JNP Podcasts

Covid shows us the importance of smell in cognitive health

In this podcast, Prof. Leslie Kay of The University of Chicago and Associate Editor for the Journal of Neurophysiology discusses her review article “COVID-19 and olfactory dysfunction: a looming wave of dementia?” with Editor in Chief Prof. Nino Ramirez. We find ourselves in the middle of a global “experiment” on the mechanisms of dementia and the relationship between our sense of smell and our ability to think. In many diseases that end in dementia, one of the early signs is olfactory dysfunction, often associated with degeneration in the olfactory bulb. More than 15 million people worldwide experience persistent COVID-19 olfactory changes, possibly caused by olfactory bulb damage. These data suggest a wave of post-COVID dementia in the coming decades, similar to the type of dementia seen in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. We can seize this gruesome opportunity to understand the involvement of the olfactory system in cognitive health. This will require intense study and increased resources to find treatments for smell dysfunction.

 

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The effects of reward on sequential motor behavior

In this podcast, senior author Dr. Joseph Galea of the University of Birmingham discusses his recently published manuscript "The dissociable effects of reward on sequential motor behavior" with Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Nino Ramirez. Joseph M. Galea, et al.'s research provides a mechanistic framework for how reward influences motor behavior. Specifically, the authors show that instantaneous improvements in speed and accuracy are driven by reward presented in the form of money, while knowledge of performance through performance feedback leads to training-based improvements. Importantly, combining both maximized performance gains and led to improvements in movement quality through fusion, which describes an optimization process during which sequential movements blend into a single action. Take a listen today! 

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Self-Organization of Spinal Monosynaptic and Interneuronal Circuitry

In this podcast coauthors Dr. Jonas M.D. Enander of Lund University and Dr. Gerald E. Loeb of the University of Southern California discuss their companion papers titled “A Model for Self-Organization of Sensorimotor Function: The Spinal Monosynaptic Loop" and "Spinal Interneuronal Integration” with Editor in Chief Prof. Nino Ramirez. In the first paper the authors present a model of a simple but biologically realistic musculoskeletal system with spindle primary afferents that become selectively connected to homonymous beta motoneurons as a result of Hebbian adaptation. The second paper models a later stage of spinal cord development in which populations of excitatory and inhibitory interneurons similarly develop patterned connectivity involving a complete set of somatosensory afferents, motoneurons and each other. Without any a priori defined connectivity or organization, Hebbian learning driven by spontaneous, fetal-like motor activity results in the emergence of well-functioning spinal circuits whose connectivity patterns resemble those observed in the adult mammalian spinal cord. The authors suggest that genetic transcriptomes that appear during development may specify phases and rules for adaptive development rather than muscle-specific wiring patterns. The emergent behavior of their model system has important implications for the evolution of new species and potential applications for bio-inspired robots. 

 

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Sensitivity to change in heartbeats as interoceptive ability

What is the nature of autonomic signals and how do they shape introception? This study presents a new method for evaluating cardiac interoceptive ability, measuring sensitivity to naturalistic changes in the number of heartbeats over time periods. The results of this research show participants have an overall tendency towards sensing fewer heartbeats during higher heart rates. This likely reflects the influence of changing heartbeat strength on cardiac interoception at rest, which should be taken into account when evaluating cardiac interoceptive ability and its relationship to anxiety and psychosomatic conditions. Take a listen to this podcast as Dr. Sarah Garfinkel of the University College London discusses the recently published research “Sensitivity to changes in rate of heartbeats as a measure of interoceptive ability” with Editor-in-Chief Professor Nino Ramirez.

 

Dennis E. O. Larsson, Giulia Esposito, Hugo D. Critchley, Zoltan Dienes, and Sarah N. Garfinkel

 

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Oscillatory entrainment mechanisms and anticipatory predictive processes in children with autism spectrum disorder

In this podcast the authors Dr. Shlomit Beker and Dr. Sophie Molholm of Albert Einstein College of Medicine discuss their recently published manuscript titled “Oscillatory entrainment mechanisms and anticipatory predictive processes in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)” with Editor-in-Chief Prof. Jan-Marino (Nino) Ramirez. In their paper they, along with co-author John Foxe, used EEG and behavior to index predictive processes in children with ASD.  A condition in which an auditory target was cued by a rhythmically predictable sequence of visual stimuli was compared to a condition in which the visual cues were absent. Neurophysiological measures of predictive processing, namely preparatory activity and neural entrainment were impaired in the ASD group, whereas behavioral measures of predictive processing were intact.  When sensory events are presented in a predictable temporal pattern, performance and neuronal responses in ASD may be governed more by the occurrence of the events themselves and less by their anticipated timing.  Listen today!

Check out the article here: https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00329.2021 

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Forms of explanation and understanding for neuroscience and artificial intelligence

In this podcast author Dr. Jessica Thompson of the University of Oxford discusses her recently published manuscript titled "Forms of explanation and understanding for neuroscience and artificial intelligence" with Editor-in-Chief  Prof. Jan-Marino (Nino) Ramirez and Associate Editor Dr. John W. Krakauer.  Much of the controversy evoked by the use of deep neural networks as models of biological neural systems amount to debates over what constitutes scientific progress in neuroscience. In order to discuss what constitutes scientific progress, one must have a goal in mind (progress towards what?). One such long term goal is to produce scientific explanations of intelligent capacities (e.g., object recognition, relational reasoning). I argue that the most pressing philosophical questions at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence are ultimately concerned with defining the phenomena to be explained and with what constitute valid explanations of such phenomena. I propose that a foundation in the philosophy of scientific explanation and understanding can scaffold future discussions about how an integrated science of intelligence might progress. Towards this vision, I review relevant theories of scientific explanation and discuss strategies for unifying the scientific goals of neuroscience and AI.

 

https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00195.2021

Temporal Differences between Load and Movement Signal Integration in the Sensorimotor Network of an Insect Leg

Listen as coauthors Dr. Corinna Gebehart and Prof. Ansgar Büschges of the University of Cologne talk about their recently published manuscript "Temporal Differences between Load and Movement Signal Integration in the Sensorimotor Network of an Insect Leg" with Editor-in-Chief Prof. Jan-Marino (Nino) Ramirez. In this podcast the authors discuss  temporal differences in the processing of two distinct sensory modalities generated by the sensorimotor network and affecting motor output. The authors found that the reported temporal differences in sensory processing and signal integration improve our understanding of sensory network computation and function in motor control.

 

Corinna Gebehart, Ansgar Büschges

https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00399.2021 

JNP Discusses Experimental Biology 2022 with the Central Nervous System Section

In our latest podcast Prof. Nino Ramirez discusses Experimental Biology 2022 with Central Nervous System section's, Dr. Janice Urban, Chair of the Steering Committee. Listen now to learn about what is coming up for CNS at Experimental Biology, along with new call for papers the journal will be launching after Experimental Biology. For more information on Experimental Biology 2022 please go to www.experimentalbiology.org . To learn more about the journal and section please go to www.physiology.org. If you are interested in submitting a manuscript and have questions, please email Jami Jones at jjones@physiology.org 

New insights into how general anesthetics interfere with memory formation

What are the most important classes of anesthetics and their use? Do anesthetics affect GABA-A receptor expression or composition?  In this podcast author Dr. Robert Pearce of the University of Wisconsin-Madison discusses these questions and more as he goes over his recent research titled “ Hippocampal β2-GABA-A receptors mediate LTP suppression by etomidate and contribute to long-lasting feedback but not feedforward inhibition of pyramidal neurons” with Editor-in-Chief Prof. Nino Ramirez.  Etomidate exerts its anesthetic actions through GABA-A receptors. But exactly how does this prevent memories from being formed? Here, using a hippocampal brain slice model, Dr. Pearce and his colleagues showed that GABA-A receptors that incorporate the β2 subunit are essential to LTP suppression by etomidate. They also showed that although these receptors are found primarily on interneurons, β2-GABA-A receptors on pyramidal neurons do contribute to long-lasting inhibition, through feedback, but not feedforward, circuits. Their results have direct implications for understanding how anesthetics block memory formation, and also more generally how inhibitory circuits control learning and memory.

 

Alexander G. Figueroa, Claudia Benkwitz, Gabe Surges, Nicholas Kunz, Gregg E. Homanics, and Robert A. Pearce

Hippocampal β2-GABAA receptors mediate LTP suppression by etomidate and contribute to long-lasting feedback but not feedforward inhibition of pyramidal neurons

https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00303.2021 

The orchestration of the sympathetic response

Most of us have heard about the Flight and Fight response and the activation of the sympathetic system. But, what is often overlooked is the sheer complexity of sympathetic activation as it differentially and specifically modulates different organ systems. Different stressors activate and inhibit specific target organs, including specific muscle groups. Understanding the mechanisms how the central and peripheral nervous system interacts to control such a highly differentiated sympathetic response is challenging and we are just beginning to get a first taste of this fascinating task that our nervous system accomplishes without us being aware of it. Given the complexity of sympathetic control it should not be surprising that it can also fail and become a source of dysautonomia and other disorders. In this podcast, senior author Professor Philip Millar of the University of Guelph discusses the orchestration of the sympathetic activation with Editor-in-Chief Professor Nino Ramirez. They base their discussion on the author’s recently published manuscript “Muscle sympathetic single-unit responses during rhythmic handgrip exercise and isocapnic hypoxia in males: the role of sympathoexcitation magnitude”. Listening to this podcast you will gain not only insights into this particular manuscript, but it will raise your awareness of the astonishingly differentiated sympathetic activation in health and disease. You will also learn how microneurography can be used to characterize  specific subpopulations of muscle sympathetic single units as they are activated and inhibited during mild sympathoexcitatory stress. Listen today!

Anthony V. Incognito, André L. Teixeira, Brooke M. Shafer, Massimo Nardone, Tyler D. Vermeulen, Glen E. Foster, and Philip J. Millar Muscle sympathetic single-unit responses during rhythmic handgrip exercise and isocapnic hypoxia in males: the role of sympathoexcitation magnitude Journal of Neurophysiology

https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00678.2020