Romain Goutagny

Self-generated theta oscillations in the hippocampus

Hippocampal theta rhythm is crucial for spatial memory and is thought to be generated by extrinsic inputs. In contrast, using a complete rat hippocampus in vitro, we found several intrinsic, atropine-resistant theta generators in CA1. These oscillators were organized along the septotemporal axis and arose independently from CA3. Our results suggest that CA1 theta rhythm can emerge from the coupling of multiple autonomous hippocampal theta oscillators.

Glutamatergic Neurons of the Mouse Medial Septum and Diagonal Band of Broca Synaptically Drive Hippocampal Pyramidal Cells: Relevance for Hippocampal Theta Rhythm

Neurons of the medial septum and diagonal band of Broca (MS-DBB) provide an important input to the hippocampus and are critically involved in learning and memory. Although cholinergic and GABAergic MS-DBB neurons are known to modulate hippocampal activity, the role of recently described glutamatergic MS-DBB neurons is unknown. Here, we examined the electrophysiological properties of glutamatergic MS-DBB neurons and tested whether they provide a functional synaptic input to the hippocampus. To visualize the glutamatergic neurons, we used MS-DBB slices from transgenic mice in which the green fluorescent protein is expressed specifically by vesicular glutamate transporter 2-positive neurons and characterized their properties using whole-cell patch-clamp technique. For assessing the function of the glutamatergic projection, we used an in vitro septohippocampal preparation, electrically stimulated the fornix or chemically activated the MS-DBB using NMDA microinfusions and recorded postsynaptic responses in CA3 pyramidal cells. We found that glutamatergic MS-DBB neurons as a population display a highly heterogeneous set of firing patterns including fast-, cluster-, burst-, and slow-firing. Remarkably, a significant proportion exhibited fast-firing properties, prominent Ih, and rhythmic spontaneous firing at theta frequencies similar to those found in GABAergic MS-DBB neurons. Activation of the MS-DBB led to fast, AMPA receptor-mediated glutamatergic responses in CA3 pyramidal cells. These results describe for the first time the electrophysiological signatures of glutamatergic MS-DBB neurons, their rhythmic firing properties, and their capacity to drive hippocampal principal neurons. Our findings suggest that the glutamatergic septohippocampal pathway may play an important role in hippocampal theta oscillations and relevant cognitive functions.

The Hippocamposeptal Pathway Generates Rhythmic Firing of GABAergic Neurons in the Medial Septum and Diagonal Bands: An Investigation Using a Complete Septohippocampal Preparation In Vitro

The medial septum diagonal band area (MS/DB) projects to the hippocampus through the fornix/fimbria pathway and is implicated in generating hippocampal theta oscillations. The hippocampus also projects back to the MS/DB, but very little is known functionally about this input. Here, we investigated the physiological role of hippocamposeptal feedback to the MS/DB in a complete in vitro septohippocampal preparation containing the intact interconnecting fornix/fimbria pathway. We demonstrated that carbachol-induced rhythmic theta-like hippocampal oscillations recorded extracellularly were synchronized with powerful rhythmic IPSPs in whole-cell recorded MS/DB neurons. Interestingly, we found that these IPSPs evoked rebound spiking in GABAergic MS/DB neurons. In contrast, putative cholinergic and glutamatergic MS/DB neurons responded only weakly with rebound spiking and, as a result, were mostly silent during theta-like oscillations. We next determined the mechanism underlying the rebound spiking that followed the IPSPs in MS/DB GABAergic neurons using phasic electrical stimulation of the fornix/fimbria pathway. We demonstrate that the increased rebound spiking was attributable to the activation of Ih current, because it was significantly reduced by low concentrations of the Ih antagonist ZD7288 [4-(N-ethyl-N-phenylamino)-1,2-dimethyl-6-(methylamino) pyridinium chloride]. Together, these results suggest that rhythmical activity in hippocampus is transferred to the MS/DB and can preferentially phase the spiking of GABAergic MS/DB neurons because of their significant expression of Ih currents. Our data demonstrate that hippocamposeptal inhibition facilitates theta rhythmic discharges in MS/DB GABAergic neurons while favoring the inhibition of most ACh and glutamate neurons.

Alterations in hippocampal network oscillations and theta–gamma coupling arise before Aβ overproduction in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimers disease (AD) is an age‐related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory impairments. Brain oscillatory activity is critical for cognitive function and is altered in AD patients. Recent evidence suggests that accumulation of soluble amyloid‐beta (Aβ) induces reorganization of hippocampal networks. However, whether fine changes in network activity might be present at very early stages, before Aβ overproduction, remains to be determined. We therefore assessed whether theta and gamma oscillations and their cross‐frequency coupling, which are known to be essential for normal memory function, were precociously altered in the hippocampus. Electrophysiological field potential recordings were performed using complete hippocampal preparations in vitro from young transgenic CRND8 mice, a transgenic mouse model of AD. Our results indicate that a significant proportion of 1‐month‐old TgCRND8 mice showed robust alterations of theta–gamma cross‐frequency coupling in the principal output region of the hippocampus, the subiculum. In addition we showed that, compared to controls, these mice expressed negligible levels of Aβ. Finally, these network alterations were not due to genetic factors as 15‐day‐old animals did not exhibit theta–gamma coupling alterations. Thus, initial alterations in hippocampal network activity arise before Aβ accumulation and may represent an early biomarker for AD.

Fast and Slow Gamma Rhythms Are Intrinsically and Independently Generated in the Subiculum

Gamma rhythms are essential for memory encoding and retrieval. Despite extensive study of these rhythms in the entorhinal cortex, dentate gyrus, CA3, and CA1, almost nothing is known regarding their generation and organization in the structure delivering the most prominent hippocampal output: the subiculum. Here we show using a complete rat hippocampal preparation in vitro that the subiculum intrinsically and independently generates spontaneous slow (25–50 Hz) and fast (100–150 Hz) gamma rhythms during the rising phase and peak of persistent subicular theta rhythms. These two gamma frequencies are phase modulated by theta rhythms without any form of afferent input from the entorhinal cortex or CA1. Subicular principal cells and interneurons phase lock to both fast and slow gamma, and single cells are independently phase modulated by each form of gamma rhythm, enabling selective participation in neural synchrony at both gamma frequencies at different times. Fast GABAergic inhibition is required for the generation of fast gamma, whereas slow gamma is generated by excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms. In addition, the transverse subicular axis exhibits gamma rhythm topography with faster gamma coupling arising in the distal subiculum region. The subiculum therefore possesses a unique intrinsic circuit organization that can autonomously regulate the timing and topography of hippocampal output synchronization. These results suggest the subiculum is a third spontaneous gamma generator in the hippocampal formation (in addition to CA3 and the entorhinal cortex), and these gamma rhythms likely play an active role in mediating the flow of information between the hippocampus and multiple cortical and subcortical brain regions.

Early alterations in hippocampal circuitry and theta rhythm generation in a mouse model of prenatal infection: implications for schizophrenia.

Post-mortem studies suggest that GABAergic neurotransmission is impaired in schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear if these changes occur early during development and how they impact overall network activity. To investigate this, we used a mouse model of prenatal infection with the viral mimic, polyriboinosinic–polyribocytidilic acid (poly I∶C), a model based on epidemiological evidence that an immune challenge during pregnancy increases the prevalence of schizophrenia in the offspring. We found that prenatal infection reduced the density of parvalbumin- but not somatostatin-positive interneurons in the CA1 area of the hippocampus and strongly reduced the strength of inhibition early during postnatal development. Furthermore, using an intact hippocampal preparation in vitro, we found reduced theta oscillation generated in the CA1 area. Taken together, these results suggest that redistribution in excitatory and inhibitory transmission locally in the CA1 is associated with a significant alteration in network function. Furthermore, given the role of theta rhythm in memory, our results demonstrate how a risk factor for schizophrenia can affect network function early in development that could contribute to cognitive deficits observed later in the disease.

Interactions between the lateral habenula and the hippocampus: implication for spatial memory processes.

The lateral habenula (LHb) is an epithalamic structure connected with both the basal ganglia and the limbic system and that exerts a major influence on midbrain monoaminergic nuclei. The current view is that LHb receives and processes cortical information in order to select proper strategies in a variety of behavior. Recent evidence indicates that LHb might also be implicated in hippocampus-dependent memory processes. However, if and how LHb functionally interacts with the dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) is still unknown. We therefore performed simultaneous recordings within LHb and dHPC in both anesthetized and freely moving rats. We first showed that a subset of LHb cells were phase-locked to hippocampal theta oscillations. Furthermore, LHb generated spontaneous theta oscillatory activity, which was highly coherent with hippocampal theta oscillations. Using reversible LHb inactivation, we found that LHb might regulate dHPC theta oscillations. In addition, we showed that LHb silencing altered performance in a hippocampus-dependent spatial recognition task. Finally, increased coherence between LHb and dHPC was positively correlated to the memory performance in this test. Collectively, these results suggest that LHb functionally interacts with the hippocampus and is involved in hippocampus-dependent spatial information processing.

Reversal of theta rhythm flow through intact hippocampal circuits

Activity flow through the hippocampus is thought to arise exclusively from unidirectional excitatory synaptic signaling from CA3 to CA1 to the subiculum. Theta rhythms are important for hippocampal synchronization during episodic memory processing; thus, it is assumed that theta rhythms follow these excitatory feedforward circuits. To the contrary, we found that theta rhythms generated in the rat subiculum flowed backward to actively modulate spike timing and local network rhythms in CA1 and CA3. This reversed signaling involved GABAergic mechanisms. However, when hippocampal circuits were physically limited to a lamellar slab, CA3 outputs synchronized CA1 and the subiculum using excitatory mechanisms, as predicted by classic hippocampal models. Finally, analysis of in vivo recordings revealed that this reversed theta flow was most prominent during REM sleep. These data demonstrate that communication between CA3, CA1 and the subiculum is not exclusively unidirectional or excitatory and that reversed inhibitory theta signaling also contributes to intrahippocampal synchrony.

In vitro activation of the medial septum—Diagonal band complex generates atropine-sensitive and atropine-resistant hippocampal theta rhythm: An investigation using a complete septohippocampal preparation

The medial septum and diagonal band complex (MS‐DB) is believed to play a key role in generating theta oscillations in the hippocampus, a phenomenon critical for learning and memory. Although the importance of the MS‐DB in hippocampal theta rhythm generation is generally accepted, it remains to be determined whether the MS‐DB alone can generate hippocampal oscillations or is only a transducer of rhythmic activity from other brain areas. Secondly, it is known that hippocampal theta rhythm can be separated into an atropine‐sensitive and insensitive component. However, it remains to be established if the MS‐DB can generate both types of rhythm. To answer these questions, we used a new in vitro rat septohippocampal preparation placed in a hermetically separated two side recording chamber. We showed that carbachol activation of the MS‐DB generated large theta oscillations in the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. These oscillations were blocked by applying either the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline or the AMPA/kainate antagonist DNQX to the hippocampus. Interestingly, the application of the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine produced only a partial decrease in the amplitude, without modification of the frequency, of theta. These results show for the first time, that upon optimal excitation, the MS‐DB alone is able to generate hippocampal oscillations in the theta frequency band. Moreover, these MS‐DB generated theta oscillations are mediated by muscarinic and nonmuscarinic receptors and have a pharmacological profile similar to theta rhythm observed in awake animals.

Spatial Reference Memory is Associated with Modulation of Theta–Gamma Coupling in the Dentate Gyrus

Spatial reference memory in rodents represents a unique opportunity to study brain mechanisms responsible for encoding, storage and retrieval of a memory. Even though its reliance on hippocampal networks has long been established, the precise computations performed by different hippocampal subfields during spatial learning are still not clear. To study the evolution of electrophysiological activity in the CA1-dentate gyrus axis of the dorsal hippocampus over an iterative spatial learning paradigm, we recorded local field potentials in behaving mice using a newly designed appetitive version of the Barnes maze. We first showed that theta and gamma oscillations as well as theta-gamma coupling are differentially modulated in particular hippocampal subfields during the task. In addition, we show that dentate gyrus networks, but not CA1 networks, exhibit a transient learning-dependent increase in theta-gamma coupling specifically at the vicinity of the target area in the maze. In contrast to previous immediate early-gene studies, our results point to a long-lasting involvement of dentate networks in navigational memory in the Barnes maze. Based on these findings, we propose that theta-gamma coupling might represent a mechanism by which hippocampal areas compute relevant information.