151
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Rowley PA, Guerrero-Gonzalez J, Alexander AL, Yu JPJ. Convergent microstructural brain changes across genetic models of autism spectrum disorder-A pilot study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 283:83-91. [PMID: 30557783 PMCID: PMC6398946 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex and genetically heterogeneous neuropsychiatric disease affecting as many as 1 in 68 children. Large scale genetic sequencing of individuals along the autism spectrum has uncovered several genetic risk factors for ASD; however, understanding how, and to what extent, individual genes contribute to the overall disease phenotype remains unclear. Neuroimaging studies of ASD have revealed a wide spectrum of structural and functional perturbations that are thought to reflect, in part, the complex genetic heterogeneity underpinning ASD. These perturbations, in both preclinical models and clinical patients, were identified in preclinical genetic models and ASD patients when compared to control populations; however, few studies have directly explored intrinsic differences between the models themselves. To better understand the degree and extent to which individual genes associated with ASD differ in their contribution to global measures of white matter microstructure, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was acquired from three novel rat genetic models of ASD (Fmr1, Nrxn1, and Pten) and DTI parameters of fractional anisotropy, mean, axial, and radial diffusivity were measured. Subsequent whole-brain voxel-wise analysis comparing each genetic model to each other (Fmr1:Nrxn1; Fmr1:Pten; Nrxn1:Pten) identified no significant differences in any comparison for all diffusion parameters assessed (FA, AD, MD, RD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Rowley
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Jose Guerrero-Gonzalez
- Department of Medical Physics, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- Department of Medical Physics, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - John-Paul J Yu
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706 USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705 USA.
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152
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Ford TC, Abu-Akel A, Crewther DP. The association of excitation and inhibition signaling with the relative symptom expression of autism and psychosis-proneness: Implications for psychopharmacology. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 88:235-242. [PMID: 30075170 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The underlying mechanisms of autism and schizophrenia are poorly understood, partly due to a lack of dimension-specific research. Aberrant excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission are implicated in both conditions, particularly in social dysfunction. This study investigates the extent to which the degree of autistic tendency and psychosis-proneness exclusively and interactively predict excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter concentrations in the superior temporal cortex (STC). In 38 adults (18 male, 18-40 years), we obtained autistic tendencies (Autism-Spectrum Quotient [AQ]) and psychosis-proneness scores (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire [PP]); magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) quantified glutamate and GABA+ concentrations from the STC. Results demonstrated a negative AQ/PP interaction with glutamate concentration for the left STC voxel, where PP increased with glutamate for average AQ, while AQ decreased with glutamate for average-high PP. There was a negative AQ/PP interaction with glutamate/GABA+ ratio for the right STC, AQ increasing with glutamate/GABA+ for low-average PP, while PP decreased with glutamate/GABA+ for high AQ. Consistent with animal studies, we also reveal that overall reduced glutamate/GABA+ ratio might be precipitated by increased right hemisphere GABA+ concentrations. These findings illustrate the importance of considering the concurrent effects of autism and psychosis dimensions on understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in either condition, and can advance psychopharmacological research into better treatment options for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talitha C Ford
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Ahmad Abu-Akel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David P Crewther
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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153
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Rubinow DR, Schmidt PJ. Is there a role for reproductive steroids in the etiology and treatment of affective disorders? DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018. [PMID: 30581288 PMCID: PMC6296393 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2018.20.3/drubinow] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A variety of hormones have been shown to play a role in affective disorders. Reproductive steroids are particularly informative in our efforts to understand the pathophysiology of affective dysregulation for several reasons: i) Reproductive endocrine-related mood disorders (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression, perimenopausal depression) are wonderful clinical models for investigating the mechanisms by which affective state changes occur; ii) Reproductive steroids regulate virtually every system that has been implicated as disturbed in the ontogeny of affective disorders; iii) Despite the absence of a reproductive endocrinopathy a triggering role in the affective disturbance of reproductive mood disorders has been shown clearly for changes in reproductive steroids. The existing data, therefore, support a differential sensitivity to reproductive steroids in reproductive mood disorders such that an abnormal affective state is precipitated by normal changes in reproductive steroids. The therapeutic implications of these findings for affective illness are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Rubinow
- Author affiliations: Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Peter J Schmidt
- Behavioral Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Magnuson Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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154
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Abstract
The spatial context in which we view a visual stimulus strongly determines how we perceive the stimulus. In the visual tilt illusion, the perceived orientation of a visual grating is affected by the orientation signals in its surrounding context. Conceivably, the spatial context in which a visual grating is perceived can be defined by interactive multisensory information rather than visual signals alone. Here, we tested the hypothesis that tactile signals engage the neural mechanisms supporting visual contextual modulation. Because tactile signals also convey orientation information and touch can selectively interact with visual orientation perception, we predicted that tactile signals would modulate the visual tilt illusion. We applied a bias-free method to measure the tilt illusion while testing visual-only, tactile-only or visuo-tactile contextual surrounds. We found that a tactile context can influence visual tilt perception. Moreover, combining visual and tactile orientation information in the surround results in a larger tilt illusion relative to the illusion achieved with the visual-only surround. These results demonstrate that the visual tilt illusion is subject to multisensory influences and imply that non-visual signals access the neural circuits whose computations underlie the contextual modulation of vision.
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155
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Rubinow DR. Is there a role for reproductive steroids in the etiology and treatment of affective disorders? DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 20:187-196. [PMID: 30581288 PMCID: PMC6296393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
A variety of hormones have been shown to play a role in affective disorders. Reproductive steroids are particularly informative in our efforts to understand the pathophysiology of affective dysregulation for several reasons: i) Reproductive endocrine-related mood disorders (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression, perimenopausal depression) are wonderful clinical models for investigating the mechanisms by which affective state changes occur; ii) Reproductive steroids regulate virtually every system that has been implicated as disturbed in the ontogeny of affective disorders; iii) Despite the absence of a reproductive endocrinopathy a triggering role in the affective disturbance of reproductive mood disorders has been shown clearly for changes in reproductive steroids. The existing data, therefore, support a differential sensitivity to reproductive steroids in reproductive mood disorders such that an abnormal affective state is precipitated by normal changes in reproductive steroids. The therapeutic implications of these findings for affective illness are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R. Rubinow
- Author affiliations: Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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156
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Abstract
Evidence from both preclinical and clinical studies suggest the importance of zinc homeostasis in seizures/epilepsy. Undoubtedly, zinc, via modulation of a variety of targets, is necessary for maintaining the balance between neuronal excitation and inhibition, while an imbalance between excitation and inhibition underlies seizures. However, the relationship between zinc signaling and seizures/epilepsy is complex as both extracellular and intracellular zinc may produce either protective or detrimental effects. This review provides an overview of preclinical/behavioral, functional and molecular studies, as well as clinical data on the involvement of zinc in the pathophysiology and treatment of seizures/epilepsy. Furthermore, the potential of targeting elements associated with zinc signaling or homeostasis and zinc levels as a therapeutic strategy for epilepsy is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula Doboszewska
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Młyniec
- Department of Pharmacobiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Wlaź
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Ewa Poleszak
- Department of Applied Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Gabriel Nowak
- Department of Pharmacobiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland; Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Wlaź
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
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157
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Cheng CM, Chang WH, Chen MH, Tsai CF, Su TP, Li CT, Tsai SJ, Hsu JW, Huang KL, Lin WC, Chen TJ, Bai YM. Co-aggregation of major psychiatric disorders in individuals with first-degree relatives with schizophrenia: a nationwide population-based study. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1756-1763. [PMID: 29112198 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A previous genetic study has suggested that schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) share common disease-associated genes. However, whether individuals with first-degree relatives (FDRs) with schizophrenia have a higher risk of these major psychiatric disorders requires further investigation. This study used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database and identified 151 650 patients with schizophrenia and 227 967 individuals with FDRs with schizophrenia. The relative risks (RRs) of schizophrenia and other major psychiatric disorders were assessed in individuals with FDRs with schizophrenia. The individuals with FDRs with schizophrenia exhibited higher RRs (95% confidence interval) of major psychiatric disorders, namely schizophrenia (4.76, 4.65-4.88), bipolar disorder (3.23, 3.12-3.35), major depressive disorder (2.05, 2.00-2.10), ASD (2.55, 2.35-2.77) and ADHD (1.31, 1.25-1.37) than were found in the total population. Several sensitivity analyses were conducted to confirm these results. A dose-dependent relationship was observed between the risks of major psychiatric disorders and the numbers of FDRs with schizophrenia. The increased risks of major psychiatric disorders were consistent in different family relationships, namely among parents, offspring, siblings and twins. Our study supports the familial dose-dependent co-aggregation of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, ASD and ADHD, and our results may prompt governmental public health departments and psychiatrists to focus on the mental health of individuals with FDRs with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- C-M Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - W-H Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Statistics National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - M-H Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - C-F Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - T-P Su
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - C-T Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - S-J Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - J-W Hsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - K-L Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - W-C Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - T-J Chen
- Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Y-M Bai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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158
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Alterations in interhemispheric gamma-band connectivity are related to the emergence of auditory verbal hallucinations in healthy subjects during NMDA-receptor blockade. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1608-1615. [PMID: 29453445 PMCID: PMC5983549 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0014-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are a common positive symptom of schizophrenia. Excitatory-to-inhibitory (E/I) imbalance related to disturbed N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) functioning has been suggested as a possible mechanism underlying altered connectivity and AVH in schizophrenia. The current study examined the effects of ketamine, a NMDAR antagonist, on glutamate-related mechanisms underlying interhemispheric gamma-band connectivity, conscious auditory perception during dichotic listening (DL), and the emergence of auditory verbal distortions and hallucinations (AVD/AVH) in healthy volunteers. In a single-blind, pseudo-randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design, nineteen male, right-handed volunteers were measured using 64 channel electroencephalography (EEG). Psychopathology was assessed with the PANSS interview and the 5D-ASC questionnaire, including a subscale to detect auditory alterations with regard to AVD/AVH (AUA-AVD/AVH). Interhemispheric connectivity analysis was performed using eLORETA source estimation and lagged phase synchronization (LPS) in the gamma-band range (30-100 Hz). Ketamine induced positive symptoms such as hallucinations in a subgroup of healthy subjects. In addition, interhemispheric gamma-band connectivity was found to be altered under ketamine compared to placebo, and subjects with AUA-AVD/AVH under ketamine showed significantly higher interhemispheric gamma-band connectivity than subjects without AUA-AVD/AVH. These findings demonstrate a relationship between NMDAR functioning, interhemispheric connectivity in the gamma-band frequency range between bilateral auditory cortices and the emergence of AVD/AVH in healthy subjects. The result is in accordance with the interhemispheric miscommunication hypothesis of AVH and argues for a possible role of glutamate in AVH in schizophrenia.
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159
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Ferguson BR, Gao WJ. PV Interneurons: Critical Regulators of E/I Balance for Prefrontal Cortex-Dependent Behavior and Psychiatric Disorders. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:37. [PMID: 29867371 PMCID: PMC5964203 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 334] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the prefrontal cortical microcircuit has been challenging, given its role in multiple complex behaviors, including working memory, cognitive flexibility, attention, social interaction and emotional regulation. Additionally, previous methodological limitations made it difficult to parse out the contribution of certain neuronal subpopulations in refining cortical representations. However, growing evidence supports a fundamental role of fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV) GABAergic interneurons in regulating pyramidal neuron activity to drive appropriate behavioral responses. Further, their function is heavily diminished in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in numerous psychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia and autism. Previous research has demonstrated the importance of the optimal balance of excitation and inhibition (E/I) in cortical circuits in maintaining the efficiency of cortical information processing. Although we are still unraveling the mechanisms of information representation in the PFC, the E/I balance seems to be crucial, as pharmacological, chemogenetic and optogenetic approaches for disrupting E/I balance induce impairments in a range of PFC-dependent behaviors. In this review, we will explore two key hypotheses. First, PV interneurons are powerful regulators of E/I balance in the PFC, and help optimize the representation and processing of supramodal information in PFC. Second, diminishing the function of PV interneurons is sufficient to generate an elaborate symptom sequelae corresponding to those observed in a range of psychiatric diseases. Then, using this framework, we will speculate on whether this circuitry could represent a platform for the development of therapeutic interventions in disorders of PFC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brielle R Ferguson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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160
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Sakimura K, Maekawa T, Sasagawa K, Ishii Y, Kume SI, Ohta T. Depression-related behavioural and neuroendocrine changes in the Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rat, an animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2018; 45:927-933. [PMID: 29757463 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.12965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric diseases and is commonly comorbid with type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). However, the pathophysiology underlying the depressive state in DM remains poorly understood. Animal models are useful tools to investigate the association between depression and DM. In the present study we investigated whether the Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rat, a novel animal model of type 2 DM, shows depression-related features. We assessed depression-like behaviour, hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Behaviour was evaluated using a forced swimming test, and the HPA axis was evaluated with changes in plasma corticosterone levels after a swimming stress exposure or dexamethasone challenge. In addition, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), noradrenaline, glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations in the frontal cortex, hippocampus and brain stem were measured. In the forced swimming test, SDT fatty rats exhibited increased duration of immobility compared with control Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Moreover, basal corticosterone levels were significantly elevated in SDT fatty compared with control SD rats. However, there were no stress-induced increases or changes in dexamethasone-induced suppression of corticosterone in SDT fatty compared with control SD rats. Furthermore, there were significant changes in 5-HT concentrations in the prefrontal cortex, and in GABA and glutamate concentrations in the hippocampus in SDT fatty compared with controls. The results of the present study suggest that the SDT fatty rat may be an appropriate model for diabetes with comorbid depression associated with neurotransmitter impairments and aberrant basal HPA hyperactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuya Sakimura
- Biological/Pharmacological Research Laboratories, Central Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Japan Tobacco Inc., Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Maekawa
- Biological/Pharmacological Research Laboratories, Central Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Japan Tobacco Inc., Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuo Sasagawa
- Biological/Pharmacological Research Laboratories, Central Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Japan Tobacco Inc., Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yukihito Ishii
- Biological/Pharmacological Research Laboratories, Central Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Japan Tobacco Inc., Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Kume
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Functional Anatomy, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ohta
- Biological/Pharmacological Research Laboratories, Central Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Japan Tobacco Inc., Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
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161
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Wu M, Tian HL, Liu X, Lai JHC, Du S, Xia J. Impairment of Inhibitory Synapse Formation and Motor Behavior in Mice Lacking the NL2 Binding Partner LHFPL4/GARLH4. Cell Rep 2018; 23:1691-1705. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
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162
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Khlghatyan J, Evstratova A, Chamberland S, Marakhovskaia A, Bahremand A, Toth K, Beaulieu JM. Mental Illnesses-Associated Fxr1 and Its Negative Regulator Gsk3β Are Modulators of Anxiety and Glutamatergic Neurotransmission. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:119. [PMID: 29706865 PMCID: PMC5906571 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic variants of the fragile X mental retardation syndrome-related protein 1 (FXR1) have been associated to mood regulation, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders. Nonetheless, genetic association does not indicate a functional link of a given gene to neuronal activity and associated behaviors. In addition, interaction between multiple genes is often needed to sculpt complex traits such as behavior. Thus, modulation of neuronal functions by a given gene product, such as Fxr1, has to be thoroughly studied in the context of its interactions with other gene products. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β) is a shared target of several psychoactive drugs. In addition, interaction between functional polymorphisms of GSK3b and FXR1 has been implicated in mood regulation in healthy subjects and bipolar patients. However, the mechanistic underpinnings of this interaction remain unknown. We used somatic CRISPR/Cas9 mediated knockout and overexpression to investigate the impact of Fxr1 and its regulator Gsk3β on neuronal functions directly in the adult mouse brain. Suppression of Gsk3β or increase of Fxr1 expression in medial prefrontal cortex neurons leads to anxiolytic-like responses associated with a decrease in AMPA mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents. Furthermore, Fxr1 and Gsk3β modulate glutamatergic neurotransmission via regulation of AMPA receptor subunits GluA1 and GluA2 as well as vesicular glutamate transporter VGlut1. These results underscore a potential mechanism underlying the action of Fxr1 on neuronal activity and behaviors. Association between the Gsk3β-Fxr1 pathway and glutamatergic signaling also suggests how it may contribute to emotional regulation in response to mood stabilizers, or in illnesses like mood disorders and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jivan Khlghatyan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Alesya Evstratova
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Simon Chamberland
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | | | - Arash Bahremand
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Katalin Toth
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Martin Beaulieu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
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163
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Popova P, Rockstroh B, Miller GA, Wienbruch C, Carolus AM, Popov T. The impact of cognitive training on spontaneous gamma oscillations in schizophrenia. Psychophysiology 2018; 55:e13083. [PMID: 29624694 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia patients exhibit less gamma-frequency EEG/MEG activity (>30 Hz), a finding interpreted as evidence of poor temporal neural organization and functional network communication. Research has shown that neuroplasticity-oriented training can improve task-related oscillatory dynamics, indicating some reorganization capacity in schizophrenia. Demonstrating a generalization of such task training effects to spontaneous oscillations at rest would not only enrich understanding of this neuroplastic potential but inform the interpretation of spontaneous gamma oscillations in the service of normal cognitive function. In the present study, neuromagnetic resting-state oscillatory brain activity and cognitive performance were assessed before and after training in 61 schizophrenia patients, who were randomly assigned to 4 weeks of neuroplasticity-oriented targeted cognitive training or treatment as usual (TAU). Gamma power of 40-90 Hz increased after training, but not after TAU, in a frontoparietal network. Across two types of training, this increase was related to improved cognitive test performance. These results indicate that abnormal oscillatory dynamics in schizophrenia patients manifested in spontaneous gamma activity can be changed with neuroplasticity-oriented training parallel to cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petia Popova
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Gregory A Miller
- Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Almut M Carolus
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tzvetan Popov
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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164
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Koh MT, Shao Y, Rosenzweig-Lipson S, Gallagher M. Treatment with levetiracetam improves cognition in a ketamine rat model of schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2018; 193. [PMID: 28634087 PMCID: PMC5733713 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Imbalance in neural excitation and inhibition is associated with behavioral dysfunction in individuals with schizophrenia and at risk for this illness. We examined whether targeting increased neural activity with the antiepileptic agent, levetiracetam, would benefit memory performance in a preclinical model of schizophrenia that has been shown to exhibit hyperactivity in the hippocampus. Adult rats exposed to ketamine subchronically during late adolescence showed impaired hippocampal-dependent memory performance. Treatment with levetiracetam dose-dependently improved memory performance of the ketamine-exposed rats. In contrast, the antipsychotic medication risperidone was not effective in this assessment. Levetiracetam remained effective when administered concurrently with risperidone, supporting potential viability of adjunctive therapy with levetiracetam to treat cognitive deficits in schizophrenia patients under concurrent antipsychotic therapy. In addition to its pro-cognitive effect, levetiracetam was also effective in attenuating amphetamine-induced augmentation of locomotor activity, compatible with the need for therapeutic treatment of positive symptoms in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Teng Koh
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
| | - Yi Shao
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
| | | | - Michela Gallagher
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA,AgeneBio, Inc, 1101 E. 33rd Street, Suite C310, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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165
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Golden CE, Buxbaum JD, De Rubeis S. Disrupted circuits in mouse models of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 48:106-112. [PMID: 29222989 PMCID: PMC5825272 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) are caused by a wide range of genetic mutations, a significant fraction of which reside in genes important for synaptic function. Studies have found that sensory, prefrontal, hippocampal, cerebellar, and striatal regions, as well as the circuits that connect them, are perturbed in mouse models of ASD and ID. Dissecting the disruptions in morphology and activity in these neural circuits might help us to understand the shared risk between the two disorders as well as their clinical heterogeneity. Treatments that target the balance between excitation and inhibition in these regions are able to reverse pathological phenotypes, elucidating this deficit as a commonality across models and opening new avenues for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Em Golden
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029 NY, USA.
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166
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Hippocampal GABA A antagonism reverses the novel object recognition deficit in sub-chronic phencyclidine-treated rats. Behav Brain Res 2017; 342:11-18. [PMID: 29289597 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormalities in prefrontal cortical and hippocampal GABAergic function are postulated to be major causes of the cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). There are conflicting views on whether diminished or enhanced GABAergic activity contributes to the deficit in short-term novel object recognition (NOR) in the sub-chronic phencyclidine (scPCP) rodent model of CIAS. This study assessed the role of GABAA signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ventral hippocampus (vHPC) in NOR in saline (scSAL)- and scPCP-treated rats. METHODS The effects of local administration of a GABAA agonist (muscimol) into the vHPC or mPFC and an antagonist (bicuculline) or a GABAA/benzodiazepine partial agonist (bretazenil) into the vHPC on NOR in scSAL and scPCP-treated rats were determined. RESULTS In scSAL-treated rats, injection of muscimol into the vHPC, but not mPFC, induced a deficit in NOR. The scPCP-induced NOR deficit was significantly reversed by intra-vHPC bicuculline, while intra-vHPC bretazenil produced a non-significant trend for reversal (p = .06). scPCP treatment increased mRNA expression of GABAA γ2 in PFC and GABAA α5 and GABAA β1 in the HPC. However, GABA concentration in the PFC or HPC was not altered. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that the scPCP-induced NOR deficit can be rescued by reducing GABAA receptor stimulation in vHPC, indicating that increased vHPC GABAA inhibition may contribute to the scPCP-induced NOR deficit in rats. These results also indicate that excessive GABAA receptor signalling in the vHPC has a deleterious effect on NOR in normal rats.
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167
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NLGN1 and NLGN2 in the prefrontal cortex: their role in memory consolidation and strengthening. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 48:122-130. [PMID: 29278843 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critical for memory formation, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Clinical and animal model studies have shown that changes in PFC excitation and inhibition are important for cognitive functions as well as related disorders. Here, we discuss recent findings revealing the roles of the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic proteins neuroligin 1 (NLGN1) and NLGN2 in the PFC in memory formation and modulation of memory strength. We propose that shifts in NLGN1 and NLGN2 expression in specific excitatory and inhibitory neuronal subpopulations in response to experience regulate the dynamic processes of memory consolidation and strengthening. Because excitatory/inhibitory imbalances accompany neuropsychiatric disorders in which strength and flexibility of representations play important roles, understanding these mechanisms may suggest novel therapies.
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168
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Nguyen HT, Bryois J, Kim A, Dobbyn A, Huckins LM, Munoz-Manchado AB, Ruderfer DM, Genovese G, Fromer M, Xu X, Pinto D, Linnarsson S, Verhage M, Smit AB, Hjerling-Leffler J, Buxbaum JD, Hultman C, Sklar P, Purcell SM, Lage K, He X, Sullivan PF, Stahl EA. Integrated Bayesian analysis of rare exonic variants to identify risk genes for schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders. Genome Med 2017; 9:114. [PMID: 29262854 PMCID: PMC5738153 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-017-0497-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Integrating rare variation from trio family and case-control studies has successfully implicated specific genes contributing to risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) including autism spectrum disorders (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), developmental disorders (DDs), and epilepsy (EPI). For schizophrenia (SCZ), however, while sets of genes have been implicated through the study of rare variation, only two risk genes have been identified. METHODS We used hierarchical Bayesian modeling of rare-variant genetic architecture to estimate mean effect sizes and risk-gene proportions, analyzing the largest available collection of whole exome sequence data for SCZ (1,077 trios, 6,699 cases, and 13,028 controls), and data for four NDDs (ASD, ID, DD, and EPI; total 10,792 trios, and 4,058 cases and controls). RESULTS For SCZ, we estimate there are 1,551 risk genes. There are more risk genes and they have weaker effects than for NDDs. We provide power analyses to predict the number of risk-gene discoveries as more data become available. We confirm and augment prior risk gene and gene set enrichment results for SCZ and NDDs. In particular, we detected 98 new DD risk genes at FDR < 0.05. Correlations of risk-gene posterior probabilities are high across four NDDs (ρ>0.55), but low between SCZ and the NDDs (ρ<0.3). An in-depth analysis of 288 NDD genes shows there is highly significant protein-protein interaction (PPI) network connectivity, and functionally distinct PPI subnetworks based on pathway enrichment, single-cell RNA-seq cell types, and multi-region developmental brain RNA-seq. CONCLUSIONS We have extended a pipeline used in ASD studies and applied it to infer rare genetic parameters for SCZ and four NDDs ( https://github.com/hoangtn/extTADA ). We find many new DD risk genes, supported by gene set enrichment and PPI network connectivity analyses. We find greater similarity among NDDs than between NDDs and SCZ. NDD gene subnetworks are implicated in postnatally expressed presynaptic and postsynaptic genes, and for transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation in prenatal neural progenitor and stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoang T. Nguyen
- Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
| | - Julien Bryois
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - April Kim
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, 02114 MA USA
| | - Amanda Dobbyn
- Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
- Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
| | - Laura M. Huckins
- Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
| | - Ana B. Munoz-Manchado
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-17177 Sweden
| | - Douglas M. Ruderfer
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Departments of Medicine, Psychiatry and Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, 37235 TN USA
| | - Giulio Genovese
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
| | - Menachem Fromer
- Verily Life Sciences, 269 E Grand Ave, South San Francisco, 94080 CA USA
| | - Xinyi Xu
- Seaver Autism Center, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
| | - Dalila Pinto
- Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
- Seaver Autism Center, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
- The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
| | - Sten Linnarsson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-17177 Sweden
| | - Matthijs Verhage
- Department of Functional Genomics, The Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University and VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - August B. Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, The Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jens Hjerling-Leffler
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-17177 Sweden
| | - Joseph D. Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
| | - Christina Hultman
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pamela Sklar
- Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
| | - Shaun M. Purcell
- Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
- Sleep Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts USA
| | - Kasper Lage
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, 02114 MA USA
| | - Xin He
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637 IL USA
| | - Patrick F. Sullivan
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Departments of Genetics and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 27599-7264 North Carolina USA
| | - Eli A. Stahl
- Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029 NY USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
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169
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Gonçalves J, Violante IR, Sereno J, Leitão RA, Cai Y, Abrunhosa A, Silva AP, Silva AJ, Castelo-Branco M. Testing the excitation/inhibition imbalance hypothesis in a mouse model of the autism spectrum disorder: in vivo neurospectroscopy and molecular evidence for regional phenotypes. Mol Autism 2017; 8:47. [PMID: 28932379 PMCID: PMC5605987 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0166-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance remains a widely discussed hypothesis in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The presence of such an imbalance may potentially define a therapeutic target for the treatment of cognitive disabilities related to this pathology. Consequently, the study of monogenic disorders related to autism, such as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), represents a promising approach to isolate mechanisms underlying ASD-related cognitive disabilities. However, the NF1 mouse model showed increased γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission, whereas the human disease showed reduced cortical GABA levels. It is therefore important to clarify whether the E/I imbalance hypothesis holds true. We hypothesize that E/I may depend on distinct pre- and postsynaptic push-pull mechanisms that might be are region-dependent. Methods In current study, we assessed two critical components of E/I regulation: the concentration of neurotransmitters and levels of GABA(A) receptors. Measurements were performed across the hippocampi, striatum, and prefrontal cortices by combined in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and molecular approaches in this ASD-related animal model, the Nf1+/− mouse. Results Cortical and striatal GABA/glutamate ratios were increased. At the postsynaptic level, very high receptor GABA(A) receptor expression was found in hippocampus, disproportionately to the small reduction in GABA levels. Gabaergic tone (either by receptor levels change or GABA/glutamate ratios) seemed therefore to be enhanced in all regions, although by a different mechanism. Conclusions Our data provides support for the hypothesis of E/I imbalance in NF1 while showing that pre- and postsynaptic changes are region-specific. All these findings are consistent with our previous physiological evidence of increased inhibitory tone. Such heterogeneity suggests that therapeutic approaches to address neurochemical imbalance in ASD may need to focus on targets where convergent physiological mechanisms can be found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Gonçalves
- CiBIT, Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI) Research Unit, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Inês R Violante
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - José Sereno
- CiBIT, Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI) Research Unit, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ricardo A Leitão
- Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI) Research Unit, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Laboratory of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ying Cai
- Department of Neurobiology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Antero Abrunhosa
- CiBIT, Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI) Research Unit, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Paula Silva
- Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI) Research Unit, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Laboratory of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Department of Neurobiology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- CiBIT, Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI) Research Unit, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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170
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Failla MD, Peters BR, Karbasforoushan H, Foss-Feig JH, Schauder KB, Heflin BH, Cascio CJ. Intrainsular connectivity and somatosensory responsiveness in young children with ASD. Mol Autism 2017; 8:25. [PMID: 28630661 PMCID: PMC5470196 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0143-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The human somatosensory system comprises dissociable paths for discriminative and affective touch, reflected in separate peripheral afferent populations and distinct cortical targets. Differences in behavioral and neural responses to affective touch may have an important developmental role in early social experiences, which are relevant for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS Using probabilistic tractography, we compared the structural integrity of white matter pathways for discriminative and affective touch in young children with ASD and their typically developing (TD) peers. We examined two tracts: (1) a tract linking the thalamus with the primary somatosensory cortex, which carries discriminative tactile information, and (2) a tract linking the posterior insula-the cortical projection target of unmyelinated tactile afferents mediating affective touch-with the anterior insula, which integrates sensory and visceral inputs to interpret emotional salience of sensory stimuli. We investigated associations between tract integrity and performance on a standardized observational assessment measuring tactile discrimination and affective responses to touch. RESULTS Both the thalamocortical and intrainsular tracts showed reduced integrity (higher mean diffusivity) in the ASD group compared to those in the TD group. Consistent with the previous findings, the ASD group exhibited impaired tactile discriminative ability, more tactile defensiveness, and more sensory seeking (e.g., enthusiastic play or repetitive engagement with a specific tactile stimulus). There was a significant relation between intrainsular tract integrity and tactile seeking. The direction of this relation differed between groups: higher intrainsular mean diffusivity (MD) (reflecting decreased tract integrity) was associated with increased tactile seeking in the TD group but with decreased tactile seeking in the ASD group. In the TD group, decreased tactile defensiveness was also associated with higher intrainsular MD, but there was no relation in the ASD group. Discriminative touch was not significantly associated with integrity of either tract in either group. CONCLUSIONS These results support previous findings suggesting a central role for the insula in affective response to touch. While both discriminative and affective touch and both somatosensory tracts are affected in ASD, the restriction of brain-behavior associations to the intrainsular tract and tactile seeking suggests more complex and perhaps higher-order influence on differences in tactile defensiveness and discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle D. Failla
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212 USA
| | | | - Haleh Karbasforoushan
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience (NUIN) PhD Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Jennifer H. Foss-Feig
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | | | - Brynna H. Heflin
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212 USA
| | - Carissa J. Cascio
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212 USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, TN 37203 USA
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171
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Anticevic A, Murray JD. Rebalancing Altered Computations: Considering the Role of Neural Excitation and Inhibition Balance Across the Psychiatric Spectrum. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:816-817. [PMID: 28434614 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut.
| | - John D Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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