State‐specific Regulation of Electrical Stimulation in the Intralaminar Thalamus of Macaque Monkeys: Network and Transcriptional Insights into Arousal

Abstract

AbstractLong‐range thalamocortical communication is central to anesthesia‐induced loss of consciousness and its reversal. However, isolating the specific neural networks connecting thalamic nuclei with various cortical regions for state‐specific anesthesia regulation is challenging, with the biological underpinnings still largely unknown. Here, simultaneous electroencephalogram‐fuctional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG‐fMRI) and deep brain stimulation are applied to the intralaminar thalamus in macaques under finely‐tuned propofol anesthesia. This approach led to the identification of an intralaminar‐driven network responsible for rapid arousal during slow‐wave oscillations. A network‐based RNA‐sequencing analysis is conducted of region‐, layer‐, and cell‐specific gene expression data from independent transcriptomic atlases and identifies 2489 genes preferentially expressed within this arousal network, notably enriched in potassium channels and excitatory, parvalbumin‐expressing neurons, and oligodendrocytes. Comparison with human RNA‐sequencing data highlights conserved molecular and cellular architectures that enable the matching of homologous genes, protein interactions, and cell types across primates, providing novel insight into network‐focused transcriptional signatures of arousal.