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Eden, U.

Publications and source records attributed to Eden, U..

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Closed-loop modulation of remote hippocampal representations with neurofeedback

Humans can remember specific remote events without acting on them and influence which memories are retrieved based on internal goals. However, animal models typically present sensory cues to trigger memory retrieval and then assess retrieval based on action. Thus, it is difficult to determine whether measured neural activity patterns relate to the cue(s), the memory, or the behavior. We therefore asked whether retrieval-related neural activity could be generated in animals without cues or a behavioral report. We focused on hippocampal "place cells" which primarily represent the animals current location (local representations) but can also represent locations away from the animal (remote representations). We developed a neurofeedback system to reward expression of remote representations and found that rats could learn to generate specific spatial representations that often jumped directly to the experimenter-defined target location. Thus, animals can deliberately engage remote representations, enabling direct study of retrieval-related activity in the brain.

neuroscience↗

Photothrombosis induced cortical stroke produces electrographic epileptic biomarkers in mice

ObjectiveInterictal epileptiform spikes, high-frequency ripple oscillations, and their co-occurrence (spike ripples) in human scalp or intracranial voltage recordings are well-established epileptic biomarkers. While clinically significant, the neural mechanisms generating these electrographic biomarkers remain unclear. To reduce this knowledge gap, we introduce a novel photothrombotic stroke model in mice that reproduces focal interictal electrographic biomarkers observed in human epilepsy. MethodsWe induced a stroke in the motor cortex of C57BL/6 mice unilaterally (N=7) using a photothrombotic procedure previously established in rats. We then implanted intracranial electrodes (2 ipsilateral and 2 contralateral) and obtained intermittent local field potential (LFP) recordings over several weeks in awake, behaving mice. We evaluated the LFP for focal slowing and epileptic biomarkers - spikes, ripples, and spike ripples - using both automated and semi-automated procedures. ResultsDelta power (1-4 Hz) was higher in the stroke hemisphere than the non-stroke hemisphere in all mice (p<0.001). Automated detection procedures indicated that compared to the non-stroke hemisphere, the stroke hemisphere had an increased spike ripple (p=0.006) and spike rates (p=0.039), but no change in ripple rate (p=0.98). Expert validation confirmed the observation of elevated spike ripple rates (p=0.008) and a trend of elevated spike rate (p=0.055) in the stroke hemisphere. Interestingly, the validated ripple rate in the stroke hemisphere was higher than the non-stroke hemisphere (p=0.031), highlighting the difficulty of automatically detecting ripples. Finally, using optimal performance thresholds, automatically detected spike ripples classified the stroke hemisphere with the best accuracy (sensitivity 0.94, specificity 0.94). SignificanceCortical photothrombosis-induced stroke in commonly used C57BL/6 mice produces electrographic biomarkers as observed in human epilepsy. This model represents a new translational cortical epilepsy model with a defined irritative zone, which can be broadly applied in transgenic mice for cell type specific analysis of the cellular and circuit mechanisms of pathologic interictal activity. Key PointsO_LICortical photothrombosis in mice produces stroke with characteristic intermittent focal delta slowing. C_LIO_LICortical photothrombosis stroke in mice produces the epileptic biomarkers spikes, ripples, and spike ripples. C_LIO_LIAll biomarkers share morphological features with the corresponding human correlate. C_LIO_LISpike ripples better lateralize to the lesional cortex than spikes or ripples. C_LIO_LIThis cortical model can be applied in transgenic mice for mechanistic studies. C_LI

neuroscience↗

The problem of perfect predictors in statistical spike train models

Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) have been used extensively in statistical models of spike train data. However, the IRLS algorithm, which is often used to fit such models, can fail to converge in situations where response and non-response can be separated by a single predictor or a linear combination of multiple predictors. Such situations are likely to arise in many neural systems due to properties such as refractoriness and incomplete sampling of the signals that influence spiking. In this paper, we describe multiple classes of approaches to address this problem: Standard IRLS with a fixed iteration limit, computing the maximum likelihood solution in the limit, Bayesian estimation, regularization, change of basis, and modifying the search parameters. We demonstrate a specific application of each of these methods to spiking data from rat somatosensory cortex and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. We also provide an example of a roadmap for selecting a method based on the problems particular analysis issues and scientific goals.

neuroscience↗

Efficient Spline Regression for Neural Spiking Data

Point process generalized linear models (GLMs) provide a powerful tool for characterizing the coding properties of neural populations. Spline basis functions are often used in point process GLMs, when the relationship between the spiking and driving signals are nonlinear, but common choices for the structure of these spline bases often lead to loss of statistical power and numerical instability when the signals that influence spiking are bounded above or below. In particular, history dependent spike train models often suffer these issues at times immediately following a previous spike. This can make inferences related to refractoriness and bursting activity more challenging. Here, we propose a modified set of spline basis functions that assumes a flat derivative at the endpoints and show that this limits the uncertainty and numerical issues associated with cardinal splines. We illustrate the application of this modified basis to the problem of simultaneously estimating the place field and history dependent properties of a set of neurons from the CA1 region of rat hippocampus, and compare it with the other commonly used basis functions. We have made code available in MATLAB to implement spike train regression using these modified basis functions.

neuroscience↗

Analysis of Distributed Neural Synchrony through State-Space Coherence Analysis

Established methods to track the dynamics of neural representations focus at the level of individual neurons for spiking data, and individual or pair of channels for local field potentials. However, our understanding of neural function and computation has moved toward an integrative view, based upon coordinated activity of multiple neural populations across brain areas. To draw network-level inferences of brain function, we propose a new modeling framework that combines the state-space model and cross-spectral matrix estimates - this is called state-space coherence (SSCoh). We define elements of the SSCoh and derive system identification and approximate filter solution for multivariate space processes. We expand SCoh for mixed observation processes, where the observation includes different modalities of neural data including local filed potential and spiking activity. Finally, we show an application of the framework to study neural synchrony across different brain nodes of a task participant performing Stroop task under different distraction levels.

neuroscience↗

Closed loop enhancement and neural decoding of human cognitive control

Cognitive control is the ability to withhold a default, prepotent response in favor of a more adaptive choice. Control deficits are common across mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and addiction. Thus, a method for improving cognitive control could be broadly useful in disorders with few effective treatments. Here, we demonstrate closed-loop enhancement of one aspect of cognitive control by direct brain stimulation in humans. We stimulated internal capsule/striatum in participants undergoing intracranial epilepsy monitoring as they performed a cognitive control/conflict task. Stimulation enhanced performance, with the strongest effects from dorsal capsule/striatum stimulation. We then developed a framework to detect control lapses and stimulate in response. This closed-loop approach produced larger behavioral changes than open-loop stimulation, with a slight improvement in performance change per unit of energy delivered. Finally, we decoded task performance directly from activity on a small number of electrodes, using features compatible with existing closed-loop brain implants. Our findings are proof of concept for a new approach to treating severe mental disorders, based on directly remediating underlying cognitive deficits.

bioengineering↗

Assessing Goodness-of-Fit in Marked-Point Process Models of Neural Population Coding via Time and Rate Rescaling

Marked-point process models have recently been used to capture the coding properties of neural populations from multi-unit electrophysiological recordings without spike sorting. These clusterless models have been shown in some instances to better describe the firing properties of neural populations than collections of receptive field models for sorted neurons and to lead to better decoding results. To assess their quality, we previously proposed a goodness-of-fit technique for marked-point process models based on time-rescaling, which for a correct model, produces a set of uniform samples over a random region of space. However, assessing uniformity over such a region can be challenging, especially in high dimensions. Here, we propose a set of new transformations both in time and in the space of spike waveform features, which generate events that are uniformly distributed in the new mark and time spaces. These transformations are scalable to multi-dimensional mark spaces and provide uniformly distributed samples in hypercubes, which are well suited for uniformity tests. We discuss properties of these transformations and demonstrate aspects of model fit captured by each transformation. We also compare multiple uniformity tests to determine their power to identify lack-of-fit in the rescaled data. We demonstrate an application of these transformations and uniformity tests in a simulation study. Proofs for each transformation are provided in the Appendix section. We have made the MATLAB code used for the analyses in this paper publicly available through our Github repository at https://github.com/YousefiLab/Marked-PointProcess-Goodness-of-Fit

neuroscience↗

A statistical modeling framework to assess cross-frequency coupling while accounting for confounding effects

Cross frequency coupling (CFC) is emerging as a fundamental feature of brain activity, correlated with brain function and dysfunction. Many different types of CFC have been identified through application of numerous data analysis methods, each developed to characterize a specific CFC type. Choosing an inappropriate method weakens statistical power and introduces opportunities for confounding effects. To address this, we propose a statistical modeling framework to estimate high frequency amplitude as a function of both the low frequency amplitude and low frequency phase; the result is a measure of phase-amplitude coupling that accounts for changes in the low frequency amplitude. We show in simulations that the proposed method successfully detects CFC between the low frequency phase or amplitude and the high frequency amplitude, and outperforms an existing method in biologically-motivated examples. Applying the method to in vivo data, we illustrate how CFC evolves during seizures and is affected by electrical stimuli.

neuroscience↗

A common goodness-of-fit framework for neural population models using marked point process time-rescaling

A critical component of any statistical modeling procedure is the ability to assess the goodness-of-fit between a model and observed data. For neural spike train models of individual neurons, many goodness-of-fit measures rely on the time-rescaling theorem to assess the statistical properties of rescaled spike times. Recently, there has been increasing interest in statistical models that describe the simultaneous spiking activity of neuron populations, either in a single brain region or across brain regions. Classically, such models have used spike sorted data to describe relationships between the identified neurons, but more recently clusterless modeling methods have been used to describe population activity using a single model. Here we develop a generalization of the time-rescaling theorem that enables comprehensive goodness-of-fit analysis for either of these classes of population models. We use the theory of marked point processes to model population spiking activity, and show that under the correct model, each spike can be rescaled individually to generate a uniformly distributed set of events in time and the space of spike marks. After rescaling, multiple well-established goodness-of-fit procedures and statistical tests are available. We demonstrate the application of these methods both to simulated data and real population spiking in rat hippocampus.

neuroscience↗