Neural Circuit Mechanisms Involved in Animals’ Detection of and Response to Visual Threats

Wu, Qiwen; Zhang, Yifeng

doi:10.1007/s12264-023-01021-0

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 190 publications

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“…The association between less MCC activation during NF training and greater symptom reduction was also reported 26 . Furthermore, increased connectivity in the auditory cortex was associated with repetitive negative thinking 75 , and heightened activity or connectivity in the visual cortex have also been reported in individuals with MDD 48, 76 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

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Clinical Response to Neurofeedback in Major Depression Relates to Subtypes of Whole-Brain Activation Patterns During Training

Misaki,

Young,

Tsuchiyagaito

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) presents a significant public health challenge. Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rtfMRI-NF) shows promise as a treatment for this disorder, although its mechanisms of action remain unclear. This study investigated whole-brain response patterns during rtfMRI-NF training to explain interindividual variability in clinical efficacy in MDD. We analyzed data from 95 participants (67 active, 28 control) with MDD from previous rtfMRI-NF studies designed to increase left amygdala activation through positive autobiographical memory recall. We focused on whole-brain activation patterns during two critical epochs of the neurofeedback procedure: activation during the self-regulation period and transient responses to feedback signal presentation. Through a systematic process involving feature selection, manifold extraction, and clustering with cross-validation, we identified subtypes within these patterns. Significant symptom reduction was observed in the active group (t=-4.404, d=-0.704, p<0.001) but not in the control group (t=-1.609, d=-0.430, p=0.111); however, left amygdala activation did not account for the variability in clinical efficacy. Subtyping analysis revealed two subtypes in regulation activation and three subtypes in brain responses to feedback signals (regulation: F=8.735, p=0.005; feedback response: F=5.326, p=0.008; interaction: F=3.471, p=0.039). Subtypes associated with significant symptom reduction were characterized by selective increases in control regions, including lateral prefrontal areas, and decreases in regions associated with self-referential thinking, such as default mode areas. These findings suggest that large-scale brain activity is more critical for clinical efficacy than the level of activation in the neurofeedback target region during training. Tailoring neurofeedback training to incorporate these patterns could significantly enhance its therapeutic efficacy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Changes in SMA and middle cingulate activation were also observed in MDD during reward anticipation in a meta-analysis 72 . In addition, increased connectivity in the auditory cortex, associated with repetitive negative thinking 73 , and increased activity or connectivity in the visual cortex 48,74 have also been reported in MDD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Clinical Response to Neurofeedback in Major Depression Relates to Subtypes of Whole-Brain Activation Patterns During Training

Misaki,

Young,

Tsuchiyagaito

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…While courting a mate increases the chances of reproductive success, it also carries risks, such as exposure to predation. Recent work has revealed how sex drive and threat avoidance are independently signaled in the brain [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] ,yet it remains unclear how these needs are prioritized when they are in conflict. Avoiding threats can be a life-saving decision, but excessive caution might result in missed mating opportunities.…”

Section: Mainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mating proximity blinds threat perception.

Cazale Debat,

Scheunemann,

Day

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Romantic engagement can bias sensory perception. This 'love blindness' reflects a common behavioral principle across organisms: favoring pursuit of a coveted reward over potential risks. In the case of animal courtship, such sensory biases may support reproductive success but can also expose individuals to danger, such as predation. How do neural networks balance the trade-off between risk and reward? Here, we discover a dopamine-governed filter mechanism in male Drosophila that reduces threat perception as courtship progresses. We show that during early courtship stages, threat-activated visual neurons inhibit central courtship nodes via specific serotonergic neurons. This serotonergic inhibition prompts flies to abort courtship when they see imminent danger. However, as flies advance in the courtship process, the dopaminergic filter system reduces visual threat responses, shifting the balance from survival to mating. By recording neural activity from males as they approach mating, we demonstrate that progress in courtship is registered as dopaminergic activity levels ramping up. This dopamine signaling inhibits the visual threat detection pathway via Dop2R receptors, allowing male flies to focus on courtship when they are close to copulation. Thus, dopamine signaling biases sensory perception based on perceived goal proximity, in order to prioritize between competing behaviors.

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“…In addition to the tectum, we found significant populations of hunting, freezing and escape sensorimotor neurons in the thalamus and nucleus isthmi, and freezing and escape but no hunting sensorimotor neurons in the pallium (figure 7B). These regions are thought to be downstream of the tectum within defensive behavior pathways 29 . A large population of hunting sensorimotor neurons was also found in the pretectum (figure 7B), consistent with previous findings in zebrafish 32 .…”

Section: Downstream Areas Contain Sensorimotor Neurons For the Three ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The optic tectum (superior colliculus in mammals) is a likely site for visuomotor transformation, as it receives retinal input, contains a map of visual space, has outputs to many motor areas, and receives a variety of other sensory and state inputs [26][27][28] . However, other brain areas have also been implicated in these behaviors [29][30][31] , and their manipulation has been shown to affect hunting and defensive behaviors [32][33][34] . In addition, it has been difficult to comprehensively record from these areas, particularly during behavior, in order to observe how the animal decides whether to respond, and selects the appropriate type of behavior.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The visuomotor transformations underlying defensive behaviors and hunting

Zhao,

Tong,

Lazarte

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The visual system can identify stimuli as predators or prey, and respond with appropriate behaviors. To observe the transformation of visual information into behavior, we imaged the zebrafish visual system while larvae responded to three types of visual stimuli with innate hunting, freezing, and escape behaviors. We systematically identified visually driven neurons and behaviorally correlated sensorimotor neurons, and analyzed their responses to the different stimuli and behaviors. We found that the optic tectum contains broadly tuned sensory neurons, and sensorimotor neurons that respond specifically during one behavior. We also identified sensorimotor neurons in four other areas thought to be downstream of the tectum. Our findings support a model in which neurons in the tectum receive visual information describing an object's location, and may also receive input on the object's identity and the animal's state, in order to select a single behavioral outcome, which is then relayed to downstream areas.

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Neural Circuit Mechanisms Involved in Animals’ Detection of and Response to Visual Threats

Cited by 4 publications

References 190 publications

Clinical Response to Neurofeedback in Major Depression Relates to Subtypes of Whole-Brain Activation Patterns During Training

Clinical Response to Neurofeedback in Major Depression Relates to Subtypes of Whole-Brain Activation Patterns During Training

Mating proximity blinds threat perception.

The visuomotor transformations underlying defensive behaviors and hunting

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