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NeuroImage Oct 2023Spatial attention is often described as a mental spotlight that enhances information processing at the attended location. Using fMRI, we investigated background...
Spatial attention is often described as a mental spotlight that enhances information processing at the attended location. Using fMRI, we investigated background connectivity between the pulvinar and V1 in relation to focused versus diffused attention allocation, in weak and strong crowding contexts. Our findings revealed that focused attention led to enhanced correlations between the pulvinar and V1. Notably, this modulation was initiated by the pulvinar, and the strength of the modulation was dependent on the saliency of the target. These findings suggest that the pulvinar initiates information reweighting to V1, which underlies attentional selection in cluttered scenes.
Topics: Humans; Pulvinar; Cognition; Diffusion
PubMed: 37619793
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120341 -
Annals of Clinical and Translational... Jul 2023Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising treatment for drug-refractory epilepsies (DRE) when targeting the anterior nuclei of thalamus (ANT). However, targeting other...
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising treatment for drug-refractory epilepsies (DRE) when targeting the anterior nuclei of thalamus (ANT). However, targeting other thalamic nuclei, such as the pulvinar, shows therapeutic promise. Our pioneering case study presents the application of ambulatory seizure monitoring using spectral fingerprinting (12.15-17.15 Hz) recorded through Medtronic Percept DBS implanted bilaterally in the medial pulvinar thalami. This technology offers unprecedented opportunities for real-time monitoring of seizure burden and thalamocortical network modulation for effective seizure reduction in patients with bilateral mesial temporal and temporal plus epilepsies that are not suitable for resection.
Topics: Humans; Pulvinar; Deep Brain Stimulation; Electrodes, Implanted; Epilepsy; Seizures
PubMed: 37231611
DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51815 -
Neurology International Jun 2022Background: Fabry disease (FD) is the second most common lysosomal storage disorder. This disorder affects multiple systems that include the cardiac, renal, and nervous... (Review)
Review
Background: Fabry disease (FD) is the second most common lysosomal storage disorder. This disorder affects multiple systems that include the cardiac, renal, and nervous system. The pulvinar sign (PS) is a relatively common sign seen in patients with FD. The PS is a bilateral, symmetrical pulvinar high signal relative to the signal intensity seen on unenhanced T1-weighted brain MR imaging. Methods: We conducted a systematic review with metanalysis to analyze the pool prevalence of the disorder. We used the Moose Guidelines and PRISMA Protocol for this systematic review and Robins 1 to access the BIAS of the study. To analyze the pool prevalence, we used “Open Meta-Analysis” software for analyzing the study. We used “Review Manager 5.4” to analyze the odds ratio between patients with and without the PS and patients with and without stroke among patients with FD. Results: We gather 12 studies from 2003 to 2021 for the analysis of this study. The pool prevalence of the study was 0.146 (0.076−0.217) (62/385 cases) with a 95% CI (0.0945−0.415) (p < 0.01). The prevalence was much higher in men (59 cases) than in women (3 cases). There was no relationship between the pulvinar sign and patients with stroke among patients with Fabry disease. Odds ratio 1.97 95% CI (0.35−11.21), p = 0.44; Tau2 = 0.77. There seems to be a correlation with renal failure (RF), but there were very few studies to conduct a metanalysis with RF. Conclusions: The prevalence of the PS among all studies was 23.9%; the prevalence of this sign is higher among males. We found that FD patients who had strokes did not have higher odds of presenting with the Pulvinar Sign than the FD patients who did not suffer a stroke. Patients with renal failure and FD seem to have a higher tendency to have the PS, but there were not enough studies to analyze that theory. Overall, we think the pulvinar sign has a poor prognostic value in patients with Fabry’s disease.
PubMed: 35736622
DOI: 10.3390/neurolint14020041 -
Trends in Cognitive Sciences Feb 2016The pulvinar is the largest thalamic nucleus in primates and one of the most mysterious. Endeavors to understand its role in vision have focused on its abundant... (Review)
Review
The pulvinar is the largest thalamic nucleus in primates and one of the most mysterious. Endeavors to understand its role in vision have focused on its abundant connections with the visual cortex. While its connectivity mapping in the cortex displays a broad topographic organization, its projections are also marked by considerable convergence and divergence. As a result, the pulvinar is often regarded as a central forebrain hub. Moreover, new evidence suggests that its comparatively modest input from structures such as the retina and superior colliculus may critically shape the functional organization of the visual cortex, particularly during early development. Here we review recent studies that cast fresh light on how the many convergent pathways through the pulvinar contribute to visual cognition.
Topics: Animals; Cognition; Humans; Neuronal Plasticity; Pulvinar; Visual Pathways; Visual Perception
PubMed: 26553222
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.10.003 -
Neuron Jan 2019The functional role of the pulvinar, with its widespread cortical connectivity, has remained elusive. In this issue of Neuron, Jaramillo et al. (2019) provide a...
The functional role of the pulvinar, with its widespread cortical connectivity, has remained elusive. In this issue of Neuron, Jaramillo et al. (2019) provide a computational roadmap for how the pulvinar might influence various cognitive behaviors across multiple large-scale networks.
Topics: Cognition; Neurons; Pulvinar
PubMed: 30653933
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.12.032 -
Consciousness and Cognition Nov 2015Following destruction or denervation of the primary visual cortex (V1) cortical blindness ensues. Affective blindsight refers to the uncanny ability of such patients to... (Review)
Review
Following destruction or denervation of the primary visual cortex (V1) cortical blindness ensues. Affective blindsight refers to the uncanny ability of such patients to respond correctly, or above chance level, to visual emotional expressions presented to their blind fields. Fifteen years after its original discovery, affective blindsight still fascinates neuroscientists and philosophers alike, as it offers a unique window on the vestigial properties of our visual system that, though present in the intact brain, tend to be unnoticed or even actively inhibited by conscious processes. Here we review available studies on affective blindsight with the intent to clarify its functional properties, neural bases and theoretical implications. Evidence converges on the role of subcortical structures of old evolutionary origin such as the superior colliculus, the pulvinar and the amygdala in mediating affective blindsight and nonconscious perception of emotions. We conclude that approaching consciousness, and its absence, from the vantage point of emotion processing may uncover important relations between the two phenomena, as consciousness may have evolved as an evolutionary specialization to interact with others and become aware of their social and emotional expressions.
Topics: Affect; Amygdala; Blindness, Cortical; Consciousness; Humans; Pulvinar; Social Perception; Superior Colliculi
PubMed: 26058355
DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.05.007 -
The Journal of Comparative Neurology Feb 2019This review provides a historical account of the discovery of secondary visual pathways (from retina to the superior colliculus to the dorsal thalamus and extrastriate... (Review)
Review
This review provides a historical account of the discovery of secondary visual pathways (from retina to the superior colliculus to the dorsal thalamus and extrastriate cortex), and Vivien Casagrande's pioneering studies of this system using the tree shrew as a model. Subsequent studies of visual pathways in the tree shrew are also reviewed, beginning with a description of the organization and central projections of the tree shrew retina. The organization and connectivity of second visual system components that include the retino-recipient superior colliculus, tecto-recipient pulvinar nucleus and its projections, and the tecto-recipient dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and its projections are detailed. Potential functions of the second visual system are discussed in the context of this work and in the context of the behavioral studies that initially inspired the secondary visual system concept.
Topics: Animals; Pulvinar; Retina; Superior Colliculi; Tupaiidae; Visual Cortex; Visual Pathways
PubMed: 29446088
DOI: 10.1002/cne.24413 -
Journal of Anatomy Sep 2019The pulvinar is primarily referred to for its role in visual processing. However, the 'visual pulvinar' only encompasses the inferior and lateral regions of this complex... (Review)
Review
The pulvinar is primarily referred to for its role in visual processing. However, the 'visual pulvinar' only encompasses the inferior and lateral regions of this complex thalamic nucleus. The remaining medial portion (medial pulvinar, PM) establishes distinct cortical connectivity and has been associated with directed attention, executive functions and working memory. These functions are particularly impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), both of which have been associated with abnormal PM architecture and connectivity. With these disorders becoming more prevalent in modern societies, we review the literature to better understand how the PM can participate in the pathophysiology of cognitive disorders and how a better understanding of the development and function of this thalamic nucleus, which is most likely exclusive to the primate brain, can advance clinical research and treatments.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Humans; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Pulvinar
PubMed: 30657169
DOI: 10.1111/joa.12932 -
Schizophrenia Research Feb 2017In this review, we seek to answer the following question: Do findings in the current literature support the idea that thalamo-cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia is... (Review)
Review
In this review, we seek to answer the following question: Do findings in the current literature support the idea that thalamo-cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia is due to structural abnormalities in the thalamus? We base our review on the existing literature of design-unbiased stereological studies of the postmortem thalamus from subjects with schizophrenia. Thus, all reported results are based upon the use of unbiased principles of sampling to determine volume and/or total cell numbers of thalamus or its constituent nuclei. We found 28 such papers covering 26 studies. In a series of tables we list all positive and negative findings from the total thalamus, the mediodorsal, pulvinar and anterior nuclei, as well as less frequently studied thalamic regions. Only four studies examined the entire thalamus and the results were inconsistent. We found largely consistent evidence for structural changes (reduced volume and cell numbers) in the pulvinar located in the posterior thalamus. In contrast, findings in the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus are inconsistent, with the largest and most recent studies generally failing to support earlier reports of a lower number of neurons in schizophrenia. Thus, the current findings of stereological studies of the thalamus in schizophrenia support the idea that thalamo-cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia might be attributable, at least in part, to structural alterations in the pulvinar that could impair thalamic inputs to higher order cortical association areas in the frontal and parietal lobes. However, more studies are needed before robust conclusions can be drawn.
Topics: Humans; Schizophrenia; Thalamus
PubMed: 27567291
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.08.007