1
|
Perica MI, Luna B. Impact of stress on excitatory and inhibitory markers of adolescent cognitive critical period plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105378. [PMID: 37643681 PMCID: PMC10591935 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of significant neurocognitive development. Prolonged maturation of prefrontal cortex (PFC) through adolescence has been found to support improvements in executive function. Changes in excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms of critical period plasticity have been found to be present in the PFC through adolescence, suggesting that environment may have a greater effect on development during this time. Stress is one factor known to affect neurodevelopment increasing risk for psychopathology. However, less is known about how stress experienced during adolescence could affect adolescent-specific critical period plasticity mechanisms and cognitive outcomes. In this review, we synthesize findings from human and animal literatures looking at the experience of stress during adolescence on cognition and frontal excitatory and inhibitory neural activity. Studies indicate enhancing effects of acute stress on cognition and excitation within specific contexts, while chronic stress generally dampens excitatory and inhibitory processes and impairs cognition. We propose a model of how stress could affect frontal critical period plasticity, thus potentially altering neurodevelopmental trajectories that could lead to risk for psychopathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria I Perica
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Borsini A, Giacobbe J, Mandal G, Boldrini M. Acute and long-term effects of adolescence stress exposure on rodent adult hippocampal neurogenesis, cognition, and behaviour. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4124-4137. [PMID: 37612364 PMCID: PMC10827658 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02229-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence represents a critical period for brain and behavioural health and characterised by the onset of mood, psychotic and anxiety disorders. In rodents, neurogenesis is very active during adolescence, when is particularly vulnerable to stress. Whether stress-related neurogenesis changes influence adolescence onset of psychiatric symptoms remains largely unknown. A systematic review was conducted on studies investigating changes in hippocampal neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, hippocampal-dependent cognitive functions, and behaviour, occurring after adolescence stress exposure in mice both acutely (at post-natal days 21-65) and in adulthood. A total of 37 studies were identified in the literature. Seven studies showed reduced hippocampal cell proliferation, and out of those two reported increased depressive-like behaviours, in adolescent rodents exposed to stress. Three studies reported a reduction in the number of new-born neurons, which however were not associated with changes in cognition or behaviour. Sixteen studies showed acutely reduced hippocampal neuroplasticity, including pre- and post-synaptic plasticity markers, dendritic spine length and density, and long-term potentiation after stress exposure. Cognitive impairments and depressive-like behaviours were reported by 11 of the 16 studies. Among studies who looked at adolescence stress exposure effects into adulthood, seven showed that the negative effects of stress observed during adolescence on either cell proliferation or hippocampal neuroplasticity, cognitive deficits and depressive-like behaviour, had variable impact in adulthood. Treating adolescent mice with antidepressants, glutamate receptor inhibitors, glucocorticoid antagonists, or healthy diet enriched in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin A, prevented or reversed those detrimental changes. Future research should investigate the translational value of these preclinical findings. Developing novel tools for measuring hippocampal neurogenesis in live humans, would allow assessing neurogenic changes following stress exposure, investigating relationships with psychiatric symptom onset, and identifying effects of therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Borsini
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Juliette Giacobbe
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gargi Mandal
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Maura Boldrini
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Howes OD, Cummings C, Chapman GE, Shatalina E. Neuroimaging in schizophrenia: an overview of findings and their implications for synaptic changes. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:151-167. [PMID: 36056106 PMCID: PMC9700830 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01426-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Over the last five decades, a large body of evidence has accrued for structural and metabolic brain alterations in schizophrenia. Here we provide an overview of these findings, focusing on measures that have traditionally been thought to reflect synaptic spine density or synaptic activity and that are relevant for understanding if there is lower synaptic density in the disorder. We conducted literature searches to identify meta-analyses or other relevant studies in patients with chronic or first-episode schizophrenia, or in people at high genetic or clinical risk for psychosis. We identified 18 meta-analyses including over 50,000 subjects in total, covering: structural MRI measures of gyrification index, grey matter volume, grey matter density and cortical thickness, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, PET imaging of regional glucose metabolism and magnetic resonance spectroscopy measures of N-acetylaspartate. We also review preclinical evidence on the relationship between ex vivo synaptic measures and structural MRI imaging, and PET imaging of synaptic protein 2A (SV2A). These studies show that schizophrenia is associated with lower grey matter volumes and cortical thickness, accelerated grey matter loss over time, abnormal gyrification patterns, and lower regional SV2A levels and metabolic markers in comparison to controls (effect sizes from ~ -0.11 to -1.0). Key regions affected include frontal, anterior cingulate and temporal cortices and the hippocampi. We identify several limitations for the interpretation of these findings in terms of understanding synaptic alterations. Nevertheless, taken with post-mortem findings, they suggest that schizophrenia is associated with lower synaptic density in some brain regions. However, there are several gaps in evidence, in particular whether SV2A findings generalise to other cohorts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Connor Cummings
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Clare Hall (College), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - George E Chapman
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Ekaterina Shatalina
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bijlsma A, Omrani A, Spoelder M, Verharen JPH, Bauer L, Cornelis C, de Zwart B, van Dorland R, Vanderschuren LJMJ, Wierenga CJ. Social Play Behavior Is Critical for the Development of Prefrontal Inhibitory Synapses and Cognitive Flexibility in Rats. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8716-8728. [PMID: 36253083 PMCID: PMC9671579 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0524-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory driven activity during early life is critical for setting up the proper connectivity of the sensory cortices. We ask here whether social play behavior, a particular form of social interaction that is highly abundant during postweaning development, is equally important for setting up connections in the developing prefrontal cortex (PFC). Young male rats were deprived from social play with peers during the period in life when social play behavior normally peaks [postnatal day 21-42] (SPD rats), followed by resocialization until adulthood. We recorded synaptic currents in layer 5 cells in slices from medial PFC of adult SPD and control rats and observed that inhibitory synaptic currents were reduced in SPD slices, while excitatory synaptic currents were unaffected. This was associated with a decrease in perisomatic inhibitory synapses from parvalbumin-positive GABAergic cells. In parallel experiments, adult SPD rats achieved more reversals in a probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) task, which depends on the integrity of the PFC, by using a more simplified cognitive strategy than controls. Interestingly, we observed that one daily hour of play during SPD partially rescued the behavioral performance in the PRL, but did not prevent the decrease in PFC inhibitory synaptic inputs. Our data demonstrate the importance of unrestricted social play for the development of inhibitory synapses in the PFC and cognitive skills in adulthood and show that specific synaptic alterations in the PFC can result in a complex behavioral outcome.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study addressed the question whether social play behavior in juvenile rats contributes to functional development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We found that rats that had been deprived from juvenile social play (social play deprivation - SPD) showed a reduction in inhibitory synapses in the PFC and a simplified strategy to solve a complex behavioral task in adulthood. Providing one daily hour of play during SPD partially rescued the cognitive skills in these rats, but did not prevent the reduction in PFC inhibitory synapses. Our results demonstrate a key role for unrestricted juvenile social play in PFC development and emphasize the complex relation between PFC circuit connectivity and cognitive function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ate Bijlsma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Azar Omrani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcia Spoelder
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen P H Verharen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Bauer
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cosette Cornelis
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Beleke de Zwart
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René van Dorland
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Corette J Wierenga
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Henning JSL, Fernandez EJ, Nielsen T, Hazel S. Play and welfare in domestic cats: Current knowledge and future directions. Anim Welf 2022. [DOI: 10.7120/09627286.31.4.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Play and welfare have long been linked within animal research literature, with play considered as both a potential indicator and promoter of welfare. An indicator due to observations that play is exhibited most frequently in times when an animal's fitness is not under threat and when
immediate needs such as food, water and adequate space are met. And a promoter, because of observations that animals who play more also have better welfare outcomes. However, limited research has been undertaken to investigate this link, especially in companion animals. The domestic cat (
Felis catus) is one of the most popular companion animals in the world, yet little is known about the impact of play behaviour on cat welfare. We review the current literature on play and welfare in cats. This includes examining the role of cat play in mitigating negative welfare outcomes,
such as reducing problem behaviours, one of the leading reasons for guardian dissatisfaction and cat relinquishment to shelters. Play is also discussed as a potential tool to provide environmental enrichment and to improve cat-human relationships. Future areas for research are suggested. We
find that further research is needed that uses a multifaceted approach to assess how quantity, type and quality of play impact subsequent cat behaviour and welfare. Future research could also assess cat play needs and preferences as well as investigate the role of play in mitigating threats
to cat welfare such as reducing problem behaviour and improving human-cat relationships. If play is an indicator and promoter of welfare, studies into the impact of play may offer an accessible approach for monitoring and improving domestic cat welfare.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- JSL Henning
- University of Adelaide, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, South Australia, Australia
| | - EJ Fernandez
- University of Adelaide, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, South Australia, Australia
| | - T Nielsen
- University of Adelaide, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, South Australia, Australia
| | - S Hazel
- University of Adelaide, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, South Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Howes OD, Shatalina E. Integrating the Neurodevelopmental and Dopamine Hypotheses of Schizophrenia and the Role of Cortical Excitation-Inhibition Balance. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:501-513. [PMID: 36008036 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The neurodevelopmental and dopamine hypotheses are leading theories of the pathoetiology of schizophrenia, but they were developed in isolation. However, since they were originally proposed, there have been considerable advances in our understanding of the normal neurodevelopmental refinement of synapses and cortical excitation-inhibition (E/I) balance, as well as preclinical findings on the interrelationship between cortical and subcortical systems and new in vivo imaging and induced pluripotent stem cell evidence for lower synaptic density markers in patients with schizophrenia. Genetic advances show that schizophrenia is associated with variants linked to genes affecting GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and glutamatergic signaling as well as neurodevelopmental processes. Moreover, in vivo studies on the effects of stress, particularly during later development, show that it leads to synaptic elimination. We review these lines of evidence as well as in vivo evidence for altered cortical E/I balance and dopaminergic dysfunction in schizophrenia. We discuss mechanisms through which frontal cortex circuitry may regulate striatal dopamine and consider how frontal E/I imbalance may cause dopaminergic dysregulation to result in psychotic symptoms. This integrated neurodevelopmental and dopamine hypothesis suggests that overpruning of synapses, potentially including glutamatergic inputs onto frontal cortical interneurons, disrupts the E/I balance and thus underlies cognitive and negative symptoms. It could also lead to disinhibition of excitatory projections from the frontal cortex and possibly other regions that regulate mesostriatal dopamine neurons, resulting in dopamine dysregulation and psychotic symptoms. Together, this explains a number of aspects of the epidemiology and clinical presentation of schizophrenia and identifies new targets for treatment and prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychosis, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Ekaterina Shatalina
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
The overarching objective is to review how early exposure to adversity interacts with inflammation to alter brain maturation. Both adversity and inflammation are significant risk factors for psychopathology. Literature relevant to the effects of adversity in children and adolescents on brain development is reviewed. These studies are supported by research in animals exposed to species-relevant stressors during development. While it is known that exposure to adversity at any age increases inflammation, the effects of inflammation are exacerbated at developmental stages when the immature brain is uniquely sensitive to experiences. Microglia play a vital role in this process, as they scavenge cellular debris and prune synapses to optimize performance. In essence, microglia modify the synapse to match environmental demands, which is necessary for someone with a history of adversity. Overall, by piecing together clinical and preclinical research areas, what emerges is a picture of how adversity uniquely sculpts the brain. Microglia interactions with the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (specifically, the subtype expressing parvalbumin) are discussed within contexts of development and adversity. A review of inflammation markers in individuals with a history of abuse is combined with preclinical studies to describe their effects on maturation. Inconsistencies within the literature are discussed, with a call for standardizing methodologies relating to the age of assessing adversity effects, measures to quantify stress and inflammation, and more brain-based measures of biochemistry. Preclinical studies pave the way for interventions using anti-inflammation-based agents (COX-2 inhibitors, CB2 agonists, meditation/yoga) by identifying where, when, and how the developmental trajectory goes awry.
Collapse
|
8
|
Li DC, Hinton EA, Gourley SL. Persistent behavioral and neurobiological consequences of social isolation during adolescence. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:73-82. [PMID: 34112579 PMCID: PMC8434983 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Meaningful social interactions are a fundamental human need, the lack of which can pose serious risks to an individual's physical and mental health. Across species, peer-oriented social behaviors are dramatically reshaped during adolescence, a developmental period characterized by dynamic changes in brain structure and function as individuals transition into adulthood. Thus, the experience of social isolation during this critical developmental stage may be especially pernicious, as it could permanently derail typical neurobiological processes that are necessary for establishing adaptive adult behaviors. The purpose of this review is to summarize investigations in which rodents were isolated during adolescence, then re-housed in typical social groups prior to testing, thus allowing the investigators to resolve the long-term consequences of social adversity experienced during adolescent sensitive periods, despite subsequent normalization of the social environment. Here, we discuss alterations in social, anxiety-like, cognitive, and decision-making behaviors in previously isolated adult rodents. We then explore corresponding neurobiological findings, focusing on the prefrontal cortex, including changes in synaptic densities and protein levels, white matter and oligodendrocyte function, and neuronal physiology. Made more urgent by the recent wave of social deprivation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially amongst school-aged adolescents, understanding the mechanisms by which even transient social adversity can negatively impact brain function across the lifespan is of paramount importance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan C Li
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A Hinton
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, USA
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Fariborzi M, Park SB, Ozgur A, Lur G. Sex-dependent long-term effects of prepubescent stress on the posterior parietal cortex. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100295. [PMID: 33521171 PMCID: PMC7820135 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of intense cortical development and a period of heightened sensitivity to insult. To determine how sex affects the short- and long-term outcomes of early-adolescent stress exposure, we subjected prepubescent (postnatal day 30) male and female mice to repeated multiple concurrent stressors (RMS). In the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), RMS caused the elimination of excitatory synapses in deeper layers while inhibitory synapse density was predominantly diminished in superficial layers. These short-term effects coincided with reduced visuo-spatial working memory and were similar in both sexes. The loss of excitatory synapses and impaired working memory persisted in males past a 30-day recovery period. In contrast, we observed a remarkable recovery of excitatory transmission and behavioral performance in females. Inhibitory synapse density recovered in both sexes. We have also observed a late onset anxiety phenotype in RMS exposed females that was absent in males. Overall, our results indicate that there are marked sex differences in the long-term effects of prepubescent stress on cortical synapses and behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mona Fariborzi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, 1215 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Soo Bin Park
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, 1215 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Ali Ozgur
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, 1215 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Gyorgy Lur
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, 1215 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Drzewiecki CM, Willing J, Cortes LR, Juraska JM. Adolescent stress during, but not after, pubertal onset impairs indices of prepulse inhibition in adult rats. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:837-850. [PMID: 33629385 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to stress during adolescence is a risk factor for developing several psychiatric disorders, many of which involve prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction. The human PFC and analogous rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) continue to mature functionally and anatomically during adolescence, and some of these maturational events coincide with pubertal onset. As developing brain regions are more susceptible to the negative effects of stress, this may make puberty especially vulnerable. To test this, we exposed male and female rats to isolation and restraint stress during the onset of puberty or during the post-pubertal period of adolescence. In young adulthood, both stressed groups and an unstressed control group underwent testing on a battery of tasks to assess emotional and cognitive behaviors, and the volume of the mPFC was quantified postmortem. Factor analysis revealed only subjects stressed peri-pubertally showed a long-term deficiency compared to controls in prepulse inhibition. Additionally, both sexes showed volumetric mPFC decreases following adolescent stress, and these losses were most pronounced in females. Our findings suggest that pubertal onset may be a vulnerable window wherein adolescents are most susceptible to the negative consequences of stress exposure. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of accounting for pubertal status when studying adolescents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carly M Drzewiecki
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Jari Willing
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, 822 E Merry Ave, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA
| | - Laura R Cortes
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Janice M Juraska
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Huzian O, Baka J, Csakvari E, Dobos N, Leranth C, Siklos L, Duman RS, Farkas T, Hajszan T. Stress Resilience is Associated with Hippocampal Synaptoprotection in the Female Rat Learned Helplessness Paradigm. Neuroscience 2021; 459:85-103. [PMID: 33524494 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.01.029] [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: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The synaptogenic hypothesis of major depressive disorder implies that preventing the onset of depressive-like behavior also prevents the loss of hippocampal spine synapses. By applying the psychoactive drugs, diazepam and fluoxetine, we investigated whether blocking the development of helpless behavior by promoting stress resilience in the rat learned helplessness paradigm is associated with a synaptoprotective action in the hippocampus. Adult ovariectomized and intact female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 297) were treated with either diazepam, fluoxetine, or vehicle, exposed to inescapable footshocks or sham stress, and tested in an active escape task to assess helpless behavior. Escape-evoked corticosterone secretion, as well as remodeling of hippocampal spine synapses at a timepoint representing the onset of escape testing were also analyzed. In ovariectomized females, treatment with diazepam prior to stress exposure prevented helpless behavior, blocked the loss of hippocampal spine synapses, and muted the corticosterone surge evoked by escape testing. Although fluoxetine stimulated escape performance and hippocampal synaptogenesis under non-stressed conditions, almost all responses to fluoxetine were abolished following exposure to inescapable stress. Only a much higher dose of fluoxetine was capable of partly reproducing the strong protective actions of diazepam. Importantly, these protective actions were retained in the presence of ovarian hormones. Our findings indicate that stress resilience is associated with the preservation of spine synapses in the hippocampus, raising the possibility that, besides synaptogenesis, hippocampal synaptoprotection is also implicated in antidepressant therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Huzian
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Judith Baka
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Eszter Csakvari
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Nikoletta Dobos
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Csaba Leranth
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Laszlo Siklos
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ronald S Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, United States; Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
| | - Tamas Farkas
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Neuroscience, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Kozep Fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tibor Hajszan
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Drzewiecki CM, Juraska JM. The structural reorganization of the prefrontal cortex during adolescence as a framework for vulnerability to the environment. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 199:173044. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
13
|
Sun MJ, Liu F, Zhao YF, Wu XA. In Vivo Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Adenosine A 2A Receptors. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:599857. [PMID: 33324226 PMCID: PMC7726429 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.599857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As an invasive nuclear medical imaging technology, positron emission tomography (PET) possess the possibility to imaging the distribution as well as the density of selective receptors via specific PET tracers. Inspired by PET, the development of radio-chemistry has greatly promoted the progress of innovative imaging PET tracers for adenosine receptors, in particular adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs). PET imaging of A2A receptors play import roles in the research of adenosine related disorders. Several radio-tracers for A2A receptors imaging have been evaluated in human studies. This paper reviews the recent research progress of PET tracers for A2A receptors imaging, and their applications in the diagnosis and treatment of related disease, such as cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative and psychiatric disease. The future development of A2A PET tracers were also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Juan Sun
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- Acupuncture and Chronobiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Laboratory Pathology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, China
| | - Ya-Fei Zhao
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- Acupuncture and Chronobiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao-Ai Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Laboratory of Clinical Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Barfield ET, Sequeira MK, Parsons RG, Gourley SL. Morphological Responses of Excitatory Prelimbic and Orbitofrontal Cortical Neurons to Excess Corticosterone in Adolescence and Acute Stress in Adulthood. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:45. [PMID: 33013327 PMCID: PMC7506158 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable evidence indicates that chronic stress and excess glucocorticoids induce neuronal remodeling in prefrontal cortical (PFC) regions. Adolescence is also characterized by a structural reorganization of PFC neurons, yet interactions between stress- and age-related structural plasticity are still being determined. We quantified dendritic spine densities on apical dendrites of excitatory neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, prelimbic subregion (PL). Densities decreased across adolescent development, as expected, and spine volume increased. Unexpectedly, exposure to excess corticosterone (CORT) throughout adolescence did not cause additional dendritic spine loss detectable in adulthood. As a positive control dendrite population expected to be sensitive to CORT, we imaged neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), confirming CORT-induced dendritic spine attrition on basal arbors of layer V neurons. We next assessed the effects of acute, mild stress in adulthood: On PL neurons, an acute stressor increased the density of mature, mushroom-shaped spines. Meanwhile, on OFC neurons, dendritic spine volumes and lengths were lower in mice exposed to both CORT and an acute stressor (also referred to as a "double hit"). In sum, prolonged exposure to excess glucocorticoids during adolescence can have morphological and also metaplastic consequences, but they are not global. Anatomical considerations are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T. Barfield
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Michelle K. Sequeira
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Training Programs in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ryan G. Parsons
- Graduate Program in Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Shannon L. Gourley
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Training Programs in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Uliana DL, Gomes FV, Grace AA. Prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex disruption during adolescence increases susceptibility to helpless behavior in adult rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 35:111-125. [PMID: 32402649 PMCID: PMC7269819 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disabling mental disorder worldwide. Several animal models have been used to study the neurobiology of this disorder, including the learned helplessness (LH) paradigm, in which susceptible animals show helpless behavior indicated by fails to escape a controllable footshock. This behavior has been associated with a downregulation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) system activity. The prelimbic portion of the prefrontal cortex (plPFC) plays an important role in the modulation of helpless behavior, but so far there is no evidence indicating that its developmental disruption alters susceptibility to helpless behavior. We investigated the impact of plPFC lesion performed at adolescence (postnatal day 31-33) or adulthood (postnatal day 70-72) on anxiety responses (elevated plus-maze), susceptibility to helpless behavior, and the VTA DA system activity in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Whereas adult plPFC lesions induced neither anxiety responses nor increased susceptibility to helpless behavior (plPFC lesion: 33.3% of helplessness; controls: 30.8% of helplessness rats), adolescent plPFC lesions induced anxiety responses and increased the proportion of rats showing helpless at adulthood (plPFC lesion: 92.3% helplessness; controls: 42.1% helplessness rats). Moreover, only helpless rats in the groups showed a decreased VTA DA system population activity that was confined to the medial portion of the VTA. These findings suggest that the impairment of plPFC activity during adolescence occurs during a critical window for the development of helpless behavior in adult rats, indicating that predisposition or early life adverse events that impair plPFC activity may enhance susceptibility to depression in adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela L Uliana
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, A210 Langley Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Felipe V Gomes
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, A210 Langley Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, A210 Langley Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Begni V, Zampar S, Longo L, Riva MA. Sex Differences in the Enduring Effects of Social Deprivation during Adolescence in Rats: Implications for Psychiatric Disorders. Neuroscience 2020; 437:11-22. [PMID: 32334072 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The exposure to adverse environmental situations during sensitive periods of development may induce re-organizational effects on different systems and increase the vulnerability to develop psychiatric disorders later in life. The adolescent period has been demonstrated extremely susceptible to stressful events. However, most of the studies focused on the immediate effects of stress exposure and few of them investigated sex differences. This raised the question if these modulations might also be long-lasting and how the differential maturational events taking place during adolescence between males and females might have a role in the detrimental effects of stress. Given the importance of social play for the right maturation of behavior during adolescence, we used the preclinical model of social deprivation, based on the lack of all social contacts, for four weeks after weaning, followed by re-socialization until adulthood. We found that both male and female animals reared in isolation during adolescence developed an anhedonic phenotype at adulthood, without any impairments in the cognitive domain. At molecular level, these functional changes were associated with sex-specific impairments in the expression of neuroplastic markers as well as of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-related genes. Lastly, we also reported anatomically-selective changes associated with the enduring effects of social isolation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Begni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan Italy.
| | - Silvia Zampar
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan Italy
| | - Linda Longo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan Italy
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Cuesta S, Funes A, Pacchioni AM. Social Isolation in Male Rats During Adolescence Inhibits the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in the Prefrontal Cortex and Enhances Anxiety and Cocaine-Induced Plasticity in Adulthood. Neurosci Bull 2020; 36:611-624. [PMID: 32078732 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-020-00466-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In adult animals, it is well established that stress has a proactive effect on psychostimulant responses. However, whether only a short period of stress during adolescence can also affect cocaine responses later in life and what mechanisms are involved are unknown. Here, we showed that 5 days of social isolation during rat adolescence had a long-term impact on anxiety-like behaviors, cocaine-induced conditioned place preference, and the expression of sensitization during adulthood. At the molecular level, social isolation decreased the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Furthermore, after the expression of cocaine sensitization, isolated rats showed an increase in this pathway in the nucleus accumbens. Together, these findings suggest that, adolescent social isolation by altering the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the developing PFC might increase the cocaine responses during adulthood, introducing this pathway as a novel neuroadaptation in the cortical-accumbens connection that may mediate a stress-induced increase in vulnerability to drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Cuesta
- Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rosario, Argentina.,Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Alejandrina Funes
- Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Alejandra M Pacchioni
- Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. .,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rosario, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Raineki C, Morgan EJ, Ellis L, Weinberg J. Glucocorticoid receptor expression in the stress-limbic circuitry is differentially affected by prenatal alcohol exposure and adolescent stress. Brain Res 2019; 1718:242-251. [PMID: 31102593 PMCID: PMC6579044 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The dense expression of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) within the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVN) mediates many aspects of emotional and stress regulation. Importantly, both prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and adolescent stress are known to induce emotional and stress dysregulation. Little is known, however, about how PAE and/or adolescent stress may alter the expression of GR in the amygdala, mPFC, and PVN. To fill this gap, we exposed PAE and control adolescent male and female rats to chronic mild stress (CMS) and assessed GR mRNA expression in the amygdala, mPFC, and PVN immediately following stress or in adulthood. We found that the effects of PAE on GR expression were more prevalent in the amygdala, while effects of adolescent stress on GR expression were more prevalent in the mPFC. Moreover, PAE effects in the amygdala were more pronounced during adolescence and adolescent stress effects in the mPFC were more pronounced in adulthood. GR expression in the PVN was affected by both PAE and adolescent stress. Finally, PAE and/or adolescent stress effects were distinct between males and females. Together, these results suggest that PAE and adolescent CMS induce dynamic alterations in GR expression in the amygdala, mPFC, and PVN, which manifest differently depending on the brain area, age, and sex of the animal. Additionally, these data indicate that PAE-induced hyperresponsiveness to stress and increased vulnerability to mental health problems may be mediated by different neural mechanisms depending on the sex and age of the animal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlis Raineki
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Erin J Morgan
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Linda Ellis
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Andersen SL. Stress, sensitive periods, and substance abuse. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 10:100140. [PMID: 30569003 PMCID: PMC6288983 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.100140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the inter-relationship between drug abuse and social stress has primarily focused on the role of stress exposure during adulthood and more recently, adolescence. Adolescence is a time of heightened reward sensitivity, but it is also a time when earlier life experiences are expressed. Exposure to stress early in postnatal life is associated with an accelerated age of onset for drug use. Lifelong addiction is significantly greater if drug use is initiated during early adolescence. Understanding how developmental changes following stress exposure interact with sensitive periods to unfold over the course of maturation is integral to reducing their later impact on substance use. Arousal levels, gender/sex, inflammation, and the timing of stress exposure play a role in the vulnerability of these circuits. The current review focuses on how early postnatal stress impacts brain development during a sensitive period to increase externalizing and internalizing behaviors in adolescence that include social interactions (aggression; sexual activity), working memory impairment, and depression. How stress effects the developmental trajectories of brain circuits that are associated with addiction are discussed for both clinical and preclinical studies.
Collapse
|
20
|
Barfield ET, Gourley SL. Prefrontal cortical trkB, glucocorticoids, and their interactions in stress and developmental contexts. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 95:535-558. [PMID: 30477984 PMCID: PMC6392187 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The tropomyosin/tyrosine receptor kinase B (trkB) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulate neuron structure and function and the hormonal stress response. Meanwhile, disruption of trkB and GR activity (e.g., by chronic stress) can perturb neuronal morphology in cortico-limbic regions implicated in stressor-related illnesses like depression. Further, several of the short- and long-term neurobehavioral consequences of stress depend on the developmental timing and context of stressor exposure. We review how the levels and activities of trkB and GR in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) change during development, interact, are modulated by stress, and are implicated in depression. We review evidence that trkB- and GR-mediated signaling events impact the density and morphology of dendritic spines, the primary sites of excitatory synapses in the brain, highlighting effects in adolescents when possible. Finally, we review the role of neurotrophin and glucocorticoid systems in stress-related metaplasticity. We argue that better understanding the long-term effects of developmental stressors on PFC trkB, GR, and related factors may yield insights into risk for chronic, remitting depression and related neuropsychiatric illnesses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T Barfield
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA; Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Program, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Hodges TE, Louth EL, Bailey CDC, McCormick CM. Adolescent social instability stress alters markers of synaptic plasticity and dendritic structure in the medial amygdala and lateral septum in male rats. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 224:643-659. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1789-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
22
|
Larsen B, Luna B. Adolescence as a neurobiological critical period for the development of higher-order cognition. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 94:179-195. [PMID: 30201220 PMCID: PMC6526538 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 303] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The transition from adolescence to adulthood is characterized by improvements in higher-order cognitive abilities and corresponding refinements of the structure and function of the brain regions that support them. Whereas the neurobiological mechanisms that govern early development of sensory systems are well-understood, the mechanisms that drive developmental plasticity of association cortices, such as prefrontal cortex (PFC), during adolescence remain to be explained. In this review, we synthesize neurodevelopmental findings at the cellular, circuit, and systems levels in PFC and evaluate them through the lens of established critical period (CP) mechanisms that guide early sensory development. We find remarkable correspondence between these neurodevelopmental processes and the mechanisms driving CP plasticity, supporting the hypothesis that adolescent development is driven by CP mechanisms that guide the rapid development of neurobiology and cognitive ability during adolescence and their subsequent stability in adulthood. Critically, understanding adolescence as a CP not only provides a mechanism for normative adolescent development, it provides a framework for understanding the role of experience and neurobiology in the emergence of psychopathology that occurs during this developmental period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bart Larsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States.
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Rodríguez-Arias M, Montagud-Romero S, Guardia Carrión AM, Ferrer-Pérez C, Pérez-Villalba A, Marco E, López Gallardo M, Viveros MP, Miñarro J. Social stress during adolescence activates long-term microglia inflammation insult in reward processing nuclei. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206421. [PMID: 30365534 PMCID: PMC6203396 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The experience of social stress during adolescence is associated with higher vulnerability to drug use. Increases in the acquisition of cocaine self-administration, in the escalation of cocaine-seeking behavior, and in the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine have been observed in rodents exposed to repeated social defeat (RSD). In addition, prolonged or severe stress induces a proinflammatory state with microglial activation and increased cytokine production. The aim of the present work was to describe the long-term effects induced by RSD during adolescence on the neuroinflammatory response and synaptic structure by evaluating different glial and neuronal markers. In addition to an increase in the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine, our results showed that RSD in adolescence produced inflammatory reactivity in microglia that is prolonged into adulthood, affecting astrocytes and neurons of two reward-processing areas of the brain (the prelimbic cortex, and the nucleus accumbens core). Considered as a whole these results suggest that social stress experience modulates vulnerability to suffer a loss of glia-supporting functions and neuronal functional synaptic density due to drug consumption in later life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Sandra Montagud-Romero
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Carmen Ferrer-Pérez
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Pérez-Villalba
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Eva Marco
- Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - María-Paz Viveros
- Department of physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Miñarro
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
AOKI C, CHEN YW, CHOWDHURY TG, PIPER W. α4βδ-GABA A receptors in dorsal hippocampal CA1 of adolescent female rats traffic to the plasma membrane of dendritic spines following voluntary exercise and contribute to protection of animals from activity-based anorexia through localization at excitatory synapses. J Neurosci Res 2018; 96:1450-1466. [PMID: 28218471 PMCID: PMC5563482 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In hippocampal CA1 of adolescent female rodents, α4βδ-GABAA receptors (α4βδ-GABAA Rs) suppress excitability of pyramidal neurons through shunting inhibition at excitatory synapses. This contributes to anxiolysis of stressed animals. Socially isolated adolescent female rats with 8 days of wheel access, the last 4 days of which entail restricted food access, have been shown to exhibit excessive exercise, choosing to run instead of eat (activity-based anorexia [ABA]). Upregulation of α4βδ-GABAA Rs in the dorsal hippocampal CA1 (DH), seen among some ABA animals, correlates with suppression of excessive exercise. We used electron microscopic immunocytochemistry to show that exercise alone (EX), but not food restriction alone (FR), also augments α4βδ-GABAA R expression at axospinous excitatory synapses of the DH (67%, P = 0.027), relative to socially isolated controls without exercise or food restriction (CON). Relative to CON, ABA animals' synaptic α4βδ-GABAA R elevation was modestly elevated (37%), but this level correlated strongly and negatively with individual differences in ABA vulnerability-i.e., food restriction-evoked hyperactivity (Pearson R = -0.902, P = 0.002) and weight changes (R = 0.822, P = 0.012). These correlations were absent from FR and EX brains or ventral hippocampus of ABA brains. Comparison to CON of α4βδ-GABAA R location in the DH indicated that ABA induces trafficking of α4βδ-GABAA R from reserve pools in spine cytoplasm to excitatory synapses. Pair-housing CON animals reduced cytoplasmic α4βδ-GABAA R without reducing synaptic α4βδ-GABAA R. Thus, exercise induces trafficking of α4βδ-GABAA Rs to excitatory synapses, while individual differences in ABA vulnerability are linked most strongly to trafficking of α4βδ-GABAA Rs in the reverse direction-from excitatory synapses to the reserve pool during co-occurring food restriction. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiye AOKI
- Center for Neural Sci., New York University, New York, NY, 10003
| | - Yi-Wen CHEN
- Center for Neural Sci., New York University, New York, NY, 10003
| | | | - Walter PIPER
- Center for Neural Sci., New York University, New York, NY, 10003
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Smith BL, Morano RL, Ulrich-Lai YM, Myers B, Solomon MB, Herman JP. Adolescent environmental enrichment prevents behavioral and physiological sequelae of adolescent chronic stress in female (but not male) rats. Stress 2018; 21:464-473. [PMID: 29166811 PMCID: PMC5963965 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2017.1402883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The late adolescent period is characterized by marked neurodevelopmental and endocrine fluctuations in the transition to early adulthood. Adolescents are highly responsive to the external environment, which enhances their ability to adapt and recover from challenges when given nurturing influences, but also makes them vulnerable to aberrant development when exposed to prolonged adverse situations. Female rats are particularly sensitive to the effects of chronic stress in adolescence, which manifests as passive coping strategies and blunted hypothalamo-pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) stress responses in adulthood. We sought to intervene by exposing adolescent rats to environmental enrichment (EE) immediately prior to and during chronic stress, hypothesizing that EE would minimize or prevent the long-term effects of stress that emerge in adult females. To test this, we exposed male and female rats to EE on postnatal days (PND) 33-60 and implemented chronic variable stress (CVS) on PND 40-60. CVS consisted of twice-daily unpredictable stressors. Experimental groups included: CVS/unenriched, unstressed/EE, CVS/EE and unstressed/unenriched (n = 10 of each sex/group). In adulthood, we measured behavior in the open field test and forced swim test (FST) and collected blood samples following the FST. We found that environmental enrichment given during the adolescent period prevented the chronic stress-induced transition to passive coping in the FST and reversed decreases in peak adrenocortical responsiveness observed in adult females. Adolescent enrichment had little to no effect on males or unstressed females tested in adulthood, indicating that beneficial effects are specific to females that were exposed to chronic stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany L. Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Rachel L Morano
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yvonne M. Ulrich-Lai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Brent Myers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Matia B. Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - James P. Herman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Barfield ET, Gourley SL. Adolescent Corticosterone and TrkB Pharmaco-Manipulations Sex-Dependently Impact Instrumental Reversal Learning Later in Life. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:237. [PMID: 29270114 PMCID: PMC5725412 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life trauma can increase the risk for, and severity of, several psychiatric illnesses. These include drug use disorders, and some correlations appear to be stronger in women. Understanding the long-term consequences of developmental stressor or stress hormone exposure and possible sex differences is critically important. So-called “reversal learning” tasks are commonly used in rodents to model cognitive deficits in stress- and addiction-related illnesses in humans. Here, we exposed mice to the primary stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) during early adolescence (postnatal days 31–42), then tested behavioral flexibility in adulthood using an instrumental reversal learning task. CORT-exposed female, but not male, mice developed perseverative errors. Despite resilience to subchronic CORT exposure, males developed reversal performance impairments following exposure to physical stressors. Administration of a putative tyrosine kinase receptor B (trkB) agonist, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), during adolescence blocked CORT-induced errors in females and improved performance in males. Conversely, blockade of trkB by ANA-12 impaired performance. These data suggest that trkB-based interventions could have certain protective benefits in the context of early-life stressor exposure. We consider the implications of our findings in an extended “Discussion” section.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T Barfield
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Watt MJ, Weber MA, Davies SR, Forster GL. Impact of juvenile chronic stress on adult cortico-accumbal function: Implications for cognition and addiction. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 79. [PMID: 28642080 PMCID: PMC5610933 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to stress during childhood is associated with increased risk for neuropsychiatric illness, substance use disorders and other behavioral problems in adulthood. However, it is not clear how chronic childhood stress can lead to emergence of such a wide range of symptoms and disorders in later life. One possible explanation lies in stress-induced disruption to the development of specific brain regions associated with executive function and reward processing, deficits in which are common to the disorders promoted by childhood stress. Evidence of aberrations in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens function following repeated exposure of juvenile (pre- and adolescent) organisms to a variety of different stressors would account not only for the similarity in symptoms across the wide range of childhood stress-associated mental illnesses, but also their persistence into adulthood in the absence of further stress. Therefore, the goal of this review is to evaluate the current knowledge regarding disruption to executive function and reward processing in adult animals or humans exposed to chronic stress over the juvenile period, and the underlying neurobiology, with particular emphasis on the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. First, the role of these brain regions in mediating executive function and reward processing is highlighted. Second, the neurobehavioral development of these systems is discussed to illustrate how juvenile stress may exert long-lasting effects on prefrontal cortex-accumbal activity and related behavioral functions. Finally, a critical review of current animal and human findings is presented, which strongly supports the supposition that exposure to chronic stress (particularly social aggression and isolation in animal studies) in the juvenile period produces impairments in executive function in adulthood, especially in working memory and inhibitory control. Chronic juvenile stress also results in aberrations to reward processing and seeking, with increased sensitivity to drugs of abuse particularly noted in animal models, which is in line with greater incidence of substance use disorders seen in clinical studies. These consequences are potentially mediated by monoamine and glutamatergic dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, providing translatable therapeutic targets. However, the predominant use of male subjects and social-based stressors in preclinical studies points to a clear need for determining how both sex differences and stressor heterogeneity may differentially contribute to stress-induced changes to substrates mediating executive function and reward processing, before the impact of chronic juvenile stress in promoting adult psychopathology can be fully understood.
Collapse
|
28
|
Sheth C, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D. Chronic Stress in Adolescents and Its Neurobiological and Psychopathological Consequences: An RDoC Perspective. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [PMID: 29527590 PMCID: PMC5841253 DOI: 10.1177/2470547017715645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative provides a strategy for classifying psychopathology based on behavioral dimensions and neurobiological measures. Neurodevelopment is an orthogonal dimension in the current RDoC framework; however, it has not yet been fully incorporated into the RDoC approach. A combination of both a neurodevelopmental and RDoC approach offers a multidimensional perspective for understanding the emergence of psychopathology during development. Environmental influence (e.g., stress) has a profound impact on the risk for development of psychiatric illnesses. It has been shown that chronic stress interacts with the developing brain, producing significant changes in neural circuits that eventually increase the susceptibility for development of psychiatric disorders. This review highlights effects of chronic stress on the adolescent brain, as adolescence is a period characterized by a combination of significant brain alterations, high levels of stress, and emergence of psychopathology. The literature synthesized in this review suggests that chronic stress-induced changes in neurobiology and behavioral constructs underlie the shared vulnerability across a number of disorders in adolescence. The review particularly focuses on depression and substance use disorders; however, a similar argument can also be made for other psychopathologies, including anxiety disorders. The summarized findings underscore the need for a framework to integrate neurobiological findings from disparate psychiatric disorders and to target transdiagnostic mechanisms across disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chandni Sheth
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Diagnostic Neuroimaging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Erin McGlade
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Diagnostic Neuroimaging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA VISN 19 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRREC), Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Deborah Yurgelun-Todd
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Diagnostic Neuroimaging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA VISN 19 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRREC), Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Early life stress and later peer distress on depressive behavior in adolescent female rats: Effects of a novel intervention on GABA and D2 receptors. Behav Brain Res 2017; 330:37-45. [PMID: 28499915 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.04.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) increases the risk of depression during adolescence that may result from a decline in parvalbumin (PVB) secondary to increased neuroinflammation. In this study, we investigated depressive-like behavior following exposure to two different types of stressors that are relevant for their developmental period: 1) chronic ELA (maternal separation; MS) and 2) an acute emotional stressor during adolescence (witnessing their peers receive multiple shocks; WIT), and their interaction. We also determined whether reducing inflammation by cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition would prevent the onset of depressive-like behavior. Female Sprague-Dawley rat pups underwent MS for four-hours/day or received typical care (CON) between postnatal days (P) 2 and P20. A COX-2 inhibitor (COX-2I) or vehicle was administered every other day between P30 and P38. Subjects were tested for learned helplessness to assess depressive-like behavior at P40 (adolescence). MS females demonstrated increased escape latency and decreased PVB in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and dorsal raphe that were attenuated by COX-2I intervention. Helplessness was also associated with an increase in D2 receptors in the accumbens. In contrast, WIT elevated escape latency in CON, but reduced latency in MS females. Furthermore, COX-2I intervention decreased escape latency in both CON and MS after WIT. WIT reduced PVB levels in the basolateral amygdala and increased PFC levels to CON levels. Our data suggest that decreased PVB in the PFC is important for the expression of depressive-like behavior and suggest that COX-2I intervention may provide a novel prevention for depression.
Collapse
|
30
|
van Bodegom M, Homberg JR, Henckens MJAG. Modulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Early Life Stress Exposure. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:87. [PMID: 28469557 PMCID: PMC5395581 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 310] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress during critical periods in development can have severe long-term consequences, increasing overall risk on psychopathology. One of the key stress response systems mediating these long-term effects of stress is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; a cascade of central and peripheral events resulting in the release of corticosteroids from the adrenal glands. Activation of the HPA-axis affects brain functioning to ensure a proper behavioral response to the stressor, but stress-induced (mal)adaptation of the HPA-axis' functional maturation may provide a mechanistic basis for the altered stress susceptibility later in life. Development of the HPA-axis and the brain regions involved in its regulation starts prenatally and continues after birth, and is protected by several mechanisms preventing corticosteroid over-exposure to the maturing brain. Nevertheless, early life stress (ELS) exposure has been reported to have numerous consequences on HPA-axis function in adulthood, affecting both its basal and stress-induced activity. According to the match/mismatch theory, encountering ELS prepares an organism for similar ("matching") adversities during adulthood, while a mismatching environment results in an increased susceptibility to psychopathology, indicating that ELS can exert either beneficial or disadvantageous effects depending on the environmental context. Here, we review studies investigating the mechanistic underpinnings of the ELS-induced alterations in the structural and functional development of the HPA-axis and its key external regulators (amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex). The effects of ELS appear highly dependent on the developmental time window affected, the sex of the offspring, and the developmental stage at which effects are assessed. Albeit by distinct mechanisms, ELS induced by prenatal stressors, maternal separation, or the limited nesting model inducing fragmented maternal care, typically results in HPA-axis hyper-reactivity in adulthood, as also found in major depression. This hyper-activity is related to increased corticotrophin-releasing hormone signaling and impaired glucocorticoid receptor-mediated negative feedback. In contrast, initial evidence for HPA-axis hypo-reactivity is observed for early social deprivation, potentially reflecting the abnormal HPA-axis function as observed in post-traumatic stress disorder, and future studies should investigate its neural/neuroendocrine foundation in further detail. Interestingly, experiencing additional (chronic) stress in adulthood seems to normalize these alterations in HPA-axis function, supporting the match/mismatch theory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marloes J. A. G. Henckens
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Adolescent vulnerability to cardiovascular consequences of chronic emotional stress: Review and perspectives for future research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 74:466-475. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
|
32
|
Romeo RD. The impact of stress on the structure of the adolescent brain: Implications for adolescent mental health. Brain Res 2017; 1654:185-191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
33
|
Zhang F, Yuan S, Shao F, Wang W. Adolescent Social Defeat Induced Alterations in Social Behavior and Cognitive Flexibility in Adult Mice: Effects of Developmental Stage and Social Condition. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:149. [PMID: 27489540 PMCID: PMC4951521 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative social experiences during adolescence increase the risk of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Using "resident-intruder" stress, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of adolescent social defeat on emotional and cognitive symptoms associated with psychiatric disorders during adulthood and the effects of the developmental stage and social condition on this process. In Experiment 1, animals were exposed to social defeat or manipulation for 10 days during early adolescence (EA, postnatal days [PND] 28-37), late adolescence (LA, PND 38-47), and adulthood (ADULT, PND 70-79) and then singly housed until the behavioral tests. Behaviors, including social avoidance of the defeat context and cortically mediated cognitive flexibility in an attentional set-shifting task (AST), were assessed during the week following stress or after 6 weeks during adulthood. We determined that social defeat induced significant and continuous social avoidance across age groups at both time points. The mice that experienced social defeat during adulthood exhibited short-term impairments in reversal learning (RL) on the AST that dissipated after 6 weeks. In contrast, social defeat during EA but not LA induced a delayed deficit in extra-dimensional set-shifting (EDS) in adulthood but not during adolescence. In Experiment 2, we further examined the effects of social condition (isolation or social housing after stress) on the alterations induced by social defeat during EA in adult mice. The adult mice that had experienced stress during EA exhibited social avoidance similar to the avoidance identified in Experiment 1 regardless of the isolation or social housing after the stress. However, social housing after the stress ameliorated the cognitive flexibility deficits induced by early adolescent social defeat in the adult mice, and the social condition had no effect on cognitive function. These findings suggest that the effects of social defeat on emotion and cognitive function are differentially affected by the developmental stage and social condition. EA may comprise a particularly sensitive developmental period in which social defeat may produce a delayed impairment in cognitive flexibility during adulthood, and the social condition following stress appears to play an important intermediary role in the development of these cognitive deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China; The University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Sanna Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China; The University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Feng Shao
- Department of Psychology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University Beijing, China
| | - Weiwen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Novick AM, Mears M, Forster GL, Lei Y, Tejani-Butt SM, Watt MJ. Adolescent social defeat alters N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor expression and impairs fear learning in adulthood. Behav Brain Res 2016; 304:51-9. [PMID: 26876136 PMCID: PMC4795455 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Repeated social defeat of adolescent male rats results in adult mesocortical dopamine hypofunction, impaired working memory, and increased contextual anxiety-like behavior. Given the role of glutamate in dopamine regulation, cognition, and fear and anxiety, we investigated potential changes to N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors following adolescent social defeat. As both NMDA receptors and mesocortical dopamine are implicated in the expression and extinction of conditioned fear, a separate cohort of rats was challenged with a classical fear conditioning paradigm to investigate whether fear learning is altered by adolescent defeat. Quantitative autoradiography was used to measure 3H-MK-801 binding to NMDA receptors in regions of the medial prefrontal cortex, caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and hippocampus. Assessment of fear learning was achieved using an auditory fear conditioning paradigm, with freezing toward the auditory tone used as a measure of conditioned fear. Compared to controls, adolescent social defeat decreased adult NMDA receptor expression in the infralimbic region of the prefrontal cortex and central amygdala, while increasing expression in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. Previously defeated rats also displayed decreased conditioned freezing during the recall and first extinction periods, which may be related to the observed decreases and increases in NMDA receptors within the central amygdala and CA3, respectively. The alteration in NMDA receptors seen following adolescent social defeat suggests that dysfunction of glutamatergic systems, combined with mesocortical dopamine deficits, likely plays a role in the some of the long-term behavioral consequences of social stressors in adolescence seen in both preclinical and clinical studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Novick
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.
| | - Mackenzie Mears
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Gina L Forster
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Yanlin Lei
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, 600 S 43rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shanaz M Tejani-Butt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, 600 S 43rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael J Watt
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Kumari A, Singh P, Baghel MS, Thakur M. Social isolation mediated anxiety like behavior is associated with enhanced expression and regulation of BDNF in the female mouse brain. Physiol Behav 2016; 158:34-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2015] [Revised: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
|
36
|
Madra M, Zeltser LM. BDNF-Val66Met variant and adolescent stress interact to promote susceptibility to anorexic behavior in mice. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e776. [PMID: 27045846 PMCID: PMC4872394 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to identify therapeutic targets for anorexia nervosa (AN) because current medications do not impact eating behaviors that drive AN's high mortality rate. A major obstacle to developing new treatments is the lack of animal models that recapitulate the pattern of disease onset typically observed in human populations. Here we describe a translational mouse model to study interactions between genetic, psychological and biological risk factors that promote anorexic behavior. We combined several factors that are consistently associated with increased risk of AN-adolescent females, genetic predisposition to anxiety imposed by the BDNF-Val66Met gene variant, social isolation stress and caloric restriction (CR). Approximately 40% of the mice with all of these risk factors will exhibit severe self-imposed dietary restriction, sometimes to the point of death. We systematically varied the risk factors outlined above to explore how they interact to influence anorexic behavior. We found that the Val66Met genotype markedly increases the likelihood and severity of abnormal feeding behavior triggered by CR, but only when CR is imposed in the peri-pubertal period. Incidence of anorexic behavior in our model is dependent on juvenile exposure to social stress and can be extinguished by adolescent handling, but is discordant from anxiety-like behavior. Thus, this study characterized gene × environment interactions during adolescence that could be the underlying driver of abnormal eating behavior in certain AN patients, and represents a promising system to identify possible targets for therapeutic intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Madra
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - L M Zeltser
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia University, 1150 Saint Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Mariappan S, Bogdanowicz W, Raghuram H, Marimuthu G, Rajan KE. Structure of distress call: implication for specificity and activation of dopaminergic system. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2015; 202:55-65. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-015-1053-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
|
38
|
Lopez MF, Laber K. Impact of social isolation and enriched environment during adolescence on voluntary ethanol intake and anxiety in C57BL/6J mice. Physiol Behav 2015; 148:151-6. [PMID: 25446196 PMCID: PMC4425642 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to determine the impact of an enriched environment in a previously established stress model of isolation during early development that induces high alcohol (ethanol) self-administration. The study was conducted with male and female C57BL/6J mice housed in isolation or in groups that were either provided or withheld enrichment during adolescence. The impact of these housing conditions was assessed during adulthood by measuring weight gain, quantifying voluntary ethanol intake, measuring plasma corticosterone levels, and assessing anxiety-like behavior. Results showed that, regardless of sex, mice that were single-housed during adolescence showed a significant increase in voluntary ethanol intake, which was not observed in isolated mice that were provided with nesting material during adolescence (compared to group-housed non-enriched control group). Basal corticosterone was not affected by housing, enrichment conditions, or sex. Corticosterone levels did not relate to levels of voluntary ethanol intake. However, corticosterone levels were higher after three weeks of ethanol intake. Surprisingly, mice that were group-housed during adolescence showed higher levels of anxiety-like behavior in the light/dark test. Overall, these results indicate that housing conditions during a critical developmental period can significantly modulate voluntary ethanol intake later in life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo F Lopez
- Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States.
| | - Kathy Laber
- VA Medical Center, 114 Doughty Street, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Comparative Medicine Branch, NIEHS, PO Box 12333, MD-C1-05, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Lee TTY, Hill MN, Hillard CJ, Gorzalka BB. Disruption of peri-adolescent endocannabinoid signaling modulates adult neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to stress in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2015; 99:89-97. [PMID: 26192544 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is known to regulate neural, endocrine and behavioral responses to stress in adults; however there is little knowledge regarding how this system governs the development and maturation of these responses. Previous work has reported dynamic and time-specific changes in CB1 receptor expression, N-arachidonylethanolamine (AEA) content and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity within corticolimbic structures throughout the peri-adolescent period. To examine whether fluctuations in adolescent eCB activity contribute to the development of adult stress responsivity and emotionality, we treated male Sprague-Dawley rats daily with the CB1R antagonist, AM-251 (5 mg/kg), or vehicle between post-natal days (PND) 35-45. Following this treatment, emotional behavior, HPA axis stress reactivity and habituation to repeated restraint stress, as well as corticolimbic eCB content were examined in adulthood (PND 75). Behaviorally, AM-251-treated males exhibited more active stress-coping behavior in the forced swim test, greater risk assessment behavior in the elevated plus maze and no significant differences in general motor activity. Peri-adolescent AM-251 treatment modified corticosterone habituation to repeated restraint exposure compared to vehicle. Peri-adolescent CB1R antagonism induced moderate changes in adult corticolimbic eCB signaling, with a significant decrease in amygdalar AEA, an increase in hypothalamic AEA and an increase in prefrontal cortical CB1R expression. Together, these data indicate that peri-adolescent endocannabinoid signaling contributes to the maturation of adult neurobehavioral responses to stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany T-Y Lee
- Dept. of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Matthew N Hill
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Dept. of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Boris B Gorzalka
- Dept. of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Haller SPW, Cohen Kadosh K, Scerif G, Lau JYF. Social anxiety disorder in adolescence: How developmental cognitive neuroscience findings may shape understanding and interventions for psychopathology. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2015; 13:11-20. [PMID: 25818181 PMCID: PMC6989773 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder represents a debilitating condition that has large adverse effects on the quality of social connections, educational achievement and wellbeing. Age-of-onset data suggests that early adolescence is a developmentally sensitive juncture for the onset of social anxiety. In this review, we highlight the potential of using a developmental cognitive neuroscience approach to understand (i) why there are normative increases in social worries in adolescence and (ii) how adolescence-associated changes may 'bring out' neuro-cognitive risk factors for social anxiety in a subset of individuals during this developmental period. We also speculate on how changes that occur in learning and plasticity may allow for optimal acquisition of more adaptive neurocognitive strategies through external interventions. Hence, for the minority of individuals who require external interventions to target their social fears, this enhanced flexibility could result in more powerful and longer-lasting therapeutic effects. We will review two novel interventions that target information-processing biases and their neural substrates via cognitive training and visual feedback of neural activity measured through functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone P W Haller
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | | | - Gaia Scerif
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jennifer Y F Lau
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Dalmaz C, Noschang C, Krolow R, Raineki C, Lucion AB. How postnatal insults may program development: studies in animal models. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2015; 10:121-47. [PMID: 25287539 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1372-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
During the postnatal period, the nervous system is modified and shaped by experience, in order to adjust it to the particular environment in which the animal will live. This plasticity, one of the most remarkable characteristics of the nervous system, promotes adaptive changes, but it also makes brain more vulnerable to insults. This chapter will focus on the effects of interventions during the postnatal development in animal models of neonatal handling (usually up to 15 min of handling) and maternal separation (usually at least for 3 h). Sex-specific changes and effects of prepubertal stress such as social isolation later on in life were also considered. These interventions during development induce long-lasting traces in the pups' nervous system, which will be reflected in changes in neuroendocrine functions, including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axes; anxiety and cognitive performance; and feeding, sexual, and social behavior. These enduring changes may be adaptive or maladaptive, depending on the environment in which the animal will live. The challenge researchers facing now is to determine how to reverse the deleterious effects that may result from early-life stress exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carla Dalmaz
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porte Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Chohan TW, Nguyen A, Todd SM, Bennett MR, Callaghan P, Arnold JC. Partial genetic deletion of neuregulin 1 and adolescent stress interact to alter NMDA receptor binding in the medial prefrontal cortex. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:298. [PMID: 25324742 PMCID: PMC4179617 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is thought to arise due to a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors during early neurodevelopment. We have recently shown that partial genetic deletion of the schizophrenia susceptibility gene neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) and adolescent stress interact to disturb sensorimotor gating, neuroendocrine activity and dendritic morphology in mice. Both stress and Nrg1 may have converging effects upon N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) which are implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, sensorimotor gating and dendritic spine plasticity. Using an identical repeated restraint stress paradigm to our previous study, here we determined NMDAR binding across various brain regions in adolescent Nrg1 heterozygous (HET) and wild-type (WT) mice using [3H] MK-801 autoradiography. Repeated restraint stress increased NMDAR binding in the ventral part of the lateral septum (LSV) and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus irrespective of genotype. Partial genetic deletion of Nrg1 interacted with adolescent stress to promote an altered pattern of NMDAR binding in the infralimbic (IL) subregion of the medial prefrontal cortex. In the IL, whilst stress tended to increase NMDAR binding in WT mice, it decreased binding in Nrg1 HET mice. However, in the DG, stress selectively increased the expression of NMDAR binding in Nrg1 HET mice but not WT mice. These results demonstrate a Nrg1-stress interaction during adolescence on NMDAR binding in the medial prefrontal cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tariq W Chohan
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - An Nguyen
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; ANSTO LifeSciences, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stephanie M Todd
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maxwell R Bennett
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul Callaghan
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; ANSTO LifeSciences, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jonathon C Arnold
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Casement MD, Shaw DS, Sitnick SL, Musselman SC, Forbes EE. Life stress in adolescence predicts early adult reward-related brain function and alcohol dependence. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2014; 10:416-23. [PMID: 24795442 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsu061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful life events increase vulnerability to problematic alcohol use, and they may do this by disrupting reward-related neural circuitry. This is particularly relevant for adolescents because alcohol use rises sharply after mid-adolescence and alcohol abuse peaks at age 20. Adolescents also report more stressors compared with children, and neural reward circuitry may be especially vulnerable to stressors during adolescence because of prefrontal cortex remodeling. Using a large sample of male participants in a longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging study (N = 157), we evaluated whether cumulative stressful life events between the ages of 15 and 18 were associated with reward-related brain function and problematic alcohol use at age 20 years. Higher cumulative stressful life events during adolescence were associated with decreased response in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during monetary reward anticipation and following the receipt of monetary rewards. Stress-related decreases in mPFC response during reward anticipation and following rewarding outcomes were associated with the severity of alcohol dependence. Furthermore, mPFC response mediated the association between stressful life events and later symptoms of alcohol dependence. These data are consistent with neurobiological models of addiction that propose that stressors during adolescence increase risk for problematic alcohol use by disrupting reward circuit function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melynda D Casement
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213 Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213
| | - Daniel S Shaw
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213
| | - Stephanie L Sitnick
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213
| | - Samuel C Musselman
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213
| | - Erika E Forbes
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213 Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213 Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213 Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Stanis JJ, Andersen SL. Reducing substance use during adolescence: a translational framework for prevention. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:1437-53. [PMID: 24464527 PMCID: PMC3969413 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3393-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Most substance use is initiated during adolescence when substantial development of relevant brain circuitry is still rapidly maturing. Developmental differences in reward processing, behavioral flexibility, and self-regulation lead to changes in resilience or vulnerability to drugs of abuse depending on exposure to risk factors. Intervention and prevention approaches to reducing addiction in teens may be able to capitalize on malleable brain systems in a predictable manner. OBJECTIVE This review will highlight what is known about how factors that increase vulnerability to addiction, including developmental stage, exposure to early life adversity (ranging from abuse, neglect, and bullying), drug exposure, and genetic predisposition, impact the development of relevant systems. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Appropriate, early intervention may restore the normal course of an abnormal trajectory and reduce the likelihood of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) later in life. A considerable amount is known about the functional neuroanatomy and/or pharmacology of risky behaviors based on clinical and preclinical studies, but relatively little has been directly translated to reduce their impact on addiction in high-risk children or teenagers. An opportunity exists to effectively intervene before adolescence when substance use is likely to emerge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J Stanis
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuropharmacology, McLean Hospital and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Mailstop 333, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Watt MJ, Roberts CL, Scholl JL, Meyer DL, Miiller LC, Barr JL, Novick AM, Renner KJ, Forster GL. Decreased prefrontal cortex dopamine activity following adolescent social defeat in male rats: role of dopamine D2 receptors. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:1627-36. [PMID: 24271009 PMCID: PMC3969403 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3353-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/26/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Adverse social experience in adolescence causes reduced medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) dopamine (DA) and associated behavioral deficits in early adulthood. OBJECTIVE This study aims to determine whether mPFC DA hypofunction following social stress is specific to adolescent experience and if this results from stress-induced DA D2 receptor activation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male rats exposed to repeated social defeat during adolescence or adulthood had mPFC DA activity sampled 17 days later. Separate experiments used freely moving microdialysis to measure mPFC DA release in response to adolescent defeat exposure. At P40, 49 and 56 mPFC DA turnover was assessed to identify when DA activity decreased in relation to the adolescent defeat experience. Finally, nondefeated adolescent rats received repeated intra-mPFC infusions of the D2 receptor agonist quinpirole, while another adolescent group received intra-mPFC infusions of the D2 antagonist amisulpride before defeat exposure. RESULTS Long-term decreases or increases in mPFC DA turnover were observed following adolescent or adult defeat, respectively. Adolescent defeat exposure elicits sustained increases in mPFC DA release, and DA turnover remains elevated beyond the stress experience before declining to levels below normal at P56. Activation of mPFC D2 receptors in nondefeated adolescents decreases DA activity in a similar manner to that caused by adolescent defeat, while defeat-induced reductions in mPFC DA activity are prevented by D2 receptor blockade. CONCLUSIONS Both the developing and mature PFC DA systems are vulnerable to social stress, but only adolescent defeat causes DA hypofunction. This appears to result in part from stress-induced activation of mPFC D2 autoreceptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Watt
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E Clark St, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Novick AM, Miiller LC, Forster GL, Watt MJ. Adolescent social defeat decreases spatial working memory performance in adulthood. Behav Brain Funct 2013; 9:39. [PMID: 24134918 PMCID: PMC3853352 DOI: 10.1186/1744-9081-9-39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Adolescent social stress is associated with increased incidence of mental illnesses in adulthood that are characterized by deficits in cognitive focus and flexibility. Such enhanced vulnerability may be due to psychosocial stress-induced disruption of the developing mesocortical dopamine system, which plays a fundamental role in facilitating complex cognitive processes such as spatial working memory. Adolescent rats exposed to repeated social defeat as a model of social stress develop dopaminergic hypofunction in the medial prefrontal cortex as adults. To evaluate a direct link between adolescent social stress and later deficits in cognitive function, the present study tested the effects of adolescent social defeat on two separate tests of spatial working memory performance. Methods Adult rats exposed to adolescent social defeat and their controls were trained on either the delayed win-shift task or the delayed alternating T-Maze task and then challenged with various delay periods. To evaluate potential differences in motivation for the food reward used in memory tasks, consumption and conditioned place preference for sweetened condensed milk were tested in a separate cohort of previously defeated rats and controls. Results Compared to controls, adult rats defeated in adolescence showed a delay-dependent deficit in spatial working memory performance, committing more errors at a 90 s and 5 min delay period on the T-maze and win-shift tasks, respectively. Observed memory deficits were likely independent of differences in reward motivation, as conditioned place preference for the palatable food used on both tasks was similar between the adolescent social defeat group and control. Conclusions The results demonstrate that severe social stressors during adolescence can produce long term deficits in aspects of cognitive function. Given the dependence of spatial working memory on prefrontal dopamine, pharmacologically reversing dopaminergic deficiencies caused by adolescent social stress has the potential to treat such cognitive deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michael J Watt
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Early social experience is critical for the development of cognitive control and dopamine modulation of prefrontal cortex function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:1485-94. [PMID: 23403694 PMCID: PMC3682143 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Social experiences during youth are thought to be critical for proper social and cognitive development. Conversely, social insults during development can cause long-lasting behavioral impairments and increase the vulnerability for psychopathology later in life. To investigate the importance of social experience during the juvenile and early adolescent stage for the development of cognitive control capacities, rats were socially isolated from postnatal day 21 to 42 followed by re-socialization until they reached adulthood. Subsequently, two behavioral dimensions of impulsivity (impulsive action in the five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) and impulsive choice in the delayed reward task) and decision making (in the rat gambling task) were assessed. In a separate group of animals, long-lasting cellular and synaptic changes in adult medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) pyramidal neurons were determined following social isolation. Juvenile and early adolescent social isolation resulted in impairments in impulsive action and decision making under novel or challenging circumstances. Moreover, socially isolated rats had a reduced response to enhancement of dopaminergic neurotransmission (using amphetamine or GBR12909) in the 5-CSRTT under challenging conditions. Impulsive choice was not affected by social isolation. These behavioral deficits were accompanied by a loss of sensitivity to dopamine of pyramidal neurons in the medial PFC. Our data show long-lasting deleterious effects of early social isolation on cognitive control and its neural substrates. Alterations in prefrontal cognitive control mechanisms may contribute to the enhanced risk for psychiatric disorders induced by aberrations in the early social environment.
Collapse
|
48
|
Hall FS, Perona MTG. Have studies of the developmental regulation of behavioral phenotypes revealed the mechanisms of gene-environment interactions? Physiol Behav 2012; 107:623-40. [PMID: 22643448 PMCID: PMC3447116 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Revised: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
This review addresses the recent convergence of our long-standing knowledge of the regulation of behavioral phenotypes by developmental experience with recent advances in our understanding of mechanisms regulating gene expression. This review supports a particular perspective on the developmental regulation of behavioral phenotypes: That the role of common developmental experiences (e.g. maternal interactions, peer interactions, exposure to a complex environment, etc.) is to fit individuals to the circumstances of their lives within bounds determined by long-standing (evolutionary) mechanisms that have shaped responses to critical and fundamental types of experience via those aspects of gene structure that regulate gene expression. The phenotype of a given species is not absolute for a given genotype but rather variable within bounds that is determined by mechanisms regulated by experience (e.g. epigenetic mechanisms). This phenotypic variation is not necessarily random, or evenly distributed along a continuum of description or measurement, but often highly disjointed, producing distinct, even opposing, phenotypes. The potentiality for these varying phenotypes is itself the product of evolution, the potential for alternative phenotypes itself conveying evolutionary advantage. Examples of such phenotypic variation, resulting from environmental or experiential influences, have a long history of study in neurobiology, and a number of these will be discussed in this review: neurodevelopmental experiences that produce phenotypic variation in visual perception, cognitive function, and emotional behavior. Although other examples will be discussed, particular emphasis will be made on the role of social behavior on neurodevelopment and phenotypic determination. It will be argued that an important purpose of some aspects of social behavior is regulation of neurobehavioral phenotypes by experience via genetic regulatory mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Scott Hall
- Molecular Neurobiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassel Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States.
| | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Lee TTY, Hill MN. Age of stress exposure modulates the immediate and sustained effects of repeated stress on corticolimbic cannabinoid CB₁ receptor binding in male rats. Neuroscience 2012. [PMID: 23200786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress is known to modulate cannabinoid CB1 receptor binding densities in corticolimbic structures, in a region-dependent manner; however, the ontogeny of these changes and the degree to which they recover following exposure to stress have yet to be determined. To this extent, we examined both the immediate and sustained effects (following a 40-day recovery period) of a repeated restraint stress paradigm (30-min restraint/day for 10 days) on CB1 receptor binding in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus and amygdala in both adolescent (stress onset at post-natal day [PND] 35) and adult (stress onset at PND 75) male Sprague-Dawley rats. Consistent with previous reports, we found that repeated stress in adult rats resulted in an increase in CB1 receptor binding in the PFC, a reduction in CB1 receptor binding in the hippocampus and no effect in the amygdala. Interestingly, adolescent rats exposed to repeated restraint stress did not show any change in hippocampal CB1 receptor density, but exhibited an upregulation of CB1 receptor binding in both the PFC and amygdala. In adults, a 40-day recovery period resulted in a normalization of CB1 receptor binding in the PFC, and surprisingly a pronounced upregulation of CB1 receptor binding in the hippocampus, possibly indicative of a rebound effect. Adolescents similarly exhibited this rebound increase in hippocampal CB1 receptor binding, despite a lack in immediate downregulation following repeated restraint. Of particular interest, adolescents exposed to stress were found to have a sustained downregulation of prefrontocortical CB1 receptors in adulthood, which may relate to some of the reported sustained behavioral effects of stress in adolescence. Collectively, these data indicate that the effects of chronic stress on cannabinoid CB1 receptor binding are modulated by the age of stress exposure and period of recovery following the cessation of stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T T Y Lee
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Cell Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Eiland L, Romeo RD. Stress and the developing adolescent brain. Neuroscience 2012; 249:162-71. [PMID: 23123920 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.10.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 282] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 10/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of continued brain maturation, particularly in limbic and cortical regions, which undoubtedly plays a role in the physiological and emotional changes coincident with adolescence. An emerging line of research has indicated that stressors experienced during this crucial developmental stage may affect the trajectory of this neural maturation and contribute to the increase in psychological morbidities, such as anxiety and depression, often observed during adolescence. In this review, we discuss the short- and long-term effects of periadolescent stress exposure on the structure and function of the brain. More specifically, we examine how stress at prepubertal and early adolescent stages of development affects the morphological plasticity of limbic and cortical brain regions, as well as the enduring effects of adolescent stress exposure on these brain regions in adulthood. We suggest that, due to a number of converging factors during this period of maturation, the adolescent brain may be particularly sensitive to stress-induced neurobehavioral dysfunctions with important consequences on an individual's immediate and long-term health and well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Eiland
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|