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Upadhyay A, Gradwell MA, Vajtay TJ, Conner J, Sanyal AA, Azadegan C, Patel KR, Thackray JK, Bohic M, Imai F, Ogundare SO, Yoshida Y, Abdus-Saboor I, Azim E, Abraira VE. The Dorsal Column Nuclei Scale Mechanical Sensitivity in Naive and Neuropathic Pain States. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.20.581208. [PMID: 38712022 PMCID: PMC11071288 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.20.581208] [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
Tactile perception relies on reliable transmission and modulation of low-threshold information as it travels from the periphery to the brain. During pathological conditions, tactile stimuli can aberrantly engage nociceptive pathways leading to the perception of touch as pain, known as mechanical allodynia. Two main drivers of peripheral tactile information, low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs) and postsynaptic dorsal column neurons (PSDCs), terminate in the brainstem dorsal column nuclei (DCN). Activity within the DRG, spinal cord, and DCN have all been implicated in mediating allodynia, yet the DCN remains understudied at the cellular, circuit, and functional levels compared to the other two. Here, we show that the gracile nucleus (Gr) of the DCN mediates tactile sensitivity for low-threshold stimuli and contributes to mechanical allodynia during neuropathic pain in mice. We found that the Gr contains local inhibitory interneurons in addition to thalamus-projecting neurons, which are differentially innervated by primary afferents and spinal inputs. Functional manipulations of these distinct Gr neuronal populations resulted in bidirectional changes to tactile sensitivity, but did not affect noxious mechanical or thermal sensitivity. During neuropathic pain, silencing Gr projection neurons or activating Gr inhibitory neurons was able to reduce tactile hypersensitivity, and enhancing inhibition was able to ameliorate paw withdrawal signatures of neuropathic pain, like shaking. Collectively, these results suggest that the Gr plays a specific role in mediating hypersensitivity to low-threshold, innocuous mechanical stimuli during neuropathic pain, and that Gr activity contributes to affective, pain-associated phenotypes of mechanical allodynia. Therefore, these brainstem circuits work in tandem with traditional spinal circuits underlying allodynia, resulting in enhanced signaling of tactile stimuli in the brain during neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aman Upadhyay
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Neuroscience PhD program at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Mark A Gradwell
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Thomas J Vajtay
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - James Conner
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Arnab A Sanyal
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Chloe Azadegan
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Komal R Patel
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Joshua K Thackray
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Manon Bohic
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Fumiyasu Imai
- Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, New York City, New York, USA
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Simon O Ogundare
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Yutaka Yoshida
- Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, New York City, New York, USA
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Ishmail Abdus-Saboor
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Eiman Azim
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Victoria E Abraira
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Lead contact
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Marin Vargas A, Bisi A, Chiappa AS, Versteeg C, Miller LE, Mathis A. Task-driven neural network models predict neural dynamics of proprioception. Cell 2024; 187:1745-1761.e19. [PMID: 38518772 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Proprioception tells the brain the state of the body based on distributed sensory neurons. Yet, the principles that govern proprioceptive processing are poorly understood. Here, we employ a task-driven modeling approach to investigate the neural code of proprioceptive neurons in cuneate nucleus (CN) and somatosensory cortex area 2 (S1). We simulated muscle spindle signals through musculoskeletal modeling and generated a large-scale movement repertoire to train neural networks based on 16 hypotheses, each representing different computational goals. We found that the emerging, task-optimized internal representations generalize from synthetic data to predict neural dynamics in CN and S1 of primates. Computational tasks that aim to predict the limb position and velocity were the best at predicting the neural activity in both areas. Since task optimization develops representations that better predict neural activity during active than passive movements, we postulate that neural activity in the CN and S1 is top-down modulated during goal-directed movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Marin Vargas
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; NeuroX Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Axel Bisi
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; NeuroX Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alberto S Chiappa
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; NeuroX Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chris Versteeg
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Lee E Miller
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Alexander Mathis
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; NeuroX Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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3
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Kubota S, Sasaki C, Kikuta S, Yoshida J, Ito S, Gomi H, Oya T, Seki K. Modulation of somatosensory signal transmission in the primate cuneate nucleus during voluntary hand movement. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113884. [PMID: 38458194 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Primate hands house an array of mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors, which are essential for tactile and kinematic information crucial for daily motor action. While the regulation of these somatosensory signals is essential for hand movements, the specific central nervous system (CNS) location and mechanism remain unclear. Our study demonstrates the attenuation of somatosensory signals in the cuneate nucleus during voluntary movement, suggesting significant modulation at this initial relay station in the CNS. The attenuation is comparable to the cerebral cortex but more pronounced than in the spinal cord, indicating the cuneate nuclei's role in somatosensory perception modulation during movement. Moreover, our findings suggest that the descending motor tract may regulate somatosensory transmission in the cuneate nucleus, enhancing relevant signals and suppressing unnecessary ones for the regulation of movement. This process of recurrent somatosensory modulation between cortical and subcortical areas could be a basic mechanism for modulating somatosensory signals to achieve active perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Kubota
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Chika Sasaki
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Satomi Kikuta
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Junichiro Yoshida
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Sho Ito
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Co., Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Gomi
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Co., Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan
| | - Tomomichi Oya
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Seki
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan.
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Reed JL, Qi HX, Kaas JH. Implications for brainstem recovery from studies in primates after sensory loss from arm. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:479-480. [PMID: 37721262 PMCID: PMC10581547 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.380890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jamie L. Reed
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hui-Xin Qi
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jon H. Kaas
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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5
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Valle G, Katic Secerovic N, Eggemann D, Gorskii O, Pavlova N, Petrini FM, Cvancara P, Stieglitz T, Musienko P, Bumbasirevic M, Raspopovic S. Biomimetic computer-to-brain communication enhancing naturalistic touch sensations via peripheral nerve stimulation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1151. [PMID: 38378671 PMCID: PMC10879152 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45190-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Artificial communication with the brain through peripheral nerve stimulation shows promising results in individuals with sensorimotor deficits. However, these efforts lack an intuitive and natural sensory experience. In this study, we design and test a biomimetic neurostimulation framework inspired by nature, capable of "writing" physiologically plausible information back into the peripheral nervous system. Starting from an in-silico model of mechanoreceptors, we develop biomimetic stimulation policies. We then experimentally assess them alongside mechanical touch and common linear neuromodulations. Neural responses resulting from biomimetic neuromodulation are consistently transmitted towards dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord of cats, and their spatio-temporal neural dynamics resemble those naturally induced. We implement these paradigms within the bionic device and test it with patients (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03350061). He we report that biomimetic neurostimulation improves mobility (primary outcome) and reduces mental effort (secondary outcome) compared to traditional approaches. The outcomes of this neuroscience-driven technology, inspired by the human body, may serve as a model for advancing assistive neurotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Valle
- Laboratory for Neuroengineering, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Natalija Katic Secerovic
- Laboratory for Neuroengineering, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
- The Mihajlo Pupin Institute, University of Belgrade, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dominic Eggemann
- Laboratory for Neuroengineering, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Oleg Gorskii
- Laboratory for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory for Neuromodulation, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, National University of Science and Technology "MISIS", 119049, Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia Pavlova
- Laboratory for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Paul Cvancara
- Laboratory for Biomedical Microtechnology, Department of Microsystems Engineering-IMTEK, Bernstein Center, BrainLinks-BrainTools Center of Excellence, University of Freiburg, D-79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Stieglitz
- Laboratory for Biomedical Microtechnology, Department of Microsystems Engineering-IMTEK, Bernstein Center, BrainLinks-BrainTools Center of Excellence, University of Freiburg, D-79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Pavel Musienko
- Laboratory for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
- Sirius University of Science and Technology, Neuroscience Program, Sirius, Russia
- Laboratory for Neurorehabilitation Technologies, Life Improvement by Future Technologies Center "LIFT", Moscow, Russia
| | - Marko Bumbasirevic
- Orthopaedic Surgery Department, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Stanisa Raspopovic
- Laboratory for Neuroengineering, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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Christova M, Sylwester V, Gallasch E, Fresnoza S. Reduced Cerebellar Brain Inhibition and Vibrotactile Perception in Response to Mechanical Hand Stimulation at Flutter Frequency. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 23:67-81. [PMID: 36502502 PMCID: PMC10864223 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-022-01502-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum is traditionally considered a movement control structure because of its established afferent and efferent anatomical and functional connections with the motor cortex. In the last decade, studies also proposed its involvement in perception, particularly somatosensory acquisition and prediction of the sensory consequences of movement. However, compared to its role in motor control, the cerebellum's specific role or modulatory influence on other brain areas involved in sensory perception, specifically the primary sensorimotor cortex, is less clear. In the present study, we explored whether peripherally applied vibrotactile stimuli at flutter frequency affect functional cerebello-cortical connections. In 17 healthy volunteers, changes in cerebellar brain inhibition (CBI) and vibration perception threshold (VPT) were measured before and after a 20-min right hand mechanical stimulation at 25 Hz. 5 Hz mechanical stimulation of the right foot served as an active control condition. Performance in a Grooved Pegboard test (GPT) was also measured to assess stimulation's impact on motor performance. Hand stimulation caused a reduction in CBI (13.16%) and increased VPT but had no specific effect on GPT performance, while foot stimulation had no significant effect on all measures. The result added evidence to the functional connections between the cerebellum and primary motor cortex, as shown by CBI reduction. Meanwhile, the parallel increase in VPT indirectly suggests that the cerebellum influences the processing of vibrotactile stimulus through motor-sensory interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Christova
- Otto Loewi Research Center, Physiology Section, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/D05, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- Institute of Physiotherapy, University of Applied Sciences FH-Joanneum, Graz, Austria.
| | | | - Eugen Gallasch
- Otto Loewi Research Center, Physiology Section, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/D05, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Shane Fresnoza
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
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Shelchkova ND, Downey JE, Greenspon CM, Okorokova EV, Sobinov AR, Verbaarschot C, He Q, Sponheim C, Tortolani AF, Moore DD, Kaufman MT, Lee RC, Satzer D, Gonzalez-Martinez J, Warnke PC, Miller LE, Boninger ML, Gaunt RA, Collinger JL, Hatsopoulos NG, Bensmaia SJ. Microstimulation of human somatosensory cortex evokes task-dependent, spatially patterned responses in motor cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7270. [PMID: 37949923 PMCID: PMC10638421 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43140-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary motor (M1) and somatosensory (S1) cortices play critical roles in motor control but the signaling between these structures is poorly understood. To fill this gap, we recorded - in three participants in an ongoing human clinical trial (NCT01894802) for people with paralyzed hands - the responses evoked in the hand and arm representations of M1 during intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) in the hand representation of S1. We found that ICMS of S1 activated some M1 neurons at short, fixed latencies consistent with monosynaptic activation. Additionally, most of the ICMS-evoked responses in M1 were more variable in time, suggesting indirect effects of stimulation. The spatial pattern of M1 activation varied systematically: S1 electrodes that elicited percepts in a finger preferentially activated M1 neurons excited during that finger's movement. Moreover, the indirect effects of S1 ICMS on M1 were context dependent, such that the magnitude and even sign relative to baseline varied across tasks. We tested the implications of these effects for brain-control of a virtual hand, in which ICMS conveyed tactile feedback. While ICMS-evoked activation of M1 disrupted decoder performance, this disruption was minimized using biomimetic stimulation, which emphasizes contact transients at the onset and offset of grasp, and reduces sustained stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya D Shelchkova
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - John E Downey
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Charles M Greenspon
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Anton R Sobinov
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ceci Verbaarschot
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Qinpu He
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Caleb Sponheim
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ariana F Tortolani
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dalton D Moore
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matthew T Kaufman
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ray C Lee
- Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - David Satzer
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Peter C Warnke
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lee E Miller
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michael L Boninger
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Robert A Gaunt
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer L Collinger
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nicholas G Hatsopoulos
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sliman J Bensmaia
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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8
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Qi HX, Reed JL, Liao CC, Kaas JH. Regressive changes in sizes of somatosensory cuneate nucleus after sensory loss in primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2222076120. [PMID: 36877853 PMCID: PMC10242712 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2222076120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the early stages of processing sensory information suffer transneuronal atrophy when deprived of their activating inputs. For over 40 y, members of our laboratory have studied the reorganization of the somatosensory cortex during and after recovering from different types of sensory loss. Here, we took advantage of the preserved histological material from these studies of the cortical effects of sensory loss to evaluate the histological consequences in the cuneate nucleus of the lower brainstem and the adjoining spinal cord. The neurons in the cuneate nucleus are activated by touch on the hand and arm, and relay this activation to the contralateral thalamus, and from the thalamus to the primary somatosensory cortex. Neurons deprived of activating inputs tend to shrink and sometimes die. We considered the effects of differences in species, type and extent of sensory loss, recovery time after injury, and age at the time of injury on the histology of the cuneate nucleus. The results indicate that all injuries that deprived part or all of the cuneate nucleus of sensory activation result in some atrophy of neurons as reflected by a decrease in nucleus size. The extent of the atrophy is greater with greater sensory loss and with longer recovery times. Based on supporting research, atrophy appears to involve a reduction in neuron size and neuropil, with little or no neuron loss. Thus, the potential exists for restoring the hand to cortex pathway with brain-machine interfaces, for bionic prosthetics, or biologically with hand replacement surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Xin Qi
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Jamie L. Reed
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Chia-Chi Liao
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Jon H. Kaas
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
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9
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Wu R, Yang PF, Wang F, Liu Q, Gore JC, Chen LM. Differential Recovery of Submodality Touch Neurons and Interareal Communication in Sensory Input-Deprived Area 3b and S2 Cortices. J Neurosci 2022; 42:9330-9342. [PMID: 36379707 PMCID: PMC9794378 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0034-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical reactivation and regain of interareal functional connections have been linked to the recovery of hand grasping behavior after loss of sensory inputs in primates. We investigated contributions of neurons in two hierarchically organized somatosensory areas, 3b and S2, by characterizing local field potential (LFP) and multiunit spiking activity in five states (rest, stimulus-on, sustained, stimulus-off, and induced) and interareal communication after grasping behavior of dorsal column lesioned male squirrel monkeys had mostly recovered. Compared with normal cortex, fMRI, LFP, and spiking response magnitudes to step indentations were significantly weaker. The sustained component of the spiking recovered much better than the stimulus-off response. Correlation between overall spiking and γ LFP remained strong within each recovered areas 3b and S2. The interareal correlations of γ LFP were severely disrupted, except in the resting and stimulus-on periods. Interareal correlation of spiking was disrupted in the stimulus-off period only. In summary, submodality of low threshold mechanoreceptive neurons recovered differentially in input-deprived area 3b and S2 when impaired global hand grasping behavior returned. Slow-adapting-like neurons recovered, whereas rapid-adapting-like neurons did not. Interareal communications were also severely compromised. We propose that slow-adapting-like neurons and afferents in recovered area 3b and S2 mediate recovery of impaired grasping behavior after dorsal column tract lesion.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sensory feedback is essential for execution of hand grasping behavior in primates. Reactivations of somatosensory cortices have been attributed to recovery of such behavior after loss of sensory inputs via largely unknown mechanisms. In input-deprived area 3b and S2 cortex, after hand grasping behavior mostly recovered, we found slow-adapting-like neurons were greatly recovered, whereas rapid-adapting-like neurons did not. Communications between area 3b and S2 neurons were severely compromised. We suggest that recovery of slow-adapting-like neurons in input-deprived area 3b and S2 may mediate the recovery of hand grasping behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Wu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Pai-Feng Yang
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Feng Wang
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Qing Liu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Biomedical Engineer, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Li Min Chen
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
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10
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The encoding of touch by somatotopically aligned dorsal column subdivisions. Nature 2022; 612:310-315. [PMID: 36418401 PMCID: PMC9729103 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05470-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The somatosensory system decodes a range of tactile stimuli to generate a coherent sense of touch. Discriminative touch of the body depends on signals conveyed from peripheral mechanoreceptors to the brain through the spinal cord dorsal column and its brainstem target, the dorsal column nuclei (DCN)1,2. Models of somatosensation emphasize that fast-conducting low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs) innervating the skin drive the DCN3,4. However, postsynaptic dorsal column (PSDC) neurons within the spinal cord dorsal horn also collect mechanoreceptor signals and form a second major input to the DCN5-7. The significance of PSDC neurons and their contributions to the coding of touch have remained unclear since their discovery. Here we show that direct LTMR input to the DCN conveys vibrotactile stimuli with high temporal precision. Conversely, PSDC neurons primarily encode touch onset and the intensity of sustained contact into the high-force range. LTMR and PSDC signals topographically realign in the DCN to preserve precise spatial detail. Different DCN neuron subtypes have specialized responses that are generated by distinct combinations of LTMR and PSDC inputs. Thus, LTMR and PSDC subdivisions of the dorsal column encode different tactile features and differentially converge in the DCN to generate specific ascending sensory processing streams.
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11
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Chirila AM, Rankin G, Tseng SY, Emanuel AJ, Chavez-Martinez CL, Zhang D, Harvey CD, Ginty DD. Mechanoreceptor signal convergence and transformation in the dorsal horn flexibly shape a diversity of outputs to the brain. Cell 2022; 185:4541-4559.e23. [PMID: 36334588 PMCID: PMC9691598 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The encoding of touch in the spinal cord dorsal horn (DH) and its influence on tactile representations in the brain are poorly understood. Using a range of mechanical stimuli applied to the skin, large-scale in vivo electrophysiological recordings, and genetic manipulations, here we show that neurons in the mouse spinal cord DH receive convergent inputs from both low- and high-threshold mechanoreceptor subtypes and exhibit one of six functionally distinct mechanical response profiles. Genetic disruption of DH feedforward or feedback inhibitory motifs, comprised of interneurons with distinct mechanical response profiles, revealed an extensively interconnected DH network that enables dynamic, flexible tuning of postsynaptic dorsal column (PSDC) output neurons and dictates how neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex respond to touch. Thus, mechanoreceptor subtype convergence and non-linear transformations at the earliest stage of the somatosensory hierarchy shape how touch of the skin is represented in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anda M Chirila
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Genelle Rankin
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shih-Yi Tseng
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alan J Emanuel
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Carmine L Chavez-Martinez
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dawei Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher D Harvey
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David D Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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12
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Lieber JD, Bensmaia SJ. The neural basis of tactile texture perception. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 76:102621. [PMID: 36027737 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Running our fingers across a textured surface gives rise to two types of skin deformations, each transduced by different tactile nerve fibers. Coarse features produce large-scale skin deformations whose spatial configuration is reflected in the spatial pattern of activation of some tactile fibers. Scanning a finely textured surface elicits vibrations in the skin, which in turn evoked temporally patterned responses in other fibers. These two neural codes-spatial and temporal-drive a spectrum of neural response properties in somatosensory cortex: At one extreme, neurons are sensitive to spatial patterns and encode coarse features; at the other extreme, neurons are sensitive to vibrations and encode fine features. While the texture responses of nerve fibers are dependent on scanning speed, those of cortical neurons are less so, giving rise to a speed invariant texture percept. Neurons in high-level somatosensory cortices combine information about texture with information about task variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin D Lieber
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA. https://twitter.com/jdlieber
| | - Sliman J Bensmaia
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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13
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Kilteni K, Ehrsson HH. Predictive attenuation of touch and tactile gating are distinct perceptual phenomena. iScience 2022; 25:104077. [PMID: 35372807 PMCID: PMC8968059 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, research on somatosensory perception has led to two important observations. First, self-generated touches that are predicted by voluntary movements become attenuated compared with externally generated touches of the same intensity (attenuation). Second, externally generated touches feel weaker and are more difficult to detect during movement than at rest (gating). At present, researchers often consider gating and attenuation the same suppression process; however, this assumption is unwarranted because, despite more than 40 years of research, no study has combined them in a single paradigm. We quantified how people perceive self-generated and externally generated touches during movement and rest. We show that whereas voluntary movement gates the precision of both self-generated and externally generated touch, the amplitude of self-generated touch is robustly attenuated compared with externally generated touch. Furthermore, attenuation and gating do not interact and are not correlated, and we conclude that they represent distinct perceptual phenomena. We tested the perception of self-generated and external touch during movement and rest The intensity of self-generated touch is reduced during movement and rest (attenuation) The precision of self-generated and external touch is reduced during movement (gating) Attenuation and gating neither interact nor correlate, and are distinct phenomena
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Kilteni
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Corresponding author
| | - H. Henrik Ehrsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
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