Exploring alterations in sensory pathways in migraine

Background Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by intense, debilitating headaches, often coupled with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Whilst changes in sensory processes during a migraine attack have been well-described, there is growing evidence that even between migraine attacks, sensory abilities are disrupted in migraine. Brain imaging studies have investigated altered coupling between areas of the descending pain modulatory pathway but coupling between somatosensory processing regions between migraine attacks has not been properly studied. The aim of this study was to determine if ongoing functional connectivity between visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory and somatosensory cortices are altered during the interictal phase of migraine. Methods To explore the neural mechanisms underpinning interictal changes in sensory processing, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare resting brain activity patterns and connectivity in migraineurs between migraine attacks (n = 32) and in healthy controls (n = 71). Significant differences between groups were determined using two-sample random effects procedures (p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons, minimum cluster size 10 contiguous voxels, age and gender included as nuisance variables). Results In the migraine group, increases in infra-slow oscillatory activity were detected in the right primary visual cortex (V1), secondary visual cortex (V2) and third visual complex (V3), and left V3. In addition, resting connectivity analysis revealed that migraineurs displayed significantly enhanced connectivity between V1 and V2 with other sensory cortices including the auditory, gustatory, motor and somatosensory cortices. Conclusions These data provide evidence for a dysfunctional sensory network in pain-free migraine patients which may be underlying altered sensory processing between migraine attacks.

Longevity and reliability of chronic unit recordings using the Utah, intracortical multi-electrode arrays

Objective. Microelectrode arrays are standard tools for conducting chronic electrophysiological experiments, allowing researchers to simultaneously record from large numbers of neurons. Specifically, Utah electrode arrays (UEAs) have been utilized by scientists in many species, including rodents, rhesus macaques, marmosets, and human participants. The field of clinical human brain-computer interfaces currently relies on the UEA as a number of research groups have FDA clearance for this device through the investigational device exemption pathway. Despite its widespread usage in systems neuroscience, few studies have comprehensively evaluated the reliability and signal quality of the Utah array over long periods of time in a large dataset. Approach. We collected and analyzed over 6000 recorded datasets from various cortical areas spanning almost 9 years of experiments, totaling 17 rhesus macaques (Macaca Mulatta) and 2 human subjects, and 55 separate microelectrode Utah arrays. The scale of this dataset allowed us to evaluate the average life of these arrays, based primarily on the signal-to-noise ratio of each electrode over time. Main Results. Using implants in primary motor, premotor, prefrontal, and somatosensory cortices, we found that the average lifespan of available recordings from UEAs was 622 days, although we provide several examples of these UEAs lasting over 1000 days and one up to 9 years; human implants were also shown to last longer than non-human primate implants. We also found that electrode length did not affect longevity and quality, but iridium oxide metallization on the electrode tip exhibited superior yield as compared to platinum metallization.

Inhibited maturation of astrocytes caused by maternal n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake deficiency hinders the development of brain glial cells in neonatal rats

The brain is rich in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which play an essential role in its development and functions. Here we examined the impact of maternal n-3 PUFA intake deficiency during gestation and lactation on the development of glial cells in the pup’s developing cerebral cortex. In addition, using myelination as indicator and the anti-myelin basic protein (MBP) as measurement to establish the relationship between the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells and the development of oligodendrocytes, we determined the myelination state of the somatosensory cortex at day 14 postnatal. Rat dams were fed either a control (Cont) or an n-3 PUFA-deficient (Def) diet for 60 days (acclimatisation :14 days; gestation: 21 days; lactation:21 days). Pups lactated from dams throughout the experiment. The distribution pattern of astrocytes in pups on day 7 postnatal was immunohistochemically analysed using GFAP and brain lipid binding protein (BLBP) as markers for mature astrocytes and astrocyte-specific radial glial cells, respectively. It was observed that, when compared with Cont pups, GFAP-positive cells decreased, BLBP-positive cells increased and myelinated structures were sparser in the somatosensory cortices of Def pups. In the open field test on day 21 postnatal, behavioural parameters did not differ between groups. Our results indicated that inhibited maturation of astrocytes caused by maternal n-3 PUFA deficiency hindered the development of brain glial cells of neonatal rats and hence, maternal n-3 PUFA intake during the gestation and lactation periods may have been crucial for the brain cell composition of pups.

Photographs of Actions: What Makes Them Special Cues to Social Perception

I have reviewed studies on neural responses to pictured actions in the action observation network (AON) and the cognitive functions of these responses. Based on this review, I have analyzed the specific representational characteristics of action photographs. There has been consensus that AON responses provide viewers with knowledge of observed or pictured actions, but there has been controversy about the properties of this knowledge. Is this knowledge causally provided by AON activities or is it dependent on conceptual processing? What elements of actions does it refer to, and how generalized or specific is it? The answers to these questions have come from studies that used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to stimulate motor or somatosensory cortices. In conjunction with electromyography (EMG), TMS allows researchers to examine changes of the excitability in the corticospinal tract and muscles of people viewing pictured actions. The timing of these changes and muscle specificity enable inferences to be drawn about the cognitive products of processing pictured actions in the AON. Based on a review of studies using TMS and other neuroscience methods, I have proposed a novel hypothetical account that describes the characteristics of action photographs that make them effective cues to social perception. This account includes predictions that can be tested experimentally.

Exploring Alterations in Sensory Pathways in Migraine

BackgroundMigraine is a neurological disorder characterized by intense, debilitating headaches, often coupled with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Whilst changes in sensory processes during a migraine attack have been well-described, there is growing evidence that even between migraine attacks, sensory abilities are disrupted in migraine. Brain imaging studies have investigated altered coupling between areas of the descending pain modulatory pathway but coupling between somatosensory processing regions between migraine attacks has not been properly studied. The aim of this study was to determine if ongoing functional connectivity between visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory and somatosensory cortices are altered during the interictal phase of migraine. MethodsTo explore the neural mechanisms underpinning interictal changes in sensory processing, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare resting brain activity patterns and connectivity in migraineurs between migraine attacks (n= 32) and in healthy controls (n=71). Significant differences between groups were determined using two-sample random effects procedures (p<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons, minimum cluster size 10 contiguous voxels, age and gender included as nuisance variables). ResultsIn the migraine group, increases in infra-slow oscillatory activity were detected in the right primary visual cortex (V1), secondary visual cortex (V2) and third visual complex (V3), and left V3. In addition, resting connectivity analysis revealed that migraineurs displayed significantly enhanced connectivity between V1 and V2 with other sensory cortices including the auditory, gustatory, motor and somatosensory cortices. ConclusionsThese data provide evidence for a dysfunctional sensory network in pain-free migraine patients which may be underlying altered sensory processing between migraine attacks.

Individual Symptom Severity in Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder Predicts Reduction in Right Dorsal Stream Neural Activity During Live Eye-to-Eye Contact

Background: Social symptomatology quantified by clinical interview (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, ADOS) and self-report (Social Responsiveness Scale, SRS) indicate symptom severity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Reluctance to engage in interpersonal eye contact is a frequently observed behavioral hallmark, though neural bases for these difficulties and relation to symptomatology are not understood. We test the hypothesis that eye contact in ASD activates atypical neural mechanisms that are related to individual differences in symptomatology. Methods: Neural activity represented by hemodynamic signals was acquired by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during real person-to-person eye contact (confirmed by eye-tracking) for 17 adult ASD (3 female, 14 male) and 19 typically-developed (TD) participants (8 female, 11 male). Assessment of social function was based on ADOS scores for ASD participants and SRS scores for the combined group of ASD and TD participants. Results: Individual ADOS scores were negatively correlated (r = -0.69) with individual fNIRS beta-values (representing strength of hemodynamic signals) within clusters in the right dorsal stream regions: somatosensory cortices, angular gyrus, and supramarginal gyrus. Hemodynamic responses in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) were also negatively correlated (r = -0.77) with ADOS scores. Similarly, SRS scores for the combined ASD and TD groups were also negatively correlated (r = -0.58) with somatosensory cortices and the supramarginal gyrus. Conclusions: These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that neural mechanisms in the dorsal stream and DLPFC are related to social symptomatology and implicate high-level interactive face and eye-processing systems as potential neurobiological markers of ASD.

Voltage-Sensitive Dye versus Intrinsic Signal Optical Imaging: Comparison of Tactile Responses in Primary and Secondary Somatosensory Cortices of Rats

Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging assume that hemodynamic responses have roughly linear relationships with underlying neural activity. However, to accurately investigate the neurovascular transfer function and compare its variability across brain regions, it is necessary to obtain full-field imaging of both electrophysiological and hemodynamic responses under various stimulus conditions with superior spatiotemporal resolution. Optical imaging combined with voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) and intrinsic signals (IS) is a powerful tool to address this issue. We performed VSD and IS imaging in the primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory cortices of rats to obtain optical maps of whisker-evoked responses. There were characteristic differences in sensory responses between the S1 and S2 cortices: VSD imaging revealed more localized excitatory and stronger inhibitory neural activity in S1 than in S2. IS imaging revealed stronger metabolic responses in S1 than in S2. We calculated the degree of response to compare the sensory responses between cortical regions and found that the ratio of the degree of response of S2 to S1 was similar, irrespective of whether the ratio was determined by VSD or IS imaging. These results suggest that neurovascular coupling does not vary between the S1 and S2 cortices.