201
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Hoffman AN, Lam J, Hovda DA, Giza CC, Fanselow MS. Sensory sensitivity as a link between concussive traumatic brain injury and PTSD. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13841. [PMID: 31554865 PMCID: PMC6761112 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50312-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common injuries to military personnel, a population often exposed to stressful stimuli and emotional trauma. Changes in sensory processing after TBI might contribute to TBI-post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comorbidity. Combining an animal model of TBI with an animal model of emotional trauma, we reveal an interaction between auditory sensitivity after TBI and fear conditioning where 75 dB white noise alone evokes a phonophobia-like phenotype and when paired with footshocks, fear is robustly enhanced. TBI reduced neuronal activity in the hippocampus but increased activity in the ipsilateral lateral amygdala (LA) when exposed to white noise. The white noise effect in LA was driven by increased activity in neurons projecting from ipsilateral auditory thalamus (medial geniculate nucleus). These data suggest that altered sensory processing within subcortical sensory-emotional circuitry after TBI results in neutral stimuli adopting aversive properties with a corresponding impact on facilitating trauma memories and may contribute to TBI-PTSD comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann N Hoffman
- UCLA, Neurosurgery; Brain Injury Research Center, Los Angeles, USA.
- UCLA, Psychology, Los Angeles, USA.
- UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Los Angeles, USA.
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Life Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA.
| | | | - David A Hovda
- UCLA, Neurosurgery; Brain Injury Research Center, Los Angeles, USA
- UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Los Angeles, USA
- UCLA, Medical and Molecular Pharmacology, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Christopher C Giza
- UCLA, Neurosurgery; Brain Injury Research Center, Los Angeles, USA
- UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Los Angeles, USA
- UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Michael S Fanselow
- UCLA, Psychology, Los Angeles, USA
- UCLA, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, USA
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Life Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
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202
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Dedic N, Kühne C, Gomes KS, Hartmann J, Ressler KJ, Schmidt MV, Deussing JM. Deletion of CRH From GABAergic Forebrain Neurons Promotes Stress Resilience and Dampens Stress-Induced Changes in Neuronal Activity. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:986. [PMID: 31619956 PMCID: PMC6763571 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system has been implicated in stress-related psychopathologies such as depression and anxiety. Although most studies have linked CRH/CRH receptor 1 signaling to aversive, stress-like behavior, recent work has revealed a crucial role for distinct CRH circuits in maintaining positive emotional valence and appetitive responses under baseline conditions. Here we addressed whether deletion of CRH, specifically from GABAergic forebrain neurons (Crh CKO-GABA mice) differentially affects general behavior under baseline and chronic stress conditions. Expression mapping in Crh CK O-GABA mice revealed absence of Crh in GABAergic neurons of the cortex and limbic regions including the hippocampus, central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminals, but not in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus. Consequently, conditional CRH knockout animals exhibited no alterations in circadian and stress-induced corticosterone release compared to controls. Under baseline conditions, absence of Crh from forebrain GABAergic neurons resulted in social interaction deficits but had no effect on other behavioral measures including locomotion, anxiety, immobility in the forced swim test, acoustic startle response and fear conditioning. Interestingly, following exposure to chronic social defeat stress, Crh CKO-GABA mice displayed a resilient phenotype, which was accompanied by a dampened, stress-induced expression of immediate early genes c-fos and zif268 in several brain regions. Collectively our data reveals the requirement of GABAergic CRH circuits in maintaining appropriate social behavior in naïve animals and further supports the ability of CRH to promote divergent behavioral states under baseline and severe stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Dedic
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Claudia Kühne
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Karina S Gomes
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Paulista State University, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Jakob Hartmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States.,Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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203
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Taugher RJ, Dlouhy BJ, Kreple CJ, Ghobbeh A, Conlon MM, Wang Y, Wemmie JA. The amygdala differentially regulates defensive behaviors evoked by CO 2. Behav Brain Res 2019; 377:112236. [PMID: 31536735 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
CO2 inhalation can provoke panic attacks in humans, and the likelihood is increased in patients with panic disorder. Identifying brain sites involved could provide important mechanistic insight into the illness. In mice, the amygdala has been suggested to promote CO2 responses; however, recent studies in humans with amygdala damage indicate the amygdala is not required for CO2-induced fear and panic and might actually oppose these responses. To clarify the role of the amygdala, we produced lesions in mice paralleling the human lesions, and characterized behavioral responses to CO2. Compared to sham controls, we found that amygdala-lesioned mice froze less to 10% CO2, and unlike shams they also began to jump frenetically. At 20% CO2, controls also exhibited jumping, suggesting it is a normal response to more extreme CO2 concentrations. The effect of amygdala lesions was specific to CO2 as amygdala-lesioned mice did not jump in response to a predator odor or to an auditory conditioned stimulus. In amygdala-lesioned mice, jumping evoked by 10% CO2 was eliminated by co-lesioning the dorsal periaqueductal gray, a structure implicated in panic and escape-related behaviors. Together, these observations suggest a dual role for the amygdala in the CO2 response: promoting CO2-induced freezing, and opposing CO2-induced jumping, which may help explain the exaggerated CO2 responses in humans with amygdala lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Taugher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - B J Dlouhy
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Pappajohn Biomedical Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - C J Kreple
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - A Ghobbeh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - M M Conlon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Y Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - J A Wemmie
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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204
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Wang Y, Chen ZP, Yang ZQ, Zhang XY, Li JM, Wang JJ, Zhu JN. Corticotropin-releasing factor depolarizes rat lateral vestibular nuclear neurons through activation of CRF receptors 1 and 2. Neuropeptides 2019; 76:101934. [PMID: 31130301 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a neuropeptide mainly synthesized in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and has been traditionally implicated in stress and anxiety. Intriguingly, genetic or pharmacological manipulation of CRF receptors affects locomotor activity as well as motor coordination and balance in rodents, suggesting an active involvement of the central CRFergic system in motor control. Yet little is known about the exact role of CRF in central motor structures and the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, in the present study, we focused on the effect of CRF on the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) in the brainstem vestibular nuclear complex, an important center directly contributing to adjustment of muscle tone for both postural maintenance and the alternative change from the extensor to the flexor phase during locomotion. The results show that CRF depolarizes and increases the firing rate of neurons in the LVN. Tetrodotoxin does not block the CRF-induced depolarization and inward current on LVN neurons, suggesting a direct postsynaptic action of the neuropeptide. The CRF-induced depolarization on LVN neurons was partly blocked by antalarmin or antisauvagine-30, selective antagonists for CRF receptors 1 (CRFR1) and 2 (CRFR2), respectively. Furthermore, combined application of antalarmin and antisauvagine-30 totally abolished the CRF-induced depolarization. Immunofluorescence results show that CRFR1 and CRFR2 are co-localized in the rat LVN. These results demonstrate that CRF excites the LVN neurons by co-activation of both CRFR1 and CRFR2, suggesting that via the direct modulation on the LVN, the central CRFergic system may actively participate in the central vestibular-mediated postural and motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhang-Peng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhong-Qin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiao-Yang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jian-Mei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jian-Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Jing-Ning Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China.
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205
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Velasco ER, Florido A, Milad MR, Andero R. Sex differences in fear extinction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:81-108. [PMID: 31129235 PMCID: PMC6692252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite the exponential increase in fear research during the last years, few studies have included female subjects in their design. The need to include females arises from the knowledge gap of mechanistic processes underlying the behavioral and neural differences observed in fear extinction. Moreover, the exact contribution of sex and hormones in relation to learning and behavior is still largely unknown. Insights from this field could be beneficial as fear-related disorders are twice as prevalent in women compared to men. Here, we review an up-to-date summary of animal and human studies in adulthood that report sex differences in fear extinction from a structural and functional approach. Furthermore, we describe how these factors could contribute to the observed sex differences in fear extinction during normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Velasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Florido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - M R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - R Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Corporació Sanitaria Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain; Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
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206
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Corder G, Ahanonu B, Grewe BF, Wang D, Schnitzer MJ, Scherrer G. An amygdalar neural ensemble that encodes the unpleasantness of pain. Science 2019; 363:276-281. [PMID: 30655440 PMCID: PMC6450685 DOI: 10.1126/science.aap8586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Pain is an unpleasant experience. How the brain’s affective neural circuits attribute this aversive quality to nociceptive information remains unknown. By means of time-lapse in vivo calcium imaging and neural activity manipulation in freely behaving mice encountering noxious stimuli, we identified a distinct neural ensemble in the basolateral amygdala that encodes the negative affective valence of pain. Silencing this nociceptive ensemble alleviated pain affective-motivational behaviors without altering the detection of noxious stimuli, withdrawal reflexes, anxiety, or reward. Following peripheral nerve injury, innocuous stimuli activated this nociceptive ensemble to drive dysfunctional perceptual changes associated with neuropathic pain, including pain aversion to light touch (allodynia). These results identify the amygdalar representations of noxious stimuli that are functionally required for the negative affective qualities of acute and chronic pain perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Corder
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Biafra Ahanonu
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Benjamin F Grewe
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Dong Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mark J Schnitzer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Grégory Scherrer
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,New York Stem Cell Foundation-Robertson Investigator, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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207
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Headley DB, Kanta V, Kyriazi P, Paré D. Embracing Complexity in Defensive Networks. Neuron 2019; 103:189-201. [PMID: 31319049 PMCID: PMC6641575 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The neural basis of defensive behaviors continues to attract much interest, not only because they are important for survival but also because their dysregulation may be at the origin of anxiety disorders. Recently, a dominant approach in the field has been the optogenetic manipulation of specific circuits or cell types within these circuits to dissect their role in different defensive behaviors. While the usefulness of optogenetics is unquestionable, we argue that this method, as currently applied, fosters an atomistic conceptualization of defensive behaviors, which hinders progress in understanding the integrated responses of nervous systems to threats. Instead, we advocate for a holistic approach to the problem, including observational study of natural behaviors and their neuronal correlates at multiple sites, coupled to the use of optogenetics, not to globally turn on or off neurons of interest, but to manipulate specific activity patterns hypothesized to regulate defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew B Headley
- Center for Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University - Newark, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Vasiliki Kanta
- Center for Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University - Newark, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; Behavioral and Neural Sciences Graduate Program, Rutgers University - Newark, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Pinelopi Kyriazi
- Center for Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University - Newark, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; Behavioral and Neural Sciences Graduate Program, Rutgers University - Newark, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Denis Paré
- Center for Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University - Newark, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
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208
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Comeras LB, Herzog H, Tasan RO. Neuropeptides at the crossroad of fear and hunger: a special focus on neuropeptide Y. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1455:59-80. [PMID: 31271235 PMCID: PMC6899945 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Survival in a natural environment forces an individual into constantly adapting purposive behavior. Specified interoceptive neurons monitor metabolic and physiological balance and activate dedicated brain circuits to satisfy essential needs, such as hunger, thirst, thermoregulation, fear, or anxiety. Neuropeptides are multifaceted, central components within such life‐sustaining programs. For instance, nutritional depletion results in a drop in glucose levels, release of hormones, and activation of hypothalamic and brainstem neurons. These neurons, in turn, release several neuropeptides that increase food‐seeking behavior and promote food intake. Similarly, internal and external threats activate neuronal pathways of avoidance and defensive behavior. Interestingly, specific nuclei of the hypothalamus and extended amygdala are activated by both hunger and fear. Here, we introduce the relevant neuropeptides and describe their function in feeding and emotional‐affective behaviors. We further highlight specific pathways and microcircuits, where neuropeptides may interact to identify prevailing homeostatic needs and direct respective compensatory behaviors. A specific focus will be on neuropeptide Y, since it is known for its pivotal role in metabolic and emotional pathways. We hypothesize that the orexigenic and anorexigenic properties of specific neuropeptides are related to their ability to inhibit fear and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas B Comeras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Herbert Herzog
- Neuroscience Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ramon O Tasan
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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209
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Terpou BA, Harricharan S, McKinnon MC, Frewen P, Jetly R, Lanius RA. The effects of trauma on brain and body: A unifying role for the midbrain periaqueductal gray. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1110-1140. [PMID: 31254294 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a diagnosis that may follow the experience of trauma, has multiple symptomatic phenotypes. Generally, individuals with PTSD display symptoms of hyperarousal and of hyperemotionality in the presence of fearful stimuli. A subset of individuals with PTSD; however, elicit dissociative symptomatology (i.e., depersonalization, derealization) in the wake of a perceived threat. This pattern of response characterizes the dissociative subtype of the disorder, which is often associated with emotional numbing and hypoarousal. Both symptomatic phenotypes exhibit attentional threat biases, where threat stimuli are processed preferentially leading to a hypervigilant state that is thought to promote defensive behaviors during threat processing. Accordingly, PTSD and its dissociative subtype are thought to differ in their proclivity to elicit active (i.e., fight, flight) versus passive (i.e., tonic immobility, emotional shutdown) defensive responses, which are characterized by the increased and the decreased expression of the sympathetic nervous system, respectively. Moreover, active and passive defenses are accompanied by primarily endocannabinoid- and opioid-mediated analgesics, respectively. Through critical review of the literature, we apply the defense cascade model to better understand the pathological presentation of defensive responses in PTSD with a focus on the functioning of lower-level midbrain and extended brainstem systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braeden A Terpou
- Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul Frewen
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rakesh Jetly
- Canadian Forces, Health Services, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ruth A Lanius
- Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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210
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Fanselow MS, Hoffman AN, Zhuravka I. Timing and the transition between modes in the defensive behavior system. Behav Processes 2019; 166:103890. [PMID: 31254627 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Antipredator defense is organized in a way that mirrors Timberlake's feeding behavior system because the goal of defense is to thwart predatory behavior. Each predatory mode has a corresponding antipredator mode. Like appetitive behavior systems, the defensive behavior system is organized around distinct modes along a spatiotemporal continuum we call the predatory imminence continuum. Behavior systems theory directs investigation toward the factors that lead to transitions between modes. In the feeding and sex systems the time between Conditional Stimulus (CS) and Unconditional Stimulus (US; e.g., CS-US interval or CS duration) is an important factor. Short CSs elicit conditional responses (CR) characteristic of more terminal modes and long CSs provoke CRs belonging to initial modes. Therefore, we asked if short CSs (10 s) would provoke CRs like the vigorous activity bursts and escape-like responses characteristic of the terminal mode of the predatory imminence continuum (Circa-Strike Behavior). Also, via analogy to appetitive systems, long CSs (3 min) were predicted to favor the intermediate mode, post-encounter behavior, which is characterized by freezing. Instead we found that both CSs produced freezing but not activity burst CRs and that freezing was actually greater with the short CS. We suggest that this difference between behavior systems flows from selection pressure that favors moving toward terminal modes in appetitive systems but away from terminal modes in the antipredator system. In addition, since appetitive reinforcers are more likely to be repeatedly experienced than predators, the learning of timing may be less relevant to defense. We also found that shock produced activity bursts and argue that when you are in the post-encounter mode (freezing) a sudden change in stimulation causes an immediate transition to circa-strike (terminal) behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Fanselow
- Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90405, United States.
| | - Ann N Hoffman
- Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90405, United States
| | - Irina Zhuravka
- Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90405, United States
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211
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Zhou Z, Liu X, Chen S, Zhang Z, Liu Y, Montardy Q, Tang Y, Wei P, Liu N, Li L, Song R, Lai J, He X, Chen C, Bi G, Feng G, Xu F, Wang L. A VTA GABAergic Neural Circuit Mediates Visually Evoked Innate Defensive Responses. Neuron 2019; 103:473-488.e6. [PMID: 31202540 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Innate defensive responses are essential for animal survival and are conserved across species. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays important roles in learned appetitive and aversive behaviors, but whether it plays a role in mediating or modulating innate defensive responses is currently unknown. We report that VTAGABA+ neurons respond to a looming stimulus. Inhibition of VTAGABA+ neurons reduced looming-evoked defensive flight behavior, and photoactivation of these neurons resulted in defense-like flight behavior. Using viral tracing and electrophysiological recordings, we show that VTAGABA+ neurons receive direct excitatory inputs from the superior colliculus (SC). Furthermore, we show that glutamatergic SC-VTA projections synapse onto VTAGABA+ neurons that project to the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and that the CeA is involved in mediating the defensive behavior. Our findings demonstrate that aerial threat-related visual information is relayed to VTAGABA+ neurons mediating innate behavioral responses, suggesting a more general role of the VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuemei Liu
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shanping Chen
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhijian Zhang
- Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems and State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yuanming Liu
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Quentin Montardy
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yongqiang Tang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Pengfei Wei
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Nan Liu
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lei Li
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ru Song
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Juan Lai
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaobin He
- Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems and State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guoqiang Bi
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Guoping Feng
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems and State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.
| | - Liping Wang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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212
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Sleep Regulation by Neurotensinergic Neurons in a Thalamo-Amygdala Circuit. Neuron 2019; 103:323-334.e7. [PMID: 31178114 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A crucial step in understanding the sleep-control mechanism is to identify sleep neurons. Through systematic anatomical screening followed by functional testing, we identified two sleep-promoting neuronal populations along a thalamo-amygdala pathway, both expressing neurotensin (NTS). Rabies-mediated monosynaptic retrograde tracing identified the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) as a major source of GABAergic inputs to multiple wake-promoting populations; gene profiling revealed NTS as a prominent marker for these CeA neurons. Optogenetic activation and inactivation of NTS-expressing CeA neurons promoted and suppressed non-REM (NREM) sleep, respectively, and optrode recording showed they are sleep active. Further tracing showed that CeA GABAergic NTS neurons are innervated by glutamatergic NTS neurons in a posterior thalamic region, which also promote NREM sleep. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated NTS knockdown in either the thalamic or CeA neurons greatly reduced their sleep-promoting effect. These results reveal a novel thalamo-amygdala circuit for sleep generation in which NTS signaling is essential for both the upstream glutamatergic and downstream GABAergic neurons.
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213
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Silva C, McNaughton N. Are periaqueductal gray and dorsal raphe the foundation of appetitive and aversive control? A comprehensive review. Prog Neurobiol 2019; 177:33-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2018] [Revised: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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214
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A Fear Memory Engram and Its Plasticity in the Hypothalamic Oxytocin System. Neuron 2019; 103:133-146.e8. [PMID: 31104950 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) release by axonal terminals onto the central nucleus of the amygdala exerts anxiolysis. To investigate which subpopulation of OT neurons contributes to this effect, we developed a novel method: virus-delivered genetic activity-induced tagging of cell ensembles (vGATE). With the vGATE method, we identified and permanently tagged a small subpopulation of OT cells, which, by optogenetic stimulation, strongly attenuated contextual fear-induced freezing, and pharmacogenetic silencing of tagged OT neurons impaired context-specific fear extinction, demonstrating that the tagged OT neurons are sufficient and necessary, respectively, to control contextual fear. Intriguingly, OT cell terminals of fear-experienced rats displayed enhanced glutamate release in the amygdala. Furthermore, rats exposed to another round of fear conditioning displayed 5-fold more activated magnocellular OT neurons in a novel environment than a familiar one, possibly for a generalized fear response. Thus, our results provide first evidence that hypothalamic OT neurons represent a fear memory engram.
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215
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Chronic Stress Causes Projection-Specific Adaptation of Amygdala Neurons via Small-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel Downregulation. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:812-828. [PMID: 30737013 PMCID: PMC6800185 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of the amygdala in mediating stress coping has been long appreciated. However, basolateral amygdala (BLA) projection neurons (PNs) are organized into discrete output circuits, and it remains unclear whether stress differentially impacts these circuits. METHODS Mice were exposed to acute restraint stress or chronic restraint stress (CRS), and c-fos expression was measured as a proxy for neuronal activation in Retrobead retrogradely labeled dorsomedial prefrontal cortex-targeting PNs (BLA→dmPFC) and non-dmPFC-targeting PNs (BLA↛dmPFC). Next, the effects of CRS on neuronal firing and membrane potassium channel current were examined via ex vivo electrophysiology in these neuronal populations and correlated with anxiety-like behavior, as measured in the elevated plus maze and novel open field tests. Lastly, the ability of virus-mediated overexpression of subtype 2 of small-conductance, calcium-activated potassium (SK2) channel in BLA↛dmPFC PNs to negate the anxiety-related effects of CRS was assessed. RESULTS BLA→dmPFC PNs were transiently activated after CRS, whereas BLA↛dmPFC showed sustained c-fos expression and augmented firing to external input. CRS led to a loss of SK2 channel-mediated currents in BLA↛dmPFC PNs, which correlated with heightened anxiety-like behavior. Virus-mediated maintenance of SK2 channel currents in BLA↛dmPFC PNs prevented CRS-induced anxiety-like behavior. Finally, CRS produced persistent activation of BLA PNs targeting the ventral hippocampus, and virally overexpressing SK2 channels in this projection population were sufficient to prevent CRS-induced anxiety-like behavior. CONCLUSIONS The current data reveal that chronic stress produces projection-specific functional adaptations in BLA PNs. These findings offer new insight into the neural circuits that contribute to stress-induced psychopathology.
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216
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New Insights from 22-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Characterize Fear Responses: Relationship with Respiration and Brain Oscillatory Dynamics. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0065-19.2019. [PMID: 31064837 PMCID: PMC6506822 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0065-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear behavior depends on interactions between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the basolateral amygdala (BLA), and the expression of fear involves synchronized activity in θ and γ oscillatory activities. In addition, freezing, the most classical measure of fear response in rodents, temporally coincides with the development of sustained 4-Hz oscillations in prefrontal-amygdala circuits. Interestingly, these oscillations were recently shown to depend on the animal’s respiratory rhythm, supporting the growing body of evidence pinpointing the influence of nasal breathing on brain rhythms. During fearful states, rats also emit 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) which drastically affect respiratory rhythm. However, the relationship between 22-kHz USV, respiration, and brain oscillatory activities is still unknown. Yet such information is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of how the different components of fear response collectively modulate rat’s brain neural dynamics. Here, we trained male rats in an odor fear conditioning task, while recording simultaneously local field potentials (LFPs) in BLA, mPFC, and olfactory piriform cortex (PIR), together with USV calls and respiration. We show that USV calls coincide with an increase in delta and gamma power and a decrease in theta power. In addition, during USV emission in contrast to silent freezing, there is no coupling between respiratory rate and delta frequency, and the modulation of fast oscillations amplitude relative to the phase of respiration is modified. We propose that sequences of USV calls could result in a differential gating of information within the network of structures sustaining fear behavior, thus potentially modulating fear expression/memory.
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217
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Abstract
Nobel laureate Nikolaas Tinbergen provided clear criteria for declaring a neuroscience problem solved, criteria which despite the passage of more than 50 years and vastly expanded neuroscience tool kits remain applicable today. Tinbergen said for neuroscientists to claim that a behavior is understood, they must correspondingly understand its (i) development and its (ii) mechanisms and its (iii) function and its (iv) evolution. Now, all four of these domains represent hotbeds of current experimental work, each using arrays of new techniques which overlap only partly. Thus, as new methodologies come online, from single-nerve-cell RNA sequencing, for example, to smart FISH, large-scale calcium imaging from cortex and deep brain structures, computational ethology, and so on, one person, however smart, cannot master everything. Our response to the likely “fracturing” of neuroscience recognizes the value of ever larger consortia. This response suggests new kinds of problems for (i) funding and (ii) the fair distribution of credit, especially for younger scientists.
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218
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Dong P, Wang H, Shen XF, Jiang P, Zhu XT, Li Y, Gao JH, Lin S, Huang Y, He XB, Xu FQ, Duan S, Lian H, Wang H, Chen J, Li XM. A novel cortico-intrathalamic circuit for flight behavior. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:941-949. [DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0391-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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219
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Yan H, Li B, Wang J. Non-equilibrium landscape and flux reveal how the central amygdala circuit gates passive and active defensive responses. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20180756. [PMID: 30966954 PMCID: PMC6505558 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the underlying physical principles of biology is important for understanding the biological function yet challenging. Take an example, the animals' defensive systems are very effective to threats. However, the underlying physical mechanisms are still unclear. We developed a non-equilibrium physics framework in terms of landscape and flux to study a central lateral amygdala (CeL) neural circuit based on experimental findings. We show that the distinct active and passive defensive responses of the animals upon threats are a result of non-equilibrium phase transitions. Such non-equilibrium phase transitions result from thermodynamic symmetry breaking, which is induced dynamically by the non-equilibrium flux. This gives rise to the emergence and selection of passive and active fear defensive responses, which can be quantified by the changes on the topography of the underlying non-equilibrium landscape. We have found the strengthened synaptic transmissions to both the SOM+ and SOM- CeL neurons are necessary for the acquisition and expression of active fear responses. This suggests a way to induce active responses and facilitates the design of new therapeutic strategies for cognitive dysfunction. We have also found that sufficient energy supply is crucial for the ability of selecting the appropriate defensive responses through stabilizing functional states against fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bo Li
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, NY, USA
| | - Jin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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220
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Gründemann J, Bitterman Y, Lu T, Krabbe S, Grewe BF, Schnitzer MJ, Lüthi A. Amygdala ensembles encode behavioral states. Science 2019; 364:364/6437/eaav8736. [PMID: 31000636 DOI: 10.1126/science.aav8736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Internal states, including affective or homeostatic states, are important behavioral motivators. The amygdala regulates motivated behaviors, yet how distinct states are represented in amygdala circuits is unknown. By longitudinally imaging neural calcium dynamics in freely moving mice across different environments, we identified opponent changes in activity levels of two major, nonoverlapping populations of basal amygdala principal neurons. This population signature does not report global anxiety but predicts switches between exploratory and nonexploratory, defensive states. Moreover, the amygdala separately processes external stimuli and internal states and broadcasts state information via several output pathways to larger brain networks. Our findings extend the concept of thalamocortical "brain-state" coding to include affective and exploratory states and provide an entry point into the state dependency of brain function and behavior in defined circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Gründemann
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, Basel, Switzerland. .,Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yael Bitterman
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tingjia Lu
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Krabbe
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin F Grewe
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University and ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, Switzerland.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mark J Schnitzer
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, CNC Program, James H. Clark Center for Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Andreas Lüthi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, Basel, Switzerland. .,University of Basel, 4000 Basel, Switzerland
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221
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Raber J, Arzy S, Bertolus JB, Depue B, Haas HE, Hofmann SG, Kangas M, Kensinger E, Lowry CA, Marusak HA, Minnier J, Mouly AM, Mühlberger A, Norrholm SD, Peltonen K, Pinna G, Rabinak C, Shiban Y, Soreq H, van der Kooij MA, Lowe L, Weingast LT, Yamashita P, Boutros SW. Current understanding of fear learning and memory in humans and animal models and the value of a linguistic approach for analyzing fear learning and memory in humans. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:136-177. [PMID: 30970272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Fear is an emotion that serves as a driving factor in how organisms move through the world. In this review, we discuss the current understandings of the subjective experience of fear and the related biological processes involved in fear learning and memory. We first provide an overview of fear learning and memory in humans and animal models, encompassing the neurocircuitry and molecular mechanisms, the influence of genetic and environmental factors, and how fear learning paradigms have contributed to treatments for fear-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Current treatments as well as novel strategies, such as targeting the perisynaptic environment and use of virtual reality, are addressed. We review research on the subjective experience of fear and the role of autobiographical memory in fear-related disorders. We also discuss the gaps in our understanding of fear learning and memory, and the degree of consensus in the field. Lastly, the development of linguistic tools for assessments and treatment of fear learning and memory disorders is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Raber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Departments of Neurology and Radiation Medicine, and Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Shahar Arzy
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | | | - Brendan Depue
- Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Haley E Haas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stefan G Hofmann
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Kangas
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jessica Minnier
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Mouly
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS-UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Andreas Mühlberger
- Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; PFH - Private University of Applied Sciences, Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Seth Davin Norrholm
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kirsi Peltonen
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christine Rabinak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Youssef Shiban
- Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; PFH - Private University of Applied Sciences, Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hermona Soreq
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science and The Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Michael A van der Kooij
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitatsmedizin der Johannes Guttenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Leah T Weingast
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Paula Yamashita
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sydney Weber Boutros
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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222
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Evans DA, Stempel AV, Vale R, Branco T. Cognitive Control of Escape Behaviour. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:334-348. [PMID: 30852123 PMCID: PMC6438863 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
When faced with potential predators, animals instinctively decide whether there is a threat they should escape from, and also when, how, and where to take evasive action. While escape is often viewed in classical ethology as an action that is released upon presentation of specific stimuli, successful and adaptive escape behaviour relies on integrating information from sensory systems, stored knowledge, and internal states. From a neuroscience perspective, escape is an incredibly rich model that provides opportunities for investigating processes such as perceptual and value-based decision-making, or action selection, in an ethological setting. We review recent research from laboratory and field studies that explore, at the behavioural and mechanistic levels, how elements from multiple information streams are integrated to generate flexible escape behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic A Evans
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - A Vanessa Stempel
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ruben Vale
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK.
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223
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224
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Gowrishankar R, Bruchas MR. Defining circuit-specific roles for G protein-coupled receptors in aversive learning. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2019; 26:146-156. [PMID: 32855999 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The encoding of negative valence in response to noxious stimuli/experiences and in turn, the behavioral representation of negative affective states is essential for survival. Recent advances in neuroscience have determined multiple sites of neural plasticity and key circuits of connectivity across these regions in mediating aversive behavior. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), owing to their neuromodulatory role, are especially important to refining our understanding of the molecular substrates involved in these circuits. In this review, we will focus on recent, contemporary findings that explore neural circuit-specific roles for neurotransmitter/peptide GPCRs and the importance of using novel approaches to illuminate the molecular mechanisms central to aversive learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raajaram Gowrishankar
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.,Department of Pharmacology, Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.,Pain and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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225
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226
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Kroes MCW, Henckens MJAG, Homberg JR. How serotonin transporter gene variance affects defensive behaviours along the threat imminence continuum. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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227
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Hashemi MM, Gladwin TE, de Valk NM, Zhang W, Kaldewaij R, van Ast V, Koch SBJ, Klumpers F, Roelofs K. Neural Dynamics of Shooting Decisions and the Switch from Freeze to Fight. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4240. [PMID: 30862811 PMCID: PMC6414631 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40917-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Real-life shooting decisions typically occur under acute threat and require fast switching between vigilant situational assessment and immediate fight-or-flight actions. Recent studies suggested that freezing facilitates action preparation and decision-making but the neurocognitive mechanisms remain unclear. We applied functional magnetic resonance imaging, posturographic and autonomic measurements while participants performed a shooting task under threat of shock. Two independent studies, in unselected civilians (N = 22) and police recruits (N = 54), revealed that preparation for shooting decisions under threat is associated with postural freezing, bradycardia, midbrain activity (including the periaqueductal gray-PAG) and PAG-amygdala connectivity. Crucially, stronger activity in the midbrain/PAG during this preparatory stage of freezing predicted faster subsequent accurate shooting. Finally, the switch from preparation to active shooting was associated with tachycardia, perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) activity and pgACC-amygdala connectivity. These findings suggest that threat-anticipatory midbrain activity centred around the PAG supports decision-making by facilitating action preparation and highlight the role of the pgACC when switching from preparation to action. These results translate animal models of the neural switch from freeze-to-action. In addition, they reveal a core neural circuit for shooting performance under threat and provide empirical evidence for the role of defensive reactions such as freezing in subsequent action decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahur M Hashemi
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525EN, Netherlands.
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6526HR, Netherlands.
| | - Thomas E Gladwin
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525EN, Netherlands
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, University of Chichester, Chichester, West Sussex, P019 6PE, United Kingdom
| | - Naomi M de Valk
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525EN, Netherlands
| | - Wei Zhang
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525EN, Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6526HR, Netherlands
| | - Reinoud Kaldewaij
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525EN, Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6526HR, Netherlands
| | - Vanessa van Ast
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525EN, Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1018WT, Netherlands
| | - Saskia B J Koch
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525EN, Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6526HR, Netherlands
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525EN, Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6526HR, Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525EN, Netherlands.
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6526HR, Netherlands.
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228
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Fox AS, Shackman AJ. The central extended amygdala in fear and anxiety: Closing the gap between mechanistic and neuroimaging research. Neurosci Lett 2019; 693:58-67. [PMID: 29195911 PMCID: PMC5976525 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.11.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders impose a staggering burden on public health, underscoring the need to develop a deeper understanding of the distributed neural circuits underlying extreme fear and anxiety. Recent work highlights the importance of the central extended amygdala, including the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and neighboring bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST). Anatomical data indicate that the Ce and BST form a tightly interconnected unit, where different kinds of threat-relevant information can be integrated to assemble states of fear and anxiety. Neuroimaging studies show that the Ce and BST are engaged by a broad spectrum of potentially threat-relevant cues. Mechanistic work demonstrates that the Ce and BST are critically involved in organizing defensive responses to a wide range of threats. Studies in rodents have begun to reveal the specific molecules, cells, and microcircuits within the central extended amygdala that underlie signs of fear and anxiety, but the relevance of these tantalizing discoveries to human experience and disease remains unclear. Using a combination of focal perturbations and whole-brain imaging, a new generation of nonhuman primate studies is beginning to close this gap. This work opens the door to discovering the mechanisms underlying neuroimaging measures linked to pathological fear and anxiety, to understanding how the Ce and BST interact with one another and with distal brain regions to govern defensive responses to threat, and to developing improved intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology and University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States.
| | - Alexander J Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States; Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland,College Park, MD 20742, United States.
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229
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Cell-type specific parallel circuits in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the central nucleus of the amygdala of the mouse. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1067-1095. [PMID: 30610368 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-01825-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The central extended amygdala (EAc) is a forebrain macrosystem which has been widely implicated in reward, fear, anxiety, and pain. Its two key structures, the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTL) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), share similar mesoscale connectivity. However, it is not known whether they also share similar cell-specific neuronal circuits. We addressed this question using tract-tracing and immunofluorescence to reveal the EAc microcircuits involving two neuronal populations expressing either protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) or somatostatin (SOM). PKCδ and SOM are expressed predominantly in the dorsal BSTL (BSTLD) and in the lateral/capsular parts of CeA (CeL/C). We found that, in both BSTLD and CeL/C, PKCδ+ cells are the main recipient of extra-EAc inputs from the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB), while SOM+ cells constitute the main source of long-range projections to extra-EAc targets, including LPB and periaqueductal gray. PKCδ+ cells can also integrate inputs from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala or insular cortex. Within EAc, PKCδ+, but not SOM+ neurons, serve as the major source of inputs to the ventral BSTL and to the medial part of CeA. However, both cell types can be involved in mutual connections between BSTLD and CeL/C. These results unveil the pivotal positions of PKCδ+ and SOM+ neurons in organizing parallel cell-specific neuronal circuits within CeA and BSTL, but also between them, which further reinforce the notion of EAc as a structural and functional macrosystem.
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230
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Kovner R, Fox AS, French DA, Roseboom PH, Oler JA, Fudge JL, Kalin NH. Somatostatin Gene and Protein Expression in the Non-human Primate Central Extended Amygdala. Neuroscience 2019; 400:157-168. [PMID: 30610938 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in central extended amygdala (EAc) function have been linked to anxiety, depression, and anxious temperament (AT), the early-life risk to develop these disorders. The EAc is composed of the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), and the sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEA). Using a non-human primate model of AT and multimodal neuroimaging, the Ce and the BST were identified as key AT-related regions. Both areas are primarily comprised of GABAergic neurons and the lateral Ce (CeL) and lateral BST (BSTL) have among the highest expression of neuropeptides in the brain. Somatostatin (SST) is of particular interest because mouse studies demonstrate that SST neurons, along with corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons, contribute to a threat-relevant EAc microcircuit. Although the distribution of CeL and BSTL SST neurons has been explored in rodents, this system is not well described in non-human primates. In situ hybridization demonstrated an anterior-posterior gradient of SST mRNA in the CeL but not the BSTL of non-human primates. Triple-labeling immunofluorescence staining revealed that SST protein-expressing cell bodies are a small proportion of the total CeL and BSTL neurons and have considerable co-labeling with CRF. The SLEA exhibited strong SST mRNA and protein expression, suggesting a role for SST in mediating information transfer between the CeL and BSTL. These data provide the foundation for mechanistic non-human primate studies focused on understanding EAc function in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rothem Kovner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Delores A French
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Patrick H Roseboom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jonathan A Oler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Julie L Fudge
- Department of Psychiatry, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
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231
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Wotjak CT. Sound check, stage design and screen plot - how to increase the comparability of fear conditioning and fear extinction experiments. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:33-48. [PMID: 30470861 PMCID: PMC6373201 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5111-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the recent decade, fear conditioning has evolved as a standard procedure for testing cognitive abilities such as memory acquisition, consolidation, recall, reconsolidation, and extinction, preferentially in genetically modified mice. The reasons for the popularity of this powerful approach are its ease to perform, the short duration of training and testing, and its well-described neural basis. So why to bother about flaws in standardization of test procedures and analytical routines? Simplicity does not preclude the existence of fallacies. A short survey of the literature revealed an indifferent use of acoustic stimuli in terms of quality (i.e., white noise vs. sine wave), duration, and intensity. The same applies to the shock procedures. In the present article, I will provide evidence for the importance of qualitative and quantitative parameters of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli for the experimental outcome. Moreover, I will challenge frequently applied interpretations of short-term vs. long-term extinction and spontaneous recovery. On the basis of these concerns, I suggest a guideline for standardization of fear conditioning experiments in mice to improve the comparability of the experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten T. Wotjak
- 0000 0000 9497 5095grid.419548.5Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, RG “Neuronal Plasticity”, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
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232
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Abstract
The neural mechanisms underlying emotional valence are at the interface between perception and action, integrating inputs from the external environment with past experiences to guide the behavior of an organism. Depending on the positive or negative valence assigned to an environmental stimulus, the organism will approach or avoid the source of the stimulus. Multiple convergent studies have demonstrated that the amygdala complex is a critical node of the circuits assigning valence. Here we examine the current progress in identifying valence coding properties of neural populations in different nuclei of the amygdala, based on their activity, connectivity, and gene expression profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Pignatelli
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139 MA, USA
| | - Anna Beyeler
- Neurocentre Magendie, INSERM 1215, Université de Bordeaux, 146 Rue Léo Saignat, 33000 Bordeaux, France
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233
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A Corticotropin Releasing Factor Network in the Extended Amygdala for Anxiety. J Neurosci 2018; 39:1030-1043. [PMID: 30530860 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2143-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) is important for fear responses to discrete cues. Recent findings indicate that the CeA also contributes to states of sustained apprehension that characterize anxiety, although little is known about the neural circuitry involved. The stress neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is anxiogenic and is produced by subpopulations of neurons in the lateral CeA and the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dlBST). Here we investigated the function of these CRF neurons in stress-induced anxiety using chemogenetics in male rats that express Cre recombinase from a Crh promoter. Anxiety-like behavior was mediated by CRF projections from the CeA to the dlBST and depended on activation of CRF1 receptors and CRF neurons within the dlBST. Our findings identify a CRFCeA→CRFdlBST circuit for generating anxiety-like behavior and provide mechanistic support for recent human and primate data suggesting that the CeA and BST act together to generate states of anxiety.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Anxiety is a negative emotional state critical to survival, but persistent, exaggerated apprehension causes substantial morbidity. Identifying brain regions and neurotransmitter systems that drive anxiety can help in developing effective treatment. Much evidence in rodents indicates that neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) generate anxiety-like behaviors, but more recent findings also implicate neurons of the CeA. The neuronal subpopulations and circuitry that generate anxiety are currently subjects of intense investigation. Here we show that CeA neurons that release the stress neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) drive anxiety-like behaviors in rats via a pathway to dorsal BST that activates local BST CRF neurons. Thus, our findings identify a CeA→BST CRF neuropeptide circuit that generates anxiety-like behavior.
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234
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Molina-García L, Barrios A. Sex differences in learning — shared principles across taxa. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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235
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Abstract
Pain has a strong emotional component and is defined by its unpleasantness. Chronic pain represents a complex disorder with anxio-depressive symptoms and cognitive deficits. Underlying mechanisms are still not well understood but an important role for interactions between prefrontal cortical areas and subcortical limbic structures has emerged. Evidence from preclinical studies in the rodent brain suggests that neuroplastic changes in prefrontal (anterior cingulate, prelimbic and infralimbic) cortical and subcortical (amygdala and nucleus accumbens) brain areas and their interactions (corticolimbic circuitry) contribute to the complexity and persistence of pain and may be predetermining factors as has been proposed in recent human neuroimaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Thompson
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, United States; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.
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236
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α 2A-Adrenergic Receptor Activation Decreases Parabrachial Nucleus Excitatory Drive onto BNST CRF Neurons and Reduces Their Activity In Vivo. J Neurosci 2018; 39:472-484. [PMID: 30478032 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1035-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress contributes to numerous psychiatric disorders. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) signaling and CRF neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) drive negative affective behaviors, thus agents that decrease activity of these cells may be of therapeutic interest. Here, we show that acute restraint stress increases cFos expression in CRF neurons in the mouse dorsal BNST, consistent with a role for these neurons in stress-related behaviors. We find that activation of α2A-adrenergic receptors (ARs) by the agonist guanfacine reduced cFos expression in these neurons both in stressed and unstressed conditions. Further, we find that α- and β-ARs differentially regulate excitatory drive onto these neurons. Pharmacological and channelrhodopsin-assisted mapping experiments suggest that α2A-ARs specifically reduce excitatory drive from parabrachial nucleus (PBN) afferents onto CRF neurons. Given that the α2A-AR is a Gi-linked GPCR, we assessed the impact of activating the Gi-coupled DREADD hM4Di in the PBN on restraint stress regulation of BNST CRF neurons. CNO activation of PBN hM4Di reduced stress-induced Fos in BNST Crh neurons. Further, using Prkcd as an additional marker of BNST neuronal identity, we uncovered a female-specific upregulation of the coexpression of Prkcd/Crh in BNST neurons following stress, which was prevented by ovariectomy. These findings show that stress activates BNST CRF neurons, and that α2A-AR activation suppresses the in vivo activity of these cells, at least in part by suppressing excitatory drive from PBN inputs onto CRF neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stress is a major variable contributing to mood disorders. Here, we show that stress increases activation of BNST CRF neurons that drive negative affective behavior. We find that the clinically well tolerated α2A-AR agonist guanfacine reduces activity of these cells in vivo, and reduces excitatory PBN inputs onto these cells ex vivo Additionally, we uncover a novel sex-dependent coexpression of Prkcd with Crh in female BNST neurons after stress, an effect abolished by ovariectomy. These results demonstrate input-specific interactions between norepinephrine and CRF, and point to an action by which guanfacine may reduce negative affective responses.
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237
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Zhang X, Li B. A Pathway to Avoiding Threats? Neuron 2018; 100:780-782. [PMID: 30465764 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
How does our brain give rise to passive or active defensive responses when we are confronted with threats? In a recent study in Cell, Terburg, Scheggia and colleagues (Terburg et al., 2018) show that, in both humans and rats, a pathway originating from the amygdala can help suppress passive responses, thereby facilitating active responses to imminent threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Zhang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Bo Li
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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238
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Mouras H, Lelard T. Importance of Temporal Analyzes for the Exploration of the Posturographic Correlates of Emotional Processing. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:277. [PMID: 30498436 PMCID: PMC6249305 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades, affective and social neurosciences converged on the study of motor correlates of emotional and motivational information processing. Posturography appeared as a good experimental method to address this question. The use of this method to explore emotional and motivation processing remains recent. Here, we summarize several important arguments showing the importance to explore the temporal aspects of these responses regarding the complexity of the link between emotional information’s parameters (such as arousal) and the corresponding neural processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold Mouras
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Fonctionnelles et Pathologies, Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Santé, Amiens, France.,Département de Psychologie, UFR SHSP, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Thierry Lelard
- Adaptations Physiologiques à l'Exercice et Réadaptation à l'Effort, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
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239
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Agoglia AE, Herman MA. The center of the emotional universe: Alcohol, stress, and CRF1 amygdala circuitry. Alcohol 2018; 72:61-73. [PMID: 30220589 PMCID: PMC6165695 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The commonalities between different phases of stress and alcohol use as well as the high comorbidity between alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and anxiety disorders suggest common underlying cellular mechanisms governing the rewarding and aversive aspects of these related conditions. As an integrative center that assigns emotional salience to a wide variety of internal and external stimuli, the amygdala complex plays a major role in how alcohol and stress influence cellular physiology to produce disordered behavior. Previous work has illustrated the broad role of the amygdala in alcohol, stress, and anxiety. However, the challenge of current and future studies is to identify the specific dysregulations that occur within distinct amygdala circuits and subpopulations and the commonalities between these alterations in each disorder, with the long-term goal of identifying potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Specific intra-amygdala circuits and cell type-specific subpopulations are emerging as critical targets for stress- and alcohol-induced plasticity, chief among them the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and CRF receptor 1 (CRF1) system. CRF and CRF1 have been implicated in the effects of alcohol in several amygdala nuclei, including the basolateral (BLA) and central amygdala (CeA); however, the precise circuitry involved in these effects and the role of these circuits in stress and anxiety are only beginning to be understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail E Agoglia
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Melissa A Herman
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
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240
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Luchkina NV, Bolshakov VY. Diminishing fear: Optogenetic approach toward understanding neural circuits of fear control. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 174:64-79. [PMID: 28502746 PMCID: PMC5681900 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding complex behavioral processes, both learned and innate, requires detailed characterization of the principles governing signal flow in corresponding neural circuits. Previous studies were hampered by the lack of appropriate tools needed to address the complexities of behavior-driving micro- and macrocircuits. The development and implementation of optogenetic methodologies revolutionized the field of behavioral neuroscience, allowing precise spatiotemporal control of specific, genetically defined neuronal populations and their functional connectivity both in vivo and ex vivo, thus providing unprecedented insights into the cellular and network-level mechanisms contributing to behavior. Here, we review recent pioneering advances in behavioral studies with optogenetic tools, focusing on mechanisms of fear-related behavioral processes with an emphasis on approaches which could be used to suppress fear when it is pathologically expressed. We also discuss limitations of these methodologies as well as review new technological developments which could be used in future mechanistic studies of fear behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia V Luchkina
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
| | - Vadim Y Bolshakov
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
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241
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Lay BPP, Nicolosi M, Usypchuk AA, Esber GR, Iordanova MD. Dissociation of Appetitive Overexpectation and Extinction in the Infralimbic Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:3687-3701. [PMID: 30371757 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Behavioral change is paramount to adaptive behavior. Two ways to achieve alterations in previously established behavior are extinction and overexpectation. The infralimbic (IL) portion of the medial prefrontal cortex controls the inhibition of previously established aversive behavioral responses in extinction. The role of the IL cortex in behavioral modification in appetitive Pavlovian associations remains poorly understood. Here, we seek to determine if the IL cortex modulates overexpectation and extinction of reward learning. Using overexpectation or extinction to achieve a reduction in behavior, the present findings uncover a dissociable role for the IL cortex in these paradigms. Pharmacologically inactivating the IL cortex left overexpectation intact. In contrast, pre-training manipulations in the IL cortex prior to extinction facilitated the reduction in conditioned responding but led to a disrupted extinction retrieval on test drug-free. Additional studies confirmed that this effect is restricted to the IL and not dependent on the dorsally-located prelimbic cortex. Together, these results show that the IL cortex underlies extinction but not overexpectation-driven reduction in behavior, which may be due to regulating the expression of conditioned responses influenced by stimulus–response associations rather than stimulus–stimulus associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda P P Lay
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Melissa Nicolosi
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandra A Usypchuk
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guillem R Esber
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Mihaela D Iordanova
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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242
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Tye KM. Neural Circuit Motifs in Valence Processing. Neuron 2018; 100:436-452. [PMID: 30359607 PMCID: PMC6590698 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
How do our brains determine whether something is good or bad? How is this computational goal implemented in biological systems? Given the critical importance of valence processing for survival, the brain has evolved multiple strategies to solve this problem at different levels. The psychological concept of "emotional valence" is now beginning to find grounding in neuroscience. This review aims to bridge the gap between psychology and neuroscience on the topic of emotional valence processing. Here, I highlight a subset of studies that exemplify circuit motifs that repeatedly appear as implementational systems in valence processing. The motifs I identify as being important in valence processing include (1) Labeled Lines, (2) Divergent Paths, (3) Opposing Components, and (4) Neuromodulatory Gain. Importantly, the functionality of neural substrates in valence processing is dynamic, context-dependent, and changing across short and long timescales due to synaptic plasticity, competing mechanisms, and homeostatic need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay M Tye
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Dept of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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243
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Terburg D, Scheggia D, Triana Del Rio R, Klumpers F, Ciobanu AC, Morgan B, Montoya ER, Bos PA, Giobellina G, van den Burg EH, de Gelder B, Stein DJ, Stoop R, van Honk J. The Basolateral Amygdala Is Essential for Rapid Escape: A Human and Rodent Study. Cell 2018; 175:723-735.e16. [PMID: 30340041 PMCID: PMC6198024 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Rodent research delineates how the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and central amygdala (CeA) control defensive behaviors, but translation of these findings to humans is needed. Here, we compare humans with natural-selective bilateral BLA lesions to rats with a chemogenetically silenced BLA. We find, across species, an essential role for the BLA in the selection of active escape over passive freezing during exposure to imminent yet escapable threat (Timm). In response to Timm, BLA-damaged humans showed increased startle potentiation and BLA-silenced rats demonstrated increased startle potentiation, freezing, and reduced escape behavior as compared to controls. Neuroimaging in humans suggested that the BLA reduces passive defensive responses by inhibiting the brainstem via the CeA. Indeed, Timm conditioning potentiated BLA projections onto an inhibitory CeA pathway, and pharmacological activation of this pathway rescued deficient Timm responses in BLA-silenced rats. Our data reveal how the BLA, via the CeA, adaptively regulates escape behavior from imminent threat and that this mechanism is evolutionary conserved across rodents and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Terburg
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Diego Scheggia
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Lausanne University and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rodrigo Triana Del Rio
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Lausanne University and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Alexandru Cristian Ciobanu
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Lausanne University and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Barak Morgan
- Global Risk Governance Program, Institute for Safety Governance and Criminology, Law Faculty, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Peter A Bos
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gion Giobellina
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Lausanne University and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Erwin H van den Burg
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Lausanne University and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Beatrice de Gelder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ron Stoop
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Lausanne University and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Jack van Honk
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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244
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Abstract
Anticipatory defensive responses to an aversive or harmful event depend on memories linking the event with the predictive environmental cues. Extensive evidence indicates that the central amygdala is essential for the acquisition and recall of such memories. The evidence came initially from studies that relied on traditional lesion and pharmacological techniques, and recently from studies in which new methodologies were used to target, record and manipulate neuronal activities with improved precision and specificity. In this review, I will discuss the current understanding of the roles of central amygdala neurons in the learning and expression of defensive behaviors, with a focus on the major neuronal populations identified on the basis of their genetic markers.
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245
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Deussing JM, Chen A. The Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Family: Physiology of the Stress Response. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:2225-2286. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00042.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological stress response is responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis in the presence of real or perceived challenges. In this function, the brain activates adaptive responses that involve numerous neural circuits and effector molecules to adapt to the current and future demands. A maladaptive stress response has been linked to the etiology of a variety of disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders, eating disorders, and the metabolic syndrome. The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its relatives, the urocortins 1–3, in concert with their receptors (CRFR1, CRFR2), have emerged as central components of the physiological stress response. This central peptidergic system impinges on a broad spectrum of physiological processes that are the basis for successful adaptation and concomitantly integrate autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral stress responses. This review focuses on the physiology of CRF-related peptides and their cognate receptors with the aim of providing a comprehensive up-to-date overview of the field. We describe the major molecular features covering aspects of gene expression and regulation, structural properties, and molecular interactions, as well as mechanisms of signal transduction and their surveillance. In addition, we discuss the large body of published experimental studies focusing on state-of-the-art genetic approaches with high temporal and spatial precision, which collectively aimed to dissect the contribution of CRF-related ligands and receptors to different levels of the stress response. We discuss the controversies in the field and unravel knowledge gaps that might pave the way for future research directions and open up novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan M. Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; and Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; and Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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246
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Abstract
Active avoidance is the prototypical paradigm for studying aversively-motivated instrumental behavior. However, avoidance research stalled amid heated theoretical debates and the hypothesis that active avoidance is essentially Pavlovian flight. Here I reconsider key "avoidance problems" and review neurobehavioral data collected with modern tools. Although the picture remains incomplete, these studies strongly suggest that avoidance has an instrumental component and is mediated by brain circuits that resemble appetitive instrumental actions more than Pavlovian fear reactions. Rapid progress may be possible if investigators consider important factors like safety signals, response-competition, goal-directed vs. habitual control and threat imminence in avoidance study design. Since avoidance responses likely contribute to active coping, this research has important implications for understanding human resilience and disorders of control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher K Cain
- NYU School of Medicine, Dept. of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 1 Park Avenue, 8 Floor, New York, NY 10016.,Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Emotional Brain Institute, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962
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247
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Speed dependent descending control of freezing behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3697. [PMID: 30209268 PMCID: PMC6135764 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05875-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The most fundamental choice an animal has to make when it detects a threat is whether to freeze, reducing its chances of being noticed, or to flee to safety. Here we show that Drosophila melanogaster exposed to looming stimuli in a confined arena either freeze or flee. The probability of freezing versus fleeing is modulated by the fly’s walking speed at the time of threat, demonstrating that freeze/flee decisions depend on behavioral state. We describe a pair of descending neurons crucially implicated in freezing. Genetic silencing of DNp09 descending neurons disrupts freezing yet does not prevent fleeing. Optogenetic activation of both DNp09 neurons induces running and freezing in a state-dependent manner. Our findings establish walking speed as a key factor in defensive response choices and reveal a pair of descending neurons as a critical component in the circuitry mediating selection and execution of freezing or fleeing behaviors. Looming discs are perceived as an innate threat by flies and elicit a survival response. Here, the authors report that flies exhibit either an escape or freezing response depending on their walking speed and identify the involvement of a pair of neurons in mediating the behavior.
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248
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Synaptic encoding of fear memories in the amygdala. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 54:54-59. [PMID: 30216780 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Over the years Pavlovian fear conditioning has proved to be a powerful model to investigate the neural underpinnings of aversive associative memory formation. Although it is well appreciated that plasticity occurring at excitatory synapses within the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) plays a critical role in associative memory formation, recent evidence suggests that plasticity within the amygdala is more distributed than previously appreciated. In particular, studies demonstrate that plasticity in the central nucleus (CeA) is critical for the acquisition of conditioned fear. In addition, a variety of interneuron populations within the amygdala, defined by unique neurochemical markers, contribute to distinct aspects of stimulus processing and memory formation during fear conditioning. Here, we will review and summarize recent advances in our understanding of amygdala networks and how unique players within this network contribute to synaptic plasticity associated with the acquisition of conditioned fear.
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249
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Zhang GW, Shen L, Zhong W, Xiong Y, Zhang LI, Tao HW. Transforming Sensory Cues into Aversive Emotion via Septal-Habenular Pathway. Neuron 2018; 99:1016-1028.e5. [PMID: 30122379 PMCID: PMC6126968 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Emotions evoked by environmental cues are important for animal survival and life quality. However, neural circuits responsible for transforming sensory signals to aversive emotion and behavioral avoidance remain unclear. Here, we found that medial septum (MS) mediates aversion induced by both auditory and somatosensory stimuli. Ablation of glutamatergic or GABAergic MS neurons results in impaired or strengthened aversion, respectively. Optogenetic activation of the two cell types results in place avoidance and preference, respectively. Cell-type-specific screening reveals that glutamatergic MS projections to the lateral habenula (LHb) are responsible for the induction of aversion, which can be antagonized by GABAergic MS projections to LHb. Additionally, the sensory-induced place avoidance is facilitated by enhanced locomotion mediated by glutamatergic MS projections to the preoptic area. Thus, MS can transmit innately aversive signals via a bottom-up multimodal sensory pathway and produce concurrent emotional and motional effects, allowing animals to efficiently avoid unfavorable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Wei Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., Chongqing 400038, China; Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Wen Zhong
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Ying Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., Chongqing 400038, China.
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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250
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Fenster RJ, Lebois LAM, Ressler KJ, Suh J. Brain circuit dysfunction in post-traumatic stress disorder: from mouse to man. Nat Rev Neurosci 2018; 19:535-551. [PMID: 30054570 PMCID: PMC6148363 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-018-0039-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent, debilitating and sometimes deadly consequence of exposure to severe psychological trauma. Although effective treatments exist for some individuals, they are limited. New approaches to intervention, treatment and prevention are therefore much needed. In the past few years, the field has rapidly developed a greater understanding of the dysfunctional brain circuits underlying PTSD, a shift in understanding that has been made possible by technological revolutions that have allowed the observation and perturbation of the macrocircuits and microcircuits thought to underlie PTSD-related symptoms. These advances have allowed us to gain a more translational knowledge of PTSD, have provided further insights into the mechanisms of risk and resilience and offer promising avenues for therapeutic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Fenster
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Lauren A M Lebois
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA.
| | - Junghyup Suh
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA.
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