This paper proposes a model of neural networks consisting of populations of perceptive neurons, inter-neurons, and motor neurons according to the theory of stochastic phase resetting dynamics. According to this model,...This paper proposes a model of neural networks consisting of populations of perceptive neurons, inter-neurons, and motor neurons according to the theory of stochastic phase resetting dynamics. According to this model, the dynamical characteristics of neural networks are studied in three coupling cases, namely, series and parallel coupling, series coupling, and unilateral coupling. The results show that the indentified structure of neural networks enables the basic characteristics of neural information processing to be described in terms of the actions of both the optional motor and the reflected motor. The excitation of local neural networks is caused by the action of the optional motor. In particular, the excitation of the neural population caused by the action of the optional motor in the motor cortex is larger than that caused by the action of the reflected motor. This phenomenon indicates that there are more neurons participating in the neural information processing and the excited synchronization motion under the action of the optional motor.展开更多
Background:Depression affects approximately 5% of elderly people and its etiology might be related to chronic stress exposure during neurodevelopmental periods.In this study,we examined the effects of adolescent chron...Background:Depression affects approximately 5% of elderly people and its etiology might be related to chronic stress exposure during neurodevelopmental periods.In this study,we examined the effects of adolescent chronic social stress in aged mice on depressive behaviors and the excitatory-inhibitory (E/I) balance in stress-sensitive regions of the brain.Methods:Sixty-four adolescent,male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to either the 7-week (from post-natal days 29 to 77) social instability stress (stress group,n =32) or normal housing conditions (control group,n =32).At 15 months of age,16 mice were randomly selected from each group for a series of behavioral tests,including two depression-related tasks (the sucrose preference test and the tail suspension test).Three days following the last behavioral test,eight mice were randomly selected from each group for immunohistochemical analyses to measure the cell density of parvalbumin (PV+)-and calretinin (CR+)-positive gamma-aminobutyric-acid (GABA)ergic inhibitory inter-neurons,and the expression levels of vesicular transporters of glutamate-1 (VGIuT1) and vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) in three stress-sensitive regions of the brain (the medial pre-frontal cortex [mPFC],hippocampus,and amygdala).Results:Behaviorally,compared with the control group,adolescent chronic stress increased depression-like behaviors as shown in decreased sucrose preference (54.96 ± 1.97% vs.43.11 ± 2.85%,t(22)=3.417,P =0.003) and reduced latency to immobility in the tail suspension test (92.77 ± 25.08 s vs.33.14 ± 5.95 s,t(25)=2.394,P =0.025),but did not affect anxiety-like behaviors and pre-pulse inhibition.At the neurobiologic level,adolescent stress down-regulated PV+,not CR+,inter-neuron density in the mPFC (F(1,39)=19.30,P < 0.001),and hippocampus (F(1,42)=5.823,P =0.020) and altered the CR+,not PV+,inter-neuron density in the amygdala (F(1,28)=23.16,P < 0.001).The VGluT1/VGAT ratio was decreased in all three regions (all F > 10.09,all P < 0.004),which suggests stress-induced hypoexcitability in these regions.Conclusions:Chronic stress during adolescence increased depression-like behaviors in aged mice,which may be associated with the F/I imbalance in stress-sensitive brain regions.展开更多
For the design and development of advanced prosthetic limbs, many attempts have been made to restore the function of mechanoreceptors using artificial tactile sensors. Mechanoreceptors in human skin, which make dexter...For the design and development of advanced prosthetic limbs, many attempts have been made to restore the function of mechanoreceptors using artificial tactile sensors. Mechanoreceptors in human skin, which make dexterous manipulation pos- sible, respond to the mechanical stimuli in the form of spike trains. In this paper, a bin-inspired approach to replicate the Fast Adapting type I （FA-I） mechanoreceptor is developed, where piezoelectric materials, such as polyvinylidene difluoride （PVDF） films, are used to generate continuous analog electrical signals; then the analog signals are successfully converted into spike trains using the spiking neuron model. By comparing with spike trains measured from the glabrous skin of macaque monkeys, it was found that this approach can mimic FA-I afferent spiking activities in terms of both the average inter-spike interval and the first spike latency. Spike features of the FA-I mechanoreceptors, such as the variability, frequency dependent responses, and population activity, were also explored, which may play a vital role in the understanding of the functionality of FA-I mech- anoreceptors and the development of advanced prosthetic limbs.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.10872068,10672057)
文摘This paper proposes a model of neural networks consisting of populations of perceptive neurons, inter-neurons, and motor neurons according to the theory of stochastic phase resetting dynamics. According to this model, the dynamical characteristics of neural networks are studied in three coupling cases, namely, series and parallel coupling, series coupling, and unilateral coupling. The results show that the indentified structure of neural networks enables the basic characteristics of neural information processing to be described in terms of the actions of both the optional motor and the reflected motor. The excitation of local neural networks is caused by the action of the optional motor. In particular, the excitation of the neural population caused by the action of the optional motor in the motor cortex is larger than that caused by the action of the reflected motor. This phenomenon indicates that there are more neurons participating in the neural information processing and the excited synchronization motion under the action of the optional motor.
基金grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 81630031, 81401129, 81571321, and 81571312)the Beijing Brain Project (No.Z171100000117016), the National Key Basic Research Program of China (973 program+1 种基金No. 2015CB856401)the Peking University Medicine Seed Fund for Interdisciplinary Research (No. BMU2017MX021).
文摘Background:Depression affects approximately 5% of elderly people and its etiology might be related to chronic stress exposure during neurodevelopmental periods.In this study,we examined the effects of adolescent chronic social stress in aged mice on depressive behaviors and the excitatory-inhibitory (E/I) balance in stress-sensitive regions of the brain.Methods:Sixty-four adolescent,male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to either the 7-week (from post-natal days 29 to 77) social instability stress (stress group,n =32) or normal housing conditions (control group,n =32).At 15 months of age,16 mice were randomly selected from each group for a series of behavioral tests,including two depression-related tasks (the sucrose preference test and the tail suspension test).Three days following the last behavioral test,eight mice were randomly selected from each group for immunohistochemical analyses to measure the cell density of parvalbumin (PV+)-and calretinin (CR+)-positive gamma-aminobutyric-acid (GABA)ergic inhibitory inter-neurons,and the expression levels of vesicular transporters of glutamate-1 (VGIuT1) and vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) in three stress-sensitive regions of the brain (the medial pre-frontal cortex [mPFC],hippocampus,and amygdala).Results:Behaviorally,compared with the control group,adolescent chronic stress increased depression-like behaviors as shown in decreased sucrose preference (54.96 ± 1.97% vs.43.11 ± 2.85%,t(22)=3.417,P =0.003) and reduced latency to immobility in the tail suspension test (92.77 ± 25.08 s vs.33.14 ± 5.95 s,t(25)=2.394,P =0.025),but did not affect anxiety-like behaviors and pre-pulse inhibition.At the neurobiologic level,adolescent stress down-regulated PV+,not CR+,inter-neuron density in the mPFC (F(1,39)=19.30,P < 0.001),and hippocampus (F(1,42)=5.823,P =0.020) and altered the CR+,not PV+,inter-neuron density in the amygdala (F(1,28)=23.16,P < 0.001).The VGluT1/VGAT ratio was decreased in all three regions (all F > 10.09,all P < 0.004),which suggests stress-induced hypoexcitability in these regions.Conclusions:Chronic stress during adolescence increased depression-like behaviors in aged mice,which may be associated with the F/I imbalance in stress-sensitive brain regions.
文摘For the design and development of advanced prosthetic limbs, many attempts have been made to restore the function of mechanoreceptors using artificial tactile sensors. Mechanoreceptors in human skin, which make dexterous manipulation pos- sible, respond to the mechanical stimuli in the form of spike trains. In this paper, a bin-inspired approach to replicate the Fast Adapting type I （FA-I） mechanoreceptor is developed, where piezoelectric materials, such as polyvinylidene difluoride （PVDF） films, are used to generate continuous analog electrical signals; then the analog signals are successfully converted into spike trains using the spiking neuron model. By comparing with spike trains measured from the glabrous skin of macaque monkeys, it was found that this approach can mimic FA-I afferent spiking activities in terms of both the average inter-spike interval and the first spike latency. Spike features of the FA-I mechanoreceptors, such as the variability, frequency dependent responses, and population activity, were also explored, which may play a vital role in the understanding of the functionality of FA-I mech- anoreceptors and the development of advanced prosthetic limbs.
