scholarly journals Cerebellar-Recipient Motor Thalamus Drives Behavioral Context-Specific Movement Initiation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Dacre ◽  
Matt Colligan ◽  
Julian Ammer ◽  
Julia Schiemann ◽  
Thomas Clarke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Context ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Motor Thalamus

scholarly journals Cerebellar-recipient motor thalamus drives behavioral context-specific movement initiation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Dacre ◽  
Matt Colligan ◽  
Julian Ammer ◽  
Julia Schiemann ◽  
Thomas Clarke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Behavioral Context ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Directed Movement ◽  
Movement Timing ◽  
Motor Commands ◽  
Sensorimotor Transformations ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Motor Thalamus ◽  
Thalamocortical Pathway

SummaryTo initiate goal-directed behavior, animals must transform sensory cues into motor commands that generate appropriately timed actions. Sensorimotor transformations along the cerebellar-thalamocortical pathway are thought to shape motor cortical output and movement timing, but whether this pathway initiates goal-directed movement remains poorly understood. Here, we recorded and perturbed activity in cerebellar-recipient regions of motor thalamus (dentate / interpositus nucleus-recipient regions, MThDN/IPN) and primary motor cortex (M1) in mice trained to execute a cued forelimb lever push task for reward. MThDN/IPN population responses were dominated by a time-locked increase in activity immediately prior to movement that was temporally uncoupled from cue presentation, providing a fixed latency feedforward motor timing signal to M1FL. Blocking MThDN/IPN output suppressed cued movement initiation. Stimulating the MThDN/IPN thalamocortical pathway in the absence of the cue recapitulated cue-evoked M1 membrane potential dynamics and forelimb behavior in the learned behavioral context, but generated semi-random movements in an altered behavioral context. Thus, cerebellar-recipient motor thalamocortical input to M1 is indispensable for the generation of motor commands that initiate goal-directed movement, refining our understanding of how the cerebellar-thalamocortical pathway contributes to movement timing.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of Network Interactions for Flexible Cortico-Basal Ganglia-Mediated Action Control

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Action Control ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Movement Onset ◽  
Mediated Action ◽  
Antagonist Muscles ◽  
Neuronal Mechanisms ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Motor Thalamus

In humans, finely tuned gamma synchronization (60-90 Hz) rapidly appears at movement onset in a motor control network involving primary motor cortex, the basals ganglia and motor thalamus. Yet the functional consequences of brief movement-related synchronization are still unclear. Distinct synchronization phenomena have also been linked to different forms of motor inhibition, including relaxing antagonist muscles, rapid movement interruption and stabilizing network dynamics for sustained contractions. Here I will introduce detailed hypotheses about how intra- and inter-site synchronization could interact with firing rate changes in different parts of the network to enable flexible action control. The here proposed cause-and-effect relationships shine a spotlight on potential key mechanisms of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical communication. Confirming or revising these hypotheses will be critical in understanding the neuronal basis of flexible movement initiation, invigoration and inhibition. Ultimately, the study of more complex cognitive phenomena will also become more tractable once we understand the neuronal mechanisms underlying behavioural readouts.

scholarly journals A cerebellar-thalamocortical pathway drives behavioral context-dependent movement initiation

Neuron ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Dacre ◽  
Matt Colligan ◽  
Thomas Clarke ◽  
Julian J. Ammer ◽  
Julia Schiemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Context ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
Thalamocortical Pathway

scholarly journals Spontaneous social communication in laboratory mice - placing ultrasonic vocalizations in their behavioral context

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elodie Ey ◽  
Fabrice de Chaumont ◽  
Thomas Bourgeron
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Ultrasonic Vocalizations ◽  
Laboratory Mice ◽  
Behavioral Context ◽  
Phenotypic Marker ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
High Level

SummaryIn their natural habitat, mice interact and communicate to regulate major functions, such as reproduction, group coordination, and protection. Nevertheless, little is currently known about their spontaneous emission of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), despite their broad use as a phenotypic marker in mouse models of neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we investigated mouse spontaneous communication by coupling automatic recording, segmentation, and analysis of USVs to the tracking of complex behaviors. We continuously recorded undisturbed same-sex pairs of C57BL/6J males and females at 5 weeks and 3 and 7 months of age over three days. Males emitted only a few short USVs, mainly when isolated from their conspecific, whereas females emitted a high number of USVs, especially when engaged in intense dynamic social interactions. The context-specific use of call types and acoustic variations emerged with increasing age. The emission of USVs also reflected a high level of excitement in social interactions. Finally, mice lacking Shank3, a synaptic protein associated with autism, displayed atypical USV usage and acoustic structure, which did not appear in classical protocols, highlighting the importance of studying spontaneous communication. The methods are freely available for the research community (https://usv.pasteur.cloud).

scholarly journals Unilateral optogenetic inhibition and excitation of basal ganglia output show opposing effects on directional lick choices and movement initiation in mice

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur E. Morrissette ◽  
Po-Han Chen ◽  
Conrad Bhamani ◽  
Peter Y. Borden ◽  
Christian Waiblinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Action Selection ◽  
Direct Test ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Motor Thalamus

AbstractModels of basal ganglia function predict that tonic inhibitory output to motor thalamus suppresses unwanted movements, and that a decrease in such activity leads to action selection. A direct test of these outcomes of thalamic inhibition has not been performed, however. To conduct such a direct test, we utilized rapid optogenetic activation and inactivation of the GABAergic output of the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) to motor thalamus in mice that were trained in a sensory cued left/right licking task. Directional licking tasks have previously been shown to depend on a thalamocortical feedback loop between ventromedial motor thalamus and antero-lateral premotor cortex (Li et al., 2015; Guo et al., 2017). In confirmation of model predictions, we found that 1s of unilateral optogenetic inhibition of GABAergic output from the SNr biased decision making towards the contralateral lick spout with ipsilaterally cued trials while leaving motor performance intact. In contrast, 1s of optogenetic excitation of SNr terminals in motor thalamus resulted in an opposite bias towards the ipsilateral direction confirming a bidirectional effect of tonic nigral output on directional decision making. In a second variant of the task we disallowed anticipatory licking and found that successful suppression of anticipatory licking was also impacted by our optogenetic manipulations in agreement with the suppressive effect of tonic nigral output. Nevertheless, direct unilateral excitation of SNr cell bodies resulted in bilateral movement suppression, suggesting that descending motor pathways from the SNr to superior colliculus also play an important role in the control of licking behavior.Significance StatementThis study provides the first evidence that basal ganglia output to motor thalamus can control decision making in left/right licking choices and suppress anticipatory movement initiation. Unilateral optogenetic inhibition or excitation of basal ganglia output via the substantia nigra resulted in opposite changes of directional lick choices and could override the sensory information on lick direction provided by a whisker stimulus. These results suggest that basal ganglia output gates activity in a thalamo-cortical feedback loop previously shown to underlie the control of forced choice directional licking behavior. The results substantiate models stating that tonic inhibition of motor thalamus from the basal ganglia directs action selection and suppresses unwanted movements.

Construction of a hippocampal cognitive map depends upon spatial context

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan-Chen Jiang ◽  
Shengjin Xu ◽  
Joshua Dudman
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Map ◽  
Artificial Agent ◽  
Retrospective Evaluation ◽  
Behavioral Context ◽  
Common Structure ◽  
Spatial Features ◽  
Virtual Target ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Spatial Trajectories ◽  
Ensemble Activity

Abstract The hippocampus encodes both spatial and non-spatial features of an environment thought to be critical to guide navigational trajectories and associative learning, respectively. These seemingly dichotomous roles have been reconciled in a proposed cognitive map - a representation of environment structure abstracted away from specific behavioral demands. However, the extent to which a cognitive map is independent of behavioral demands remains unclear because direct comparisons across environments with common structure but different spatial/behavioral context is lacking. Here we compare behaviors in mice trained to navigate to a hidden target in a physical arena and manipulate a joystick to a virtual target to collect a delayed reward. Comparison of behaviors with an artificial agent revealed a common algorithmic basis for learned foraging trajectories in both contexts. Imaging CA1 neural activity revealed a similar map-like encoding of active foraging; however, detailed analysis of ensemble activity, optogenetic inactivation, and modeling revealed a context-specific functional dissociation. In a navigational context, CA1 was critical for retrospective evaluation of spatial trajectories, but dispensable for initiation. In a non-navigational context, CA1 activity was critical for initiation and planning foraging trajectories. This work highlights how construction of a cognitive map to facilitate idiosyncratic behavioral demands7 is critical for foraging in diverse spatial contexts.

Validation of the Procrastination at Work Scale

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 767-776
Author(s):  
U. Baran Metin ◽  
Toon W. Taris ◽  
Maria C. W. Peeters ◽  
Max Korpinen ◽  
Urška Smrke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Engagement ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Psychometric Characteristics ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Negative Links ◽  
Office Employees

Abstract. Procrastination at work has been examined relatively scarcely, partly due to the lack of a globally validated and context-specific workplace procrastination scale. This study investigates the psychometric characteristics of the Procrastination at Work Scale (PAWS) among 1,028 office employees from seven countries, namely, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Specifically, it was aimed to test the measurement invariance of the PAWS and explore its discriminant validity by examining its relationships with work engagement and performance. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis shows that the basic factor structure and item loadings of the PAWS are invariant across countries. Furthermore, the two subdimensions of procrastination at work exhibited different patterns of relationships with work engagement and performance. Whereas soldiering was negatively related to work engagement and task performance, cyberslacking was unrelated to engagement and performance. These results indicate further validity evidence for the PAWS and the psychometric characteristics show invariance across various countries/languages. Moreover, workplace procrastination, especially soldiering, is a problematic behavior that shows negative links with work engagement and performance.

Ambulatory Assessment

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich W. Ebner-Priemer ◽  
Timothy J. Trull
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Clinical Psychology ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Ambulatory Assessment ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Affective Valence ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Questionnaire Studies

Convergent experimental data, autobiographical studies, and investigations on daily life have all demonstrated that gathering information retrospectively is a highly dubious methodology. Retrospection is subject to multiple systematic distortions (i.e., affective valence effect, mood congruent memory effect, duration neglect; peak end rule) as it is based on (often biased) storage and recollection of memories of the original experience or the behavior that are of interest. The method of choice to circumvent these biases is the use of electronic diaries to collect self-reported symptoms, behaviors, or physiological processes in real time. Different terms have been used for this kind of methodology: ambulatory assessment, ecological momentary assessment, experience sampling method, and real-time data capture. Even though the terms differ, they have in common the use of computer-assisted methodology to assess self-reported symptoms, behaviors, or physiological processes, while the participant undergoes normal daily activities. In this review we discuss the main features and advantages of ambulatory assessment regarding clinical psychology and psychiatry: (a) the use of realtime assessment to circumvent biased recollection, (b) assessment in real life to enhance generalizability, (c) repeated assessment to investigate within person processes, (d) multimodal assessment, including psychological, physiological and behavioral data, (e) the opportunity to assess and investigate context-specific relationships, and (f) the possibility of giving feedback in real time. Using prototypic examples from the literature of clinical psychology and psychiatry, we demonstrate that ambulatory assessment can answer specific research questions better than laboratory or questionnaire studies.

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