Written by: Gao Yayue, Chen Guanpeng, Wang Qian

Editor in charge ︱ Wang Sizhen

Editor︱Yang Binwei

During the development of the human brain, neurons migrate to their correct positions during the neonatal period [1, 2]

Figure 1 Example of gray matter heterotopia

(Image source: Gao, et al.

In August 2022, the team of Assistant Researcher Wang Qian from the School of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences of Peking University and IDG McGovern Institute for Brain Science, and the team of Professor Luan Guoming/Deputy Chief Physician Wang Xiongfei of Sanbo Brain Hospital of Capital Medical University, cooperated in an international journal "Cerebral Cortex" published a research paper titled "Periventricular nodular heterotopia is coupled with the neocortex during resting and task states", which revealed the spatiotemporal characteristics of the functional connection between ectopic gray matter and the neocortex, and proposed a common neuronal migration after abnormal migration.

First, the researchers recorded resting-state brain activity in patients with gray matter heterotopia using magnetoencephalography with high spatial, temporal, and frequency resolution

Figure 2 Ectopic gray matter-cortical connection and cortical-cortical connection

(Image source: Gao, et al.

In healthy people, a major feature of spontaneous phase coupling in sensory areas is the peak in the α-β frequency band [11,12]

Figure 3 Co-changes in ectopic gray matter-cortical connectivity and sensory cortical energy

(Image source: Gao, et al.

The above results demonstrate the connection of ectopic gray matter to the sensory system in the resting state
.

So, does the ectopic gray matter still have connections with the sensory cortex and respond to sensory stimuli in the task state? The researchers used magnetoencephalography and intracranial electroencephalography to record the neural activity of heterotopic gray matter and visual area in patients with gray matter heterotopia when they completed visual tasks (Fig.
4)
.

It was found that, similar to the ipsilateral visual cortex, visual evoked responses were generated in the ectopic gray matter, and the visual evoked responses in the ectopic gray matter area and the visual evoked responses in the ipsilateral visual cortex had similar latency (Fig.
4)
.

This result further confirms that the ectopic gray matter has a certain functional connection with the normal cerebral cortex
.

Figure 4 Visually evoked responses in ectopic gray matter

(Image source: Gao, et al.
, Cereb Cortex, 2022)

Conclusion and discussion, inspiration and prospect This study quantitatively and systematically characterized the spatiotemporal characteristics of ectopic gray matter and neocortical connections in patients with periventricular nodule heterotopia using high temporal and spatial resolution magnetoencephalography, and found that it is related to normal Similarities in cerebral cortical connections
.

At the same time, the researchers recorded visual evoked potentials in the ectopic gray matter using magnetoencephalography and intracranial electroencephalography, confirming the functional connection of the ectopic gray matter to the cortex in the task state
.

This study deepens the cognition of gray matter heterotopia, suggesting that heterotopia neurons also retain certain cognitive functions and participate in neural circuits in the neocortex
.

This study also has some shortcomings
.

Due to the rare case of ectopic gray matter, this study only recorded the response of ectopic gray matter to visual stimuli, and has not found evidence that ectopic gray matter is involved in other cognitive processes
.

More research is needed in the future to illustrate how ectopic neurons participate in the functional network of the neocortex
.

Original link: https://doi.
org/10.
1093/cercor/bhac284

Gao Yayue (Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beihang University) and Chen Guanpeng (Institute of Frontier Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University) are the co-first authors; Wang Qian (School of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, IDG McGovern) Institute of Brain Science), Wang Xiongfei (Neurosurgery, Beijing Sanbo Brain Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University) and Luan Guoming (Neurosurgery, Beijing Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University) are the corresponding authors of the paper; Teng Pengfei (Affiliated to Capital Medical University) Beijing Sanbo Brain Hospital Neurosurgery) and Zhang Xin (Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine) made important contributions to this paper
.

The paper was strongly supported by two professors, Fang Fang (School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, IDG McGovern Institute for Brain Science) and Dario Englot (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)
.

The research was funded by the Science and Technology Innovation 2030-Major Project, the National Natural Science Foundation of China Key Project and other projects
.

Corresponding authors: Wang Qian (left), Luan Guoming (middle), Wang Xiongfei (right)

(Photo provided by: Wang Qian/Luan Guoming/Wang Xiongfei team)

About the author (swipe up and down to read) 

Wang Qian is an assistant researcher at the School of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, and a Co-PI at the IDG McGovern Institute for Brain Science
.

The main research direction is the perceptual processing characteristics of human visual and auditory cortex
.

Luan Guoming, head of neurosurgery, professor, chief physician, doctoral supervisor, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University; chairman of the Asia and Australia and New Zealand region of the World Neuromodulation Society, chairman of the China branch; China Anti-epilepsy Association 1-3 sessions Vice President and Executive Director; Chairman of the Neuromodulation Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association; Director of the Epilepsy Research Institute of the Beijing Institute of Major Brain Diseases; Director of the Beijing Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Epilepsy
.

Wang Xiongfei, Deputy Director of Functional Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Assistant Director, Functional and Epilepsy Center, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University; Member of the International Anti-Epileptic League Epilepsy Surgery Education Working Group; Member of the New Media Committee of the World Neuromodulation Society ; Director of the Asian Society of Epilepsy Surgery; Member and Academic Secretary of the Neuromodulation Special Committee of the Chinese Anti-epilepsy Association; Member of the Innovation and Transformation Special Committee of the Chinese Anti-epilepsy Association; Editorial Board Member of Frontiers in Neuroscience
.

At present, he is committed to developing new diagnosis and treatment technologies based on electromagnetic imaging and artificial intelligence, and solving the clinical application scheme of technology-enabled neurosurgery intelligent minimally invasive treatment system
.

Selected past articles

【1】Sci Adv︱ Zhao Cunyou/Chen Rongqing's team revealed the mechanism of microRNA-induced social and memory abnormalities in mice: miR-501-3p expression deficiency enhances glutamatergic transmission

【2】Sci Adv︱ Zhang Yi's research group discovered important neurons that regulate drug addiction behavior

【3】J Infect︱Wang Yifei's team revealed that the highly expressed gene MAMDC2 in Alzheimer's disease microglia positively regulates the innate antiviral response to neurotropic virus infection

【4】Sci Adv︱Xia Kun/Shen Yiping/Guo Hui Reveal the relationship between key regulatory genes of stress granules and neurodevelopmental disorders

【5】Cell Prolif︱Lai Liangxue/Zhang Kun/Zou Qingjian team successfully constructed a technical system for safe and efficient directional induction of motor neurons in vivo

【6】Nat Commun︱Peng Yueqing's team discovered a new brain area that controls non-REM sleep

【7】eClinicalMedicine︱Wang Qing’s team reported Parkinson’s disease dementia related index determination: quantitative EEG, serum metabolism and inflammation

【8】Cell Biosci | Wang Yongjun's research group revealed the molecular mechanism of D-type dopachrome isomerase-mediated inflammatory response in injured spinal cord

【9】Neuron｜Hu Yang's group revealed a large number of genes that promote optic nerve regeneration and their significant neuroprotective effects in glaucoma mice

【10】Cereb Cortex︱Zhang Yuxuan's research group reveals the neurophysiological evidence of task modulation in speech processing

Recommended high-quality scientific research training courses

【1】Training course︱R language clinical prediction biomedical statistics special training

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