scholarly journals Single-neuron interactions between the somatosensory thalamo-cortical circuits during perception

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrià Tauste Campo ◽  
Yuriria Vázquez ◽  
Manuel Álvarez ◽  
Antonio Zainos ◽  
Román Rossi-Pool ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Neuron ◽  
Detection Task ◽  
Cortical Circuits ◽  
Task Context ◽  
Stimulus Amplitude ◽  
Significant Stimulus ◽  
Somatosensory Thalamus ◽  
Stimulus Perception ◽  
High Stimulus ◽  
Bidirectional Interactions

SUMMARYSensory thalamo-cortical interactions are key components of the neuronal chains associated with stimulus perception, but surprisingly, they are poorly understood. We addressed this problem by evaluating a directional measure between simultaneously recorded neurons from somatosensory thalamus (VPL) and somatosensory cortex (S1) sharing the same cutaneous receptive field, while monkeys judged the presence or absence of a tactile stimulus. During the stimulus-presence, feedforward (VPL→S1) interactions increased, while pure feedback (S1→VPL) interactions were unaffected. Remarkably, bidirectional interactions (VPL↔S1) emerged with high stimulus amplitude, establishing a functional thalamo-cortical loop. Furthermore, feedforward interactions were modulated by task context and error trials. Additionally, significant stimulus modulations were found on intra-cortical (S1→S1) interactions, but not on intra-thalamic (VPL→VPL) interactions. Thus, these results show the directionality of the information flow between the thalamo-cortical circuits during tactile perception. We suggest that these interactions may contribute to stimulus perception during the detection task used here.

scholarly journals Feed-forward information and zero-lag synchronization in the sensory thalamocortical circuit are modulated during stimulus perception

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (15) ◽  
pp. 7513-7522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrià Tauste Campo ◽  
Yuriria Vázquez ◽  
Manuel Álvarez ◽  
Antonio Zainos ◽  
Román Rossi-Pool ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Flow ◽  
Tactile Stimulus ◽  
Functional Information ◽  
Stimulus Amplitude ◽  
Lag Synchronization ◽  
Directional Information ◽  
Feed Forward ◽  
Somatosensory Thalamus ◽  
Stimulus Perception ◽  
Ventral Posterolateral Nucleus

The direction of functional information flow in the sensory thalamocortical circuit may play a role in stimulus perception, but, surprisingly, this process is poorly understood. We addressed this problem by evaluating a directional information measure between simultaneously recorded neurons from somatosensory thalamus (ventral posterolateral nucleus, VPL) and somatosensory cortex (S1) sharing the same cutaneous receptive field while monkeys judged the presence or absence of a tactile stimulus. During stimulus presence, feed-forward information (VPL → S1) increased as a function of the stimulus amplitude, while pure feed-back information (S1 → VPL) was unaffected. In parallel, zero-lag interaction emerged with increasing stimulus amplitude, reflecting externally driven thalamocortical synchronization during stimulus processing. Furthermore, VPL → S1 information decreased during error trials. Also, VPL → S1 and zero-lag interaction decreased when monkeys were not required to report the stimulus presence. These findings provide evidence that both the direction of information flow and the instant synchronization in the sensory thalamocortical circuit play a role in stimulus perception.

Phase resetting of spontaneously beating embryonic ventricular heart cell aggregates

1986 ◽  
Vol 251 (6) ◽  
pp. H1298-H1305 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Guevara ◽  
A. Shrier ◽  
L. Glass
Keyword(s):  
Action Potentials ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Heart Cell ◽  
Cell Aggregates ◽  
Embryonic Chick ◽  
Phase Resetting ◽  
Stimulus Amplitude ◽  
High Stimulus ◽  
Very High ◽  
Spontaneous Rhythm

The influence of isolated 20-ms duration current pulses on the spontaneous rhythm of embryonic chick ventricular heart cell aggregates was studied. A pulse could either delay or advance the time of occurrence of the next action potential, depending on whether it fell early or late in the cycle. As the stimulus amplitude was increased, the transition from delay to advance occurred over a narrower range of coupling intervals. At low-stimulus amplitudes the transition from delay to advance occurred in a smooth continuous fashion; at medium-stimulus amplitudes the transition was discontinuous; at high-stimulus amplitudes graded action potentials were seen. It was impossible to annihilate spontaneous activity in aggregates with a single stimulus. The phase-resetting response to hyperpolarizing pulses was qualitatively the reverse of that produced by depolarizing pulses. A very high-amplitude depolarizing or hyperpolarizing pulse could produce rapid repetitive activity. Theoretical aspects of these phenomena are discussed.

scholarly journals Coherent and intermittent ensemble oscillations emerge from networks of irregular spiking neurons

2016 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 457-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmood S. Hoseini ◽  
Ralf Wessel
Keyword(s):  
Single Neuron ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Field Potential ◽  
Gamma Oscillations ◽  
Peak Frequency ◽  
Spiking Neurons ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Cortical Circuits ◽  
Model Network ◽  
Low Rate

Local field potential (LFP) recordings from spatially distant cortical circuits reveal episodes of coherent gamma oscillations that are intermittent, and of variable peak frequency and duration. Concurrently, single neuron spiking remains largely irregular and of low rate. The underlying potential mechanisms of this emergent network activity have long been debated. Here we reproduce such intermittent ensemble oscillations in a model network, consisting of excitatory and inhibitory model neurons with the characteristics of regular-spiking (RS) pyramidal neurons, and fast-spiking (FS) and low-threshold spiking (LTS) interneurons. We find that fluctuations in the external inputs trigger reciprocally connected and irregularly spiking RS and FS neurons in episodes of ensemble oscillations, which are terminated by the recruitment of the LTS population with concurrent accumulation of inhibitory conductance in both RS and FS neurons. The model qualitatively reproduces experimentally observed phase drift, oscillation episode duration distributions, variation in the peak frequency, and the concurrent irregular single-neuron spiking at low rate. Furthermore, consistent with previous experimental studies using optogenetic manipulation, periodic activation of FS, but not RS, model neurons causes enhancement of gamma oscillations. In addition, increasing the coupling between two model networks from low to high reveals a transition from independent intermittent oscillations to coherent intermittent oscillations. In conclusion, the model network suggests biologically plausible mechanisms for the generation of episodes of coherent intermittent ensemble oscillations with irregular spiking neurons in cortical circuits.

Coding Perceptual Decisions: From Single Units to Emergent Signaling Properties in Cortical Circuits

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 387-409
Author(s):  
Kristine Krug
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Functional Properties ◽  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Single Neurons ◽  
Cortical Circuits ◽  
Task Context ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Correlated Activity ◽  
Primate Visual Cortex

Spiking activity in single neurons of the primate visual cortex has been tightly linked to perceptual decisions. Any mechanism that reads out these perceptual signals to support behavior must respect the underlying neuroanatomy that shapes the functional properties of sensory neurons. Spatial distribution and timing of inputs to the next processing levels are critical, as conjoint activity of precursor neurons increases the spiking rate of downstream neurons and ultimately drives behavior. I set out how correlated activity might coalesce into a micropool of task-sensitive neurons signaling a particular percept to determine perceptual decision signals locally and for flexible interarea transmission depending on the task context. As data from more and more neurons and their complex interactions are analyzed, the space of computational mechanisms must be constrained based on what is plausible within neurobiological limits. This review outlines experiments to test the new perspectives offered by these extended methods.

scholarly journals Integration of texture and disparity cues to surface slant in dorsal visual cortex

2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidan P. Murphy ◽  
Hiroshi Ban ◽  
Andrew E. Welchman
Keyword(s):  
Single Neuron ◽  
Binocular Disparity ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Surface Orientation ◽  
Cortical Circuits ◽  
Depth Cues ◽  
3D Objects ◽  
Surface Slant ◽  
Cortical Responses ◽  
Multivariate Pattern

Reliable estimation of three-dimensional (3D) surface orientation is critical for recognizing and interacting with complex 3D objects in our environment. Human observers maximize the reliability of their estimates of surface slant by integrating multiple depth cues. Texture and binocular disparity are two such cues, but they are qualitatively very different. Existing evidence suggests that representations of surface tilt from each of these cues coincide at the single-neuron level in higher cortical areas. However, the cortical circuits responsible for 1) integration of such qualitatively distinct cues and 2) encoding the slant component of surface orientation have not been assessed. We tested for cortical responses related to slanted plane stimuli that were defined independently by texture, disparity, and combinations of these two cues. We analyzed the discriminability of functional MRI responses to two slant angles using multivariate pattern classification. Responses in visual area V3B/KO to stimuli containing congruent cues were more discriminable than those elicited by single cues, in line with predictions based on the fusion of slant estimates from component cues. This improvement was specific to congruent combinations of cues: incongruent cues yielded lower decoding accuracies, which suggests the robust use of individual cues in cases of large cue conflicts. These data suggest that area V3B/KO is intricately involved in the integration of qualitatively dissimilar depth cues.

A neural correlate of sensory consciousness in a corvid bird

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 369 (6511) ◽  
pp. 1626-1629
Author(s):  
Andreas Nieder ◽  
Lysann Wagener ◽  
Paul Rinnert
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Single Neuron ◽  
Visual Detection ◽  
Detection Task ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Physical Stimulus ◽  
Neural Correlate ◽  
Activity Component ◽  
Stage Process ◽  
Sensory Consciousness

Subjective experiences that can be consciously accessed and reported are associated with the cerebral cortex. Whether sensory consciousness can also arise from differently organized brains that lack a layered cerebral cortex, such as the bird brain, remains unknown. We show that single-neuron responses in the pallial endbrain of crows performing a visual detection task correlate with the birds’ perception about stimulus presence or absence and argue that this is an empirical marker of avian consciousness. Neuronal activity follows a temporal two-stage process in which the first activity component mainly reflects physical stimulus intensity, whereas the later component predicts the crows’ perceptual reports. These results suggest that the neural foundations that allow sensory consciousness arose either before the emergence of mammals or independently in at least the avian lineage and do not necessarily require a cerebral cortex.

Central Control of an Insect Sensory Interneurone

1970 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. McKAY
Keyword(s):  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Sine Wave ◽  
Feedback Stabilization ◽  
Inhibitory Input ◽  
Stimulus Amplitude ◽  
Response Level ◽  
Directional Information ◽  
Prothoracic Ganglion ◽  
High Stimulus

1. The T fibre habituates little to a series of sine-wave pulses, and recovery is complete within 10 min. 2. Both response level and rate of habituation are increased when the posterior thoracic ganglia are disconnected from the prothoracic ganglion. This indicates that response level and rate of habituation are maintained at a low level in the intact animal by an inhibitory input or inputs to the prothoracic ganglion, which arise within the pterothorax. These inputs are entirely central in origin, and are independent of extratympanal sensory input. 3. The function of the posterior branch of the T fibre to the posterior thorax may be to initiate a feedback loop which is completed by the input from the posterior thorax. It is suggested that such feedback stabilization of the response level would reduce loss of directional information at high stimulus amplitude, preserve discrimination at high stimulus repetition rates and reduce habituation. The implications of these findings for a warning neurone system are discussed.

Dissociation of Mnemonic Coding and Other Functional Neuronal Processing in the Monkey Prefrontal Cortex

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 761-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Synnöve Carlson ◽  
Pia Rämä ◽  
Heikki Tanila ◽  
Ilkka Linnankoski ◽  
Heikki Mansikka
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Single Neuron ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Delay Period ◽  
Visual Fixation ◽  
Task Context ◽  
Neuronal Processing ◽  
Monkey Prefrontal Cortex

Carlson, Synnöve, Pia Rämä, Heikki Tanila, Ilkka Linnankoski, and Heikki Mansikka. Dissociation of mnemonic coding and other functional neuronal processing in the monkey prefrontal cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 761–774, 1997. Single-neuron activity was recorded in the prefrontal cortex of three monkeys during the performance of a spatial delayed alternation (DA) task and during the presentation of a variety of visual, auditory, and somatosensory stimuli. The aim was to study the relationship between mnemonic neuronal processing and other functional neuronal responsiveness at the single-neuron level in the prefrontal cortex. Recordings were performed in both experimental situations from 152 neurons. The majority of the neurons (92%) was recorded in the prefrontal cortex. Nine of the neurons were recorded in the dorsal bank of the anterior cingulate sulcus and two in the premotor cortex. Of the total number of neurons recorded in the prefrontal area, 32% fired in relation to the DA task performance and 39% were responsive to sensory stimulation or to the movements of the monkey outside of the memory task context. Altogether 42% of the recorded neurons were neither activated by the various stimuli nor by the DA task performance. Three types of task-related neuronal activity were recorded: delay related, delay and movement related, and movement related. The majority of the task-related neurons ( n = 33, 73%) fired in relation to the delay period. Of the delay-related neurons, 26 (79%) were spatially selective. The number of spatially selective delay-related neurons of the whole population of recorded neurons was 18%. Twelve task-related neurons (27%) fired in relation to the response period of the DA task. Five of these neurons changed their firing rate during the delay period and were classified as delay/movement-related neurons. Contrary to the delay-related neurons, less than half (42%) of the response-related neurons were spatially selective. The majority (70%) of the delay-related neurons could not be activated by any of the sensory stimuli used and did not fire in relation to the movements of the monkey. The remaining portion of the delay-related neurons was activated by stationary and moving visual stimuli or by visual fixation of an object. In contrast to the delay-related neurons, the majority (66%) of the task-related neurons firing in relation to the movement period were also responsive to sensory stimulation outside of the task context. The majority of these neurons responded to visual stimulation, visual fixation of an object, or tracking eye movements. One neuron gave a somatomotor and another a polysensory response. The majority ( n = 37, 67%) of all neurons responding to stimulation outside of the task context did not fire in relation to the DA task performance. The majority of their responses was elicited by visual stimuli or was related to visual fixation of an object or to eye movements. Only six neurons fired in relation to auditory, somatosensory, or somatomotor stimulation. This study provides further evidence about the significance of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in spatial working memory processing. Although a considerable number of all DA task-related neurons responded to visual, somatosensory, and auditory stimulation or to the movements of the monkey, most delay-related neurons engaged in the spatial DA task did not respond to extrinsic sensory stimulation. These results indicate that most prefrontal neurons firing selectively during the delay phase of the DA task are highly specialized and process only task-related information.

scholarly journals Prospective task knowledge improves working memory-guided behaviour

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frida Printzlau ◽  
Nicholas E. Myers ◽  
Paul S. Muhle-Karbe ◽  
Sanjay G Manohar ◽  
Mark G. Stokes
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Detection Task ◽  
Change Detection Task ◽  
Task Context ◽  
Task Knowledge ◽  
Task Oriented ◽  
Task Sets ◽  
Advance Knowledge

Working memory (WM) is the ability to keep information online for a forthcoming task. WM theories have tended to focus on how sensory information is maintained, and less on how WM content is used for guiding behaviour. Here we ask if WM is supported by a transformation of sensory memoranda into task-sets that are optimised for task-dependent responses. Thirty participants performed two different WM tasks; they remembered the tilt of oriented bars for either a rotation-discrimination task or a change-detection task. Task context was instructed either in advance (fixed task blocks) or at probe onset (mixed task blocks). If WM content is configured in a task-dependent format, performance should benefit from foreknowledge of the upcoming task. In line with this prediction, we found that WM accuracy was higher when participants had advance knowledge of the task context. Even if WM content can be configured as a task-set, perhaps only one item is optimised for guiding behaviour. If so, retro-cued prioritization may be supported by a transformation of the selected item from a sensory to a task-oriented code. We included a retro-cue on half of the trials to test the second hypothesis that task-foreknowledge enhances retro-cued prioritization. Interestingly, the benefits of task foreknowledge were independent of the benefits incurred by retro-cueing, indicating that attentional selection is sufficient for prioritization of WM content. Together, these results provide preliminary evidence that WM coding may be task-dependent, but neuroimaging studies are needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which task foreknowledge facilitates WM-guided behaviour.

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