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Appraising Circuit-Centered Neurophenotypes

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Neurophenotypes

Part of the book series: Innovations in Cognitive Neuroscience ((Innovations Cogn.Neuroscience))

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Abstract

This chapter provides a critical appraisal of the concept of a circuit-centered neurophenotype that is conceptualized within a genome-to-phenome framework. Representing many of the kinds of variables that complicate this model are a few select ones that are sampled in this chapter. They include the following: (a) The problem of minimal circuit definition—the many scales of neural circuitry and the difficulty of demarcating circuits within some forms of neural architecture; (b) the modulation of neural circuits and the alterations of circuit architecture through non-gene-regulated factors such as synaptic plasticity, extra-synaptic neuromodulation, and bioelectric dynamics; and (c) technical and methodological considerations in circuit delineation—as is coming to light in the field of microscale connectomics. Adding these complex variables from neuroscience into the fray make for great attenuation of the notion of a circuit neurophenotype in the behavioral neurosciences, and this is given some depth of coverage in this chapter. However, the chapter does not dismiss the utility of the concept of circuit neurophenotypes. It concludes with a discussion of the kinds of additional information that may be needed in order for the concept to be better validated.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See for example the Special Issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology (2013), Vol. 122, No. 3.

  2. 2.

    It is also commonly said in neuroscience that the Cajalian “neuron hypothesis” and the Golgi-labeled sparse neuron diagrams that Cajal elegantly illustrated are deep historical roots of this notion.

  3. 3.

    Certain mathematical models may offer ways around this problem—see Chap. 14 in this volume—though in this instance, the number of neural variables that would be needed for the equations are currently improbable in terms of recording and discovery.

  4. 4.

    Lecture given at Boston University, titled “The Promises and Perils of Connectomics,” December 4th, 2015.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Emerson College, Boston, MA, USA

    Vinoth Jagaroo

  2. Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Vinoth Jagaroo

  3. Department of Healthcare Informatics, Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    William Bosl

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Susan L. Santangelo

  5. Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA

    Susan L. Santangelo

  6. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Susan L. Santangelo

Authors
  1. Vinoth Jagaroo
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  2. William Bosl
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  3. Susan L. Santangelo
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Correspondence to Vinoth Jagaroo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Communication science & Disorders/Behavioral Neuroscience , Emerson College; Boston University school of Medicine, BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA

    Vinoth Jagaroo

  2. Marine medical centre and Marine Medical Research, Chan School of Public Health , Tufts University School of medicine and Harvard TH, BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA

    Susan L. Santangelo

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Jagaroo, V., Bosl, W., Santangelo, S.L. (2016). Appraising Circuit-Centered Neurophenotypes. In: Jagaroo, V., Santangelo, S. (eds) Neurophenotypes. Innovations in Cognitive Neuroscience. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3846-5_3

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