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Coordinated Prefrontal State Transition Leads Extinction of Reward-Seeking Behaviors. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2406-2419. [PMID: 33531416 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2588-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Extinction learning suppresses conditioned reward responses and is thus fundamental to adapt to changing environmental demands and to control excessive reward seeking. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) monitors and controls conditioned reward responses. Abrupt transitions in mPFC activity anticipate changes in conditioned responses to altered contingencies. It remains, however, unknown whether such transitions are driven by the extinction of old behavioral strategies or by the acquisition of new competing ones. Using in vivo multiple single-unit recordings of mPFC in male rats, we studied the relationship between single-unit and population dynamics during extinction learning, using alcohol as a positive reinforcer in an operant conditioning paradigm. To examine the fine temporal relation between neural activity and behavior, we developed a novel behavioral model that allowed us to identify the number, onset, and duration of extinction-learning episodes in the behavior of each animal. We found that single-unit responses to conditioned stimuli changed even under stable experimental conditions and behavior. However, when behavioral responses to task contingencies had to be updated, unit-specific modulations became coordinated across the whole population, pushing the network into a new stable attractor state. Thus, extinction learning is not associated with suppressed mPFC responses to conditioned stimuli, but is anticipated by single-unit coordination into population-wide transitions of the internal state of the animal.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The ability to suppress conditioned behaviors when no longer beneficial is fundamental for the survival of any organism. While pharmacological and optogenetic interventions have shown a critical involvement of the mPFC in the suppression of conditioned responses, the neural dynamics underlying such a process are still largely unknown. Combining novel analysis tools to describe behavior, single-neuron response, and population activity, we found that widespread changes in neuronal firing temporally coordinate across the whole mPFC population in anticipation of behavioral extinction. This coordination leads to a global transition in the internal state of the network, driving extinction of conditioned behavior.
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202
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Understanding the dynamic and destiny of memories. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:592-607. [PMID: 33722616 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Memory formation enables the retention of life experiences overtime. Based on previously acquired information, organisms can anticipate future events and adjust their behaviors to maximize survival. However, in an ever-changing environment, a memory needs to be malleable to maintain its relevance. In fact, substantial evidence suggests that a consolidated memory can become labile and susceptible to modifications after being reactivated, a process termed reconsolidation. When an extinction process takes place, a memory can also be temporarily inhibited by a second memory that carries information with opposite meaning. In addition, a memory can fade and lose its significance in a process known as forgetting. Thus, following retrieval, new life experiences can be integrated with the original memory trace to maintain its predictive value. In this review, we explore the determining factors that regulate the fate of a memory after its reactivation. We focus on three post-retrieval memory destinies (reconsolidation, extinction, and forgetting) and discuss recent rodent studies investigating the biological functions and neural mechanisms underlying each of these processes.
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203
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Gunduz-Cinar O. The endocannabinoid system in the amygdala and modulation of fear. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 105:110116. [PMID: 32976951 PMCID: PMC7511205 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a persistent, trauma induced psychiatric condition characterized by lifelong complex cognitive, emotional and behavioral phenotype. Although many individuals that experience trauma are able to gradually diminish their emotional responding to trauma-related stimuli over time, known as extinction learning, individuals suffering from PTSD are impaired in this capacity. An inability to decline this initially normal and adaptive fear response, can be confronted with exposure-based therapies, often in combination with pharmacological treatments. Due to the complexity of PTSD, currently available pharmacotherapeutics are inadequate in treating the deficient extinction observed in many PTSD patients. To develop novel therapeutics, researchers have exploited the conserved nature of fear and stress-associated behavioral responses and neurocircuits across species in an attempt to translate knowledge gained from preclinical studies into the clinic. There is growing evidence on the endocannabinoid modulation of fear and stress due to their 'on demand' synthesis and degradation. Involvement of the endocannabinoids in fear extinction makes the endocannabinoid system very attractive for finding effective therapeutics for trauma and stress related disorders. In this review, a brief introduction on neuroanatomy and circuitry of fear extinction will be provided as a model to study PTSD. Then, the endocannabinoid system will be discussed as an important component of extinction modulation. In this regard, anandamide degrading enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) will be exemplified as a target identified and validated strongly from preclinical to clinical translational studies of enhancing extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozge Gunduz-Cinar
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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204
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Xing X, Fu J, Wang H, Zheng X. Contributions of prelimbic cortex, dorsal and ventral hippocampus, and basolateral amygdala to fear return induced by elevated platform stress in rats. Brain Res 2021; 1761:147398. [PMID: 33662338 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Fear relapse is a major challenge in the treatment of stress-related mental disorders. Most investigations have focused on fear return induced by stimuli associated with the initial fear learning, while little attention has been paid to fear return evoked after exposure to an unconditioned stressor. This study explored the neural mechanisms of fear return induced by elevated platform (EP) stressor in Sprague-Dawley rats initially subjected to auditory fear conditioning. The contributions of the prelimbic cortex (PL), dorsal hippocampus (DH), ventral hippocampus (VH), and basolateral amygdala (BLA) were examined by targeted bilateral intracerebral injection of the GABAA agonist muscimol after elevated platform (EP) stressor. Muscimol-induced inactivation of PL or BLA significantly impaired the return of conditioning fear, while inactivation of the DH or VH had no effect. These results suggest that fear return induced by non-associative stressor may depend on the PL and BLA but not on the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Xing
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China; School of Education Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, Henan Province, PR China
| | - Juan Fu
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China; College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Binzhou University, Binzhou 256600, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Hongbo Wang
- School of Education Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, Henan Province, PR China
| | - Xigeng Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China.
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205
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tDCS-Augmented in vivo exposure therapy for specific fears: A randomized clinical trial. J Anxiety Disord 2021; 78:102344. [PMID: 33418483 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Exposure therapy is highly effective for anxiety-related disorders, but there is a need for enhancement. Recent trials of adjunctive neuromodulation have shown promise, warranting evaluation of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an augmentation. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, contamination- and animal-phobic participants (N = 49) were randomized to active tDCS (1.7 mA, 20 min; n = 27), or sham tDCS (1.7 mA, 30 s; n = 22), followed by 30 min of in-vivo exposure. Active tDCS targeted excitation of the left mPFC and inhibition of the right dlPFC; polarity was counterbalanced for controls. We predicted tDCS would result in accelerated and better maintained gains, contingent on the subsequent in-session response, and baseline negative prognostic indicators. Consistent with predictions, tDCS promoted engagement and reductions in threat appraisals during exposure, and greater reductions in distress and threat appraisals through 1-month, although effects did not uniformly generalize. tDCS was most beneficial given high phobic severity, anxiety sensitivity, and a suboptimal early response. tDCS may promote engagement and response among individuals who are resistant or refractory to standard treatment. tDCS should be applied to more severe anxiety-related disorders, with parameters yoked to individual differences to improve outcomes in exposure-based interventions.
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206
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Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Current theories of alcohol use disorders (AUD) highlight the importance of Pavlovian and instrumental learning processes mainly based on preclinical animal studies. Here, we summarize available evidence for alterations of those processes in human participants with AUD with a focus on habitual versus goal-directed instrumental learning, Pavlovian conditioning, and Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigms.
Recent Findings
The balance between habitual and goal-directed control in AUD participants has been studied using outcome devaluation or sequential decision-making procedures, which have found some evidence of reduced goal-directed/model-based control, but little evidence for stronger habitual responding. The employed Pavlovian learning and PIT paradigms have shown considerable differences regarding experimental procedures, e.g., alcohol-related or conventional reinforcers or stimuli.
Summary
While studies of basic learning processes in human participants with AUD support a role of Pavlovian and instrumental learning mechanisms in the development and maintenance of drug addiction, current studies are characterized by large variability regarding methodology, sample characteristics, and results, and translation from animal paradigms to human research remains challenging. Longitudinal approaches with reliable and ecologically valid paradigms of Pavlovian and instrumental processes, including alcohol-related cues and outcomes, are warranted and should be combined with state-of-the-art imaging techniques, computational approaches, and ecological momentary assessment methods.
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207
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Dadkhah M, Rashidy-Pour A, Vafaei AA. Temporary inactivation of the infralimbic cortex impairs while the blockade of its dopamine D2 receptors enhances auditory fear extinction in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 203:173131. [PMID: 33545214 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Fear extinction is defined as decline in conditioned fear responses that occurs with repeated and non-reinforced exposure to a feared conditioned stimulus. Experimental evidence suggests that the extinction of fear memory requires the integration of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC); nevertheless, the role of its sub-regions in regulating the expression and extinction of auditory fear has been rarely addressed in literature. The present study examined the roles of the infra-limbic (IL) and pre-limbic (PL) regions of the mPFC in the expression and extinction of auditory fear by temporally deactivating these regions using lidocaine (10 μg/0.5 μl) before training male Wistar rats in auditory fear-conditioning tasks. The results showed increased freezing levels and impaired extinction through deactivating the IL rather than the PL cortex. Given the role of the dopaminergic pathways in regulating fear memory, this study also investigated the role of D2 receptors located in the IL cortex in fear extinction. Fear extinction was improved in an inverted U-shape pattern through the intra-IL infusion of 15.125, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250 and 500 ng/0.5 μl of the D2 receptor antagonist sulpiride. In other words, the moderate doses, i.e. 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250 ng/0.5 μl, enhanced auditory fear extinction, whereas the lowest and highest doses, i.e. 15.125 and 500 ng/0.5 μl, were ineffective. These findings demonstrated the key roles of the IL cortex and its dopamine D2 receptors in regulating auditory fear in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoomeh Dadkhah
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Ali Rashidy-Pour
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Vafaei
- Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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208
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Qin C, Bian XL, Wu HY, Xian JY, Cai CY, Lin YH, Zhou Y, Kou XL, Chang L, Luo CX, Zhu DY. Dorsal Hippocampus to Infralimbic Cortex Circuit is Essential for the Recall of Extinction Memory. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:1707-1718. [PMID: 33188393 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder subjects usually show impaired recall of extinction memory, leading to extinguished fear relapses. However, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying the impaired recall of extinction memory. We show here that the activity of dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) to infralimbic (IL) cortex circuit is essential for the recall of fear extinction memory in male mice. There were functional neural projections from the dHPC to IL. Using optogenetic manipulations, we observed that silencing the activity of dHPC-IL circuit inhibited recall of extinction memory while stimulating the activity of dHPC-IL circuit facilitated recall of extinction memory. "Impairment of extinction consolidation caused by" conditional deletion of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) in the IL prevented the dHPC-IL circuit-mediated recall of extinction memory. Moreover, silencing the dHPC-IL circuit abolished the effect of intra-IL microinjection of ERK enhancer on the recall of extinction memory. Together, we identify a dHPC to IL circuit that mediates the recall of extinction memory, and our data suggest that the dysfunction of dHPC-IL circuit and/or impaired extinction consolidation may contribute to extinguished fear relapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Qin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Xin-Lan Bian
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Hai-Yin Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Jia-Yun Xian
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Cheng-Yun Cai
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Yu-Hui Lin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Kou
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Lei Chang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Chun-Xia Luo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Dong-Ya Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Institution of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou 510000, China
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209
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Odriozola P, Gee DG. Learning About Safety: Conditioned Inhibition as a Novel Approach to Fear Reduction Targeting the Developing Brain. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:136-155. [PMID: 33167673 PMCID: PMC7951569 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20020232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a peak time for the onset of psychiatric disorders, with anxiety disorders being the most common and affecting as many as 30% of youths. A core feature of anxiety disorders is difficulty regulating fear, with evidence suggesting deficits in extinction learning and corresponding alterations in frontolimbic circuitry. Despite marked changes in this neural circuitry and extinction learning throughout development, interventions for anxious youths are largely based on principles of extinction learning studied in adulthood. Safety signal learning, based on conditioned inhibition of fear in the presence of a cue that indicates safety, has been shown to effectively reduce anxiety-like behavior in animal models and attenuate fear responses in healthy adults. Cross-species evidence suggests that safety signal learning involves connections between the ventral hippocampus and the prelimbic cortex in rodents or the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in humans. Particularly because this pathway follows a different developmental trajectory than fronto-amygdala circuitry involved in traditional extinction learning, safety cues may provide a novel approach to reducing fear in youths. In this review, the authors leverage a translational framework to bring together findings from studies in animal models and humans and to bridge the gap between research on basic neuroscience and clinical treatment. The authors consider the potential application of safety signal learning for optimizing interventions for anxious youths by targeting the biological state of the developing brain. Based on the existing cross-species literature on safety signal learning, they propose that the judicious use of safety cues may be an effective and neurodevelopmentally optimized approach to enhancing treatment outcomes for youths with anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn
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210
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Abstract
Alcohol dependence is a chronically relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking, loss of control in limiting intake, and the emergence of a withdrawal syndrome in the absence of the drug. Accumulating evidence suggests an important role for synaptic transmission in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in mediating alcohol-related behaviors and neuroadaptive mechanisms associated with alcohol dependence. Acute alcohol facilitates γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic transmission in the CeA via both pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms, and chronic alcohol increases baseline GABAergic transmission. Acute alcohol inhibits glutamatergic transmission via effects at N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors in the CeA, whereas chronic alcohol up-regulates NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-mediated transmission. Pro- (e.g., corticotropin-releasing factor [CRF]) and antistress (e.g., nociceptin/orphanin FQ, oxytocin) neuropeptides affect alcohol- and anxiety-related behaviors, and also alter the alcohol-induced effects on CeA neurotransmission. Alcohol dependence produces plasticity in these neuropeptide systems, reflecting a recruitment of those systems during the transition to alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Roberto
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Dean Kirson
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Sophia Khom
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
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211
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Levy I, Schiller D. Neural Computations of Threat. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:151-171. [PMID: 33384214 PMCID: PMC8084636 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A host of learning, memory, and decision-making processes form the individual's response to threat and may be disrupted in anxiety and post-trauma psychopathology. Here we review the neural computations of threat, from the first encounter with a dangerous situation, through learning, storing, and updating cues that predict it, to making decisions about the optimal course of action. The overview highlights the interconnected nature of these processes and their reliance on shared neural and computational mechanisms. We propose an integrative approach to the study of threat-related processes, in which specific computations are studied across the various stages of threat experience rather than in isolation. This approach can generate new insights about the evolution, diagnosis, and treatment of threat-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifat Levy
- Departments of Comparative Medicine, Neuroscience, and Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Daniela Schiller
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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212
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Takita M, Izawa-Sugaya Y. Neurocircuit differences between memory traces of persistent hypoactivity and freezing following fear conditioning among the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. AIMS Neurosci 2021; 8:195-211. [PMID: 33709024 PMCID: PMC7940113 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2021010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to investigate the persistent trace of one traumatic event on neurocircuit controls in rats. Conditioning was reflected by reductions in rates of 'freezing' and 'other-than-freezing' motor activities, between which rats could alternate on delivery of pulsed footshocks of intensity 0.5 mA but not 1.0 mA. At the latter intensity, freezing began to suppress motor activity. The conditional responses evident during both the context and tone sessions persisted when the tests were repeated on post-conditioning days 7 and 8. Thus, difficulties with fear extinction/reduction remained. However, persistence was not evident on post-conditioning days 1 and 2. One day after the 1.0 mA pulsed footshock, ibotenate lesions and corresponding sham surgeries were performed in unilateral and bilateral hemispheres of the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, as well as three different disconnections (one unilateral and another contralateral lesions out of three regions, a total of nine groups), and were tested on days 7-8. The drastic restoration of freezing following bilateral amygdala lesions was also evident in animals with three types of disconnection; however, this was not the case for hypoactivity. These results imply that a serious experience can drive different neurocircuits that all involve the amygdala, forming persistent concurrent memories of explicit (e.g., 'freezing') or implicit (e.g., 'other-than-freezing' motor activity) emotions, which may exhibit mutual interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatoshi Takita
- Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
- Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yumi Izawa-Sugaya
- Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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213
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Van Schuerbeek A, Vanderhasselt MA, Baeken C, Pierre A, Smolders I, Van Waes V, De Bundel D. Effects of repeated anodal transcranial direct current stimulation on auditory fear extinction in C57BL/6J mice. Brain Stimul 2021; 14:250-260. [PMID: 33454396 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trauma-based psychotherapy is a first line treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but not all patients achieve long-term remission. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) received considerable attention as a neuromodulation method that may improve trauma-based psychotherapy. OBJECTIVE We explored the effects of repeated anodal tDCS over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) on fear extinction in mice as a preclinical model for trauma-based psychotherapy. METHODS We performed auditory fear conditioning with moderate or high shock intensity on C57BL6/J mice. Next, mice received anodal tDCS (0.2 mA, 20 min) or sham stimulation over the PFC twice daily for five consecutive days. Extinction training was performed by repeatedly exposing mice to the auditory cue the day after the last stimulation session. Early and late retention of extinction were evaluated one day and three weeks after extinction training respectively. RESULTS We observed no significant effect of tDCS on the acquisition or retention of fear extinction in mice subjected to fear conditioning with moderate intensity. However, when the intensity of fear conditioning was high, tDCS significantly lowered freezing during the acquisition of extinction, regardless of the extinction protocol. Moreover, when tDCS was combined with a strong extinction protocol, we also observed a significant improvement of early extinction recall. Finally, we found that tDCS reduced generalized fear induced by contextual cues when the intensity of conditioning is high and extinction training limited. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide a rationale to further explore anodal tDCS over the PFC as potential support for trauma-based psychotherapy for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andries Van Schuerbeek
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Universiteit Gent - C, Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Gent, Belgium.
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Universiteit Gent - C, Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Gent, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry, UZBrussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Anouk Pierre
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilse Smolders
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Vincent Van Waes
- Laboratory of Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, EA481, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 19 rue Ambroise Paré, 25030, Besancon, Cedex, France.
| | - Dimitri De Bundel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
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214
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Environmental enrichment prevents the late effect of acute stress-induced fear extinction deficit: the role of hippocampal AMPA-GluA1 phosphorylation. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:18. [PMID: 33414437 PMCID: PMC7791025 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01140-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The persistence of anxiety and the deficit of fear memory extinction are both phenomena related to the symptoms of a trauma-related disorder, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recently we have shown that single acute restraint stress (2 h) in rats induces a late anxiety-related behavior (observed ten days after stress), whereas, in the present work, we found that the same stress impaired fear extinction in animals conditioned ten days after stress. Fourteen days of environmental enrichment (EE) prevented the deleterious effect of stress on fear memory extinction. Additionally, we observed that EE prevented the stress-induced increase in AMPA receptor GluA1 subunit phosphorylation in the hippocampus, but not in the basolateral amygdala complex and the frontal cortex, indicating a potential mechanism by which it exerts its protective effect against the stress-induced behavioral outcome.
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215
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SKF83959, an agonist of phosphatidylinositol-linked dopamine receptors, prevents renewal of extinguished conditioned fear and facilitates extinction. Brain Res 2020; 1749:147136. [PMID: 32980332 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fear-related anxiety disorders, such as social phobia and post-traumatic stress disorder, are partly explained by an uncontrollable state of fear. An emerging literature suggests dopamine receptor-1 (D1 receptor) in the amygdala is involved in the regulation of fear memory. An early study has reported that amygdaloid D1 receptor (D1R) is not coupled to the classic cAMP-dependent signal transduction. Here, we investigated whether SKF83959, a typical D1R agonist that mainly activates a D1-like receptor-dependent phosphatidylinositol (PI) signal pathway, facilitates fear extinction and reduces the return of extinguished fear. Interestingly, long-term loss of fearful memories can be induced through a combination of SKF83959 (1 mg/kg/day, i.p., once daily for one week) pharmacotherapy and extinction training. Furthermore, sub-chronic administration of SKF83959 after fear conditioning reduced fear renewal and reinstatement in the mice. We found that the activation D1R and PI signaling in the amygdala was responsible for the effect of SKF83959 on fear extinction. Additionally, SKF83959 significantly promoted the elevation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, possibly by the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) -directed gene transcription. Given the beneficial effects on extinction, SKF83959 may emerge as a candidate pharmacological approach for improving cognitive-behavioral therapy on fear-related anxiety disorders.
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216
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Ney LJ, Vicario CM, Nitsche MA, Felmingham KL. Timing matters: Transcranial direct current stimulation after extinction learning impairs subsequent fear extinction retention. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 177:107356. [PMID: 33278591 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has previously been shown to improve fear extinction learning and retention when administered prior to or during extinction learning. This study investigates whether tDCS immediately following extinction learning improves efficacy of extinction memory retention. METHODS 30 participants completed a 2-day fear learning and extinction paradigm, where they acquired fear of a stimulus conditioned to an aversive electric shock on day 1. Extinction learning occurred on day 1, with tDCS or sham tDCS administered immediately following the learning phase. Participants returned for a second day test of extinction memory recall. Skin conductance was measured as the primary outcome. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Participants in the tDCS group showed impaired fear extinction retention on day 2, marked by significant generalisation of fear to the safety stimulus. This contrasts with earlier studies showing improved extinction retention when stimulation occurred during encoding of extinction learning, compared to immediate consolidation as in our study. These findings may have important implications for the use of tDCS during exposure therapy for anxiety and trauma disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke J Ney
- School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Carmelo M Vicario
- University of Messina, Department of Scienze Cognitive Della Formazione e Degli Studi Culturali, Messina, Italy.
| | - Michael A Nitsche
- Deptartment of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Medical Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bochum, Germany
| | - Kim L Felmingham
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
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217
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Giménez M, Cano M, Martínez-Zalacaín I, Real E, Alonso P, Segalàs C, Munuera J, Kegeles LS, Weinstein JJ, Xu X, Menchón JM, Cardoner N, Soriano-Mas C, Fullana MA. Is glutamate associated with fear extinction and cognitive behavior therapy outcome in OCD? A pilot study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 270:1003-1014. [PMID: 31432262 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-019-01056-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) including exposure and response prevention is a well-established treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and is based on the principles of fear extinction. Fear extinction is linked to structural and functional variability in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and has been consistently associated with glutamate neurotransmission. The relationship between vmPFC glutamate and fear extinction and its effects on CBT outcome have not yet been explored in adults with OCD. We assessed glutamate levels in the vmPFC using 3T magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and fear extinction (learning and recall) using skin conductance responses during a 2-day experimental paradigm in OCD patients (n = 17) and in healthy controls (HC; n = 13). Obsessive-compulsive patients (n = 12) then received manualized CBT. Glutamate in the vmPFC was negatively associated with fear extinction recall and positively associated with CBT outcome (with higher glutamate levels predicting a better outcome) in OCD patients. Glutamate levels in the vmPFC in OCD patients were not significantly different from those in HC, and were not associated with OCD severity. Our results suggest that glutamate in the vmPFC is associated with fear extinction recall and CBT outcome in adult OCD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Giménez
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Carlos III Health Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental-CIBERSAM, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Cano
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Carlos III Health Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental-CIBERSAM, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - I Martínez-Zalacaín
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Real
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Carlos III Health Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental-CIBERSAM, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - P Alonso
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Carlos III Health Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental-CIBERSAM, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Segalàs
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Carlos III Health Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental-CIBERSAM, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Munuera
- Diagnostic Imaging Department, Fundació de Recerca Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Passeig Sant Joan de Déu, 2, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950, Barcelona, Spain
| | - L S Kegeles
- Department of Psychiatry and Radiology, Columbia University, 622 W 168th St, New York, 10032, USA.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Dr, New York, 10032, USA
| | - J J Weinstein
- Department of Psychiatry and Radiology, Columbia University, 622 W 168th St, New York, 10032, USA.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Dr, New York, 10032, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, 101 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, New York, 11794, USA
| | - X Xu
- Department of Psychiatry and Radiology, Columbia University, 622 W 168th St, New York, 10032, USA.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Dr, New York, 10032, USA
| | - J M Menchón
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Carlos III Health Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental-CIBERSAM, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - N Cardoner
- Depression and Anxiety Program, Department of Mental Health, Parc Taulí Sabadell, Hospital Universitari, Parc Taulí 1, 08208, Sabadell, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Av. de Can Domènech, 737, 08193, Cerdanyola Del Vallès Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Soriano-Mas
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.,Carlos III Health Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental-CIBERSAM, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Building B1, Ca n'Altayó, s/n, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M A Fullana
- Carlos III Health Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental-CIBERSAM, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain. .,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Av. de Can Domènech, 737, 08193, Cerdanyola Del Vallès Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Psychiatry Department, Hospital Clínic-Institute of Neurosciences, CIBERSAM, C/Rosselló 140, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
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218
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Kim JH, Ganella DE. A Review of Preclinical Studies to Understand Fear During Adolescence. AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ap.12066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Despina E Ganella
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne
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219
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Projections from Infralimbic Cortex to Paraventricular Thalamus Mediate Fear Extinction Retrieval. Neurosci Bull 2020; 37:229-241. [PMID: 33180308 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-020-00603-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), which serves as a hub, receives dense projections from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and projects to the lateral division of central amygdala (CeL). The infralimbic (IL) cortex plays a crucial role in encoding and recalling fear extinction memory. Here, we found that neurons in the PVT and IL were strongly activated during fear extinction retrieval. Silencing PVT neurons inhibited extinction retrieval at recent time point (24 h after extinction), while activating them promoted extinction retrieval at remote time point (7 d after extinction), suggesting a critical role of the PVT in extinction retrieval. In the mPFC-PVT circuit, projections from IL rather than prelimbic cortex to the PVT were dominant, and disrupting the IL-PVT projection suppressed extinction retrieval. Moreover, the axons of PVT neurons preferentially projected to the CeL. Silencing the PVT-CeL circuit also suppressed extinction retrieval. Together, our findings reveal a new neural circuit for fear extinction retrieval outside the classical IL-amygdala circuit.
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220
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Liu J, Lu L, Mueller D. Editorial: Overcome Fear and Addiction by Manipulating Reconsolidation and Extinction of Emotional Memories. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:613612. [PMID: 33250725 PMCID: PMC7674957 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.613612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Liu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Lin Lu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Devin Mueller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
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221
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Kim E, White MA, Phillips BU, Lopez-Cruz L, Kim H, Heath CJ, Lee JE, Saksida LM, Sreedharan J, Bussey TJ. Coexistence of perseveration and apathy in the TDP-43 Q331K knock-in mouse model of ALS-FTD. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:377. [PMID: 33149110 PMCID: PMC7643138 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01078-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Perseveration and apathy are two of the most common behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD). Availability of a validated and behaviourally characterised animal model is crucial for translational research into BPSD in the FTD context. We behaviourally evaluated the male TDP-43Q331K mouse, an ALS-FTD model with a human-equivalent mutation (TDP-43Q331K) knocked into the endogenous Tardbp gene. We utilised a panel of behavioural tasks delivered using the rodent touchscreen apparatus, including progressive ratio (PR), extinction and visual discrimination/reversal learning (VDR) assays to examine motivation, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility, respectively. Relative to WT littermates, TDP-43Q331K mice exhibited increased responding under a PR schedule. While elevated PR responding is typically an indication of increased motivation for reward, a trial-by-trial response rate analysis revealed that TDP-43Q331K mice exhibited decreased maximal response rate and slower response decay rate, suggestive of reduced motivation and a perseverative behavioural phenotype, respectively. In the extinction assay, TDP-43Q331K mice displayed increased omissions during the early phase of each session, consistent with a deficit in activational motivation. Finally, the VDR task revealed cognitive inflexibility, manifesting as stimulus-bound perseveration. Together, our data indicate that male TDP-43Q331K mice exhibit a perseverative phenotype with some evidence of apathy-like behaviour, similar to BPSDs observed in human ALS-FTD patients. The TDP-43Q331K knock-in mouse therefore has features that recommend it as a useful platform to facilitate translational research into behavioural symptoms in the context of ALS-FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eosu Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychology and MRC/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthew A White
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Benjamin U Phillips
- Department of Psychology and MRC/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura Lopez-Cruz
- Department of Psychology and MRC/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Hyunjeong Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychology and MRC/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Anatomy, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Christopher J Heath
- School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Jong Eun Lee
- Department of Anatomy, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Lisa M Saksida
- Department of Psychology and MRC/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Molecular Medicine Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute & Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jemeen Sreedharan
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Timothy J Bussey
- Department of Psychology and MRC/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Molecular Medicine Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute & Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
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222
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Mollick JA, Hazy TE, Krueger KA, Nair A, Mackie P, Herd SA, O'Reilly RC. A systems-neuroscience model of phasic dopamine. Psychol Rev 2020; 127:972-1021. [PMID: 32525345 PMCID: PMC8453660 DOI: 10.1037/rev0000199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
We describe a neurobiologically informed computational model of phasic dopamine signaling to account for a wide range of findings, including many considered inconsistent with the simple reward prediction error (RPE) formalism. The central feature of this PVLV framework is a distinction between a primary value (PV) system for anticipating primary rewards (Unconditioned Stimuli [USs]), and a learned value (LV) system for learning about stimuli associated with such rewards (CSs). The LV system represents the amygdala, which drives phasic bursting in midbrain dopamine areas, while the PV system represents the ventral striatum, which drives shunting inhibition of dopamine for expected USs (via direct inhibitory projections) and phasic pausing for expected USs (via the lateral habenula). Our model accounts for data supporting the separability of these systems, including individual differences in CS-based (sign-tracking) versus US-based learning (goal-tracking). Both systems use competing opponent-processing pathways representing evidence for and against specific USs, which can explain data dissociating the processes involved in acquisition versus extinction conditioning. Further, opponent processing proved critical in accounting for the full range of conditioned inhibition phenomena, and the closely related paradigm of second-order conditioning. Finally, we show how additional separable pathways representing aversive USs, largely mirroring those for appetitive USs, also have important differences from the positive valence case, allowing the model to account for several important phenomena in aversive conditioning. Overall, accounting for all of these phenomena strongly constrains the model, thus providing a well-validated framework for understanding phasic dopamine signaling. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Mollick
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Thomas E Hazy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Kai A Krueger
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Ananta Nair
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Prescott Mackie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Seth A Herd
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Randall C O'Reilly
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
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223
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The infralimbic cortex and mGlu5 mediate the effects of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure on fear learning and memory. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3417-3433. [PMID: 32767063 PMCID: PMC7572878 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05622-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often occur comorbidly. While the incidence of these disorders is increasing, there is little investigation into the interacting neural mechanisms between these disorders. These studies aim to identify cognitive deficits that occur as a consequence of fear and ethanol exposure, implement a novel pharmaceutical intervention, and determine relevant underlying neurocircuitry. Additionally, due to clinical sex differences in PTSD prevalence and alcohol abuse, these studies examine the nature of this relationship in rodent models. METHODS Animals were exposed to a model of PTSD+AUD using auditory fear conditioning followed by chronic intermittent ethanol exposure (CIE). Then, rats received extinction training consisting of multiple conditioned stimulus presentations in absence of the shock. Extinction recall and context-induced freezing were measured in subsequent tests. CDPPB, a metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) positive allosteric modulator, was used to treat these deficits, and region-specific effects were determined using microinjections. RESULTS These studies determined that CIE exposure led to deficits in fear extinction learning and heightened context-induced freezing while sex differences emerged in fear conditioning and extinction cue recall tests. Furthermore, using CDPPB, these studies found that enhancement of infralimbic (IfL) mGlu5 activity was able to recover CIE-induced deficits in both males and females. CONCLUSIONS These studies show that CIE induces deficits in fear-related behaviors and that enhancement of IfL glutamatergic activity can facilitate learning during extinction. Additionally, we identify novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of individuals who suffer from PTSD and AUD.
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224
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Marusak HA, Hehr A, Bhogal A, Peters C, Iadipaolo A, Rabinak CA. Alterations in fear extinction neural circuitry and fear-related behavior linked to trauma exposure in children. Behav Brain Res 2020; 398:112958. [PMID: 33069739 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to childhood trauma is extremely common (>60 %) and is a leading risk factor for fear-based disorders, including anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. These disorders are characterized by deficits in fear extinction and dysfunction in underlying neural circuitry. Given the strong and pervasive link between childhood trauma and the development of psychopathology, fear extinction may be a key mechanism. The present study tests the impact of childhood trauma exposure on fear extinction and underlying neural circuitry. Children (N = 44, 45 % trauma-exposed; 6-11 yrs) completed a novel two-day virtual reality fear extinction experiment. On day one, participants underwent fear conditioning and extinction. Twenty-four hours later, participants completed a test of extinction recall during fMRI. Conditioned fear was measured throughout the experiment using skin conductance and fear-related behavior, and activation in fear-related brain regions was estimated during recall. There were no group differences in conditioned fear during fear conditioning or extinction learning. During extinction recall, however, trauma-exposed children kept more distance from both the previously extinguished and the safety cue, suggesting poor differentiation between threat and safety cues. Trauma-exposed youth also failed to approach the previously extinguished cue over the course of extinction recall. The effects on fear-related behavior during extinction recall were accompanied by higher activation to the previously extinguished cue in fear-relevant brain regions, including the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula, in trauma-exposed relative to control children. Alterations in fear-related brain regions and fear-related behavior may be a core mechanism through which childhood trauma confers heightened vulnerability to psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.
| | - Aneesh Hehr
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Amanpreet Bhogal
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Craig Peters
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Allesandra Iadipaolo
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Christine A Rabinak
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; Translational Neuroscience Program, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
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225
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McCullough KM, Chatzinakos C, Hartmann J, Missig G, Neve RL, Fenster RJ, Carlezon WA, Daskalakis NP, Ressler KJ. Genome-wide translational profiling of amygdala Crh-expressing neurons reveals role for CREB in fear extinction learning. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5180. [PMID: 33057013 PMCID: PMC7560654 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18985-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear and extinction learning are adaptive processes caused by molecular changes in specific neural circuits. Neurons expressing the corticotropin-releasing hormone gene (Crh) in central amygdala (CeA) are implicated in threat regulation, yet little is known of cell type-specific gene pathways mediating adaptive learning. We translationally profiled the transcriptome of CeA Crh-expressing cells (Crh neurons) after fear conditioning or extinction in mice using translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) and RNAseq. Differential gene expression and co-expression network analyses identified diverse networks activated or inhibited by fear vs extinction. Upstream regulator analysis demonstrated that extinction associates with reduced CREB expression, and viral vector-induced increased CREB expression in Crh neurons increased fear expression and inhibited extinction. These findings suggest that CREB, within CeA Crh neurons, may function as a molecular switch that regulates expression of fear and its extinction. Cell-type specific translational analyses may suggest targets useful for understanding and treating stress-related psychiatric illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth M McCullough
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Chris Chatzinakos
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Jakob Hartmann
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Galen Missig
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Transfer Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Robert J Fenster
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - William A Carlezon
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Nikolaos P Daskalakis
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
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Ahmad H, Rauf K, Zada W, McCarthy M, Abbas G, Anwar F, Shah AJ. Kaempferol Facilitated Extinction Learning in Contextual Fear Conditioned Rats via Inhibition of Fatty-Acid Amide Hydrolase. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25204683. [PMID: 33066366 PMCID: PMC7587337 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25204683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Fear, stress, and anxiety-like behaviors originate from traumatic events in life. Stress response is managed by endocannabinoids in the body by limiting the uncontrolled retrieval of aversive memories. Pharmacotherapy-modulating endocannabinoids, especially anandamide, presents a promising tool for treating anxiety disorders. Here, we investigated the effect of kaempferol, a flavonoid, in the extinction of fear related memories and associated anxiety-like behavior. Methods: The ability of kaempferol to inhibit fatty-acid amide hydrolase (FAAH, the enzyme that catabolizes anandamide) was assessed in vitro using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. For animal studies (in vivo), the extinction learning was evaluated using contextual fear conditioning (CFC, a behavioral paradigm based on ability to learn and remember aversive stimuli). Furthermore, an elevated plus-maze (EPM) model was used for measuring anxiety-like behavior, while serum corticosterone served as a biochemical indicator of anxiety. Lastly, the interaction of kaempferol with FAAH enzyme was also assessed in silico (computational study). Results: Our data showed that kaempferol inhibited the FAAH enzyme with an IC50 value of 1 µM. In CFC, it reduced freezing behavior in rats. EPM data demonstrated anxiolytic activity as exhibited by enhanced number of entries and time spent in the open arm. No change in blood corticosterone levels was noted. Our computational study showed that Kaempferol interacted with the catalytic amino acids (SER241, PHE192, PHE381, and THR377) of FAAH enzyme Conclusion: Our study demonstrate that kaempferol facilitated the extinction of aversive memories along with a reduction of anxiety. The effect is mediated through the augmentation of endocannabinoids via the inhibition of FAAH enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hammad Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22060, Pakistan; (H.A.); (K.R.); (W.Z.)
| | - Khalid Rauf
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22060, Pakistan; (H.A.); (K.R.); (W.Z.)
| | - Wahid Zada
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22060, Pakistan; (H.A.); (K.R.); (W.Z.)
| | - Margaret McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
| | - Ghulam Abbas
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ziauddin University, Karachi 75000, Pakistan;
| | - Fareeha Anwar
- Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Pakistan;
| | - Abdul Jabbar Shah
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22060, Pakistan; (H.A.); (K.R.); (W.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +(92)992-383591-6
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Revaluing the Role of vmPFC in the Acquisition of Pavlovian Threat Conditioning in Humans. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8491-8500. [PMID: 33020217 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0304-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in human pavlovian threat conditioning has been relegated largely to the extinction or reversal of previously acquired stimulus-outcome associations. However, recent neuroimaging evidence questions this view by also showing activity in the vmPFC during threat acquisition. Here we investigate the casual role of vmPFC in the acquisition of pavlovian threat conditioning by assessing skin conductance response (SCR) and declarative memory of stimulus-outcome contingencies during a differential pavlovian threat-conditioning paradigm in eight patients with a bilateral vmPFC lesion, 10 with a lesion outside PFC and 10 healthy participants (each group included both females and males). Results showed that patients with vmPFC lesion failed to produce a conditioned SCR during threat acquisition, despite no evidence of compromised SCR to unconditioned stimulus or compromised declarative memory for stimulus-outcome contingencies. These results suggest that the vmPFC plays a causal role in the acquisition of new learning and not just in the extinction or reversal of previously acquired learning, as previously thought. Given the role of the vmPFC in schema-related processing and latent structure learning, the vmPFC may be required to construct a detailed representation of the task, which is needed to produce a sustained conditioned physiological response in anticipation of the unconditioned stimulus during threat acquisition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Pavlovian threat conditioning is an adaptive mechanism through which organisms learn to avoid potential threats, thus increasing their chances of survival. Understanding what brain regions contribute to such a process is crucial to understand the mechanisms underlying adaptive as well as maladaptive learning, and has the potential to inform the treatment of anxiety disorders. Importantly, the role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in the acquisition of pavlovian threat conditioning has been relegated largely to the inhibition of previously acquired learning. Here, we show that the vmPFC actually plays a causal role in the acquisition of pavlovian threat conditioning.
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228
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Notaras M, van den Buuse M. Neurobiology of BDNF in fear memory, sensitivity to stress, and stress-related disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2251-2274. [PMID: 31900428 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0639-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is widely accepted for its involvement in resilience and antidepressant drug action, is a common genetic locus of risk for mental illnesses, and remains one of the most prominently studied molecules within psychiatry. Stress, which arguably remains the "lowest common denominator" risk factor for several mental illnesses, targets BDNF in disease-implicated brain regions and circuits. Altered stress-related responses have also been observed in animal models of BDNF deficiency in vivo, and BDNF is a common downstream intermediary for environmental factors that potentiate anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. However, BDNF's broad functionality has manifested a heterogeneous literature; likely reflecting that BDNF plays a hitherto under-recognized multifactorial role as both a regulator and target of stress hormone signaling within the brain. The role of BDNF in vulnerability to stress and stress-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is a prominent example where inconsistent effects have emerged across numerous models, labs, and disciplines. In the current review we provide a contemporary update on the neurobiology of BDNF including new data from the behavioral neuroscience and neuropsychiatry literature on fear memory consolidation and extinction, stress, and PTSD. First we present an overview of recent advances in knowledge on the role of BDNF within the fear circuitry, as well as address mounting evidence whereby stress hormones interact with endogenous BDNF-TrkB signaling to alter brain homeostasis. Glucocorticoid signaling also acutely recruits BDNF to enhance the expression of fear memory. We then include observations that the functional common BDNF Val66Met polymorphism modulates stress susceptibility as well as stress-related and stress-inducible neuropsychiatric endophenotypes in both man and mouse. We conclude by proposing a BDNF stress-sensitivity hypothesis, which posits that disruption of endogenous BDNF activity by common factors (such as the BDNF Val66Met variant) potentiates sensitivity to stress and, by extension, vulnerability to stress-inducible illnesses. Thus, BDNF may induce plasticity to deleteriously promote the encoding of fear and trauma but, conversely, also enable adaptive plasticity during extinction learning to suppress PTSD-like fear responses. Ergo regulators of BDNF availability, such as the Val66Met polymorphism, may orchestrate sensitivity to stress, trauma, and risk of stress-induced disorders such as PTSD. Given an increasing interest in personalized psychiatry and clinically complex cases, this model provides a framework from which to experimentally disentangle the causal actions of BDNF in stress responses, which likely interact to potentiate, produce, and impair treatment of, stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Notaras
- Center for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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229
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Seo J, Pace-Schott EF, Milad MR, Song H, Germain A. Partial and Total Sleep Deprivation Interferes With Neural Correlates of Consolidation of Fear Extinction Memory. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:299-309. [PMID: 33279459 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We assessed the impact of total and partial sleep loss on neural correlates of fear conditioning, extinction learning, and extinction recall in healthy young adults. METHODS Participants (56.3% female, age 24.8 ± 3.4 years) were randomized to a night of normal sleep (NS) (n = 48), sleep restriction (SR) (n = 53), or sleep deprivation (SD) (n = 53). All completed fear conditioning and extinction learning phases the following morning. Extinction recall was tested in the evening of the same day. Task-based contrasts were modeled at the beginning of, at the end of, and across the fear conditioning and extinction learning phases, and at the beginning of extinction recall. These contrasts were compared among the 3 groups by means of analysis of variance. Nonparametric permutation corrected analyses using a cluster-determining threshold of p < .005 and a familywise error of p < .05. RESULTS At the end of fear conditioning, NS activated medial prefrontal regions, SR activated motor areas, and participants in the SD group showed no significant activations. Across extinction learning, only NS activated both salience (fear) and extinction (regulatory) areas. For extinction recall, SD activated similar regions as NS across extinction learning, while SR activated salience and motor areas. During early fear conditioning, compared with NS, SD activated more medial prefrontal and SR activated more salience network areas. For extinction recall, NS activated more prefrontal areas and SD activated more of both salience- and extinction-related areas than SR. CONCLUSIONS Relative to NS, SR may enhance fear-related and diminish extinction-related activity, whereas SD may delay engagement of extinction learning. Findings may have clinical implications for populations and occupations in which sleep loss is common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeehye Seo
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Edward F Pace-Schott
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts.
| | - Mohammed R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York; Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Rockland, New York
| | - Huijin Song
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Anne Germain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Kashefi A, Rashidy-Pour A, Vafaei AA, Haghparast A, Tomaz C, Ahmadalipour A. Corticosterone impairs contextual fear recall after reactivation in the ovariectomized rat model of menopause. Behav Brain Res 2020; 394:112817. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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231
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Cavalcante KM, Bispo JM, Souza MF, Medeiros KA, Lins LC, Santos ER, Melo JE, Gois AM, Meurer YS, Leal PC, Marchioro M, Santos JR. Short-term but not long-term exposure to an enriched environment facilitates the extinction of aversive memory. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112806. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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232
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Andreatta M, Genheimer H, Wieser MJ, Pauli P. Context-dependent generalization of conditioned responses to threat and safety signals. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 155:140-151. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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233
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Sevinc G, Greenberg J, Hölzel BK, Gard T, Calahan T, Brunsch V, Hashmi JA, Vangel M, Orr SP, Milad MR, Lazar SW. Hippocampal circuits underlie improvements in self-reported anxiety following mindfulness training. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01766. [PMID: 32700828 PMCID: PMC7507558 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mindfulness meditation has successfully been applied to cultivate skills in self-regulation of emotion, as it employs the unbiased present moment awareness of experience. This heightened attention to and awareness of sensory experience has been postulated to create an optimal therapeutic exposure condition and thereby improve extinction learning. We recently demonstrated increased connectivity in hippocampal circuits during the contextual retrieval of extinction memory following mindfulness training. METHODS Here, we examine the role of structural changes in hippocampal subfields following mindfulness training in a randomized controlled longitudinal study using a two-day fear-conditioning and extinction protocol. RESULTS We demonstrate an association between mindfulness training-related increases in subiculum and decreased hippocampal connectivity to lateral occipital regions during contextual retrieval of extinguished fear. Further, we demonstrate an association between decreased connectivity and decreases in self-reported anxiety following mindfulness training. CONCLUSIONS The results highlight the role of the subiculum in gating interactions with contextual stimuli during memory retrieval and, also, the mechanisms through which mindfulness training may foster resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunes Sevinc
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Greenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Britta K Hölzel
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tim Gard
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Calahan
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vincent Brunsch
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Javeria A Hashmi
- Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Mark Vangel
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Scott P Orr
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mohammed R Milad
- Psychiatry Department, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sara W Lazar
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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234
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Effects of ∆ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol on aversive memories and anxiety: a review from human studies. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:420. [PMID: 32842985 PMCID: PMC7448997 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02813-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [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: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may stem from the formation of aberrant and enduring aversive memories. Some PTSD patients have recreationally used Cannabis, probably aiming at relieving their symptomatology. However, it is still largely unknown whether and how Cannabis or its psychotomimetic compound Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) attenuates the aversive/traumatic memory outcomes. Here, we seek to review and discuss the effects of THC on aversive memory extinction and anxiety in healthy humans and PTSD patients. METHODS Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Central Register for Controlled Trials databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed published studies and randomized controlled trials in humans published in English between 1974 and July 2020, including those using only THC and THC combined with cannabidiol (CBD). The effect size of the experimental intervention under investigation was calculated. RESULTS At low doses, THC can enhance the extinction rate and reduce anxiety responses. Both effects involve the activation of cannabinoid type-1 receptors in discrete components of the corticolimbic circuitry, which could couterbalance the low "endocannabinoid tonus" reported in PTSD patients. The advantage of associating CBD with THC to attenuate anxiety while minimizing the potential psychotic or anxiogenic effect produced by high doses of THC has been reported. The effects of THC either alone or combined with CBD on aversive memory reconsolidation, however, are still unknown. CONCLUSIONS Current evidence from healthy humans and PTSD patients supports the THC value to suppress anxiety and aversive memory expression without producing significant adverse effects if used in low doses or when associated with CBD. Future studies are guaranteed to address open questions related to their dose ratios, administration routes, pharmacokinetic interactions, sex-dependent differences, and prolonged efficacy.
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235
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Chen Y, Chen T, Cai X. Light-sensitive circuits related to emotional processing underlie the antidepressant neural targets of light therapy. Behav Brain Res 2020; 396:112862. [PMID: 32827569 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Since Aaron Beck proposed his cognitive model of depression, biased attention, biased processing, and biased rumination (different phases of biased cognition) have been considered as the key elements consistently linked with depression. Increasing evidence suggests that the functional failures in the "emotional processing system (EPS)" underlie the neurological foundation of the biased cognition of depression. Light therapy, a non-intrusive approach, exerts powerful effects on emotion and cognition and affects the activity, functional connectivity, and plasticity of multiple brain structures. Although numerous studies have reported its effectiveness in treating depression, the findings have not been integrated with Beck's cognitive model and EPS, and the neurobiological mechanisms of antidepressant light therapy remain largely unknown. In this review, integrated with the classical theories of Beck's cognitive model of depression and EPS, we identified the key neural circuits and abnormalities involved in the cognitive bias of depression and, accordingly, identified and depicted several light-sensitive circuits (LSCs, neural circuits in the EPS that are responsive to light stimulation) that may underlie the antidepressant neural targets of light therapy, as listed below: In summary, the LSCs above narrow down the research scope of identifying the neural targets of antidepressant light therapy and help elucidate the neuropsychological mechanism of antidepressant light therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaodong Chen
- School of Architecture and Design, Southwest JiaoTong University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Taolin Chen
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueli Cai
- School of Architecture and Design, Southwest JiaoTong University, Chengdu, China
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236
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Mohlman J. Neurocognitive predictors of long-term outcome in CBT for late life generalized anxiety disorder. J Anxiety Disord 2020; 74:102246. [PMID: 32603993 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is currently recognized as one of the most common and impairing psychiatric conditions in adults age 65 and over. Although clinical trials have indicated that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is efficacious, it has not shown consistent superiority over other types of psychosocial interventions. This study sought to identify baseline neurocognitive predictors of posttreatment and distal follow-up outcome of CBT for late life GAD, which could be used to estimate response and optimize the intervention. First, results indicated that CBT was effective in reducing worry and other symptoms immediately following and 18 months after the last full session of treatment. Regression models of baseline predictors included pretreatment worry scores, the number of comorbid conditions, hypertension, and scores on a working memory task or hippocampal volumes as predictors of endpoint PSWQ scores. Results replicated known baseline predictors of outcome at both assessment points, and identified one new predictor of distal outcome. Clinicians may benefit from including working memory tasks as assessment and augmentation tools in treating older GAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Mohlman
- William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Rd., Science Hall 250, Wayne, NJ, 07470, United States.
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237
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Lindquist DH. Emotion in motion: A three-stage model of aversive classical conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:363-377. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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238
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Modulation of fear behavior and neuroimmune alterations in house dust mite exposed A/J mice, a model of severe asthma. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 88:688-698. [PMID: 32380274 PMCID: PMC8988097 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear-associated conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and panic disorder (PD) are highly prevalent. There is considerable interest in understanding contributory risk and vulnerability factors. Accumulating evidence suggests that chronically elevated inflammatory load may be a potential risk factor for these disorders. In this regard, an association of asthma, a chronic inflammatory condition, with PTSD and PD has been reported. Symptoms of PD and PTSD are more prevalent in severe asthmatics, compared to those with mild or moderate asthma suggesting that factors that influence the severity of asthma, may also influence susceptibility to the development of fear-related disorders. There has been relatively little progress in identifying contributory factors and underlying mechanisms, particularly, the translation of severe asthma-associated lung inflammation to central neuroimmune alterations and behavioral manifestations remains unclear. The current study investigated the expression of behaviors relevant to PD and PTSD (CO2 inhalation and fear conditioning/extinction) in A/J mice using a model of severe allergic asthma associated with a mixed T helper 2 (Th2) and Th17 immune response. We also investigated the accumulation of Th2- and Th17-cytokine expressing cells in lung and brain tissue, microglial alterations, as well as neuronal activation marker, delta FosB (ΔFosB)) in fear and panic regulatory brain areas. HDM-exposed mice elicited higher freezing during fear extinction. CO2-associated spontaneous and conditioned freezing, as well as anxiety or depression-relevant exploratory and coping behaviors were not altered by HDM treatment. A significant increase in brain Th17-associated inflammatory mediators was observed prior to behavioral testing, accompanied by microglial alterations in specialized blood brain barrier-compromised circumventricular area, subfornical organ. Post extinction measurements revealed increased ΔFosB staining within the medial prefrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala in HDM-treated mice. Collectively, our data show modulation of brain immune mechanisms and fear circuits by peripheral airway inflammation, and is relevant to understanding the risk and comorbidity of asthma with fear-associated disorders such as PTSD.
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239
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Wang CM, Zhang YF, Lin ZQ, Cai YF, Fu XY, Lin ZH. Pre-extinction activation of hippocampal AMPK prevents fear renewal in mice. Pharmacol Res 2020; 161:105099. [PMID: 32739427 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
As a type of fear relapse, fear renewal compromises the efficacy of fear extinction, which serves as the laboratory analog of exposure therapy (a therapeutic strategy for anxiety disorders). Interventions aiming to prevent fear renewal would thus benefit exposure therapy. To date, it remains unknown whether central adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation could produce inhibitory effects on fear renewal. Here, using pharmacological approach and virus-mediated gene overexpression technique, we demonstrated that activation of AMPK in dorsal hippocampus shortly before fear extinction training completely abolished subsequent fear renewal in male mice without affecting other types of fear relapse, including spontaneous recovery of fear and fear reinstatement. Furthermore, we also found that metformin, a first-line antidiabetic drug, was capable of preventing fear renewal in male mice by stimulating AMPK in dorsal hippocampus. Collectively, our study provides insight into the role of hippocampal AMPK in regulation of fear renewal and indicates that increasing activity of hippocampal AMPK can prevent fear renewal, thus enhancing the potency of exposure therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can-Ming Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, China.
| | - Yi-Fan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Lin
- Department of Pharmacy, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, China
| | - Yi-Feng Cai
- Department of Pharmacy, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, China
| | - Xin-Yang Fu
- Department of Pharmacy, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, China
| | - Zhi-Hang Lin
- Department of Pharmacy, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, China.
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240
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Hennings AC, McClay M, Lewis-Peacock JA, Dunsmoor JE. Contextual reinstatement promotes extinction generalization in healthy adults but not PTSD. Neuropsychologia 2020; 147:107573. [PMID: 32735802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
For episodic memories, reinstating the mental context of a past experience improves retrieval of memories formed during that experience. Does context reinstatement serve a similar role for implicit, associative memories such as fear and extinction? Here, we used a fear extinction paradigm to investigate whether the retrieval of extinction (safety) memories is associated with reactivation of the mental context from extinction memory formation. In a two-day Pavlovian conditioning, extinction, and renewal protocol, we collected functional MRI data while healthy adults and adults with PTSD symptoms learned that conditioned stimuli (CSs) signaled threat through association with an electrical shock. Following acquisition, conceptually related exemplars from the CS category no longer signaled threat (i.e., extinction). Critically, during extinction only, task-irrelevant stimuli were presented between each CS trial to serve as "context tags" for subsequent identification of the possible reinstatement of this extinction context during a test of fear renewal the next day. We found that healthy adults exhibited extinction context reinstatement, as measured via multivariate pattern analysis of fMRI data, in the medial temporal lobe that related to behavioral performance, such that greater reinstatement predicted CSs being rated as safe instead of threatening. Moreover, context reinstatement positively correlated with univariate activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, regions which are thought to be important for extinction learning. These relationships were not observed in the PTSD symptom group. These findings provide new evidence of a contextual reinstatement mechanism that helps resolve competition between the retrieval of opposing associative memories of threat and safety in the healthy adult brain that is dysregulated in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustin C Hennings
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, United States; Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Mason McClay
- Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Jarrod A Lewis-Peacock
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, United States; Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Joseph E Dunsmoor
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, United States; Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, United States.
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241
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Luyck K, Arckens L, Nuttin B, Luyten L. It takes two: Bilateral bed nuclei of the stria terminalis mediate the expression of contextual fear, but not of moderate cued fear. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 101:109920. [PMID: 32169558 PMCID: PMC7611861 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of research supports a prominent role for the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) in the expression of adaptive and perhaps even pathological anxiety. The traditional premise that the BST is required for long-duration responses to threats, but not for fear responses to distinct, short-lived cues may, however, be oversimplified. A thorough evaluation of the involvement of the BST in cued and contextual fear is therefore warranted. In a series of preregistered experiments using male Wistar rats, we first addressed the involvement of the BST in cued fear. Following up on earlier work where we found that BST lesions disrupted auditory fear while the animals were in a rather high stress state, we here show that the BST is not required for the expression of more specific fear for the tone under less stressful conditions. In the second part, we corroborate that the same lesion method does attenuate contextual fear. Furthermore, despite prior indications for an asymmetric recruitment of the BST during the expression of anxiety, we found that bilateral lesioning of the BST is required for a significant attenuation of the expression of contextual fear. A functional BST in only one hemisphere resulted in increased variability in the behavioral outcome. We conclude that, in animals that acquired a fear memory with an intact brain, the bilateral BST mediates the expression of contextual fear, but not of unambiguous cued fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Luyck
- KU Leuven, Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, UZ Herestraat 49 PB 7003, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- KU Leuven, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Naamsestraat PB 2467, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, Herestraat 49 PB 1021, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Nuttin
- KU Leuven, Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, UZ Herestraat 49 PB 7003, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Luyten
- KU Leuven, Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, UZ Herestraat 49 PB 7003, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, Herestraat 49 PB 1021, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Centre for Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Tiensestraat 102 PB 3712, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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242
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Lin CC, Chen TY, Cheng PY, Liu YP. Early life social experience affects adulthood fear extinction deficit and associated dopamine profile abnormalities in a rat model of PTSD. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 101:109914. [PMID: 32165120 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Individuals may develop fear extinction deficits after life-threatening traumatic events; such deficits indicate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because the occurrence of this disorder differs among people who have experienced trauma, hidden underlying factors should be determined. Increasing evidence suggests the involvement of neuronal dysregulation of information processes or cognitive function during development. This neuronal dysregulation is caused by disturbances in dopamine (DA) transmission within the fear circuit, which comprises the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala, and hippocampus. Single prolonged stress (SPS) combined with an isolation rearing (IR) paradigm was used to randomly assign rats to four groups [social rearing-no SPS (SR-NS), SR-SPS, IR-NS, and IR-SPS], and their performance in prepulse inhibition (PPI) and on Pavlovian fear conditioning tests was assessed. Tissue DA levels and the expression of DA receptors (D1R and D2R) in the fear circuit were measured at the end of the experiment. Our results indicated that PPI deficits and fear extinction problems were specific to rats subjected to IR and SPS, respectively. Furthermore, IR-induced PPI deficits were not influenced by SPS, but SPS-induced fear extinction retrieval impairment could be adjusted according to previous IR experiences. Neurochemically, tissue DA levels and D1R expression in the mPFC and amygdala were nonspecifically reduced by IR and SPS, whereas D2R expression in the mPFC and amygdala was higher in IR-SPS than in SR-SPS rats. These findings suggest that early life experiences may influence fear responses in adulthood through a change in DA profiles within the fear circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Cheng Lin
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 11220, Taiwan; Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Tzung-Yan Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 11220, Taiwan; Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Pao-Yun Cheng
- Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan.
| | - Yia-Ping Liu
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 11220, Taiwan; Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan.
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243
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Suarez-Jimenez B, Albajes-Eizagirre A, Lazarov A, Zhu X, Harrison BJ, Radua J, Neria Y, Fullana MA. Neural signatures of conditioning, extinction learning, and extinction recall in posttraumatic stress disorder: a meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Psychol Med 2020; 50:1442-1451. [PMID: 31258096 PMCID: PMC9624122 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719001387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Establishing neurobiological markers of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is essential to aid in diagnosis and treatment development. Fear processing deficits are central to PTSD, and their neural signatures may be used as such markers. METHODS Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of seven Pavlovian fear conditioning fMRI studies comparing 156 patients with PTSD and 148 trauma-exposed healthy controls (TEHC) using seed-based d-mapping, to contrast neural correlates of experimental phases, namely conditioning, extinction learning, and extinction recall. RESULTS Patients with PTSD, as compared to TEHCs, exhibited increased activation in the anterior hippocampus (extending to the amygdala) and medial prefrontal cortex during conditioning; in the anterior hippocampus-amygdala regions during extinction learning; and in the anterior hippocampus-amygdala and medial prefrontal areas during extinction recall. Yet, patients with PTSD have shown an overall decreased activation in the thalamus during all phases in this meta-analysis. CONCLUSION Findings from this metanalysis suggest that PTSD is characterized by increased activation in areas related to salience and threat, and lower activation in the thalamus, a key relay hub between subcortical areas. If replicated, these fear network alterations may serve as objective diagnostic markers for PTSD, and potential targets for novel treatment development, including pharmacological and brain stimulation interventions. Future longitudinal studies are needed to examine whether these observed network alteration in PTSD are the cause or the consequence of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
| | | | - Amit Lazarov
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Xi Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
| | - Ben J. Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joaquim Radua
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries, CIBERSAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yuval Neria
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
| | - Miquel A. Fullana
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries, CIBERSAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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244
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Lin YJ, Chiou RJ, Chang CH. The Reuniens and Rhomboid Nuclei Are Required for Acquisition of Pavlovian Trace Fear Conditioning in Rats. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0106-20.2020. [PMID: 32527745 PMCID: PMC7317181 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0106-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The reuniens (Re) and rhomboid (Rh) nuclei (ReRh) of the midline thalamus interconnects the hippocampus (HPC) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Several studies have suggested that the ReRh participates in various cognitive tasks. However, little is known about the contribution of the ReRh in Pavlovian trace fear conditioning, a procedure with a temporal gap between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (US), and therefore making it harder for the animals to acquire. Because the HPC and mPFC are involved in trace, but not delay, fear conditioning and given the role of the ReRh in mediating this neurocircuitry, we hypothesized that ReRh inactivation leads to a learning deficit only in trace conditioning. In a series of experiments, we first examined the c-Fos expression in male Long-Evans rats and established that the ReRh was recruited in the encoding, but not the retrieval phase, of fear memory. Next, we performed behavioral pharmacology experiments and found that ReRh inactivation impaired only the acquisition, but not the consolidation or retrieval, of trace fear. However, although the ReRh was recruited during the encoding of delay fear demonstrated by c-Fos results, ReRh inactivation in any phases did not interfere with delay conditioning. Finally, we found that trace fear acquired under ReRh inactivation reprised when the ReRh was brought off-line during retrieval. Together, our data revealed the essential role of the ReRh in a learning task with temporally discontinuous stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ju Lin
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Ruei-Jen Chiou
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hui Chang
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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245
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Strasser A. In-between implicit and explicit. PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2020.1778163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Strasser
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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246
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Moreno A. Molecular mechanisms of forgetting. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 54:6912-6932. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Moreno
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE) Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
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247
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Perogamvros L, Castelnovo A, Samson D, Dang-Vu TT. Failure of fear extinction in insomnia: An evolutionary perspective. Sleep Med Rev 2020; 51:101277. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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248
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Pöhlchen D, Leuchs L, Binder FP, Blaskovich B, Nantawisarakul T, Topalidis P, Brückl TM, Norrholm SD, Jovanovic T, Spoormaker VI, Binder EB, Czisch M, Erhardt A, Grandi NC, Ilic-Cocic S, Lucae S, Sämann P, Tontsch A. No robust differences in fear conditioning between patients with fear-related disorders and healthy controls. Behav Res Ther 2020; 129:103610. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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249
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Brancato A, Castelli V, Lavanco G, Marino RAM, Cannizzaro C. In utero Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure confers vulnerability towards cognitive impairments and alcohol drinking in the adolescent offspring: Is there a role for neuropeptide Y? J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:663-679. [PMID: 32338122 DOI: 10.1177/0269881120916135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabinoid consumption during pregnancy has been increasing on the wave of the broad-based legalisation of cannabis in Western countries, raising concern about the putative detrimental outcomes on foetal neurodevelopment. Indeed, since the endocannabinoid system regulates synaptic plasticity, emotional and cognitive processes from early stages of life interfering with it and other excitability endogenous modulators, such as neuropeptide Y (NPY), might contribute to the occurrence of a vulnerable phenotype later in life. AIMS This research investigated whether in utero exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may induce deficits in emotional/cognitive processes and alcohol vulnerability in adolescent offspring. NPY and excitatory postsynaptic density (PSD) machinery were measured as markers of neurobiological vulnerability. METHODS Following in utero THC exposure (2 mg/kg delivered subcutaneously), preadolescent male rat offspring were assessed for: behavioural reactivity in the open field test, neutral declarative memory and aversive limbic memory in the Novel Object and Emotional Object Recognition tests, immunofluorescence for NPY neurons and the PSD proteins Homer-1, 1b/c and 2 in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and nucleus accumbens at adolescence (cohort 1); and instrumental learning, alcohol taking, relapse and conflict behaviour in the operant chamber throughout adolescence until early adulthood (cohort 2). RESULTS In utero THC-exposed adolescent rats showed: (a) increased locomotor activity; (b) no alteration in neutral declarative memory; (c) impaired aversive limbic memory; (d) decreased NPY-positive neurons in limbic regions; (e) region-specific variations in Homer-1, 1b/c and 2 immunoreactivity; (f) decreased instrumental learning and increased alcohol drinking, relapse and conflict behaviour in the operant chamber. CONCLUSION Gestational THC impaired the formation of memory traces when integration between environmental encoding and emotional/motivational processing was required and promoted the development of alcohol-addictive behaviours. The abnormalities in NPY signalling and PSD make-up may represent the common neurobiological background, suggesting new targets for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Brancato
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother-Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties of Excellence 'G. D'Alessandro', University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valentina Castelli
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother-Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties of Excellence 'G. D'Alessandro', University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Lavanco
- INSERM U1215, NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France.,University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosa Anna Maria Marino
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA
| | - Carla Cannizzaro
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother-Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties of Excellence 'G. D'Alessandro', University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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250
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Ketenci S, Acet NG, Sarıdoğan GE, Aydın B, Cabadak H, Gören MZ. The Neurochemical Effects of Prazosin Treatment on Fear Circuitry in a Rat Traumatic Stress Model. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 18:219-230. [PMID: 32329303 PMCID: PMC7242110 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2020.18.2.219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Objective The timing of administration of pharmacologic agents is crucial in traumatic stress since they can either potentiate the original fear memory or may cause fear extinction depending on the phase of fear conditioning. Brain noradrenergic system has a role in fear conditioning. Data regarding the role of prazosin in traumatic stress are controversial. Methods In this study, we examined the effects of prazosin and the noradrenergic system in fear conditioning in a predator stress rat model. We evaluated the direct or indirect effects of stress and prazosin on noradrenaline (NA), gamma-aminobuytyric acid (GABA), glutamate, glycine levels and choline esterase activity in the amygdaloid complex, the dorsal hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex and the rostral pons. Results Our results demonstrated that prazosin might alleviate defensive behaviors and traumatic stress symptoms when given during the traumatic cue presentation in the stressed rats. However prazosin administration resulted in higher anxiety levels in non stressed rats when the neutral cue was presented. Conclusion Prazosin should be used in PTSD with caution because prazosin might exacerbate anxiety in non-traumatized subjects. However prazosin might as well alleviate stress responses very effectively. Stress induced changes included increased NA and GABA levels in the amygdaloid complex in our study, attributing noradrenaline a possible inhibitory role on fear acquisition. Acetylcholine also has a role in memory modulation in the brain. We also demonstrated increased choline esterase acitivity. Cholinergic modulation might be another target for indirect prazosin action which needs to be further studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sema Ketenci
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nazife Gökçe Acet
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Medeniyet University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gökçe Elif Sarıdoğan
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.,Department of Psychiatry, Erenköy Mental Health and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Banu Aydın
- Department of Biophysics, Marmara University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hülya Cabadak
- Department of Biophysics, Marmara University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Zafer Gören
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
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