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Abstract
The neural regulation of feeding behaviour, as an essential factor for survival, is an important research area today. Feeding behaviour and other lifestyle habits play a major role in optimising health and obesity control. Feeding behaviour is physiologically controlled through processes associated with energy and nutrient needs. Different brain nuclei are involved in the neural regulation of feeding behaviours. Therefore, understanding the function of these brain nuclei helps develop feeding control methods. Among important brain nuclei, there is scant literature on the central amygdala (CeA) nucleus and feeding behaviour. The CeA is one of the critical brain regions that play a significant role in various physiological and behavioural responses, such as emotional states, reward processing, energy balance and feeding behaviour. It contains γ-aminobutyric acid neurons. Also, it is the major output region of the amygdaloidal complex. Moreover, the CeA is also involved in multiple molecular and biochemical factors and has extensive connections with other brain nuclei and their neurotransmitters, highlighting its role in feeding behaviour. This review aims to highlight the significance of the CeA nucleus on food consumption by its interaction with the performance of reward, digestive and emotional systems.
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102
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Covelo A, Eraso-Pichot A, Fernández-Moncada I, Serrat R, Marsicano G. CB1R-dependent regulation of astrocyte physiology and astrocyte-neuron interactions. Neuropharmacology 2021; 195:108678. [PMID: 34157362 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in a variety of brain functions, mainly through the activation of the type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R). CB1R are highly expressed throughout the brain at different structural, cellular and subcellular locations and its activity and expression levels have a direct impact in synaptic activity and behavior. In the last few decades, astrocytes have arisen as active players of brain physiology through their participation in the tripartite synapse and through their metabolic interaction with neurons. Here, we discuss some of the mechanisms by which astroglial CB1R at different subcellular locations, regulate astrocyte calcium signals and have an impact on gliotransmission and metabolic regulation. In addition, we discuss evidence pointing at astrocytes as potential important sources of endocannabinoid synthesis and release. Thus, we summarize recent findings that add further complexity and establish that the ECS is a fundamental effector of astrocyte functions in the brain. This article is part of the special issue on 'Cannabinoids'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Covelo
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), U1215 NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux, 33077, France; University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, 33077, France
| | - Abel Eraso-Pichot
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), U1215 NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux, 33077, France; University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, 33077, France
| | - Ignacio Fernández-Moncada
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), U1215 NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux, 33077, France; University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, 33077, France
| | - Román Serrat
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), U1215 NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux, 33077, France; University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, 33077, France; INRAE, Nutrition and Integrative Neurobiology, UMR 1286, 33077, Bordeaux, France
| | - Giovanni Marsicano
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), U1215 NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux, 33077, France; University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, 33077, France.
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103
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Leal Santos S, Stackmann M, Muñoz Zamora A, Mastrodonato A, De Landri AV, Vaughan N, Chen BK, Lanio M, Denny CA. Propranolol Decreases Fear Expression by Modulating Fear Memory Traces. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:1150-1161. [PMID: 33766406 PMCID: PMC8201901 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder can develop after a traumatic event and results in heightened, inappropriate fear and anxiety. Although approximately 8% of the U.S. population is affected by posttraumatic stress disorder, only two drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat it, both with limited efficacy. Propranolol, a nonselective β-adrenergic antagonist, has shown efficacy in decreasing exaggerated fear, and there has been renewed interest in using it to treat fear disorders. METHODS Here, we sought to determine the mechanisms by which propranolol attenuates fear by utilizing an activity-dependent tagging system, ArcCreERT2 x eYFP mice. 129S6/SvEv mice were administered a 4-shock contextual fear conditioning paradigm followed by immediate or delayed context reexposures. Saline or propranolol was administered either before or after the first context reexposure. To quantify hippocampal, prefrontal, and amygdalar memory traces, ArcCreERT2 x eYFP mice were administered a delayed context reexposure with either a saline or propranolol injection before context reexposure. RESULTS Propranolol decreased fear expression only when administered before a delayed context reexposure. Fear memory traces were affected in the dorsal dentate gyrus and basolateral amygdala after propranolol administration in the ArcCreERT2 x eYFP mice. Propranolol acutely altered functional connectivity between the hippocampal, cortical, and amygdalar regions. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that propranolol may decrease fear expression by altering network-correlated activity and by weakening the reactivation of the initial traumatic memory trace. This work contributes to the understanding of noradrenergic drugs as therapeutic aids for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Leal Santos
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - Michelle Stackmann
- Neurobiology and Behavior Graduate Program, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Andrea Muñoz Zamora
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Alessia Mastrodonato
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Allegra V De Landri
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Nick Vaughan
- Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Briana K Chen
- Neurobiology and Behavior Graduate Program, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Marcos Lanio
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Neurobiology and Behavior Graduate Program, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Christine A Denny
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York.
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104
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Hájos N. Interneuron Types and Their Circuits in the Basolateral Amygdala. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:687257. [PMID: 34177472 PMCID: PMC8222668 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.687257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a cortical structure based on its cell types, connectivity features, and developmental characteristics. This part of the amygdala is considered to be the main entry site of processed and multisensory information delivered via cortical and thalamic afferents. Although GABAergic inhibitory cells in the BLA comprise only 20% of the entire neuronal population, they provide essential control over proper network operation. Previous studies have uncovered that GABAergic cells in the basolateral amygdala are as diverse as those present in other cortical regions, including the hippocampus and neocortex. To understand the role of inhibitory cells in various amygdala functions, we need to reveal the connectivity and input-output features of the different types of GABAergic cells. Here, I review the recent achievements in uncovering the diversity of GABAergic cells in the basolateral amygdala with a specific focus on the microcircuit organization of these inhibitory cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Hájos
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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105
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Comeras LB, Hörmer N, Mohan Bethuraj P, Tasan RO. NPY Released From GABA Neurons of the Dentate Gyrus Specially Reduces Contextual Fear Without Affecting Cued or Trace Fear. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:635726. [PMID: 34122036 PMCID: PMC8187774 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.635726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Disproportionate, maladapted, and generalized fear are essential hallmarks of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which develops upon severe trauma in a subset of exposed individuals. Among the brain areas that are processing fear memories, the hippocampal formation exerts a central role linking emotional-affective with cognitive aspects. In the hippocampus, neuronal excitability is constrained by multiple GABAergic interneurons with highly specialized functions and an extensive repertoire of co-released neuromodulators. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of these co-transmitters that significantly affects hippocampal signaling, with ample evidence supporting its fundamental role in emotional, cognitive, and metabolic circuitries. Here we investigated the role of NPY in relation to GABA, both released from the same interneurons of the dorsal dentate gyrus (DG), in different aspects of fear conditioning. We demonstrated that activation of dentate GABA neurons specifically during fear recall reduced cue-related as well as trace-related freezing behavior, whereas inhibition of the same neurons had no significant effects. Interestingly, concomitant overexpression of NPY in these neurons did not further modify fear recall, neither under baseline conditions nor upon chemogenetic stimulation. However, potentially increased co-release of NPY substantially reduced contextual fear, promoted extinction learning, and long-term suppression of fear in a foreground context–conditioning paradigm. Importantly, NPY in the dorsal DG was not only expressed in somatostatin neurons, but also in parvalbumin-positive basket cells and axoaxonic cells, indicating intense feedback and feedforward modulation of hippocampal signaling and precise curtailing of neuronal engrams. Thus, these findings suggest that co-release of NPY from specific interneuron populations of the dorsal DG modifies dedicated aspects of hippocampal processing by sharpening the activation of neural engrams and the consecutive fear response. Since inappropriate and generalized fear is the major impediment in the treatment of PTSD patients, the dentate NPY system may be a suitable access point to ameliorate PTSD symptoms and improve the inherent disease course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas B Comeras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Noa Hörmer
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Ramon O Tasan
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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106
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Samineni VK, Grajales-Reyes JG, Grajales-Reyes GE, Tycksen E, Copits BA, Pedersen C, Ankudey ES, Sackey JN, Sewell SB, Bruchas MR, Gereau RW. Cellular, circuit and transcriptional framework for modulation of itch in the central amygdala. eLife 2021; 10:e68130. [PMID: 34032210 PMCID: PMC8172243 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Itch is an unpleasant sensation that elicits robust scratching and aversive experience. However, the identity of the cells and neural circuits that organize this information remains elusive. Here, we show the necessity and sufficiency of chloroquine-activated neurons in the central amygdala (CeA) for both itch sensation and associated aversion. Further, we show that chloroquine-activated CeA neurons play important roles in itch-related comorbidities, including anxiety-like behaviors, but not in some aversive and appetitive behaviors previously ascribed to CeA neurons. RNA-sequencing of chloroquine-activated CeA neurons identified several differentially expressed genes as well as potential key signaling pathways in regulating pruritis. Finally, viral tracing experiments demonstrate that these neurons send projections to the ventral periaqueductal gray that are critical in modulation of itch. These findings reveal a cellular and circuit signature of CeA neurons orchestrating behavioral and affective responses to pruritus in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Samineni
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Jose G Grajales-Reyes
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Neuroscience Program, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Gary E Grajales-Reyes
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Eric Tycksen
- Genome Technology Access Center, Washington University School of MedicineSeattleUnited States
| | - Bryan A Copits
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Christian Pedersen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Edem S Ankudey
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Julian N Sackey
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Sienna B Sewell
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Departmentsof Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of MedicineSt.LouisUnited States
| | - Robert W Gereau
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Departmentsof Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of MedicineSt.LouisUnited States
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107
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Aksoy-Aksel A, Gall A, Seewald A, Ferraguti F, Ehrlich I. Midbrain dopaminergic inputs gate amygdala intercalated cell clusters by distinct and cooperative mechanisms in male mice. eLife 2021; 10:e63708. [PMID: 34028352 PMCID: PMC8143799 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic signaling plays an important role in associative learning, including fear and extinction learning. Dopaminergic midbrain neurons encode prediction error-like signals when threats differ from expectations. Within the amygdala, GABAergic intercalated cell (ITC) clusters receive one of the densest dopaminergic projections, but their physiological consequences are incompletely understood. ITCs are important for fear extinction, a function thought to be supported by activation of ventromedial ITCs that inhibit central amygdala fear output. In mice, we reveal two distinct novel mechanisms by which mesencephalic dopaminergic afferents control ITCs. Firstly, they co-release GABA to mediate rapid, direct inhibition. Secondly, dopamine suppresses inhibitory interactions between distinct ITC clusters via presynaptic D1 receptors. Early extinction training augments both GABA co-release onto dorsomedial ITCs and dopamine-mediated suppression of dorso- to ventromedial inhibition between ITC clusters. These findings provide novel insights into dopaminergic mechanisms shaping the activity balance between distinct ITC clusters that could support their opposing roles in fear behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayla Aksoy-Aksel
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain ResearchTübingenGermany
- Centre for Integrative NeuroscienceTübingenGermany
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomolecular Systems, University of StuttgartStuttgartGermany
| | - Andrea Gall
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain ResearchTübingenGermany
- Centre for Integrative NeuroscienceTübingenGermany
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomolecular Systems, University of StuttgartStuttgartGermany
| | - Anna Seewald
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
| | | | - Ingrid Ehrlich
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain ResearchTübingenGermany
- Centre for Integrative NeuroscienceTübingenGermany
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomolecular Systems, University of StuttgartStuttgartGermany
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108
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Bitsch F, Berger P, Fink A, Nagels A, Straube B, Falkenberg I. Antagonism between brain regions relevant for cognitive control and emotional memory facilitates the generation of humorous ideas. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10685. [PMID: 34021200 PMCID: PMC8140114 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89843-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to generate humor gives rise to positive emotions and thus facilitate the successful resolution of adversity. Although there is consensus that inhibitory processes might be related to broaden the way of thinking, the neural underpinnings of these mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we use functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a humorous alternative uses task and a stroop task, to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying the emergence of humorous ideas in 24 subjects. Neuroimaging results indicate that greater cognitive control abilities are associated with increased activation in the amygdala, the hippocampus and the superior and medial frontal gyrus during the generation of humorous ideas. Examining the neural mechanisms more closely shows that the hypoactivation of frontal brain regions is associated with an hyperactivation in the amygdala and vice versa. This antagonistic connectivity is concurrently linked with an increased number of humorous ideas and enhanced amygdala responses during the task. Our data therefore suggests that a neural antagonism previously related to the emergence and regulation of negative affective responses, is linked with the generation of emotionally positive ideas and may represent an important neural pathway supporting mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Bitsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Straße 8, 35039, Marburg, Germany. .,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, 35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Philipp Berger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Straße 8, 35039, Marburg, Germany.,Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Fink
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, BioTechMed, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Arne Nagels
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Straße 8, 35039, Marburg, Germany.,Department of English and Linguistics, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Jakob-Welder-Weg 18, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Straße 8, 35039, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Irina Falkenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Straße 8, 35039, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, 35032, Marburg, Germany
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109
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Rouzer SK, Diaz MR. Factors of sex and age dictate the regulation of GABAergic activity by corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 in the medial sub-nucleus of the central amygdala. Neuropharmacology 2021; 189:108530. [PMID: 33741404 PMCID: PMC10538372 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Adolescents are phenotypically characterized with hyper-sensitivity to stress and inappropriate response to stress-inducing events. Despite behavioral distinctions from adults, investigations of developmental shifts in the function of stress peptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) are generally limited. Rodent models have determined that CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) activation within the central amygdala is associated with a stress response and induces increased GABAergic synaptic neurotransmission within adult males. To investigate age- and sex-specific function of this system, we performed whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology in brain slices from naive adolescent (postnatal days (P) 40-49) and adult (>P70) male and female Sprague Dawley rats to assess GABAergic activity in the medial central amygdala (CeM). Our results indicate a dynamic influence of age and sex on neuronal excitability within this region, as well as basal spontaneous and miniature (m) inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSCs) in the CeM. In addition to replicating prior findings of CRFR1-regulated increases in mIPSC frequency in adult males, we found that the selective CRFR1 agonist, Stressin-1, attenuated mIPSC frequency in adolescent males, at a concentration that did not produce an effect in adult males. Importantly, this age-specific distinction was absent in females, as Stressin-1 attenuated mIPSC frequency in both adolescent and adult females. Finally, an increase in mIPSC frequency in response to the CRF1R antagonist, NBI 35965, was observed only in the CeM of adult males. Together, these data emphasize the robust influence of age and sex on neurophysiological function of a brain region involved in the production of the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siara Kate Rouzer
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, United States; Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, United States
| | - Marvin R Diaz
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, United States; Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, United States.
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110
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McDonald AJ, Mascagni F. Specific neuronal subpopulations in the rat basolateral amygdala express high levels of nonphosphorylated neurofilaments. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3292-3312. [PMID: 33960421 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cortical pyramidal neurons (PNs) containing nonphosphorylated neurofilaments (NNFs) localized with the SMI-32 monoclonal antibody have been shown to be especially vulnerable to degeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present investigation is the first to study the expression of SMI-32+ NNFs in neurons of the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala (BNC), which contains cortex-like PNs and nonpyramidal neurons (NPNs). We observed that PNs in the rat basolateral nucleus (BL), but not in the lateral (LAT) or basomedial (BM) nuclei, have significant levels of SMI-32-ir in their somata with antibody diluents that did not contain Triton X-100, but staining in these cells was greatly attenuated when the antibody diluent contained 0.3% Triton. Using Triton-containing diluents, we found that all SMI-32+ neurons in all three of the BNC nuclei were NPNs. Using a dual-labeling immunoperoxidase technique, we demonstrated that most of these SMI-32+ NPNs were parvalbumin-positive (PV+) or somatostatin-positive NPNs but not vasoactive intestinal peptide-positive or neuropeptide Y-positive NPNs. Using a technique that combines retrograde tracing with SMI-32 immunohistochemistry using intermediate levels of Triton in the diluent, we found that all BNC neurons projecting to the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) were large NPNs, and most were SMI-32+. In contrast, BNC neurons projecting to the ventral striatum or cerebral cortex were PNs that expressed low levels of SMI-32 immunoreactivity (SMI-32-ir) in the BL, and no SMI-32-ir in the LAT or BM. These data suggest that the main neuronal subpopulations in the BNC that degenerate in AD may be PV+ and MD-projecting NPNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Joseph McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Franco Mascagni
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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111
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Kong MS, Zweifel LS. Central amygdala circuits in valence and salience processing. Behav Brain Res 2021; 410:113355. [PMID: 33989728 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral responses to environmental stimuli are dictated by the affective valence of the stimulus, good (positive valence) or bad (negative valence). These stimuli can innately elicit an affective response that promotes approach or avoidance behavior. In addition to innately valenced stimuli, valence can also be assigned to initially neutral stimuli through associative learning. A stimulus of a given valence can vary in salience depending on the strength of the stimulus, the underlying state of the animal, and the context of the stimulus presentation. Salience endows the stimulus with the ability to direct attention and elicit preparatory responses to mount an incentive-based motivated behavior. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has emerged as an early integration point for valence and salience detection to engage preparatory autonomic responses and behavioral posturing in response to both aversive and appetitive stimuli. There are numerous cell types in the CeA that are involved in valence and salience processing through a variety of connections, and we will review the recent progress that has been made in identifying these circuit elements and their roles in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Seon Kong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
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112
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Memories are not written in stone: Re-writing fear memories by means of non-invasive brain stimulation and optogenetic manipulations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:334-352. [PMID: 33964307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The acquisition of fear associative memory requires brain processes of coordinated neural activity within the amygdala, prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, thalamus and brainstem. After fear consolidation, a suppression of fear memory in the absence of danger is crucial to permit adaptive coping behavior. Acquisition and maintenance of fear extinction critically depend on amygdala-PFC projections. The robust correspondence between the brain networks encompassed cortical and subcortical hubs involved into fear processing in humans and in other species underscores the potential utility of comparing the modulation of brain circuitry in humans and animals, as a crucial step to inform the comprehension of fear mechanisms and the development of treatments for fear-related disorders. The present review is aimed at providing a comprehensive description of the literature on recent clinical and experimental researches regarding the noninvasive brain stimulation and optogenetics. These innovative manipulations applied over specific hubs of fear matrix during fear acquisition, consolidation, reconsolidation and extinction allow an accurate characterization of specific brain circuits and their peculiar interaction within the specific fear processing.
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113
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Apical intercalated cell cluster: A distinct sensory regulator in the amygdala. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109151. [PMID: 34010641 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic neurons regulate different aspects of information processing in the amygdala. Among these are clusters of intercalated cells (ITCs), which have been implicated in fear-related behaviors. Although a few of the ITC clusters have been studied, the functional role of apical ITCs (apITCs) is unknown. Here, we combine monosynaptic rabies tracing with optogenetics and demonstrate that apITCs receive synaptic input from medial geniculate nucleus (MGm), posterior intralaminar nucleus (PIN), and medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus and from a diverse range of cortical areas including temporal association, entorhinal, insular, piriform, and somatosensory cortex. Upon fear learning, PIN/MGm inputs are strengthened, indicative of their involvement in fear behaviors. 3-D reconstruction of apITCs reveals local arborization and innervation of the dorsal striatum and lateral amygdala. We further show that apITCs provide sensory feedforward inhibition to LA principal cells, a putative mechanism for controlling plasticity during fear learning.
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114
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Svalina MN, Guthman EM, Cea-Del Rio CA, Kushner JK, Baca SM, Restrepo D, Huntsman MM. Hyperexcitability and Loss of Feedforward Inhibition Contribute to Aberrant Plasticity in the Fmr1KO Amygdala. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0113-21.2021. [PMID: 33893168 PMCID: PMC8121259 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0113-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) characterized by intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and anxiety disorders. The disruption in the function of the FMR1 gene results in a range of alterations in cellular and synaptic function. Previous studies have identified dynamic alterations in inhibitory neurotransmission in early postnatal development in the amygdala of the mouse model of FXS. However, little is known about how these changes alter microcircuit development and plasticity in the lateral amygdala (LA). Using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, we demonstrate that principal neurons (PNs) in the LA exhibit hyperexcitability with a concomitant increase in the synaptic strength of excitatory synapses in the BLA. Further, reduced feed-forward inhibition appears to enhance synaptic plasticity in the FXS amygdala. These results demonstrate that plasticity is enhanced in the amygdala of the juvenile Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mouse and that E/I imbalance may underpin anxiety disorders commonly seen in FXS and ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N Svalina
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - E Mae Guthman
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Christian A Cea-Del Rio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9160000, Chile
| | - J Keenan Kushner
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Serapio M Baca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Diego Restrepo
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Molly M Huntsman
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
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115
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Perumal MB, Sah P. Inhibitory Circuits in the Basolateral Amygdala in Aversive Learning and Memory. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:633235. [PMID: 33994955 PMCID: PMC8120102 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.633235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) play a pivotal role in the learning and memory formation, and processing of emotionally salient experiences, particularly aversive ones. A diverse population of GABAergic neurons present in the BLA orchestrate local circuits to mediate emotional memory functions. Targeted manipulation of GABAergic neuronal subtypes has shed light on cell-type specific functional roles in the fear learning and memory, revealing organizing principles for the operation of inhibitory circuit motifs in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Joint Center for Neuroscience and Neural Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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116
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Boyle CA, Hu B, Quaintance KL, Lei S. Involvement of TRPC5 channels, inwardly rectifying K + channels, PLCβ and PIP 2 in vasopressin-mediated excitation of medial central amygdala neurons. J Physiol 2021; 599:3101-3119. [PMID: 33871877 DOI: 10.1113/jp281260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Activation of V1a vasopressin receptors facilitates neuronal excitability in the medial nucleus of central amygdala (CeM) V1a receptor activation excites about 80% CeM neurons by opening a cationic conductance and about 20% CeM neurons by suppressing an inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channel The cationic conductance activated by V1a receptors is identified as TRPC5 channels PLCβ-mediated depletion of PIP2 is involved in V1a receptor-elicited excitation of CeM neurons Intracellular Ca2+ release and PKC are unnecessary for V1a receptor-mediated excitation of CeM neurons ABSTRACT: Arginine vasopressin (AVP) serves as a hormone in the periphery to modulate water homeostasis and a neuromodulator in the brain to regulate a diverse range of functions including anxiety, social behaviour, cognitive activities and nociception. The amygdala is an essential brain region involved in modulating defensive and appetitive behaviours, pain and alcohol use disorders. Whereas activation of V1a receptors in the medial nucleus of the central amygdala (CeM) increases neuronal excitability, the involved ionic and signalling mechanisms have not been determined. We found that activation of V1a receptors in the CeM facilitated neuronal excitability predominantly by opening TRPC5 channels, although AVP excited about one fifth of the CeM neurons via suppressing an inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channel. G proteins and phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ) were required for AVP-elicited excitation of CeM neurons, whereas intracellular Ca2+ release and the activity of protein kinase C were unnecessary. Prevention of the depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2 ) blocked AVP-induced excitation of CeM neurons, suggesting that PLCβ-mediated depletion of PIP2 is involved in AVP-mediated excitation of CeM neurons. Our results may provide a cellular and molecular mechanism to explain the anxiogenic effects of AVP in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A Boyle
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND58203, USA
| | - Binqi Hu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND58203, USA
| | - Kati L Quaintance
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND58203, USA
| | - Saobo Lei
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND58203, USA
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117
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Rajbhandari AK, Octeau CJ, Gonzalez S, Pennington ZT, Mohamed F, Trott J, Chavez J, Ngyuen E, Keces N, Hong WZ, Neve RL, Waschek J, Khakh BS, Fanselow MS. A Basomedial Amygdala to Intercalated Cells Microcircuit Expressing PACAP and Its Receptor PAC1 Regulates Contextual Fear. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3446-3461. [PMID: 33637560 PMCID: PMC8051692 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2564-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trauma can cause dysfunctional fear regulation leading some people to develop disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The amygdala regulates fear, whereas PACAP (pituitary adenylate activating peptide) and PAC1 receptors are linked to PTSD symptom severity at genetic/epigenetic levels, with a strong link in females with PTSD. We discovered a PACAPergic projection from the basomedial amygdala (BMA) to the medial intercalated cells (mICCs) in adult mice. In vivo optogenetic stimulation of this pathway increased CFOS expression in mICCs, decreased fear recall, and increased fear extinction. Selective deletion of PAC1 receptors from the mICCs in females reduced fear acquisition, but enhanced fear generalization and reduced fear extinction in males. Optogenetic stimulation of the BMA-mICC PACAPergic pathway produced EPSCs in mICC neurons, which were enhanced by the PAC1 receptor antagonist, PACAP 6-38. Our findings show that mICCs modulate contextual fear in a dynamic and sex-dependent manner via a microcircuit containing the BMA and mICCs, and in a manner that was dependent on behavioral state.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Traumatic stress can affect different aspects of fear behaviors, including fear learning, generalization of learned fear to novel contexts, how the fear of the original context is recalled, and how fear is reduced over time. While the amygdala has been studied for its role in regulation of different aspects of fear, the molecular circuitry of this structure is quite complex. In addition, aspects of fear can be modulated differently in males and females. Our findings show that a specific circuitry containing the neuropeptide PACAP and its receptor, PAC1, regulates various aspects of fear, including acquisition, generalization, recall, and extinction in a sexually dimorphic manner, characterizing a novel pathway that modulates traumatic fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abha K Rajbhandari
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Christopher J Octeau
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Sarah Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Zachary T Pennington
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Farzanna Mohamed
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Jeremy Trott
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Jasmine Chavez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Erin Ngyuen
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Natasha Keces
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Weizhe Z Hong
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, California 02114
| | - James Waschek
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Michael S Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
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118
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Distinct circuits in rat central amygdala for defensive behaviors evoked by socially signaled imminent versus remote danger. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2347-2358.e6. [PMID: 33848461 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Animals display a rich repertoire of defensive responses adequate to the threat proximity. In social species, these reactions can be additionally influenced by the behavior of fearful conspecifics. However, the majority of neuroscientific studies on socially triggered defensive responses focuses on one type of behavior, freezing. To study a broader range of socially triggered reactions and underlying mechanisms, we directly compared two experimental paradigms, mimicking occurrence of the imminent versus remote threat. Observation of a partner currently experiencing aversive stimulation evokes passive defensive responses in the observer rats. Similar interaction with a partner that has just undergone the aversive stimulation prompts animals to increase active exploration. Although the observers display behaviors similar to those of the aversively stimulated demonstrators, their reactions are not synchronized in time, suggesting that observers' responses are caused by the change in their affective state rather than mimicry. Using opsins targeted to behaviorally activated neurons, we tagged central amygdala (CeA) cells implicated in observers' responses to either imminent or remote threat and reactivated them during the exploration of a novel environment. The manipulation revealed that the two populations of CeA cells promote passive or active defensive responses, respectively. Further experiments confirmed that the two populations of cells at least partially differ in expression of molecular markers (protein kinase C-δ [PKC-δ] and corticotropin-releasing factor [CRF]) and connectivity patterns (receiving input from the basolateral amygdala or from the anterior insula). The results are consistent with the literature on single subjects' fear conditioning, suggesting that similar neuronal circuits control defensive responses in social and non-social contexts.
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119
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Kenwood MM, Kalin NH. Nonhuman Primate Models to Explore Mechanisms Underlying Early-Life Temperamental Anxiety. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:659-671. [PMID: 33229035 PMCID: PMC7952470 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, causing significant suffering and disability. Behavioral inhibition is a temperament that is linked to an increased risk for the later development of anxiety disorders and other stress-related psychopathology, and understanding the neural systems underlying this dispositional risk could provide insight into novel treatment targets for anxiety disorders. Nonhuman primates (NHPs) have anxiety-related temperaments that are similar to those of humans with behavioral inhibition, facilitating the design of translational models related to human psychopathology. Characterization of our NHP model of behavioral inhibition, which we term anxious temperament (AT), reveals that it is trait-like. Exploration of the neural substrates of AT in NHPs has revealed a distributed neural circuit that is linked to individual differences in AT, which includes the dorsal amygdala. AT-related metabolism in the dorsal amygdala, including the central nucleus, is stable across time and can be detected even in safe contexts, suggesting that AT has trait-like neural signatures within the brain. The use of lesioning and novel chemogenetic methods allows for mechanistic perturbation of the amygdala to determine its causal contribution to AT. Studies characterizing the molecular bases for individual differences in AT in the dorsal amygdala, which take advantage of novel methods for probing cellular and molecular systems, suggest involvement of neurotrophic systems, which point to the importance of neuroplasticity in AT. These novel methods, when used in combination with translational NHP models such as AT, promise to provide insights into the brain systems underlying the early risk for anxiety disorder development.
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120
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Bouton ME, Maren S, McNally GP. BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PAVLOVIAN AND INSTRUMENTAL EXTINCTION LEARNING. Physiol Rev 2021; 101:611-681. [PMID: 32970967 PMCID: PMC8428921 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the behavioral neuroscience of extinction, the phenomenon in which a behavior that has been acquired through Pavlovian or instrumental (operant) learning decreases in strength when the outcome that reinforced it is removed. Behavioral research indicates that neither Pavlovian nor operant extinction depends substantially on erasure of the original learning but instead depends on new inhibitory learning that is primarily expressed in the context in which it is learned, as exemplified by the renewal effect. Although the nature of the inhibition may differ in Pavlovian and operant extinction, in either case the decline in responding may depend on both generalization decrement and the correction of prediction error. At the neural level, Pavlovian extinction requires a tripartite neural circuit involving the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala is essential for extinction learning, and prefrontal cortical inhibition of amygdala neurons encoding fear memories is involved in extinction retrieval. Hippocampal-prefrontal circuits mediate fear relapse phenomena, including renewal. Instrumental extinction involves distinct ensembles in corticostriatal, striatopallidal, and striatohypothalamic circuits as well as their thalamic returns for inhibitory (extinction) and excitatory (renewal and other relapse phenomena) control over operant responding. The field has made significant progress in recent decades, although a fully integrated biobehavioral understanding still awaits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Bouton
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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121
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Castegnetti G, Bush D, Bach DR. Model of theta frequency perturbations and contextual fear memory. Hippocampus 2021; 31:448-457. [PMID: 33534196 PMCID: PMC8049035 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Theta oscillations in the hippocampal local field potential (LFP) appear during translational movement and arousal, modulate the activity of principal cells, and are associated with spatial cognition and episodic memory function. All known anxiolytics slightly but consistently reduce hippocampal theta frequency. However, whether this electrophysiological effect is mechanistically related to the decreased behavioral expression of anxiety is currently unclear. Here, we propose that a reduction in theta frequency affects synaptic plasticity and mnemonic function and that this can explain the reduction in anxiety behavior. We test this hypothesis in a biophysical model of contextual fear conditioning. First, we confirm that our model reproduces previous empirical results regarding the dependence of synaptic plasticity on presynaptic firing rate. Next, we investigate how theta frequency during contextual conditioning impacts learning. These simulations demonstrate that learned associations between threat and context are attenuated when learning takes place under reduced theta frequency. Additionally, our simulations demonstrate that learned associations result in increased theta activity in the amygdala, consistent with empirical data. In summary, we propose a mechanism that can account for the behavioral effect of anxiolytics by impairing the integration of threat attributes of an environment into the cognitive map due to reduced synaptic potentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Castegnetti
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and PsychosomaticsUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Daniel Bush
- Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Dominik R. Bach
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and PsychosomaticsUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging and Max Planck/UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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122
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Szeska C, Richter J, Wendt J, Weymar M, Hamm AO. Attentive immobility in the face of inevitable distal threat-Startle potentiation and fear bradycardia as an index of emotion and attention. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13812. [PMID: 33759212 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
During fear conditioning, a cue (CS) signals an inevitable distal threat (US) and evokes a conditioned response that can be described as attentive immobility (freezing). The organism remains motionless and monitors the source of danger while startle responses are potentiated, indicating a state of defensive hypervigilance. Although in animals vagally mediated fear bradycardia is also reliably observed under such circumstances, results are mixed in human fear conditioning. Using a single-cue fear conditioning and extinction protocol, we tested cardiac reactivity and startle potentiation indexing low-level defensive strategies in a fear-conditioned (n = 40; paired presentations of CS and US) compared with a non-conditioned control group (n = 40; unpaired presentations of CS and US). Additionally, we assessed shock expectancy ratings on a trial-by-trial basis indexing declarative knowledge of the previous contingencies. Half of each group underwent extinction under sham or active transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), serving as additional proof of concept. We found stronger cardiac deceleration during CS presentation in the fear learning relative to the control group. This learned fear bradycardia was positively correlated with conditioned startle potentiation but not with declarative knowledge of CS-US contingencies. TVNS abolished differences in heart rate changes between both groups and removed the significant correlation between late cardiac deceleration and startle potentiation in the fear learning group. Results suggest, fear-conditioned cues evoke attentive immobility in humans, characterized by cardiac deceleration and startle potentiation. Such defensive response pattern is elicited by cues predicting inevitable distal threat and resembles conditioned fear responses observed in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Szeska
- Department of Physiological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jan Richter
- Department of Physiological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Julia Wendt
- Department of Biological Psychology and Affective Science, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mathias Weymar
- Department of Biological Psychology and Affective Science, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.,Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Alfons O Hamm
- Department of Physiological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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123
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Salinas-Hernández XI, Duvarci S. Dopamine in Fear Extinction. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:635879. [PMID: 33732133 PMCID: PMC7956961 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.635879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to extinguish fear memories when threats are no longer present is critical for adaptive behavior. Fear extinction represents a new learning process that eventually leads to the formation of extinction memories. Understanding the neural basis of fear extinction has considerable clinical significance as deficits in extinction learning are the hallmark of human anxiety disorders. In recent years, the dopamine (DA) system has emerged as one of the key regulators of fear extinction. In this review article, we highlight recent advances that have demonstrated the crucial role DA plays in mediating different phases of fear extinction. Emerging concepts and outstanding questions for future research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sevil Duvarci
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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124
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Guan SY, Zhang K, Wang XS, Yang L, Feng B, Tian DD, Gao MR, Liu SB, Liu A, Zhao MG. Anxiolytic effects of polydatin through the blockade of neuroinflammation in a chronic pain mouse model. Mol Pain 2021; 16:1744806919900717. [PMID: 31964240 PMCID: PMC6977205 DOI: 10.1177/1744806919900717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic pain is frequently comorbid with anxiety disorder, thereby
complicating its treatment. Polydatin, a component from the root of
Polygonum cuspidatum, has shown neuroprotection in the
central nervous system. However, its effects on pain and anxiety processing
have been rarely investigated. In this study, mice were injected with
complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) at the hindpaw to induce pain- and
anxiety-like behaviors. Results Treatment with polydatin (25 mg/kg) alleviated the anxiety-like behaviors but
not pain perception in these mice. Polydatin treatment reversed the
upregulation of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors and
GluA1-containing α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid
receptors in the amygdala of CFA-injected mice. Additionally, this treatment
reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, namely, tumor necrosis
factor-alpha and interleukin-1β, in the amygdala. Furthermore, activated
nuclear factor kappa-B signaling was blocked in the amygdala from
CFA-injected mice. By using docking technology, we found potential
structural binding between polydatin and IκB kinase beta. Conclusion This study indicates the anxiolytic effects of polydatin by suppressing
inflammatory cytokines in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Yu Guan
- Department of Pharmacy, Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin-Shang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Le Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Bin Feng
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Dan-Dan Tian
- Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion-Massage, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Mei-Rong Gao
- Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion-Massage, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Shui-Bing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - An Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ming-Gao Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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125
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Motivational competition and the paraventricular thalamus. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:193-207. [PMID: 33609570 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although significant progress has been made in understanding the behavioral and brain mechanisms for motivational systems, much less is known about competition between motivational states or motivational conflict (e.g., approach - avoidance conflict). Despite being produced under diverse conditions, behavior during motivational competition has two signatures: bistability and metastability. These signatures reveal the operation of positive feedback mechanisms in behavioral selection. Different neuronal architectures can instantiate this selection to achieve bistability and metastability in behavior, but each relies on circuit-level inhibition to achieve rapid and stable selection between competing tendencies. Paraventricular thalamus (PVT) is identified as critical to this circuit level inhibition, resolving motivational competition via its extensive projections to local inhibitory networks in the ventral striatum and extended amygdala, enabling adaptive responding under motivational conflict.
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126
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McDonald AJ. Immunohistochemical Identification of Interneuronal Subpopulations in the Basolateral Amygdala of the Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta). Neuroscience 2021; 455:113-127. [PMID: 33359654 PMCID: PMC7855802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory circuits in the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala (BNC) critical for controlling the acquisition, expression, and extinction of emotional responses are mediated by GABAergic interneurons (INs). Studies in rodents have demonstrated that separate IN subpopulations, identified by their expression of calcium-binding proteins and neuropeptides, play discrete roles in the intrinsic circuitry of the BNC. Far less is known about IN subpopulations in primates. In order to fill in this gap in our understanding of primate INs, the present investigation used dual-labeling immunohistochemistry for IN markers to identify subpopulations expressing cholecystokinin (CCK), calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR), and somatostatin (SOM) in somata and axon terminals in the monkey BNC. In general, colocalization patterns seen in somata and axon terminals were similar. It was found that there was virtually no colocalization of CB and CR, the two calcium-binding proteins investigated. Three subtypes of CCK-immunoreactive (CCK+) INs were identified on the basis of their expression of CR or CB: (1) CCK+/CR+; (2) CCK+/CB+); and (3) CCK+/CR-/CB-. Almost no colocalization of CCK with SOM was observed, but there was extensive colocalization of SOM and CB. CCK+, CR+, and CCK+/CR+ double-labeled axon terminals were seen surrounding pyramidal cell somata in basket-like plexuses, as well as in the neuropil. CB+, SOM+, and CB+/SOM+ terminals did not form baskets, suggesting that these IN subpopulations are mainly dendrite-targeting neurons. In general, the IN subpopulations in the monkey are not dissimilar to those seen in rodents but, unlike rodents, CB+ INs in the monkey are not basket cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
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127
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Odriozola P, Gee DG. Learning About Safety: Conditioned Inhibition as a Novel Approach to Fear Reduction Targeting the Developing Brain. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:136-155. [PMID: 33167673 PMCID: PMC7951569 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20020232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a peak time for the onset of psychiatric disorders, with anxiety disorders being the most common and affecting as many as 30% of youths. A core feature of anxiety disorders is difficulty regulating fear, with evidence suggesting deficits in extinction learning and corresponding alterations in frontolimbic circuitry. Despite marked changes in this neural circuitry and extinction learning throughout development, interventions for anxious youths are largely based on principles of extinction learning studied in adulthood. Safety signal learning, based on conditioned inhibition of fear in the presence of a cue that indicates safety, has been shown to effectively reduce anxiety-like behavior in animal models and attenuate fear responses in healthy adults. Cross-species evidence suggests that safety signal learning involves connections between the ventral hippocampus and the prelimbic cortex in rodents or the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in humans. Particularly because this pathway follows a different developmental trajectory than fronto-amygdala circuitry involved in traditional extinction learning, safety cues may provide a novel approach to reducing fear in youths. In this review, the authors leverage a translational framework to bring together findings from studies in animal models and humans and to bridge the gap between research on basic neuroscience and clinical treatment. The authors consider the potential application of safety signal learning for optimizing interventions for anxious youths by targeting the biological state of the developing brain. Based on the existing cross-species literature on safety signal learning, they propose that the judicious use of safety cues may be an effective and neurodevelopmentally optimized approach to enhancing treatment outcomes for youths with anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn
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128
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Levy I, Schiller D. Neural Computations of Threat. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:151-171. [PMID: 33384214 PMCID: PMC8084636 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A host of learning, memory, and decision-making processes form the individual's response to threat and may be disrupted in anxiety and post-trauma psychopathology. Here we review the neural computations of threat, from the first encounter with a dangerous situation, through learning, storing, and updating cues that predict it, to making decisions about the optimal course of action. The overview highlights the interconnected nature of these processes and their reliance on shared neural and computational mechanisms. We propose an integrative approach to the study of threat-related processes, in which specific computations are studied across the various stages of threat experience rather than in isolation. This approach can generate new insights about the evolution, diagnosis, and treatment of threat-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifat Levy
- Departments of Comparative Medicine, Neuroscience, and Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Daniela Schiller
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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129
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Hwang SN, Lee JS, Seo K, Lee H. Astrocytic Regulation of Neural Circuits Underlying Behaviors. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020296. [PMID: 33535587 PMCID: PMC7912785 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes, characterized by a satellite-like morphology, are the most abundant type of glia in the central nervous system. Their main functions have been thought to be limited to providing homeostatic support for neurons, but recent studies have revealed that astrocytes actually actively interact with local neural circuits and play a crucial role in information processing and generating physiological and behavioral responses. Here, we review the emerging roles of astrocytes in many brain regions, particularly by focusing on intracellular changes in astrocytes and their interactions with neurons at the molecular and neural circuit levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Nyoung Hwang
- Convergence Research Advanced Centre for Olfaction, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea;
| | - Jae Seung Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea; (J.S.L.); (K.S.)
| | - Kain Seo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea; (J.S.L.); (K.S.)
| | - Hyosang Lee
- Convergence Research Advanced Centre for Olfaction, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea;
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea; (J.S.L.); (K.S.)
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), Daegu 41062, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-53-785-6147
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130
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Castellano D, Shepard RD, Lu W. Looking for Novelty in an "Old" Receptor: Recent Advances Toward Our Understanding of GABA ARs and Their Implications in Receptor Pharmacology. Front Neurosci 2021; 14:616298. [PMID: 33519367 PMCID: PMC7841293 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.616298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Diverse populations of GABAA receptors (GABAARs) throughout the brain mediate fast inhibitory transmission and are modulated by various endogenous ligands and therapeutic drugs. Deficits in GABAAR signaling underlie the pathophysiology behind neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders such as epilepsy, anxiety, and depression. Pharmacological intervention for these disorders relies on several drug classes that target GABAARs, such as benzodiazepines and more recently neurosteroids. It has been widely demonstrated that subunit composition and receptor stoichiometry impact the biophysical and pharmacological properties of GABAARs. However, current GABAAR-targeting drugs have limited subunit selectivity and produce their therapeutic effects concomitantly with undesired side effects. Therefore, there is still a need to develop more selective GABAAR pharmaceuticals, as well as evaluate the potential for developing next-generation drugs that can target accessory proteins associated with native GABAARs. In this review, we briefly discuss the effects of benzodiazepines and neurosteroids on GABAARs, their use as therapeutics, and some of the pitfalls associated with their adverse side effects. We also discuss recent advances toward understanding the structure, function, and pharmacology of GABAARs with a focus on benzodiazepines and neurosteroids, as well as newly identified transmembrane proteins that modulate GABAARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Castellano
- Synapse and Neural Circuit Research Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ryan David Shepard
- Synapse and Neural Circuit Research Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Wei Lu
- Synapse and Neural Circuit Research Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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131
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Liu J, Hu T, Zhang MQ, Xu CY, Yuan MY, Li RX. Differential efferent projections of GABAergic neurons in the basolateral and central nucleus of amygdala in mice. Neurosci Lett 2021; 745:135621. [PMID: 33421491 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Basolateral amygdala (BLA) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) have been proved to play a key role in the control of anxiety, stress and fear-related behaviors. BLA is a cortex-like complex consisting of both γ-aminobutyric acidergic (GABAergic) interneurons and glutamatergic neurons. The CEA is a striatum-like output of the amygdala, consisting almost exclusively of GABAergic medium spiny neurons. In this study, we explored the morphology and axonal projections of the GABAergic neurons in BLA and CEA, using conditional anterograde axonal tracing, immunohistochemistry, and VGAT-Cre transgenic mice to further understand their functional roles. We found that the axonal projections of GABAergic neurons from the BLA mainly distributed to the forebrain, whilst GABAergic neurons from the CEA distributed to the forebrain, midbrain and brainstem. In the forebrain, the axonal projections of GABAergic neurons from the BLA projected to the anterior olfactory nucleus, the cerebral cortex, the septum, the striatum, the thalamus, the amygdala and the hippocampus. The axonal projections of GABAergic neurons from the CEA distributed to the nuclei of the prefrontal cortex, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the hypothalamus and the thalamus. In the midbrain and brainstem, the axonal projections of GABAergic neurons from the CEA were found in the periaqueductal gray, the substantia nigra, and the locus coeruleus. These data reveal the neuroanatomical basis for exploring the function of GABAergic neurons in the BLA and CEA, particularly during the processing of fear-related behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Life Sciences College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
| | - Tao Hu
- Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Meng-Qi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuan-Ying Xu
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Mao-Yun Yuan
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui-Xi Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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132
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Alkadhi KA. NMDA receptor-independent LTP in mammalian nervous system. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 200:101986. [PMID: 33400965 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission is a form of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity that exists at most synapses in the nervous system. In the central nervous system (CNS), LTP has been recorded at numerous synapses and is a prime candidate mechanism associating activity-dependent plasticity with learning and memory. LTP involves long-lasting increase in synaptic strength with various underlying mechanisms. In the CNS, the predominant type of LTP is believed to be dependent on activation of the ionotropic glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), which is highly calcium-permeable. However, various forms of NMDAR-independent LTP have been identified in diverse areas of the nervous system. The NMDAR-independent LTP may require activation of glutamate metabotropic receptors (mGluR) or ionotropic receptors other than NMDAR such as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR), serotonin 5-HT3 receptor or calcium-permeable AMPA receptor (CP-AMPAR). In this review, NMDAR-independent LTP of various areas of the central and peripheral nervous systems are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim A Alkadhi
- Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA.
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133
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Michael V, Goffinet J, Pearson J, Wang F, Tschida K, Mooney R. Circuit and synaptic organization of forebrain-to-midbrain pathways that promote and suppress vocalization. eLife 2020; 9:e63493. [PMID: 33372655 PMCID: PMC7793624 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals vocalize only in certain behavioral contexts, but the circuits and synapses through which forebrain neurons trigger or suppress vocalization remain unknown. Here, we used transsynaptic tracing to identify two populations of inhibitory neurons that lie upstream of neurons in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) that gate the production of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in mice (i.e. PAG-USV neurons). Activating PAG-projecting neurons in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POAPAG neurons) elicited USV production in the absence of social cues. In contrast, activating PAG-projecting neurons in the central-medial boundary zone of the amygdala (AmgC/M-PAG neurons) transiently suppressed USV production without disrupting non-vocal social behavior. Optogenetics-assisted circuit mapping in brain slices revealed that POAPAG neurons directly inhibit PAG interneurons, which in turn inhibit PAG-USV neurons, whereas AmgC/M-PAG neurons directly inhibit PAG-USV neurons. These experiments identify two major forebrain inputs to the PAG that trigger and suppress vocalization, respectively, while also establishing the synaptic mechanisms through which these neurons exert opposing behavioral effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Michael
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Jack Goffinet
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - John Pearson
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | | | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
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134
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Eckstein M, Mamaev I, Ditzen B, Sailer U. Calming Effects of Touch in Human, Animal, and Robotic Interaction-Scientific State-of-the-Art and Technical Advances. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:555058. [PMID: 33329093 PMCID: PMC7672023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.555058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small everyday gestures such as a tap on the shoulder can affect the way humans feel and act. Touch can have a calming effect and alter the way stress is handled, thereby promoting mental and physical health. Due to current technical advances and the growing role of intelligent robots in households and healthcare, recent research also addressed the potential of robotic touch for stress reduction. In addition, touch by non-human agents such as animals or inanimate objects may have a calming effect. This conceptual article will review a selection of the most relevant studies reporting the physiological, hormonal, neural, and subjective effects of touch on stress, arousal, and negative affect. Robotic systems capable of non-social touch will be assessed together with control strategies and sensor technologies. Parallels and differences of human-to-human touch and human-to-non-human touch will be discussed. We propose that, under appropriate conditions, touch can act as (social) signal for safety, even when the interaction partner is an animal or a machine. We will also outline potential directions for future research and clinical relevance. Thereby, this review can provide a foundation for further investigations into the beneficial contribution of touch by different agents to regulate negative affect and arousal in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Eckstein
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Heidelberg, and Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ilshat Mamaev
- Institute for Anthropomatics and Robotics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Beate Ditzen
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Heidelberg, and Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uta Sailer
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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135
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Simões CS, Mourão FAG, Guarnieri LO, Passos MC, Moraes MF. Amygdala inhibition impairs fear conditioning but increases the stimulus-driven activity in the inferior colliculus. Neurosci Lett 2020; 738:135311. [PMID: 32818588 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
It has been shown that fear conditioning improves the steady-state evoked potentials driven by a long lasting amplitude modulated tone in the inferior colliculus. In this work we tested the hypothesis that the amygdala modulates this effect, since it plays a crucial role in assessing the biological relevance of environmental stimuli. We inhibited the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala of rats by injecting a GABAa receptor agonist (muscimol) before the recall test session of an auditory fear conditioning paradigm and recorded the evoked activity in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus. According to our results, the treatment with muscimol decreased the expression of freezing behavior during the recall test session, but did not impair the entrainment of the evoked activity in the inferior colliculus induced by fear conditioning. We repeated the injection protocol with another group of rats but without pairing the tone to an aversive stimulus and observed that the inhibition of the basolateral amygdala enhances the stimulus-driven activity in the inferior colliculus regardless of the conditioning task. Our findings suggest that the basolateral amygdala exerts a tonic modulation over the encoding of sensory information at the early stages of the sensory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Soares Simões
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Flávio Afonso Gonçalves Mourão
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Centro de Tecnologia e Pesquisa em Magneto Ressonância, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Oliveira Guarnieri
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Centro de Tecnologia e Pesquisa em Magneto Ressonância, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Matheus Costa Passos
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Márcio Flávio Moraes
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Centro de Tecnologia e Pesquisa em Magneto Ressonância, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
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136
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Mollick JA, Hazy TE, Krueger KA, Nair A, Mackie P, Herd SA, O'Reilly RC. A systems-neuroscience model of phasic dopamine. Psychol Rev 2020; 127:972-1021. [PMID: 32525345 PMCID: PMC8453660 DOI: 10.1037/rev0000199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
We describe a neurobiologically informed computational model of phasic dopamine signaling to account for a wide range of findings, including many considered inconsistent with the simple reward prediction error (RPE) formalism. The central feature of this PVLV framework is a distinction between a primary value (PV) system for anticipating primary rewards (Unconditioned Stimuli [USs]), and a learned value (LV) system for learning about stimuli associated with such rewards (CSs). The LV system represents the amygdala, which drives phasic bursting in midbrain dopamine areas, while the PV system represents the ventral striatum, which drives shunting inhibition of dopamine for expected USs (via direct inhibitory projections) and phasic pausing for expected USs (via the lateral habenula). Our model accounts for data supporting the separability of these systems, including individual differences in CS-based (sign-tracking) versus US-based learning (goal-tracking). Both systems use competing opponent-processing pathways representing evidence for and against specific USs, which can explain data dissociating the processes involved in acquisition versus extinction conditioning. Further, opponent processing proved critical in accounting for the full range of conditioned inhibition phenomena, and the closely related paradigm of second-order conditioning. Finally, we show how additional separable pathways representing aversive USs, largely mirroring those for appetitive USs, also have important differences from the positive valence case, allowing the model to account for several important phenomena in aversive conditioning. Overall, accounting for all of these phenomena strongly constrains the model, thus providing a well-validated framework for understanding phasic dopamine signaling. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Mollick
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Thomas E Hazy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Kai A Krueger
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Ananta Nair
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Prescott Mackie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Seth A Herd
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Randall C O'Reilly
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
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137
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Li Q, Klein RC, Moore SD. Multiple sources of internal calcium stores mediate ethanol-induced presynaptic inhibitory GABA release in the central nucleus of the amygdala in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3303-3314. [PMID: 32705289 PMCID: PMC7644111 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05613-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Ethanol can enhance GABA release in various brain regions via presynaptic mechanisms. However, the presynaptic action of ethanol on inhibitory GABA release is still not well understood. OBJECTIVES Since calcium is required for neurotransmitter release from presynaptic terminals, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of both internal and external calcium signaling in ethanol-induced enhancement of GABA release within the central amygdala nucleus (CeA) in acute brain slice preparations. METHODS Whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology was used to record miniature GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) from CeA neurons. Ethanol-enhanced mIPSCs were recorded in the presence of antagonists that regulate internal and external calcium-mediated processes. RESULTS Bath-applied ethanol dose-dependently increased the mean frequency of mIPSCs without altering mIPSC amplitude. Ethanol-induced increases in mIPSC frequency were antagonized by dantrolene, 2-APB, and the endoplasmic reticulum calcium pump (SERCA) antagonists thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). Blocking calcium release from mitochondria or via exocytosis with ruthenium red also attenuated mIPSCs while frequency was not altered in the presence of a non-selective calcium channel blocker cadmium. The L-type calcium blocker nifedipine, but not its analogue nimodipine, blocked ethanol-induced enhancement in CeA neurons. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate ethanol-induced presynaptic release of GABA is mediated by internal calcium stores and by disrupting neurotransmitter exocytosis within the CeA, a critical brain area involved in drugs of abuse and alcohol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Li
- Addictions Division, Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- VISN 6 MIRECC, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Rebecca C Klein
- Addictions Division, Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- VISN 6 MIRECC, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Scott D Moore
- Addictions Division, Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
- VISN 6 MIRECC, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
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138
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Bidirectional control of fear memories by cerebellar neurons projecting to the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5207. [PMID: 33060630 PMCID: PMC7566591 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18953-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear conditioning is a form of associative learning that is known to involve different brain areas, notably the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex and the periaqueductal grey (PAG). Here, we describe the functional role of pathways that link the cerebellum with the fear network. We found that the cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) sends glutamatergic projections to vlPAG that synapse onto glutamatergic and GABAergic vlPAG neurons. Chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulations revealed that the FN-vlPAG pathway controls bi-directionally the strength of the fear memories, indicating an important role in the association of the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli, a function consistent with vlPAG encoding of fear prediction error. Moreover, FN-vlPAG projections also modulate extinction learning. We also found a FN-parafascicular thalamus pathway, which may relay cerebellar influence to the amygdala and modulates anxiety behaviors. Overall, our results reveal multiple contributions of the cerebellum to the emotional system. The cerebellum has a role in motor control, but may also contribute to other functions. Here the authors demonstrate a role for the cerebellar fastigial nucleus projection onto ventrolateral periaqueductal grey neurons during fear acquisition.
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The γ-Protocadherins Regulate the Survival of GABAergic Interneurons during Developmental Cell Death. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8652-8668. [PMID: 33060174 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1636-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons integrate into developing circuits in specific ratios and distributions. In the neocortex, inhibitory network formation occurs concurrently with the apoptotic elimination of a third of GABAergic interneurons. The cell surface molecules that select interneurons to survive or die are unknown. Here, we report that members of the clustered Protocadherins (cPCDHs) control GABAergic interneuron survival during developmentally-regulated cell death. Conditional deletion of the gene cluster encoding the γ-Protocadherins (Pcdhgs) from developing GABAergic neurons in mice of either sex causes a severe loss of inhibitory populations in multiple brain regions and results in neurologic deficits such as seizures. By focusing on the neocortex and the cerebellar cortex, we demonstrate that reductions of inhibitory interneurons result from elevated apoptosis during the critical postnatal period of programmed cell death (PCD). By contrast, cortical interneuron (cIN) populations are not affected by removal of Pcdhgs from pyramidal neurons or glial cells. Interneuron loss correlates with reduced AKT signaling in Pcdhg mutant interneurons, and is rescued by genetic blockade of the pro-apoptotic factor BAX. Together, these findings identify the PCDHGs as pro-survival transmembrane proteins that select inhibitory interneurons for survival and modulate the extent of PCD. We propose that the PCDHGs contribute to the formation of balanced inhibitory networks by controlling the size of GABAergic interneuron populations in the developing brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A pivotal step for establishing appropriate excitatory-inhibitory ratios is adjustment of neuronal populations by cell death. In the mouse neocortex, a third of GABAergic interneurons are eliminated by BAX-dependent apoptosis during the first postnatal week. Interneuron cell death is modulated by neural activity and pro-survival pathways but the cell-surface molecules that select interneurons for survival or death are unknown. We demonstrate that members of the cadherin superfamily, the clustered γ-Protocadherins (PCDHGs), regulate the survival of inhibitory interneurons and the balance of cell death. Deletion of the Pcdhgs in mice causes inhibitory interneuron loss in the cortex and cerebellum, and leads to motor deficits and seizures. Our findings provide a molecular basis for controlling inhibitory interneuron population size during circuit formation.
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The Insula Cortex Contacts Distinct Output Streams of the Central Amygdala. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8870-8882. [PMID: 33051345 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0567-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of genetic tools has provided new means of mapping functionality in central amygdala (CeA) neuron populations based on their molecular profiles, response properties, and importantly, connectivity patterns. While abundant evidence indicates that neuronal signals arrive in the CeA eliciting both aversive and appetitive behaviors, our understanding of the anatomy of the underlying long-range CeA network remains fragmentary. In this study, we combine viral tracings, electrophysiological, and optogenetic approaches to establish in male mice, a wiring chart between the insula cortex (IC), a major sensory input region of the lateral and capsular part of the CeA (CeL/C), and four principal output streams of this nucleus. We found that retrogradely labeled output neurons occupy discrete and likely strategic locations in the CeL/C, and that they are disproportionally controlled by the IC. We identified a direct line of connection between the IC and the lateral hypothalamus (LH), which engages numerous LH-projecting CeL/C cells whose activity can be strongly upregulated on firing of IC neurons. In comparison, CeL/C neurons projecting to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are also frequently contacted by incoming IC axons, but the strength of this connection is weak. Our results provide a link between long-range inputs and outputs of the CeA and pave the way to a better understanding of how internal, external, and experience dependent information may impinge on action selection by the CeA.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our current knowledge of the circuit organization within the central amygdala (CeA), a critical regulator of emotional states, includes independent information about its long-range efferents and afferents. We do not know how incoming sensory information is appraised and routed through the CeA to the different output channels. We address this issue by using three different techniques to investigate how a sensory region, the insula cortex (IC), connects with the motor, physiological and autonomic output centers of the CeA. We uncover a strong connection between the IC and the lateral hypothalamus (LH) with a monosynaptic relay in the CeA and shed new light on the previously described functions of IC and CeA through direct projections to the LH.
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141
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Botta P, Fushiki A, Vicente AM, Hammond LA, Mosberger AC, Gerfen CR, Peterka D, Costa RM. An Amygdala Circuit Mediates Experience-Dependent Momentary Arrests during Exploration. Cell 2020; 183:605-619.e22. [PMID: 33031743 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Exploration of novel environments ensures survival and evolutionary fitness. It is expressed through exploratory bouts and arrests that change dynamically based on experience. Neural circuits mediating exploratory behavior should therefore integrate experience and use it to select the proper behavioral output. Using a spatial exploration assay, we uncovered an experience-dependent increase in momentary arrests in locations where animals arrested previously. Calcium imaging in freely exploring mice revealed a genetically and projection-defined neuronal ensemble in the basolateral amygdala that is active during self-paced behavioral arrests. This ensemble was recruited in an experience-dependent manner, and closed-loop optogenetic manipulation of these neurons revealed that they are sufficient and necessary to drive experience-dependent arrests during exploration. Projection-specific imaging and optogenetic experiments revealed that these arrests are effected by basolateral amygdala neurons projecting to the central amygdala, uncovering an amygdala circuit that mediates momentary arrests in familiar places but not avoidance or anxiety/fear-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Botta
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Akira Fushiki
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Ana Mafalda Vicente
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Luke A Hammond
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Alice C Mosberger
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | | | - Darcy Peterka
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Rui M Costa
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal.
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Manning EE, Bradfield LA, Iordanova MD. Adaptive behaviour under conflict: Deconstructing extinction, reversal, and active avoidance learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:526-536. [PMID: 33035525 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In complex environments, organisms must respond adaptively to situations despite conflicting information. Under natural (i.e. non-laboratory) circumstances, it is rare that cues or responses are consistently paired with a single outcome. Inconsistent pairings are more common, as are situations where cues and responses are associated with multiple outcomes. Such inconsistency creates conflict, and a response that is adaptive in one scenario may not be adaptive in another. Learning to adjust responses accordingly is important for species to survive and prosper. Here we review the behavioural and brain mechanisms of responding under conflict by focusing on three popular behavioural procedures: extinction, reversal learning, and active avoidance. Extinction involves adapting from reinforcement to non-reinforcement, reversal learning involves swapping the reinforcement of cues or responses, and active avoidance involves performing a response to avoid an aversive outcome, which may conflict with other defensive strategies. We note that each of these phenomena relies on somewhat overlapping neural circuits, suggesting that such circuits may be critical for the general ability to respond appropriately under conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth E Manning
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Suite 223, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, USA; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, MS306, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
| | - Laura A Bradfield
- Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney (St. Vincent's Campus), 405 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia; St. Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney Limited, 405 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.
| | - Mihaela D Iordanova
- Department of Psychology/Centre for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
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143
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Schieweck R, Ninkovic J, Kiebler MA. RNA-binding proteins balance brain function in health and disease. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:1309-1370. [PMID: 33000986 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00047.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttranscriptional gene expression including splicing, RNA transport, translation, and RNA decay provides an important regulatory layer in many if not all molecular pathways. Research in the last decades has positioned RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) right in the center of posttranscriptional gene regulation. Here, we propose interdependent networks of RBPs to regulate complex pathways within the central nervous system (CNS). These are involved in multiple aspects of neuronal development and functioning, including higher cognition. Therefore, it is not sufficient to unravel the individual contribution of a single RBP and its consequences but rather to study and understand the tight interplay between different RBPs. In this review, we summarize recent findings in the field of RBP biology and discuss the complex interplay between different RBPs. Second, we emphasize the underlying dynamics within an RBP network and how this might regulate key processes such as neurogenesis, synaptic transmission, and synaptic plasticity. Importantly, we envision that dysfunction of specific RBPs could lead to perturbation within the RBP network. This would have direct and indirect (compensatory) effects in mRNA binding and translational control leading to global changes in cellular expression programs in general and in synaptic plasticity in particular. Therefore, we focus on RBP dysfunction and how this might cause neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Based on recent findings, we propose that alterations in the entire regulatory RBP network might account for phenotypic dysfunctions observed in complex diseases including neurodegeneration, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rico Schieweck
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Department for Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jovica Ninkovic
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Department for Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Michael A Kiebler
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Department for Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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A New Look at the Role of Mesoamygdaloid Dopamine Neurons in Aversive Conditioning. J Neurosci 2020; 40:7590-7592. [PMID: 32998956 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1483-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Kainate Receptor Auxiliary Subunit NETO2-Related Cued Fear Conditioning Impairments Associate with Defects in Amygdala Development and Excitability. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0541-19.2020. [PMID: 32788298 PMCID: PMC7470932 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0541-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
NETO2 is an auxiliary subunit for kainate-type glutamate receptors that mediate normal cued fear expression and extinction. Since the amygdala is critical for these functions, we asked whether Neto2 -/- mice have compromised amygdala function. We measured the abundance of molecular markers of neuronal maturation and plasticity, parvalbumin-positive (PV+), perineuronal net-positive (PNN+), and double positive (PV+PNN+) cells in the Neto2 -/- amygdala. We found that Neto2 -/- adult, but not postnatal day (P)23, mice had 7.5% reduction in the fraction of PV+PNN+ cells within the total PNN+ population, and 23.1% reduction in PV staining intensity compared with Neto2 +/+ mice, suggesting that PV interneurons in the adult Neto2 -/- amygdala remain in an immature state. An immature PV inhibitory network would be predicted to lead to stronger amygdalar excitation. In the amygdala of adult Neto2 -/- mice, we identified increased glutamatergic and reduced GABAergic transmission using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. This was accompanied by increased spine density of thin dendrites in the basal amygdala (BA) compared with Neto2 +/+ mice, indicating stronger glutamatergic synapses. Moreover, after fear acquisition Neto2 -/- mice had a higher number of c-Fos-positive cells than Neto2 +/+ mice in the lateral amygdala (LA), BA, and central amygdala (CE). Altogether, our findings indicate that Neto2 is involved in the maturation of the amygdala PV interneuron network. Our data suggest that this defect, together with other processes influencing amygdala principal neurons, contribute to increased amygdalar excitability, higher fear expression, and delayed extinction in cued fear conditioning, phenotypes that are common in fear-related disorders, including the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Neurotrophin signalling in amygdala-dependent cued fear learning. Cell Tissue Res 2020; 382:161-172. [PMID: 32845430 PMCID: PMC7529623 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03260-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a central hub for fear learning assessed by Pavlovian fear conditioning. Indeed, the prevailing hypothesis that learning and memory are mediated by changes in synaptic strength was shown most convincingly at thalamic and cortical afferents to the lateral amygdala. The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to regulate synaptic plasticity and memory formation in many areas of the mammalian brain including the amygdala, where BDNF signalling via tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptors is prominently involved in fear learning. This review updates the current understanding of BDNF/TrkB signalling in the amygdala related to fear learning and extinction. In addition, actions of proBDNF/p75NTR and NGF/TrkA as well as NT-3/TrkC signalling in the amygdala are introduced.
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Abstract
Adaptive social behavior and mental well-being depend on not only recognizing emotional expressions but also, inferring the absence of emotion. While the neurobiology underwriting the perception of emotions is well studied, the mechanisms for detecting a lack of emotional content in social signals remain largely unknown. Here, using cutting-edge analyses of effective brain connectivity, we uncover the brain networks differentiating neutral and emotional body language. The data indicate greater activation of the right amygdala and midline cerebellar vermis to nonemotional as opposed to emotional body language. Most important, the effective connectivity between the amygdala and insula predicts people's ability to recognize the absence of emotion. These conclusions extend substantially current concepts of emotion perception by suggesting engagement of limbic effective connectivity in recognizing the lack of emotion in body language reading. Furthermore, the outcome may advance the understanding of overly emotional interpretation of social signals in depression or schizophrenia by providing the missing link between body language reading and limbic pathways. The study thus opens an avenue for multidisciplinary research on social cognition and the underlying cerebrocerebellar networks, ranging from animal models to patients with neuropsychiatric conditions.
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148
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Fear memory is impaired in hypobaric hypoxia: Role of synaptic plasticity and neuro-modulators in limbic region. Life Sci 2020; 254:117555. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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149
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Nikolenko VN, Oganesyan MV, Rizaeva NA, Kudryashova VA, Nikitina AT, Pavliv MP, Shchedrina MA, Giller DB, Bulygin KV, Sinelnikov MY. Amygdala: Neuroanatomical and Morphophysiological Features in Terms of Neurological and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10080502. [PMID: 32751957 PMCID: PMC7465610 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10080502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala is one of the most discussed structures of the brain. Correlations between its level of activity, size, biochemical organization, and various pathologies are the subject of many studies, and can serve as a marker of existing or future disease. It is hypothesized that the amygdala is not just a structural unit, but includes many other regions in the brain. In this review, we present the updated neuroanatomical and physiological aspects of the amygdala, discussing its involvement in neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. The amygdala plays an important role in the processing of input signals and behavioral synthesis. Lesions in the amygdala have been shown to cause neurological disfunction of ranging severity. Abnormality in the amygdala leads to conditions such as depression, anxiety, autism, and also promotes biochemical and physiological imbalance. The amygdala collects pathological proteins, and this fact can be considered to play a big role in the progression and diagnosis of many degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Lewy body diseases, and hippocampal sclerosis. The amygdala has shown to play a crucial role as a central communication system in the brain, therefore understanding its neuroanatomical and physiological features can open a channel for targeted therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N. Nikolenko
- Department of Human Anatomy, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.N.N.); (M.V.O.); (N.A.R.); (V.A.K.); (D.B.G.); (K.V.B.)
- Department of Human Anatomy, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Marine V. Oganesyan
- Department of Human Anatomy, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.N.N.); (M.V.O.); (N.A.R.); (V.A.K.); (D.B.G.); (K.V.B.)
| | - Negoriya A. Rizaeva
- Department of Human Anatomy, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.N.N.); (M.V.O.); (N.A.R.); (V.A.K.); (D.B.G.); (K.V.B.)
| | - Valentina A. Kudryashova
- Department of Human Anatomy, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.N.N.); (M.V.O.); (N.A.R.); (V.A.K.); (D.B.G.); (K.V.B.)
| | - Arina T. Nikitina
- International School “Medicine of Future”, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.T.N.); (M.P.P.)
| | - Maria P. Pavliv
- International School “Medicine of Future”, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (A.T.N.); (M.P.P.)
| | - Marina A. Shchedrina
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Dmitry B. Giller
- Department of Human Anatomy, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.N.N.); (M.V.O.); (N.A.R.); (V.A.K.); (D.B.G.); (K.V.B.)
| | - Kirill V. Bulygin
- Department of Human Anatomy, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.N.N.); (M.V.O.); (N.A.R.); (V.A.K.); (D.B.G.); (K.V.B.)
- Department of Human Anatomy, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail Y. Sinelnikov
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-89199688587
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150
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Jones CE, Wickham PT, Lim MM. Early life sleep disruption is a risk factor for increased ethanol drinking after acute footshock stress in prairie voles. Behav Neurosci 2020; 134:424-434. [PMID: 32700922 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Early postnatal experiences are important for shaping the development of the stress response and may contribute to the later emergence of alcohol use disorders. We have previously found that early life sleep disruption impairs social development and alters GABA neurons in the brain of adult prairie voles, a socially monogamous rodent that displays natural ethanol preference in the laboratory. However, it is unclear whether these effects on social behavior are due, in part, to overall anhedonia and/or altered behavioral response to stress. To address this question, litters containing prairie vole pups were sleep disrupted by gentle cage agitation for 7 consecutive days from postnatal days (P) 14 to 21 (early life sleep disruption, or ELSD group) or allowed to sleep undisturbed (Control). Adult voles underwent a 2-bottle choice ethanol drinking procedure integrated with a single session of footshocks. Ethanol intake after footshock was measured as well as c-Fos immunoreactivity in the lateral and central amygdala. ELSD animals showed increased ethanol consumption and increased neural activity in these amygdala regions after footshock compared to control animals. There were no differences in baseline ethanol drinking prior to exposure to a stressor. These results suggest that early life sleep disruption in prairie voles does not produce anhedonia but can have long-lasting effects on stress reactivity. In addition to shaping species-typical social behavior, early life sleep may be important in the development of stress induced ethanol consumption and the activation of limbic pathways associated with stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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