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Matuszewski J, Bola Ł, Collignon O, Marchewka A. Similar Computational Hierarchies for Reading and Speech in the Occipital Cortex of Sighed and Blind: Converging Evidence from fMRI and Chronometric TMS. J Neurosci 2025; 45:e1153242024. [PMID: 40032525 PMCID: PMC12079739 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1153-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 12/17/2024] [Accepted: 12/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2025] Open
Abstract
High-level perception results from interactions between hierarchical brain systems responsive to gradually increasing feature complexities. During reading, the initial evaluation of simple visual features in the early visual cortex (EVC) is followed by orthographic and lexical computations in the ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOTC). While similar visual regions are engaged in tactile Braille reading in congenitally blind people, it is unclear whether the visual network maintains or reorganizes its hierarchy for reading in this population. Combining fMRI and chronometric transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), our study revealed a clear correspondence between sighted and blind individuals (both male and female) on how their occipital cortices functionally supports reading and speech processing. Using fMRI, we first observed that vOTC, but not EVC, showed an enhanced response to lexical vs nonlexical information in both groups and sensory modalities. Using TMS, we further found that, in both groups, the processing of written words and pseudowords was disrupted by the EVC stimulation at both early and late time windows. In contrast, the vOTC stimulation disrupted the processing of these written stimuli only when applied at late time windows, again in both groups. In the speech domain, we observed TMS effects only for meaningful words and only in the blind participants. Overall, our results suggest that, while the responses in the deprived visual areas might extend their functional response to other sensory modalities, the computational gradients between early and higher-order occipital regions are retained, at least for reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Matuszewski
- Crossmodal Perception and Plasticity Lab, Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve 1348, Belgium
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
| | - Łukasz Bola
- Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 00-378, Poland
| | - Olivier Collignon
- Crossmodal Perception and Plasticity Lab, Institute of Research in Psychology (IPSY) and Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve 1348, Belgium
- School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
| | - Artur Marchewka
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
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Bedford O, Noly-Gandon A, Ara A, Wiesman AI, Albouy P, Baillet S, Penhune V, Zatorre RJ. Human Auditory-Motor Networks Show Frequency-Specific Phase-Based Coupling in Resting-State MEG. Hum Brain Mapp 2025; 46:e70045. [PMID: 39757971 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.70045] [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: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 08/31/2024] [Accepted: 09/25/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2025] Open
Abstract
Perception and production of music and speech rely on auditory-motor coupling, a mechanism which has been linked to temporally precise oscillatory coupling between auditory and motor regions of the human brain, particularly in the beta frequency band. Recently, brain imaging studies using magnetoencephalography (MEG) have also shown that accurate auditory temporal predictions specifically depend on phase coherence between auditory and motor cortical regions. However, it is not yet clear whether this tight oscillatory phase coupling is an intrinsic feature of the auditory-motor loop, or whether it is only elicited by task demands. Further, we do not know if phase synchrony is uniquely enhanced in the auditory-motor system compared to other sensorimotor modalities, or to which degree it is amplified by musical training. In order to resolve these questions, we measured the degree of phase locking between motor regions and auditory or visual areas in musicians and non-musicians using resting-state MEG. We derived phase locking values (PLVs) and phase transfer entropy (PTE) values from 90 healthy young participants. We observed significantly higher PLVs across all auditory-motor pairings compared to all visuomotor pairings in all frequency bands. The pairing with the highest degree of phase synchrony was right primary auditory cortex with right ventral premotor cortex, a connection which has been highlighted in previous literature on auditory-motor coupling. Additionally, we observed that auditory-motor and visuomotor PLVs were significantly higher across all structures in the right hemisphere, and we found the highest differences between auditory and visual PLVs in the theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands. Last, we found that the theta and beta bands exhibited a preference for a motor-to-auditory PTE direction and that the alpha and gamma bands exhibited the opposite preference for an auditory-to-motor PTE direction. Taken together, these findings confirm our hypotheses that motor phase synchrony is significantly enhanced in auditory compared to visual cortical regions at rest, that these differences are highest across the theta-beta spectrum of frequencies, and that there exist alternating information flow loops across auditory-motor structures as a function of frequency. In our view, this supports the existence of an intrinsic, time-based coupling for low-latency integration of sounds and movements which involves synchronized phasic activity between primary auditory cortex with motor and premotor cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Bedford
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alix Noly-Gandon
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alberto Ara
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alex I Wiesman
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Philippe Albouy
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sylvain Baillet
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Virginia Penhune
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Robert J Zatorre
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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Haupt M, Graumann M, Teng S, Kaltenbach C, Cichy R. The transformation of sensory to perceptual braille letter representations in the visually deprived brain. eLife 2024; 13:RP98148. [PMID: 39630852 PMCID: PMC11616995 DOI: 10.7554/elife.98148] [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] [Indexed: 12/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Experience-based plasticity of the human cortex mediates the influence of individual experience on cognition and behavior. The complete loss of a sensory modality is among the most extreme such experiences. Investigating such a selective, yet extreme change in experience allows for the characterization of experience-based plasticity at its boundaries. Here, we investigated information processing in individuals who lost vision at birth or early in life by probing the processing of braille letter information. We characterized the transformation of braille letter information from sensory representations depending on the reading hand to perceptual representations that are independent of the reading hand. Using a multivariate analysis framework in combination with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and behavioral assessment, we tracked cortical braille representations in space and time, and probed their behavioral relevance. We located sensory representations in tactile processing areas and perceptual representations in sighted reading areas, with the lateral occipital complex as a connecting 'hinge' region. This elucidates the plasticity of the visually deprived brain in terms of information processing. Regarding information processing in time, we found that sensory representations emerge before perceptual representations. This indicates that even extreme cases of brain plasticity adhere to a common temporal scheme in the progression from sensory to perceptual transformations. Ascertaining behavioral relevance through perceived similarity ratings, we found that perceptual representations in sighted reading areas, but not sensory representations in tactile processing areas are suitably formatted to guide behavior. Together, our results reveal a nuanced picture of both the potentials and limits of experience-dependent plasticity in the visually deprived brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleen Haupt
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Monika Graumann
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Faculty of Philosophy, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Santani Teng
- Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research InstituteSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Carina Kaltenbach
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Radoslaw Cichy
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Faculty of Philosophy, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience BerlinBerlinGermany
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4
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Wang M, Xie Z, Wang T, Dong S, Ma Z, Zhang X, Li X, Yuan Y. Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation improves memory behavior in an ADHD rat model by modulating cortical functional network connectivity. Neuroimage 2024; 299:120841. [PMID: 39244077 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120841] [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: 07/13/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Working memory in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is closely related to cortical functional network connectivity (CFNC), such as abnormal connections between the frontal, temporal, occipital cortices and with other brain regions. Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has the advantages of non-invasiveness, high spatial resolution, and high penetration depth and can improve ADHD memory behavior. However, how it modulates CFNC in ADHD and the CFNC mechanism that improves working memory behavior in ADHD remain unclear. In this study, we observed working memory impairment in ADHD rats, establishing a corresponding relationship between changes in CFNCs and the behavioral state during the working memory task. Specifically, we noted abnormalities in the information transmission and processing capabilities of CFNC in ADHD rats while performing working memory tasks. These abnormalities manifested in the network integration ability of specific areas, as well as the information flow and functional differentiation of CFNC. Furthermore, our findings indicate that TUS effectively enhances the working memory ability of ADHD rats by modulating information transmission, processing, and integration capabilities, along with adjusting the information flow and functional differentiation of CFNC. Additionally, we explain the CFNC mechanism through which TUS improves working memory in ADHD. In summary, these findings suggest that CFNCs are important in working memory behaviors in ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengran Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Zhenyu Xie
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Teng Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Shuxun Dong
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Zhenfang Ma
- Department of Rehabilitation, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Xiangjian Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Xin Li
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
| | - Yi Yuan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
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5
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Bonetti L, Brattico E, Carlomagno F, Cabral J, Stevner A, Deco G, Whybrow PC, Pearce M, Pantazis D, Vuust P, Kringelbach ML. Spatiotemporal whole-brain activity and functional connectivity of melodies recognition. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae320. [PMID: 39110413 PMCID: PMC11304985 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae320] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Music is a non-verbal human language, built on logical, hierarchical structures, that offers excellent opportunities to explore how the brain processes complex spatiotemporal auditory sequences. Using the high temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography, we investigated the unfolding brain dynamics of 70 participants during the recognition of previously memorized musical sequences compared to novel sequences matched in terms of entropy and information content. Measures of both whole-brain activity and functional connectivity revealed a widespread brain network underlying the recognition of the memorized auditory sequences, which comprised primary auditory cortex, superior temporal gyrus, insula, frontal operculum, cingulate gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, and hippocampus. Furthermore, while the auditory cortex responded mainly to the first tones of the sequences, the activity of higher-order brain areas such as the cingulate gyrus, frontal operculum, hippocampus, and orbitofrontal cortex largely increased over time during the recognition of the memorized versus novel musical sequences. In conclusion, using a wide range of analytical techniques spanning from decoding to functional connectivity and building on previous works, our study provided new insights into the spatiotemporal whole-brain mechanisms for conscious recognition of auditory sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Bonetti
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, 8000 Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, OX39BX Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, OX37JX Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elvira Brattico
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, 8000 Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Carlomagno
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, 8000 Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Joana Cabral
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, 8000 Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, OX39BX Oxford, United Kingdom
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Angus Stevner
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, 8000 Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, OX39BX Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peter C Whybrow
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Marcus Pearce
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, 8000 Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Dimitrios Pantazis
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 02139 Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Peter Vuust
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, 8000 Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Morten L Kringelbach
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, 8000 Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, OX39BX Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, OX37JX Oxford, United Kingdom
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6
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Herff SA, Bonetti L, Cecchetti G, Vuust P, Kringelbach ML, Rohrmeier MA. Hierarchical syntax model of music predicts theta power during music listening. Neuropsychologia 2024; 199:108905. [PMID: 38740179 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108905] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Linguistic research showed that the depth of syntactic embedding is reflected in brain theta power. Here, we test whether this also extends to non-linguistic stimuli, specifically music. We used a hierarchical model of musical syntax to continuously quantify two types of expert-annotated harmonic dependencies throughout a piece of Western classical music: prolongation and preparation. Prolongations can roughly be understood as a musical analogue to linguistic coordination between constituents that share the same function (e.g., 'pizza' and 'pasta' in 'I ate pizza and pasta'). Preparation refers to the dependency between two harmonies whereby the first implies a resolution towards the second (e.g., dominant towards tonic; similar to how the adjective implies the presence of a noun in 'I like spicy … '). Source reconstructed MEG data of sixty-five participants listening to the musical piece was then analysed. We used Bayesian Mixed Effects models to predict theta envelope in the brain, using the number of open prolongation and preparation dependencies as predictors whilst controlling for audio envelope. We observed that prolongation and preparation both carry independent and distinguishable predictive value for theta band fluctuation in key linguistic areas such as the Angular, Superior Temporal, and Heschl's Gyri, or their right-lateralised homologues, with preparation showing additional predictive value for areas associated with the reward system and prediction. Musical expertise further mediated these effects in language-related brain areas. Results show that predictions of precisely formalised music-theoretical models are reflected in the brain activity of listeners which furthers our understanding of the perception and cognition of musical structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen A Herff
- Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia; Digital and Cognitive Musicology Lab, College of Humanities, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Leonardo Bonetti
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark; Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriele Cecchetti
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia; Digital and Cognitive Musicology Lab, College of Humanities, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Peter Vuust
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Morten L Kringelbach
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark; Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Martin A Rohrmeier
- Digital and Cognitive Musicology Lab, College of Humanities, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Sourav S, Kekunnaya R, Bottari D, Shareef I, Pitchaimuthu K, Röder B. Sound suppresses earliest visual cortical processing after sight recovery in congenitally blind humans. Commun Biol 2024; 7:118. [PMID: 38253781 PMCID: PMC10803735 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05749-3] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroscientific research has consistently shown more extensive non-visual activity in the visual cortex of congenitally blind humans compared to sighted controls; a phenomenon known as crossmodal plasticity. Whether or not crossmodal activation of the visual cortex retracts if sight can be restored is still unknown. The present study, involving a rare group of sight-recovery individuals who were born pattern vision blind, employed visual event-related potentials to investigate persisting crossmodal modulation of the initial visual cortical processing stages. Here we report that the earliest, stimulus-driven retinotopic visual cortical activity (<100 ms) was suppressed in a spatially specific manner in sight-recovery individuals when concomitant sounds accompanied visual stimulation. In contrast, sounds did not modulate the earliest visual cortical response in two groups of typically sighted controls, nor in a third control group of sight-recovery individuals who had suffered a transient phase of later (rather than congenital) visual impairment. These results provide strong evidence for persisting crossmodal activity in the visual cortex after sight recovery following a period of congenital visual deprivation. Based on the time course of this modulation, we speculate on a role of exuberant crossmodal thalamic input which may arise during a sensitive phase of brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suddha Sourav
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Ramesh Kekunnaya
- Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, Child Sight Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Davide Bottari
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Idris Shareef
- Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, Child Sight Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Kabilan Pitchaimuthu
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, Child Sight Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
- Department of Medicine and Optometry, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Brigitte Röder
- Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Jasti V Ramanamma Children's Eye Care Center, Child Sight Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
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Alemi R, Wolfe J, Neumann S, Manning J, Towler W, Koirala N, Gracco VL, Deroche M. Audiovisual integration in children with cochlear implants revealed through EEG and fNIRS. Brain Res Bull 2023; 205:110817. [PMID: 37989460 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Sensory deprivation can offset the balance of audio versus visual information in multimodal processing. Such a phenomenon could persist for children born deaf, even after they receive cochlear implants (CIs), and could potentially explain why one modality is given priority over the other. Here, we recorded cortical responses to a single speaker uttering two syllables, presented in audio-only (A), visual-only (V), and audio-visual (AV) modes. Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) were successively recorded in seventy-five school-aged children. Twenty-five were children with normal hearing (NH) and fifty wore CIs, among whom 26 had relatively high language abilities (HL) comparable to those of NH children, while 24 others had low language abilities (LL). In EEG data, visual-evoked potentials were captured in occipital regions, in response to V and AV stimuli, and they were accentuated in the HL group compared to the LL group (the NH group being intermediate). Close to the vertex, auditory-evoked potentials were captured in response to A and AV stimuli and reflected a differential treatment of the two syllables but only in the NH group. None of the EEG metrics revealed any interaction between group and modality. In fNIRS data, each modality induced a corresponding activity in visual or auditory regions, but no group difference was observed in A, V, or AV stimulation. The present study did not reveal any sign of abnormal AV integration in children with CI. An efficient multimodal integrative network (at least for rudimentary speech materials) is clearly not a sufficient condition to exhibit good language and literacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razieh Alemi
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada.
| | - Jace Wolfe
- Oberkotter Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Sara Neumann
- Hearts for Hearing Foundation, 11500 Portland Av., Oklahoma City, OK 73120, USA
| | - Jacy Manning
- Hearts for Hearing Foundation, 11500 Portland Av., Oklahoma City, OK 73120, USA
| | - Will Towler
- Hearts for Hearing Foundation, 11500 Portland Av., Oklahoma City, OK 73120, USA
| | - Nabin Koirala
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | | | - Mickael Deroche
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada
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Kang J, Bertani R, Raheel K, Soteriou M, Rosenzweig J, Valentin A, Goadsby PJ, Tahmasian M, Moran R, Ilic K, Ockelford A, Rosenzweig I. Mental Imagery in Dreams of Congenitally Blind People. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1394. [PMID: 37891763 PMCID: PMC10605848 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101394] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
It is unclear to what extent the absence of vision affects the sensory sensitivity for oneiric construction. Similarly, the presence of visual imagery in the mentation of dreams of congenitally blind people has been largely disputed. We investigate the presence and nature of oneiric visuo-spatial impressions by analysing 180 dreams of seven congenitally blind people identified from the online database DreamBank. A higher presence of auditory, haptic, olfactory, and gustatory sensation in dreams of congenitally blind people was demonstrated, when compared to normally sighted individuals. Nonetheless, oneiric visual imagery in reports of congenitally blind subjects was also noted, in opposition to some previous studies, and raising questions about the possible underlying neuro-mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungwoo Kang
- Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Rita Bertani
- Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Kausar Raheel
- Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Matthew Soteriou
- Department of Philosophy, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Jan Rosenzweig
- Department of Engineering, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Antonio Valentin
- Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, IoPPN, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Peter J. Goadsby
- NIHR-Wellcome Trust King’s Clinical Research Facility, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Masoud Tahmasian
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Rosalyn Moran
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Katarina Ilic
- Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- BRAIN, Department of Neuroimaging, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Adam Ockelford
- Centre for Learning, Teaching and Human Development, School of Education, University of Roehampton, London SW15 5PJ, UK
| | - Ivana Rosenzweig
- Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 1UL, UK
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10
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Ilic K, Bertani R, Lapteva N, Drakatos P, Delogu A, Raheel K, Soteriou M, Mutti C, Steier J, Carmichael DW, Goadsby PJ, Ockelford A, Rosenzweig I. Visuo-spatial imagery in dreams of congenitally and early blind: a systematic review. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1204129. [PMID: 37457556 PMCID: PMC10347682 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1204129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The presence of visual imagery in dreams of congenitally blind people has long been a matter of substantial controversy. We set to systematically review body of published work on the presence and nature of oneiric visuo-spatial impressions in congenitally and early blind subjects across different areas of research, from experimental psychology, functional neuroimaging, sensory substitution, and sleep research. Methods Relevant studies were identified using the following databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsychINFO. Results Studies using diverse imaging techniques and sensory substitution devices broadly suggest that the "blind" occipital cortex may be able to integrate non-visual sensory inputs, and thus possibly also generate visuo-spatial impressions. Visual impressions have also been reported by blind subjects who had near-death or out-of-body experiences. Conclusion Deciphering the mechanistic nature of these visual impression could open new possibility in utilization of neuroplasticity and its potential role for treatment of neurodisability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Ilic
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- BRAIN, Imaging Centre, CNS, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Bertani
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Neda Lapteva
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Panagis Drakatos
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alessio Delogu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kausar Raheel
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Soteriou
- Department of Philosophy, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carlotta Mutti
- Department of General and Specialized Medicine, Sleep Disorders Center, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Joerg Steier
- School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Carmichael
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter J. Goadsby
- NIHR-Wellcome Trust King’s Clinical Research Facility, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Ockelford
- Centre for Learning, Teaching and Human Development, School of Education, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ivana Rosenzweig
- Department of Neuroimaging, Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Breitinger E, Dundon NM, Pokorny L, Wunram HL, Roessner V, Bender S. Contingent negative variation to tactile stimuli - differences in anticipatory and preparatory processes between participants with and without blindness. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:7582-7594. [PMID: 36977633 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
People who are blind demonstrate remarkable abilities within the spared senses and compensatory enhancement of cognitive skills, underscored by substantial plastic reorganization in relevant neural areas. However, little is known about whether people with blindness form top-down models of the world on short timescales more efficiently to guide goal-oriented behavior. This electroencephalography study investigates this hypothesis at the neurophysiological level, focusing on contingent negative variation (CNV) as a marker of anticipatory and preparatory processes prior to expected events. In sum, 20 participants with blindness and 27 sighted participants completed a classic CNV task and a memory CNV task, both containing tactile stimuli to exploit the expertise of the former group. Although the reaction times in the classic CNV task did not differ between groups, participants who are blind reached higher performance rates in the memory task. This superior performance co-occurred with a distinct neurophysiological profile, relative to controls: greater late CNV amplitudes over central areas, suggesting enhanced stimulus expectancy and motor preparation prior to key events. Controls, in contrast, recruited more frontal sites, consistent with inefficient sensory-aligned control. We conclude that in more demanding cognitive contexts exploiting the spared senses, people with blindness efficiently generate task-relevant internal models to facilitate behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Breitinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
| | - Neil M Dundon
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
| | - Lena Pokorny
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
| | - Heidrun L Wunram
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Germany
| | - Stephan Bender
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
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12
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Paré S, Bleau M, Dricot L, Ptito M, Kupers R. Brain structural changes in blindness: a systematic review and an anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105165. [PMID: 37054803 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, numerous structural brain imaging studies investigated purported morphometric changes in early (EB) and late onset blindness (LB). The results of these studies have not yielded very consistent results, neither with respect to the type, nor to the anatomical locations of the brain morphometric alterations. To better characterize the effects of blindness on brain morphometry, we performed a systematic review and an Anatomical-Likelihood-Estimation (ALE) coordinate-based-meta-analysis of 65 eligible studies on brain structural changes in EB and LB, including 890 EB, 466 LB and 1257 sighted controls. Results revealed atrophic changes throughout the whole extent of the retino-geniculo-striate system in both EB and LB, whereas changes in areas beyond the occipital lobe occurred in EB only. We discuss the nature of some of the contradictory findings with respect to the used brain imaging methodologies and characteristics of the blind populations such as the onset, duration and cause of blindness. Future studies should aim for much larger sample sizes, eventually by merging data from different brain imaging centers using the same imaging sequences, opt for multimodal structural brain imaging, and go beyond a purely structural approach by combining functional with structural connectivity network analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Paré
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada
| | - Maxime Bleau
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Maurice Ptito
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Qc, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ron Kupers
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada; Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Bruxelles, Belgium; Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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13
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Hinault T, Baillet S, Courtney SM. Age-related changes of deep-brain neurophysiological activity. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3960-3968. [PMID: 35989316 PMCID: PMC10068274 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline with age is associated with brain atrophy and reduced brain activations, but the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are unclear, especially in deeper brain structures primarily affected by healthy aging or neurodegenerative processes. Here, we characterize time-resolved, resting-state magnetoencephalography activity of the hippocampus and subcortical brain regions in a large cohort of healthy young (20-30 years) and older (70-80 years) volunteers from the Cam-CAN (Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience) open repository. The data show age-related changes in both rhythmic and arrhythmic signal strength in multiple deeper brain regions, including the hippocampus, striatum, and thalamus. We observe a slowing of neural activity across deeper brain regions, with increased delta and reduced gamma activity, which echoes previous reports of cortical slowing. We also report reduced occipito-parietal alpha peak associated with increased theta-band activity in the hippocampus, an effect that may reflect compensatory processes as theta activity, and slope of arrhythmic activity were more strongly expressed when short-term memory performances were preserved. Overall, this study advances the understanding of the biological nature of inter-individual variability in aging. The data provide new insight into how hippocampus and subcortical neurophysiological activity evolve with biological age, and highlight frequency-specific effects associated with cognitive decline versus cognitive maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Hinault
- U1077 INSERM-EPHE-UNICAEN, Caen 14032, France
| | - S Baillet
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - S M Courtney
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States
- F.M. Kirby Research Center, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, MD 21205, United States
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14
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Marins TF, Russo M, Rodrigues EC, Monteiro M, Moll J, Felix D, Bouzas J, Arcanjo H, Vargas CD, Tovar‐Moll F. Reorganization of thalamocortical connections in congenitally blind humans. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:2039-2049. [PMID: 36661404 PMCID: PMC9980890 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cross-modal plasticity in blind individuals has been reported over the past decades showing that nonvisual information is carried and processed by "visual" brain structures. However, despite multiple efforts, the structural underpinnings of cross-modal plasticity in congenitally blind individuals remain unclear. We mapped thalamocortical connectivity and assessed the integrity of white matter of 10 congenitally blind individuals and 10 sighted controls. We hypothesized an aberrant thalamocortical pattern of connectivity taking place in the absence of visual stimuli from birth as a potential mechanism of cross-modal plasticity. In addition to the impaired microstructure of visual white matter bundles, we observed structural connectivity changes between the thalamus and occipital and temporal cortices. Specifically, the thalamic territory dedicated to connections with the occipital cortex was smaller and displayed weaker connectivity in congenitally blind individuals, whereas those connecting with the temporal cortex showed greater volume and increased connectivity. The abnormal pattern of thalamocortical connectivity included the lateral and medial geniculate nuclei and the pulvinar nucleus. For the first time in humans, a remapping of structural thalamocortical connections involving both unimodal and multimodal thalamic nuclei has been demonstrated, shedding light on the possible mechanisms of cross-modal plasticity in humans. The present findings may help understand the functional adaptations commonly observed in congenitally blind individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo F. Marins
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil,Post‐Graduation Program in Morphological Sciences (PCM) of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB)Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Maite Russo
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF)Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | | | - Marina Monteiro
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Jorge Moll
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Daniel Felix
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Julia Bouzas
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Helena Arcanjo
- Centro de Oftalmologia EspecializadaRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Claudia D. Vargas
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF)Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Fernanda Tovar‐Moll
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)Rio de JaneiroBrazil,Post‐Graduation Program in Morphological Sciences (PCM) of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB)Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
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15
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Lin J, Zhang L, Guo R, Jiao S, Song X, Feng S, Wang K, Li M, Luo Y, Han Z. The influence of visual deprivation on the development of the thalamocortical network: Evidence from congenitally blind children and adults. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119722. [PMID: 36323383 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119722] [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: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is heavily involved in relaying sensory signals to the cerebral cortex. A relevant issue is how the deprivation of congenital visual sensory information modulates the development of the thalamocortical network. The answer is unclear because previous studies on this topic did not investigate network development, structure-function combinations, and cognition-related behaviors in the same study. To overcome these limitations, we recruited 30 congenitally blind subjects (8 children, 22 adults) and 31 sighted subjects (10 children, 21 adults), and conducted multiple analyses [i.e., gray matter volume (GMV) analysis using the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) method, resting-state functional connectivity (FC), and brain-behavior correlation]. We found that congenital blindness elicited significant changes in the development of GMV in visual and somatosensory thalamic regions. Blindness also resulted in significant changes in the development of FC between somatosensory thalamic regions and visual cortical regions as well as advanced information processing regions. Moreover, the somatosensory thalamic regions and their FCs with visual cortical regions were reorganized to process high-level tactile language information in blind individuals. These findings provide a refined understanding of the neuroanatomical and functional plasticity of the thalamocortical network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Linjun Zhang
- School of Chinese as a Second Language, Peking University, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Runhua Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Saiyi Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xiaomeng Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Suting Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Mingyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Yudan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zaizhu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
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16
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Bleau M, Paré S, Chebat DR, Kupers R, Nemargut JP, Ptito M. Neural substrates of spatial processing and navigation in blindness: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1010354. [PMID: 36340755 PMCID: PMC9630591 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1010354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though vision is considered the best suited sensory modality to acquire spatial information, blind individuals can form spatial representations to navigate and orient themselves efficiently in space. Consequently, many studies support the amodality hypothesis of spatial representations since sensory modalities other than vision contribute to the formation of spatial representations, independently of visual experience and imagery. However, given the high variability in abilities and deficits observed in blind populations, a clear consensus about the neural representations of space has yet to be established. To this end, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature on the neural correlates of spatial processing and navigation via sensory modalities other than vision, like touch and audition, in individuals with early and late onset blindness. An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis of the neuroimaging literature revealed that early blind individuals and sighted controls activate the same neural networks in the processing of non-visual spatial information and navigation, including the posterior parietal cortex, frontal eye fields, insula, and the hippocampal complex. Furthermore, blind individuals also recruit primary and associative occipital areas involved in visuo-spatial processing via cross-modal plasticity mechanisms. The scarcity of studies involving late blind individuals did not allow us to establish a clear consensus about the neural substrates of spatial representations in this specific population. In conclusion, the results of our analysis on neuroimaging studies involving early blind individuals support the amodality hypothesis of spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Bleau
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel Paré
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel-Robert Chebat
- Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (VCN Lab), Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Navigation and Accessibility Research Center of Ariel University (NARCA), Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Ron Kupers
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Institute of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Maurice Ptito
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Maurice Ptito,
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17
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Arbel R, Heimler B, Amedi A. Face shape processing via visual-to-auditory sensory substitution activates regions within the face processing networks in the absence of visual experience. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:921321. [PMID: 36263367 PMCID: PMC9576157 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.921321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous evidence suggests that visual experience is crucial for the emergence and tuning of the typical neural system for face recognition. To challenge this conclusion, we trained congenitally blind adults to recognize faces via visual-to-auditory sensory-substitution (SDD). Our results showed a preference for trained faces over other SSD-conveyed visual categories in the fusiform gyrus and in other known face-responsive-regions of the deprived ventral visual stream. We also observed a parametric modulation in the same cortical regions, for face orientation (upright vs. inverted) and face novelty (trained vs. untrained). Our results strengthen the conclusion that there is a predisposition for sensory-independent and computation-specific processing in specific cortical regions that can be retained in life-long sensory deprivation, independently of previous perceptual experience. They also highlight that if the right training is provided, such cortical preference maintains its tuning to what were considered visual-specific face features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roni Arbel
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah University Hospital-Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel
- *Correspondence: Roni Arbel,
| | - Benedetta Heimler
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Ivcher School of Psychology, The Institute for Brain, Mind, and Technology, Reichman University, Herzeliya, Israel
- Center of Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Amir Amedi
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Ivcher School of Psychology, The Institute for Brain, Mind, and Technology, Reichman University, Herzeliya, Israel
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18
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Onuki Y, Lakbila-Kamal O, Scheffer B, Van Someren EJW, Van der Werf YD. Selective Enhancement of Post-Sleep Visual Motion Perception by Repetitive Tactile Stimulation during Sleep. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7400-7411. [PMID: 35995563 PMCID: PMC9525164 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1512-21.2022] [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: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tactile sensations can bias visual perception in the awake state while visual sensitivity is known to be facilitated by sleep. It remains unknown, however, whether the tactile sensation during sleep can bias the visual improvement after sleep. Here, we performed nap experiments in human participants (n = 56, 18 males, 38 females) to demonstrate that repetitive tactile motion stimulation on the fingertip during slow wave sleep selectively enhanced subsequent visual motion detection. The visual improvement was associated with slow wave activity. The high activation at the high beta frequency was found in the occipital electrodes after the tactile motion stimulation during sleep, indicating a visual-tactile cross-modal interaction during sleep. Furthermore, a second experiment (n = 14, 14 females) to examine whether a hand- or head-centered coordination is dominant for the interpretation of tactile motion direction showed that the biasing effect on visual improvement occurs according to the hand-centered coordination. These results suggest that tactile information can be interpreted during sleep, and can induce the selective improvement of post-sleep visual motion detection.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Tactile sensations can bias our visual perception as a form of cross-modal interaction. However, it was reported only in the awake state. Here we show that repetitive directional tactile motion stimulation on the fingertip during slow wave sleep selectively enhanced subsequent visual motion perception. Moreover, the visual improvement was positively associated with sleep slow wave activity. The tactile motion stimulation during slow wave activity increased the activation at the high beta frequency over the occipital electrodes. The visual improvement occurred in agreement with a hand-centered reference frame. These results suggest that our sleeping brain can interpret tactile information based on a hand-centered reference frame, which can cause the sleep-dependent improvement of visual motion detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Onuki
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, 1105BA, The Netherlands
| | - Oti Lakbila-Kamal
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, 1105BA, The Netherlands
| | - Bo Scheffer
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, 1105BA, The Netherlands
| | - Eus J W Van Someren
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, 1105BA, The Netherlands
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081HV, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, 1081HV, The Netherlands
| | - Ysbrand D Van der Werf
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, location VU, University Medical Center, Amsterdam, 1081HZ, The Netherlands
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19
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López-Bendito G, Aníbal-Martínez M, Martini FJ. Cross-Modal Plasticity in Brains Deprived of Visual Input Before Vision. Annu Rev Neurosci 2022; 45:471-489. [PMID: 35803589 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-111020-104222] [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: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Unimodal sensory loss leads to structural and functional changes in both deprived and nondeprived brain circuits. This process is broadly known as cross-modal plasticity. The evidence available indicates that cross-modal changes underlie the enhanced performances of the spared sensory modalities in deprived subjects. Sensory experience is a fundamental driver of cross-modal plasticity, yet there is evidence from early-visually deprived models supporting an additional role for experience-independent factors. These experience-independent factors are expected to act early in development and constrain neuronal plasticity at later stages. Here we review the cross-modal adaptations elicited by congenital or induced visual deprivation prior to vision. In most of these studies, cross-modal adaptations have been addressed at the structural and functional levels. Here, we also appraise recent data regarding behavioral performance in early-visually deprived models. However, further research is needed to explore how circuit reorganization affects their function and what brings about enhanced behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermina López-Bendito
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UMH-CSIC), Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain; ,
| | - Mar Aníbal-Martínez
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UMH-CSIC), Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain; ,
| | - Francisco J Martini
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UMH-CSIC), Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain; ,
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Abstract
Neuroplasticity, i.e., the modifiability of the brain, is different in development and adulthood. The first includes changes in: (i) neurogenesis and control of neuron number; (ii) neuronal migration; (iii) differentiation of the somato-dendritic and axonal phenotypes; (iv) formation of connections; (v) cytoarchitectonic differentiation. These changes are often interrelated and can lead to: (vi) system-wide modifications of brain structure as well as to (vii) acquisition of specific functions such as ocular dominance or language. Myelination appears to be plastic both in development and adulthood, at least, in rodents. Adult neuroplasticity is limited, and is mainly expressed as changes in the strength of excitatory and inhibitory synapses while the attempts to regenerate connections have met with limited success. The outcomes of neuroplasticity are not necessarily adaptive, but can also be the cause of neurological and psychiatric pathologies.
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Hu JJ, Jiang N, Chen J, Ying P, Kang M, Xu SH, Zou J, Wei H, Ling Q, Shao Y. Altered Regional Homogeneity in Patients With Congenital Blindness: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:925412. [PMID: 35815017 PMCID: PMC9256957 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.925412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In patients with congenital blindness (CB), the lack of any visual experience may affect brain development resulting in functional, structural, or even psychological changes. Few studies to date have addressed or focused on the synchronicity of regional brain activity in patients with CB. Our study aimed to investigate regional brain activity in patients with CB in a resting state and try to explain the possible causes and effects of any anomalies. Twenty-three CB patients and 23 healthy control (HC) volunteers agreed to undergo resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. After the fMRI data were preprocessed, regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis was conducted to assess the differences in brain activity synchronicity between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to explore whether the brain areas with statistically significant ReHo differences have diagnostic and identification values for CB. All CB patients were also required to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to evaluate their anxiety and depression levels. The results showed that in CB patients mean ReHo values were significantly lower than in HCs in the right orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus (MFGorb), bilateral middle occipital gyrus (MOG), and the right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus (SFGdl), but significantly higher in the left paracentral lobule (PCL), right insula and bilateral thalamus. The ReHo value of MFGorb showed a negative linear correlation with both the anxiety score and the depression score of the HADS. ROC curve analysis revealed that the mean ReHo values which differed significantly between the groups have excellent diagnostic accuracy for CB (especially in the left PCL and right SFGdl regions). Patients with CB show abnormalities of ReHo values in several specific brain regions, suggesting potential regional structural changes, functional reorganization, or even psychological effects in these patients. FMRI ReHo analysis may find use as an objective method to confirm CB for medical or legal purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiong-Jiong Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
| | - Ping Ying
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ming Kang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - San-Hua Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jie Zou
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Hong Wei
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Qian Ling
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yi Shao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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22
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Ptito M, Paré S, Dricot L, Cavaliere C, Tomaiuolo F, Kupers R. A quantitative analysis of the retinofugal projections in congenital and late-onset blindness. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 32:102809. [PMID: 34509923 PMCID: PMC8435915 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Congenital (CB) and late blind (LB) affects the integrity brain visual structures. We measured the integrity of the retino-fugal system using structural MRI images. Optic nerve, optic tract, optic chiasm and LGN were reduced by 50 to 60% in CB and LB. There were no differences between CB and LB. In LB, optic nerve volume correlated negatively with blindness duration.
Vision loss early in life has dramatic consequences on the organization of the visual system and hence on structural plasticity of its remnant components. Most of the studies on the anatomical changes in the brain following visual deprivation have focused on the re-organization of the visual cortex and its afferent and efferent projections. In this study, we performed a quantitative analysis of the volume and size of the optic chiasm, optic nerve, optic tract and the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), the retino recipient thalamic nucleus. Analysis was carried out on structural T1-weighted MRIs from 22 congenitally blind (CB), 14 late blind (LB) and 29 age -and sex-matched sighted control (SC) subjects. We manually segmented the optic nerve, optic chiasm and optic tract, while LGN volumes were extracted using in-house software. We also measured voxel intensity of optic nerve, optic chiasm and optic tract. Mean volumes of the optic nerve, optic tract and optic chiasm were reduced by 50 to 60% in both CB and LB participants. No significant differences were found between the congenitally and late-onset blind participants for any of the measures. Our data further revealed reduced white matter voxel intensities in optic nerve, optic chiasm and optic tract in blind compared to sighted participants, suggesting decreased myelin content in the atrophied white matter. The LGN was reduced by 50% and 44% in CB and LB, respectively. In LB, optic nerve volume correlated negatively with the blindness duration index; no such correlation was found for optic chiasm, optic tract and LGN. The observation that despite the absence of visual input about half of the subcortical retinofugal projections are structurally preserved raises the question of their functional role. One possibility is that the surviving fibers play a role in the maintenance of circadian rhythms in the blind through the intrinsically photosensitive melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurice Ptito
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; BRAINlab, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR), Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Samuel Paré
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium
| | - Carlo Cavaliere
- IRCCS SDN, Naples, Italy; Coma Science Group, Cyclotron Research Center and Neurology Department, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Francesco Tomaiuolo
- Univesità degli Studi di Messina, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale
| | - Ron Kupers
- School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; BRAINlab, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium.
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23
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Homma NY, Bajo VM. Lemniscal Corticothalamic Feedback in Auditory Scene Analysis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:723893. [PMID: 34489635 PMCID: PMC8417129 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.723893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sound information is transmitted from the ear to central auditory stations of the brain via several nuclei. In addition to these ascending pathways there exist descending projections that can influence the information processing at each of these nuclei. A major descending pathway in the auditory system is the feedback projection from layer VI of the primary auditory cortex (A1) to the ventral division of medial geniculate body (MGBv) in the thalamus. The corticothalamic axons have small glutamatergic terminals that can modulate thalamic processing and thalamocortical information transmission. Corticothalamic neurons also provide input to GABAergic neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) that receives collaterals from the ascending thalamic axons. The balance of corticothalamic and TRN inputs has been shown to refine frequency tuning, firing patterns, and gating of MGBv neurons. Therefore, the thalamus is not merely a relay stage in the chain of auditory nuclei but does participate in complex aspects of sound processing that include top-down modulations. In this review, we aim (i) to examine how lemniscal corticothalamic feedback modulates responses in MGBv neurons, and (ii) to explore how the feedback contributes to auditory scene analysis, particularly on frequency and harmonic perception. Finally, we will discuss potential implications of the role of corticothalamic feedback in music and speech perception, where precise spectral and temporal processing is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Y. Homma
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Coleman Memorial Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Victoria M. Bajo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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24
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Gorgoni M, Sarasso S, Moroni F, Sartori I, Ferrara M, Nobili L, De Gennaro L. The distinctive sleep pattern of the human calcarine cortex: a stereo-electroencephalographic study. Sleep 2021; 44:zsab026. [PMID: 33556162 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsab026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to describe the spontaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) features of sleep in the human calcarine cortex, comparing them with the well-established pattern of the parietal cortex. METHODS We analyzed presurgical intracerebral EEG activity in calcarine and parietal cortices during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in seven patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. The time course of the EEG spectral power and NREM vs REM differences was assessed. Sleep spindles were automatically detected. To assess homeostatic dynamics, we considered the first vs second half of the night ratio in the delta frequency range (0.5-4 Hz) and the rise rate of delta activity during the first sleep cycle. RESULTS While the parietal area showed the classically described NREM and REM sleep hallmarks, the calcarine cortex exhibited a distinctive pattern characterized by: (1) the absence of sleep spindles; (2) a large similarity between EEG power spectra of NREM and REM; and (3) reduced signs of homeostatic dynamics, with a decreased delta ratio between the first and the second half of the night, a reduced rise rate of delta activity during the first NREM sleep cycle, and lack of correlation between these measures. CONCLUSIONS Besides describing for the first time the peculiar sleep EEG pattern in the human calcarine cortex, our findings provide evidence that different cortical areas may exhibit specific sleep EEG pattern, supporting the view of sleep as a local process and promoting the idea that the functional role of sleep EEG features should be considered at a regional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Sarasso
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Moroni
- Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ivana Sartori
- C. Munari Center of Epilepsy Surgery, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Ferrara
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Coppito (L'Aquila), Italy
| | - Lino Nobili
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, IRCCS, Giannina Gaslini Institute, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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25
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Witjes B, Baillet S, Roy M, Oostenveld R, J.P.M. Huygen F, C. de Vos C. Magnetoencephalography reveals increased slow-to-fast alpha power ratios in patients with chronic pain. Pain Rep 2021; 6:e928. [PMID: 34104837 PMCID: PMC8177875 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000000928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Objective disease markers are a key for diagnosis and personalized interventions. In chronic pain, such markers are still not available, and therapy relies on individual patients' reports. However, several pain studies have reported group-based differences in functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and magnetoencephalography (MEG). OBJECTIVES We aimed to explore spectral differences in resting-state MEG brain signals between patients with chronic pain and pain-free controls and to characterize the cortical and subcortical regions involved. METHODS We estimated power spectral density over 5 minutes of resting-state MEG recordings in patients with chronic pain and controls and derived 7 spectral features at the sensor and source levels: alpha peak frequency, alpha power ratio (power 7-9 Hz divided by power 9-11 Hz), and average power in theta, alpha, beta, low-gamma, and high-gamma bands. We performed nonparametric permutation t tests (false discovery rate corrected) to assess between-group differences in these 7 spectral features. RESULTS Twenty-one patients with chronic pain and 25 controls were included. No significant group differences were found in alpha peak frequency or average power in any frequency band. The alpha power ratio was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in patients with chronic pain at both the sensor and brain source levels. The brain regions showing significantly higher ratios included the occipital, parietal, temporal and frontal lobe areas, insular and cingulate cortex, and right thalamus. CONCLUSION The alpha power ratio is a simple, promising signal marker of chronic pain, affecting an expansive range of cortical and subcortical regions, including known pain-processing areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Witjes
- Center for Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sylvain Baillet
- McConnell Brain imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mathieu Roy
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Robert Oostenveld
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- NatMEG, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Frank J.P.M. Huygen
- Center for Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Cecile C. de Vos
- Center for Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- McConnell Brain imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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26
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Sorrentino P, Rucco R, Lardone A, Liparoti M, Troisi Lopez E, Cavaliere C, Soricelli A, Jirsa V, Sorrentino G, Amico E. Clinical connectome fingerprints of cognitive decline. Neuroimage 2021; 238:118253. [PMID: 34116156 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain connectome fingerprinting is rapidly rising as a novel influential field in brain network analysis. Yet, it is still unclear whether connectivity fingerprints could be effectively used for mapping and predicting disease progression from human brain data. We hypothesize that dysregulation of brain activity in disease would reflect in worse subject identification. We propose a novel framework, Clinical Connectome Fingerprinting, to detect individual connectome features from clinical populations. We show that "clinical fingerprints" can map individual variations between elderly healthy subjects and patients with mild cognitive impairment in functional connectomes extracted from magnetoencephalography data. We find that identifiability is reduced in patients as compared to controls, and show that these connectivity features are predictive of the individual Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score in patients. We hope that the proposed methodology can help in bridging the gap between connectivity features and biomarkers of brain dysfunction in large-scale brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Rosaria Rucco
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, CNR, Pozzuoli, Italy; Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy
| | - Anna Lardone
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza, Italy
| | - Marianna Liparoti
- Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Soricelli
- Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy; IRCCS SDN, Naples, Italy
| | - Viktor Jirsa
- Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Giuseppe Sorrentino
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, CNR, Pozzuoli, Italy; Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy; Hermitage Capodimonte Clinic, Naples, Italy.
| | - Enrico Amico
- Institute of Bioengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics, EPFL, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland.
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27
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Ptito M, Bleau M, Djerourou I, Paré S, Schneider FC, Chebat DR. Brain-Machine Interfaces to Assist the Blind. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:638887. [PMID: 33633557 PMCID: PMC7901898 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.638887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss or absence of vision is probably one of the most incapacitating events that can befall a human being. The importance of vision for humans is also reflected in brain anatomy as approximately one third of the human brain is devoted to vision. It is therefore unsurprising that throughout history many attempts have been undertaken to develop devices aiming at substituting for a missing visual capacity. In this review, we present two concepts that have been prevalent over the last two decades. The first concept is sensory substitution, which refers to the use of another sensory modality to perform a task that is normally primarily sub-served by the lost sense. The second concept is cross-modal plasticity, which occurs when loss of input in one sensory modality leads to reorganization in brain representation of other sensory modalities. Both phenomena are training-dependent. We also briefly describe the history of blindness from ancient times to modernity, and then proceed to address the means that have been used to help blind individuals, with an emphasis on modern technologies, invasive (various type of surgical implants) and non-invasive devices. With the advent of brain imaging, it has become possible to peer into the neural substrates of sensory substitution and highlight the magnitude of the plastic processes that lead to a rewired brain. Finally, we will address the important question of the value and practicality of the available technologies and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurice Ptito
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maxime Bleau
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ismaël Djerourou
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel Paré
- École d’Optométrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Fabien C. Schneider
- TAPE EA7423 University of Lyon-Saint Etienne, Saint Etienne, France
- Neuroradiology Unit, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Daniel-Robert Chebat
- Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (VCN Lab), Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ariel University, Ariel, Israël
- Navigation and Accessibility Research Center of Ariel University (NARCA), Ariel, Israël
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28
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Matuszewski J, Kossowski B, Bola Ł, Banaszkiewicz A, Paplińska M, Gyger L, Kherif F, Szwed M, Frackowiak RS, Jednoróg K, Draganski B, Marchewka A. Brain plasticity dynamics during tactile Braille learning in sighted subjects: Multi-contrast MRI approach. Neuroimage 2020; 227:117613. [PMID: 33307223 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of empirical evidence supports the notion of diverse neurobiological processes underlying learning-induced plasticity changes in the human brain. There are still open questions about how brain plasticity depends on cognitive task complexity, how it supports interactions between brain systems and with what temporal and spatial trajectory. We investigated brain and behavioural changes in sighted adults during 8-months training of tactile Braille reading whilst monitoring brain structure and function at 5 different time points. We adopted a novel multivariate approach that includes behavioural data and specific MRI protocols sensitive to tissue properties to assess local functional and structural and myelin changes over time. Our results show that while the reading network, located in the ventral occipitotemporal cortex, rapidly adapts to tactile input, sensory areas show changes in grey matter volume and intra-cortical myelin at different times. This approach has allowed us to examine and describe neuroplastic mechanisms underlying complex cognitive systems and their (sensory) inputs and (motor) outputs differentially, at a mesoscopic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Matuszewski
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Bartosz Kossowski
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Bola
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Banaszkiewicz
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Lucien Gyger
- LREN, Department for Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ferath Kherif
- LREN, Department for Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marcin Szwed
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bogdan Draganski
- LREN, Department for Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Artur Marchewka
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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29
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Heimler B, Amedi A. Are critical periods reversible in the adult brain? Insights on cortical specializations based on sensory deprivation studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:494-507. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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30
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Min BK, Hämäläinen MS, Pantazis D. New Cognitive Neurotechnology Facilitates Studies of Cortical-Subcortical Interactions. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 38:952-962. [PMID: 32278504 PMCID: PMC7442676 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Most of the studies employing neuroimaging have focused on cortical and subcortical signals individually to obtain neurophysiological signatures of cognitive functions. However, understanding the dynamic communication between the cortex and subcortical structures is essential for unraveling the neural correlates of cognition. In this quest, magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) are the methods of choice because they are noninvasive electrophysiological recording techniques with high temporal resolution. Sophisticated MEG/EEG source estimation techniques and network analysis methods, developed recently, can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of fundamental cognitive processes. Used together with noninvasive modulation of cortical-subcortical communication, these approaches may open up new possibilities for expanding the repertoire of noninvasive cognitive neurotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byoung-Kyong Min
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Matti S Hämäläinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dimitrios Pantazis
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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31
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Andersen LM, Jerbi K, Dalal SS. Can EEG and MEG detect signals from the human cerebellum? Neuroimage 2020; 215:116817. [PMID: 32278092 PMCID: PMC7306153 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum plays a key role in the regulation of motor learning, coordination and timing, and has been implicated in sensory and cognitive processes as well. However, our current knowledge of its electrophysiological mechanisms comes primarily from direct recordings in animals, as investigations into cerebellar function in humans have instead predominantly relied on lesion, haemodynamic and metabolic imaging studies. While the latter provide fundamental insights into the contribution of the cerebellum to various cerebellar-cortical pathways mediating behaviour, they remain limited in terms of temporal and spectral resolution. In principle, this shortcoming could be overcome by monitoring the cerebellum's electrophysiological signals. Non-invasive assessment of cerebellar electrophysiology in humans, however, is hampered by the limited spatial resolution of electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) in subcortical structures, i.e., deep sources. Furthermore, it has been argued that the anatomical configuration of the cerebellum leads to signal cancellation in MEG and EEG. Yet, claims that MEG and EEG are unable to detect cerebellar activity have been challenged by an increasing number of studies over the last decade. Here we address this controversy and survey reports in which electrophysiological signals were successfully recorded from the human cerebellum. We argue that the detection of cerebellum activity non-invasively with MEG and EEG is indeed possible and can be enhanced with appropriate methods, in particular using connectivity analysis in source space. We provide illustrative examples of cerebellar activity detected with MEG and EEG. Furthermore, we propose practical guidelines to optimize the detection of cerebellar activity with MEG and EEG. Finally, we discuss MEG and EEG signal contamination that may lead to localizing spurious sources in the cerebellum and suggest ways of handling such artefacts. This review is to be read as a perspective review that highlights that it is indeed possible to measure cerebellum with MEG and EEG and encourages MEG and EEG researchers to do so. Its added value beyond highlighting and encouraging is that it offers useful advice for researchers aspiring to investigate the cerebellum with MEG and EEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lau M Andersen
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Denmark; NatMEG, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Karim Jerbi
- Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (CoCo Lab), Psychology Department, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; MEG Unit, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sarang S Dalal
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Denmark
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Ren J, Huang F, Zhou Y, Zhuang L, Xu J, Gao C, Qin S, Luo J. The function of the hippocampus and middle temporal gyrus in forming new associations and concepts during the processing of novelty and usefulness features in creative designs. Neuroimage 2020; 214:116751. [PMID: 32194284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Creative thought relies on the reorganization of existing knowledge to generate novel and useful concepts. However, how these new concepts are formed, especially through the processing of novelty and usefulness (which are usually regarded as the key properties of creativity), is not clear. Taking familiar and useful (FU) objects/designs as the starting point or fundamental baseline, we modified them into novel and useless (NS) objects/designs or novel and useful (NU) ones (i.e., truly creative ones) to investigate how the features of novelty and usefulness are processed (processing of novelty: NU minus FU; processing of usefulness: NU minus NS). Specifically, we predicted that the creative integration of novelty and usefulness entails not only the formation of new associations, which could be critically mediated by the hippocampus and adjacent medial temporal lobe (MTL) areas, but also the formation of new concepts or categories, which is supported by the middle temporal gyrus (MTG). We found that both the MTL and the MTG were involved in the processing of novelty and usefulness. The MTG showed distinctive patterns of information processing, reflected by strengthened functional connectivity with the hippocampus to construct new concepts and strengthened functional connectivity with the executive control system to break the boundaries of old concepts. Additionally, participants' subjective evaluations of concept distance showed that the distance between the familiar concept (FU) and the successfully constructed concept (NU) was larger than that between the FU and the unsuccessfully constructed concept (NS), and this pattern was found to correspond to the patterns of their neural representations in the MTG. These findings demonstrate the critical mechanism by which new associations and concepts are formed during novelty and usefulness processing in creative design; this mechanism may be critically mediated by the hippocampus-MTG connection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyuan Ren
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Furong Huang
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Liping Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jiahua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chuanji Gao
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, Columbia, 29201, USA
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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