Neuromodulation of Brain State and Behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 391-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. McCormick ◽  
Dennis B. Nestvogel ◽  
Biyu J. He
Keyword(s):  
Neural Activity ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Brain State ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Repeated Presentation ◽  
Waking State ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Fast Acting ◽  
The Brain

Neural activity and behavior are both notoriously variable, with responses differing widely between repeated presentation of identical stimuli or trials. Recent results in humans and animals reveal that these variations are not random in their nature, but may in fact be due in large part to rapid shifts in neural, cognitive, and behavioral states. Here we review recent advances in the understanding of rapid variations in the waking state, how variations are generated, and how they modulate neural and behavioral responses in both mice and humans. We propose that the brain has an identifiable set of states through which it wanders continuously in a nonrandom fashion, owing to the activity of both ascending modulatory and fast-acting corticocortical and subcortical-cortical neural pathways. These state variations provide the backdrop upon which the brain operates, and understanding them is critical to making progress in revealing the neural mechanisms underlying cognition and behavior.

scholarly journals Dissociable Forms of Repetition Priming: A Computational Model

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 712-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirill Makukhin ◽  
Scott Bolland
Keyword(s):  
Computational Model ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Repetition Priming ◽  
Hebbian Learning ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Stimulus Repetition ◽  
Repetition Suppression ◽  
Opposite Trend ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
The Brain

Nondeclarative memory and novelty processing in the brain is an actively studied field of neuroscience, and reducing neural activity with repetition of a stimulus (repetition suppression) is a commonly observed phenomenon. Recent findings of an opposite trend—specifically, rising activity for unfamiliar stimuli—question the generality of repetition suppression and stir debate over the underlying neural mechanisms. This letter introduces a theory and computational model that extend existing theories and suggests that both trends are, in principle, the rising and falling parts of an inverted U-shaped dependence of activity with respect to stimulus novelty that may naturally emerge in a neural network with Hebbian learning and lateral inhibition. We further demonstrate that the proposed model is sufficient for the simulation of dissociable forms of repetition priming using real-world stimuli. The results of our simulation also suggest that the novelty of stimuli used in neuroscientific research must be assessed in a particularly cautious way. The potential importance of the inverted-U in stimulus processing and its relationship to the acquisition of knowledge and competencies in humans is also discussed.

scholarly journals The brain and its time: intrinsic neural timescales are key for input processing

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrshad Golesorkhi ◽  
Javier Gomez-Pilar ◽  
Federico Zilio ◽  
Nareg Berberian ◽  
Annemarie Wolff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Activity ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Temporal Organization ◽  
Multiple Timescales ◽  
Input Processing ◽  
Evolutionary Context ◽  
Input Sharing ◽  
The Brain

AbstractWe process and integrate multiple timescales into one meaningful whole. Recent evidence suggests that the brain displays a complex multiscale temporal organization. Different regions exhibit different timescales as described by the concept of intrinsic neural timescales (INT); however, their function and neural mechanisms remains unclear. We review recent literature on INT and propose that they are key for input processing. Specifically, they are shared across different species, i.e., input sharing. This suggests a role of INT in encoding inputs through matching the inputs’ stochastics with the ongoing temporal statistics of the brain’s neural activity, i.e., input encoding. Following simulation and empirical data, we point out input integration versus segregation and input sampling as key temporal mechanisms of input processing. This deeply grounds the brain within its environmental and evolutionary context. It carries major implications in understanding mental features and psychiatric disorders, as well as going beyond the brain in integrating timescales into artificial intelligence.

scholarly journals Assessment of Neurovascular Coupling & Cortical Spreading Depression in Mixed Models of Atherosclerosis & Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osman Shabir ◽  
Ben Pendry ◽  
Llywelyn Lee ◽  
Beth Eyre ◽  
Paul Sharp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Cortical Spreading Depression ◽  
Spreading Depression ◽  
Neurovascular Coupling ◽  
Disease Models ◽  
Brain State ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Dementia Onset

AbstractNeurovascular coupling is a critical brain mechanism whereby changes to blood flow accompany localised neural activity. The breakdown of neurovascular coupling is linked to the development and progression of several neurological conditions including dementia. However, experimental data commonly arise from preclinical models in young mice with one disease only. In this study, we examined cortical haemodynamics in preparations that modelled common co-existing conditions namely Alzheimer’s disease (J20-AD) combined with atherosclerosis (PCSK9-ATH) between 9-12m of age. We report novel findings with atherosclerosis where neurovascular decline is characterised by significantly reduced blood volume (HbT), levels of oxyhaemoglobin (HbO) & deoxyhaemoglobin (HbR), in addition to global neuroinflammation. In the comorbid mixed model (J20-PCSK9-MIX), we report a highly significant increase (3x fold) in hippocampal amyloid-beta plaques, without any further alterations to neurovascular function. There were no significant changes in evoked neural activity in any of the disease models, suggesting a breakdown of neurovascular coupling in PCSK9-ATH mice with inadequate oxygen delivery. A key finding was that cortical spreading depression (CSD) due to electrode insertion into the brain was worse in the diseased animals and led to a prolonged period of hypoxia and potentially ischaemia. The inflammatory environment in the brain was also perturbed, with interleukin-1 beta raised up to 2-fold and tumour necrosis factor raised up to 7-fold in brain tissues from these mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that systemic atherosclerosis can be detrimental to neurovascular health and that having cardiovascular comorbidities can exacerbate pre-existing Alzheimer’s-related amyloid-plaques.Significance StatementThe development of therapies for dementia is one of the biggest scientific priorities as many amyloid-targeting treatments have failed clinical trials in the past, and to date, we have no disease modifying therapies. Understanding the different disease mechanisms involved in the onset of dementia is important if therapies are to succeed. Evidence has pointed to vascular dysfunction as a key potential mechanism involved in dementia onset and many preclinical studies have highlighted the role of impaired neurovascular coupling in such models. In this study we report novel findings with respect to neurovascular dysfunction in disease models, as well as describing how brain state plays a role in worsened outcomes of brain injury and migraine in the context of dementia onset.

A Brief History of “The Psychology of Time Perception”

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa J. Allman ◽  
Trevor B. Penney ◽  
Warren H. Meck
Keyword(s):  
Time Perception ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Temporal Cognition ◽  
Infancy And Childhood ◽  
History Of ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
The Mind ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

Basic mechanisms of interval timing and associative learning are shared by many animal species, and develop quickly in early life, particularly across infancy, and childhood. Indeed, John Wearden in his book “The Psychology of Time Perception”, which is based on decades of his own research with colleagues, and which our commentary serves to primarily review, has been instrumental in implementing animal models and methods in children and adults, and has revealed important similarities (and differences) between human timing (and that of animals) when considered within the context of scalar timing theory. These seminal studies provide a firm foundation upon which the contemporary multifaceted field of timing and time perception has since advanced. The contents of the book are arguably one piece of a larger puzzle, and as Wearden cautions, “The reader is warned that my own contribution to the field has been exaggerated here, but if you are not interested in your own work, why would anyone else be?” Surely there will be many interested readers, however the book is noticeably lacking in it neurobiological perspective. The mind (however it is conceived) needs a brain (even if behaviorists tend to say “the brain behaves”, and most neuroscientists currently have a tenuous grasp on the neural mechanisms of temporal cognition), and to truly understand the psychology of time, brain and behavior must go hand in hand regardless of the twists, turns, and detours along the way.

There Are No Killer Apps but Connecting Neural Activity to Behavior through Computation Is Still a Good Idea

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Read Montague
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Simple Model ◽  
Behavioral Economics ◽  
Cognitive Science ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Mental States ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

The quest to understand the relationship between neural activity and behavior has been ongoing for well over a hundred years. Although research based on the stimulus-and-response approach to behavior, advocated by behaviorists, flourished during the last century, this view does not, by design, account for unobservable variables (e.g., mental states). Putting aside this approach, modern cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, neuroeconomics, and behavioral economics have sought to explain this connection computationally. One major hurdle lies in the fact that we lack even a simple model of cognitive function. This chapter sketches an application that connects neuromodulator function to decision making and the valuation that underlies it. The nature of this hypothesized connection offers a fruitful platform to understand some of the informational aspects of dopamine function in the brain and how it exposes many different ways of understanding motivated choice.

Neural Mechanisms Underlying Pain

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massieh Moayedi ◽  
Karen D. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Pain Treatment ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
Defensive Behaviors ◽  
Chronic Pain Treatment ◽  
Personalized Approach ◽  
The Brain

The chapter reviews brain imaging studies investigating the sensory, affective, cognitive, and motivational components of pain. It highlights the historical development and significant advancements in thinking about pain, its representation in the brain, its interactions with and impact on cognition, and how it motivates defensive behaviors. Modern imaging and electro-physiological approaches that are currently being applied to study pain are rapidly accumulating data pertaining to acute pain and its transition to chronic pain states in the context of individual psychological factors and behavioral responses so that in the coming era pain science can work toward a more precise and personalized approach to chronic pain treatment.

scholarly journals Ventral and dorsal streams for choosing word order during sentence production

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (50) ◽  
pp. 15456-15461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malathi Thothathiri ◽  
Michelle Rattinger
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Sentence Production ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Conceptual Processing ◽  
The Right ◽  
Right Order ◽  
The Brain

Proficient language use requires speakers to vary word order and choose between different ways of expressing the same meaning. Prior statistical associations between individual verbs and different word orders are known to influence speakers’ choices, but the underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. Here we show that distinct neural pathways are used for verbs with different statistical associations. We manipulated statistical experience by training participants in a language containing novel verbs and two alternative word orders (agent-before-patient, AP; patient-before-agent, PA). Some verbs appeared exclusively in AP, others exclusively in PA, and yet others in both orders. Subsequently, we used sparse sampling neuroimaging to examine the neural substrates as participants generated new sentences in the scanner. Behaviorally, participants showed an overall preference for AP order, but also increased PA order for verbs experienced in that order, reflecting statistical learning. Functional activation and connectivity analyses revealed distinct networks underlying the increased PA production. Verbs experienced in both orders during training preferentially recruited a ventral stream, indicating the use of conceptual processing for mapping meaning to word order. In contrast, verbs experienced solely in PA order recruited dorsal pathways, indicating the use of selective attention and sensorimotor integration for choosing words in the right order. These results show that the brain tracks the structural associations of individual verbs and that the same structural output may be achieved via ventral or dorsal streams, depending on the type of regularities in the input.

Review of Self-regulation of the Brain and Behavior.

1985 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 999-999
Author(s):  
Gerald S. Wasserman
Keyword(s):  
Self Regulation ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

Current Strategies and Novel Drug Approaches for Alzheimer Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 676-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roma Ghai ◽  
Kandasamy Nagarajan ◽  
Meenakshi Arora ◽  
Parul Grover ◽  
Nazakat Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cholinergic Neurons ◽  
Amyloid Plaque ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Personality Changes ◽  
Traditional Therapies ◽  
Novel Drug ◽  
The Brain

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a chronic, devastating dysfunction of neurons in the brain leading to dementia. It mainly arises due to neuronal injury in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus area of the brain and is clinically manifested as a progressive mental failure, disordered cognitive functions, personality changes, reduced verbal fluency and impairment of speech. The pathology behind AD is the formation of intraneuronal fibrillary tangles, deposition of amyloid plaque and decline in choline acetyltransferase and loss of cholinergic neurons. Tragically, the disease cannot be cured, but its progression can be halted. Various cholinesterase inhibitors available in the market like Tacrine, Donepezil, Galantamine, Rivastigmine, etc. are being used to manage the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The paper’s objective is to throw light not only on the cellular/genetic basis of the disease, but also on the current trends and various strategies of treatment including the use of phytopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Enormous literature survey was conducted and published articles of PubMed, Scifinder, Google Scholar, Clinical Trials.org and Alzheimer Association reports were studied intensively to consolidate the information on the strategies available to combat Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, several strategies are being investigated for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Immunotherapies targeting amyloid-beta plaques, tau protein and neural pathways are undergoing clinical trials. Moreover, antisense oligonucleotide methodologies are being approached as therapies for its management. Phytopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals are also gaining attention in overcoming the symptoms related to AD. The present review article concludes that novel and traditional therapies simultaneously promise future hope for AD treatment.

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