larger, prospective series of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nowacki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - David Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sabry Barlatey
- Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Janine Ai-Schläppi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jan Rosner
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Arnold
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Claudio Pollo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Munn BR, Müller EJ, Aru J, Whyte CJ, Gidon A, Larkum ME, Shine JM. A thalamocortical substrate for integrated information via critical synchronous bursting. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2308670120. [PMID: 37939085 PMCID: PMC10655573 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308670120] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying consciousness remains a significant challenge. Recent evidence suggests that the coupling between distal-apical and basal-somatic dendrites in thick-tufted layer 5 pyramidal neurons (L5PN), regulated by the nonspecific-projecting thalamus, is crucial for consciousness. Yet, it is uncertain whether this thalamocortical mechanism can support emergent signatures of consciousness, such as integrated information. To address this question, we constructed a biophysical network of dual-compartment thick-tufted L5PN, with dendrosomatic coupling controlled by thalamic inputs. Our findings demonstrate that integrated information is maximized when nonspecific thalamic inputs drive the system into a regime of time-varying synchronous bursting. Here, the system exhibits variable spiking dynamics with broad pairwise correlations, supporting the enhanced integrated information. Further, the observed peak in integrated information aligns with criticality signatures and empirically observed layer 5 pyramidal bursting rates. These results suggest that the thalamocortical core of the mammalian brain may be evolutionarily configured to optimize effective information processing, providing a potential neuronal mechanism that integrates microscale theories with macroscale signatures of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon R. Munn
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney2050, Australia
- Complex Systems, School of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney2050, Australia
| | - Eli J. Müller
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney2050, Australia
- Complex Systems, School of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney2050, Australia
| | - Jaan Aru
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu51009, Estonia
| | - Christopher J. Whyte
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney2050, Australia
- Complex Systems, School of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney2050, Australia
| | - Albert Gidon
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin10099, Germany
- NeuroCure Center of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin10099, Germany
| | - Matthew E. Larkum
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin10099, Germany
- NeuroCure Center of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin10099, Germany
| | - James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney2050, Australia
- Complex Systems, School of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney2050, Australia
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9
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Boeken OJ, Cieslik EC, Langner R, Markett S. Characterizing functional modules in the human thalamus: coactivation-based parcellation and systems-level functional decoding. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1811-1834. [PMID: 36547707 PMCID: PMC10516793 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02603-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The human thalamus relays sensory signals to the cortex and facilitates brain-wide communication. The thalamus is also more directly involved in sensorimotor and various cognitive functions but a full characterization of its functional repertoire, particularly in regard to its internal anatomical structure, is still outstanding. As a putative hub in the human connectome, the thalamus might reveal its functional profile only in conjunction with interconnected brain areas. We therefore developed a novel systems-level Bayesian reverse inference decoding that complements the traditional neuroinformatics approach towards a network account of thalamic function. The systems-level decoding considers the functional repertoire (i.e., the terms associated with a brain region) of all regions showing co-activations with a predefined seed region in a brain-wide fashion. Here, we used task-constrained meta-analytic connectivity-based parcellation (MACM-CBP) to identify thalamic subregions as seed regions and applied the systems-level decoding to these subregions in conjunction with functionally connected cortical regions. Our results confirm thalamic structure-function relationships known from animal and clinical studies and revealed further associations with language, memory, and locomotion that have not been detailed in the cognitive neuroscience literature before. The systems-level decoding further uncovered large systems engaged in autobiographical memory and nociception. We propose this novel decoding approach as a useful tool to detect previously unknown structure-function relationships at the brain network level, and to build viable starting points for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole J Boeken
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Psychology, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Edna C Cieslik
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Robert Langner
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Markett
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Psychology, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489, Berlin, Germany
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Kim CN, Shin D, Wang A, Nowakowski TJ. Spatiotemporal molecular dynamics of the developing human thalamus. Science 2023; 382:eadf9941. [PMID: 37824646 PMCID: PMC10758299 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf9941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus plays a central coordinating role in the brain. Thalamic neurons are organized into spatially distinct nuclei, but the molecular architecture of thalamic development is poorly understood, especially in humans. To begin to delineate the molecular trajectories of cell fate specification and organization in the developing human thalamus, we used single-cell and multiplexed spatial transcriptomics. We show that molecularly defined thalamic neurons differentiate in the second trimester of human development and that these neurons organize into spatially and molecularly distinct nuclei. We identified major subtypes of glutamatergic neuron subtypes that are differentially enriched in anatomically distinct nuclei and six subtypes of γ-aminobutyric acid-mediated (GABAergic) neurons that are shared and distinct across thalamic nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang N Kim
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - David Shin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Albert Wang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Tomasz J Nowakowski
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Howell AM, Warrington S, Fonteneau C, Cho YT, Sotiropoulos SN, Murray JD, Anticevic A. The spatial extent of anatomical connections within the thalamus varies across the cortical hierarchy in humans and macaques. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.22.550168. [PMID: 37546767 PMCID: PMC10401924 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.22.550168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Each cortical area has a distinct pattern of anatomical connections within the thalamus, a central subcortical structure composed of functionally and structurally distinct nuclei. Previous studies have suggested that certain cortical areas may have more extensive anatomical connections that target multiple thalamic nuclei, which potentially allows them to modulate distributed information flow. However, there is a lack of quantitative investigations into anatomical connectivity patterns within the thalamus. Consequently, it remains unknown if cortical areas exhibit systematic differences in the extent of their anatomical connections within the thalamus. To address this knowledge gap, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) to perform brain-wide probabilistic tractography for 828 healthy adults from the Human Connectome Project. We then developed a framework to quantify the spatial extent of each cortical area's anatomical connections within the thalamus. Additionally, we leveraged resting-state functional MRI, cortical myelin, and human neural gene expression data to test if the extent of anatomical connections within the thalamus varied along the cortical hierarchy. Our results revealed two distinct corticothalamic tractography motifs: 1) a sensorimotor cortical motif characterized by focal thalamic connections targeting posterolateral thalamus, associated with fast, feed-forward information flow; and 2) an associative cortical motif characterized by diffuse thalamic connections targeting anteromedial thalamus, associated with slow, feed-back information flow. These findings were consistent across human subjects and were also observed in macaques, indicating cross-species generalizability. Overall, our study demonstrates that sensorimotor and association cortical areas exhibit differences in the spatial extent of their anatomical connections within the thalamus, which may support functionally-distinct cortico-thalamic information flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M Howell
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Shaun Warrington
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Clara Fonteneau
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Youngsun T Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Stamatios N Sotiropoulos
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - John D Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, & Neurogenetics (N3), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
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12
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Oldham S, Ball G. A phylogenetically-conserved axis of thalamocortical connectivity in the human brain. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6032. [PMID: 37758726 PMCID: PMC10533558 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41722-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamus enables key sensory, motor, emotive, and cognitive processes via connections to the cortex. These projection patterns are traditionally considered to originate from discrete thalamic nuclei, however recent work showing gradients of molecular and connectivity features in the thalamus suggests the organisation of thalamocortical connections occurs along a continuous dimension. By performing a joint decomposition of densely sampled gene expression and non-invasive diffusion tractography in the adult human thalamus, we define a principal axis of genetic and connectomic variation along a medial-lateral thalamic gradient. Projections along this axis correspond to an anterior-posterior cortical pattern and are aligned with electrophysiological properties of the cortex. The medial-lateral axis demonstrates phylogenetic conservation, reflects transitions in neuronal subtypes, and shows associations with neurodevelopment and common brain disorders. This study provides evidence for a supra-nuclear axis of thalamocortical organisation characterised by a graded transition in molecular properties and anatomical connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Oldham
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Gareth Ball
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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13
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Fan YS, Xu Y, Bayrak Ş, Shine JM, Wan B, Li H, Li L, Yang S, Meng Y, Valk SL, Chen H. Macroscale Thalamic Functional Organization Disturbances and Underlying Core Cytoarchitecture in Early-Onset Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1375-1386. [PMID: 37078906 PMCID: PMC10483446 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Schizophrenia is a polygenetic mental disorder with heterogeneous positive and negative symptom constellations, and is associated with abnormal cortical connectivity. The thalamus has a coordinative role in cortical function and is key to the development of the cerebral cortex. Conversely, altered functional organization of the thalamus might relate to overarching cortical disruptions in schizophrenia, anchored in development. STUDY DESIGN Here, we contrasted resting-state fMRI in 86 antipsychotic-naive first-episode early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) patients and 91 typically developing controls to study whether macroscale thalamic organization is altered in EOS. Employing dimensional reduction techniques on thalamocortical functional connectome (FC), we derived lateral-medial and anterior-posterior thalamic functional axes. STUDY RESULTS We observed increased segregation of macroscale thalamic functional organization in EOS patients, which was related to altered thalamocortical interactions both in unimodal and transmodal networks. Using an ex vivo approximation of core-matrix cell distribution, we found that core cells particularly underlie the macroscale abnormalities in EOS patients. Moreover, the disruptions were associated with schizophrenia-related gene expression maps. Behavioral and disorder decoding analyses indicated that the macroscale hierarchy disturbances might perturb both perceptual and abstract cognitive functions and contribute to negative syndromes in patients. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide mechanistic evidence for disrupted thalamocortical system in schizophrenia, suggesting a unitary pathophysiological framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Shuang Fan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yong Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Şeyma Bayrak
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bin Wan
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity (IMPRS NeuroCom), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Haoru Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Liang Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Siqi Yang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yao Meng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behavior), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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14
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Szul MJ, Papadopoulos S, Alavizadeh S, Daligaut S, Schwartz D, Mattout J, Bonaiuto JJ. Diverse beta burst waveform motifs characterize movement-related cortical dynamics. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 228:102490. [PMID: 37391061 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Classical analyses of induced, frequency-specific neural activity typically average band-limited power over trials. More recently, it has become widely appreciated that in individual trials, beta band activity occurs as transient bursts rather than amplitude-modulated oscillations. Most studies of beta bursts treat them as unitary, and having a stereotyped waveform. However, we show there is a wide diversity of burst shapes. Using a biophysical model of burst generation, we demonstrate that waveform variability is predicted by variability in the synaptic drives that generate beta bursts. We then use a novel, adaptive burst detection algorithm to identify bursts from human MEG sensor data recorded during a joystick-based reaching task, and apply principal component analysis to burst waveforms to define a set of dimensions, or motifs, that best explain waveform variance. Finally, we show that bursts with a particular range of waveform motifs, ones not fully accounted for by the biophysical model, differentially contribute to movement-related beta dynamics. Sensorimotor beta bursts are therefore not homogeneous events and likely reflect distinct computational processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej J Szul
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, France.
| | - Sotirios Papadopoulos
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, France; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL, INSERM, U1028, CNRS, UMR 5292, Lyon, France
| | - Sanaz Alavizadeh
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, France
| | | | - Denis Schwartz
- CERMEP - Imagerie du Vivant, MEG Departement, Lyon, France
| | - Jérémie Mattout
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, France; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL, INSERM, U1028, CNRS, UMR 5292, Lyon, France
| | - James J Bonaiuto
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, France
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15
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Müller EJ, Munn BR, Redinbaugh MJ, Lizier J, Breakspear M, Saalmann YB, Shine JM. The non-specific matrix thalamus facilitates the cortical information processing modes relevant for conscious awareness. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112844. [PMID: 37498741 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms of arousal and anesthesia remain poorly understood. Recent evidence highlights the key role of interactions between the cerebral cortex and the diffusely projecting matrix thalamic nuclei. Here, we interrogate these processes in a whole-brain corticothalamic neural mass model endowed with targeted and diffusely projecting thalamocortical nuclei inferred from empirical data. This model captures key features seen in propofol anesthesia, including diminished network integration, lowered state diversity, impaired susceptibility to perturbation, and decreased corticocortical coherence. Collectively, these signatures reflect a suppression of information transfer across the cerebral cortex. We recover these signatures of conscious arousal by selectively stimulating the matrix thalamus, recapitulating empirical results in macaque, as well as wake-like information processing states that reflect the thalamic modulation of large-scale cortical attractor dynamics. Our results highlight the role of matrix thalamocortical projections in shaping many features of complex cortical dynamics to facilitate the unique communication states supporting conscious awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli J Müller
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Brandon R Munn
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Joseph Lizier
- Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Yuri B Saalmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin National Primate Research Centre, Madison, WI, USA
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Complex Systems, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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16
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Kim CN, Shin D, Wang A, Nowakowski TJ. Spatiotemporal molecular dynamics of the developing human thalamus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.21.554174. [PMID: 37662287 PMCID: PMC10473600 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.21.554174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus plays a central coordinating role in the brain. Thalamic neurons are organized into spatially-distinct nuclei, but the molecular architecture of thalamic development is poorly understood, especially in humans. To begin to delineate the molecular trajectories of cell fate specification and organization in the developing human thalamus, we used single cell and multiplexed spatial transcriptomics. Here we show that molecularly-defined thalamic neurons differentiate in the second trimester of human development, and that these neurons organize into spatially and molecularly distinct nuclei. We identify major subtypes of glutamatergic neuron subtypes that are differentially enriched in anatomically distinct nuclei. In addition, we identify six subtypes of GABAergic neurons that are shared and distinct across thalamic nuclei. One-Sentence Summary Single cell and spatial profiling of the developing thalamus in the first and second trimester yields molecular mechanisms of thalamic nuclei development.
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17
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Kumar VJ, Scheffler K, Grodd W. The structural connectivity mapping of the intralaminar thalamic nuclei. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11938. [PMID: 37488187 PMCID: PMC10366221 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38967-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus play a pivotal role in awareness, conscious experience, arousal, sleep, vigilance, as well as in cognitive, sensory, and sexual processing. Nonetheless, in humans, little is known about the direct involvement of these nuclei in such multifaceted functions and their structural connections in the brain. Thus, examining the versatility of structural connectivity of the intralaminar nuclei with the rest of the brain seems reasonable. Herein, we attempt to show the direct structural connectivity of the intralaminar nuclei to diencephalic, mesencephalic, and cortical areas using probabilistic tracking of the diffusion data from the human connectome project. The intralaminar nuclei fiber distributions span a wide range of subcortical and cortical areas. Moreover, the central medial and parafascicular nucleus reveal similar connectivity to the temporal, visual, and frontal cortices with only slight variability. The central lateral nucleus displays a refined projection to the superior colliculus and fornix. The centromedian nucleus seems to be an essential component of the subcortical somatosensory system, as it mainly displays connectivity via the medial and superior cerebellar peduncle to the brainstem and the cerebellar lobules. The subparafascicular nucleus projects to the somatosensory processing areas. It is interesting to note that all intralaminar nuclei have connections to the brainstem. In brief, the structural connectivity of the intralaminar nuclei aligns with the structural core of various functional demands for arousal, emotion, cognition, sensory, vision, and motor processing. This study sheds light on our understanding of the structural connectivity of the intralaminar nuclei with cortical and subcortical structures, which is of great interest to a broader audience in clinical and neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University Clinic Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Grodd
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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18
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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: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [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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19
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Yazdanbakhsh A, Barbas H, Zikopoulos B. Sleep spindles in primates: Modeling the effects of distinct laminar thalamocortical connectivity in core, matrix, and reticular thalamic circuits. Netw Neurosci 2023; 7:743-768. [PMID: 37397882 PMCID: PMC10312265 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep spindles are associated with the beginning of deep sleep and memory consolidation and are disrupted in schizophrenia and autism. In primates, distinct core and matrix thalamocortical (TC) circuits regulate sleep spindle activity through communications that are filtered by the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN); however, little is known about typical TC network interactions and the mechanisms that are disrupted in brain disorders. We developed a primate-specific, circuit-based TC computational model with distinct core and matrix loops that can simulate sleep spindles. We implemented novel multilevel cortical and thalamic mixing, and included local thalamic inhibitory interneurons, and direct layer 5 projections of variable density to TRN and thalamus to investigate the functional consequences of different ratios of core and matrix node connectivity contribution to spindle dynamics. Our simulations showed that spindle power in primates can be modulated based on the level of cortical feedback, thalamic inhibition, and engagement of model core versus matrix, with the latter having a greater role in spindle dynamics. The study of the distinct spatial and temporal dynamics of core-, matrix-, and mix-generated sleep spindles establishes a framework to study disruption of TC circuit balance underlying deficits in sleep and attentional gating seen in autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Yazdanbakhsh
- Computational Neuroscience and Vision Lab, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Helen Barbas
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston, MA, USA
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Program in Human Physiology, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Sargent College), Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Basilis Zikopoulos
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Human Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Program in Human Physiology, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Sargent College), Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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20
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Shine JM. Neuromodulatory control of complex adaptive dynamics in the brain. Interface Focus 2023; 13:20220079. [PMID: 37065268 PMCID: PMC10102735 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
How is the massive dimensionality and complexity of the microscopic constituents of the nervous system brought under sufficiently tight control so as to coordinate adaptive behaviour? A powerful means for striking this balance is to poise neurons close to the critical point of a phase transition, at which a small change in neuronal excitability can manifest a nonlinear augmentation in neuronal activity. How the brain could mediate this critical transition is a key open question in neuroscience. Here, I propose that the different arms of the ascending arousal system provide the brain with a diverse set of heterogeneous control parameters that can be used to modulate the excitability and receptivity of target neurons-in other words, to act as control parameters for mediating critical neuronal order. Through a series of worked examples, I demonstrate how the neuromodulatory arousal system can interact with the inherent topological complexity of neuronal subsystems in the brain to mediate complex adaptive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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21
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Wang T, Wang Y, Montero-Pedrazuela A, Prensa L, Guadaño-Ferraz A, Rausell E. Thyroid Hormone Transporters MCT8 and OATP1C1 Are Expressed in Projection Neurons and Interneurons of Basal Ganglia and Motor Thalamus in the Adult Human and Macaque Brains. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119643. [PMID: 37298594 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) and organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1C1 (OATP1C1) are thyroid hormone (TH) transmembrane transporters relevant for the availability of TH in neural cells, crucial for their proper development and function. Mutations in MCT8 or OATP1C1 result in severe disorders with dramatic movement disability related to alterations in basal ganglia motor circuits. Mapping the expression of MCT8/OATP1C1 in those circuits is necessary to explain their involvement in motor control. We studied the distribution of both transporters in the neuronal subpopulations that configure the direct and indirect basal ganglia motor circuits using immunohistochemistry and double/multiple labeling immunofluorescence for TH transporters and neuronal biomarkers. We found their expression in the medium-sized spiny neurons of the striatum (the receptor neurons of the corticostriatal pathway) and in various types of its local microcircuitry interneurons, including the cholinergic. We also demonstrate the presence of both transporters in projection neurons of intrinsic and output nuclei of the basal ganglia, motor thalamus and nucleus basalis of Meynert, suggesting an important role of MCT8/OATP1C1 for modulating the motor system. Our findings suggest that a lack of function of these transporters in the basal ganglia circuits would significantly impact motor system modulation, leading to clinically severe movement impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- School of Medicine, Department Anatomy Histology & Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University (UAM)-Cajal Institute, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Yu Wang
- School of Medicine, Department Anatomy Histology & Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University (UAM)-Cajal Institute, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Montero-Pedrazuela
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Autónoma de Madrid University (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Prensa
- School of Medicine, Department Anatomy Histology & Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Guadaño-Ferraz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Autónoma de Madrid University (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Estrella Rausell
- School of Medicine, Department Anatomy Histology & Neuroscience, Autónoma de Madrid University (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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22
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Ma G, Worthy KH, Liu C, Rosa MG, Atapour N. Parvalbumin as a neurochemical marker of the primate optic radiation. iScience 2023; 26:106608. [PMID: 37168578 PMCID: PMC10165026 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Parvalbumin (PV) is a calcium-binding protein that labels neuronal cell bodies in the magno and parvocellular layers of the primate lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). Here we demonstrate that PV immunohistochemistry can also be used to trace the optic radiation (OR) of the marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) from its LGN origin to its destinations in the primary visual cortex (V1), thus providing a high-resolution method for identification of the OR with single axon resolution. The emergence of fibers from LGN, their entire course and even the entry points to V1 were clearly defined in coronal, parasagittal, and horizontal sections of marmoset brain. In all cases, the trajectory revealed by PV staining paralleled that defined by high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We found that V1 was the exclusive target for the PV-containing fibers, with abrupt transitions in staining observed in the white matter at the border with area V2, and no evidence of PV-labeled axons feeding into other visual areas. Changes in the pattern of PV staining in the OR were detected following V1 lesions, demonstrating that this method can be used to assess the progress of retrograde degeneration of geniculocortical projections. These results suggest a technically simple approach to advance our understanding of a major white matter structure, which provides a cellular resolution suitable for the detection of microstructural variations during development, health and disease. Understanding the relationship between PV staining and DTI in non-human primates may also offer clues for improving the specificity and sensitivity of OR tractography for clinical purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaoyuan Ma
- Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Katrina H. Worthy
- Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Cirong Liu
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Marcello G.P. Rosa
- Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Nafiseh Atapour
- Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
- Corresponding author
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23
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Taymourtash A, Schwartz E, Nenning KH, Sobotka D, Licandro R, Glatter S, Diogo MC, Golland P, Grant E, Prayer D, Kasprian G, Langs G. Fetal development of functional thalamocortical and cortico-cortical connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5613-5624. [PMID: 36520481 PMCID: PMC10152101 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring and understanding functional fetal brain development in utero is critical for the study of the developmental foundations of our cognitive abilities, possible early detection of disorders, and their prevention. Thalamocortical connections are an intricate component of shaping the cortical layout, but so far, only ex-vivo studies provide evidence of how axons enter the sub-plate and cortex during this highly dynamic phase. Evidence for normal in-utero development of the functional thalamocortical connectome in humans is missing. Here, we modeled fetal functional thalamocortical connectome development using in-utero functional magnetic resonance imaging in fetuses observed from 19th to 40th weeks of gestation (GW). We observed a peak increase of thalamocortical functional connectivity strength between 29th and 31st GW, right before axons establish synapses in the cortex. The cortico-cortical connectivity increases in a similar time window, and exhibits significant functional laterality in temporal-superior, -medial, and -inferior areas. Homologous regions exhibit overall similar mirrored connectivity profiles, but this similarity decreases during gestation giving way to a more diverse cortical interconnectedness. Our results complement the understanding of structural development of the human connectome and may serve as the basis for the investigation of disease and deviations from a normal developmental trajectory of connectivity development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athena Taymourtash
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Schwartz
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl-Heinz Nenning
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, 140, Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, United States
| | - Daniel Sobotka
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Roxane Licandro
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory for Computational Neuroimaging, A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Bldg. 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, United States
| | - Sarah Glatter
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mariana Cardoso Diogo
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Radiology Department, Hospital CUF Tejo, Av. 24 de Julho 171A, 1350-352 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Polina Golland
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Ellen Grant
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300, Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Daniela Prayer
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Langs
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
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Tolley N, Rodrigues PLC, Gramfort A, Jones S. Methods and considerations for estimating parameters in biophysically detailed neural models with simulation based inference. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.17.537118. [PMID: 37131818 PMCID: PMC10153146 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.17.537118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Biophysically detailed neural models are a powerful technique to study neural dynamics in health and disease with a growing number of established and openly available models. A major challenge in the use of such models is that parameter inference is an inherently difficult and unsolved problem. Identifying unique parameter distributions that can account for observed neural dynamics, and differences across experimental conditions, is essential to their meaningful use. Recently, simulation based inference (SBI) has been proposed as an approach to perform Bayesian inference to estimate parameters in detailed neural models. SBI overcomes the challenge of not having access to a likelihood function, which has severely limited inference methods in such models, by leveraging advances in deep learning to perform density estimation. While the substantial methodological advancements offered by SBI are promising, their use in large scale biophysically detailed models is challenging and methods for doing so have not been established, particularly when inferring parameters that can account for time series waveforms. We provide guidelines and considerations on how SBI can be applied to estimate time series waveforms in biophysically detailed neural models starting with a simplified example and extending to specific applications to common MEG/EEG waveforms using the the large scale neural modeling framework of the Human Neocortical Neurosolver. Specifically, we describe how to estimate and compare results from example oscillatory and event related potential simulations. We also describe how diagnostics can be used to assess the quality and uniqueness of the posterior estimates. The methods described provide a principled foundation to guide future applications of SBI in a wide variety of applications that use detailed models to study neural dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Tolley
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | | | | | - Stephanie Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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Heck DH, Fox MB, Correia Chapman B, McAfee SS, Liu Y. Cerebellar control of thalamocortical circuits for cognitive function: A review of pathways and a proposed mechanism. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1126508. [PMID: 37064161 PMCID: PMC10097962 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1126508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
There is general agreement that cerebrocerebellar interactions via cerebellothalamocortical pathways are essential for a cerebellar cognitive and motor functions. Cerebellothalamic projections were long believed target mainly the ventral lateral (VL) and part of the ventral anterior (VA) nuclei, which project to cortical motor and premotor areas. Here we review new insights from detailed tracing studies, which show that projections from the cerebellum to the thalamus are widespread and reach almost every thalamic subnucleus, including nuclei involved in cognitive functions. These new insights into cerebellothalamic pathways beyond the motor thalamus are consistent with the increasing evidence of cerebellar cognitive function. However, the function of cerebellothalamic pathways and how they are involved in the various motor and cognitive functions of the cerebellum is still unknown. We briefly review literature on the role of the thalamus in coordinating the coherence of neuronal oscillations in the neocortex. The coherence of oscillations, which measures the stability of the phase relationship between two oscillations of the same frequency, is considered an indicator of increased functional connectivity between two structures showing coherent oscillations. Through thalamocortical interactions coherence patterns dynamically create and dissolve functional cerebral cortical networks in a task dependent manner. Finally, we review evidence for an involvement of the cerebellum in coordinating coherence of oscillations between cerebral cortical structures. We conclude that cerebellothalamic pathways provide the necessary anatomical substrate for a proposed role of the cerebellum in coordinating neuronal communication between cerebral cortical areas by coordinating the coherence of oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Detlef H. Heck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, United States
| | - Mia B. Fox
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Brittany Correia Chapman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Samuel S. McAfee
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, United States
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26
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Weiner VS, Zhou DW, Kahali P, Stephen EP, Peterfreund RA, Aglio LS, Szabo MD, Eskandar EN, Salazar-Gomez AF, Sampson AL, Cash SS, Brown EN, Purdon PL. Propofol disrupts alpha dynamics in functionally distinct thalamocortical networks during loss of consciousness. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2207831120. [PMID: 36897972 PMCID: PMC10089159 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2207831120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During propofol-induced general anesthesia, alpha rhythms measured using electroencephalography undergo a striking shift from posterior to anterior, termed anteriorization, where the ubiquitous waking alpha is lost and a frontal alpha emerges. The functional significance of alpha anteriorization and the precise brain regions contributing to the phenomenon are a mystery. While posterior alpha is thought to be generated by thalamocortical circuits connecting nuclei of the sensory thalamus with their cortical partners, the thalamic origins of the propofol-induced alpha remain poorly understood. Here, we used human intracranial recordings to identify regions in sensory cortices where propofol attenuates a coherent alpha network, distinct from those in the frontal cortex where it amplifies coherent alpha and beta activities. We then performed diffusion tractography between these identified regions and individual thalamic nuclei to show that the opposing dynamics of anteriorization occur within two distinct thalamocortical networks. We found that propofol disrupted a posterior alpha network structurally connected with nuclei in the sensory and sensory associational regions of the thalamus. At the same time, propofol induced a coherent alpha oscillation within prefrontal cortical areas that were connected with thalamic nuclei involved in cognition, such as the mediodorsal nucleus. The cortical and thalamic anatomy involved, as well as their known functional roles, suggests multiple means by which propofol dismantles sensory and cognitive processes to achieve loss of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica S. Weiner
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - David W. Zhou
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
- Center for Neurotechnology and Recovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
| | - Pegah Kahali
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
| | - Emily P. Stephen
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Robert A. Peterfreund
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Linda S. Aglio
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Michele D. Szabo
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
| | - Emad N. Eskandar
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
| | - Andrés F. Salazar-Gomez
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
| | - Aaron L. Sampson
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
| | - Sydney S. Cash
- Center for Neurotechnology and Recovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Emery N. Brown
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Institute of Medical Engineering and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Patrick L. Purdon
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA02114
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
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Gao C, Gohel CA, Leng Y, Ma J, Goldman D, Levine AJ, Penzo MA. Molecular and spatial profiling of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. eLife 2023; 12:81818. [PMID: 36867023 PMCID: PMC10014079 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is known to regulate various cognitive and behavioral processes. However, while functional diversity among PVT circuits has often been linked to cellular differences, the molecular identity and spatial distribution of PVT cell types remain unclear. To address this gap, here we used single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and identified five molecularly distinct PVT neuronal subtypes in the mouse brain. Additionally, multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization of top marker genes revealed that PVT subtypes are organized by a combination of previously unidentified molecular gradients. Lastly, comparing our dataset with a recently published single-cell sequencing atlas of the thalamus yielded novel insight into the PVT's connectivity with the cortex, including unexpected innervation of auditory and visual areas. This comparison also revealed that our data contains a largely non-overlapping transcriptomic map of multiple midline thalamic nuclei. Collectively, our findings uncover previously unknown features of the molecular diversity and anatomical organization of the PVT and provide a valuable resource for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Gao
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Chiraag A Gohel
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismRockvilleUnited States
| | - Yan Leng
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jun Ma
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - David Goldman
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismRockvilleUnited States
| | - Ariel J Levine
- National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentBethesdaUnited States
| | - Mario A Penzo
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
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28
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Martin PR. The Verriest Lecture: Pathways to color in the eye and brain. JOURNAL OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. A, OPTICS, IMAGE SCIENCE, AND VISION 2023; 40:V1-V10. [PMID: 37133001 DOI: 10.1364/josaa.480106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
In common with the majority of New World monkeys, marmosets show polymorphic color vision by allelic variation of X-chromosome genes encoding opsin pigments in the medium/long wavelength range. Male marmosets are thus obligate dichromats ("red-green color blind"), whereas females carrying distinct alleles on X chromosomes show one of three trichromatic phenotypes. Marmosets thus represent a "natural knock-out" system enabling comparison of red-green color vision in dichromatic and trichromatic visual systems. Further, study of short-wave (blue) cone pathways in marmosets has provided insights into primitive visual pathways for depth perception and attention. These investigations represent a parallel line to clinical research on color vision defects that was pioneered in studies by Guy Verreist, whom we honor in this eponymous lecture.
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Santana NNM, Silva EHA, dos Santos SF, Costa MSMO, Nascimento Junior ES, Engelberth RCJG, Cavalcante JS. Retinorecipient areas in the common marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus): An image-forming and non-image forming circuitry. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1088686. [PMID: 36817647 PMCID: PMC9932520 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1088686] [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: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian retina captures a multitude of diverse features from the external environment and conveys them via the optic nerve to a myriad of retinorecipient nuclei. Understanding how retinal signals act in distinct brain functions is one of the most central and established goals of neuroscience. Using the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a monkey from Northeastern Brazil, as an animal model for parsing how retinal innervation works in the brain, started decades ago due to their marmoset's small bodies, rapid reproduction rate, and brain features. In the course of that research, a large amount of new and sophisticated neuroanatomical techniques was developed and employed to explain retinal connectivity. As a consequence, image and non-image-forming regions, functions, and pathways, as well as retinal cell types were described. Image-forming circuits give rise directly to vision, while the non-image-forming territories support circadian physiological processes, although part of their functional significance is uncertain. Here, we reviewed the current state of knowledge concerning retinal circuitry in marmosets from neuroanatomical investigations. We have also highlighted the aspects of marmoset retinal circuitry that remain obscure, in addition, to identify what further research is needed to better understand the connections and functions of retinorecipient structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelyane Nayara M. Santana
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Eryck H. A. Silva
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Sâmarah F. dos Santos
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Miriam S. M. O. Costa
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Expedito S. Nascimento Junior
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Rovena Clara J. G. Engelberth
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Jeferson S. Cavalcante
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil,*Correspondence: Jeferson S. Cavalcante,
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30
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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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31
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Hwang K, Shine JM, Cole MW, Sorenson E. Thalamocortical contributions to cognitive task activity. eLife 2022; 11:e81282. [PMID: 36537658 PMCID: PMC9799971 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalamocortical interaction is a ubiquitous functional motif in the mammalian brain. Previously (Hwang et al., 2021), we reported that lesions to network hubs in the human thalamus are associated with multi-domain behavioral impairments in language, memory, and executive functions. Here, we show how task-evoked thalamic activity is organized to support these broad cognitive abilities. We analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from human subjects that performed 127 tasks encompassing a broad range of cognitive representations. We first investigated the spatial organization of task-evoked activity and found a basis set of activity patterns evoked to support processing needs of each task. Specifically, the anterior, medial, and posterior-medial thalamus exhibit hub-like activity profiles that are suggestive of broad functional participation. These thalamic task hubs overlapped with network hubs interlinking cortical systems. To further determine the cognitive relevance of thalamic activity and thalamocortical functional connectivity, we built a data-driven thalamocortical model to test whether thalamic activity can be used to predict cortical task activity. The thalamocortical model predicted task-specific cortical activity patterns, and outperformed comparison models built on cortical, hippocampal, and striatal regions. Simulated lesions to low-dimensional, multi-task thalamic hub regions impaired task activity prediction. This simulation result was further supported by profiles of neuropsychological impairments in human patients with focal thalamic lesions. In summary, our results suggest a general organizational principle of how the human thalamocortical system supports cognitive task activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hwang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, University of SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Michael W Cole
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-NewarkNewarkUnited States
| | - Evan Sorenson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Cognitive Control Collaborative, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
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32
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Mushtaq M, Marshall L, Bazhenov M, Mölle M, Martinetz T. Differential thalamocortical interactions in slow and fast spindle generation: A computational model. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277772. [PMID: 36508417 PMCID: PMC9744318 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical slow oscillations (SOs) and thalamocortical sleep spindles are two prominent EEG rhythms of slow wave sleep. These EEG rhythms play an essential role in memory consolidation. In humans, sleep spindles are categorized into slow spindles (8-12 Hz) and fast spindles (12-16 Hz), with different properties. Slow spindles that couple with the up-to-down phase of the SO require more experimental and computational investigation to disclose their origin, functional relevance and most importantly their relation with SOs regarding memory consolidation. To examine slow spindles, we propose a biophysical thalamocortical model with two independent thalamic networks (one for slow and the other for fast spindles). Our modeling results show that fast spindles lead to faster cortical cell firing, and subsequently increase the amplitude of the cortical local field potential (LFP) during the SO down-to-up phase. Slow spindles also facilitate cortical cell firing, but the response is slower, thereby increasing the cortical LFP amplitude later, at the SO up-to-down phase of the SO cycle. Neither the SO rhythm nor the duration of the SO down state is affected by slow spindle activity. Furthermore, at a more hyperpolarized membrane potential level of fast thalamic subnetwork cells, the activity of fast spindles decreases, while the slow spindles activity increases. Together, our model results suggest that slow spindles may facilitate the initiation of the following SO cycle, without however affecting expression of the SO Up and Down states.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa Marshall
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Center for Brain, Behavior and Metabolism, Lübeck, Germany
- University Clinic Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Maxim Bazhenov
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Matthias Mölle
- Center for Brain, Behavior and Metabolism, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Thomas Martinetz
- Institute for Neuro- and Bioinformatics, Lübeck, Germany
- Center for Brain, Behavior and Metabolism, Lübeck, Germany
- * E-mail:
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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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Gaddis A, Lidstone DE, Nebel MB, Griffiths RR, Mostofsky SH, Mejia AF, Barrett FS. Psilocybin induces spatially constrained alterations in thalamic functional organizaton and connectivity. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119434. [PMID: 35792293 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119434] [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: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, and other serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) agonists evoke acute alterations in perception and cognition. Altered thalamocortical connectivity has been hypothesized to underlie these effects, which is supported by some functional MRI (fMRI) studies. These studies have treated the thalamus as a unitary structure, despite known differential 5-HT2AR expression and functional specificity of different intrathalamic nuclei. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) has been previously used to identify reliable group-level functional subdivisions of the thalamus from resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) data. We build on these efforts with a novel data-maximizing ICA-based approach to examine psilocybin-induced changes in intrathalamic functional organization and thalamocortical connectivity in individual participants. METHODS Baseline rsfMRI data (n=38) from healthy individuals with a long-term meditation practice was utilized to generate a statistical template of thalamic functional subdivisions. This template was then applied in a novel ICA-based analysis of the acute effects of psilocybin on intra- and extra-thalamic functional organization and connectivity in follow-up scans from a subset of the same individuals (n=18). We examined correlations with subjective reports of drug effect and compared with a previously reported analytic approach (treating the thalamus as a single functional unit). RESULTS Several intrathalamic components showed significant psilocybin-induced alterations in spatial organization, with effects of psilocybin largely localized to the mediodorsal and pulvinar nuclei. The magnitude of changes in individual participants correlated with reported subjective effects. These components demonstrated predominant decreases in thalamocortical connectivity, largely with visual and default mode networks. Analysis in which the thalamus is treated as a singular unitary structure showed an overall numerical increase in thalamocortical connectivity, consistent with previous literature using this approach, but this increase did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS We utilized a novel analytic approach to discover psilocybin-induced changes in intra- and extra-thalamic functional organization and connectivity of intrathalamic nuclei and cortical networks known to express the 5-HT2AR. These changes were not observed using whole-thalamus analyses, suggesting that psilocybin may cause widespread but modest increases in thalamocortical connectivity that are offset by strong focal decreases in functionally relevant intrathalamic nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gaddis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Daniel E Lidstone
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Mary Beth Nebel
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Roland R Griffiths
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Stewart H Mostofsky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Amanda F Mejia
- Department of Statistics, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA
| | - Frederick S Barrett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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John YJ, Sawyer KS, Srinivasan K, Müller EJ, Munn BR, Shine JM. It's about time: Linking dynamical systems with human neuroimaging to understand the brain. Netw Neurosci 2022; 6:960-979. [PMID: 36875012 PMCID: PMC9976648 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Most human neuroscience research to date has focused on statistical approaches that describe stationary patterns of localized neural activity or blood flow. While these patterns are often interpreted in light of dynamic, information-processing concepts, the static, local, and inferential nature of the statistical approach makes it challenging to directly link neuroimaging results to plausible underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we argue that dynamical systems theory provides the crucial mechanistic framework for characterizing both the brain's time-varying quality and its partial stability in the face of perturbations, and hence, that this perspective can have a profound impact on the interpretation of human neuroimaging results and their relationship with behavior. After briefly reviewing some key terminology, we identify three key ways in which neuroimaging analyses can embrace a dynamical systems perspective: by shifting from a local to a more global perspective, by focusing on dynamics instead of static snapshots of neural activity, and by embracing modeling approaches that map neural dynamics using "forward" models. Through this approach, we envisage ample opportunities for neuroimaging researchers to enrich their understanding of the dynamic neural mechanisms that support a wide array of brain functions, both in health and in the setting of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohan J. John
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kayle S. Sawyer
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Sawyer Scientific, LLC, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karthik Srinivasan
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eli J. Müller
- Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Brandon R. Munn
- Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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36
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Myers JC, Smith EH, Leszczynski M, O'Sullivan J, Yates MJ, McKhann G, Mesgarani N, Schroeder C, Schevon C, Sheth SA. The Spatial Reach of Neuronal Coherence and Spike-Field Coupling across the Human Neocortex. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6285-6294. [PMID: 35790403 PMCID: PMC9374135 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0050-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal coherence is thought to be a fundamental mechanism of communication in the brain, where synchronized field potentials coordinate synaptic and spiking events to support plasticity and learning. Although the spread of field potentials has garnered great interest, little is known about the spatial reach of phase synchronization, or neuronal coherence. Functional connectivity between different brain regions is known to occur across long distances, but the locality of synchronization across the neocortex is understudied. Here we used simultaneous recordings from electrocorticography (ECoG) grids and high-density microelectrode arrays to estimate the spatial reach of neuronal coherence and spike-field coherence (SFC) across frontal, temporal, and occipital cortices during cognitive tasks in humans. We observed the strongest coherence within a 2-3 cm distance from the microelectrode arrays, potentially defining an effective range for local communication. This range was relatively consistent across brain regions, spectral frequencies, and cognitive tasks. The magnitude of coherence showed power law decay with increasing distance from the microelectrode arrays, where the highest coherence occurred between ECoG contacts, followed by coherence between ECoG and deep cortical local field potential (LFP), and then SFC (i.e., ECoG > LFP > SFC). The spectral frequency of coherence also affected its magnitude. Alpha coherence (8-14 Hz) was generally higher than other frequencies for signals nearest the microelectrode arrays, whereas delta coherence (1-3 Hz) was higher for signals that were farther away. Action potentials in all brain regions were most coherent with the phase of alpha oscillations, which suggests that alpha waves could play a larger, more spatially local role in spike timing than other frequencies. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the spatial and spectral dynamics of neuronal synchronization, further advancing knowledge about how activity propagates across the human brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Coherence is theorized to facilitate information transfer across cerebral space by providing a convenient electrophysiological mechanism to modulate membrane potentials in spatiotemporally complex patterns. Our work uses a multiscale approach to evaluate the spatial reach of phase coherence and spike-field coherence during cognitive tasks in humans. Locally, coherence can reach up to 3 cm around a given area of neocortex. The spectral properties of coherence revealed that alpha phase-field and spike-field coherence were higher within ranges <2 cm, whereas lower-frequency delta coherence was higher for contacts farther away. Spatiotemporally shared information (i.e., coherence) across neocortex seems to reach farther than field potentials alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Myers
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Elliot H Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | | | - James O'Sullivan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
| | - Mark J Yates
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | - Guy McKhann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | - Nima Mesgarani
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
| | - Charles Schroeder
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | - Catherine Schevon
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
| | - Sameer A Sheth
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
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López-Terrones E, Celada P, Riga MS, Artigas F. Preferential in vivo inhibitory action of serotonin in rat infralimbic versus prelimbic cortex: relevance for antidepressant treatments. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:3000-3013. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The infralimbic (IL) cortex is the rodent equivalent of human ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC), which plays a key role in the pathophysiology and treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission in IL [but not in the adjacent prelimbic (PrL) cortex] evokes antidepressant-like or depressive-like behaviors, associated with changes in serotonin (5-HT) function, highlighting the relevance of glutamate/serotonin interactions in IL for emotional control. 5-HT modulates neuronal activity in PrL and cingulate (Cg) cortex but its effects in IL are largely unknown. We therefore compared the in vivo effects of 5-HT on pyramidal neuron activity in IL (n = 61) and PrL (n = 50) of anesthetized rats. IL pyramidal neurons were more responsive to physiological dorsal raphe stimulation (0.9 Hz) than PrL neurons (84% vs. 64%, respectively) and were inhibited to a greater extent (64% vs. 36%, respectively). Orthodromic activations (8% in PrL) were absent in IL, whereas biphasic responses were similar (20%) in both areas. Excitations were mediated by 5-HT2A-R activation, whereas inhibitions involved 3 different components: 5-HT1A-R, 5-HT3-R and GABAA-R, respectively. The remarkable inhibitory action of 5-HT in IL suggests that 5-HT-enhancing drugs may exert their antidepressant action by normalizing a glutamatergic hyperactivity in the vACC of MDD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena López-Terrones
- Depart. de Neurociències i Terapèutica Experimental , Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona, IIBB-CSIC; 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) , Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pau Celada
- Depart. de Neurociències i Terapèutica Experimental , Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona, IIBB-CSIC; 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) , 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) , Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Maurizio S Riga
- Depart. de Neurociències i Terapèutica Experimental , Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona, IIBB-CSIC; 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) , 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) , Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER-CSIC) , 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Francesc Artigas
- Depart. de Neurociències i Terapèutica Experimental , Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona, IIBB-CSIC; 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) , 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) , Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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38
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Cho FS, Vainchtein ID, Voskobiynyk Y, Morningstar AR, Aparicio F, Higashikubo B, Ciesielska A, Broekaart DWM, Anink JJ, van Vliet EA, Yu X, Khakh BS, Aronica E, Molofsky AV, Paz JT. Enhancing GAT-3 in thalamic astrocytes promotes resilience to brain injury in rodents. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabj4310. [PMID: 35857628 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj4310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Inflammatory processes induced by brain injury are important for recovery; however, when uncontrolled, inflammation can be deleterious, likely explaining why most anti-inflammatory treatments have failed to improve neurological outcomes after brain injury in clinical trials. In the thalamus, chronic activation of glial cells, a proxy of inflammation, has been suggested as an indicator of increased seizure risk and cognitive deficits that develop after cortical injury. Furthermore, lesions in the thalamus, more than other brain regions, have been reported in patients with viral infections associated with neurological deficits, such as SARS-CoV-2. However, the extent to which thalamic inflammation is a driver or by-product of neurological deficits remains unknown. Here, we found that thalamic inflammation in mice was sufficient to phenocopy the cellular and circuit hyperexcitability, enhanced seizure risk, and disruptions in cortical rhythms that develop after cortical injury. In our model, down-regulation of the GABA transporter GAT-3 in thalamic astrocytes mediated this neurological dysfunction. In addition, GAT-3 was decreased in regions of thalamic reactive astrocytes in mouse models of cortical injury. Enhancing GAT-3 in thalamic astrocytes prevented seizure risk, restored cortical states, and was protective against severe chemoconvulsant-induced seizures and mortality in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury, emphasizing the potential of therapeutically targeting this pathway. Together, our results identified a potential therapeutic target for reducing negative outcomes after brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances S Cho
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ilia D Vainchtein
- Department of Psychiatry/Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Yuliya Voskobiynyk
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Francisco Aparicio
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Bryan Higashikubo
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Diede W M Broekaart
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, Netherlands
| | - Jasper J Anink
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, Netherlands
| | - Erwin A van Vliet
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, Netherlands.,Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, Netherlands
| | - Xinzhu Yu
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, Netherlands.,Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), Heemstede 2103 SW, Netherlands
| | - Anna V Molofsky
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Psychiatry/Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jeanne T Paz
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Mylonas D, Sjøgård M, Shi Z, Baxter B, Hämäläinen M, Manoach DS, Khan S. A Novel Approach to Estimating the Cortical Sources of Sleep Spindles Using Simultaneous EEG/MEG. Front Neurol 2022; 13:871166. [PMID: 35785365 PMCID: PMC9243385 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.871166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep spindles, defining oscillations of stage II non-rapid eye movement sleep (N2), mediate sleep-dependent memory consolidation. Spindles are disrupted in several neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders characterized by cognitive impairment. Increasing spindles can improve memory suggesting spindles as a promising physiological target for the development of cognitive enhancing therapies. This effort would benefit from more comprehensive and spatially precise methods to characterize spindles. Spindles, as detected with electroencephalography (EEG), are often widespread across electrodes. Available evidence, however, suggests that they act locally to enhance cortical plasticity in the service of memory consolidation. Here, we present a novel method to enhance the spatial specificity of cortical source estimates of spindles using combined EEG and magnetoencephalography (MEG) data constrained to the cortex based on structural MRI. To illustrate this method, we used simultaneous EEG and MEG recordings from 25 healthy adults during a daytime nap. We first validated source space spindle detection using only EEG data by demonstrating strong temporal correspondence with sensor space EEG spindle detection (gold standard). We then demonstrated that spindle source estimates using EEG alone, MEG alone and combined EEG/MEG are stable across nap sessions. EEG detected more source space spindles than MEG and each modality detected non-overlapping spindles that had distinct cortical source distributions. Source space EEG was more sensitive to spindles in medial frontal and lateral prefrontal cortex, while MEG was more sensitive to spindles in somatosensory and motor cortices. By combining EEG and MEG data this method leverages the differential spatial sensitivities of the two modalities to obtain a more comprehensive and spatially specific source estimation of spindles than possible with either modality alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Mylonas
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Dimitrios Mylonas
| | - Martin Sjøgård
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Zhaoyue Shi
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
- Carle Illinois Advanced Imaging Center, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Bryan Baxter
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Matti Hämäläinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Dara S. Manoach
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Sheraz Khan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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40
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Jeurissen D, Shushruth S, El-Shamayleh Y, Horwitz GD, Shadlen MN. Deficits in decision-making induced by parietal cortex inactivation are compensated at two timescales. Neuron 2022; 110:1924-1931.e5. [PMID: 35421328 PMCID: PMC9233071 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Perceptual decisions arise through the transformation of samples of evidence into a commitment to a proposition or plan of action. Such transformation is thought to involve cortical circuits capable of computation over timescales associated with working memory, attention, and planning. Neurons in the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) play a role in these functions, and much of what is known about the neurobiology of decision-making has been influenced by studies of LIP and its network of connections. However, the causal role of LIP remains controversial. In this study, we used pharmacological and chemogenetic methods to inactivate LIP in one brain hemisphere of four rhesus monkeys. This inactivation produced biases in decisions, but the effects dissipated despite persistent neural inactivation, implying compensation by unaffected areas. Compensation occurred rapidly within an experimental session and more gradually across sessions. These findings resolve disparate studies and inform the interpretation of focal perturbations of brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danique Jeurissen
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - S Shushruth
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Yasmine El-Shamayleh
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Gregory D Horwitz
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Michael N Shadlen
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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41
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Jajcay N, Cakan C, Obermayer K. Cross-Frequency Slow Oscillation–Spindle Coupling in a Biophysically Realistic Thalamocortical Neural Mass Model. Front Comput Neurosci 2022; 16:769860. [PMID: 35603132 PMCID: PMC9120371 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2022.769860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep manifests itself by the spontaneous emergence of characteristic oscillatory rhythms, which often time-lock and are implicated in memory formation. Here, we analyze a neural mass model of the thalamocortical loop in which the cortical node can generate slow oscillations (approximately 1 Hz) while its thalamic component can generate fast sleep spindles of σ-band activity (12–15 Hz). We study the dynamics for different coupling strengths between the thalamic and cortical nodes, for different conductance values of the thalamic node's potassium leak and hyperpolarization-activated cation-nonselective currents, and for different parameter regimes of the cortical node. The latter are listed as follows: (1) a low activity (DOWN) state with noise-induced, transient excursions into a high activity (UP) state, (2) an adaptation induced slow oscillation limit cycle with alternating UP and DOWN states, and (3) a high activity (UP) state with noise-induced, transient excursions into the low activity (DOWN) state. During UP states, thalamic spindling is abolished or reduced. During DOWN states, the thalamic node generates sleep spindles, which in turn can cause DOWN to UP transitions in the cortical node. Consequently, this leads to spindle-induced UP state transitions in parameter regime (1), thalamic spindles induced in some but not all DOWN states in regime (2), and thalamic spindles following UP to DOWN transitions in regime (3). The spindle-induced σ-band activity in the cortical node, however, is typically the strongest during the UP state, which follows a DOWN state “window of opportunity” for spindling. When the cortical node is parametrized in regime (3), the model well explains the interactions between slow oscillations and sleep spindles observed experimentally during Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep. The model is computationally efficient and can be integrated into large-scale modeling frameworks to study spatial aspects like sleep wave propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Jajcay
- Neural Information Processing Group, Department of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Complex Systems, Institute of Computer Science, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Nikola Jajcay
| | - Caglar Cakan
- Neural Information Processing Group, Department of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Obermayer
- Neural Information Processing Group, Department of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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42
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Optimal deep brain stimulation sites and networks for cervical vs. generalized dystonia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2114985119. [PMID: 35357970 PMCID: PMC9168456 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114985119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied deep brain stimulation effects in two types of dystonia and conclude that different specific connections between the pallidum and thalamus are responsible for optimal treatment effects. Since alternative treatment options for dystonia beyond deep brain stimulation are scarce, our results will be crucial to maximize treatment outcome in this population of patients. Dystonia is a debilitating disease with few treatment options. One effective option is deep brain stimulation (DBS) to the internal pallidum. While cervical and generalized forms of isolated dystonia have been targeted with a common approach to the posterior third of the nucleus, large-scale investigations regarding optimal stimulation sites and potential network effects have not been carried out. Here, we retrospectively studied clinical results following DBS for cervical and generalized dystonia in a multicenter cohort of 80 patients. We model DBS electrode placement based on pre- and postoperative imaging and introduce an approach to map optimal stimulation sites to anatomical space. Second, we investigate which tracts account for optimal clinical improvements, when modulated. Third, we investigate distributed stimulation effects on a whole-brain functional connectome level. Our results show marked differences of optimal stimulation sites that map to the somatotopic structure of the internal pallidum. While modulation of the striatopallidofugal axis of the basal ganglia accounted for optimal treatment of cervical dystonia, modulation of pallidothalamic bundles did so in generalized dystonia. Finally, we show a common multisynaptic network substrate for both phenotypes in the form of connectivity to the cerebellum and somatomotor cortex. Our results suggest a brief divergence of optimal stimulation networks for cervical vs. generalized dystonia within the pallidothalamic loop that merge again on a thalamo-cortical level and share a common whole-brain network.
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43
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Cunningham JG, Scripter JD, Nti SA, Tucker ES. Early construction of the thalamocortical axon pathway requires c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling within the ventral forebrain. Dev Dyn 2022; 251:459-480. [PMID: 34494344 PMCID: PMC8891049 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thalamocortical connectivity is essential for normal brain function. This important pathway is established during development, when thalamic axons extend a long distance through the forebrain before reaching the cerebral cortex. In this study, we identify a novel role for the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway in guiding thalamocortical axons through intermediate target territories. RESULTS Complete genetic removal of JNK signaling from the Distal-less 5/6 (Dlx5/6) domain in mice prevents thalamocortical axons from crossing the diencephalon-telencephalon boundary (DTB) and the internal capsule fails to form. Ventral telencephalic cells critical for thalamocortical axon extensions including corridor and guidepost neurons are also disrupted. In addition, corticothalamic, striatonigral, and nigrostriatal axons fail to cross the DTB. Analyses of different JNK mutants demonstrate that thalamocortical axon pathfinding has a non-autonomous requirement for JNK signaling. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that JNK signaling within the Dlx5/6 territory enables the construction of major axonal pathways in the developing forebrain. Further exploration of this intermediate axon guidance territory is needed to uncover mechanisms of axonal pathfinding during normal brain development and to elucidate how this vital process may be compromised in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica G. Cunningham
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506,Neuroscience Graduate Program, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506,Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506
| | - James D. Scripter
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506,Neuroscience Graduate Program, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506,Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506
| | - Stephany A. Nti
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506,Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506
| | - Eric S. Tucker
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506,Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506
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Thalamic T-Type Calcium Channels as Targets for Hypnotics and General Anesthetics. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042349. [PMID: 35216466 PMCID: PMC8876360 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
General anesthetics mainly act by modulating synaptic inhibition on the one hand (the potentiation of GABA transmission) or synaptic excitation on the other (the inhibition of NMDA receptors), but they can also have effects on numerous other proteins, receptors, and channels. The effects of general anesthetics on ion channels have been the subject of research since the publication of reports of direct actions of these drugs on ion channel proteins. In particular, there is considerable interest in T-type voltage-gated calcium channels that are abundantly expressed in the thalamus, where they control patterns of cellular excitability and thalamocortical oscillations during awake and sleep states. Here, we summarized and discussed our recent studies focused on the CaV3.1 isoform of T-channels in the nonspecific thalamus (intralaminar and midline nuclei), which acts as a key hub through which natural sleep and general anesthesia are initiated. We used mouse genetics and in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiology to study the role of thalamic T-channels in hypnosis induced by a standard general anesthetic, isoflurane, as well as novel neuroactive steroids. From the results of this study, we conclude that CaV3.1 channels contribute to thalamocortical oscillations during anesthetic-induced hypnosis, particularly the slow-frequency range of δ oscillations (0.5–4 Hz), by generating “window current” that contributes to the resting membrane potential. We posit that the role of the thalamic CaV3.1 isoform of T-channels in the effects of various classes of general anesthetics warrants consideration.
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Chao CC, Tseng MT, Hsieh PC, Lin CHJ, Huang SL, Hsieh ST, Chiang MC. Brain Mechanisms of Pain and Dysautonomia in Diabetic Neuropathy: Connectivity Changes in Thalamus and Hypothalamus. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022; 107:e1167-e1180. [PMID: 34665863 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT About one-third of diabetic patients suffer from neuropathic pain, which is poorly responsive to analgesic therapy and associated with greater autonomic dysfunction. Previous research on diabetic neuropathy mainly links pain and autonomic dysfunction to peripheral nerve degeneration resulting from systemic metabolic disturbances, but maladaptive plasticity in the central pain and autonomic systems following peripheral nerve injury has been relatively ignored. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate how the brain is affected in painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), in terms of altered structural connectivity (SC) of the thalamus and hypothalamus that are key regions modulating nociceptive and autonomic responses. METHODS We recruited 25 PDN and 13 painless (PLDN) diabetic neuropathy patients, and 27 healthy adults as controls. The SC of the thalamus and hypothalamus with limbic regions mediating nociceptive and autonomic responses was assessed using diffusion tractography. RESULTS The PDN patients had significantly lower thalamic and hypothalamic SC of the right amygdala compared with the PLDN and control groups. In addition, lower thalamic SC of the insula was associated with more severe peripheral nerve degeneration, and lower hypothalamic SC of the anterior cingulate cortex was associated with greater autonomic dysfunction manifested by decreased heart rate variability. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that alterations in brain structural connectivity could be a form of maladaptive plasticity after peripheral nerve injury, and also demonstrate a pathophysiological association between disconnection of the limbic circuitry and pain and autonomic dysfunction in diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chao Chao
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Tsung Tseng
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Paul-Chen Hsieh
- Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Ho Janice Lin
- Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
- Yeong-An Orthopedic and Physical Therapy Clinic, Taipei 11155, Taiwan
| | - Shin-Leh Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, New Taipei City 24352, Taiwan
| | - Sung-Tsang Hsieh
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Center of Precision Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chang Chiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
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McAfee SS, Liu Y, Sillitoe RV, Heck DH. Cerebellar Coordination of Neuronal Communication in Cerebral Cortex. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 15:781527. [PMID: 35087384 PMCID: PMC8787113 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.781527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive processes involve precisely coordinated neuronal communications between multiple cerebral cortical structures in a task specific manner. Rich new evidence now implicates the cerebellum in cognitive functions. There is general agreement that cerebellar cognitive function involves interactions between the cerebellum and cerebral cortical association areas. Traditional views assume reciprocal interactions between one cerebellar and one cerebral cortical site, via closed-loop connections. We offer evidence supporting a new perspective that assigns the cerebellum the role of a coordinator of communication. We propose that the cerebellum participates in cognitive function by modulating the coherence of neuronal oscillations to optimize communications between multiple cortical structures in a task specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S. McAfee
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Roy V. Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Detlef H. Heck
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
- *Correspondence: Detlef H. Heck,
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Ventromedial Thalamus-Projecting DCN Neurons Modulate Associative Sensorimotor Responses in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:459-473. [PMID: 34989972 PMCID: PMC9106783 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00810-9] [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: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) integrate various inputs to the cerebellum and form the final cerebellar outputs critical for associative sensorimotor learning. However, the functional relevance of distinct neuronal subpopulations within the DCN remains poorly understood. Here, we examined a subpopulation of mouse DCN neurons whose axons specifically project to the ventromedial (Vm) thalamus (DCNVm neurons), and found that these neurons represent a specific subset of DCN units whose activity varies with trace eyeblink conditioning (tEBC), a classical associative sensorimotor learning task. Upon conditioning, the activity of DCNVm neurons signaled the performance of conditioned eyeblink responses (CRs). Optogenetic activation and inhibition of the DCNVm neurons in well-trained mice amplified and diminished the CRs, respectively. Chemogenetic manipulation of the DCNVm neurons had no effects on non-associative motor coordination. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of the DCNVm neurons caused rapid elevated firing activity in the cingulate cortex, a brain area critical for bridging the time gap between sensory stimuli and motor execution during tEBC. Together, our data highlights DCNVm neurons' function and delineates their kinematic parameters that modulate the strength of associative sensorimotor responses.
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Reconstructing subcortical and cortical somatosensory activity via the RAMUS inverse source analysis technique using median nerve SEP data. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118726. [PMID: 34838947 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118726] [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: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This study concerns reconstructing brain activity at various depths based on non-invasive EEG (electroencephalography) scalp measurements. We aimed at demonstrating the potential of the RAMUS (randomized multiresolution scanning) technique in localizing weakly distinguishable far-field sources in combination with coinciding cortical activity. As we have shown earlier theoretically and through simulations, RAMUS is a novel mathematical method that by employing the multigrid concept, allows marginalizing noise and depth bias effects and thus enables the recovery of both cortical and subcortical brain activity. To show this capability with experimental data, we examined the 14-30 ms post-stimulus somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) responses of human median nerve stimulation in three healthy adult subjects. We aim at reconstructing the different response components by evaluating a RAMUS-based estimate for the primary current density in the nervous tissue. We present source reconstructions obtained with RAMUS and compare them with the literature knowledge of the SEP components and the outcome of the unit-noise gain beamformer (UGNB) and standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA). We also analyzed the effect of the iterative alternating sequential technique, the optimization technique of RAMUS, compared to the classical minimum norm estimation (MNE) technique. Matching with our previous numerical studies, the current results suggest that RAMUS could have the potential to enhance the detection of simultaneous deep and cortical components and the distinction between the evoked sulcal and gyral activity.
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Wang L, Zhou C, Cheng W, Rolls ET, Huang P, Ma N, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Guan X, Guo T, Wu J, Gao T, Xuan M, Gu Q, Xu X, Zhang B, Gong W, Du J, Zhang W, Feng J, Zhang M. Dopamine depletion and subcortical dysfunction disrupt cortical synchronization and metastability affecting cognitive function in Parkinson's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 43:1598-1610. [PMID: 34904766 PMCID: PMC8886656 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is primarily characterized by the loss of dopaminergic cells and atrophy in subcortical regions. However, the impact of these pathological changes on large-scale dynamic integration and segregation of the cortex are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of subcortical dysfunction on cortical dynamics and cognition in PD. Spatiotemporal dynamics of the phase interactions of resting-state blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals in 159 PD patients and 152 normal control (NC) individuals were estimated. The relationships between subcortical atrophy, subcortical-cortical fiber connectivity impairment, cortical synchronization/metastability, and cognitive performance were then assessed. We found that cortical synchronization and metastability in PD patients were significantly decreased. To examine whether this is an effect of dopamine depletion, we investigated 45 PD patients both ON and OFF dopamine replacement therapy, and found that cortical synchronization and metastability are significantly increased in the ON state. The extent of cortical synchronization and metastability in the OFF state reflected cognitive performance and mediates the difference in cognitive performance between the PD and NC groups. Furthermore, both the thalamic volume and thalamocortical fiber connectivity had positive relationships with cortical synchronization and metastability in the dopaminergic OFF state, and mediate the difference in cortical synchronization between the PD and NC groups. In addition, thalamic volume also reflected cognitive performance, and cortical synchronization/metastability mediated the relationship between thalamic volume and cognitive performance in PD patients. Together, these results highlight that subcortical dysfunction and reduced dopamine levels are responsible for decreased cortical synchronization and metastability, further affecting cognitive performance in PD. This might lead to biomarkers being identified that can predict if a patient is at risk of developing dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linbo Wang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China.,MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China.,MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Edmund T Rolls
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China.,MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Peiyu Huang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ningning Ma
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China
| | - Yuchen Liu
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China
| | - Yajuan Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China
| | - Xiaojun Guan
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tao Guo
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Wu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ting Gao
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Min Xuan
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Quanquan Gu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Xu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Baorong Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weikang Gong
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China
| | - Jingnan Du
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China.,MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China.,MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, China.,MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Minming Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Adeyelu T, Gandhi T, Lee CC. Crossed Connections From Insular Cortex to the Contralateral Thalamus. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:710925. [PMID: 34949990 PMCID: PMC8688809 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.710925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory information in all modalities, except olfaction, is processed at the level of the thalamus before subsequent transmission to the cerebral cortex. This incoming sensory stream is refined and modulated in the thalamus by numerous descending corticothalamic projections originating in layer 6 that ultimately alter the sensitivity and selectivity for sensory features. In general, these sensory thalamo-cortico-thalamic loops are considered strictly unilateral, i.e., no contralateral crosstalk between cortex and thalamus. However, in contrast to this canonical view, we characterize here a prominent contralateral corticothalamic projection originating in the insular cortex, utilizing both retrograde tracing and cre-lox mediated viral anterograde tracing strategies with the Ntsr1-Cre transgenic mouse line. From our studies, we find that the insular contralateral corticothalamic projection originates from a separate population of layer 6 neurons than the ipsilateral corticothalamic projection. Furthermore, the contralateral projection targets a topographically distinct subregion of the thalamus than the ipsilateral projection. These findings suggest a unique bilateral mechanism for the top-down refinement of ascending sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Charles C. Lee
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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