How Neuromodulatory control works part1(Neuroscience)

Monodeep Mukherjee
2 min readJan 29, 2023

1.Neuromodulatory Control of Early Visual Processing in Macaque(Pubmed)

Author : Anita A Disney

Abstract : Visual processing is dynamically controlled by multiple neuromodulatory molecules that modify the responsiveness of neurons and the strength of the connections between them. In particular, modulatory control of processing in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus, V1, and V2 will alter the outcome of all subsequent processing of visual information, including the extent to and manner in which individual inputs contribute to perception and decision making and are stored in memory. This review addresses five small-molecule neuromodulators-acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline, and histamine-considering the structural basis for their action, and the effects of their release, in the early visual pathway of the macaque monkey. Traditionally, neuromodulators are studied in isolation and in discrete circuits; this review makes a case for considering the joint action of modulatory molecules and differences in modulatory effects across brain areas as a better means of understanding the diverse roles that these molecules serve.

2. Neuromodulatory Control and Language Recovery in Bilingual Aphasia: An Active Inference Approach(Pubmed)

Author : Noor Sajid , Karl J Friston , Justyna O Ekert , Cathy J Price , David W Green

Abstract : Understanding the aetiology of the diverse recovery patterns in bilingual aphasia is a theoretical challenge with implications for treatment. Loss of control over intact language networks provides a parsimonious starting point that can be tested using in-silico lesions. We simulated a complex recovery pattern (alternate antagonism and paradoxical translation) to test the hypothesis-from an established hierarchical control model-that loss of control was mediated by constraints on neuromodulatory resources. We used active (Bayesian) inference to simulate a selective loss of sensory precision; i.e., confidence in the causes of sensations. This in-silico lesion altered the precision of beliefs about task relevant states, including appropriate actions, and reproduced exactly the recovery pattern of interest. As sensory precision has been linked to acetylcholine release, these simulations endorse the conjecture that loss of neuromodulatory control can explain this atypical recovery pattern. We discuss the relevance of this finding for other recovery pattern

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Monodeep Mukherjee

Universe Enthusiast. Writes about Computer Science, AI, Physics, Neuroscience and Technology,Front End and Backend Development