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Allen SJ, Morishita H. Local and long-range input balance: A framework for investigating frontal cognitive circuit maturation in health and disease. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadh3920. [PMID: 39292771 PMCID: PMC11409946 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh3920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
Frontal cortical circuits undergo prolonged maturation across childhood and adolescence; however, it remains unknown what specific changes are occurring at the circuit level to establish adult cognitive function. With the recent advent of circuit dissection techniques, it is now feasible to examine circuit-specific changes in connectivity, activity, and function in animal models. Here, we propose that the balance of local and long-range inputs onto frontal cognitive circuits is an understudied metric of circuit maturation. This review highlights research on a frontal-sensory attention circuit that undergoes refinement of local/long-range connectivity, regulated by circuit activity and neuromodulatory signaling, and evaluates how this process may occur generally in the frontal cortex to support adult cognitive behavior. Notably, this balance can be bidirectionally disrupted through various mechanisms relevant to psychiatric disorders. Pharmacological or environmental interventions to normalize or reset the local and long-range balance could hold great therapeutic promise to prevent or rescue cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Allen
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hirofumi Morishita
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
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Song Z, Jiang Z, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Chen Y, Tang X, Li H. Evolving brain network dynamics in early childhood: Insights from modular graph metrics. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120740. [PMID: 39047590 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120740] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Modular dynamic graph theory metrics effectively capture the patterns of dynamic information interaction during human brain development. While existing research has employed modular algorithms to examine the overall impact of dynamic changes in community structure throughout development, there is a notable gap in understanding the cross-community dynamic changes within different functional networks during early childhood and their potential contributions to the efficiency of brain information transmission. This study seeks to address this gap by tracing the trajectories of cross-community structural changes within early childhood functional networks and modeling their contributions to information transmission efficiency. We analyzed 194 functional imaging scans from 83 children aged 2 to 8 years, who participated in passive viewing functional magnetic resonance imaging sessions. Utilizing sliding windows and modular algorithms, we evaluated three spatiotemporal metrics-temporal flexibility, spatiotemporal diversity, and within-community spatiotemporal diversity-and four centrality metrics: within-community degree centrality, eigenvector centrality, between-community degree centrality, and between-community eigenvector centrality. Mixed-effects linear models revealed significant age-related increases in the temporal flexibility of the default mode network (DMN), executive control network (ECN), and salience network (SN), indicating frequent adjustments in community structure within these networks during early childhood. Additionally, the spatiotemporal diversity of the SN also displayed significant age-related increases, highlighting its broad pattern of cross-community dynamic interactions. Conversely, within-community spatiotemporal diversity in the language network exhibited significant age-related decreases, reflecting the network's gradual functional specialization. Furthermore, our findings indicated significant age-related increases in between-community degree centrality across the DMN, ECN, SN, language network, and dorsal attention network, while between-community eigenvector centrality also increased significantly for the DMN, ECN, and SN. However, within-community eigenvector centrality remained stable across all functional networks during early childhood. These results suggest that while centrality of cross-community interactions in early childhood functional networks increases, centrality within communities remains stable. Finally, mediation analysis was conducted to explore the relationships between age, brain dynamic graph metrics, and both global and local efficiency based on community structure. The results indicated that the dynamic graph metrics of the SN primarily mediated the relationship between age and the decrease in global efficiency, while those of the DMN, language network, ECN, dorsal attention network, and SN primarily mediated the relationship between age and the increase in local efficiency. This pattern suggests a developmental trajectory in early childhood from global information integration to local information segregation, with the SN playing a pivotal role in this transformation. This study provides novel insights into the mechanisms by which early childhood brain functional development impacts information transmission efficiency through cross-community adjustments in functional networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Song
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology Zhengzhou Academy of Intelligent Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Zhenqi Jiang
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology Zhengzhou Academy of Intelligent Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China.
| | - Zhao Zhang
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology Zhengzhou Academy of Intelligent Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Yifei Wang
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology Zhengzhou Academy of Intelligent Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Yu Chen
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology Zhengzhou Academy of Intelligent Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology Zhengzhou Academy of Intelligent Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China.
| | - Hanjun Li
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology Zhengzhou Academy of Intelligent Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China.
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Prkačin MV, Petanjek Z, Banovac I. A novel approach to cytoarchitectonics: developing an objective framework for the morphological analysis of the cerebral cortex. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1441645. [PMID: 39188851 PMCID: PMC11345133 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1441645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The cytoarchitectonic boundaries between cortical regions and layers are usually defined by the presence or absence of certain cell types. However, these cell types are often not clearly defined and determining the exact boundaries of regions and layers can be challenging. Therefore, in our research, we attempted to define cortical regions and layers based on clear quantitative criteria. Methods We performed immunofluorescent anti-NeuN labelling on five adult human brains in three cortical regions-Brodmann areas (BA) 9, 14r, and 24. We reconstructed the cell bodies of 90,723 NeuN-positive cells and analyzed their morphometric characteristics by cortical region and layer. We used a supervised neural network prediction algorithm to classify the reconstructions into morphological cell types. We used the results of the prediction algorithm to determine the proportions of different cell types in BA9, BA14r and BA24. Results Our analysis revealed that the cytoarchitectonic descriptions of BA9, BA14r and BA24 were reflected in the morphometric measures and cell classifications obtained by the prediction algorithm. BA9 was characterized by the abundance of large pyramidal cells in layer III, BA14r was characterized by relatively smaller and more elongated cells compared to BA9, and BA24 was characterized by the presence of extremely elongated cells in layer V as well as relatively higher proportions of irregularly shaped cells. Discussion The results of the prediction model agreed well with the qualitative expected cytoarchitectonic descriptions. This suggests that supervised machine learning could aid in defining the morphological characteristics of the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matija Vid Prkačin
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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Sivayokan B, King C, Mali I, Payne M, Strating H, Warnes E, Bossmann SH, Plakke B. Aerobic exercise improves cognitive flexibility and modulates regional volume changes in a rat model of autism. Behav Brain Res 2024; 471:115136. [PMID: 38971431 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115136] [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: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Gestational exposure to valproic acid (VPA) is a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Rodents exposed to VPA in utero display common features of ASD, including volumetric dysregulation in higher-order cognitive regions like the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and the hippocampus. Exercise has been shown in elderly populations to boost cognition and to buffer against brain volume losses with age. This study employed an adolescent treadmill exercise intervention to facilitate cognitive flexibility and regional brain volume regulation in rats exposed to VPA during gestation. It was found that exercise improved performance on extra-dimensional shifts of attention on a set-shifting task, which is indicative of improved cognitive flexibility. Exercise decreased frontal cortex volume in females, whereas in males exercise increased the ventral hippocampus. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise may be an effective intervention to counteract the altered development of prefrontal and hippocampal regions often observed in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavana Sivayokan
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Cole King
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Ivina Mali
- Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, 1212 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Macy Payne
- Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, 1212 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Hunter Strating
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Ellie Warnes
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Stefan H Bossmann
- Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, 1212 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Bethany Plakke
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States.
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Barzó P, Szöts I, Tóth M, Csajbók ÉA, Molnár G, Tamás G. Electrophysiology and Morphology of Human Cortical Supragranular Pyramidal Cells in a Wide Age Range. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.13.598792. [PMID: 38915496 PMCID: PMC11195274 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.13.598792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The basic excitatory neurons of the cerebral cortex, the pyramidal cells, are the most important signal integrators for the local circuit. They have quite characteristic morphological and electrophysiological properties that are known to be largely constant with age in the young and adult cortex. However, the brain undergoes several dynamic changes throughout life, such as in the phases of early development and cognitive decline in the aging brain. We set out to search for intrinsic cellular changes in supragranular pyramidal cells across a broad age range: from birth to 85 years of age and we found differences in several biophysical properties between defined age groups. During the first year of life, subthreshold and suprathreshold electrophysiological properties changed in a way that shows that pyramidal cells become less excitable with maturation, but also become temporarily more precise. According to our findings, the morphological features of the three-dimensional reconstructions from different life stages showed consistent morphological properties and systematic dendritic spine analysis of an infantile and an old pyramidal cell showed clear significant differences in the distribution of spine shapes. Overall, the changes that occur during development and aging may have lasting effects on the properties of pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortex. Understanding these changes is important to unravel the complex mechanisms underlying brain development, cognition and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pál Barzó
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ildikó Szöts
- ELKH-SZTE Research Group for Cortical Microcircuits, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Martin Tóth
- ELKH-SZTE Research Group for Cortical Microcircuits, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Éva Adrienn Csajbók
- ELKH-SZTE Research Group for Cortical Microcircuits, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gábor Molnár
- ELKH-SZTE Research Group for Cortical Microcircuits, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gábor Tamás
- ELKH-SZTE Research Group for Cortical Microcircuits, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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Benavides-Piccione R, Blazquez-Llorca L, Kastanauskaite A, Fernaud-Espinosa I, Tapia-González S, DeFelipe J. Key morphological features of human pyramidal neurons. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae180. [PMID: 38745556 PMCID: PMC11094408 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae180] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The basic building block of the cerebral cortex, the pyramidal cell, has been shown to be characterized by a markedly different dendritic structure among layers, cortical areas, and species. Functionally, differences in the structure of their dendrites and axons are critical in determining how neurons integrate information. However, within the human cortex, these neurons have not been quantified in detail. In the present work, we performed intracellular injections of Lucifer Yellow and 3D reconstructed over 200 pyramidal neurons, including apical and basal dendritic and local axonal arbors and dendritic spines, from human occipital primary visual area and associative temporal cortex. We found that human pyramidal neurons from temporal cortex were larger, displayed more complex apical and basal structural organization, and had more spines compared to those in primary sensory cortex. Moreover, these human neocortical neurons displayed specific shared and distinct characteristics in comparison to previously published human hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Additionally, we identified distinct morphological features in human neurons that set them apart from mouse neurons. Lastly, we observed certain consistent organizational patterns shared across species. This study emphasizes the existing diversity within pyramidal cell structures across different cortical areas and species, suggesting substantial species-specific variations in their computational properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Benavides-Piccione
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Doctor Arce 37, Madrid 28002, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), ISCIII, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Lidia Blazquez-Llorca
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), ISCIII, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid 28031, Spain
- Departamento de Tecnología Fotónica y Bioingeniería, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Asta Kastanauskaite
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain
| | - Isabel Fernaud-Espinosa
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Doctor Arce 37, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Silvia Tapia-González
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Doctor Arce 37, Madrid 28002, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), ISCIII, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid 28031, Spain
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Gan Y, Chen Y, Zhong H, Liu Z, Geng J, Wang H, Wang W. Gut microbes in central nervous system development and related disorders. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1288256. [PMID: 38343438 PMCID: PMC10854220 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1288256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The association between gut microbiota and central nervous system (CNS) development has garnered significant research attention in recent years. Evidence suggests bidirectional communication between the CNS and gut microbiota through the brain-gut axis. As a long and complex process, CNS development is highly susceptible to both endogenous and exogenous factors. The gut microbiota impacts the CNS by regulating neurogenesis, myelination, glial cell function, synaptic pruning, and blood-brain barrier permeability, with implication in various CNS disorders. This review outlines the relationship between gut microbiota and stages of CNS development (prenatal and postnatal), emphasizing the integral role of gut microbes. Furthermore, the review explores the implications of gut microbiota in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, Rett syndrome, and Angelman syndrome, offering insights into early detection, prompt intervention, and innovative treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Gan
- Department of Infectious Disease and Hepatic Disease, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- School of Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yao Chen
- Department of Infectious Disease and Hepatic Disease, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- School of Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Huijie Zhong
- Department of Infectious Disease and Hepatic Disease, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- School of Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Zhuo Liu
- Department of Infectious Disease and Hepatic Disease, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- School of Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jiawei Geng
- Department of Infectious Disease and Hepatic Disease, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- School of Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Huishan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Wenxue Wang
- Department of Infectious Disease and Hepatic Disease, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- School of Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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Zhu J, Margulies D, Qiu A. White matter functional gradients and their formation in adolescence. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10770-10783. [PMID: 37727985 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad319] [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: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well known that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a widely used tool for studying brain activity. Recent research has shown that fluctuations in fMRI data can reflect functionally meaningful patterns of brain activity within the white matter. We leveraged resting-state fMRI from an adolescent population to characterize large-scale white matter functional gradients and their formation during adolescence. The white matter showed gray-matter-like unimodal-to-transmodal and sensorimotor-to-visual gradients with specific cognitive associations and a unique superficial-to-deep gradient with nonspecific cognitive associations. We propose two mechanisms for their formation in adolescence. One is a "function-molded" mechanism that may mediate the maturation of the transmodal white matter via the transmodal gray matter. The other is a "structure-root" mechanism that may support the mutual mediation roles of the unimodal and transmodal white matter maturation during adolescence. Thus, the spatial layout of the white matter functional gradients is in concert with the gray matter functional organization. The formation of the white matter functional gradients may be driven by brain anatomical wiring and functional needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117583, Singapore
| | - Daniel Margulies
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université de Paris, 45 Rue des Saint-Pères, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117583, Singapore
- NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute, National University of Singapore, No. 377 Linquan Street, Suzhou 215000, China
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Institute of Data Science, National University of Singapore, 3 Research Link, #04-06, Singapore 117602, Singapore
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Rd, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States
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9
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Liu J, Chen H, Cornea E, Gilmore JH, Gao W. Longitudinal developmental trajectories of functional connectivity reveal regional distribution of distinct age effects in infancy. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10367-10379. [PMID: 37585708 PMCID: PMC10545442 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad288] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior work has shown that different functional brain networks exhibit different maturation rates, but little is known about whether and how different brain areas may differ in the exact shape of longitudinal functional connectivity growth trajectories during infancy. We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during natural sleep to characterize developmental trajectories of different regions using a longitudinal cohort of infants at 3 weeks (neonate), 1 year, and 2 years of age (n = 90; all with usable data at three time points). A novel whole brain heatmap analysis was performed with four mixed-effect models to determine the best fit of age-related changes for each functional connection: (i) growth effects: positive-linear-age, (ii) emergent effects: positive-log-age, (iii) pruning effects: negative-quadratic-age, and (iv) transient effects: positive-quadratic-age. Our results revealed that emergent (logarithmic) effects dominated developmental trajectory patterns, but significant pruning and transient effects were also observed, particularly in connections centered on inferior frontal and anterior cingulate areas that support social learning and conflict monitoring. Overall, unique global distribution patterns were observed for each growth model indicating that developmental trajectories for different connections are heterogeneous. All models showed significant effects concentrated in association areas, highlighting the dominance of higher-order social/cognitive development during the first 2 years of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Imaging, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
| | - Haitao Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Imaging, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Emil Cornea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Imaging, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
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10
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Na X, Glasier CM, Andres A, Bellando J, Chen H, Gao W, Livingston LW, Badger TM, Ou X. Associations between mother's depressive symptoms during pregnancy and newborn's brain functional connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8980-8989. [PMID: 37218652 PMCID: PMC10350841 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad176] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression during pregnancy is common and the prevalence further increased during the COVID pandemic. Recent findings have shown potential impact of antenatal depression on children's neurodevelopment and behavior, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Nor is it clear whether mild depressive symptoms among pregnant women would impact the developing brain. In this study, 40 healthy pregnant women had their depressive symptoms evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory-II at ~12, ~24, and ~36 weeks of pregnancy, and their healthy full-term newborns underwent a brain MRI without sedation including resting-state fMRI for evaluation of functional connectivity development. The relationships between functional connectivities and maternal Beck Depression Inventory-II scores were evaluated by Spearman's rank partial correlation tests using appropriate multiple comparison correction with newborn's gender and gestational age at birth controlled. Significant negative correlations were identified between neonatal brain functional connectivity and mother's Beck Depression Inventory-II scores in the third trimester, but not in the first or second trimester. Higher depressive symptoms during the third trimester of pregnancy were associated with lower neonatal brain functional connectivity in the frontal lobe and between frontal/temporal lobe and occipital lobe, indicating a potential impact of maternal depressive symptoms on offspring brain development, even in the absence of clinical depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxu Na
- Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
| | - Charles M Glasier
- Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
| | - Aline Andres
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
- Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, Little Rock 72202, AR, United States
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, Little Rock 72202, AR, United States
| | - Jayne Bellando
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
| | - Haitao Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
| | - Luke W Livingston
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
| | - Thomas M Badger
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
- Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, Little Rock 72202, AR, United States
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, Little Rock 72202, AR, United States
| | - Xiawei Ou
- Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States
- Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, Little Rock 72202, AR, United States
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, Little Rock 72202, AR, United States
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11
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Levy WB, Baxter RA. Growing dendrites enhance a neuron's computational power and memory capacity. Neural Netw 2023; 164:275-309. [PMID: 37163846 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2023.04.033] [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: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Neocortical pyramidal neurons have many dendrites, and such dendrites are capable of, in isolation of one-another, generating a neuronal spike. It is also now understood that there is a large amount of dendritic growth during the first years of a humans life, arguably a period of prodigious learning. These observations inspire the construction of a local, stochastic algorithm based on an earlier stochastic, homeostatic, Hebbian developmental theory. Here we investigate the neurocomputational advantages and limits on this novel algorithm that combines dendritogenesis with supervised adaptive synaptogenesis. Neurons created with this algorithm have enhanced memory capacity, can avoid catastrophic interference (forgetting), and have the ability to unmix mixture distributions. In particular, individual dendrites develop within each class, in an unsupervised manner, to become feature-clusters that correspond to the mixing elements of class-conditional mixture distribution. Error-free classification is demonstrated with input perturbations up to 40%. Although discriminative problems are used to understand the capabilities of the stochastic algorithm and the neuronal connectivity it produces, the algorithm is in the generative class, it thus seems ideal for decisions that require generalization, i.e., extrapolation beyond previous learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B Levy
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States of America; Informed Simplifications, Earlysville, VA 22936, United States of America.
| | - Robert A Baxter
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States of America; Baxter Adaptive Systems, Bedford, MA 01730, United States of America
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12
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Vanderhaeghen P, Polleux F. Developmental mechanisms underlying the evolution of human cortical circuits. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:213-232. [PMID: 36792753 PMCID: PMC10064077 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00675-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
The brain of modern humans has evolved remarkable computational abilities that enable higher cognitive functions. These capacities are tightly linked to an increase in the size and connectivity of the cerebral cortex, which is thought to have resulted from evolutionary changes in the mechanisms of cortical development. Convergent progress in evolutionary genomics, developmental biology and neuroscience has recently enabled the identification of genomic changes that act as human-specific modifiers of cortical development. These modifiers influence most aspects of corticogenesis, from the timing and complexity of cortical neurogenesis to synaptogenesis and the assembly of cortical circuits. Mutations of human-specific genetic modifiers of corticogenesis have started to be linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, providing evidence for their physiological relevance and suggesting potential relationships between the evolution of the human brain and its sensitivity to specific diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Franck Polleux
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Rockland KS. A brief sketch across multiscale and comparative neuroanatomical features. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1108363. [PMID: 36861111 PMCID: PMC9968756 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1108363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
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14
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Renner J, Rasia-Filho AA. Morphological Features of Human Dendritic Spines. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 34:367-496. [PMID: 37962801 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-36159-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spine features in human neurons follow the up-to-date knowledge presented in the previous chapters of this book. Human dendrites are notable for their heterogeneity in branching patterns and spatial distribution. These data relate to circuits and specialized functions. Spines enhance neuronal connectivity, modulate and integrate synaptic inputs, and provide additional plastic functions to microcircuits and large-scale networks. Spines present a continuum of shapes and sizes, whose number and distribution along the dendritic length are diverse in neurons and different areas. Indeed, human neurons vary from aspiny or "relatively aspiny" cells to neurons covered with a high density of intermingled pleomorphic spines on very long dendrites. In this chapter, we discuss the phylogenetic and ontogenetic development of human spines and describe the heterogeneous features of human spiny neurons along the spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, thalamus, basal ganglia, amygdala, hippocampal regions, and neocortical areas. Three-dimensional reconstructions of Golgi-impregnated dendritic spines and data from fluorescence microscopy are reviewed with ultrastructural findings to address the complex possibilities for synaptic processing and integration in humans. Pathological changes are also presented, for example, in Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Basic morphological data can be linked to current techniques, and perspectives in this research field include the characterization of spines in human neurons with specific transcriptome features, molecular classification of cellular diversity, and electrophysiological identification of coexisting subpopulations of cells. These data would enlighten how cellular attributes determine neuron type-specific connectivity and brain wiring for our diverse aptitudes and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josué Renner
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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15
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Petanjek Z, Banovac I, Sedmak D, Hladnik A. Dendritic Spines: Synaptogenesis and Synaptic Pruning for the Developmental Organization of Brain Circuits. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 34:143-221. [PMID: 37962796 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-36159-3_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic overproduction and elimination is a regular developmental event in the mammalian brain. In the cerebral cortex, synaptic overproduction is almost exclusively correlated with glutamatergic synapses located on dendritic spines. Therefore, analysis of changes in spine density on different parts of the dendritic tree in identified classes of principal neurons could provide insight into developmental reorganization of specific microcircuits.The activity-dependent stabilization and selective elimination of the initially overproduced synapses is a major mechanism for generating diversity of neural connections beyond their genetic determination. The largest number of overproduced synapses was found in the monkey and human cerebral cortex. The highest (exceeding adult values by two- to threefold) and most protracted overproduction (up to third decade of life) was described for associative layer IIIC pyramidal neurons in the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.Therefore, the highest proportion and extraordinarily extended phase of synaptic spine overproduction is a hallmark of neural circuitry in human higher-order associative areas. This indicates that microcircuits processing the most complex human cognitive functions have the highest level of developmental plasticity. This finding is the backbone for understanding the effect of environmental impact on the development of the most complex, human-specific cognitive and emotional capacities, and on the late onset of human-specific neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Hladnik
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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16
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Pathogenesis of Dementia. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010543. [PMID: 36613988 PMCID: PMC9820433 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
According to Alzheimer's Disease International, 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia. Dementia is a disorder that manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually result from the brain being damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, usually accompanied by emotional problems, difficulties with language, and decreased motivation. The most common variant of dementia is Alzheimer's disease with symptoms dominated by cognitive disorders, particularly memory loss, impaired personality, and judgmental disorders. So far, all attempts to treat dementias by removing their symptoms rather than their causes have failed. Therefore, in the presented narrative review, I will attempt to explain the etiology of dementia and Alzheimer's disease from the perspective of energy and cognitive metabolism dysfunction in an aging brain. I hope that this perspective, though perhaps too simplified, will bring us closer to the essence of aging-related neurodegenerative disorders and will soon allow us to develop new preventive/therapeutic strategies in our struggle with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
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17
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Liang W, Yu Q, Wang W, Dhollander T, Suluba E, Li Z, Xu F, Hu Y, Tang Y, Liu S. A comparative study of the superior longitudinal fasciculus subdivisions between neonates and young adults. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2713-2730. [PMID: 36114859 PMCID: PMC9618541 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02565-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) is a complex associative tract comprising three distinct subdivisions in the frontoparietal cortex, each of which has its own anatomical connectivity and functional roles. However, many studies on white matter development, hampered by limitations of data quality and tractography methods, treated the SLF as a single entity. The exact anatomical trajectory and developmental status of each sub-bundle of the human SLF in neonates remain poorly understood. Here, we compared the morphological and microstructural characteristics of each branch of the SLF at two ages using diffusion MRI data from 40 healthy neonates and 40 adults. A multi-shell multi-tissue constrained spherical deconvolution (MSMT-CSD) algorithm was used to ensure the successful separation of the three SLF branches (SLF I, SLF II and SLF III). Then, between-group differences in the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) metrics were investigated in all the SLF branches. Meanwhile, Mahalanobis distances based on all the diffusion metrics were computed to quantify the maturation of neonatal SLF branches, considering the adult brain as the reference. The SLF branches, excluding SLF II, had similar fibre morphology and connectivity between the neonatal and adult groups. The Mahalanobis distance values further supported the notion of heterogeneous maturation among SLF branches. The greatest Mahalanobis distance was observed in SLF II, possibly indicating that it was the least mature. Our findings provide a new anatomical basis for the early diagnosis and treatment of diseases caused by abnormal neonatal SLF development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjia Liang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Qiaowen Yu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Wenjun Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Thijs Dhollander
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emmanuel Suluba
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Zhuoran Li
- Department of Ultrasound, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Feifei Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Yuchun Tang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China.
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China.
| | - Shuwei Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China.
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China.
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18
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Li W, Fan L, Shi W, Lu Y, Li J, Luo N, Wang H, Chu C, Ma L, Song M, Li K, Cheng L, Cao L, Jiang T. Brainnetome atlas of preadolescent children based on anatomical connectivity profiles. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:5264-5275. [PMID: 36255322 PMCID: PMC10151881 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During the preadolescent period, when the cerebral thickness, curvature, and myelin are constantly changing, the brain's regionalization patterns underwent persistent development, contributing to the continuous improvements of various higher cognitive functions. Using a brain atlas to study the development of these functions has attracted much attention. However, the brains of children do not always have the same topological patterns as those of adults. Therefore, age-specific brain mapping is particularly important, serving as a basic and indispensable tool to study the normal development of children. In this study, we took advantage of longitudinal data to create the brain atlas specifically for preadolescent children. The resulting human Child Brainnetome Atlas, with 188 cortical and 36 subcortical subregions, provides a precise period-specific and cross-validated version of the brain atlas that is more appropriate for adoption in the preadolescent period. In addition, we compared and illustrated for regions with different topological patterns in the child and adult atlases, providing a topologically consistent reference for subsequent research studying child and adolescent development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Lingzhong Fan
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Weiyang Shi
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yuheng Lu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jin Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Na Luo
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Congying Chu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Ming Song
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Kaixin Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Luqi Cheng
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, No.1 Jinji Road, Qixing District, Guilin 541004, China.,Research Center for Augmented Intelligence, Zhejiang Lab, Kechuang Avenue, Zhongtai Sub-District, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Long Cao
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.4, Section 2, North Jianshe Road, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China.,Research Center for Augmented Intelligence, Zhejiang Lab, Kechuang Avenue, Zhongtai Sub-District, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311100, China
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19
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Batiuk MY, Tyler T, Dragicevic K, Mei S, Rydbirk R, Petukhov V, Deviatiiarov R, Sedmak D, Frank E, Feher V, Habek N, Hu Q, Igolkina A, Roszik L, Pfisterer U, Garcia-Gonzalez D, Petanjek Z, Adorjan I, Kharchenko PV, Khodosevich K. Upper cortical layer-driven network impairment in schizophrenia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn8367. [PMID: 36223459 PMCID: PMC9555788 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn8367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is one of the most widespread and complex mental disorders. To characterize the impact of schizophrenia, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) of >220,000 neurons from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia and matched controls. In addition, >115,000 neurons were analyzed topographically by immunohistochemistry. Compositional analysis of snRNA-seq data revealed a reduction in abundance of GABAergic neurons and a concomitant increase in principal neurons, most pronounced for upper cortical layer subtypes, which was substantiated by histological analysis. Many neuronal subtypes showed extensive transcriptomic changes, the most marked in upper-layer GABAergic neurons, including down-regulation in energy metabolism and up-regulation in neurotransmission. Transcription factor network analysis demonstrated a developmental origin of transcriptomic changes. Last, Visium spatial transcriptomics further corroborated upper-layer neuron vulnerability in schizophrenia. Overall, our results point toward general network impairment within upper cortical layers as a core substrate associated with schizophrenia symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mykhailo Y. Batiuk
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Teadora Tyler
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Katarina Dragicevic
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Shenglin Mei
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rasmus Rydbirk
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Viktor Petukhov
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ruslan Deviatiiarov
- The National Center for Personalized Medicine of Endocrine Diseases, Moscow 115478, Russia
- Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420043, Russia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Erzsebet Frank
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Virginia Feher
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Nikola Habek
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Qiwen Hu
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anna Igolkina
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- St. Petersburg Polytechnical University, St. Petersburg 195251, Russia
| | - Lilla Roszik
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Ulrich Pfisterer
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Diego Garcia-Gonzalez
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Istvan Adorjan
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1085, Hungary
| | - Peter V. Kharchenko
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Konstantin Khodosevich
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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20
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Hsieh S, Yang MH, Yao ZF. Age differences in the functional organization of the prefrontal cortex: analyses of competing hypotheses. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4040-4055. [PMID: 36124910 PMCID: PMC10068268 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We employed a mixed design task for block and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging with manipulations of levels of abstraction and duration in task-relevant cues and probes. Age-related differences between younger and older adults in task-related functional brain activity patterns of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were reported. The results showed that (1) the low episodic condition evoked more activity in the more anterior PFC than the high episodic control condition for both age groups; (2) the low abstraction condition evoked more activity in the more anterior PFC than the high abstraction condition for both age groups; and (3) the signal change did not vary as a function of activity dynamics (transient and sustained responses) and maintenance duration (single-trial and multiple-trial). The findings showed that baseline conditions evoked more activity in the more anterior PFC for the older group than the younger group across most task contrasts and conditions, where these additional activities in the brain regions overlapped within the default mode network (DMN). We tentatively concluded that deficiency in the anterior DMN deactivation during externally driven tasks might be attributed to less efficiency in modulating local connectivity propagate to surrounding tissue, which may paradoxically increase brain activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulan Hsieh
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Laboratory: Control, Aging, Sleep, and Emotion, Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan.,Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan.,Department of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Heng Yang
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Laboratory: Control, Aging, Sleep, and Emotion, Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
| | - Zai-Fu Yao
- College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, No.521, Nanda Road, Hsinchu City 300193, Taiwan.,Research Center for Education and Mind Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, No.521, Nanda Road, Hsinchu City 300193, Taiwan
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21
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Scholtens LH, Pijnenburg R, de Lange SC, Huitinga I, van den Heuvel MP. Common Microscale and Macroscale Principles of Connectivity in the Human Brain. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4147-4163. [PMID: 35422441 PMCID: PMC9121834 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1572-21.2022] [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: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain requires efficient information transfer between neurons and large-scale brain regions. Brain connectivity follows predictable organizational principles. At the cellular level, larger supragranular pyramidal neurons have larger, more branched dendritic trees, more synapses, and perform more complex computations; at the macroscale, region-to-region connections display a diverse architecture with highly connected hub areas facilitating complex information integration and computation. Here, we explore the hypothesis that the branching structure of large-scale region-to-region connectivity follows similar organizational principles as the neuronal scale. We examine microscale connectivity of basal dendritic trees of supragranular pyramidal neurons (300+) across 10 cortical areas in five human donor brains (1 male, 4 female). Dendritic complexity was quantified as the number of branch points, tree length, spine count, spine density, and overall branching complexity. High-resolution diffusion-weighted MRI was used to construct white matter trees of corticocortical wiring. Examining complexity of the resulting white matter trees using the same measures as for dendritic trees shows heteromodal association areas to have larger, more complex white matter trees than primary areas (p < 0.0001) and macroscale complexity to run in parallel with microscale measures, in terms of number of inputs (r = 0.677, p = 0.032), branch points (r = 0.797, p = 0.006), tree length (r = 0.664, p = 0.036), and branching complexity (r = 0.724, p = 0.018). Our findings support the integrative theory that brain connectivity follows similar principles of connectivity at neuronal and macroscale levels and provide a framework to study connectivity changes in brain conditions at multiple levels of organization.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Within the human brain, cortical areas are involved in a wide range of processes, requiring different levels of information integration and local computation. At the cellular level, these regional differences reflect a predictable organizational principle with larger, more complexly branched supragranular pyramidal neurons in higher order regions. We hypothesized that the 3D branching structure of macroscale corticocortical connections follows the same organizational principles as the cellular scale. Comparing branching complexity of dendritic trees of supragranular pyramidal neurons and of MRI-based regional white matter trees of macroscale connectivity, we show that macroscale branching complexity is larger in higher order areas and that microscale and macroscale complexity go hand in hand. Our findings contribute to a multiscale integrative theory of brain connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne H Scholtens
- Complex Traits Genetics Department, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rory Pijnenburg
- Complex Traits Genetics Department, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Siemon C de Lange
- Complex Traits Genetics Department, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Inge Huitinga
- Neuroimmunology Research Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Complex Traits Genetics Department, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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22
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Abstract
During evolution, the cerebral cortex advances by increasing in surface and the introduction of new cytoarchitectonic areas among which the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is considered to be the substrate of highest cognitive functions. Although neurons of the PFC are generated before birth, the differentiation of its neurons and development of synaptic connections in humans extend to the 3rd decade of life. During this period, synapses as well as neurotransmitter systems including their receptors and transporters, are initially overproduced followed by selective elimination. Advanced methods applied to human and animal models, enable investigation of the cellular mechanisms and role of specific genes, non-coding regulatory elements and signaling molecules in control of prefrontal neuronal production and phenotypic fate, as well as neuronal migration to establish layering of the PFC. Likewise, various genetic approaches in combination with functional assays and immunohistochemical and imaging methods reveal roles of neurotransmitter systems during maturation of the PFC. Disruption, or even a slight slowing of the rate of neuronal production, migration and synaptogenesis by genetic or environmental factors, can induce gross as well as subtle changes that eventually can lead to cognitive impairment. An understanding of the development and evolution of the PFC provide insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of congenital neuropsychiatric diseases as well as idiopathic developmental disorders that cause intellectual disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon M Kolk
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Pasko Rakic
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
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23
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Hilgetag CC, Goulas A, Changeux JP. A natural cortical axis connecting the outside and inside of the human brain. Netw Neurosci 2022; 6:950-959. [PMID: 36875013 PMCID: PMC9976644 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
What structural and connectivity features of the human brain help to explain the extraordinary human cognitive abilities? We recently proposed a set of relevant connectomic fundamentals, some of which arise from the size scaling of the human brain relative to other primate brains, while others of these fundamentals may be uniquely human. In particular, we suggested that the remarkable increase of the size of the human brain due to its prolonged prenatal development has brought with it an increased sparsification, hierarchical modularization, as well as increased depth and cytoarchitectonic differentiation of brain networks. These characteristic features are complemented by a shift of projection origins to the upper layers of many cortical areas as well as the significantly prolonged postnatal development and plasticity of the upper cortical layers. Another fundamental aspect of cortical organization that has emerged in recent research is the alignment of diverse features of evolution, development, cytoarchitectonics, function, and plasticity along a principal, natural cortical axis from sensory ("outside") to association ("inside") areas. Here we highlight how this natural axis is integrated in the characteristic organization of the human brain. In particular, the human brain displays a developmental expansion of outside areas and a stretching of the natural axis such that outside areas are more widely separated from each other and from inside areas than in other species. We outline some functional implications of this characteristic arrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus C Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandros Goulas
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jean-Pierre Changeux
- CNRS UMR 3571, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Communications Cellulaires, Collège de France, Paris, France
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24
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Yao ZF, Hsieh S. Age Differences of the Hierarchical Cognitive Control and the Frontal Rostro-Caudal Functional Brain Activation. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2797-2815. [PMID: 34727188 PMCID: PMC9247418 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related differences in the functional hierarchical organization of the frontal lobe remain unclear. We adopted task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate age differences in the functional hierarchical organization of the frontal lobe. Behavioral results report both reaction time and efficiency declined as the levels of abstraction increased in the selection of a set of stimulus–response mappings in older adults compared with young adults. fMRI findings suggest trends of the hierarchical organization along the rostro–caudal axis in both groups, and brain–behavior correlation further suggests neural dedifferentiation in older adults when performing at the highest level of control demands experiment. Behavioral performances and age difference overactivations at the highest level of control demands were both associated with working memory capacity, suggesting the working memory capacity is important for processing the highest task demands. Region-of-interest analysis revealed age differences in brain overactivation and common activation across experiments in the primary motor cortex, parietal lobule, and the fusiform gyrus may serve as shared mechanisms underlying tasks that are required for the selection of stimulus–response mapping sets. Overall, older adults reflect maladaptive overactivation in task-irrelevant regions that are detrimental to performance with the highest control demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zai-Fu Yao
- Brain and Cognition, Psychology Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, 1001 NK Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Graduate Institute of Sports Training, College of Kinesiology, Tianmu Campus, University of Taipei, Taipei City 11153, Taiwan
| | - Shulan Hsieh
- Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101, Taiwan.,Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101, Taiwan.,Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101, Taiwan
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25
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Banovac I, Sedmak D, Judaš M, Petanjek Z. Von Economo Neurons - Primate-Specific or Commonplace in the Mammalian Brain? Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:714611. [PMID: 34539353 PMCID: PMC8440978 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.714611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The pioneering work by von Economo in 1925 on the cytoarchitectonics of the cerebral cortex revealed a specialized and unique cell type in the adult human fronto-insular (FI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In modern studies, these neurons are termed von Economo neurons (VENs). In his work, von Economo described them as stick, rod or corkscrew cells because of their extremely elongated and relatively thin cell body clearly distinguishable from common oval or spindle-shaped infragranular principal neurons. Before von Economo, in 1899 Cajal depicted the unique somato-dendritic morphology of such cells with extremely elongated soma in the FI. However, although VENs are increasingly investigated, Cajal’s observation is still mainly being neglected. On Golgi staining in humans, VENs have a thick and long basal trunk with horizontally oriented terminal branching (basilar skirt) from where the axon arises. They are clearly distinguishable from a spectrum of modified pyramidal neurons found in infragranular layers, including oval or spindle-shaped principal neurons. Spindle-shaped cells with highly elongated cell body were also observed in the ACC of great apes, but despite similarities in soma shape, their dendritic and axonal morphology has still not been described in sufficient detail. Studies identifying VENs in non-human species are predominantly done on Nissl or anti-NeuN staining. In most of these studies, the dendritic and axonal morphology of the analyzed cells was not demonstrated and many of the cells found on Nissl or anti-NeuN staining had a cell body shape characteristic for common oval or spindle-shaped cells. Here we present an extensive literature overview on VENs, which demonstrates that human VENs are specialized elongated principal cells with unique somato-dendritic morphology found abundantly in the FI and ACC of the human brain. More research is needed to properly evaluate the presence of such specialized cells in other primates and non-primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Miloš Judaš
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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26
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Ma L, Tian L, Hu T, Jiang T, Zuo N. Development of Individual Variability in Brain Functional Connectivity and Capability across the Adult Lifespan. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3925-3938. [PMID: 33822909 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual variability exists in both brain function and behavioral performance. However, changes in individual variability in brain functional connectivity and capability across adult development and aging have not yet been clearly examined. Based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from a large cohort of participants (543 adults, aged 18-88 years), brain functional connectivity was analyzed to characterize the spatial distribution and differences in individual variability across the adult lifespan. Results showed high individual variability in the association cortex over the adult lifespan, whereas individual variability in the primary cortex was comparably lower in the initial stage but increased with age. Individual variability was also negatively correlated with the strength/number of short-, medium-, and long-range functional connections in the brain, with long-range connections playing a more critical role in increasing global individual variability in the aging brain. More importantly, in regard to specific brain regions, individual variability in the motor cortex was significantly correlated with differences in motor capability. Overall, we identified specific patterns of individual variability in brain functional structure during the adult lifespan and demonstrated that functional variability in the brain can reflect behavioral performance. These findings advance our understanding of the underlying principles of the aging brain across the adult lifespan and suggest how to characterize degenerating behavioral capability using imaging biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liying Ma
- School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China.,Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Lixia Tian
- School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Tianyu Hu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuro-Information of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 625014, China.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nianming Zuo
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
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27
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Wiring of higher-order cortical areas: Spatiotemporal development of cortical hierarchy. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:35-49. [PMID: 34034988 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A hierarchical development of cortical areas was suggested over a century ago, but the diversity and complexity of cortical hierarchy properties have so far prevented a formal demonstration. The aim of this review is to clarify the similarities and differences in the developmental processes underlying cortical development of primary and higher-order areas. We start by recapitulating the historical and recent advances underlying the biological principle of cortical hierarchy in adults. We then revisit the arguments for a hierarchical maturation of cortical areas, and further integrate the principles of cortical areas specification during embryonic and postnatal development. We highlight how the dramatic expansion in cortical size might have contributed to the increased number of association areas sustaining cognitive complexification in evolution. Finally, we summarize the recent observations of an alteration of cortical hierarchy in neuropsychiatric disorders and discuss their potential developmental origins.
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28
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Banovac I, Katavić V, Blažević A, Bičanić I, Hladnik A, Kovačić N, Petanjek Z. The anatomy lesson of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: irreplaceable tradition (cadaver work) and new didactics of digital technology. Croat Med J 2021. [PMID: 33938657 PMCID: PMC8107989 DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2021.62.173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim To compare the efficacy of different components of online and contact anatomy classes as perceived by medical students. Methods An anonymous course evaluation survey was conducted at the end of the academic year 2019/2020. The organization of classes due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic provided our students with a unique opportunity to compare online and contact classes. Students’ responses were analyzed according to the type of obtained data (ratio, ordinal, and categorical). Results The response rate was 95.58%. Approximately 90% of students found anatomical dissection and practical work in general to be the most important aspect of teaching, which could not be replaced by online learning. During online classes, students missed the most the interaction with other students, followed by the interaction with student teaching assistants and teaching staff. Very few students found contact lectures useful, with most students reporting that they could be replaced with recorded video lectures. In contrast, recorded video lectures were perceived as extremely helpful for studying. Regular weekly quizzes were essential during online classes as they gave students adequate feedback and guided their learning process. Students greatly benefitted from additional course materials and interactive lessons, which were made easily available via e-learning platform. Conclusions Anatomical dissection and interaction during contact classes remain the most important aspects of teaching anatomy. However, online teaching increases learning efficiency by allowing alternative learning strategies and by substituting certain components of contact classes, thus freeing up more time for practical work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Zdravko Petanjek, Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy and Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Šalata 11, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia,
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29
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Changeux JP, Goulas A, Hilgetag CC. A Connectomic Hypothesis for the Hominization of the Brain. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2425-2449. [PMID: 33367521 PMCID: PMC8023825 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities of the human brain, including language, have expanded dramatically in the course of our recent evolution from nonhuman primates, despite only minor apparent changes at the gene level. The hypothesis we propose for this paradox relies upon fundamental features of human brain connectivity, which contribute to a characteristic anatomical, functional, and computational neural phenotype, offering a parsimonious framework for connectomic changes taking place upon the human-specific evolution of the genome. Many human connectomic features might be accounted for by substantially increased brain size within the global neural architecture of the primate brain, resulting in a larger number of neurons and areas and the sparsification, increased modularity, and laminar differentiation of cortical connections. The combination of these features with the developmental expansion of upper cortical layers, prolonged postnatal brain development, and multiplied nongenetic interactions with the physical, social, and cultural environment gives rise to categorically human-specific cognitive abilities including the recursivity of language. Thus, a small set of genetic regulatory events affecting quantitative gene expression may plausibly account for the origins of human brain connectivity and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Changeux
- CNRS UMR 3571, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, France
- Communications Cellulaires, Collège de France, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alexandros Goulas
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claus C Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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30
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Rasia-Filho AA, Guerra KTK, Vásquez CE, Dall’Oglio A, Reberger R, Jung CR, Calcagnotto ME. The Subcortical-Allocortical- Neocortical continuum for the Emergence and Morphological Heterogeneity of Pyramidal Neurons in the Human Brain. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:616607. [PMID: 33776739 PMCID: PMC7991104 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.616607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cortical and subcortical areas integrate emotion, memory, and cognition when interpreting various environmental stimuli for the elaboration of complex, evolved social behaviors. Pyramidal neurons occur in developed phylogenetic areas advancing along with the allocortex to represent 70-85% of the neocortical gray matter. Here, we illustrate and discuss morphological features of heterogeneous spiny pyramidal neurons emerging from specific amygdaloid nuclei, in CA3 and CA1 hippocampal regions, and in neocortical layers II/III and V of the anterolateral temporal lobe in humans. Three-dimensional images of Golgi-impregnated neurons were obtained using an algorithm for the visualization of the cell body, dendritic length, branching pattern, and pleomorphic dendritic spines, which are specialized plastic postsynaptic units for most excitatory inputs. We demonstrate the emergence and development of human pyramidal neurons in the cortical and basomedial (but not the medial, MeA) nuclei of the amygdala with cells showing a triangular cell body shape, basal branched dendrites, and a short apical shaft with proximal ramifications as "pyramidal-like" neurons. Basomedial neurons also have a long and distally ramified apical dendrite not oriented to the pial surface. These neurons are at the beginning of the allocortex and the limbic lobe. "Pyramidal-like" to "classic" pyramidal neurons with laminar organization advance from the CA3 to the CA1 hippocampal regions. These cells have basal and apical dendrites with specific receptive synaptic domains and several spines. Neocortical pyramidal neurons in layers II/III and V display heterogeneous dendritic branching patterns adapted to the space available and the afferent inputs of each brain area. Dendritic spines vary in their distribution, density, shapes, and sizes (classified as stubby/wide, thin, mushroom-like, ramified, transitional forms, "atypical" or complex forms, such as thorny excrescences in the MeA and CA3 hippocampal region). Spines were found isolated or intermingled, with evident particularities (e.g., an extraordinary density in long, deep CA1 pyramidal neurons), and some showing a spinule. We describe spiny pyramidal neurons considerably improving the connectional and processing complexity of the brain circuits. On the other hand, these cells have some vulnerabilities, as found in neurodegenerative Alzheimer's disease and in temporal lobe epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto A. Rasia-Filho
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Kétlyn T. Knak Guerra
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carlos Escobar Vásquez
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Aline Dall’Oglio
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Roman Reberger
- Medical Engineering Program, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Cláudio R. Jung
- Institute of Informatics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria Elisa Calcagnotto
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Neurophysiology and Neurochemistry of Neuronal Excitability and Synaptic Plasticity Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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31
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Banovac I, Sedmak D, Džaja D, Jalšovec D, Jovanov Milošević N, Rašin MR, Petanjek Z. Somato-dendritic morphology and axon origin site specify von Economo neurons as a subclass of modified pyramidal neurons in the human anterior cingulate cortex. J Anat 2020; 235:651-669. [PMID: 31435943 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Von Economo neurons (VENs) are modified pyramidal neurons characterized by an extremely elongated rod-shaped soma. They are abundant in layer V of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and fronto-insular cortex (FI) of the human brain, and have long been described as a human-specific neuron type. Recently, VENs have been reported in the ACC of apes and the FI of macaque monkeys. The first description of the somato-dendritic morphology of VENs in the FI by Cajal in 1899 (Textura del Sistema Nervioso del Hombre y de los Vertebrados, Tomo II. Madrid: Nicolas Moya) strongly suggested that they were a unique neuron subtype with specific morphological features. It is surprising that a clarification of this extremely important observation has not yet been attempted, especially as possible misidentification of other oval or fusiform cells as VENs has become relevant in many recently published studies. Here, we analyzed sections of Brodmann area 24 (ACC) stained with rapid Golgi and Golgi-Cox in five adult human specimens, and confirmed Cajal's observations. In addition, we established a comprehensive morphological description of VENs. VENs have a distinct somato-dendritic morphology that allows their clear distinction from other modified pyramidal neurons. We established that VENs have a perpendicularly oriented, stick-shaped core part consisting of the cell body and two thick extensions - an apical and basal stem. The perpendicular length of the core part was 150-250 μm and the thickness was 10-21 μm. The core part was characterized by a lack of clear demarcation between the cell body and the two extensions. Numerous thin, spiny and horizontally oriented side dendrites arose from the cell body. The basal extension of the core part typically ended by giving numerous smaller dendrites with a brush-like branching pattern. The apical extension had a topology typical for apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons. The dendrites arising from the core part had a high dendritic spine density. The most distinct feature of VENs was the distant origin site of the axon, which arose from the ending of the basal extension, often having a common origin with a dendrite. Quantitative analysis found that VENs could be divided into two groups based on total dendritic length - small VENs with a peak total dendritic length of 1500-2500 μm and large VENs with a peak total dendritic length of 5000-6000 μm. Comparative morphological analysis of VENs and other oval and fusiform modified pyramidal neurons showed that on Nissl sections small VENs might be difficult to identify, and that oval and fusiform neurons could be misidentified as VENs. Our analysis of Golgi slides of Brodmann area 9 from a total of 32 adult human subjects revealed only one cell resembling VEN morphology. Thus, our data show that the numerous recent reports on the presence of VENs in non-primates in other layers and regions of the cortex need further confirmation by showing the dendritic and axonal morphology of these cells. In conclusion, our study provides a foundation for further comprehensive morphological and functional studies on VENs between different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Domagoj Džaja
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dubravko Jalšovec
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nataša Jovanov Milošević
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mladen Roko Rašin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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32
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Amedu NO, Omotoso GO. Lead acetate- induced neurodegenerative changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of mice: the role of Vitexin. Environ Anal Health Toxicol 2020; 35:e2020001. [PMID: 32570996 PMCID: PMC7308664 DOI: 10.5620/eaht.e2020001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was aimed at investigating the neuroprotective effect of Vitexin against lead (Pb) induced neurodegenerative changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and working memory in mice. Thirty-two adolescent male albino mice were divided into four groups (n=8). Control group received 0.2 mL of normal saline; Pb group received 100 mg/kg of Pb acetate for 14 days, Vitexin group received 1mg/kg of Vitexin for 14 days, and Pb+Vitexin group received 100 mg/kg of Pb acetate and 1 mgkg of Vitexin for 14 days. Barnes maze test and novel object recognition test were done to ascertain working memory. Histoarchitectural assessment of DLPFC was done with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), cresyl fast violet and congo red stains. Furthermore, cell count and other morphometric measurements were done. There was significant decline in working memory in the Pb group, but a combination of Pb+Vitexin improved the working memory. Vitexin significantly reduced neuronal death and chromatolysis caused by Pb. Amyloid aggregation was not observed in any of the groups. This study has shown that concurrent administration of Vitexin and Pb will significantly reduce neurodegeneration and improve working memory. However, Pb treatment or Pb+Vitexin treatment does not have any effect on intercellular distance, neuronal length and the cross-sectional area of neurons in layer III of DLPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Ohiemi Amedu
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria.,Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kogi State University, P.M.B. 1008, Anyigba, Nigeria
| | - Gabriel Olaiya Omotoso
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria
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33
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Sherwood CC, Miller SB, Karl M, Stimpson CD, Phillips KA, Jacobs B, Hof PR, Raghanti MA, Smaers JB. Invariant Synapse Density and Neuronal Connectivity Scaling in Primate Neocortical Evolution. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5604-5615. [PMID: 32488266 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses are involved in the communication of information from one neuron to another. However, a systematic analysis of synapse density in the neocortex from a diversity of species is lacking, limiting what can be understood about the evolution of this fundamental aspect of brain structure. To address this, we quantified synapse density in supragranular layers II-III and infragranular layers V-VI from primary visual cortex and inferior temporal cortex in a sample of 25 species of primates, including humans. We found that synapse densities were relatively constant across these levels of the cortical visual processing hierarchy and did not significantly differ with brain mass, varying by only 1.9-fold across species. We also found that neuron densities decreased in relation to brain enlargement. Consequently, these data show that the number of synapses per neuron significantly rises as a function of brain expansion in these neocortical areas of primates. Humans displayed the highest number of synapses per neuron, but these values were generally within expectations based on brain size. The metabolic and biophysical constraints that regulate uniformity of synapse density, therefore, likely underlie a key principle of neuronal connectivity scaling in primate neocortical evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Sarah B Miller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Molly Karl
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Cheryl D Stimpson
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | | | - Bob Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80946, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Mary Ann Raghanti
- Department of Anthropology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Jeroen B Smaers
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
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34
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Camacho MC, Quiñones-Camacho LE, Perlman SB. Does the child brain rest?: An examination and interpretation of resting cognition in developmental cognitive neuroscience. Neuroimage 2020; 212:116688. [PMID: 32114148 PMCID: PMC7190083 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In cognitive neuroscience, measurements of "resting baseline" are often considered stable across age and used as a reference point against which to judge cognitive state. The task-based approach-comparing resting baseline to task conditions-implies that resting baseline is an equalizer across participants and-in the case of studies of developmental changes in cognition-across age groups. In contrast, network neuroscience explicitly examines the development of "resting state" networks across age, at odds with the idea of a consistent resting baseline. Little attention has been paid to how cognition during rest may shift across development, particularly in children under the age of eight. Childhood is marked by striking maturation of neural systems, including a protracted developmental period for cognitive control systems. To grow and shape these cognitive systems, children have a developmental imperative to engage their neural circuitry at every possible opportunity. Thus, periods of "rest" without specific instructions may require additional control for children as they fight against developmental expectation to move, speak, or otherwise engage. We therefore theorize that the child brain does not rest in a manner consistent with the adult brain as longer rest periods may represent increased cognitive control. To shape this theory, we first review the extant literature on neurodevelopment across early childhood within the context of cognitive development. Next, we present nascent evidence for a destabilized baseline for comparisons across age. Finally, we present recommendations for designing, analyzing, and interpreting tasks conducted with young children as well as for resting state. Future work must aim to tease apart the cognitive context under which we examine functional brain development in young children and take considerations into account unique to each age.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Catalina Camacho
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (Neurosciences), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | | | - Susan B Perlman
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (Neurosciences), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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35
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He LX, Wan L, Xiang W, Li JM, Pan AH, Lu DH. Synaptic development of layer V pyramidal neurons in the prenatal human prefrontal neocortex: a Neurolucida-aided Golgi study. Neural Regen Res 2020; 15:1490-1495. [PMID: 31997813 PMCID: PMC7059576 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.274345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal neocortex is involved in many high cognitive functions in humans. Deficits in neuronal and neurocircuitry development in this part of the cerebrum have been associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders in adolescents and adults. There are currently little available data regarding prenatal dendrite and spine formation on projecting neurons in the human prefrontal neocortex. Previous studies have demonstrated that Golgi silver staining can identify neurons in the frontal lobe and visual cortex in human embryos. In the present study, five fetal brains, at 19, 20, 26, 35, and 38 gestational weeks, were obtained via the body donation program at Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, China. Golgi-stained pyramidal neurons in layer V of Brodmann area 46 in fetuses were quantitatively analyzed using the Neurolucida morphometry system. Results revealed that somal size, total dendritic length, and branching points of these neurons increased from 26 to 38 gestational weeks. There was also a large increase in dendritic spines from 35 to 38 gestational weeks. These findings indicate that, in the human prefrontal neocortex, dendritic growth in layer V pyramidal neurons occurs rapidly during the third trimester of gestation. The use of human fetal brain tissue was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, China (approval No. 2011-045) on April 5, 2011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Xin He
- Xiangtan Medicine and Health Vocational College, Xiangtan, Hunan Province, China
| | - Lily Wan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Wei Xiang
- Changde Vocational Technical College, Changde, Hunan Province, China
| | - Jian-Ming Li
- Department of Anatomy, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - An-Hua Pan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Da-Hua Lu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
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36
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Hrvoj-Mihic B, Semendeferi K. Neurodevelopmental disorders of the prefrontal cortex in an evolutionary context. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2019; 250:109-127. [PMID: 31703898 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex consists of several cytoarchitectonically defined areas that are involved in higher-order cognitive and emotional processing. The areas are highly variable in terms of organization of cortical layers and distribution of specific neuronal classes, and are affected in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Here the focus is on microstructural anatomical characteristics of human prefrontal cortex in an evolutionary context with special emphasis on Williams syndrome. We include a pilot analysis of distribution of neurons labeled with an antibody to non-phosphorylated neurofilament protein (SMI-32) in the frontal pole of Williams syndrome to further examine microstructural characteristics of the prefrontal cortex in Williams syndrome and implications of the distribution of SMI-32 immunoreactive neurons for connectivity between the frontal pole and other cortical areas in the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branka Hrvoj-Mihic
- University of California San Diego, Department of Anthropology, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Katerina Semendeferi
- University of California San Diego, Department of Anthropology, La Jolla, CA, United States; University of California San Diego, Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, La Jolla, CA, United States.
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