Dynamic Network Connectivity: from monkeys to humans

Bibliographic Details
Title: Dynamic Network Connectivity: from monkeys to humans
Authors: Amy F. T. Arnsten, Min Wang, Mark D’Esposito
Source: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Vol 18 (2024)
Publisher Information: Frontiers Media S.A., 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Subject Terms: prefrontal cortex, catecholamines, working memory, fMRI, acetylcholine, glutamate, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571
More Details: Human brain imaging research using functional MRI (fMRI) has uncovered flexible variations in the functional connectivity between brain regions. While some of this variability likely arises from the pattern of information flow through circuits, it may also be influenced by rapid changes in effective synaptic strength at the molecular level, a phenomenon called Dynamic Network Connectivity (DNC) discovered in non-human primate circuits. These neuromodulatory molecular mechanisms are found in layer III of the macaque dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), the site of the microcircuits shown by Goldman-Rakic to be critical for working memory. This research has shown that the neuromodulators acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and dopamine can rapidly change the strength of synaptic connections in layer III dlPFC by (1) modifying the depolarization state of the post-synaptic density needed for NMDA receptor neurotransmission and (2) altering the open state of nearby potassium channels to rapidly weaken or strengthen synaptic efficacy and the strength of persistent neuronal firing. Many of these actions involve increased cAMP-calcium signaling in dendritic spines, where varying levels can coordinate the arousal state with the cognitive state. The current review examines the hypothesis that some of the dynamic changes in correlative strength between cortical regions observed in human fMRI studies may arise from these molecular underpinnings, as has been seen when pharmacological agents or genetic alterations alter the functional connectivity of the dlPFC consistent with the macaque physiology. These DNC mechanisms provide essential flexibility but may also confer vulnerability to malfunction when dysregulated in cognitive disorders.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1662-5161
Relation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2024.1353043/full; https://doaj.org/toc/1662-5161
DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1353043
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/f537b4ab6a1f43bdb33005e70e51d0ab
Accession Number: edsdoj.f537b4ab6a1f43bdb33005e70e51d0ab
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:16625161
DOI:10.3389/fnhum.2024.1353043
Published in:Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Language:English