scholarly journals Higher-order thalamic circuits channel parallel streams of visual information in mice

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corbett Bennett ◽  
Samuel D. Gale ◽  
Marina E. Garrett ◽  
Melissa L. Newton ◽  
Edward M. Callaway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Properties ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Dorsal Stream ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Thalamic Nuclei ◽  
Cortical Function ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings

SummaryHigher-order thalamic nuclei, such as the visual pulvinar, play essential roles in cortical function by connecting functionally-related cortical and subcortical brain regions. Yet a coherent framework describing pulvinar function remains elusive due to its anatomical complexity and involvement in diverse cognitive processes. Here we combined large-scale anatomical circuit mapping with high-density electrophysiological recordings to dissect a homolog of pulvinar in mice, the lateral posterior nucleus (LP). We define three broad LP subregions based on correspondence between input/output connectivity and functional properties. These subregions form corticothalamic loops biased towards ventral or dorsal stream cortical areas and contain separate representations of visual space. To reveal which input sources drive LP activity, we silenced visual cortex or superior colliculus and found they drive visual tuning properties in separate LP subregions. Thus, by specifying the driving input sources, functional properties, and downstream targets of LP circuits, our data provide a roadmap for understanding the mechanisms of higher-order thalamic function in vision.

Adult Cortical Dynamics

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 467-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHARLES D. GILBERT
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Functional Properties ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Visual Pathway ◽  
Local Features ◽  
Spatial Integration ◽  
Cortical Dynamics ◽  
Wide Range

Gilbert, Charles D. Adult Cortical Dynamics. Physiol. Rev. 78: 467–485, 1998. — There are many influences on our perception of local features. What we see is not strictly a reflection of the physical characteristics of a scene but instead is highly dependent on the processes by which our brain attempts to interpret the scene. As a result, our percepts are shaped by the context within which local features are presented, by our previous visual experiences, operating over a wide range of time scales, and by our expectation of what is before us. The substrate for these influences is likely to be found in the lateral interactions operating within individual areas of the cerebral cortex and in the feedback from higher to lower order cortical areas. Even at early stages in the visual pathway, cells are far more flexible in their functional properties than previously thought. It had long been assumed that cells in primary visual cortex had fixed properties, passing along the product of a stereotyped operation to the next stage in the visual pathway. Any plasticity dependent on visual experience was thought to be restricted to a period early in the life of the animal, the critical period. Furthermore, the assembly of contours and surfaces into unified percepts was assumed to take place at high levels in the visual pathway, whereas the receptive fields of cells in primary visual cortex represented very small windows on the visual scene. These concepts of spatial integration and plasticity have been radically modified in the past few years. The emerging view is that even at the earliest stages in the cortical processing of visual information, cells are highly mutable in their functional properties and are capable of integrating information over a much larger part of visual space than originally believed.

scholarly journals Large-scale functional integration, rather than functional dissociation along dorsal and ventral streams, underlies visual perception and action

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipanjan Ray ◽  
Nilambari Hajare ◽  
Dipanjan Roy ◽  
Arpan Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Visual Perception ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Predictive Coding ◽  
Dorsal Stream ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Mri Environment

AbstractVisual dual stream theory posits that two distinct neural pathways of specific functional significance originate from primary visual areas and reach the inferior temporal (ventral) and posterior parietal areas (dorsal). However, there are several unresolved questions concerning the fundamental aspects of this theory. For example, is the functional dissociation between ventral and dorsal stream driven by features in input stimuli or is it driven by categorical differences between visuo-perceptual and visuo-motor functions? Is the dual stream rigid or flexible? What is the nature of the interactions between two streams? We addressed these questions using fMRI recordings on healthy human volunteers and employing stimuli and tasks that can tease out the divergence between visuo-perceptual and visuo-motor models of dual stream theory. fMRI scans were repeated after seven practice sessions that were conducted in a non-MRI environment to investigate the effects of neuroplasticity. Brain activation analysis supports an input-based functional dissociation and existence of context-dependent neuroplasticity in dual stream areas. Intriguingly, premotor cortex activation was observed in the position perception task and distributed deactivated regions were observed in all perception tasks thus, warranting a network level analysis. Dynamic causal modelling (DCM) analysis incorporating activated and deactivated brain areas during perception tasks indicates that the brain dynamics during visual perception and actions could be interpreted within the framework of predictive coding. Effectively, the network level findings point towards the existence of more intricate context-driven functional networks selective of “what” and “where” information rather than segregated streams of processing along ventral and dorsal brain regions.

Crustacean Visual Circuits Underlying Behavior

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Tomsic ◽  
Julieta Sztarker
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
General Structure ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Visually Guided ◽  
Decapod Crustaceans ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings ◽  
Visual Behaviors

Decapod crustaceans, in particular semiterrestrial crabs, are highly visual animals that greatly rely on visual information. Their responsiveness to visual moving stimuli, with behavioral displays that can be easily and reliably elicited in the laboratory, together with their sturdiness for experimental manipulation and the accessibility of their nervous system for intracellular electrophysiological recordings in the intact animal, make decapod crustaceans excellent experimental subjects for investigating the neurobiology of visually guided behaviors. Investigations of crustaceans have elucidated the general structure of their eyes and some of their specializations, the anatomical organization of the main brain areas involved in visual processing and their retinotopic mapping of visual space, and the morphology, physiology, and stimulus feature preferences of a number of well-identified classes of neurons, with emphasis on motion-sensitive elements. This anatomical and physiological knowledge, in connection with results of behavioral experiments in the laboratory and the field, are revealing the neural circuits and computations involved in important visual behaviors, as well as the substrate and mechanisms underlying visual memories in decapod crustaceans.

scholarly journals Heterogeneity of EEG resting-state brain networks in absolute pitch

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marielle Greber ◽  
Carina Klein ◽  
Simon Leipold ◽  
Silvano Sele ◽  
Lutz Jäncke
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Absolute Pitch ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Whole Brain

AbstractThe neural basis of absolute pitch (AP), the ability to effortlessly identify a musical tone without an external reference, is poorly understood. One of the key questions is whether perceptual or cognitive processes underlie the phenomenon as both sensory and higher-order brain regions have been associated with AP. One approach to elucidate the neural underpinnings of a specific expertise is the examination of resting-state networks.Thus, in this paper, we report a comprehensive functional network analysis of intracranial resting-state EEG data in a large sample of AP musicians (n = 54) and non-AP musicians (n = 51). We adopted two analysis approaches: First, we applied an ROI-based analysis to examine the connectivity between the auditory cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using several established functional connectivity measures. This analysis is a replication of a previous study which reported increased connectivity between these two regions in AP musicians. Second, we performed a whole-brain network-based analysis on the same functional connectivity measures to gain a more complete picture of the brain regions involved in a possibly large-scale network supporting AP ability.In our sample, the ROI-based analysis did not provide evidence for an AP-specific connectivity increase between the auditory cortex and the DLPFC. In contrast, the whole-brain analysis revealed three networks with increased connectivity in AP musicians comprising nodes in frontal, temporal, subcortical, and occipital areas. Commonalities of the networks were found in both sensory and higher-order brain regions of the perisylvian area. Further research will be needed to confirm these exploratory results.

scholarly journals The Developing Human Connectome Project: typical and disrupted perinatal functional connectivity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Eyre ◽  
Sean P Fitzgibbon ◽  
Judit Ciarrusta ◽  
Lucilio Cordero-Grande ◽  
Anthony N Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Developmental Coordination Disorder ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Normal Term ◽  
Human Connectome Project

AbstractThe Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) is an Open Science project which provides the first large sample of neonatal functional MRI (fMRI) data with high temporal and spatial resolution. This data enables mapping of intrinsic functional connectivity between spatially distributed brain regions under normal and adverse perinatal circumstances, offering a framework to study the ontogeny of large-scale brain organisation in humans. Here, we characterise in unprecedented detail the maturation and integrity of resting-state networks (RSNs) at normal term age in 337 infants (including 65 born preterm).First, we applied group independent component analysis (ICA) to define 11 RSNs in term-born infants scanned at 43.5-44.5 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). Adult-like topography was observed in RSNs encompassing primary sensorimotor, visual and auditory cortices. Among six higher-order, association RSNs, analogues of the adult networks for language and ocular control were identified, but a complete default mode network precursor was not. Next, we regressed the subject-level datasets from an independent cohort of infants scanned at 37-43.5 weeks PMA against the group-level RSNs to test for the effects of age, sex and preterm birth. Brain mapping in term-born infants revealed areas of positive association with age across four of six association RSNs, indicating active maturation in functional connectivity from 37 to 43.5 weeks PMA. Female infants showed increased connectivity in inferotemporal regions of the visual association network. Preterm birth was associated with striking impairments of functional connectivity across all RSNs in a dose-dependent manner; conversely, connectivity of the superior parietal lobules within the lateral motor network was abnormally increased in preterm infants, suggesting a possible mechanism for specific difficulties such as developmental coordination disorder which occur frequently in preterm children.Overall, we find a robust, modular, symmetrical functional brain organisation at normal term age. A complete set of adult-equivalent primary RSNs is already instated, alongside emerging connectivity in immature association RSNs, consistent with a primary-to-higher-order ontogenetic sequence of brain development. The early developmental disruption imposed by preterm birth is associated with extensive alterations in functional connectivity.

scholarly journals Large-scale Functional Integration, Rather than Functional Dissociation along Dorsal and Ventral Streams, Underlies Visual Perception and Action

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 847-861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipanjan Ray ◽  
Nilambari Hajare ◽  
Dipanjan Roy ◽  
Arpan Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Visual Perception ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Predictive Coding ◽  
Dorsal Stream ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Causal Modeling ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Healthy Human

Visual dual-stream theory posits that two distinct neural pathways of specific functional significance originate from primary visual areas and reach the inferior temporal (ventral) and posterior parietal areas (dorsal). However, there are several unresolved questions concerning the fundamental aspects of this theory. For example, is the functional dissociation between ventral and dorsal stream driven by features in input stimuli or is it driven by categorical differences between visuoperceptual and visuomotor functions? Is the dual stream rigid or flexible? What is the nature of the interactions between the two streams? We addressed these questions using fMRI recordings on healthy human volunteers and employing stimuli and tasks that can tease out the divergence between visuoperceptual and visuomotor variants of dual-stream theory. fMRI scans were repeated after seven practice sessions that were conducted in a non-MRI environment to investigate the effects of neuroplasticity. Brain activation analysis supports an input-based functional dissociation and existence of context-dependent neuroplasticity in dual-stream areas. Intriguingly, premotor cortex activation was observed in the position perception task and distributed deactivated regions were observed in all perception tasks, thus warranting a network-level analysis. Dynamic causal modeling analysis incorporating activated and deactivated brain areas during perception tasks indicates that the brain dynamics during visual perception and actions could be interpreted within the framework of predictive coding. Effectively, the network-level findings point toward the existence of more intricate context-driven functional networks selective of “what” and “where” information rather than segregated streams of processing along ventral and dorsal brain regions.

Developmental structure in brain evolution

2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara L. Finlay ◽  
Richard B. Darlington ◽  
Nicholas Nicastro
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Brain Evolution ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Thalamic Nuclei ◽  
Brain Expansion ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Selection Of

How does evolution grow bigger brains? It has been widely assumed that growth of individual structures and functional systems in response to niche-specific cognitive challenges is the most plausible mechanism for brain expansion in mammals. Comparison of multiple regressions on allometric data for 131 mammalian species, however, suggests that for 9 of 11 brain structures taxonomic and body size factors are less important than covariance of these major structures with each other. Which structure grows biggest is largely predicted by a conserved order of neurogenesis that can be derived from the basic axial structure of the developing brain. This conserved order of neurogenesis predicts the relative scaling not only of gross brain regions like the isocortex or mesencephalon, but also the level of detail of individual thalamic nuclei. Special selection of particular areas for specific functions does occur, but it is a minor factor compared to the large-scale covariance of the whole brain. The idea that enlarged isocortex could be a “spandrel,” a by-product of structural constraints later adapted for various behaviors, contrasts with approaches to selection of particular brain regions for cognitively advanced uses, as is commonly assumed in the case of hominid brain evolution.

scholarly journals Revealing the dual streams of speech processing

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (52) ◽  
pp. 15108-15113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julius Fridriksson ◽  
Grigori Yourganov ◽  
Leonardo Bonilha ◽  
Alexandra Basilakos ◽  
Dirk-Bart Den Ouden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Processing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Dorsal Stream ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Ventral Stream ◽  
Complete Agreement ◽  
Human Speech ◽  
Lexical Semantic ◽  
Data Driven Approach

Several dual route models of human speech processing have been proposed suggesting a large-scale anatomical division between cortical regions that support motor–phonological aspects vs. lexical–semantic aspects of speech processing. However, to date, there is no complete agreement on what areas subserve each route or the nature of interactions across these routes that enables human speech processing. Relying on an extensive behavioral and neuroimaging assessment of a large sample of stroke survivors, we used a data-driven approach using principal components analysis of lesion-symptom mapping to identify brain regions crucial for performance on clusters of behavioral tasks without a priori separation into task types. Distinct anatomical boundaries were revealed between a dorsal frontoparietal stream and a ventral temporal–frontal stream associated with separate components. Collapsing over the tasks primarily supported by these streams, we characterize the dorsal stream as a form-to-articulation pathway and the ventral stream as a form-to-meaning pathway. This characterization of the division in the data reflects both the overlap between tasks supported by the two streams as well as the observation that there is a bias for phonological production tasks supported by the dorsal stream and lexical–semantic comprehension tasks supported by the ventral stream. As such, our findings show a division between two processing routes that underlie human speech processing and provide an empirical foundation for studying potential computational differences that distinguish between the two routes.

scholarly journals Polymer skulls with integrated transparent electrode arrays for cortex-wide opto-electrophysiological recordings

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preston D Donaldson ◽  
Zahra S Navabi ◽  
Russell E Carter ◽  
Skylar M. L. Fausner ◽  
Leila Ghanbari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Imaging ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Transparent Electrode ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Electrode Arrays ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Cortical Dynamics ◽  
Multimodal Sensing ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings

Electrophysiology and optical imaging provide complementary neural sensing capabilities; electrophysiological recordings have the highest temporal resolution, while optical imaging allows recording the activities of genetically defined populations at high spatial resolution. Combining these complementary, yet orthogonal modalities to perform simultaneous large-scale, multimodal sensing of neural activity across multiple brain regions would be very powerful. Here we show that transparent, inkjet-printed electrocorticography (ECoG) electrode arrays can be seamlessly integrated with morphologically conformant transparent polymer skulls for multimodal recordings across the cortex. These eSee-Shells, were implanted on transgenic mice expressing the Ca2+ indicator GCaMP6f in cortical excitatory cells and provided a robust opto-electrophysiological interface for over 100 days. eSee-Shells enable simultaneous mesoscale Ca2+ imaging and ECoG acquisition under anesthesia as well as in awake animals presented with sensory stimuli. eSee-Shells further show sufficient clarity and transparency to observe single-cell Ca2+ signals directly below the electrodes and interconnects. Simultaneous multimodal measurement of cortical dynamics reveals changes in both ECoG and Ca2+ signals that depend on the behavioral state.

scholarly journals High-density, long-lasting, and multi-region electrophysiological recordings using polymer electrode arrays

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason E. Chung ◽  
Hannah R. Joo ◽  
Jiang Lan Fan ◽  
Daniel F. Liu ◽  
Alex H. Barnett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Electrode Arrays ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Recording Channels ◽  
Distributed Circuits ◽  
Polymer Electrodes

AbstractThe brain is a massive neuronal network, organized into anatomically distributed sub-circuits, with functionally relevant activity occurring at timescales ranging from milliseconds to months. Current methods to monitor neural activity, however, lack the necessary conjunction of anatomical spatial coverage, temporal resolution, and long-term stability to measure this distributed activity. Here we introduce a large-scale, multi-site recording platform that integrates polymer electrodes with a modular stacking headstage design supporting up to 1024 recording channels in freely behaving rats. This system can support months-long recordings from hundreds of well-isolated units across multiple brain regions. Moreover, these recordings are stable enough to track 25% of single units for over a week. This platform enables large-scale electrophysiological interrogation of the fast dynamics and long-timescale evolution of anatomically distributed circuits, and thereby provides a new tool for understanding brain activity.

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