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Arakawa H, Tokashiki M. The posterior intralaminar thalamic nucleus promotes nose-to-nose contacts leading to prosocial reception in the sequence of mouse social interaction. Eur J Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 39210622 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Efficient social interaction is essential for an adaptive life and consists of sequential processes of multisensory events with social counterparts. Social touch/contact is a unique component that promotes a sequence of social behaviours initiated by detection and approach to assess a social stimulus and subsequent touch/contact interaction to form prosocial relationships. We hypothesized that the thalamic sensory relay circuit from the posterior intralaminar nucleus of the thalamus (pIL) to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and the medial amygdala (MeA) plays a key role in the social contact-mediated sequence of events. We found that neurons in the pIL along with the PVN and MeA were activated by social encounters and that pIL activity was more abundant in a direct physical encounter, whereas MeA activity was dominant in an indirect through grid encounter. Chemogenetic inhibition of pIL neurons selectively decreased the investigatory approach and sniffing of a same-sex, but not an opposite-sex, stimulus mouse in an indirect encounter situation and decreased the facial/snout contact ratio in a direct encounter setting. Furthermore, chemogenetic pIL inhibition had no impact on anxiety-like behaviours or body coordinative motor behaviours, but it impaired whisker-related and plantar touch tactile sense. We propose that the pIL circuit can relay social tactile sensations and mediate the sequence of nonsexual prosocial interactions through an investigatory approach to tactile contact and thus plays a significant role in establishing prosocial relationships in mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Edward F Domino Research Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Mana Tokashiki
- Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
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2
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de Sampaio MOB, Montiani-Ferreira F, Mello FR, Martins CB, de Souza ALG, Bortolini M, Klaumann PR, Moore BA. Supplemental vibrissal extensions as an alternative to improve the tactile sensitivity of blind dogs - a preliminary approach investigation. Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:1907-1914. [PMID: 38427268 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10342-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This preliminary study suggests a way to artificially extend vibrissae of blind dogs to assist ambulation and avoiding facial contact with obstacles. PROCEDURES Fourteen irreversibly blind dogs had 5-6 mystacial vibrissae on each side of the face supplementally extended by attaching carefully chosen adult pig hairs to them and were subjected to a maze test before and after the procedure. In three of these dogs the test was repeated one more time after all the extensions had fallen off. Collision counts and course times with and without extensions were analyzed and compared. A p-value > 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Median number of collisions was significantly higher post-extensions (5 IQR 2.25) and after extensions had fallen off (4 IQR 7.50) compared to pre-extensions (1 IQR 1), p = 0.021. Median times were significantly higher pre-extension (25.6 IQR 8.98) and after the extensions had fallen off, compared to the post-extension performance (22.8 IQR 8.55), p = 0.04. CONCLUSION Vibrissae play an important role in the tactile perception of blind dogs, and our preliminary results suggest that extending this sensory organ possibly improves obstacle location and their quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabiano Montiani-Ferreira
- Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Parana, Rua Dos Funcionarios, 1540, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil.
| | - Franz Riegler Mello
- Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Parana, Rua Dos Funcionarios, 1540, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil
| | - Camila Bolmann Martins
- Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Parana, Rua Dos Funcionarios, 1540, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil
| | | | - Mariza Bortolini
- Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Parana, Rua Dos Funcionarios, 1540, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil
| | - Paulo Roberto Klaumann
- Clinivet Hospital Veterinário, R. Holanda, 894, Boa Vista, Curitiba, PR, 82540-040, Brazil
| | - Bret A Moore
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida, 2015 SW 16Th Ave, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
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Arakawa H, Tokashiki M, Higuchi Y, Konno T. Adolescent social isolation disrupts developmental tuning of neuropeptide circuits in the hypothalamus to amygdala regulating social and defensive behavior. Peptides 2024; 175:171178. [PMID: 38368908 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Engaging in positive social (i.e., prosocial) interactions during adolescence acts to modulate neural circuits that determine adult adaptive behavior. While accumulating evidence indicates that a strong craving for prosocial behavior contributes to sustaining neural development, the consequences of social deprivation during adolescence on social neural circuits, including those involving oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP), are poorly characterized. We evaluated adaptive behaviors in socially isolated mice, including anxiety-like, social, and defensive behaviors, along with OXT and AVP neural profiles in relevant brain regions. Social isolation from postnatal day (P-)22 to P-48 induced enhanced defensive and exploratory behaviors, in nonsocial and social contexts. Unlike OXT neurons, AVP+ cell density in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus increases with age in males. Social isolation also modulated gene expression in the medial amygdala (MeA), including the upregulation of OXT receptors in males and the downregulation of AVP1a receptors in both sexes. Socially isolated mice showed an enhanced defensive, anogenital approach toward a novel adult female during direct social interactions. Subsequent c-Fos mapping revealed diminished neural activity in restricted brain areas, including the MeA, lateral septum, and posterior intralaminar nucleus of the thalamus, in socially isolated mice. These data indicate that neural signals arising from daily social interactions invoke region-specific modification of neuropeptide expression that coordinates with altered defensiveness and neural responsivities, including OXT- and AVP-projecting regions. The present findings indicate an involvement of OXT and AVP circuits in adolescent neural and behavioral plasticity that is tuned by daily social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, MI, USA.
| | - Mana Tokashiki
- Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yuki Higuchi
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Konno
- Department of Subtropical Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan; The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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Midzyanovskaya I, Strelkov V. Measuring locomotor strategies of freely moving previsual rat pups. Behav Processes 2022; 203:104780. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Cerebellar Purkinje cells can differentially modulate coherence between sensory and motor cortex depending on region and behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2015292118. [PMID: 33443203 PMCID: PMC7812746 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015292118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity of sensory and motor cortices is essential for sensorimotor integration. In particular, coherence between these areas may indicate binding of critical functions like perception, motor planning, action, or sleep. Evidence is accumulating that cerebellar output modulates cortical activity and coherence, but how, when, and where it does so is unclear. We studied activity in and coherence between S1 and M1 cortices during whisker stimulation in the absence and presence of optogenetic Purkinje cell stimulation in crus 1 and 2 of awake mice, eliciting strong simple spike rate modulation. Without Purkinje cell stimulation, whisker stimulation triggers fast responses in S1 and M1 involving transient coherence in a broad spectrum. Simultaneous stimulation of Purkinje cells and whiskers affects amplitude and kinetics of sensory responses in S1 and M1 and alters the estimated S1-M1 coherence in theta and gamma bands, allowing bidirectional control dependent on behavioral context. These effects are absent when Purkinje cell activation is delayed by 20 ms. Focal stimulation of Purkinje cells revealed site specificity, with cells in medial crus 2 showing the most prominent and selective impact on estimated coherence, i.e., a strong suppression in the gamma but not the theta band. Granger causality analyses and computational modeling of the involved networks suggest that Purkinje cells control S1-M1 phase consistency predominantly via ventrolateral thalamus and M1. Our results indicate that activity of sensorimotor cortices can be dynamically and functionally modulated by specific cerebellar inputs, highlighting a widespread role of the cerebellum in coordinating sensorimotor behavior.
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Betting JHLF, Romano V, Al-Ars Z, Bosman LWJ, Strydis C, De Zeeuw CI. WhiskEras: A New Algorithm for Accurate Whisker Tracking. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:588445. [PMID: 33281560 PMCID: PMC7705537 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.588445] [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: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents engage in active touch using their facial whiskers: they explore their environment by making rapid back-and-forth movements. The fast nature of whisker movements, during which whiskers often cross each other, makes it notoriously difficult to track individual whiskers of the intact whisker field. We present here a novel algorithm, WhiskEras, for tracking of whisker movements in high-speed videos of untrimmed mice, without requiring labeled data. WhiskEras consists of a pipeline of image-processing steps: first, the points that form the whisker centerlines are detected with sub-pixel accuracy. Then, these points are clustered in order to distinguish individual whiskers. Subsequently, the whiskers are parameterized so that a single whisker can be described by four parameters. The last step consists of tracking individual whiskers over time. We describe that WhiskEras performs better than other whisker-tracking algorithms on several metrics. On our four video segments, WhiskEras detected more whiskers per frame than the Biotact Whisker Tracking Tool. The signal-to-noise ratio of the output of WhiskEras was higher than that of Janelia Whisk. As a result, the correlation between reflexive whisker movements and cerebellar Purkinje cell activity appeared to be stronger than previously found using other tracking algorithms. We conclude that WhiskEras facilitates the study of sensorimotor integration by markedly improving the accuracy of whisker tracking in untrimmed mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincenzo Romano
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Zaid Al-Ars
- Department of Quantum & Computer Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | | | - Christos Strydis
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Quantum & Computer Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Regional differences in the skin of the desert hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) with special reference to hair polymorphism. ZOOL ANZ 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Arakawa H. Somatosensorimotor and Odor Modification, Along with Serotonergic Processes Underlying the Social Deficits in BTBR T+ Itpr3 tf/J and BALB/cJ Mouse Models of Autism. Neuroscience 2020; 445:144-162. [PMID: 32061779 PMCID: PMC8078887 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a complex spectrum of disorders characterized by core behavioral deficits in social communicative behavior, which are also required for comprehensive analysis of preclinical mouse models. As animal models of the core behavioral deficits in autism, two inbred mouse strains, BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) and BALB/cJ (BALB), were compared with the standard social strain, C57BL/6J (B6), regarding a variety of behavioral factors underlying social communicative interactions, including olfactory and tactile sensory processes, social recognition abilities and behavioral expression strategies. Although both female BTBR and BALB mice can express social recognition and approach behavior depending on the stimuli they encounter, the available sensory modalities, along with modulation of the serotonergic system, differ between the two strains. BALB mice have deficits in using volatile olfactory cues and tactile information in a social context; they fail to exhibit a social approach to volatile cues and seek nonvolatile cues by exhibiting substantial sniff/contact behavior when allowed direct contact with social opponents. Systemic injection of the serotonin (5-HT1A) agonist buspirone has little effect on these social deficits, suggesting a congenitally degraded serotonergic system in BALB mice. In contrast, BTBR mice exhibit impaired body coordination and social motivation-modified olfactory signals, which are relevant to a reduced social approach. A systemic injection of the 5-HT1A agonist restored these social deficits in BTBR mice, indicating that a downregulated serotonergic system is involved in the social deficits exhibited by BTBR mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Rodent Behavioral Core Department of Research Administration, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the natural history, anatomy, physiology, clinical examination, common diseases, and treatment of rats (Rattus norvegicus) and mice (Mus musculus) in the context of veterinary medicine. Guidelines for the care and feeding of rats and mice can provide owners with information to help prevent disease in their pets. Useful techniques for restraint, clinical examination, and diagnostic sample collection are provided to aid veterinarians in thorough evaluation of these small rodents. Common diseases and treatments are discussed separately for each species, organized by organ system. Zoonotic diseases are also discussed to provide guidance for rat and mouse pet owners.
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10
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Arakawa H. Sensorimotor developmental factors influencing the performance of laboratory rodents on learning and memory. Behav Brain Res 2019; 375:112140. [PMID: 31401145 PMCID: PMC6741784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral studies in animal models have advanced our knowledge of brain function and the neural mechanisms of human diseases. Commonly used laboratory rodents, such as mice and rats, provide a useful tool for studying the behaviors and mechanisms associated with learning and memory processes which are cooperatively regulated by multiple underlying factors, including sensory and motor performance and emotional/defense innate components. Each of these factors shows unique ontogeny and governs the sustainment of behavioral performance in learning tasks, and thus, understanding the integrative processes of behavioral development are crucial in the accurate interpretation of the functional meaning of learning and memory behaviors expressed in commonly employed behavioral test paradigms. In this review, we will summarize the major findings in the developmental processes of rodent behavior on the basis of the emergence of fundamental components for sustaining learning and memory behaviors. Briefly, most sensory modalities (except for vision) and motor abilities are functional at the juvenile stage, in which several defensive components, including active and passive defensive strategies and risk assessment behavior, emerge. Sex differences are detectable from the juvenile stage through adulthood and are considerable factors that influence behavioral tests. The test paradigms addressed in this review include associative learning (with an emphasis on fear conditioning), spatial learning, and recognition. This basic background information will aid in accurately performing behavioral studies in laboratory rodents and will therefore contribute to reducing inappropriate interpretations of behavioral data and further advance research on learning and memory in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. HSF2/S251, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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11
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Arakawa H, Iguchi Y. Ethological and multi-behavioral analysis of learning and memory performance in laboratory rodent models. Neurosci Res 2018; 135:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2018.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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12
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Burkovetskaya M, Bosch ME, Karpuk N, Fallet R, Kielian T. Caspase 1 activity influences juvenile Batten disease (CLN3) pathogenesis. J Neurochem 2018; 148:652-668. [PMID: 29873075 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Juvenile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (JNCL) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in CLN3. Symptoms appear between 5 and 10 years of age, beginning with blindness and seizures, followed by progressive cognitive and motor decline, and premature death. Glial activation and impaired neuronal activity are early signs of pathology in the Cln3Δex7/8 mouse model of JNCL, whereas neuron death occurs much later in the disease process. We previously reported that Cln3Δex7/8 microglia are primed toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype typified by exaggerated caspase 1 inflammasome activation and here we extend those findings to demonstrate heightened caspase activity in the Cln3Δex7/8 mouse brain. Based on the ability of caspase 1 to cleave a large number of substrates that have been implicated in JNCL pathology, we examined the functional implications of caspase 1 inflammasome activity by crossing Cln3Δex7/8 and caspase 1-deficient mice to create Cln3Δex7/8 /Casp-1-/- animals. Caspase 1 deletion influenced motor behavior deficits and astrocyte activation in the context of CLN3 mutation, since both were significantly reversed in Cln3Δex7/8 /Casp-1-/- mice, with phenotypes approaching that of wild-type animals. We also report a progressive age-dependent reduction in whisker length in Cln3Δex7/8 mice that was partially caspase 1-dependent. However, not all CLN3 phenotypes were reversed following caspase 1 deletion, since no significant differences in lysosomal accumulation or microglial activation were observed between Cln3Δex7/8 and Cln3Δex7/8 /Casp-1-/- mice. Although the molecular targets of aberrant caspase 1 activity in the context of CLN3 mutation remain to be identified, our studies suggest that caspase 1 may represent a potential therapeutic target to mitigate some attributes of CLN3 disease. This article is part of the Special Issue "Lysosomal Storage Disorders".
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Burkovetskaya
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Megan E Bosch
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Nikolay Karpuk
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Rachel Fallet
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Tammy Kielian
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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Parmiani P, Lucchetti C, Franchi G. Whisker and Nose Tactile Sense Guide Rat Behavior in a Skilled Reaching Task. Front Behav Neurosci 2018. [PMID: 29515377 PMCID: PMC5826357 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Skilled reaching is a complex movement in which a forelimb is extended to grasp food for eating. Video-recordings analysis of control rats enables us to distinguish several components of skilled reaching: Orient, approaching the front wall of the reaching box and poking the nose into the slot to locate the food pellet; Transport, advancing the forelimb through the slot to reach-grasp the pellet; and Withdrawal of the grasped food to eat. Although food location and skilled reaching is guided by olfaction, the importance of whisker/nose tactile sense in rats suggests that this too could play a role in reaching behavior. To test this hypothesis, we studied skilled reaching in rats trained in a single-pellet reaching task before and after bilateral whisker trimming and bilateral infraorbital nerve (ION) severing. During the task, bilaterally trimmed rats showed impaired Orient with respect to controls. Specifically, they detected the presence of the wall by hitting it with their nose (rather than their whiskers), and then located the slot through repetitive nose touches. The number of nose touches preceding poking was significantly higher in comparison to controls. On the other hand, macrovibrissae trimming resulted in no change in reaching/grasping or withdrawal components of skilled reaching. Bilaterally ION-severed rats, displayed a marked change in the structure of their skilled reaching. With respect to controls, in ION-severed rats: (a) approaches to the front wall were significantly reduced at 3–5 and 6–8 days; (b) nose pokes were significantly reduced at 3–5 days, and the slot was only located after many repetitive nose touches; (c) the reaching-grasping-retracting movement never appeared at 3–5 days; (d) explorative paw movements, equal to zero in controls, reached significance at 9–11 days; and (e) the restored reaching-grasping-retracting sequence was globally slower than in controls, but the success rate was the same. These findings strongly indicate that whisker trimming affected Orient, but not the reaching-grasping movement, while ION severing impaired both Orient (persistently) and reaching-grasping-retracting (transiently, for 1–2 weeks) components of skilled reaching in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierantonio Parmiani
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Section of Human Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristina Lucchetti
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Section of Physiology and Neuroscience, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Franchi
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Section of Human Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Arakawa H. Analysis of Social Process in Two Inbred Strains of Male Mice: A Predominance of Contact-Based Investigation in BALB/c Mice. Neuroscience 2017; 369:124-138. [PMID: 29138108 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Developing mouse models for social communication deficits requires a better understanding of the nature of social investigatory processes between mice. Mice use different investigatory strategies based on a possibility of contacts with social sources. A detailed investigation of contact distance revealed strain differences in behavioral strategy between two male inbred C57BL/6 (B6) and BALB/c (BALB) mouse strains. When direct physical contact with stimulus mice was restricted, BALB mice displayed lower social approaches than B6 mice, accompanied by heightened innate anxiety in an unfamiliar environment. However, both BALB and B6 mice expressed distinct object and social recognition in the habituation/dishabituation paradigm. When allowed direct contact with stimulus mice, both B6 and BALB mice showed approach and discrimination of strain differences in the stimulus mice. Furthermore, BALB mice discriminated individuals of the same strain among cagemates and showed a discrete aversion to the anogenital but not facial region of the stranger mice. This anogenital aversion disappeared when the stranger mice received a buspirone injection that reduced anxiety or when familiar cagemates were exposed. These strain differences in investigatory strategies illustrate that B6 mice are able to respond to and process social cues in a vicinity, which does not require physical contact with the source, while BALB mice predominantly process social cues by direct contact with the source. Although BALB mice exhibit marked anxiety and defensive responses to unfamiliarity, there is no evidence of any defect in sociability in BALB mice as a possible autism model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Rodent Behavioral Core, Department of Research Administration, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, United States.
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15
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Estebanez L, Férézou I, Ego-Stengel V, Shulz DE. Representation of tactile scenes in the rodent barrel cortex. Neuroscience 2017; 368:81-94. [PMID: 28843997 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
After half a century of research, the sensory features coded by neurons of the rodent barrel cortex remain poorly understood. Still, views of the sensory representation of whisker information are increasingly shifting from a labeled line representation of single-whisker deflections to a selectivity for specific elements of the complex statistics of the multi-whisker deflection patterns that take place during spontaneous rodent behavior - so called natural tactile scenes. Here we review the current knowledge regarding the coding of patterns of whisker stimuli by barrel cortex neurons, from responses to single-whisker deflections to the representation of complex tactile scenes. A number of multi-whisker tunings have already been identified, including center-surround feature extraction, angular tuning during edge-like multi-whisker deflections, and even tuning to specific statistical properties of the tactile scene such as the level of correlation across whiskers. However, a more general model of the representation of multi-whisker information in the barrel cortex is still missing. This is in part because of the lack of a human intuition regarding the perception emerging from a whisker system, but also because in contrast to other primary sensory cortices such as the visual cortex, the spatial feature selectivity of barrel cortex neurons rests on highly nonlinear interactions that remained hidden to classical receptive field approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Estebanez
- Unité de Neuroscience, Information et Complexité (UNIC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, FRE 3693, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Isabelle Férézou
- Unité de Neuroscience, Information et Complexité (UNIC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, FRE 3693, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Valérie Ego-Stengel
- Unité de Neuroscience, Information et Complexité (UNIC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, FRE 3693, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Daniel E Shulz
- Unité de Neuroscience, Information et Complexité (UNIC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, FRE 3693, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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Pluta SR, Lyall EH, Telian GI, Ryapolova-Webb E, Adesnik H. Surround Integration Organizes a Spatial Map during Active Sensation. Neuron 2017; 94:1220-1233.e5. [PMID: 28504117 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
During active sensation, sensors scan space in order to generate a representation of the outside world. However, since spatial coding in sensory systems is typically addressed by measuring receptive fields in a fixed, sensor-based coordinate frame, the cortical representation of scanned space is poorly understood. To address this question, we probed spatial coding in the rodent whisker system using a combination of two-photon imaging and electrophysiology during active touch. We found that surround whiskers powerfully transform the cortical representation of scanned space. On the single-neuron level, surround input profoundly alters response amplitude and modulates spatial preference in the cortex. On the population level, surround input organizes the spatial preference of neurons into a continuous map of the space swept out by the whiskers. These data demonstrate how spatial summation over a moving sensor array is critical to generating population codes of sensory space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott R Pluta
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Evan H Lyall
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Greg I Telian
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Elena Ryapolova-Webb
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Hillel Adesnik
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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17
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Hänzi S, Banchi R, Straka H, Chagnaud BP. Locomotor corollary activation of trigeminal motoneurons: coupling of discrete motor behaviors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 218:1748-58. [PMID: 26041033 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.120824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
During motor behavior, corollary discharges of the underlying motor commands inform sensory-motor systems about impending or ongoing movements. These signals generally limit the impact of self-generated sensory stimuli but also induce motor reactions that stabilize sensory perception. Here, we demonstrate in isolated preparations of Xenopus laevis tadpoles that locomotor corollary discharge provokes a retraction of the mechanoreceptive tentacles during fictive swimming. In the absence of sensory feedback, these signals activate a cluster of trigeminal motoneurons that cause a contraction of the tentacle muscle. This corollary discharge encodes duration and strength of locomotor activity, thereby ensuring a reliable coupling between locomotion and tentacle motion. The strict phase coupling between the trigeminal and spinal motor activity, present in many cases, suggests that the respective corollary discharge is causally related to the ongoing locomotor output and derives at least in part from the spinal central pattern generator; however, additional contributions from midbrain and/or hindbrain locomotor centers are likely. The swimming-related retraction might protect the touch-receptive Merkel cells on the tentacle from sensory over-stimulation and damage and/or reduce the hydrodynamic drag. The intrinsic nature of the coupling of tentacle retraction to locomotion is an excellent example of a context-dependent, direct link between otherwise discrete motor behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Hänzi
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg, Germany Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Roberto Banchi
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg, Germany Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Hans Straka
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Boris P Chagnaud
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg, Germany
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18
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Hirasawa N, Yamada K, Murayama M. Brief hind paw stimulation is sufficient to induce delayed somatosensory discrimination learning in C57BL/6 mice. Behav Brain Res 2016; 301:102-9. [PMID: 26711909 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.12.024] [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: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Somatosensory learning and memory studies in rodents have primarily focused on the role of whiskers and the barrel structure of the sensory cortex, characteristics unique to rodents. In contrast, whether associative learning can occur in animals (and humans) via foot stimulation remains unclear. The sensory cortex corresponding to the plantar foot surface is localized in the centroparietal area, providing relatively easy access for studying somatosensory learning and memory. To assess the contribution of sole stimulation to somatosensory learning and memory, we developed a novel operant-lever-pressing task. In Experiment 1, head-fixed mice were trained to press a lever to receive a water reward upon presentation of an associated stimulus (S+). Following training, they were administered a reversal-learning protocol, in which "S+ " and "S-" (a stimulus not associated with reward) were switched. Mice were then submitted to training with a progressively extended delay period between stimulation and lever presentation. In Experiment 2, the delayed discrimination training was replicated with longer delay periods and restricted training days, to further explore the results of Experiment 1. When the stimuli were presented to a single left hind paw, we found that male C57BL/6J mice were capable of learning to discriminate between different foot stimuli (electrical or mechanical), and of retaining this information for 10s. This novel task has potential applications for electrophysiological and optogenetic studies to clarify the neural circuits underlying somatosensory learning and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoto Hirasawa
- Behavioral Neurophysiology Laboratory, Brain Science Institute, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-Shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Yamada
- Behavioral Neurophysiology Laboratory, Brain Science Institute, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-Shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Masanori Murayama
- Behavioral Neurophysiology Laboratory, Brain Science Institute, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-Shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
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19
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Arakawa H, Erzurumlu RS. Role of whiskers in sensorimotor development of C57BL/6 mice. Behav Brain Res 2015; 287:146-55. [PMID: 25823761 PMCID: PMC4430837 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.03.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The mystacial vibrissae (whiskers) of nocturnal rodents play a major role in their sensorimotor behaviors. Relatively little information exists on the role of whiskers during early development. We characterized the contribution of whiskers to sensorimotor development in postnatal C57BL/6 mice. A comparison between intact and whisker-clipped mice in a battery of behavioral tests from postnatal day (P) 4-17 revealed that both male and female pups develop reflexive motor behavior even when the whiskers are clipped. Daily whisker trimming from P3 onwards results in diminished weight gain by P17, and impairment in whisker sensorimotor coordination behaviors, such as cliff avoidance and littermate huddling from P4 to P17, while facilitation of righting reflex at P4 and grasp response at P12. Since active whisker palpation does not start until 2 weeks of age, passive whisker touch during early neonatal stage must play a role in regulating these behaviors. Around the onset of exploratory behaviors (P12) neonatal whisker-clipped pups also display persistent searching movements when they encounter cage walls as a compensatory mechanism of sensorimotor development. Spontaneous whisker motion (whisking) is distinct from respiratory fluttering of whiskers. It is a symmetrical vibration of whiskers at a rate of approximately ∼8 Hz and begins around P10. Oriented, bundled movements of whiskers at higher frequencies of ∼12 Hz during scanning object surfaces, i.e., palpation whisking, emerges at P14. The establishment of locomotive body coordination before eyes open accompanies palpation whisking, indicating an important role in the guidance of exploratory motor behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | - Reha S Erzurumlu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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20
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21
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Rondi-Reig L, Paradis AL, Lefort JM, Babayan BM, Tobin C. How the cerebellum may monitor sensory information for spatial representation. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:205. [PMID: 25408638 PMCID: PMC4219422 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum has already been shown to participate in the navigation function. We propose here that this structure is involved in maintaining a sense of direction and location during self-motion by monitoring sensory information and interacting with navigation circuits to update the mental representation of space. To better understand the processing performed by the cerebellum in the navigation function, we have reviewed: the anatomical pathways that convey self-motion information to the cerebellum; the computational algorithm(s) thought to be performed by the cerebellum from these multi-source inputs; the cerebellar outputs directed toward navigation circuits and the influence of self-motion information on space-modulated cells receiving cerebellar outputs. This review highlights that the cerebellum is adequately wired to combine the diversity of sensory signals to be monitored during self-motion and fuel the navigation circuits. The direct anatomical projections of the cerebellum toward the head-direction cell system and the parietal cortex make those structures possible relays of the cerebellum influence on the hippocampal spatial map. We describe computational models of the cerebellar function showing that the cerebellum can filter out the components of the sensory signals that are predictable, and provides a novelty output. We finally speculate that this novelty output is taken into account by the navigation structures, which implement an update over time of position and stabilize perception during navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Rondi-Reig
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR-S 8246/UM 119, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8246, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France
| | - Anne-Lise Paradis
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR-S 8246/UM 119, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8246, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France
| | - Julie M Lefort
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR-S 8246/UM 119, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8246, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France
| | - Benedicte M Babayan
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR-S 8246/UM 119, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8246, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France
| | - Christine Tobin
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR-S 8246/UM 119, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8246, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Cerebellum, Navigation and Memory Team Paris, France
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22
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Complex movement topography and extrinsic space representation in the rat forelimb motor cortex as defined by long-duration intracortical microstimulation. J Neurosci 2013; 33:2097-107. [PMID: 23365246 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3454-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrical stimulation of the motor cortex in the rat can evoke complex forelimb multi-joint movements, including movement of limb and paw. In this study, these movements have been quantified in terms of 3D displacement and kinematic variables of two markers positioned on the wrist and middle digits (limb and paw movement, respectively). Electrical microstimulation was applied to the motor cortex using a pulse train of 500 ms duration. Movements were measured using a high-resolution 3D optical system. Five classes of limb movements (abduction, adduction, extension, retraction, elevation) and four classes of paw movements (opening, closure, opening/closure sequence, supination) were described according to their kinematics. A consistent topography of these classes of movements was presented across the motor cortex together with a topography of spatial locations to which the paw was directed. In about one-half of cortical sites, a specific pattern of limb-paw movement combination did exist. Four categories of limb-paw movements resembling behavioral repertoire were identified: reach-shaping, reach-grasp sequence, bring-to-body, and hold-like movement. Overall, the forelimb motor region included: (1) a large caudal forelimb area dominated by reach-shaping movement representation; (2) a small rostral area containing reach-grasp sequence and bring-to-body movement representation; and (3) a more lateral portion where hold-like movement was represented. These results support the view that, in rats, the motor cortex controls forelimb movements at a relatively complex level and suggest that the orderly representation of complex movements and their dynamics/kinematics emerge from the principles of forelimb motor cortex organization.
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23
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An internal model architecture for novelty detection: implications for cerebellar and collicular roles in sensory processing. PLoS One 2012; 7:e44560. [PMID: 22957083 PMCID: PMC3434152 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is thought to implement internal models for sensory prediction, but details of the underlying circuitry are currently obscure. We therefore investigated a specific example of internal-model based sensory prediction, namely detection of whisker contacts during whisking. Inputs from the vibrissae in rats can be affected by signals generated by whisker movement, a phenomenon also observable in whisking robots. Robot novelty-detection can be improved by adaptive noise-cancellation, in which an adaptive filter learns a forward model of the whisker plant that allows the sensory effects of whisking to be predicted and thus subtracted from the noisy sensory input. However, the forward model only uses information from an efference copy of the whisking commands. Here we show that the addition of sensory information from the whiskers allows the adaptive filter to learn a more complex internal model that performs more robustly than the forward model, particularly when the whisking-induced interference has a periodic structure. We then propose a neural equivalent of the circuitry required for adaptive novelty-detection in the robot, in which the role of the adaptive filter is carried out by the cerebellum, with the comparison of its output (an estimate of the self-induced interference) and the original vibrissal signal occurring in the superior colliculus, a structure noted for its central role in novelty detection. This proposal makes a specific prediction concerning the whisker-related functions of a region in cerebellar cortical zone A2 that in rats receives climbing fibre input from the superior colliculus (via the inferior olive). This region has not been observed in non-whisking animals such as cats and primates, and its functional role in vibrissal processing has hitherto remained mysterious. Further investigation of this system may throw light on how cerebellar-based internal models could be used in broader sensory, motor and cognitive contexts.
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24
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Pearson MJ, Mitchinson B, Sullivan JC, Pipe AG, Prescott TJ. Biomimetic vibrissal sensing for robots. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 366:3085-96. [PMID: 21969690 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Active vibrissal touch can be used to replace or to supplement sensory systems such as computer vision and, therefore, improve the sensory capacity of mobile robots. This paper describes how arrays of whisker-like touch sensors have been incorporated onto mobile robot platforms taking inspiration from biology for their morphology and control. There were two motivations for this work: first, to build a physical platform on which to model, and therefore test, recent neuroethological hypotheses about vibrissal touch; second, to exploit the control strategies and morphology observed in the biological analogue to maximize the quality and quantity of tactile sensory information derived from the artificial whisker array. We describe the design of a new whiskered robot, Shrewbot, endowed with a biomimetic array of individually controlled whiskers and a neuroethologically inspired whisking pattern generation mechanism. We then present results showing how the morphology of the whisker array shapes the sensory surface surrounding the robot's head, and demonstrate the impact of active touch control on the sensory information that can be acquired by the robot. We show that adopting bio-inspired, low latency motor control of the rhythmic motion of the whiskers in response to contact-induced stimuli usefully constrains the sensory range, while also maximizing the number of whisker contacts. The robot experiments also demonstrate that the sensory consequences of active touch control can be usefully investigated in biomimetic robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Pearson
- Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QD, UK.
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25
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Catania KC. Tactile sensing in specialized predators - from behavior to the brain. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2011; 22:251-8. [PMID: 22209039 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Revised: 11/28/2011] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A number of predators depend heavily on tactile cues for pursuing and capturing prey. Here I describe and discuss the whiskers of carnivorous grasshopper mice and shrews, the sensory rays of the star-nosed mole, and the tactile appendages of the tentacled snake. These diverse sensors are accompanied by remarkable corresponding specializations in the central nervous system. But understanding their function and the significance of the central nervous system correlates requires the careful documentation of behavior inherent to a neuroethological approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth C Catania
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, United States.
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26
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Kleinfeld D, Deschênes M. Neuronal basis for object location in the vibrissa scanning sensorimotor system. Neuron 2011; 72:455-68. [PMID: 22078505 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
An essential issue in perception is how the location of an object is estimated from tactile signals in the context of self-generated changes in sensor configuration. Here, we review the pathways and dynamics of neuronal signals that encode touch in the rodent vibrissa sensorimotor system. Rodents rhythmically scan an array of long, facial hairs across a region of interest. Behavioral evidence shows that these animals maintain knowledge of the azimuthal position of their vibrissae. Electrophysiological measurements have identified a reafferent signal of the azimuth that is coded in normalized coordinates, broadcast throughout primary sensory cortex and provides strong modulation of signals of vibrissa contact. Efferent signals in motor cortex report the range of the scan. Collectively, these signals allow the rodent to form a percept of object location.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics and Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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27
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Bosman LWJ, Houweling AR, Owens CB, Tanke N, Shevchouk OT, Rahmati N, Teunissen WHT, Ju C, Gong W, Koekkoek SKE, De Zeeuw CI. Anatomical pathways involved in generating and sensing rhythmic whisker movements. Front Integr Neurosci 2011; 5:53. [PMID: 22065951 PMCID: PMC3207327 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2011.00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2011] [Accepted: 08/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The rodent whisker system is widely used as a model system for investigating sensorimotor integration, neural mechanisms of complex cognitive tasks, neural development, and robotics. The whisker pathways to the barrel cortex have received considerable attention. However, many subcortical structures are paramount to the whisker system. They contribute to important processes, like filtering out salient features, integration with other senses, and adaptation of the whisker system to the general behavioral state of the animal. We present here an overview of the brain regions and their connections involved in the whisker system. We do not only describe the anatomy and functional roles of the cerebral cortex, but also those of subcortical structures like the striatum, superior colliculus, cerebellum, pontomedullary reticular formation, zona incerta, and anterior pretectal nucleus as well as those of level setting systems like the cholinergic, histaminergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic pathways. We conclude by discussing how these brain regions may affect each other and how they together may control the precise timing of whisker movements and coordinate whisker perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurens W. J. Bosman
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MCRotterdam, Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Cullen B. Owens
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MCRotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nouk Tanke
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MCRotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Negah Rahmati
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MCRotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Chiheng Ju
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MCRotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wei Gong
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MCRotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MCRotterdam, Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdam, Netherlands
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