Neuroscience – Page 33 – The Miller Lab @ MIT

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Aug 2013

The anatomy of hierarchy: Feedforward and feedback pathways

Miller Lab

Neuroscience

Markov et al provide an excellent review and analysis of the anatomy of visual cortex and beyond. The show that supragranular layers contain highly segregated feedforward and feedback pathways. Their analysis of the detailed anatomy revealed that feedback connections are more numerous and have more levels than feedforward connections. By contrast, infragranular layers are less hierarchical and may be more involved in point-to-point cross-talk than feedforward or feedback processing. Markov et al map the feedforward and feedback pathways to recent observations that feedforward vs feedback communication is supported by gamma vs beta cortical oscillations.

For more on the role of oscillations in feedforward and feedback cortical communication, see our review:
Miller, E.K. and Buschman, T.J. (2013) Cortical circuits for the control of attention. Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 23:216–222 View PDF »
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Aug 2013

Prolonged dopamine signalling in striatum signals proximity and value of distant rewards

Miller Lab

Neuroscience

Ann Graybiel and crew show that the role of dopamine in reinforcement learning is not so straightforward. Rather than just give short bursts tied to reward prediction errors, dopamine ramps up as rats near a goal. It could reflect a motivational drive.
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Aug 2013

Involvement of the Globus Pallidus in Behavioral Goal Determination and Action Specification

Miller Lab

Neuroscience

Arimura et al compared neural responses in the globus pallidus (GP), prefrontal cortex (PFC) and premotor cortex (PMC) during a task in which a visual cue instructed a goal and then another cue instructed which action to perform. The GP reflected the visual cue and goal as soon as the cortex. However, action selection occurred later in the GP than cortex. Thus, the GP seems to play a more important role in goal determination than action selection.
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Aug 2013

Dopamine Regulates Two Classes of Primate Prefrontal Neurons

Miller Lab

Miller Laboratory, Neuroscience

Miller Lab alumnus Andreas Nieder shows that dopamine (DA) has different effects on two different classes of neurons in the prefrontal cortex. For neurons with a short latency visual response, DA suppressed activity but preserved their signal to noise ratio. For neurons with a longer visual latency (exclusively broad-spiking, putative pyramidal neurons), DA increased excitability and enhanced signal/noise ratio. Thus, DA can shape how the prefrontal cortex processes bottom-up sensory inputs.
Jacob et al
22

Aug 2013

Scene Areas in Humans and Macaques

Miller Lab

Miller Laboratory, Neuroscience

A Neuron Preview for Miller Lab graduate student Simon Kornblith’s paper on a network for scene processing:
Scene Areas in Humans and Macaques by Epstein and Julian

Here’s the original post on Simon’s paper and a link to it:
A Network For Scene Processing
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Aug 2013

Temporally Precise Cell-Specific Coherence Develops in Corticostriatal Networks during Learning

Miller Lab

Neuroscience

Koralek et al show learning-related increases in oscillatory coherence between the motor cortex and striatum during learning. The increase in coherence was seen for neurons related to behavior. This supports the notion that oscillatory coherence plays a role in forming functional networks.
20

Aug 2013

Linking Nonlinear Neural Dynamics to Single-Trial Human Behavior

Miller Lab

Neuroscience

Pesenson, Cohen, and Voytek review methods for linking nonlinear oscillatory neural dynamics, in particular oscillatory phase, to behavior.
Linking Nonlinear Neural Dynamics to Single-Trial Human Behavior
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Aug 2013

Top-Down Beta Rhythms Support Selective Attention via Interlaminar Interaction: A Model

Miller Lab

Neuroscience

Lee, Whittington, and Kopell review recent studies of the role of beta-band oscillations in top-down control of attention and model it. In their model, top-down beta rhythms activate layer-specific ascending projections that mediate biased competition. Interneurons resonate with the beta oscillations and help modulate superficial layer activity according to attentional demands.
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Aug 2013

The Neurobiology of Thought: The Groundbreaking Discoveries of Patricia Goldman-Rakic 1937–2003

Miller Lab

Neuroscience

A review of the groundbreaking work of Patricia Goldman-Rakic by Amy Arnsten
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Aug 2013

Coding of Information in the Phase of Local Field Potentials within Human Medial Temporal Lobe

Miller Lab

Neuroscience

Lopour et al report evidence for phase coding in the human temporal lobe. They recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in patients during performance of a card matching task. Classification of correct/incorrect responses was better when LFP phase was taken into account. The phases aligned just before the the two cards were compared and then diverged to code the response.