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Einav A, Azouz R. Corticothalamic modulation of somatosensory thalamic tactile processing. J Physiol 2025; 603:2801-2819. [PMID: 40178512 PMCID: PMC12072242 DOI: 10.1113/jp287526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2025] [Indexed: 04/05/2025] Open
Abstract
The brain's processing of sensory information involves intricate interactions between feedforward and feedback pathways, including corticothalamic feedback. Although feedback from cortical Layer 6 to the sensory thalamus is known to regulate sensory signalling, its precise function remains elusive. This study delves into the impact of Layer 6 feedback on sensory transmission in the ventral posteromedial nucleus using in vivo electrophysiology recordings in lightly anesthetized rats. By local administration of drugs to the barrel cortex during thalamic recordings, we investigate how corticothalamic neurons influence the transformation of tactile stimuli into neuronal discharge characteristics. Our findings reveal that increasing cortical dynamics enhances thalamic response magnitude at low stimulus intensities but decreases it at high intensities, whereas reducing cortical dynamics produces the opposite effect. Moreover, we observe bidirectional cortical influence on thalamic neurons extending to stimulus magnitude-dependent sensory adaptation and burst propensity modulation by Layer 6 dynamics. Specifically, increased cortical dynamics reduce thalamic sensory adaptation and increase burst propensity at low stimulus intensities, with no observed change at high intensities, whereas decreased cortical dynamics elicit opposite effects. We show that thalamic neurons can discriminate between stimuli, with cortical influence varying by stimulus intensity. Increased cortical dynamics enhances discrimination at low intensities, whereas reduced dynamics has the opposite effect. Our findings suggest that cortical control of ventral posteromedial nucleus tactile transformation is not a binary switch but a dynamic modulator, adjusting thalamic transformations in real time based on cortical dynamics. This mechanism finely tunes sensory processing to meet environmental and behavioural demands. KEY POINTS: The study investigates touch processing in the brain by examining interactions between brain regions. Specifically, we study how cortical Layer 6 influences sensory signal processing in the thalamus. We manipulated Layer 6 activity with drugs and observed resulting changes in thalamic touch responses. Increased cortical activity enhanced weak touch signals but dampened strong ones in the thalamus; lower activity had the opposite effect. Increased cortical dynamics reduced thalamic sensory adaptation and increased burst propensity at low stimulus intensities, with no change at high intensities. The study shows that the brain's control over how it processes sensory information is not just an on/off switch but a dynamic system that adjusts in real time to different situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avisar Einav
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The School of Brain Sciences and CognitionBen‐Gurion University of the NegevNegevIsrael
| | - Rony Azouz
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The School of Brain Sciences and CognitionBen‐Gurion University of the NegevNegevIsrael
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2
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Schmid D, Neumann H. A model of thalamo-cortical interaction for incremental binding in mental contour-tracing. PLoS Comput Biol 2025; 21:e1012835. [PMID: 40338986 PMCID: PMC12061125 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2025] [Indexed: 05/10/2025] Open
Abstract
Object-basd visual attention marks a key process of mammalian perception. By which mechanisms this process is implemented and how it can be interacted with by means of attentional control is not completely understood yet. Incremental binding is a mechanism required in demanding scenarios of object-based attention and is experimentally well investigated. Attention spreads across a representation of the visual object and labels bound elements by constant up-modulation of neural activity. The speed of incremental binding was found to be dependent on the spatial arrangement of distracting elements in the scene and to be scale invariant giving rise to the growth-cone hypothesis. In this work, we propose a neural dynamical model of incremental binding that provides a mechanistic account for these findings. Through simulations, we investigate the model properties and demonstrate how an attentional spreading mechanism tags neurons that participate in the object binding process. They utilize Gestalt properties and eventually show growth-cone characteristics labeling perceptual items by delayed activity enhancement of neuronal firing rates. We discuss the algorithmic process underlying incremental binding and relate it to our model computations. This theoretical investigation encompasses complexity considerations and finds the model to be not only of explanatory value in terms of neurophysiological evidence, but also to be an efficient implementation of incremental binding striving to establish a normative account. By relating the connectivity motifs of the model to neuroanatomical evidence, we suggest thalamo-cortical interactions to be a likely candidate for the flexible and efficient realization suggested by the model. There, pyramidal cells are proposed to serve as the processors of incremental grouping information. Local bottom-up evidence about stimulus features is integrated via basal dendritic sites. It is combined with an apical signal consisting of contextual grouping information which is gated by attentional task-relevance selection mediated via higher-order thalamic representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schmid
- Institute for Neural Information Processing, Ulm University, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Heiko Neumann
- Institute for Neural Information Processing, Ulm University, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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3
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Martinetti LE, Autio DM, Crandall SR. Motor Control of Distinct Layer 6 Corticothalamic Feedback Circuits. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0255-24.2024. [PMID: 38926084 PMCID: PMC11236587 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0255-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6 CT) neurons provide massive input to the thalamus, and these feedback connections enable the cortex to influence its own sensory input by modulating thalamic excitability. However, the functional role(s) feedback serves during sensory processing is unclear. One hypothesis is that CT feedback is under the control of extrasensory signals originating from higher-order cortical areas, yet we know nothing about the mechanisms of such control. It is also unclear whether such regulation is specific to CT neurons with distinct thalamic connectivity. Using mice (either sex) combined with in vitro electrophysiology techniques, optogenetics, and retrograde labeling, we describe studies of vibrissal primary motor cortex (vM1) influences on different CT neurons in the vibrissal primary somatosensory cortex (vS1) with distinct intrathalamic axonal projections. We found that vM1 inputs are highly selective, evoking stronger postsynaptic responses in CT neurons projecting to the dual ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPm) and posterior medial nucleus (POm) located in lower L6a than VPm-only-projecting CT cells in upper L6a. A targeted analysis of the specific cells and synapses involved revealed that the greater responsiveness of Dual CT neurons was due to their distinctive intrinsic membrane properties and synaptic mechanisms. These data demonstrate that vS1 has at least two discrete L6 CT subcircuits distinguished by their thalamic projection patterns, intrinsic physiology, and functional connectivity with vM1. Our results also provide insights into how a distinct CT subcircuit may serve specialized roles specific to contextual modulation of tactile-related sensory signals in the somatosensory thalamus during active vibrissa movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Martinetti
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Dawn M Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Shane R Crandall
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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4
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Martinetti LE, Autio DM, Crandall SR. Motor Control of Distinct Layer 6 Corticothalamic Feedback Circuits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.22.590613. [PMID: 38712153 PMCID: PMC11071411 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.22.590613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6 CT) neurons provide massive input to the thalamus, and these feedback connections enable the cortex to influence its own sensory input by modulating thalamic excitability. However, the functional role(s) feedback serves during sensory processing is unclear. One hypothesis is that CT feedback is under the control of extra-sensory signals originating from higher-order cortical areas, yet we know nothing about the mechanisms of such control. It is also unclear whether such regulation is specific to CT neurons with distinct thalamic connectivity. Using mice (either sex) combined with in vitro electrophysiology techniques, optogenetics, and retrograde labeling, we describe studies of vibrissal primary motor cortex (vM1) influences on different CT neurons in the vibrissal primary somatosensory cortex (vS1) with distinct intrathalamic axonal projections. We found that vM1 inputs are highly selective, evoking stronger postsynaptic responses in Dual ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPm) and posterior medial nucleus (POm) projecting CT neurons located in lower L6a than VPm-only projecting CT cells in upper L6a. A targeted analysis of the specific cells and synapses involved revealed that the greater responsiveness of Dual CT neurons was due to their distinctive intrinsic membrane properties and synaptic mechanisms. These data demonstrate that vS1 has at least two discrete L6 CT subcircuits distinguished by their thalamic projection patterns, intrinsic physiology, and functional connectivity with vM1. Our results also provide insights into how a distinct CT subcircuit may serve specialized roles specific to contextual modulation of tactile-related sensory signals in the somatosensory thalamus during active vibrissa movements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dawn M. Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
| | - Shane R. Crandall
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
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5
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Dimwamwa ED, Pala A, Chundru V, Wright NC, Stanley GB. Dynamic corticothalamic modulation of the somatosensory thalamocortical circuit during wakefulness. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3529. [PMID: 38664415 PMCID: PMC11045850 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47863-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The feedback projections from cortical layer 6 (L6CT) to the sensory thalamus have long been implicated in playing a primary role in gating sensory signaling but remain poorly understood. To causally elucidate the full range of effects of these projections, we targeted silicon probe recordings to the whisker thalamocortical circuit of awake mice selectively expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 in L6CT neurons. Through optogenetic manipulation of L6CT neurons, multi-site electrophysiological recordings, and modeling of L6CT circuitry, we establish L6CT neurons as dynamic modulators of ongoing spiking in the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPm), either suppressing or enhancing VPm spiking depending on L6CT neurons' firing rate and synchrony. Differential effects across the cortical excitatory and inhibitory sub-populations point to an overall influence of L6CT feedback on cortical excitability that could have profound implications for regulating sensory signaling across a range of ethologically relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaida D Dimwamwa
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Aurélie Pala
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vivek Chundru
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nathaniel C Wright
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Garrett B Stanley
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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6
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Średniawa W, Borzymowska Z, Kondrakiewicz K, Jurgielewicz P, Mindur B, Hottowy P, Wójcik DK, Kublik E. Local contribution to the somatosensory evoked potentials in rat's thalamus. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301713. [PMID: 38593141 PMCID: PMC11003638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Local Field Potential (LFP), despite its name, often reflects remote activity. Depending on the orientation and synchrony of their sources, both oscillations and more complex waves may passively spread in brain tissue over long distances and be falsely interpreted as local activity at such distant recording sites. Here we show that the whisker-evoked potentials in the thalamic nuclei are of local origin up to around 6 ms post stimulus, but the later (7-15 ms) wave is overshadowed by a negative component reaching from cortex. This component can be analytically removed and local thalamic LFP can be recovered reliably using Current Source Density analysis. We used model-based kernel CSD (kCSD) method which allowed us to study the contribution of local and distant currents to LFP from rat thalamic nuclei and barrel cortex recorded with multiple, non-linear and non-regular multichannel probes. Importantly, we verified that concurrent recordings from the cortex are not essential for reliable thalamic CSD estimation. The proposed framework can be used to analyze LFP from other brain areas and has consequences for general LFP interpretation and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Władysław Średniawa
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Borzymowska
- Neurobiology of Emotions Laboratory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kacper Kondrakiewicz
- Neurobiology of Emotions Laboratory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Jurgielewicz
- AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Krakow, Poland
| | - Bartosz Mindur
- AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Krakow, Poland
| | - Paweł Hottowy
- AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Krakow, Poland
| | - Daniel K. Wójcik
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social Communication, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ewa Kublik
- Neurobiology of Emotions Laboratory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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7
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Varela C, Moreira JVS, Kocaoglu B, Dura-Bernal S, Ahmad S. A mechanism for deviance detection and contextual routing in the thalamus: a review and theoretical proposal. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1359180. [PMID: 38486972 PMCID: PMC10938916 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1359180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Predictive processing theories conceptualize neocortical feedback as conveying expectations and contextual attention signals derived from internal cortical models, playing an essential role in the perception and interpretation of sensory information. However, few predictive processing frameworks outline concrete mechanistic roles for the corticothalamic (CT) feedback from layer 6 (L6), despite the fact that the number of CT axons is an order of magnitude greater than that of feedforward thalamocortical (TC) axons. Here we review the functional architecture of CT circuits and propose a mechanism through which L6 could regulate thalamic firing modes (burst, tonic) to detect unexpected inputs. Using simulations in a model of a TC cell, we show how the CT feedback could support prediction-based input discrimination in TC cells by promoting burst firing. This type of CT control can enable the thalamic circuit to implement spatial and context selective attention mechanisms. The proposed mechanism generates specific experimentally testable hypotheses. We suggest that the L6 CT feedback allows the thalamus to detect deviance from predictions of internal cortical models, thereby supporting contextual attention and routing operations, a far more powerful role than traditionally assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Varela
- Psychology Department, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Joao V. S. Moreira
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Basak Kocaoglu
- Center for Connected Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Salvador Dura-Bernal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
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8
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Dimwamwa E, Pala A, Chundru V, Wright NC, Stanley GB. Dynamic corticothalamic modulation of the somatosensory thalamocortical circuit during wakefulness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.18.549491. [PMID: 37503253 PMCID: PMC10370106 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.18.549491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The feedback projections from cortical layer 6 (L6CT) to sensory thalamus have long been implicated in playing a primary role in gating sensory signaling but remain poorly understood. To causally elucidate the full range of effects of these projections, we targeted silicon probe recordings to the whisker thalamocortical circuit of awake mice selectively expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 in L6CT neurons. Through optogenetic manipulation of L6CT neurons, multi-site electrophysiological recordings, and modeling of L6CT circuitry, we establish L6CT neurons as dynamic modulators of ongoing spiking in the ventro-posterior-medial nucleus of thalamus (VPm), either suppressing or enhancing VPm spiking depending on L6CT neurons' firing rate and synchrony. Differential effects across the cortical excitatory and inhibitory sub-populations point to an overall influence of L6CT feedback on cortical excitability that could have profound implications for regulating sensory signaling across a range of ethologically relevant conditions.
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9
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Feldmeyer D. Structure and function of neocortical layer 6b. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1257803. [PMID: 37744882 PMCID: PMC10516558 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1257803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical layer 6b is considered by many to be a remnant of the subplate that forms during early stages of neocortical development, but its role in the adult is not well understood. Its neuronal complement has only recently become the subject of systematic studies, and its axonal projections and synaptic input structures have remained largely unexplored despite decades of research into neocortical function. In recent years, however, layer 6b (L6b) has attracted increasing attention and its functional role is beginning to be elucidated. In this review, I will attempt to provide an overview of what is currently known about the excitatory and inhibitory neurons in this layer, their pre- and postsynaptic connectivity, and their functional implications. Similarities and differences between different cortical areas will be highlighted. Finally, layer 6b neurons are highly responsive to several neuropeptides such as orexin/hypocretin, neurotensin and cholecystokinin, in some cases exclusively. They are also strongly controlled by neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and norepinephrine. The interaction of these neuromodulators with L6b microcircuitry and its functional consequences will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Feldmeyer
- Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10 (INM-10), Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), Aachen, Germany
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10
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Sanchez AN, Alitto HJ, Rathbun DL, Fisher TG, Usrey WM. Stimulus contrast modulates burst activity in the lateral geniculate nucleus. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 4:100096. [PMID: 37397805 PMCID: PMC10313900 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2023.100096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Burst activity is a ubiquitous feature of thalamic neurons and is well documented for visual neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). Although bursts are often associated with states of drowsiness, they are also known to convey visual information to cortex and are particularly effective in evoking cortical responses. The occurrence of thalamic bursts depends on (1) the inactivation gate of T-type Ca2+ channels (T-channels), which become de-inactivated following periods of increased membrane hyperpolarization, and (2) the opening of the T-channel activation gate, which has voltage-threshold and rate-of-change (δv/δt) requirements. Given the time/voltage relationship for the generation of Ca2+ potentials that underlie burst events, it is reasonable to predict that geniculate bursts are influenced by the luminance contrast of drifting grating stimuli, with the null phase of higher contrast stimuli evoking greater hyperpolarization followed by a larger dv/dt than the null phase of lower contrast stimuli. To determine the relationship between stimulus contrast and burst activity, we recorded the spiking activity of cat LGN neurons while presenting drifting sine-wave gratings that varied in luminance contrast. Results show that burst rate, reliability, and timing precision are significantly greater with higher contrast stimuli compared with lower contrast stimuli. Additional analysis from simultaneous recordings of synaptically connected retinal ganglion cells and LGN neurons further reveals the time/voltage dynamics underlying burst activity. Together, these results support the hypothesis that stimulus contrast and the biophysical properties underlying the state of T-type Ca2+ channels interact to influence burst activity, presumably to facilitate thalamocortical communication and stimulus detection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henry J. Alitto
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, 95618, USA
| | - Daniel L. Rathbun
- Dept. of Ophthalmology, Detroit Inst. of Ophthalmology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | | | - W. Martin Usrey
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, 95618, USA
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11
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Ziegler K, Folkard R, Gonzalez AJ, Burghardt J, Antharvedi-Goda S, Martin-Cortecero J, Isaías-Camacho E, Kaushalya S, Tan LL, Kuner T, Acuna C, Kuner R, Mease RA, Groh A. Primary somatosensory cortex bidirectionally modulates sensory gain and nociceptive behavior in a layer-specific manner. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2999. [PMID: 37225702 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38798-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is a hub for body sensation of both innocuous and noxious signals, yet its role in somatosensation versus pain is debated. Despite known contributions of S1 to sensory gain modulation, its causal involvement in subjective sensory experiences remains elusive. Here, in mouse S1, we reveal the involvement of cortical output neurons in layers 5 (L5) and 6 (L6) in the perception of innocuous and noxious somatosensory signals. We find that L6 activation can drive aversive hypersensitivity and spontaneous nocifensive behavior. Linking behavior to neuronal mechanisms, we find that L6 enhances thalamic somatosensory responses, and in parallel, strongly suppresses L5 neurons. Directly suppressing L5 reproduced the pronociceptive phenotype induced by L6 activation, suggesting an anti-nociceptive function for L5 output. Indeed, L5 activation reduced sensory sensitivity and reversed inflammatory allodynia. Together, these findings reveal a layer-specific and bidirectional role for S1 in modulating subjective sensory experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ziegler
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ross Folkard
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonio J Gonzalez
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Burghardt
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sailaja Antharvedi-Goda
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jesus Martin-Cortecero
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Emilio Isaías-Camacho
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sanjeev Kaushalya
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linette Liqi Tan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudio Acuna
- Chica and Heinz Schaller Research Group, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Audrey Mease
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Alexander Groh
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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12
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Han C, English G, Saal HP, Indiveri G, Gilra A, von der Behrens W, Vasilaki E. Modelling novelty detection in the thalamocortical loop. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1009616. [PMID: 37186588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In complex natural environments, sensory systems are constantly exposed to a large stream of inputs. Novel or rare stimuli, which are often associated with behaviorally important events, are typically processed differently than the steady sensory background, which has less relevance. Neural signatures of such differential processing, commonly referred to as novelty detection, have been identified on the level of EEG recordings as mismatch negativity (MMN) and on the level of single neurons as stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA). Here, we propose a multi-scale recurrent network with synaptic depression to explain how novelty detection can arise in the whisker-related part of the somatosensory thalamocortical loop. The "minimalistic" architecture and dynamics of the model presume that neurons in cortical layer 6 adapt, via synaptic depression, specifically to a frequently presented stimulus, resulting in reduced population activity in the corresponding cortical column when compared with the population activity evoked by a rare stimulus. This difference in population activity is then projected from the cortex to the thalamus and amplified through the interaction between neurons of the primary and reticular nuclei of the thalamus, resulting in rhythmic oscillations. These differentially activated thalamic oscillations are forwarded to cortical layer 4 as a late secondary response that is specific to rare stimuli that violate a particular stimulus pattern. Model results show a strong analogy between this late single neuron activity and EEG-based mismatch negativity in terms of their common sensitivity to presentation context and timescales of response latency, as observed experimentally. Our results indicate that adaptation in L6 can establish the thalamocortical dynamics that produce signatures of SSA and MMN and suggest a mechanistic model of novelty detection that could generalize to other sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Han
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Gwendolyn English
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Switzerland
- ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hannes P Saal
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Giacomo Indiveri
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Switzerland
- ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aditya Gilra
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Machine Learning Group, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wolfger von der Behrens
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Switzerland
- ZNZ Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eleni Vasilaki
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Switzerland
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13
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Reinhold K, Resulaj A, Scanziani M. Brain State-Dependent Modulation of Thalamic Visual Processing by Cortico-Thalamic Feedback. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1540-1554. [PMID: 36653192 PMCID: PMC10008059 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2124-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The behavioral state of a mammal impacts how the brain responds to visual stimuli as early as in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (dLGN), the primary relay of visual information to the cortex. A clear example of this is the markedly stronger response of dLGN neurons to higher temporal frequencies of the visual stimulus in alert as compared with quiescent animals. The dLGN receives strong feedback from the visual cortex, yet whether this feedback contributes to these state-dependent responses to visual stimuli is poorly understood. Here, we show that in male and female mice, silencing cortico-thalamic feedback profoundly reduces state-dependent differences in the response of dLGN neurons to visual stimuli. This holds true for dLGN responses to both temporal and spatial features of the visual stimulus. These results reveal that the state-dependent shift of the response to visual stimuli in an early stage of visual processing depends on cortico-thalamic feedback.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Brain state affects even the earliest stages of sensory processing. A clear example of this phenomenon is the change in thalamic responses to visual stimuli depending on whether the animal's brain is in an alert or quiescent state. Despite the radical impact that brain state has on sensory processing, the underlying circuits are still poorly understood. Here, we show that both the temporal and spatial response properties of thalamic neurons to visual stimuli depend on the state of the animal and, crucially, that this state-dependent shift relies on the feedback projection from visual cortex to thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Reinhold
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, California
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, California
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
| | - Arbora Resulaj
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, California
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
| | - Massimo Scanziani
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology Section and Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, California
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, California
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14
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Thalamic control of sensory processing and spindles in a biophysical somatosensory thalamoreticular circuit model of wakefulness and sleep. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112200. [PMID: 36867532 PMCID: PMC10066598 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Thalamoreticular circuitry plays a key role in arousal, attention, cognition, and sleep spindles, and is linked to several brain disorders. A detailed computational model of mouse somatosensory thalamus and thalamic reticular nucleus has been developed to capture the properties of over 14,000 neurons connected by 6 million synapses. The model recreates the biological connectivity of these neurons, and simulations of the model reproduce multiple experimental findings in different brain states. The model shows that inhibitory rebound produces frequency-selective enhancement of thalamic responses during wakefulness. We find that thalamic interactions are responsible for the characteristic waxing and waning of spindle oscillations. In addition, we find that changes in thalamic excitability control spindle frequency and their incidence. The model is made openly available to provide a new tool for studying the function and dysfunction of the thalamoreticular circuitry in various brain states.
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15
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Cruz KG, Leow YN, Le NM, Adam E, Huda R, Sur M. Cortical-subcortical interactions in goal-directed behavior. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:347-389. [PMID: 35771984 PMCID: PMC9576171 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00048.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Flexibly selecting appropriate actions in response to complex, ever-changing environments requires both cortical and subcortical regions, which are typically described as participating in a strict hierarchy. In this traditional view, highly specialized subcortical circuits allow for efficient responses to salient stimuli, at the cost of adaptability and context specificity, which are attributed to the neocortex. Their interactions are often described as the cortex providing top-down command signals for subcortical structures to implement; however, as available technologies develop, studies increasingly demonstrate that behavior is represented by brainwide activity and that even subcortical structures contain early signals of choice, suggesting that behavioral functions emerge as a result of different regions interacting as truly collaborative networks. In this review, we discuss the field's evolving understanding of how cortical and subcortical regions in placental mammals interact cooperatively, not only via top-down cortical-subcortical inputs but through bottom-up interactions, especially via the thalamus. We describe our current understanding of the circuitry of both the cortex and two exemplar subcortical structures, the superior colliculus and striatum, to identify which information is prioritized by which regions. We then describe the functional circuits these regions form with one another, and the thalamus, to create parallel loops and complex networks for brainwide information flow. Finally, we challenge the classic view that functional modules are contained within specific brain regions; instead, we propose that certain regions prioritize specific types of information over others, but the subnetworks they form, defined by their anatomical connections and functional dynamics, are the basis of true specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Guadalupe Cruz
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yi Ning Leow
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Nhat Minh Le
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Elie Adam
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Rafiq Huda
- W. M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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16
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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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17
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Borden PY, Wright NC, Morrissette AE, Jaeger D, Haider B, Stanley GB. Thalamic bursting and the role of timing and synchrony in thalamocortical signaling in the awake mouse. Neuron 2022; 110:2836-2853.e8. [PMID: 35803270 PMCID: PMC9464711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The thalamus controls transmission of sensory signals from periphery to cortex, ultimately shaping perception. Despite this significant role, dynamic thalamic gating and the consequences for downstream cortical sensory representations have not been well studied in the awake brain. We optogenetically modulated the ventro-posterior-medial thalamus in the vibrissa pathway of the awake mouse and measured spiking activity in the thalamus and activity in primary somatosensory cortex (S1) using extracellular electrophysiology and genetically encoded voltage imaging. Thalamic hyperpolarization significantly enhanced thalamic sensory-evoked bursting; however, surprisingly, the S1 cortical response was not amplified, but instead, timing precision was significantly increased, spatial activation more focused, and there was an increased synchronization of cortical inhibitory neurons. A thalamocortical network model implicates the modulation of precise timing of feedforward thalamic population spiking, presenting a highly sensitive, timing-based gating of sensory signaling to the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Y Borden
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Nathaniel C Wright
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | | | - Dieter Jaeger
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Bilal Haider
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Garrett B Stanley
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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18
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Dash S, Autio DM, Crandall SR. State-Dependent Modulation of Activity in Distinct Layer 6 Corticothalamic Neurons in Barrel Cortex of Awake Mice. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6551-6565. [PMID: 35863890 PMCID: PMC9410757 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2219-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6 CT) neurons are in a strategic position to control sensory input to the neocortex, yet we understand very little about their functions. Apart from studying their anatomic, physiological, and synaptic properties, most recent efforts have focused on the activity-dependent influences CT cells can exert on thalamic and cortical neurons through causal optogenetic manipulations. However, few studies have attempted to study them during behavior. To address this gap, we performed juxtacellular recordings from optogenetically identified CT neurons in whisker-related primary somatosensory cortex (wS1) of awake, head-fixed mice (either sex) free to rest quietly or self-initiate bouts of whisking and locomotion. We found a rich diversity of response profiles exhibited by CT cells. Their spiking patterns were either modulated by whisking-related behavior (∼28%) or not (∼72%). Whisking-responsive neurons exhibited both increases (activated-type) and decreases in firing rates (suppressed-type) that aligned with whisking onset better than locomotion. We also encountered responsive neurons with preceding modulations in firing rate before whisking onset. Overall, whisking better explained these changes in rates than overall changes in arousal. Whisking-unresponsive CT cells were generally quiet, with many having low spontaneous firing rates (sparse-type) and others being completely silent (silent-type). Remarkably, the sparse firing CT population preferentially spiked at the state transition point when pupil diameter constricted, and the mouse entered quiet wakefulness. Thus, our results demonstrate that L6 CT cells in wS1 show diverse spiking patterns, perhaps subserving distinct functional roles related to precisely timed responses during complex behaviors and transitions between discrete waking states.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Layer 6 corticothalamic neurons provide a massive input to the sensory thalamus and local connectivity within cortex, but their role in thalamocortical processing remains unclear because of difficulty accessing and isolating their activity. Although several recent optogenetic studies reveal that the net influence of corticothalamic actions, suppression versus enhancement, depends critically on the rate these neurons fire, the factors that influence their spiking are poorly understood, particularly during wakefulness. Using the well-established Ntsr1-Cre line to target this elusive population in the whisker somatosensory cortex of awake mice, we found that corticothalamic neurons show diverse state-related responses and modulations in firing rate. These results suggest separate corticothalamic populations can differentially influence thalamocortical excitability during rapid state transitions in awake, behaving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suryadeep Dash
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Dawn M Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Shane R Crandall
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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19
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Uygun DS, Basheer R. Circuits and components of delta wave regulation. Brain Res Bull 2022; 188:223-232. [PMID: 35738502 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is vital and the deepest stages of sleep occur within Non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREM), defined by high electroencephalographic power in the delta (~0.5-4Hz) wave frequency range. Delta waves are thought to facilitate a myriad of physical and mental health functions. This review aims to comprehensively cover the historical and recent advances in the understanding of the mechanisms orchestrating NREM delta waves. We discuss a complete neurocircuit - focusing on one leg of the circuit at a time - and delve deeply into the molecular mechanistic components that contribute to NREM delta wave regulation. We also discuss the relatively localized nature in which these mechanisms have been defined, and how likely they might generalize across distinct sensory and higher order modalities in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Uygun
- VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Psychiatry, West Roxbury, MA; 02132.
| | - Radhika Basheer
- VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Psychiatry, West Roxbury, MA; 02132.
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20
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Spacek MA, Crombie D, Bauer Y, Born G, Liu X, Katzner S, Busse L. Robust effects of corticothalamic feedback and behavioral state on movie responses in mouse dLGN. eLife 2022; 11:e70469. [PMID: 35315775 PMCID: PMC9020820 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus receive a substantial proportion of modulatory inputs from corticothalamic (CT) feedback and brain stem nuclei. Hypothesizing that these modulatory influences might be differentially engaged depending on the visual stimulus and behavioral state, we performed in vivo extracellular recordings from mouse dLGN while optogenetically suppressing CT feedback and monitoring behavioral state by locomotion and pupil dilation. For naturalistic movie clips, we found CT feedback to consistently increase dLGN response gain and promote tonic firing. In contrast, for gratings, CT feedback effects on firing rates were mixed. For both stimulus types, the neural signatures of CT feedback closely resembled those of behavioral state, yet effects of behavioral state on responses to movies persisted even when CT feedback was suppressed. We conclude that CT feedback modulates visual information on its way to cortex in a stimulus-dependent manner, but largely independently of behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Spacek
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
| | - Davide Crombie
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Yannik Bauer
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Gregory Born
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Steffen Katzner
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, LMU MunichPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
- Bernstein Centre for Computational NeuroscienceMunichGermany
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21
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Yu Y, Huber L, Yang J, Fukunaga M, Chai Y, Jangraw DC, Chen G, Handwerker DA, Molfese PJ, Ejima Y, Sadato N, Wu J, Bandettini PA. Layer-specific activation in human primary somatosensory cortex during tactile temporal prediction error processing. Neuroimage 2022; 248:118867. [PMID: 34974114 PMCID: PMC11835052 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain continuously generates predictions of incoming sensory input and calculates corresponding prediction errors from the perceived inputs to update internal predictions. In human primary somatosensory cortex (area 3b), different cortical layers are involved in receiving the sensory input and generation of error signals. It remains unknown, however, how the layers in the human area 3b contribute to the temporal prediction error processing. To investigate prediction error representation in the area 3b across layers, we acquired layer-specific functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data at 7T from human area 3b during a task of index finger poking with no-delay, short-delay and long-delay touching sequences. We demonstrate that all three tasks increased activity in both superficial and deep layers of area 3b compared to the random sensory input. The fMRI signal was differentially modulated solely in the deep layers rather than the superficial layers of area 3b by the delay time. Compared with the no-delay stimuli, activity was greater in the deep layers of area 3b during the short-delay stimuli but lower during the long-delay stimuli. This difference activity features in the superficial and deep layers suggest distinct functional contributions of area 3b layers to tactile temporal prediction error processing. The functional segregation in area 3b across layers may reflect that the excitatory and inhibitory interplay in the sensory cortex contributions to flexible communication between cortical layers or between cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghua Yu
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-Naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, 10 Center Dr Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Laurentius Huber
- MR-Methods Group, MBIC, Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Maastricht, Cognitive Neuroscience, Room 1.014, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jiajia Yang
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-Naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, 10 Center Dr Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Masaki Fukunaga
- Division of Cerebral Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585 Japan
| | - Yuhui Chai
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, 10 Center Dr Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David C Jangraw
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, 10 Center Dr Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gang Chen
- Scientific and Statistical Computational Core, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, 10 Center Dr Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel A Handwerker
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, 10 Center Dr Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Peter J Molfese
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, 10 Center Dr Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yoshimichi Ejima
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-Naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Norihiro Sadato
- Division of Cerebral Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585 Japan
| | - Jinglong Wu
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-Naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Hiadian District, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Peter A Bandettini
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, 10 Center Dr Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Functional MRI Core Facility, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, 10 Center Dr Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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22
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Breuer TM, Krieger P. Sensory deprivation leads to subpopulation-specific changes in layer 6 corticothalamic cells. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:566-588. [PMID: 34927292 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The effect of sensory deprivation on anatomical and physiological properties in two genetically defined types of layer 6 corticothalamic pyramidal cells in mouse somatosensory barrel cortex was investigated using in vitro electrophysiology. The two types analysed were the L6-Ntsr1 subtype, found preferentially in the upper region of layer 6 and projecting to both ventral posterior medial nucleus of the thalamus and posterior medial nucleus of the thalamus, and the L6-Drd1a subtype, located mostly in the lower regions of layer 6 and projecting to posterior medial nucleus. We found that the apical dendrite in L6-Ntsr1 cells is longer and more branched, compared to L6-Drd1a cells, and that the increase in firing frequency with increasing current stimulation is steeper in L6-Drd1a cells. Sensory deprivation was achieved clipping one row of whiskers from birth until the day of experiment (16 ± 2 days). Mice of this age are actively exploring. In L6-Ntsr1, but not in L6-Drd1a cells, sensory deprivation decreased apical and basal dendrite outgrowth, and calcium influx evoked by backpropagating action potentials. These results contribute to the ongoing functional characterisation of corticothalamic layer 6 cells and indicate differences in the postnatal cortical refinement of two distinct corticothalamic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrik Krieger
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine; Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
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23
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Adeyelu T, Gandhi T, Lee CC. Crossed Connections From Insular Cortex to the Contralateral Thalamus. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:710925. [PMID: 34949990 PMCID: PMC8688809 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.710925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory information in all modalities, except olfaction, is processed at the level of the thalamus before subsequent transmission to the cerebral cortex. This incoming sensory stream is refined and modulated in the thalamus by numerous descending corticothalamic projections originating in layer 6 that ultimately alter the sensitivity and selectivity for sensory features. In general, these sensory thalamo-cortico-thalamic loops are considered strictly unilateral, i.e., no contralateral crosstalk between cortex and thalamus. However, in contrast to this canonical view, we characterize here a prominent contralateral corticothalamic projection originating in the insular cortex, utilizing both retrograde tracing and cre-lox mediated viral anterograde tracing strategies with the Ntsr1-Cre transgenic mouse line. From our studies, we find that the insular contralateral corticothalamic projection originates from a separate population of layer 6 neurons than the ipsilateral corticothalamic projection. Furthermore, the contralateral projection targets a topographically distinct subregion of the thalamus than the ipsilateral projection. These findings suggest a unique bilateral mechanism for the top-down refinement of ascending sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Charles C. Lee
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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24
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Whilden CM, Chevée M, An SY, Brown SP. The synaptic inputs and thalamic projections of two classes of layer 6 corticothalamic neurons in primary somatosensory cortex of the mouse. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3751-3771. [PMID: 33908623 PMCID: PMC8551307 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although corticothalamic neurons (CThNs) represent the largest source of synaptic input to thalamic neurons, their role in regulating thalamocortical interactions remains incompletely understood. CThNs in sensory cortex have historically been divided into two types, those with cell bodies in Layer 6 (L6) that project back to primary sensory thalamic nuclei and those with cell bodies in Layer 5 (L5) that project to higher-order thalamic nuclei and subcortical structures. Recently, diversity among L6 CThNs has increasingly been appreciated. In the rodent somatosensory cortex, two major classes of L6 CThNs have been identified: one projecting to the ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPM-only L6 CThNs) and one projecting to both VPM and the posterior medial nucleus (VPM/POm L6 CThNs). Using rabies-based tracing methods in mice, we asked whether these L6 CThN populations integrate similar synaptic inputs. We found that both types of L6 CThNs received local input from somatosensory cortex and thalamic input from VPM and POm. However, VPM/POm L6 CThNs received significantly more input from a number of additional cortical areas, higher order thalamic nuclei, and subcortical structures. We also found that the two types of L6 CThNs target different functional regions within the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Together, our results indicate that these two types of L6 CThNs represent distinct information streams in the somatosensory cortex and suggest that VPM-only L6 CThNs regulate, via their more restricted circuits, sensory responses related to a cortical column while VPM/POm L6 CThNs, which are integrated into more widespread POm-related circuits, relay contextual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Michelle Whilden
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Seong Yeol An
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Solange Pezon Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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25
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Adibi M, Lampl I. Sensory Adaptation in the Whisker-Mediated Tactile System: Physiology, Theory, and Function. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:770011. [PMID: 34776857 PMCID: PMC8586522 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.770011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In the natural environment, organisms are constantly exposed to a continuous stream of sensory input. The dynamics of sensory input changes with organism's behaviour and environmental context. The contextual variations may induce >100-fold change in the parameters of the stimulation that an animal experiences. Thus, it is vital for the organism to adapt to the new diet of stimulation. The response properties of neurons, in turn, dynamically adjust to the prevailing properties of sensory stimulation, a process known as "neuronal adaptation." Neuronal adaptation is a ubiquitous phenomenon across all sensory modalities and occurs at different stages of processing from periphery to cortex. In spite of the wealth of research on contextual modulation and neuronal adaptation in visual and auditory systems, the neuronal and computational basis of sensory adaptation in somatosensory system is less understood. Here, we summarise the recent finding and views about the neuronal adaptation in the rodent whisker-mediated tactile system and further summarise the functional effect of neuronal adaptation on the response dynamics and encoding efficiency of neurons at single cell and population levels along the whisker-mediated touch system in rodents. Based on direct and indirect pieces of evidence presented here, we suggest sensory adaptation provides context-dependent functional mechanisms for noise reduction in sensory processing, salience processing and deviant stimulus detection, shift between integration and coincidence detection, band-pass frequency filtering, adjusting neuronal receptive fields, enhancing neural coding and improving discriminability around adapting stimuli, energy conservation, and disambiguating encoding of principal features of tactile stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Adibi
- Department of Physiology and Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Neuroscience and Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ilan Lampl
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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26
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Antunes FM, Malmierca MS. Corticothalamic Pathways in Auditory Processing: Recent Advances and Insights From Other Sensory Systems. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:721186. [PMID: 34489648 PMCID: PMC8418311 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.721186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The corticothalamic (CT) pathways emanate from either Layer 5 (L5) or 6 (L6) of the neocortex and largely outnumber the ascending, thalamocortical pathways. The CT pathways provide the anatomical foundations for an intricate, bidirectional communication between thalamus and cortex. They act as dynamic circuits of information transfer with the ability to modulate or even drive the response properties of target neurons at each synaptic node of the circuit. L6 CT feedback pathways enable the cortex to shape the nature of its driving inputs, by directly modulating the sensory message arriving at the thalamus. L5 CT pathways can drive the postsynaptic neurons and initiate a transthalamic corticocortical circuit by which cortical areas communicate with each other. For this reason, L5 CT pathways place the thalamus at the heart of information transfer through the cortical hierarchy. Recent evidence goes even further to suggest that the thalamus via CT pathways regulates functional connectivity within and across cortical regions, and might be engaged in cognition, behavior, and perceptual inference. As descending pathways that enable reciprocal and context-dependent communication between thalamus and cortex, we venture that CT projections are particularly interesting in the context of hierarchical perceptual inference formulations such as those contemplated in predictive processing schemes, which so far heavily rely on cortical implementations. We discuss recent proposals suggesting that the thalamus, and particularly higher order thalamus via transthalamic pathways, could coordinate and contextualize hierarchical inference in cortical hierarchies. We will explore these ideas with a focus on the auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora M. Antunes
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (CANELAB), Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Manuel S. Malmierca
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (CANELAB), Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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27
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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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28
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Saldeitis K, Jeschke M, Budinger E, Ohl FW, Happel MFK. Laser-Induced Apoptosis of Corticothalamic Neurons in Layer VI of Auditory Cortex Impact on Cortical Frequency Processing. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:659280. [PMID: 34322001 PMCID: PMC8311662 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.659280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticofugal projections outnumber subcortical input projections by far. However, the specific role for signal processing of corticofugal feedback is still less well understood in comparisonto the feedforward projection. Here, we lesioned corticothalamic (CT) neurons in layers V and/or VI of the auditory cortex of Mongolian gerbils by laser-induced photolysis to investigate their contribution to cortical activation patterns. We have used laminar current-source density (CSD) recordings of tone-evoked responses and could show that, particularly, lesion of CT neurons in layer VI affected cortical frequency processing. Specifically, we found a decreased gain of best-frequency input in thalamocortical (TC)-recipient input layers that correlated with the relative lesion of layer VI neurons, but not layer V neurons. Using cortical silencing with the GABA a -agonist muscimol and layer-specific intracortical microstimulation (ICMS), we found that direct activation of infragranular layers recruited a local recurrent cortico-thalamo-cortical loop of synaptic input. This recurrent feedback was also only interrupted when lesioning layer VI neurons, but not cells in layer V. Our study thereby shows distinct roles of these two types of CT neurons suggesting a particular impact of CT feedback from layer VI to affect the local feedforward frequency processing in auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Saldeitis
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Group, Cognitive Hearing in Primates Lab, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcus Jeschke
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Group, Cognitive Hearing in Primates Lab, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eike Budinger
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Frank W Ohl
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute of Biology (IBIO), University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Max F K Happel
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.,Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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29
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Ibrahim BA, Murphy CA, Yudintsev G, Shinagawa Y, Banks MI, Llano DA. Corticothalamic gating of population auditory thalamocortical transmission in mouse. eLife 2021; 10:e56645. [PMID: 34028350 PMCID: PMC8186908 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms that govern thalamocortical transmission are poorly understood. Recent data have shown that sensory stimuli elicit activity in ensembles of cortical neurons that recapitulate stereotyped spontaneous activity patterns. Here, we elucidate a possible mechanism by which gating of patterned population cortical activity occurs. In this study, sensory-evoked all-or-none cortical population responses were observed in the mouse auditory cortex in vivo and similar stochastic cortical responses were observed in a colliculo-thalamocortical brain slice preparation. Cortical responses were associated with decreases in auditory thalamic synaptic inhibition and increases in thalamic synchrony. Silencing of corticothalamic neurons in layer 6 (but not layer 5) or the thalamic reticular nucleus linearized the cortical responses, suggesting that layer 6 corticothalamic feedback via the thalamic reticular nucleus was responsible for gating stochastic cortical population responses. These data implicate a corticothalamic-thalamic reticular nucleus circuit that modifies thalamic neuronal synchronization to recruit populations of cortical neurons for sensory representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baher A Ibrahim
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Caitlin A Murphy
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
| | - Georgiy Yudintsev
- Neuroscience Program, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Yoshitaka Shinagawa
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - Matthew I Banks
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin-MadisonUnited States
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- Neuroscience Program, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
- College of Medicine, University of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
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30
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Schäfer CB, Gao Z, De Zeeuw CI, Hoebeek FE. Temporal dynamics of the cerebello-cortical convergence in ventro-lateral motor thalamus. J Physiol 2021; 599:2055-2073. [PMID: 33492688 PMCID: PMC8048920 DOI: 10.1113/jp280455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Ventrolateral thalamus (VL) integrates information from cerebellar nuclei and motor cortical layer VI. Inputs from the cerebellar nuclei evoke large-amplitude responses that depress upon repetitive stimulation while layer VI inputs from motor cortex induce small-amplitude facilitating responses. We report that the spiking of VL neurons can be determined by the thalamic membrane potential, the frequency of cerebellar inputs and the duration of pauses after cerebellar high frequency stimulation. Inputs from motor cortical layer VI shift the VL membrane potential and modulate the VL spike output in response to cerebellar stimulation. These results help us to decipher how the cerebellar output is integrated in VL and modulated by motor cortical input. ABSTRACT Orchestrating complex movements requires well-timed interaction of cerebellar, thalamic and cerebral structures, but the mechanisms underlying the integration of cerebro-cerebellar information in motor thalamus remain largely unknown. Here we investigated how excitatory inputs from cerebellar nuclei (CN) and primary motor cortex layer VI (M1-L6) neurons may regulate the activity of neurons in the mouse ventrolateral (VL) thalamus. Using dual-optical stimulation of the CN and M1-L6 axons and in vitro whole-cell recordings of the responses in VL neurons, we studied the individual responses as well as the effects of combined CN and M1-L6 stimulation. Whereas CN inputs evoked large-amplitude responses that were depressed upon repetitive stimulation, M1-L6 inputs elicited small-amplitude responses that were facilitated upon repetitive stimulation. Moreover, pauses in CN stimuli could directly affect VL spiking probability, an effect that was modulated by VL membrane potential. When CN and M1-L6 pathways were co-activated, motor cortical afferents increased the thalamic spike output in response to cerebellar stimulation, indicating that CN and M1 synergistically, yet differentially, control the membrane potential and spiking pattern of VL neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhenyu Gao
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MCRotterdam3015 AAThe Netherlands
| | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MCRotterdam3015 AAThe Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for NeuroscienceRoyal Dutch Academy of Arts & ScienceAmsterdam1105 BAThe Netherlands
| | - Freek E. Hoebeek
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MCRotterdam3015 AAThe Netherlands
- Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and Brain CenterUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht3584 EAThe Netherlands
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31
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Whitmire CJ, Liew YJ, Stanley GB. Thalamic state influences timing precision in the thalamocortical circuit. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:1833-1850. [PMID: 33760642 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00261.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory signals from the outside world are transduced at the periphery, passing through thalamus before reaching cortex, ultimately giving rise to the sensory representations that enable us to perceive the world. The thalamocortical circuit is particularly sensitive to the temporal precision of thalamic spiking due to highly convergent synaptic connectivity. Thalamic neurons can exhibit burst and tonic modes of firing that strongly influence timing within the thalamus. The impact of these changes in thalamic state on sensory encoding in the cortex, however, remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of thalamic state on timing in the thalamocortical circuit of the vibrissa pathway in the anesthetized rat. We optogenetically hyperpolarized thalamus while recording single unit activity in both thalamus and cortex. Tonic spike-triggered analysis revealed temporally precise thalamic spiking that was locked to weak white-noise sensory stimuli, whereas thalamic burst spiking was associated with a loss in stimulus-locked temporal precision. These thalamic state-dependent changes propagated to cortex such that the cortical timing precision was diminished during the hyperpolarized (burst biased) thalamic state. Although still sensory driven, the cortical neurons became significantly less precisely locked to the weak white-noise stimulus. The results here suggests a state-dependent differential regulation of spike timing precision in the thalamus that could gate what signals are ultimately propagated to cortex.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The majority of sensory signals are transmitted through the thalamus. There is growing evidence of complex thalamic gating through coordinated firing modes that have a strong impact on cortical sensory representations. Optogenetic hyperpolarization of thalamus pushed it into burst firing that disrupted precise time-locked sensory signaling, with a direct impact on the downstream cortical encoding, setting the stage for a timing-based thalamic gate of sensory signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa J Whitmire
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Yi Juin Liew
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Joint PhD Program in Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology-Emory University-Peking University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Garrett B Stanley
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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32
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Rockland KS. A Closer Look at Corticothalamic "Loops". Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:632668. [PMID: 33603649 PMCID: PMC7884447 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.632668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen S Rockland
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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33
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Clayton KK, Williamson RS, Hancock KE, Tasaka GI, Mizrahi A, Hackett T, Polley DB. Auditory Corticothalamic Neurons Are Recruited by Motor Preparatory Inputs. Curr Biol 2021; 31:310-321.e5. [PMID: 33157020 PMCID: PMC7855066 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Corticothalamic (CT) neurons comprise the largest component of the descending sensory corticofugal pathway, but their contributions to brain function and behavior remain an unsolved mystery. To address the hypothesis that layer 6 (L6) CTs may be activated by extra-sensory inputs prior to anticipated sounds, we performed optogenetically targeted single-unit recordings and two-photon imaging of Ntsr1-Cre+ L6 CT neurons in the primary auditory cortex (A1) while mice were engaged in an active listening task. We found that L6 CTs and other L6 units began spiking hundreds of milliseconds prior to orofacial movements linked to sound presentation and reward, but not to other movements such as locomotion, which were not linked to an explicit behavioral task. Rabies tracing of monosynaptic inputs to A1 L6 CT neurons revealed a narrow strip of cholinergic and non-cholinergic projection neurons in the external globus pallidus, suggesting a potential source of motor-related input. These findings identify new pathways and local circuits for motor modulation of sound processing and suggest a new role for CT neurons in active sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kameron K. Clayton
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Ross S. Williamson
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Dept. Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 US
| | - Kenneth E. Hancock
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Dept. Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 US
| | - Gen-ichi Tasaka
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Dept. Neurobiology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem ISR
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Dept. Neurobiology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem ISR
| | - Troy Hackett
- Dept. Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville TN, 37203 USA
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- Dept. Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114 US
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34
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Dynamics of neuronal oscillations underlying nociceptive response in the mouse primary somatosensory cortex. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1667. [PMID: 33462296 PMCID: PMC7813887 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81067-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is caused by tissue injury, inflammatory disease, pathogen invasion, or neuropathy. The perception of pain is attributed to the neuronal activity in the brain. However, the dynamics of neuronal activity underlying pain perception are not fully known. Herein, we examined theta-oscillation dynamics of local field potentials in the primary somatosensory cortex of a mouse model of formalin-induced pain, which usually shows a bimodal behavioral response interposed between pain-free periods. We found that formalin injection exerted a reversible shift in the theta-peak frequency toward a slower frequency. This shift was observed during nociceptive phases but not during the pain-free period and was inversely correlated with instantaneous pain intensity. Furthermore, instantaneous oscillatory analysis indicated that the probability of slow theta oscillations increased during nociceptive phases with an association of augmented slow theta power. Finally, cross-frequency coupling between theta and gamma oscillations indicated that the coupling peak frequency of theta oscillations was also shifted toward slower oscillations without affecting coupling strength or gamma power. Together, these results suggest that the dynamic changes in theta oscillations in the mouse primary somatosensory cortex represent the ongoing status of pain sensation.
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35
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Wolff M, Morceau S, Folkard R, Martin-Cortecero J, Groh A. A thalamic bridge from sensory perception to cognition. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 120:222-235. [PMID: 33246018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The ability to adapt to dynamic environments requires tracking multiple signals with variable sensory salience and fluctuating behavioral relevance. This complex process requires integrative crosstalk between sensory and cognitive brain circuits. Functional interactions between cortical and thalamic regions are now considered essential for both sensory perception and cognition but a clear account of the functional link between sensory and cognitive circuits is currently lacking. This review aims to document how thalamic nuclei may effectively act as a bridge allowing to fuse perceptual and cognitive events into meaningful experiences. After highlighting key aspects of thalamocortical circuits such as the classic first-order/higher-order dichotomy, we consider the role of the thalamic reticular nucleus from directed attention to cognition. We next summarize research relying on Pavlovian learning paradigms, showing that both first-order and higher-order thalamic nuclei contribute to associative learning. Finally, we propose that modulator inputs reaching all thalamic nuclei may be critical for integrative purposes when environmental signals are computed. Altogether, the thalamus appears as the bridge linking perception, cognition and possibly affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Wolff
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; University of Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.
| | - S Morceau
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; University of Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - R Folkard
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, INF 326, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - J Martin-Cortecero
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, INF 326, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - A Groh
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, INF 326, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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36
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Okigawa S, Yamaguchi M, Ito KN, Takeuchi RF, Morimoto N, Osakada F. Cell type- and layer-specific convergence in core and shell neurons of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:2099-2124. [PMID: 33236346 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Over 40 distinct types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) generate parallel processing pathways in the visual system. In mice, two subdivisions of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), the core and the shell, organize distinct parallel channels to transmit visual information from the retina to the primary visual cortex (V1). To investigate how the dLGN core and shell differentially integrate visual information and other modalities, we mapped synaptic input sources to each dLGN subdivision at the cell-type level with G-deleted rabies viral vectors. The monosynaptic circuit tracing revealed that dLGN core neurons received inputs from alpha-RGCs, Layer 6 neurons of the V1, the superficial and intermediate layers of the superior colliculus (SC), the internal ventral LGN, the lower layer of the external ventral LGN (vLGNe), the intergeniculate leaf, the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), and the pretectal nucleus (PT). Conversely, shell neurons received inputs from alpha-RGCs and direction-selective ganglion cells of the retina, Layer 6 neurons of the V1, the superficial layer of the SC, the superficial and lower layers of the vLGNe, the TRN, the PT, and the parabigeminal nucleus. The present study provides anatomical evidence of the cell type- and layer-specific convergence in dLGN core and shell neurons. These findings suggest that dLGN core neurons integrate and process more multimodal information along with visual information than shell neurons and that LGN core and shell neurons integrate different types of information, send their own convergent information to discrete populations of the V1, and differentially contribute to visual perception and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayumi Okigawa
- Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahiro Yamaguchi
- Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kei N Ito
- Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ryosuke F Takeuchi
- Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Nao Morimoto
- Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Laboratory of Neural Information Processing, Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Fumitaka Osakada
- Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Laboratory of Neural Information Processing, Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Institute of Nano-Life-Systems, Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,PRESTO/CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan
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37
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Jelinčić V, Torta DM, Van Diest I, von Leupoldt A. Cross-modal relationships of neural gating with the subjective perception of respiratory and somatosensory sensations. Psychophysiology 2020; 58:e13710. [PMID: 33107062 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Neural gating is a phenomenon whereby the response to a stimulus in the electroencephalogram (EEG) is attenuated when preceded by an identical stimulus. Attenuation of paired auditory clicks has repeatedly been shown to be affected in mental disorders, for example, schizophrenia. Neural gating has also been measured for respiratory and somatosensory sensations, however the attenuation of bodily relevant stimuli has not yet been systematically related to the subjective perception of bodily sensations. This research direction is potentially relevant to explaining disease trajectories in psychosomatic conditions characterized by chronic breathlessness and/or pain. In the present study, we recorded high-density EEG from 85 healthy young adults while they experienced brief paired respiratory occlusions and brief paired electrocutaneous stimulation of the wrist. The event-related potential N1 was measured centro-laterally in response to the second relative to the first stimulus to quantify neural gating in both sensory domains. Participants experienced resistive loaded breaths and electrocutaneous stimuli of various intensities, rated their perceived intensity and unpleasantness, and performed magnitude estimation. Relationships of respiratory and somatosensory neural gating to the subjective intensity and unpleasantness of sensations, as well as the ability to discriminate sensations of varying intensities, were investigated intra-modally and cross-modally. We report significant relationships of the somatosensory neural gating to perceived intensity and unpleasantness of respiratory and somatosensory sensations, with the stronger neural gating relating to a stronger subjective intensity and unpleasantness. We discuss these unexpected findings through the lens of individual differences and different theoretical accounts on the origins of cortical attenuation of repetitive stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Jelinčić
- Research Group Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Diana M Torta
- Research Group Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ilse Van Diest
- Research Group Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andreas von Leupoldt
- Research Group Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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38
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Antonini A, Sattin A, Moroni M, Bovetti S, Moretti C, Succol F, Forli A, Vecchia D, Rajamanickam VP, Bertoncini A, Panzeri S, Liberale C, Fellin T. Extended field-of-view ultrathin microendoscopes for high-resolution two-photon imaging with minimal invasiveness. eLife 2020; 9:58882. [PMID: 33048047 PMCID: PMC7685710 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Imaging neuronal activity with high and homogeneous spatial resolution across the field-of-view (FOV) and limited invasiveness in deep brain regions is fundamental for the progress of neuroscience, yet is a major technical challenge. We achieved this goal by correcting optical aberrations in gradient index lens-based ultrathin (≤500 µm) microendoscopes using aspheric microlenses generated through 3D-microprinting. Corrected microendoscopes had extended FOV (eFOV) with homogeneous spatial resolution for two-photon fluorescence imaging and required no modification of the optical set-up. Synthetic calcium imaging data showed that, compared to uncorrected endoscopes, eFOV-microendoscopes led to improved signal-to-noise ratio and more precise evaluation of correlated neuronal activity. We experimentally validated these predictions in awake head-fixed mice. Moreover, using eFOV-microendoscopes we demonstrated cell-specific encoding of behavioral state-dependent information in distributed functional subnetworks in a primary somatosensory thalamic nucleus. eFOV-microendoscopes are, therefore, small-cross-section ready-to-use tools for deep two-photon functional imaging with unprecedentedly high and homogeneous spatial resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Antonini
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Nanostructures Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Andrea Sattin
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,University of Genova, Genova, Italy.,Neural Coding Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova and Rovereto, Italy
| | - Monica Moroni
- Neural Coding Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova and Rovereto, Italy.,Neural Computation Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.,Center for Mind and Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Serena Bovetti
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Claudio Moretti
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Francesca Succol
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Angelo Forli
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Neural Coding Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova and Rovereto, Italy
| | - Dania Vecchia
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Neural Coding Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova and Rovereto, Italy
| | - Vijayakumar P Rajamanickam
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Nanostructures Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Andrea Bertoncini
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Stefano Panzeri
- Neural Coding Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova and Rovereto, Italy.,Neural Computation Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Carlo Liberale
- Nanostructures Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tommaso Fellin
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Neural Coding Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova and Rovereto, Italy
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39
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Fesce R. Subjectivity as an Emergent Property of Information Processing by Neuronal Networks. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:548071. [PMID: 33071734 PMCID: PMC7539658 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.548071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we examine subjectivity and consciousness as emergent properties of the computational complexity of information processing by the brain, rather than metaphysical phenomena. While Psychology concentrates on the emergent properties and Neurobiology examines the properties of the biological substrate, Neurophysiology and Cognitive Neuroscience link the two levels by investigating the mechanisms and processes by which the functions of the brain emerge from the anatomical, cellular and network properties of the nervous system. Our purpose here is not to locate the neural structures that sustain subjectivity or other psychic functions; rather, we examine the operating modes of neurons and neural circuits: they reveal an intrinsically relational quality; sensory elaboration itself proves to be relational and self-centred, necessarily associated with the vital, hedonic, emotional relevance of each experience and external cue, and intrinsically oriented to a behavioral interaction with the latter. The hippocampus adds to this self-centred relational perspective the capability of transforming the identification and the spatial location of objects into a contextualized representation of reality. Since the hippocampus is strongly interconnected with the archaic structures that evaluate vital and hedonic relevance and generate emotional responses, the contextualized information, emotionally colored, is transformed into a comprehensive individual experience. This way, a subjective, self-centred, affectively colored perspective arises in animals due to the intrinsic properties of neuronal circuits in the brain. We conclude that neuronal network processing is strongly characterized per se by a relational and self-centred (subjective) and emotionally colored, motivationally oriented (personal) perspective. The properties and features of neural processing discussed here constitute well-established knowledge in the neuroscientific community. Yet, from a layman’s perception, subjectivity still mysteriously arises in our brain due to the action of consciousness, and in epistemological and philosophical debates, the question often arises as to how consciousness may add the subjective and personal perspective to neural elaboration. The answer appears to be simple: it does not; subjectivity is already there, present ab initio in neuronal processing and not added a posteriori by some other “consciousness” function of unclear neural basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Fesce
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Italy
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40
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Frandolig JE, Matney CJ, Lee K, Kim J, Chevée M, Kim SJ, Bickert AA, Brown SP. The Synaptic Organization of Layer 6 Circuits Reveals Inhibition as a Major Output of a Neocortical Sublamina. Cell Rep 2020; 28:3131-3143.e5. [PMID: 31533036 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical cortical microcircuit has principally been defined by interlaminar excitatory connections among the six layers of the neocortex. However, excitatory neurons in layer 6 (L6), a layer whose functional organization is poorly understood, form relatively rare synaptic connections with other cortical excitatory neurons. Here, we show that the vast majority of parvalbumin inhibitory neurons in a sublamina within L6 send axons through the cortical layers toward the pia. These interlaminar inhibitory neurons receive local synaptic inputs from both major types of L6 excitatory neurons and receive stronger input from thalamocortical afferents than do neighboring pyramidal neurons. The distribution of these interlaminar interneurons and their synaptic connectivity further support a functional subdivision within the standard six layers of the cortex. Positioned to integrate local and long-distance inputs in this sublayer, these interneurons generate an inhibitory interlaminar output. These findings call for a revision to the canonical cortical microcircuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn Ellen Frandolig
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chanel Joylae Matney
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kihwan Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Juhyun Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Su-Jeong Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Aaron Andrew Bickert
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Solange Pezon Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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41
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Augustinaite S, Kuhn B. Complementary Ca 2+ Activity of Sensory Activated and Suppressed Layer 6 Corticothalamic Neurons Reflects Behavioral State. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3945-3960.e5. [PMID: 32822605 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Layer 6 (L6) corticothalamic neurons project to thalamus, where they are thought to regulate sensory information transmission to cortex. However, the activity of these neurons during different behavioral states has not been described. Here, we imaged calcium changes in visual cortex L6 primary corticothalamic neurons with two-photon microscopy in head-fixed mice in response to passive viewing during a range of behavioral states, from locomotion to sleep. In addition to a substantial fraction of quiet neurons, we found sensory-activated and suppressed neurons, comprising two functionally distinct L6 feedback channels. Quiet neurons could be dynamically recruited to one or another functional channel, and the opposite, functional neurons could become quiet under different stimulation conditions or behavior states. The state dependence of neuronal activity was heterogeneous with respect to locomotion or level of alertness, although the average activity was largest during highest vigilance within populations of functional neurons. Interestingly, complementary activity of these distinct populations kept the overall corticothalamic feedback relatively constant during any given behavioral state. Thereby, in addition to sensory and non-sensory information, a constant activity level characteristic of behavioral state is conveyed to thalamus, where it can regulate signal transmission from the periphery to cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigita Augustinaite
- Optical Neuroimaging Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, 904-0495 Okinawa, Japan.
| | - Bernd Kuhn
- Optical Neuroimaging Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, 904-0495 Okinawa, Japan.
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42
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Ansorge J, Humanes‐Valera D, Pauzin FP, Schwarz MK, Krieger P. Cortical layer 6 control of sensory responses in higher‐order thalamus. J Physiol 2020; 598:3973-4001. [DOI: 10.1113/jp279915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Ansorge
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Systems Neuroscience Ruhr University Bochum Bochum Germany
| | - Desire Humanes‐Valera
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Systems Neuroscience Ruhr University Bochum Bochum Germany
| | - François P. Pauzin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Systems Neuroscience Ruhr University Bochum Bochum Germany
| | - Martin K. Schwarz
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research University of Bonn Medical School Bonn Germany
| | - Patrik Krieger
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Systems Neuroscience Ruhr University Bochum Bochum Germany
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43
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Context-dependent and dynamic functional influence of corticothalamic pathways to first- and higher-order visual thalamus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:13066-13077. [PMID: 32461374 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002080117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Layer 6 (L6) is the sole purveyor of corticothalamic (CT) feedback to first-order thalamus and also sends projections to higher-order thalamus, yet how it engages the full corticothalamic circuit to contribute to sensory processing in an awake animal remains unknown. We sought to elucidate the functional impact of L6CT projections from the primary visual cortex to the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (first-order) and pulvinar (higher-order) using optogenetics and extracellular electrophysiology in awake mice. While sustained L6CT photostimulation suppresses activity in both visual thalamic nuclei in vivo, moderate-frequency (10 Hz) stimulation powerfully facilitates thalamic spiking. We show that each stimulation paradigm differentially influences the balance between monosynaptic excitatory and disynaptic inhibitory corticothalamic pathways to the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus and pulvinar, as well as the prevalence of burst versus tonic firing. Altogether, our results support a model in which L6CTs modulate first- and higher-order thalamus through parallel excitatory and inhibitory pathways that are highly dynamic and context-dependent.
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44
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Mujica-Parodi LR, Strey HH. Making Sense of Computational Psychiatry. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 23:339-347. [PMID: 32219396 PMCID: PMC7251632 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In psychiatry we often speak of constructing "models." Here we try to make sense of what such a claim might mean, starting with the most fundamental question: "What is (and isn't) a model?" We then discuss, in a concrete measurable sense, what it means for a model to be useful. In so doing, we first identify the added value that a computational model can provide in the context of accuracy and power. We then present limitations of standard statistical methods and provide suggestions for how we can expand the explanatory power of our analyses by reconceptualizing statistical models as dynamical systems. Finally, we address the problem of model building-suggesting ways in which computational psychiatry can escape the potential for cognitive biases imposed by classical hypothesis-driven research, exploiting deep systems-level information contained within neuroimaging data to advance our understanding of psychiatric neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilianne R Mujica-Parodi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York,Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York,Correspondence: Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi, PhD, Director, Laboratory for Computational Neurodiagnostics, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5281 () or Helmut H. Strey, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5281 ()
| | - Helmut H Strey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York,Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York,Correspondence: Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi, PhD, Director, Laboratory for Computational Neurodiagnostics, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5281 () or Helmut H. Strey, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5281 ()
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45
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Layer 6b Is Driven by Intracortical Long-Range Projection Neurons. Cell Rep 2020; 30:3492-3505.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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46
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Gornati SV, Schäfer CB, Eelkman Rooda OHJ, Nigg AL, De Zeeuw CI, Hoebeek FE. Differentiating Cerebellar Impact on Thalamic Nuclei. Cell Rep 2019; 23:2690-2704. [PMID: 29847799 PMCID: PMC5990493 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.04.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum plays a role in coordination of movements and non-motor functions. Cerebellar nuclei (CN) axons connect to various parts of the thalamo-cortical network, but detailed information on the characteristics of cerebello-thalamic connections is lacking. Here, we assessed the cerebellar input to the ventrolateral (VL), ventromedial (VM), and centrolateral (CL) thalamus. Confocal and electron microscopy showed an increased density and size of CN axon terminals in VL compared to VM or CL. Electrophysiological recordings in vitro revealed that optogenetic CN stimulation resulted in enhanced charge transfer and action potential firing in VL neurons compared to VM or CL neurons, despite that the paired-pulse ratio was not significantly different. Together, these findings indicate that the impact of CN input onto neurons of different thalamic nuclei varies substantially, which highlights the possibility that cerebellar output differentially controls various parts of the thalamo-cortical network. Cerebello-thalamic axons form terminals of varying size in distinct thalamic nuclei Cerebello-thalamic responses vary in amplitude in distinct thalamic nuclei Repetitive stimuli depress cerebello-thalamic responses in all thalamic nuclei
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona V Gornati
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carmen B Schäfer
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Oscar H J Eelkman Rooda
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Neurosurgery, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alex L Nigg
- Department of Pathology, Optical Imaging Center, Erasmus MC, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy for Arts and Sciences, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freek E Hoebeek
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; NIDOD Institute, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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47
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Pauzin FP, Schwarz N, Krieger P. Activation of Corticothalamic Layer 6 Cells Decreases Angular Tuning in Mouse Barrel Cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2019; 13:67. [PMID: 31736714 PMCID: PMC6838007 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In the mouse whisker system, the contribution of L6 corticothalamic cells (L6 CT) to cortical and thalamic processing of the whisker deflection direction was investigated. A genetically defined population of L6 CT cells project to infragranular GABAergic interneurons that hyperpolarize neurons in somatosensory barrel cortex (BC). Optogenetic activation of these neurons switched BC to an adapted mode in which excitatory cells lost their angular tuning. In contrast, however, this was not the case with a general activation of inhibitory interneurons via optogenetic activation of Gad2-expressing cells. The decrease in angular tuning, when L6 CT cells were activated, was due to changes in cortical inhibition, and not inherited from changes in the thalamic output. Furthermore, L6 CT driven cortical inhibition, but not the general activation of GABAergic interneurons, abolished adaptation to whisker responses. In the present study, evidence is presented that a subpopulation of L6 CT activates a specific circuit of GABAergic interneurons that will predispose neocortex toward processing of tactile information requiring multiple whisker touches, such as in a texture discrimination task.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Philippe Pauzin
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nadja Schwarz
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Patrik Krieger
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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48
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Network-Specific Synchronization of Electrical Slow-Wave Oscillations Regulates Sleep Drive in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3611-3621.e3. [PMID: 31630955 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Slow-wave rhythms characteristic of deep sleep oscillate in the delta band (0.5-4 Hz) and can be found across various brain regions in vertebrates. Across phyla, however, an understanding of the mechanisms underlying oscillations and how these link to behavior remains limited. Here, we discover compound delta oscillations in the sleep-regulating R5 network of Drosophila. We find that the power of these slow-wave oscillations increases with sleep need and is subject to diurnal variation. Optical multi-unit voltage recordings reveal that single R5 neurons get synchronized by activating circadian input pathways. We show that this synchronization depends on NMDA receptor (NMDAR) coincidence detector function, and that an interplay of cholinergic and glutamatergic inputs regulates oscillatory frequency. Genetically targeting the coincidence detector function of NMDARs in R5, and thus the uncovered mechanism underlying synchronization, abolished network-specific compound slow-wave oscillations. It also disrupted sleep and facilitated light-induced wakening, establishing a role for slow-wave oscillations in regulating sleep and sensory gating. We therefore propose that the synchronization-based increase in oscillatory power likely represents an evolutionarily conserved, potentially "optimal," strategy for constructing sleep-regulating sensory gates.
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49
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Cotel F, Fletcher LN, Kalita-de Croft S, Apergis-Schoute J, Williams SR. Cell Class-Dependent Intracortical Connectivity and Output Dynamics of Layer 6 Projection Neurons of the Rat Primary Visual Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:2340-2350. [PMID: 28591797 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical information processing is powerfully influenced by the activity of layer 6 projection neurons through control of local intracortical and subcortical circuitry. Morphologically distinct classes of layer 6 projection neuron have been identified in the mammalian visual cortex, which exhibit contrasting receptive field properties, but little information is available on their functional specificity. To address this we combined anatomical tracing techniques with high-resolution patch-clamp recording to identify morphological and functional distinct classes of layer 6 projection neurons in the rat primary visual cortex, which innervated separable subcortical territories. Multisite whole-cell recordings in brain slices revealed that corticoclaustral and corticothalamic layer 6 projection neurons exhibited similar somatically recorded electrophysiological properties. These classes of layer 6 projection neurons were sparsely and reciprocally synaptically interconnected, but could be differentiated by cell-class, but not target-cell-dependent rules of use-dependent depression and facilitation of unitary excitatory synaptic output. Corticoclaustral and corticothalamic layer 6 projection neurons were differentially innervated by columnar excitatory circuitry, with corticoclaustral, but not corticothalamic, neurons powerfully driven by layer 4 pyramidal neurons, and long-range pathways conveyed in neocortical layer 1. Our results therefore reveal projection target-specific, functionally distinct, streams of layer 6 output in the rodent neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Cotel
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
| | - Lee N Fletcher
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
| | | | - John Apergis-Schoute
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology & Behaviour, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, UK
| | - Stephen R Williams
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
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Pauzin FP, Krieger P. A Corticothalamic Circuit for Refining Tactile Encoding. Cell Rep 2019; 23:1314-1325. [PMID: 29719247 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental task for the brain is to determine which aspects of the continuous flow of information is the most relevant in a given behavioral situation. The information flow is regulated via dynamic interactions between feedforward and feedback pathways. One such pathway is via corticothalamic feedback. Layer 6 (L6) corticothalamic (CT) cells make both cortical and thalamic connections and, therefore, are key modulators of activity in both areas. The functional properties of L6 CT cells in sensory processing were investigated in the mouse whisker system. Optogenetic activation of L6 CT neurons decreased spontaneous spiking, with the net effect that a whisker-evoked response was more accurately detected (larger evoked-to-spontaneous spiking ratio) but at the expense of reducing the response probability. In addition, L6 CT activation decreases sensory adaptation in both the thalamus and cortex. L6 CT activity can thus tune the tactile system, depending on the behaviorally relevant tactile input.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Philippe Pauzin
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Patrik Krieger
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
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