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Top-down control of human motor thalamic neuronal activity during the auditory oddball task
Frhan I Alanazi1,2,3, Suneil K Kalia4,5,6, Mojgan Hodaie4,5,6
1Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Frhan.alanazi@mail.utoronto.ca.
NPJ Parkinson'S Disease
|March 27, 2023
Summary
Researchers recorded human brain activity during an auditory attention task. They found that neuronal firing rates decreased when patients focused on specific sounds, suggesting the motor thalamus plays a role in selective attention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Human Neurophysiology
Background:
- Selective attention mechanisms are well-studied in animal models but lack direct human single-unit recording data.
- The motor thalamus, particularly the ventral intermediate nucleus, is primarily associated with motor control, but its role in cognitive functions is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neurophysiological basis of selective auditory attention in humans using single-unit recordings from the motor thalamus.
- To explore the involvement of the motor thalamus in non-motor cognitive functions, specifically auditory attention.
- To examine the impact of Parkinson's disease on thalamic activity during attention tasks.
Main Methods:
- Single-unit recordings were performed in the motor thalamus (ventral intermediate, ventral oral anterior, and posterior nuclei) of 25 patients undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery.
- Patients performed an auditory oddball task requiring selective attention to infrequent deviant tones.
- Local field potential (LFP) analysis was used to assess beta oscillations (13-35 Hz).
Main Results:
- Neuronal firing rates in the motor thalamus decreased during the auditory oddball task, indicating suppression of ascending information related to attention.
- This inhibition was specific to auditory attention, as incorrect task performance did not elicit the same response.
- Beta desynchronization in response to deviant tones was observed, with Parkinson's disease patients exhibiting altered beta power and modulation compared to essential tremor patients.
- Findings provide indirect evidence for the 'searchlight' hypothesis of attention in humans.
Conclusions:
- The motor thalamus, including the ventral intermediate nucleus, is implicated in non-motor cognitive functions like selective auditory attention.
- Dopamine appears to modulate thalamic beta oscillations crucial for selective attention, offering insights into Parkinson's disease pathophysiology.
- These findings expand our understanding of the brain circuitry underlying attention and its disruption in neurological disorders.
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