Activity of Primate Subgenual Cingulate Cortex Neurons Is Related to Sleep

2003 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund T. Rolls ◽  
Kazuo Inoue ◽  
Andrew Browning

The most frequent type of neuronal response found in the subgenual cingulate cortex (area 25) of the rhesus macaque was a highly significant increase of firing rate when the monkey fell asleep (median rate = 1.6 spikes/s) compared with the awake state (median rate = 0.1 spikes/s). On average, the firing rate of the neurons when awake was 23% of that when the monkeys were asleep. Neurons were not found in this region with responses related to taste, olfactory, and visual stimuli including faces or related to movement. These results are relevant to understanding the function of this region in humans, in which it has been suggested that activation may be related to disengagement from tasks and to induced sadness, both of which we note lead to a more passive or resting behavior. A decrease in the activation of this area in humans has been observed during the recovery from depression, which we note leads to a more active state of behavior.

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 671-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
WYETH BAIR

Neuronal response latency usually refers to the time between the presentation of a visual stimulus and the elevation in firing rate that follows. Expanding on this idea, the concept of response offset latency refers to the time between the removal of a stimulus (or its replacement with one that is less effective) and the resulting decline in firing rate. The initial observation that offset latency is usually shorter than onset latency (Bair et al., 2002) has been called into question on the basis of the pulsatile nature of visual stimuli presented on a CRT (Gawne & Woods, 2003). Here, a counter argument is presented in support of the results of Bair et al., 2002.


2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. E3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason S. Hauptman ◽  
Antonio A. F. DeSalles ◽  
Randall Espinoza ◽  
Mark Sedrak ◽  
Warren Ishida

Object The goal of this study was to evaluate the definition of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), review the literature regarding deep brain stimulation (DBS) for TRD, and identify potential anatomical and functional targets for future widespread clinical application. Methods A comprehensive literature review was performed to determine the current status of DBS for TRD, with an emphasis on the scientific support for various implantation sites. Results The definition of TRD is presented, as is its management scheme. The rationale behind using DBS for depression is reviewed. Five potential targets have been identified in the literature: ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens, subgenual cingulate cortex (area 25), inferior thalamic peduncle, rostral cingulate cortex (area 24a), and lateral habenula. Deep brain stimulation electrodes thus far have been implanted and activated in only the first 3 of these structures in humans. These targets have proven to be safe and effective, albeit in a small number of cases. Conclusions Surgical intervention for TRD in the form of DBS is emerging as a viable treatment alternative to existing modalities. Although the studies reported thus far have small sample sizes, the results appear to be promising. Various surgical targets, such as the subgenual cingulate cortex, inferior thalamic peduncle, and nucleus accumbens, have been shown to be safe and to lead to beneficial effects with various stimulation parameters. Further studies with larger patient groups are required to adequately assess the safety and efficacy of these targets, as well as the optimal stimulation parameters and long-term effects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 975-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel S. Morris ◽  
Sara Costi ◽  
Aaron Tan ◽  
Emily R. Stern ◽  
Dennis S. Charney ◽  
...  

1992 ◽  
Vol 9 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 399-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon H. Kaas ◽  
Leah A. Krubitzer

AbstractThe middle temporal visual area, MT, is one of three major targets of the primary visual cortex, area 17, in primates. We assessed the contribution of area 17 connections to the responsiveness of area MT neurons to visual stimuli by first mapping the representation of the visual hemifield in MT of anesthetized owl monkeys with microelectrodes, ablating an electrophysiologically mapped part of area 17, and then immediately remapping MT. Before the lesions, neurons at recording sites throughout MT responded vigorously to moving slits of light and other visual stimuli. In addition, the relationship of receptive fields to recording sites revealed a systematic representation of the contralateral visual hemifield in MT, as reported previously for owl monkeys and other primates. The immediate effect of removing part of the retinotopic map in area 17 by gentle aspiration was to selectively deactivate the corresponding part of the visuotopic map in MT. Lesions of dorsomedial area 17 representing central and paracentral vision of the lower visual quadrant deactivated neurons in caudomedial MT formerly having receptive fields in the central and paracentral lower visual quadrant. Most neurons at recording sites throughout other parts of MT had normal levels of responsiveness to visual stimuli, and receptive-field locations that closely matched those before the lesion. However, neurons at a few sites along the margin of the deactivated zone of cortex had receptive fields that were slightly displaced from the region of vision affected by the lesion into other parts of the visual field, suggesting some degree of plasticity in the visual hemifield representation in MT. Subsequent histological examination of cortex confirmed that the lesions were confined to area 17 and the recordings were in MT. The results indicate that the visually evoked activity of neurons in MT of owl monkeys is highly dependent on inputs relayed directly or indirectly from area 17.


1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 502-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Lal ◽  
M. J. Friedlander

1. Extracellular recordings were made from single neurons in layer A of the left dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) of anesthetized and paralyzed adult cats. Responses to retinotopically identical visual stimuli (presented through the right eye) were recorded at several positions of the left eye in its orbit. Visual stimuli consisted of drifting sinusoidal gratings of optimal temporal and spatial frequencies at twice threshold contrast. Visual stimulation of the left eye was blocked by a variety of methods, including intravitreal injection of tetrodotoxin (TTX). The change in position of the left eye was achieved by passive movements in a randomized and interleaved fashion. Of 237 neurons studied, responses were obtained from 143 neurons on 20-100 trials of identical visual stimulation at each of six eye positions. Neurons were classified as X- or Y- on the basis of a standard battery of physiological tests (primarily linearity of spatial summation and response latency to electrical stimulation of the optic chiasm). 2. The effect of eye position on the visual response of the 143 neurons was analyzed with respect to the number of action potentials elicited and the peak firing rate. Fifty-seven (40%) neurons had a significant effect [by one-factor repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA), P less than 0.05] of eye position on the visual response by either criterion (number of action potentials or peak firing rate). Of these 57 neurons, 47 had a significant effect (P less than 0.05) with respect to the number of action potentials and 23 had a significant effect (P less than 0.05) by both criteria. Thus the permissive measure by either criterion and the conservative measure by both criteria resulted in 40% and 16%, respectively, of all neurons' visual responses being significantly affected by eye position. 3. For the 47 neurons with a significant effect of eye position (number of action potentials criterion), a trend analysis of eye position versus visual response showed a linear trend (P less than 0.05) for 9 neurons, a quadratic trend (P less than 0.05) for 32 neurons, and no significant trend for the 6 remaining neurons. The trends were approximated with linear and nonlinear gain fields (range of eye position change over which the visual response was modulated). The gain fields of individual neurons were compared by measuring the normalized gain (change in neuronal response per degree change of eye position). The mean normalized gain for the 47 neurons was 4.3. 4. The nonlinear gain fields were generally symmetric with respect to nasal versus temporal changes in eye position.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 669-674
Author(s):  
Maureen Hack ◽  
Ann Mostow ◽  
Simon B. Miranda

The quality of the awake state and attention in preterm infants has been evaluated by rating indices of attention such as widening of the eye, type of fixation, brightening, scanning, and cessation of sucking measured during visual fixation of patterns. Twenty-six infants ranging from 28 to 32 weeks' gestation at birth (mean, 31 weeks) were tested from one to four weeks postnatally until 36 weeks' gestation. Indices of attention were rated on a scale of 4 with an optimal mean index of 4. A progressive increase in behaviors associated with fixation of visual stimuli has been shown from 32 to 36 weeks of conceptual age. Mean scores ranged from 0.7 at 31 weeks' gestation to 1.8 at 34 weeks' and 2.7 at 36 weeks' gestation. The possibility therefore exists that by as early as 31 to 32 weeks from conception the human brain may be capable of waking states and thus able to process some sensory stimulation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-148
Author(s):  
Boris Gourévitch ◽  
Elena J. Mahrt ◽  
Warren Bakay ◽  
Cameron Elde ◽  
Christine V. Portfors

Speech is our most important form of communication, yet we have a poor understanding of how communication sounds are processed by the brain. Mice make great model organisms to study neural processing of communication sounds because of their rich repertoire of social vocalizations and because they have brain structures analogous to humans, such as the auditory midbrain nucleus inferior colliculus (IC). Although the combined roles of GABAergic and glycinergic inhibition on vocalization selectivity in the IC have been studied to a limited degree, the discrete contributions of GABAergic inhibition have only rarely been examined. In this study, we examined how GABAergic inhibition contributes to shaping responses to pure tones as well as selectivity to complex sounds in the IC of awake mice. In our set of long-latency neurons, we found that GABAergic inhibition extends the evoked firing rate range of IC neurons by lowering the baseline firing rate but maintaining the highest probability of firing rate. GABAergic inhibition also prevented IC neurons from bursting in a spontaneous state. Finally, we found that although GABAergic inhibition shaped the spectrotemporal response to vocalizations in a nonlinear fashion, it did not affect the neural code needed to discriminate vocalizations, based either on spiking patterns or on firing rate. Overall, our results emphasize that even if GABAergic inhibition generally decreases the firing rate, it does so while maintaining or extending the abilities of neurons in the IC to code the wide variety of sounds that mammals are exposed to in their daily lives. NEW & NOTEWORTHY GABAergic inhibition adds nonlinearity to neuronal response curves. This increases the neuronal range of evoked firing rate by reducing baseline firing. GABAergic inhibition prevents bursting responses from neurons in a spontaneous state, reducing noise in the temporal coding of the neuron. This could result in improved signal transmission to the cortex.


1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Lal ◽  
M. J. Friedlander

1. The nature and time window of interaction between passive phasic eye movement signals and visual stimuli were studied for dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) neurons in the cat. Extracellular recordings were made from single neurons in layer A of the left LGNd of anesthetized paralyzed cats in response to a normalized visual stimulus presented to the right eye at each of several times of movement of the left eye. The left eye was moved passively at a fixed amplitude and velocity while varying the movement onset time with respect to the visual stimulus onset in a randomized and interleaved fashion. Visual stimuli consisted of square-wave modulated circular spots of appropriate contrast, sign, and size to elicit an optimal excitatory response when placed in the neurons' receptive-field (RF) center. 2. Interactions were analyzed for 78 neurons (33 X-neurons, 43 Y-neurons, and 2 physiologically unclassified neurons) on 25-65 trials of identical visual stimuli for each of eight times of eye movement. 3. Sixty percent (47/78) of the neurons tested had a significant eye movement effect (ANOVA, P less than 0.05) on some aspect of their visual response. Of these 47 neurons, 42 (89%) had a significant (P less than 0.05) effect of an appropriately timed eye movement on the number of action potentials, 36 (77%) had a significant effect on the mean peak firing rate, and 31 (66%) were significantly affected as evaluated by both criteria. 4. The eye movement effect on the neurons' visual responses was primarily facilitatory. Facilitation was observed for 37 (79%) of the affected neurons. For 25 of these 37 neurons (68%), the facilitation was significant (P less than 0.05) as evaluated by both criteria (number of action potentials and mean peak firing rate). Ten (21%) of the affected neurons had their visual response significantly inhibited (P less than 0.05). 5. Sixty percent (46/78) of the neurons were tested for the effect of eye movement on both visually elicited activity (visual stimulus contrast = 2 times threshold) and spontaneous activity (contrast = 0). Eye movement significantly affected the visual response of 23 (50%) of these neurons. However, spontaneous activity was significantly affected for only nine (20%) of these neurons. The interaction of the eye movement and visual signals was nonlinear. 6. Nine of 12 neurons (75%) tested had a directionally selective effect of eye movement on the visual response, with most (8/9) preferring the temporal ward direction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


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