scholarly journals The generalized spatial representation in the prefrontal cortex is inherited from the hippocampus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Nardin ◽  
Karola Kaefer ◽  
Jozsef Csicsvari
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Spatial Representations ◽  
Spatial Coding ◽  
Spatial Decision Making ◽  
The Individual

Hippocampal and neocortical neural activity is modulated by the position of the individual in space. While hippocampal neurons provide the basis for a spatial map, prefrontal cortical neurons generalize over environmental features. Whether these generalized representations result from a bidirectional interaction with, or are mainly derived from hippocampal spatial representations is not known. By examining simultaneously recorded hippocampal and medial prefrontal neurons, we observed that prefrontal spatial representations show a delayed coherence with hippocampal ones. We also identified subpopulations of cells in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex that formed functional cross-area couplings; these resembled the optimal connections predicted by a probabilistic model of spatial information transfer and generalization. Moreover, cross-area couplings were strongest and had the shortest delay preceding spatial decision-making. Our results suggest that generalized spatial coding in the medial prefrontal cortex is inherited from spatial representations in the hippocampus, and that the routing of information can change dynamically with behavioral demands.

Ventral Hippocampal Neurons Project Axons Simultaneously to the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Amygdala in the Rat

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 2134-2138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akinori Ishikawa ◽  
Shoji Nakamura
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Spatial Memory ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Ventral Hippocampus ◽  
Fluorescent Tracers ◽  
Afferent Projections ◽  
Electrophysiological Evidence ◽  
Antidromic Responses ◽  
The Individual

The ventral hippocampus (VH) may have an important role in spatial memory processes and emotional behaviors through connections with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and amygdala. Although the mPFC and amygdala receive afferent projections from the VH, it has not been determined whether the individual VH neurons project to both the mPFC and the amygdala. In this study, antidromic responses to the mPFC and amygdala stimulation were evoked in single VH neurons. In addition, VH neurons were retrogradely double-labeled with fluorescent tracers injected in the mPFC and amygdala. VH neurons projecting to both the mPFC and amygdala were predominantly located in the subiculum and CA1 and bifurcated near or at the soma. Our anatomical and electrophysiological evidence for the presence of VH neurons projecting to both the mPFC and amygdala provides a previously unrecognized pathway from the hippocampus that simultaneously activates the mPFC and amygdala.

scholarly journals Medial Prefrontal Cortex Represents the Object-Based Cognitive Map When Remembering an Egocentric Target Location

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 5356-5371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Yuji Naya
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Target Location ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Cognitive Map ◽  
Object Based ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Constituent Elements ◽  
The Brain

Abstract A cognitive map, representing an environment around oneself, is necessary for spatial navigation. However, compared with its constituent elements such as individual landmarks, neural substrates of coherent spatial information, which consists in a relationship among the individual elements, remain largely unknown. The present study investigated how the brain codes map-like representations in a virtual environment specified by the relative positions of three objects. Representational similarity analysis revealed an object-based spatial representation in the hippocampus (HPC) when participants located themselves within the environment, while the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) represented it when they recollected a target object’s location relative to their self-body. During recollection, task-dependent functional connectivity increased between the two areas implying exchange of self-location and target location signals between the HPC and mPFC. Together, the object-based cognitive map, whose coherent spatial information could be formed by objects, may be recruited in the HPC and mPFC for complementary functions during navigation, which may generalize to other aspects of cognition, such as navigating social interactions.

scholarly journals Combined social and spatial coding in a descending projection from the prefrontal cortex

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Murugan ◽  
M. Park ◽  
J. Taliaferro ◽  
H.J. Jang ◽  
J. Cox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Spatial Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Social Investigation ◽  
Spatial Coding ◽  
Socially Motivated ◽  
Spatial Locations

Social interactions are crucial to the survival and well-being of all mammals, including humans. Although the prelimbic cortex (PL, part of medial prefrontal cortex) has been implicated in social behavior, it is not clear which neurons are relevant, nor how they contribute. We found that the PL contains anatomically and molecularly distinct subpopulations of neurons that target 3 downstream regions that have been implicated in social behavior: the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the amygdala, and the ventral tegmental area. Activation of NAc-projecting PL neurons (PL-NAc), but not the other subpopulations, decreased preference for a social target, suggesting an unique contribution of this population to social behavior. To determine what information PL-NAc neurons convey, we recorded selectively from them, and found that individual neurons were active during social investigation, but only in specific spatial locations. Spatially-specific inhibition of these neurons prevented the formation of a social-spatial association at the inhibited location. In contrast, spatially nonspecific inhibition did not affect social behavior. Thus, the unexpected combination of social and spatial information within the PL-NAc population appears to support socially motivated behavior by enabling the formation of social-spatial associations.

scholarly journals Spectral partitioning identifies individual heterogeneity in the functional network topography of ventral and anterior medial prefrontal cortex

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Toro-Serey ◽  
Sean M. Tobyne ◽  
Joseph T. McGuire
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Fmri Data ◽  
Default Network ◽  
List Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Spectral Partitioning ◽  
The Individual

AbstractRegions of human medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) are part of the default network (DN), and additionally are implicated in diverse cognitive functions ranging from autobiographical memory to subjective valuation. Our ability to interpret the apparent co-localization of task-related effects with DN-regions is constrained by a limited understanding of the individual-level heterogeneity in mPFC/PCC functional organization. Here we used cortical surface-based meta-analysis to identify a parcel in human PCC that was more strongly associated with the DN than with valuation effects. We then used resting-state fMRI data and a data-driven network analysis algorithm, spectral partitioning, to partition mPFC and PCC into “DN” and “non-DN” subdivisions in individual participants (n = 100 from the Human Connectome Project). The spectral partitioning algorithm identified individual-level cortical subdivisions that varied markedly across individuals, especially in mPFC, and were reliable across test/retest datasets. Our results point toward new strategies for assessing whether distinct cognitive functions engage common or distinct mPFC subregions at the individual level.HighlightsThe topography of Default Network cortical regions varies across individuals.A community detection algorithm, spectral partitioning, was applied to rs-fMRI data.The algorithm identified individualized Default Network regions in mPFC and PCC.Default Network topography varied across individuals in mPFC, moreso than in PCC.Overlap of task effects with DN regions should be assessed at the individual level.

scholarly journals Medial prefrontal cortex represents the object-based cognitive map when remembering an egocentric target location

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Yuji Naya
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Target Location ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Cognitive Map ◽  
Object Based ◽  
Constituent Elements ◽  
The Brain

AbstractA cognitive map, representing an environment around oneself, is necessary for spatial navigation. However, compared with its constituent elements such as individual landmarks, neural substrates of coherent spatial information remain largely unknown. The present study investigated how the brain codes map-like representations in a virtual environment specified by the relative positions of three objects. Representational similarity analysis revealed an object-based spatial representation in the hippocampus (HPC) when participants located themselves within the environment, while the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) represented it when they recollected a target object’s location relative to their self-body. During recollection, task-dependent functional connectivity increased between the two areas implying exchange of self- and target-location signals between the HPC and mPFC. Together, the coherent cognitive map, which could be formed by objects, may be recruited in the HPC and mPFC for complementary functions during navigation, which may generalize to other aspects of cognition, such as navigating social interactions.

scholarly journals Impaired hippocampal representation of place in the Fmr1-knockout mouse model of Fragile X syndrome

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Arbab ◽  
Cyriel MA Pennartz ◽  
Francesco P Battaglia
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Model ◽  
Fragile X Syndrome ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Fragile X ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spatial Representations ◽  
Potential Biomarker

AbstractFragile X syndrome (FXS) is an X-chromosome linked intellectual disability and the most common genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Building upon demonstrated deficits in neuronal plasticity and spatial memory in FXS, we investigated how spatial information processing is affected in vivo in an FXS mouse model (Fmr1-KO). Healthy hippocampal neurons (so-called place cells) exhibit place-related activity during spatial exploration, and the stability of these spatial representations can be taken as an index of memory function. We find impaired stability and reduced specificity of Fmr1-KO spatial representations. This is a potential biomarker for the cognitive dysfunction observed in FXS, informative on the ability to integrate sensory information into an abstract representation and successfully retain this conceptual memory. Our results provide key insight into the biological mechanisms underlying cognitive disabilities in FXS and ASD, paving the way for a targeted approach to remedy these.

scholarly journals Astroglial CD38 regulates social memory and synapse formation through SPARCL1 in the medial prefrontal cortex

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
TSUYOSHI HATTORI ◽  
Stanislav M Cherepanov ◽  
Ryo Sakaga ◽  
Jureepon Roboon ◽  
Dinh Thi Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Synapse Formation ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Social Memory ◽  
Behavioral Abnormalities ◽  
Survival And Reproduction

Social behavior is essential for the health, survival and reproduction of animals, yet the role of astrocytes in social behavior is largely unknown. CD38 is critical for social behaviors by regulating oxytocin release from hypothalamic neurons. On the other hand, CD38 is most abundantly expressed in astrocytes especially in the postnatal cortex, and is important for astroglial development. Here, we demonstrate that astroglial CD38 plays a pivotal role in the social behavior. Selective deletion of CD38 in postnatal astrocytes, but not in adult astrocytes, specifically impaired social memory without any other behavioral abnormalities. Morphological analysis revealed reductions in spine numbers, mature spines and excitatory synapse numbers in the pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) due to deletion of astroglial CD38 in the postnatal brain. Astrocyte-conditioned medium (ACM) of CD38 KO astrocytes reduced synaptogenesis of cortical neurons by reducing extracellular SPARCL1, a synaptogenic protein. Finally, the release of SPARCL1 from astrocytes is regulated by CD38/cADPR/calcium signaling. Our data indicate that astroglial CD38 developmentally regulates social memory and neural circuit formation in the developing brain by promoting synaptogenesis through SPARCL1.

scholarly journals Clozapine impact on FosB/ΔFosB expression in stress preconditioned rats: response to a novel stressor

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-92
Author(s):  
Jana Osacka ◽  
Lubica Horvathova ◽  
Alena Cernackova ◽  
Alexander Kiss
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Chronic Mild Stress ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Prolonged Treatment ◽  
Mild Stress ◽  
Nucleus Accumbens Shell ◽  
The Individual

AbstractObjective. Prolonged treatment with neuroleptics has been shown to induce FosB/ΔFosB expression in several brain regions including the medial prefrontal cortex, dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum, ventrolateral and dorsolateral septum, nucleus accumbens shell and core, and the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Some of these regions are known to be also stress responsive. This study was designed to determine whether repeated clozapine (CLZ) administration for 7 consecutive days to Wistar rats may modify FosB/ΔFosB expression in the above-mentioned brain areas induced by acute stress or novel stressor that followed 13-day chronic mild stress preconditioning.Methods. Following experimental groups were used: unstressed animals treated with vehicle/ CLZ for 7 days; 7-day vehicle/CLZ-treated animals on the last day exposed to acute stress – forced swimming (FSW); and animals preconditioned with stress for 13 days treated from the 8th day with vehicle/CLZ and on the 14th day exposed to novel stress – FSW.Results. In the unstressed animals CLZ markedly increased FosB/ΔFosB immunoreactivity in the ventrolateral septum and PVN. FSW elevated FosB/ΔFosB expression in the medial prefrontal cortex, striatum, and septum. CLZ markedly potentiated the effect of the FSW on FosB/ΔFosB expression in the PVN, but suppressed it in the dorsomedial striatum. Novel stress with stress preconditioning increased FosB/ΔFosB immunoreactivity in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, ventrolateral septum, and the PVN. In the nucleus accumbens the effect of the novel stressor was potentiated by CLZ.Conclusion. Our data indicate that CLZ may modulate the acute as well as novel stress effects on FosB/ΔFosB expression but its effect differs within the individual brain regions.

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