The effects of GABAergic polarity changes on episodic neural network activity in developing neural systems

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Early in development, neural systems have primarily excitatory coupling, where even GABAergic synapses are excitatory. Many of these systems exhibit spontaneous episodes of activity that have been characterized through both experimental and computational studies. As development progress the neural system goes through many changes, including synaptic remodeling, intrinsic plasticity in the ion channel expression, and a transformation of GABAergic synapses from excitatory to inhibitory. What effect each of these, and other, changes have on the network behavior is hard to know from experimental studies since they all happen in parallel. One advantage of a computational approach is that one has the ability to study developmental changes in isolation. Here, we examine the effects of GABAergic synapse polarity change on the spontaneous activity of both a mean field and a neural network model that has both glutamatergic and GABAergic coupling, representative of a developing neural network. We find some intuitive behavioral changes as the GABAergic neurons go from excitatory to inhibitory, shared by both models, such as a decrease in the duration of episodes. We also find some paradoxical changes in the activity that are only present in the neural network model. In particular, we find that during early development the inter-episode durations become longer on average, while later in development they become shorter. In addressing this unexpected finding, we uncover a priming effect that is particularly important for a small subset of neurons, called the "intermediate neurons." We characterize these neurons and demonstrate why they are crucial to episode initiation, and why the paradoxical behavioral change result from priming of these neurons. The study illustrates how even arguably the simplest of developmental changes that occurs in neural systems can present non-intuitive behaviors. It also makes predictions about neural network behavioral changes that occur during development that may be observable even in actual neural systems where these changes are convoluted with changes in synaptic connectivity and intrinsic neural plasticity.WB was supported by a scholarship (Process #202320/2015-4) from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico—CNPq). RB was partially supported by National Science Foundation gran

Applications of transcranial direct current stimulation for understanding brain function

In recent years there has been an exponential rise in the number of studies employing transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a means of gaining a systems-level understanding of the cortical substrates underlying behaviour. These advances have allowed inferences to be made regarding the neural operations that shape perception, cognition, and action. Here we summarise how tDCS works, and show how research using this technique is expanding our understanding of the neural basis of cognitive and motor training. We also explain how oscillatory tDCS can elucidate the role of fluctuations in neural activity, in both frequency and phase, in perception, learning, and memory. Finally, we highlight some key methodological issues for tDCS and suggest how these can be addressed

Toward the language oscillogenome

Language has been argued to arise, both ontogenetically and phylogenetically, from specific patterns of brain wiring. We argue that it can further be shown that core features of language processing emerge from particular phasal and cross-frequency coupling properties of neural oscillations; what has been referred to as the language 'oscillome.' It is expected that basic aspects of the language oscillome result from genetic guidance, what we will here call the language 'oscillogenome,' for which we will put forward a list of candidate genes. We have considered genes for altered brain rhythmicity in conditions involving language deficits: autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, specific language impairment and dyslexia. These selected genes map on to aspects of brain function, particularly on to neurotransmitter function. We stress that caution should be adopted in the construction of any oscillogenome, given the range of potential roles particular localized frequency bands have in cognition. Our aim is to propose a set of genome-to-language linking hypotheses that, given testing, would grant explanatory power to brain rhythms with respect to language processing and evolution.Economic and Social Research Council scholarship 1474910Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) FFI2016-78034-C2-2-

Early SHH-Dependent Telencephalic Patterning Disruptions in Tourette Syndrome

Ventral telencephalic development gives rise to the basal ganglia, a subpallial brain region responsible for motor function and coordination. This brain region is implicated in many movement disorders, including Tourette Syndrome (TS). TS is a heterogenous neurodevelopmental disorder and its etiopathophysiology is unknown. To date, TS has been investigated in animal models and postnatal human subjects, but early development of this disorder has not been studied. Previous work in adult TS post mortem basal ganglia tissue has shown a reduction in striatal interneurons, which serve to largely regulate striatal output. However, possible mechanisms for this neuronal loss and whether or not these findings originate in early development are poorly understood. This study examines TS etiology by modeling basal ganglia development in tridimensional human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural organoids. Basal ganglia organoids were generated from and compared across healthy unaffected control individuals and adult unremitting TS patients. We found early telencephalic patterning disruptions in TS-derived basal ganglia organoids, showing a preference for dorsal-posterior specification instead of the expected ventral-anterior commitment seen in healthy control-derived organoids. The aberrant fate shift in the TS-derived basal ganglia organoids was seen at both RNA and protein levels, confirmed across three separate assays, with consistency across three distinct time points. Transcriptome analyses in the organoids further identified categories of neuronal deficits that show overlap with a manually curated list of differentially expressed genes uncovered by transcriptome analyses at the post mortem level, reiterating the relevance of the bioassay utilized in this study. This work also investigated a potential mechanism for the early developmental phenotypes observed in the TS organoids. We found significant alterations in sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling components at both RNA and protein levels that are essential for distinguishing dorsal-ventral patterning in the human brain. Additionally, transcriptome analyses reveal a potential role for cilia, the cellular protrusions that facilitate SHH signal transduction. We found disruptions in genes that are required for cilia formation and function in the TS basal ganglia organoids that were absent from the healthy controls. This study leads an early developmental examination of TS in humans and offers a bioassay applicable to modeling basal ganglia-related disorders. These results reveal new biomarkers of interest in TS etiology and describe a new implication for SHH signaling. These results indicate that TS patients may exhibit altered telencephalic development, which yields deficits in neurons that ultimately populate the basal ganglia and regulate optimal circuitry function

Adult neurogenesis and neurodegenerative diseases: A systems biology perspective

New neurons are generated throughout adulthood in two regions of the brain, the olfactory bulb and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and are incorporated into the hippocampal network circuitry; disruption of this process has been postulated to contribute to neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Known modulators of adult neurogenesis include signal transduction pathways, the vascular and immune systems, metabolic factors, and epigenetic regulation. Multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as neurotrophic factors, transcription factors, and cell cycle regulators control neural stem cell proliferation, maintenance in the adult neurogenic niche, and differentiation into mature neurons; these factors act in networks of signaling molecules that influence each other during construction and maintenance of neural circuits, and in turn contribute to learning and memory. The immune system and vascular system are necessary for neuronal formation and neural stem cell fate determination. Inflammatory cytokines regulate adult neurogenesis in response to immune system activation, whereas the vasculature regulates the neural stem cell niche. Vasculature, immune/support cell populations (microglia/astrocytes), adhesion molecules, growth factors, and the extracellular matrix also provide a homing environment for neural stem cells. Epigenetic changes during hippocampal neurogenesis also impact memory and learning. Some genetic variations in neurogenesis related genes may play important roles in the alteration of neural stem cells differentiation into new born neurons during adult neurogenesis, with important therapeutic implications. In this review, we discuss mechanisms of and interactions between these modulators of adult neurogenesis, as well as implications for neurodegenerative disease and current therapeutic research

A Systems Neuroscience Approach to Migraine

Migraine is an extremely common but poorly understood nervous system disorder. We conceptualize migraine as a disorder of sensory network gain and plasticity, and we propose that this framing makes it amenable to the tools of current systems neuroscience

A combined experimental and computational approach to investigate emergent network dynamics based on large-scale neuronal recordings

Sviluppo di un approccio integrato computazionale-sperimentale per lo studio di reti neuronali mediante registrazioni elettrofisiologich

GABAergic Signaling and Neuronal Chloride Regulation in the Control of Network Events in the Immature Hippocampus

Spontaneously arising network events are a characteristic feature of all developing neural networks. This activity is crucial for normal neuronal development and the establishment of appropriate synaptic connectivity. In the developing hippocampus, depolarizing GABAergic drive is essential in generation of early network events, known as giant depolarizing potentials (GDPs). Blockade of GABAergic signaling leads to hypersynchronization of the network and emergence of ictal-like events, pointing to dual, both excitatory and inhibitory roles for GABA, in regulation of these events. In Studies I-III of this thesis, we examined the role of GABAA receptor (GABAAR) -mediated neurotransmission with some parallel work on glycinergic signaling as well as neuronal Cl- regulation in modulation of GDPs in the developing rodent hippocampus. In Study I, we demonstrate that low levels of GABA and glycine suppress GDPs by activating extrasynaptic receptors. This implies that regardless of the depolarizing drive for Cl- currents at this developmental stage, a low conductance via Cl- -permeable GABAARs and glycine receptors (GlyRs) can cause efficient shunting and inhibition of the network events. In Study II, we discovered that sustained activation of a subset of hippocampal interneurons, caused by the neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP), silences the network events in the perinatal hippocampus, regardless of the maturational level of the GABAergic system as compared across species. This is attributed to decreased synchronous interneuronal input that is essential for the GDP generation. In Study III, we demonstrate that transport-functional K-Cl cotransporter 2 (KCC2) is present in the CA3 pyramidal neurons already in the perinatal stages in mice and rats. Cl- extrusion by KCC2 counteracts the dominant Na-K-2Cl cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) -mediated Cl- uptake and restrains the depolarizing GABAergic drive onto the CA3 pyramidal cells. Thereby, function of KCC2 limits pyramidal neuron spiking and synchronization during GDPs and participates in the modulation of GDPs from their developmental onset. This work describes novel physiological GABAergic mechanisms that control GDPs in the perinatal rodents and establishes a role for KCC2 in regulation of pyramidal neuron excitability and synchronization during GDPs starting from their developmental onset.Lukemattomat tutkimukset ovat osoittaneet, että spontaanisti syntyvä synkroninen aktiivisuus on kaikille kehittyville hermoverkoille ominainen piirre. Aktiivisuus ja sen laukaisemat signalointikaskadit tukevat hermosolujen normaalia kehitystä ja ohjaavat oikeiden hermoyhteyksien muodostumista. Kehittyvän hippokampuksen alueella solujen korkeasta kloriditasosta johtuva depolaarinen GABA ajaa GDP:inä (giant depolarizing potentials) tunnettuja synkronisia verkkotason aktiivisuusryöppyjä. GABAergisen signaloinnin hiljentäminen johtaa kuitenkin epileptisen aktiivisuuden muodostumiseen hermoverkossa, viitaten siihen, että GABAn rooli kehittyvässä hippokampuksessa on kaksisuuntainen: sekä hillitsevä, että kiihdyttävä. Tämän väitöskirjan osatöissä I-III tutkin sähköfysiologisin menetelmin GABA A-reseptorivälitteisen viestinnän ja solujen kloridisäätelyn roolia GDP:iden säätelyssä perinataaleissa hiirissä ja rotissa. Työssäni esittelen uusia fysiologisia mekanismeja GABA-välitteisessä GDP:iden säätelyssä ja osoitan ensimmäistä kertaa kloridikuljettaja KCC2:n keskeisen roolin pyramidisolujen ärtyvyyden ja verkkotason aktiivisuuden säätelyssä kehittyvässä hippokampuksessa.

Neurogenesis in the adult brain, gene networks, and Alzheimer's Disease

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)New neurons are generated throughout adulthood in two regions of the brain, the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, which is important for memory formation and cognitive functions, and the sub-ventricular zone of the olfactory bulb, which is important for the sense of smell, and are incorporated into hippocampal network circuitry. Disruption of this process has been postulated to contribute to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease [1]. AD is the most common form of adult-onset dementia and the number of patients with AD escalates dramatically each year. The generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus declines with age and in AD. Many of the molecular players in AD are also modulators of adult neurogenesis, but the genetic mechanisms influencing adult neurogenesis in AD are unclear. The overall goal of this project is to identify candidate genes and pathways that play a role in neurogenesis in the adult brain and to test the hypotheses that 1) hippocampal neurogenesis-related genes and pathways are significantly perturbed in AD and 2) neurogenesis-related pathways are significantly associated with hippocampal volume and other AD-related biomarker endophenotypes including brain deposition of amyloid-β and tau pathology. First, potential modulators of adult neurogenesis and their roles in neurodegenerative diseases were evaluated. Candidate genes that control the turnover process of neural stem cells/precursors to new functional neurons during adult neurogenesis were manually curated using a pathway-based systems biology approach. Second, a targeted neurogenesis pathway-based gene analysis was performed resulting in the identification of ADORA2A as associated with hippocampal volume and memory performance in mild cognitive impairment and AD. Third, a genome-wide gene-set enrichment analysis was conducted to discover associations between hippocampal volume and AD related endophenotypes and neurogenesis-related pathways. Within the discovered neurogenesis enriched pathways, a gene-based association analysis identified TESC and ACVR1 as significantly associated with hippocampal volume and APOE and PVLR2 as significantly associated with tau and amyloid beta levels in cerebrospinal fluid. This project identifies new genetic contributions to hippocampal neurogenesis with translational implications for novel therapeutic targets related to learning and memory and neuroprotection in AD

Role of the cotransporter KCC2 in cortical excitatory synapse development and febrile seizure susceptibility

Le co-transporteur KCC2 spécifique au potassium et chlore a pour rôle principal de réduire la concentration intracellulaire de chlore, entraînant l’hyperpolarisation des courants GABAergic l’autorisant ainsi à devenir inhibiteur dans le cerveau mature. De plus, il est aussi impliqué dans le développement des synapses excitatrices, nommées aussi les épines dendritiques. Le but de notre projet est d’étudier l’effet des modifications concernant l'expression et la fonction de KCC2 dans le cortex du cerveau en développement dans un contexte de convulsions précoces. Les convulsions fébriles affectent environ 5% des enfants, et ce dès la première année de vie. Les enfants atteints de convulsions fébriles prolongées et atypiques sont plus susceptibles à développer l’épilepsie. De plus, la présence d’une malformation cérébrale prédispose au développement de convulsions fébriles atypiques, et d’épilepsie du lobe temporal. Ceci suggère que ces pathologies néonatales peuvent altérer le développement des circuits neuronaux irréversiblement. Cependant, les mécanismes qui sous-tendent ces effets ne sont pas encore compris. Nous avons pour but de comprendre l'impact des altérations de KCC2 sur la survenue des convulsions et dans la formation des épines dendritiques. Nous avons étudié KCC2 dans un modèle animal de convulsions précédemment validé, qui combine une lésion corticale à P1 (premier jour de vie postnatale), suivie d'une convulsion induite par hyperthermie à P10 (nommés rats LHS). À la suite de ces insultes, 86% des rats mâles LHS développent l’épilepsie à l’âge adulte, au même titre que des troubles d’apprentissage. À P20, ces animaux presentent une augmentation de l'expression de KCC2 associée à une hyperpolarisation du potentiel de réversion de GABA. De plus, nous avons observé des réductions dans la taille des épines dendritiques et l'amplitude des courants post-synaptiques excitateurs miniatures, ainsi qu’un déficit de mémoire spatial, et ce avant le développement des convulsions spontanées. Dans le but de rétablir les déficits observés chez les rats LHS, nous avons alors réalisé un knock-down de KCC2 par shARN spécifique par électroporation in utero. Nos résultats ont montré une diminution de la susceptibilité aux convulsions due à la lésion corticale, ainsi qu'une restauration de la taille des épines. Ainsi, l’augmentation de KCC2 à la suite d'une convulsion précoce, augmente la susceptibilité aux convulsions modifiant la morphologie des épines dendritiques, probable facteur contribuant à l’atrophie de l’hippocampe et l’occurrence des déficits cognitifs. Le deuxième objectif a été d'inspecter l’effet de la surexpression précoce de KCC2 dans le développement des épines dendritiques de l’hippocampe. Nous avons ainsi surexprimé KCC2 aussi bien in vitro dans des cultures organotypiques d’hippocampe, qu' in vivo par électroporation in utero. À l'inverse des résultats publiés dans le cortex, nous avons observé une diminution de la densité d’épines dendritiques et une augmentation de la taille des épines. Afin de confirmer la spécificité du rôle de KCC2 face à la région néocorticale étudiée, nous avons surexprimé KCC2 dans le cortex par électroporation in utero. Cette manipulation a eu pour conséquences d’augmenter la densité et la longueur des épines synaptiques de l’arbre dendritique des cellules glutamatergiques. En conséquent, ces résultats ont démontré pour la première fois, que les modifications de l’expression de KCC2 sont spécifiques à la région affectée. Ceci souligne les obstacles auxquels nous faisons face dans le développement de thérapie adéquat pour l’épilepsie ayant pour but de moduler l’expression de KCC2 de façon spécifique.The potassium-chloride cotransporter KCC2 decreases intracellular Cl- levels and renders GABA responses inhibitory. In addition, it has also been shown to modulate excitatory synapse development. In this project, we investigated how alterations of KCC2 expression levels affect these two key processes in cortical structures of a normal and/or epileptic developing brain. First, we demonstrate that KCC2 expression is altered by early-life febrile status epilepticus. Febrile seizures affect about 5% of children during the first year of life. Atypical febrile seizures, particularly febrile status epilepticus, correlate with a higher risk of developing cognitive deficits and temporal lobe epilepsy as adults, suggesting that they may permanently change the developmental trajectory of neuronal circuits. In fact, the presence of a cerebral malformation predisposes to the development of atypical febrile seizures and temporal lobe epilepsy. The mechanisms underlying these effects are not clear. Here, we investigated the functional impact of this alteration on subsequent synapse formation and seizure susceptibility. We analyzed KCC2 expression and spine density in the hippocampus of a well-established rodent model of atypical febrile seizures, combining a cortical freeze lesion at post-natal day 1 (P1) and hyperthermia-induced seizure at P10 (LHS rats). 86% of these LHS males develop epilepsy and learning and memory deficits in adulthood. At P20, we found a precocious increase in KCC2 protein levels, accompanied by a negative shift of the reversal potential of GABA (EGABA) by gramicidin-perforated patch. In parallel, we observed a reduction in dendritic spine size by DiI labelling and a reduction of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) amplitude in CA1 pyramidal neurons, as well as impaired spatial memory. To investigate whether the premature expression of KCC2 played a role in these alterations in the LHS model, and on seizure susceptibility, we reduced KCC2 expression in CA1 pyramidal neurons by in utero electroporation of shRNA using a triple-probe electrode. This approach lead to reduced febrile seizure susceptibility, and rescued spine size shrinkage in LHS rats. Our results show that an increase of KCC2 levels induced by early-life insults affect seizure susceptibility and spine development and may be a contributing factor to the occurrence of hippocampal atrophy and associated cognitive deficits in LHS rats. Second, we investigated whether KCC2 premature overexpression plays a role in spine alterations in the hippocampus. We overexpressed KCC2 in hippocampal organotypic cultures by biolistic transfection and in vivo by in utero electroporation. In contrast to what was previously published, we observed that both manipulations lead to a decrease in spine density in the hippocampus, as well as an increase in spine head size in vivo. In fact, it has been previously shown that overexpressing KCC2 leads to an increase of spine density in the cortex in vivo. To prove that this discrepancy is due to brain regional differences, we overexpressed KCC2 in the cortex by in utero electroporation, and similarly found an increase in spine density and length. Altogether, our results demonstrate for the first time, that alterations of KCC2 expression are brain circuit-specific. These findings highlights the obstacles we will face to find adequate pharmacological treatment to specifically modulate KCC2 in a region-specific and time-sensitive manner in epilepsy