Serotonin and motor activity

Low-frequency oscillations (<0.3 Hz) in the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the human trapezius muscle during sleep

The surface electromyographic (EMG) signal from right and left trapezius muscles and the heart rate were recorded over 24 h in 27 healthy female subjects. The root-mean-square (RMS) value of the surface EMG signals and the heartbeat interval time series were calculated with a time resolution of 0.2 s. The EMG activity during sleep showed long periods with stable mean amplitude, modulated by rhythmic components in the frequency range 0.05-0.2 Hz. The ratio between the amplitude of the oscillatory components and the mean amplitude of the EMG signal was approximately constant over the range within which the phenomenon was observed, corresponding to a peak-to-peak oscillatory amplitude of approximately 10% of the mean amplitude. The duration of the periods with stable mean amplitude ranged from a few minutes to approximately 1 h, usually interrupted by a sudden change in the activity level or by cessation of the muscle activity. Right and left trapezius muscles presented the same pattern of FM. In supplementary experiments, rhythmic muscle activity pattern was also demonstrated in the upper extremity muscles of deltoid, biceps, and forearm flexor muscles. There was no apparent association between the rhythmic components in the muscle activity pattern and the heart rate variability. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the above-described pattern of EMG activity during sleep is documented. On reanalysis of earlier recorded trapezius motor unit firing pattern in experiments on awake subjects in a situation with mental stress, low-FM of firing with similar frequency content was detected. Possible sources of rhythmic excitation of trapezius motoneurons include slow-wave cortical oscillations represented in descending cortico-spinal pathways, and/or activation by monoaminergic pathways originating in the brain stem reticular formation. The analysis of muscle activity patterns may provide an important new tool to study neural mechanisms in human sleep.

Opponent interactions between serotonin and dopamine

Anatomical and pharmacological evidence suggests that the dorsal raphe serotonin system and the ventral tegmental and substantia nigra dopamine system may act as mutual opponents. In the light of the temporal difference model of the involvement of the dopamine system in reward learning, we consider three aspects of motivational opponency involving dopamine and serotonin. We suggest that a tonic serotonergic signal reports the long-run average reward rate as part of an average-case reinforcement learning model; that a tonic dopaminergic signal reports the long-run average punishment rate in a similar context; and finally speculate that a phasic serotonin signal might report an ongoing prediction error for future punishment.

Effects of norepinephrine and serotonin transporter inhibitors on hyperactivity induced by neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine lesioning in rats

Consistent with their clinical effects in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the stimulants methylphenidate and amphetamine reduce motor hyperactivity in juvenile male rats with neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the forebrain dopamine (DA) system. Since stimulants act on several aminergic neurotransmission systems, we investigated underlying mechanisms involved by comparing behavioral actions of d-methylphenidate, selective inhibitors of the neuronal transport of DA [GBR-12909 (1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-4-[3-phenylpropyl]piperazine dihydrochloride), amfonelic acid], serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), citalopram, fluvoxamine], and norepinephrine (NE; desipramine, nisoxetine) in 6-OHDA lesioned rats. Selective dopamine lesions were made using 6-OHDA (100 microg, intracisternal) on postnatal day (PD) 5 after desipramine pretreatment (25 mg/kg, s.c.) to protect noradrenergic neurons. Rats were given test agents or vehicle, intraperitoneally, before recording motor activity for 90 min at PD 25 in a novel environment. d-Methylphenidate stimulated motor activity in sham controls and antagonized hyperactivity in lesioned rats. Selective DA transport inhibitors GBR-12909 and amfonelic acid greatly stimulated motor activity in sham control subjects, too, but did not antagonize hyperactivity in lesioned rats. In contrast, all selective 5-HT and NE transporter antagonists tested greatly reduced motor hyperactivity in 6-OHDA lesioned rats but did not alter motor activity in sham controls. The findings indicate that behavioral effects of stimulants in young rats with neonatal 6-OHDA lesions may be mediated by release of NE or 5-HT and support interest in using drugs that increase activity of norepinephrine or serotonin to treat ADHD.

Changes in serotonin, serotonin transporter expression and serotonin denervation supersensitivity: involvement in chronic central pain after spinal hemisection in the rat

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in abnormal locomotor and pain syndromes in humans. In a rodent SCI model, T13 unilateral spinal hemisection results in bilateral mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, partly by interruption of tonic descending serotonin (5-HT) inhibition. In the current study, we examined changes in density and distribution of 5-HT and 5-HT(T) in cervical (C8) and lumbar (L5) enlargements after T13 spinal hemisection and studied the effects of intrathecally delivered 5-HT (10, 21, and 63 microg), 5-HT antagonist methysergide (125 microg/kg), and 5-HT reuptake inhibitor fluvoxamine (75 microg/kg) on pain-related behaviors. Thirty-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were spinally hemisected and sacrificed at 3 (n = 20) and 28 (n = 20) days postsurgery for immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and ELISA analysis and compared against sham-operated animals (n = 10). At day 3, C8 5-HT levels were not significantly changed but at L5 there was a significant decrease in ipsilateral 5-HT in laminae I-II followed by incomplete recovery at 28 days postinjury. At both 3 and 28 days postinjury, C8 5-HT(T) levels were not significantly changed, but at L5 there was significant ipsilateral up-regulation of 5-HT(T) in laminae I-II. A second group of animals (n = 30) was hemisected and, starting at 28 days postinjury, behaviorally tested with intrathecal compounds. Increasing doses of 5-HT attenuated both fore- and hindlimb mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, and effects of endogenous 5-HT were attenuated by methysergide and enhanced with fluvoxamine, all without locomotor alterations. Sham controls (n = 10) were unaffected. Thus, permanent changes occur in 5-HT and 5-HT(T) after SCI, denervation 5-HT supersensitivity develops, and modulation of 5-HT attenuates pain-related behaviors. Insight gained by these studies may aid in the understanding of dynamic 5-HT systems which will be useful in treating chronic central pain after SCI.

A single dose of the serotonin neurotransmission agonist paroxetine enhances motor output: double-blind, placebo-controlled, fMRI study in healthy subjects

Since serotonin (5-HT) stimulates motor function, pharmacological potentiation of 5-HT neurotransmission may improve motor function in healthy subjects and, possibly, recovery in post-stroke patients. Indeed, fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), increased activation in executive motor areas of healthy subjects as fenozolone, a releaser of monoamines (including noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin) from intracellular stores. This study is intended to test the hypothesis that paroxetine can likewise modulate brain motor activity in a dose-dependent manner in healthy subjects. In a double-blind counterbalanced study, six subjects underwent functional MRI examinations on three sessions 1 week apart (E1, E2, and E3) at the time of peak plasma concentrations (5 h after drug intake, i.e., either 20 or 60 mg of paroxetine or placebo) with a complex sequential opposition task. Rest and activation alternated in a block design. During activation, subjects performed, with the right hand, a 1-Hz-paced task that alternated two fist closings with a sequential opposition task. Paroxetine elicited effects similar to those reported for fluoxetine; notable changes were hyperactivation in the contralateral S1/M1, and posterior SMA and widespread hypoactivation of basal ganglia and cerebellum. There was an inverse correlation between dose and effect: significantly greater effects were observed with the 20-mg dose compared with 60 mg. Paroxetine dose-dependently modulates activation of the entire motor pathway in a way that favors motor output. Thus, a single dose of the SSRI paroxetine reorganized motor processing.

Psychomotor slowing, neuroendocrine responses, and behavioral changes after oral administration of meta-chlorophenylpiperazine in normal volunteers

The mixed 5-HT receptor agonist/antagonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) is known to suppress locomotor activity in mice and rats. This study aimed: (1) to determine whether mCPP induces cognitive and motor changes in normal human volunteers and how these changes relate to the neuroendocrine effects of mCPP; and (2) to compare these cognitive and motor changes to the known cognitive and motor slowing patterns in depression and schizophrenia. A computerized method (used in previous research) analyzed fine motor behavior during figure-copying tasks. In 14 normal male volunteers behavioral responses, body temperature, plasma levels of prolactin and cortisol, and cognitive and motor performance during figure-copying tasks were measured after a single oral dose of mCPP (0.5 mg/kg). mCPP-induced prolongation of the reaction times in all copying tasks, parallel to increases in cortisol and prolactin and some self-reported behavioral effects. There were no changes in the movement times or the velocities of the writing movements. In conclusion, mCPP induced cognitive, but not motor slowing, in normal male volunteers. This indicates that the human serotonin system is also implicated in psychomotor behavior. This pattern of slowing was different from that in depressed and schizophrenic patients.

Central chemosensitivity, sleep, and wakefulness

Neurons in many regions of the lower brain are chemosensitive in vitro. Focal acidification of these same and other regions in vivo can stimulate breathing indicating the presence of chemoreception. Why are there so many sites for central chemoreception? This review evaluates data obtained from unanesthetized rats at three central chemoreceptor sites, the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), the medullary raphé, and the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and extends ideas concerning two hypotheses, which were recently formulated (Nattie, E., 2000. Respir. Physiol. 122, 223-235). (1) The high overall sensitivity of the respiratory control system in the unanesthetized state to small increases in arterial CO(2) relies on an additive or greater effect of these multiple chemoreceptor sites. (2) Chemoreceptor sites can vary in effectiveness dependent on the state of arousal. These ideas fit into a more speculative and general hypothesis that central chemoreceptors are organized in a hierarchical manner as proposed for temperature sensing and thermoregulation (Satinoff, E., 1978. Science 201, 16-22). The presence of a number of chemosensitive sites with varying thresholds, sensitivity, and arousal dependence provides finely tuned control and stability for breathing.

Serotonergic neuromodulation in the cerebellar cortex: cellular, synaptic, and molecular basis

The cerebellum, like most sensorimotor areas of the brain, receives a serotonergic innervation from neurons of the reticular formation. It is well established that local application of serotonin modulates the firing rate of cerebellar Purkinje cells in vivo and in vitro, but the mechanisms by which serotonin affects the cerebellar function are still poorly understood. Whereas interactions between serotonin, glutamate, and GABA have been reported to increase or decrease the firing frequency of Purkinje cells, there is little evidence for a modulation of excitatory and inhibitory synapses by serotonin in the cerebellar cortex. Changes in the intrinsic electrical properties of Purkinje cells upon application of serotonin have also been reported, but their impact on Purkinje cell firing is unclear. The recent finding that serotonin specifically modulates the activity of Lugaro cells, a class of inhibitory interneurons of the cerebellar cortex, offers new insights on the action of this neuromodulator. The peculiar axonal projection and specific interneuronal targets of the Lugaro cells suggest that the action of serotonin might occur upstream of Purkinje cells through a resetting of the computational properties of the cerebellar cortex. Understanding the mechanisms of the serotonergic modulation of the cerebellar cortex is of clinical relevance, as abnormal serotonin metabolism has been observed in animal models and pathological cases of motor disorders involving the cerebellum, and as chronic intravenous administration of L-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a precursor of serotonin, was the first treatment shown to improve significantly cerebellar symptoms.

CO2 dialysis in the medullary raphe of the rat increases ventilation in sleep

Central chemoreceptors are widespread within the brain stem. We hypothesize that function at different sites varies with arousal state. In unanesthetized rats, we produced focal acidification at single sites by means of microdialysis using artificial cerebrospinal fluid equilibrated with 25% CO2. Tissue acidosis, measured under anesthesia, is equivalent to that observed with 63 Torr end-tidal PCO2 and is limited to 600 microm. Focal acidification of the retrotrapezoid nucleus increased ventilation by 24% only in wakefulness via an increase in tidal volume (Li A, Randall M, and Nattie E. J Appl Physiol 87: 910-919, 1999). In this study of the medullary raphe, the effect of such focal acidification was in sleep (defined by electroencephalographic and electromyographic criteria): ventilation and frequency increased by 15-20% in non-rapid eye movement sleep, and frequency increased by 15% in rapid eye movement sleep. There was no effect in wakefulness. Chemoreception in the medullary raphe appears to be responsive in sleep. Central chemoreceptors at two different locations appear to vary in effectiveness with arousal state.

Activity-dependent regulation of neuronal plasticity and self repair

Plasticity is an essential characteristic of the brain: it is part of how the brain functions and is continuous while the brain interacts with the outer world. The state of activation and the level of activity of the entire organism affect the brain's plastic response. Brain plasticity has many substrates, ranging from synapses to neurites and entire cells. The production of new neurons is part of plasticity even in the adult and old brain, but under normal conditions neurogenesis only occurs in two privileged regions of the adult brain: hippocampus and olfactory system. At least in the hippocampus, physical activity stimulates neurogenesis by acting on the proliferation of neuronal stem cells. More specific functions such as learning may be able to recruit new neurons from the pool of cells with neurogenic potential. In a broader context neuronal stem cells can likely be found throughout the brain. Therefore, novel approaches to neuroregeneration will, when most effective, make use of the activity-related effects on neuronal stem cells in the adult brain to activate these stem cells in a targeted manner to enhance brain function.

Effect of 8-OH DPAT and ketanserin on the ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia in awake goats

We have previously reported that broad-spectrum serotonergic blockade increased the acute hypoxic ventilatory response in awake goats. The purpose of the present study was to examine the putative serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtype(s) that may have contributed to this response. Following the administration of the selective 5-HT(1A)-receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-(2-di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH DPAT, 0.1 mg x kg(-1)i.v.), there was an increase in normoxic expired minute ventilation (V(E)) that was due to an increased breathing frequency. V(E) increased during hypoxia but the change in V(E) (Delta V(E)) associated with hypoxic exposure was not different from the Delta V(E) of saline treated goats. The combination of 8-OH DPAT and a selective 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor antagonist, ketanserin (0.1 and 1.0 mg x kg(-1)i.v., respectively), also increased normoxic V(E) but did not alter the hypoxia induced Delta V(E). Both 8-OH DPAT alone and in combination with ketanserin attenuated the change in V(E) associated with sustained hypoxia but neither was able to attenuate the increased hypoxic ventilatory response that occurs following acclimatization. The augmented acute hypoxic ventilatory response that we previously reported does not appear to be mediated via the activation of the 5-HT(1A) receptor or through the combination of 5-HT(1A) activation and 5-HT(2A/2C) blockade. The results of this study further suggest that while 5-HT may modulate hypoxic ventilation it does not appear to be necessary for the development of ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia.

Evidence for functional compartmentalization of trigeminal muscle spindle afferents during fictive mastication in the rabbit

Primary afferent neurons innervating muscle spindles in jaw-closing muscles have cell bodies in the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus (NVmes) that are electrically coupled and receive synapses. Each stem axon gives rise to a peripheral branch and a descending central branch. It was previously shown that some spikes generated by constant muscle stretch fail to enter the soma during fictive mastication. The present study examines whether the central axon is similarly controlled. These axons were functionally identified in anaesthetized and paralysed rabbits, and tonic afferent firing was elicited by muscle stretch. For the purpose of comparison, responses were recorded extracellularly both from the somatic region and from the central axon in the lateral brainstem. Two types of fictive masticatory movement patterns were induced by repetitive stimulation of the masticatory cortex and monitored from the trigeminal motor nucleus. Field potentials generated by spike-triggered averaging of action potentials from the spindle afferents were employed to determine their postsynaptic effects on jaw-closing motoneurons. Tonic firing of 32% NVmes units was inhibited during the jaw-opening phase, but spike frequency during closing was almost equal to the control rate during both types of fictive mastication. A similar inhibition occurred during opening in 83% of the units recorded along the central branch. However, firing frequency in these was significantly increased during closing in 94%, probably because of the addition of antidromic action potentials generated by presynaptic depolarization of terminals of the central branch. These additional spikes do not reach the soma, but do appear to excite motoneurons. The data also show that the duration and/or frequency of firing during the bursts varied from one pattern of fictive mastication to another. We conclude that the central axons of trigeminal muscle spindle afferents are functionally decoupled from their stem axons during the jaw-closing phase of mastication. During this phase, it appears that antidromic impulses in the central axons provide one of the inputs from the masticatory central pattern generator (CPG) to trigeminal motoneurons.

Serotonin-driven long-range inhibitory connections in the cerebellar cortex

Disturbances of the serotoninergic neuromodulation in the cerebellar cortex have been involved in several types of ataxia, but the physiological action of serotonin in this structure remains poorly understood. We report that in slices of the rat cerebellar vermis, serotonin triggers the firing of an inhibitory interneuron presynaptic to Golgi cells. The Lugaro cell, a neglected interneuronal type, satisfies the expected criteria for this input, whereas basket cells, stellate cells, or Golgi cells do not. Lugaro cells are selectively excited by serotonin, and their firing behavior (sustained steady frequency in the 5-15 Hz range) resembles the pattern of occurrence of serotonin-evoked IPSCs in Golgi cells. Immunohistochemical stainings and single cell reconstructions show that Lugaro cell axons form a parasagittal plexus but also extend long transverse branches that run parallel to the parallel fibers and are partly myelinated. Electrophysiological data suggest that these transverse axons participate in synaptic contacts of the Lugaro cells with Golgi cells, and we calculated that in the intact cerebellum a given Lugaro cell contacts >100 Golgi cells. Serotonin modulation of Lugaro cells may constitute an intracortical switch involved in information patterning at the level of Golgi cells and granule cells populations, and particularly in synchronizations recorded along the transverse axis in vivo.

Paradoxical actions of the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan on the activity of identified serotonergic neurons in a simple motor circuit

Neurotransmitter synthesis is regulated by a variety of factors, yet the effect of altering transmitter content on the operation of neuronal circuits has been relatively unexplored. We used electrophysiological, electrochemical, and immunohistochemical techniques to investigate the effects of augmenting the serotonin (5-HT) content of identified serotonergic neurons embedded in a simple motor circuit. The dorsal swim interneurons (DSIs) are serotonergic neurons intrinsic to the central pattern generator (CPG) for swimming in the mollusc Tritonia diomedea. As expected, treatment with the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) increased the intensity of serotonin immunolabeling and enhanced the potency of synaptic and modulatory actions elicited by the DSIs. It also greatly enhanced the ability of the DSIs to evoke rhythmic CPG activity. After 5-HTP treatment, microvoltammetric measurements indicated an increase in a putative 5-HT electrochemical signal during swim CPG activation. Paradoxically, the spiking activity of the serotonergic neurons decreased to a single burst at the onset of the rhythmic motor program, whereas the overall duration of the episode remained about the same. 5-HTP treatment gradually reduced the rhythmicity of the CPG output. Thus, more serotonin did not result in a more robust swim motor program, suggesting that serotonin synthesis must be kept within certain limits for the circuit to function correctly and indicating that altering neurotransmitter synthesis can have serious consequences for the output of neural networks.

Cerebral functional magnetic resonance imaging activation modulated by a single dose of the monoamine neurotransmission enhancers fluoxetine and fenozolone during hand sensorimotor tasks

Fluoxetine inhibits the reuptake of serotonin, and dextroamphetamine enhances presynaptic release of monoamines. Although the excitatory effect of both noradrenaline and dopamine on motor behavior generally is accepted, the role of serotonin on motor output is under debate. In the current investigation, the authors evidenced a putative role of monoamines and, more specifically, of serotonin in the regulation of cerebral motor activity in healthy subjects. The effects on cerebral motor activity of a single dose of fluoxetine (20 mg), an inhibitor of serotonin reuptake, and fenozolone (20 mg/50 kg), an amphetamine-like drug, were assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Subjects performed sensorimotor tasks with the right hand. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed in two sessions on two different days. The first session, with two scan experiments separated by 5 hours without any drug administration, served as time-effect control. A second, similar session but with drug administration after the first scan assessed drug effects. A large increase in evoked signal intensity occurred in the ipsilateral cerebellum, and a parallel, large reduction occurred in primary and secondary motor cortices (P < 10(-3)). These results are consistent with the known effects of habituation. Both drugs elicited comparable effects, that is, a more focused activation in the contralateral sensorimotor area, a greater involvement of posterior supplementary motor area, and a widespread decrease of bilateral cerebellar activation (P < 10(-3)). The authors demonstrated for the first time that cerebral motor activity can be modulated by a single dose of fluoxetine or fenozolone in healthy subjects. Drug effects demonstrated a direct or indirect involvement of monoamines and serotonin in the facilitation of cerebral motor activity.

Dopaminergic input is required for increases in serotonin output produced by behavioral activation: an in vivo microdialysis study in rat forebrain

Previous research has demonstrated that pharmacological stimulation of postsynaptic dopamine D2 receptors produces increases in serotonin output. The present study explored whether this relationship also holds under physiological conditions. Accordingly, we examined the effects of D2 receptor blockade or unilateral dopamine depletion on behaviorally induced increases in extracellular serotonin levels in the corpus striatum and prefrontal cortex of freely moving rats using in vivo microdialysis. Extracellular levels of dopamine and serotonin, as well as behavioral activity, were increased by both mild tail pinch and the light-dark transition. Tail pinch-induced increases in serotonin levels (39+/-3% and 53+/-5% in the corpus striatum and prefrontal cortex, respectively), but not the accompanying behavioral changes, were blocked by local application of the D2 receptor antagonist raclopride (10 microM). D2 receptor blockade also disrupted the positive relationship between striatal serotonin levels and behavioral activity of animals across the light-dark transition (r=0.93 without raclopride, r=0.24 in presence of raclopride). Unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system also abolished increases in striatal serotonin output induced by both tail pinch and light-dark transition. A negative correlation was observed between the degree of striatal dopamine depletion and tail pinch-induced increases in serotonin efflux (r= - 0.88). Thus, both a local blockade of postsynaptic D2 receptors and striatal dopamine depletion prevented increases in serotonin output that normally accompany behavioral activation. These data indicate that the increases in the forebrain serotonin output produced by two distinct physiological/environmental manipulations appear to be largely dependent upon intact local dopaminergic neurotransmission.

Different proctolin neurons elicit distinct motor patterns from a multifunctional neuronal network

Distinct motor patterns are selected from a multifunctional neuronal network by activation of different modulatory projection neurons. Subsets of these projection neurons can contain the same neuromodulator(s), yet little is known about the relative influence of such neurons on network activity. We have addressed this issue in the stomatogastric nervous system of the crab Cancer borealis. Within this system, there is a neuronal network in the stomatogastric ganglion (STG) that produces many versions of the pyloric and gastric mill rhythms. These different rhythms result from activation of different projection neurons that innervate the STG from neighboring ganglia and modulate STG network activity. Three pairs of these projection neurons contain the neuropeptide proctolin. These include the previously identified modulatory proctolin neuron and modulatory commissural neuron 1 (MCN1) and the newly identified modulatory commissural neuron 7 (MCN7). We document here that each of these neurons contains a unique complement of cotransmitters and that each of these neurons elicits a distinct version of the pyloric motor pattern. Moreover, only one of them (MCN1) also elicits a gastric mill rhythm. The MCN7-elicited pyloric rhythm includes a pivotal switch by one STG network neuron from playing a minor to a major role in motor pattern generation. Therefore, modulatory neurons that share a peptide transmitter can elicit distinct motor patterns from a common target network.

Neurochemistry and defects of biogenic amine neurotransmitter metabolism

The purpose of the current review is to present a brief background examining the mechanisms controlling synthesis, storage, release and action of the biogenic amine neurotransmitters and to provide examples of newly defined conditions that expand our awareness of the diversity and complexity of the inherited diseases that affect these important regulators of central and peripheral homeostasis.

Presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of the disorders of monoamine neurotransmitter metabolism

For many years, all of the described cases of monoamine neurotransmitter deficiency were associated with hyperphenylalaninemia that was generally detected at neonatal screening. It is now clear that inherited deficiency of monoamines often occurs in the absence of hyperphenylalaninemia and that the normal battery of screening tests used to investigate individuals with suspected metabolic disease will not detect these cases. Diagnosis in this situation must rely heavily on clinical suspicion. This article, therefore, describes the presentation and clinical symptoms that result from defective monoamine neurotransmission; outlines therapeutic approaches; and explains how cerebrospinal fluid profiles of monoamine metabolites, their precursors, and the cofactor required for monoamine synthesis can be used to pinpoint the exact site of the metabolic lesion.

Autoinhibition of serotonin cells: an intrinsic regulatory mechanism sensitive to the pattern of usage of the cells

After periods of high-frequency firing, the normal rhythmically active serotonin (5HT)-containing neurosecretory neurons of the lobster ventral nerve cord display a period of suppressed spike generation and reduced synaptic input that we refer to as "autoinhibition." The duration of this autoinhibition is directly related to the magnitude and duration of the current injection triggering the high-frequency firing. More interesting, however, is that the autoinhibition is inversely related to the initial firing frequency of these cells within their normal range of firing (0.5-3 Hz). This allows more active 5HT neurons to resume firing after shorter durations of inhibition than cells that initially fired at slower rates. Although superfused 5HT inhibits the spontaneous firing of these cells, the persistence of autoinhibition in saline with no added calcium, in cadmium-containing saline, and in lobsters depleted of serotonin suggests that intrinsic membrane properties account for the autoinhibition. A similar autoinhibition is seen in spontaneously active octopamine neurons but is absent from spontaneously active gamma-aminobutyric acid cells. Thus, this might be a characteristic feature of amine-containing neurosecretory neurons. The 5HT cells of vertebrate brain nuclei share similarities in firing frequencies, spike shapes, and inhibition by 5HT with the lobster cells that were the focus of this study. However, the mechanism suggested to underlie autoinhibition in vertebrate neurons is that 5HT released from activated or neighboring cells acts back on inhibitory autoreceptors that are found on the dendrites and cell bodies of these neurons.

Decreased neuropeptide content in the spinal cord of aged rats: the effect of GM1 ganglioside

This study investigated the status of substance P (SP), methionine-enkephalin (Met-Enk) and dynorphin A(1-13) (Dyn A) in the spinal cord of aged Sprague-Dawley rats and the effect of GM1 ganglioside on these neuropeptides. SP and Met-Enk, but not Dyn A, were decreased in both dorsal and ventral horns of the aged spinal cord. Treatment with GM1 ganglioside (30 mg/kg i.p., daily for 30 days) restored, in part, the neuropeptide deficits in the ventral horns, but not in the dorsal horns. This information might be important for understanding the sensory and motor deficits associated with ageing, and how the spinal cord neuropeptides might be amplified in the aged spinal cord.