Thalamic Functional Connectivity during Spatial Long-Term Memory and the Role of Sex
The thalamus has been implicated in many cognitive processes, including long-term memory. More specifically, the anterior (AT) and mediodorsal (MD) thalamic nuclei have been associated with long-term memory. Despite extensive mapping of the anatomical connections between these nuclei and other brain...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/10/12/898 |
| _version_ | 1797547000884887552 |
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| author | Dylan S. Spets Scott D. Slotnick |
| author_facet | Dylan S. Spets Scott D. Slotnick |
| author_sort | Dylan S. Spets |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The thalamus has been implicated in many cognitive processes, including long-term memory. More specifically, the anterior (AT) and mediodorsal (MD) thalamic nuclei have been associated with long-term memory. Despite extensive mapping of the anatomical connections between these nuclei and other brain regions, little is known regarding their functional connectivity during long-term memory. The current study sought to determine which brain regions are functionally connected to AT and MD during spatial long-term memory and whether sex differences exist in the patterns of connectivity. During encoding, abstract shapes were presented to the left and right of fixation. During retrieval, shapes were presented at fixation, and participants made an “old-left” or “old-right” judgment. Activations functionally connected to AT and MD existed in regions with known anatomical connections to each nucleus as well as in a broader network of long-term memory regions. Sex differences were identified in a subset of these regions. A targeted region-of-interest analysis identified anti-correlated activity between MD and the hippocampus that was specific to females, which is consistent with findings in rodents. The current results suggest that AT and MD play key roles during spatial long-term memory and suggest that these functions may be sex specific. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:38:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bdc7aefdddf242faacb4ca152f2d5494 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:38:12Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-bdc7aefdddf242faacb4ca152f2d54942023-11-20T22:03:50ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252020-11-01101289810.3390/brainsci10120898Thalamic Functional Connectivity during Spatial Long-Term Memory and the Role of SexDylan S. Spets0Scott D. Slotnick1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USADepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USAThe thalamus has been implicated in many cognitive processes, including long-term memory. More specifically, the anterior (AT) and mediodorsal (MD) thalamic nuclei have been associated with long-term memory. Despite extensive mapping of the anatomical connections between these nuclei and other brain regions, little is known regarding their functional connectivity during long-term memory. The current study sought to determine which brain regions are functionally connected to AT and MD during spatial long-term memory and whether sex differences exist in the patterns of connectivity. During encoding, abstract shapes were presented to the left and right of fixation. During retrieval, shapes were presented at fixation, and participants made an “old-left” or “old-right” judgment. Activations functionally connected to AT and MD existed in regions with known anatomical connections to each nucleus as well as in a broader network of long-term memory regions. Sex differences were identified in a subset of these regions. A targeted region-of-interest analysis identified anti-correlated activity between MD and the hippocampus that was specific to females, which is consistent with findings in rodents. The current results suggest that AT and MD play key roles during spatial long-term memory and suggest that these functions may be sex specific.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/10/12/898anterior thalamusmediodorsal thalamussex differencesgender differencesfunctional connectivitygPPI |
| spellingShingle | Dylan S. Spets Scott D. Slotnick Thalamic Functional Connectivity during Spatial Long-Term Memory and the Role of Sex Brain Sciences anterior thalamus mediodorsal thalamus sex differences gender differences functional connectivity gPPI |
| title | Thalamic Functional Connectivity during Spatial Long-Term Memory and the Role of Sex |
| title_full | Thalamic Functional Connectivity during Spatial Long-Term Memory and the Role of Sex |
| title_fullStr | Thalamic Functional Connectivity during Spatial Long-Term Memory and the Role of Sex |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thalamic Functional Connectivity during Spatial Long-Term Memory and the Role of Sex |
| title_short | Thalamic Functional Connectivity during Spatial Long-Term Memory and the Role of Sex |
| title_sort | thalamic functional connectivity during spatial long term memory and the role of sex |
| topic | anterior thalamus mediodorsal thalamus sex differences gender differences functional connectivity gPPI |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/10/12/898 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dylansspets thalamicfunctionalconnectivityduringspatiallongtermmemoryandtheroleofsex AT scottdslotnick thalamicfunctionalconnectivityduringspatiallongtermmemoryandtheroleofsex |