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Soares AR, Garcia-Rivas V, Fai C, Thomas MA, Zheng X, Picciotto MR, Mineur YS. Role of microglia in stress-induced alcohol intake in female and male mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.05.597614. [PMID: 38895217 PMCID: PMC11185719 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.05.597614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have escalated in recent years, with a particular increase among women. Women are more susceptible to stress-induced alcohol drinking, and preclinical data suggest that stress can increase alcohol intake in female rodents; however, a comprehensive understanding of sex-specific neurobiological substrates underlying this phenomenon is still emerging. Microglia, the resident macrophages of the brain, are essential for reshaping neuronal processes, and microglial activity contributes to overall neuronal plasticity. We investigated microglial dynamics and morphology in limbic brain structures of male and female mice following exposure to stress, alcohol or both challenges. In a modified paradigm of intermittent binge drinking (repeated "drinking in the dark"), we determined that female, but not male, mice increased their alcohol consumption after exposure to a physical stressor and re-exposure trials in the stress-paired context. Ethanol (EtOH) drinking and stress altered a number of microglial parameters, including overall number, in subregions of the amygdala and hippocampus, with effects that were somewhat more pronounced in female mice. We used the CSF1R antagonist PLX3397 to deplete microglia in female mice to determine whether microglia contribute to stress-induced escalation of EtOH intake. We observed that microglial depletion attenuated stress-induced alcohol intake with no effect in the unstressed group. These findings suggest that microglial activity can contribute to alcohol intake under stressful conditions, and highlight the importance of evaluating sex-specific mechanisms that could result in tailored interventions for AUD in women.
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Kirsch DE, Kosted R, Le V, Almeida JRC, Fromme K, Strakowski SM, Lippard ETC. Ventral prefrontal network response to alcohol in young adults with bipolar disorder: a within-subject randomized placebo-controlled alcohol administration study. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1910-1919. [PMID: 37474761 PMCID: PMC10584851 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder co-occurs with alcohol use disorder at a rate 3-5 times higher than the general population. We recently reported that individuals with bipolar disorder differ in the positive stimulating and anxiolytic effects of alcohol compared with healthy peers. This study used a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, within-subject alcohol administration design to investigate neurobiological mechanisms within ventral prefrontal cortical (vPFC) systems that may underlie altered sensitivity to alcohol in bipolar disorder (NCT04063384). Forty-seven young adults (n = 23 with bipolar disorder, 64% women) completed clinical assessment and two beverage administration sessions (alcohol and placebo, counter-balanced). Participants were dosed to 0.08 g% breath alcohol concentration during the alcohol condition and completed measures of subjective response to alcohol and an emotional processing fMRI task during the ascending limb. Timing during the placebo condition mirrored the alcohol session. Acute alcohol was associated with reduced functional connectivity between the insula - subcallosal cingulate cortex, and increased connectivity between the left nucleus accumbens - ventromedial PFC in bipolar disorder, but with no change in functional connectivity between these regions in healthy peers. Alcohol-related increases in nucleus accumbens - ventromedial PFC functional connectivity was associated with greater positive stimulating effects of alcohol in bipolar disorder and heavier recent alcohol use. Results suggest vPFC brain systems respond differently to acute alcohol during emotional processing in young adults with bipolar disorder compared with healthy peers, and that vPFC system responses relate to the subjective experience of intoxication and recent alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan E Kirsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Raquel Kosted
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Vanessa Le
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jorge R C Almeida
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kim Fromme
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Stephen M Strakowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth T C Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
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Mezue K, Osborne MT, Abohashem S, Zureigat H, Gharios C, Grewal SS, Radfar A, Cardeiro A, Abbasi T, Choi KW, Fayad ZA, Smoller JW, Rosovsky R, Shin L, Pitman R, Tawakol A. Reduced Stress-Related Neural Network Activity Mediates the Effect of Alcohol on Cardiovascular Risk. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023; 81:2315-2325. [PMID: 37316112 PMCID: PMC10333800 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2023.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic stress associates with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) via increased stress-related neural network activity (SNA). Light/moderate alcohol consumption (ACl/m) has been linked to lower MACE risk, but the mechanisms are unclear. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the association between ACl/m and MACE is mediated by decreased SNA. METHODS Individuals enrolled in the Mass General Brigham Biobank who completed a health behavior survey were studied. A subset underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, enabling assessment of SNA. Alcohol consumption was classified as none/minimal, light/moderate, or high (<1, 1-14, or >14 drinks/week, respectively). RESULTS Of 53,064 participants (median age 60 years, 60% women), 23,920 had no/minimal alcohol consumption and 27,053 ACl/m. Over a median follow-up of 3.4 years, 1,914 experienced MACE. ACl/m (vs none/minimal) associated with lower MACE risk (HR: 0.786; 95% CI: 0.717-0.862; P < 0.0001) after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors. In 713 participants with brain imaging, ACl/m (vs none/minimal) associated with decreased SNA (standardized beta -0.192; 95% CI: -0.338 to -0.046; P = 0.01). Lower SNA partially mediated the beneficial effect of ACl/m on MACE (log OR: -0.040; 95% CI: -0.097 to -0.003; P < 0.05). Further, ACl/m associated with larger decreases in MACE risk among individuals with (vs without) prior anxiety (HR: 0.60 [95% CI: 0.50-0.72] vs 0.78 [95% CI: 0.73-0.80]; P interaction = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS ACl/m associates with reduced MACE risk, in part, by lowering activity of a stress-related brain network known for its association with cardiovascular disease. Given alcohol's potential health detriments, new interventions with similar effects on SNA are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenechukwu Mezue
- Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael T Osborne
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shady Abohashem
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hadil Zureigat
- Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charbel Gharios
- Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Simran S Grewal
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Azar Radfar
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexander Cardeiro
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Taimur Abbasi
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Karmel W Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zahi A Fayad
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jordan W Smoller
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachel Rosovsky
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lisa Shin
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Roger Pitman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ahmed Tawakol
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Kirsch DE, Le V, Kosted R, Fromme K, Lippard ETC. Neural underpinnings of expecting alcohol: Placebo alcohol administration alters nucleus accumbens resting state functional connectivity. Behav Brain Res 2023; 437:114148. [PMID: 36206822 PMCID: PMC10955555 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114148] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Using balanced placebo designs, seminal alcohol administration research has shown individuals' beliefs about whether they have consumed alcohol, irrespective of the actual presence of alcohol, can determine level of alcohol consumption and impact social behavior. Despite the known effect of expecting alcohol on drinking behavior, few studies have used the placebo manipulation to directly investigate the neural underpinnings of the expectancy-related effects that occur following perceived alcohol consumption in humans. The present paper examined placebo responses in the laboratory to better understand the neural basis for the psychological phenomenon of expectancies. METHODS As part of a larger within-subjects study design, healthy young adults (N = 22, agemean+SD=23 +1) completed resting state fMRI scans and measures of subjective response before and after consuming placebo beverages. Effect of placebo beverage consumption (pre- versus post-beverage consumption) on functional connectivity within prefrontal cortical networks was examined using the CONN Toolbox. Relations between perceived subjective response to alcohol with functional connectivity response following placebo beverage consumption were examined. RESULTS Compared to pre-beverage scan, placebo beverage consumption was associated with increased positive functional connectivity between right nucleus accumbens - ventromedial prefrontal cortex and subcallosal cingulate cortex (pFDR<0.05). Subjective ratings of intoxication (i.e., feeling 'drunk') positively correlated with placebo beverage-related increases in nucleus accumbens - subcallosal cingulate cortex functional connectivity. CONCLUSION Results suggest placebo response to alcohol is associated with increased functional connectivity within a key reward network (nucleus accumbens - ventromedial prefrontal cortex and subcallosal cingulate cortex) and put forth a mechanism by which alcohol expectancies may contribute to the subjective experience of intoxication.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Kirsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - V Le
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - R Kosted
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - K Fromme
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - E T C Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
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5
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Beck A, Ebrahimi C, Rosenthal A, Charlet K, Heinz A. The Dopamine System in Mediating Alcohol Effects in Humans. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 36705911 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Brain-imaging studies show that the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is determined by a complex interaction of different neurotransmitter systems and multiple psychological factors. In this context, the dopaminergic reinforcement system appears to be of fundamental importance. We focus on the excitatory and depressant effects of acute versus chronic alcohol intake and its impact on dopaminergic neurotransmission. Furthermore, we describe alterations in dopaminergic neurotransmission as associated with symptoms of alcohol dependence. We specifically focus on neuroadaptations to chronic alcohol consumption and their effect on central processing of alcohol-associated and reward-related stimuli. Altered reward processing, complex conditioning processes, impaired reinforcement learning, and increased salience attribution to alcohol-associated stimuli enable alcohol cues to drive alcohol seeking and consumption. Finally, we will discuss how the neurobiological and neurochemical mechanisms of alcohol-associated alterations in reward processing and learning can interact with stress, cognition, and emotion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Beck
- Faculty of Health, Health and Medical University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Claudia Ebrahimi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annika Rosenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Charlet
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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6
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Beard SJ, Yoon L, Venticinque JS, Shepherd NE, Guyer AE. The brain in social context: A systematic review of substance use and social processing from adolescence to young adulthood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 57:101147. [PMID: 36030675 PMCID: PMC9434028 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use escalates between adolescence and young adulthood, and most experimentation occurs among peers. To understand underlying mechanisms, research has focused on neural response during relevant psychological processes. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research provides a wealth of information about brain activity when processing monetary rewards; however, most studies have used tasks devoid of social stimuli. Given that adolescent neurodevelopment is sculpted by the push-and-pull of peers and emotions, identifying neural substrates is important for intervention. We systematically reviewed 28 fMRI studies examining substance use and neural responses to stimuli including social reward, emotional faces, social influence, and social stressors. We found substance use was positively associated with social-reward activity (e.g., in the ventral striatum), and negatively with social-stress activity (e.g., in the amygdala). For emotion, findings were mixed with more use linked to heightened response (e.g., in amygdala), but also with decreased response (e.g., in insula). For social influence, evidence supported both positive (e.g., cannabis and nucleus accumbens during conformity) and negative (e.g., polydrug and ventromedial PFC during peers' choices) relations between activity and use. Based on the literature, we offer recommendations for future research on the neural processing of social information to better identify risks for substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Beard
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, 267 Cousteau Pl, Davis, CA 95618, USA; Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, 301 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Leehyun Yoon
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, 267 Cousteau Pl, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
| | - Joseph S Venticinque
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, 267 Cousteau Pl, Davis, CA 95618, USA; Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, 301 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Nathan E Shepherd
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, 267 Cousteau Pl, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
| | - Amanda E Guyer
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, 267 Cousteau Pl, Davis, CA 95618, USA; Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, 301 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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7
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Tretyak V, Kirsch DE, Le V, Fromme K, Strakowski SM, Lippard ET. Coping drinking motives, neural functional coupling during emotion processing, and alcohol use in young adults with bipolar disorder. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1482-1496. [PMID: 35702929 PMCID: PMC9478569 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rates of alcohol use disorders in individuals with bipolar disorder are 3 to 5 times greater than in the general population and exceed rates of alcohol use disorders reported in other affective and anxiety disorders. Despite this high rate of comorbidity, our understanding of the psychosocial and neural mechanisms that underlie the initiation of alcohol misuse in young adults with bipolar disorder remains limited. Prior work suggests that individuals with bipolar disorder may misuse alcohol as a coping mechanism, yet the neural correlates of coping drinking motives and associated alcohol use have not been previously investigated in this population. METHODS Forty-eight young adults (22 bipolar disorder type I, 26 typically developing; 71% women; average age ± standard deviation = 22 ± 2 years) completed the Drinking Motives and Daily Drinking Questionnaires, and a Continuous Performance Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Task with Emotional and Neutral Distracters. We calculated the relative difference in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) functional coupling with the anterior insula and amygdala in response to emotional distracters compared with neutral stimuli and investigated the relations with coping drinking motives and alcohol use. RESULTS Across all participants, coping drinking motives were associated with greater quantity of recent alcohol use. In individuals with bipolar disorder, greater ACC-anterior insula functional coupling was associated with greater coping drinking motives, and greater quantity and frequency of recent alcohol use. The relative difference in ACC-anterior insula functional coupling was not associated with coping drinking motives or alcohol use in the typically developing group. Greater ACC-anterior insula functional coupling in individuals with bipolar disorder was also associated with greater anxiety symptoms and recent perceived psychological stress. Exploratory analyses suggest that the relations between ACC-anterior insula functional coupling and coping drinking motives may be confounded by anticonvulsant use. CONCLUSION Results suggest that a difference in ACC-anterior insula functional coupling during emotion processing may underlie alcohol use as a maladaptive coping mechanism in young adults with bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Tretyak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX,
USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Dylan E. Kirsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin,
TX, USA
| | - Vanessa Le
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kim Fromme
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX,
USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Stephen M. Strakowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX,
USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin,
TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth T.C. Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX,
USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin,
TX, USA,Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, University of
Texas, Austin, TX, USA
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Kirsch DE, Lippard ET. Early life stress and substance use disorders: The critical role of adolescent substance use. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 215:173360. [PMID: 35219756 PMCID: PMC8983562 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is a well-established risk factor for many psychiatric and medical disorders, including substance use disorders (SUDs). The relationship between ELS and SUDs is complex and there are likely multiple pathways from ELS to adverse substance use outcomes. The association between ELS and substance use emerges in adolescence. Adolescence is a critical period in development during which substance exposure markedly increases risk for SUDs. Therefore, this review focuses on the literature supporting the hypothesis that ELS increases risk for the development of SUDs through its influence on adolescent substance use. We discuss studies substantiating the role of ELS in adolescent substance use and explore how internalizing and externalizing psychopathology may be antecedents of substance use in adolescence. We examine clinical work suggesting ELS sculpts the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis and developing brain-particularly subcortical brain regions that underlie stress response, mesocorticolimbic brain systems associated with reward sensitivity, and prefrontal regions that underlie executive control-in a way that increases risk for adolescent substance use and SUDs. We further explore how substance use during adolescence alters structure and function of these same systems, and how brain changes following ELS and adolescent substance use may independently, additively, or interactively contribute to risk for addiction. We conclude by discussing how the current literature can inform interventions aimed at reducing risk for SUDs in individuals with a history of ELS.
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9
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McKenna BS, Anthenelli RM, Smith TL, Schuckit MA. Low versus high level of response to alcohol affects amygdala functional connectivity during processing of emotional stimuli. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:66-76. [PMID: 35064942 PMCID: PMC8820383 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low levels of response (low LR) to alcohol predict heavy drinking and alcohol problems. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of emotion processing have shown that low LR individuals exhibit lower activation in task-related brain regions following both placebo and alcohol administration, but these studies did not examine functional brain networks that might contribute to the phenomena. The current study expands upon the earlier results by evaluating whether functional connectivity differences between the amygdala and other brain regions modulated by emotional face processing are associated with LR. Based on prior findings, we hypothesized that low LR is related to lower functional connectivity in fronto-amygdalar functional circuits, which underlie the processing of emotional stimuli. METHODS Secondary analyses were conducted on data from a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects, cross-over study in 108 18-to-25-year-old low and high LR sex-matched pairs without alcohol use disorder at baseline. Participants performed modified emotional faces processing tasks after receiving placebo or approximately 0.7 ml/kg of ethanol. Psychophysiological interaction analyses examined functional connectivity between left and right amygdalae and related brain circuits using LR-by-alcohol general linear models. The data included 54 sex-matched pairs with 216 fMRI scans comprising alcohol and placebo conditions. RESULTS Compared with individuals with high LR, low LR subjects demonstrated lower functional connectivity between the amygdala and the frontal lobes, insula, and parietal regions, while processing angry and happy faces. Interactions showed lower connectivity following alcohol in low LR and higher connectivity in high LR groups. CONCLUSIONS Low LR individuals demonstrated lower functional connectivity in response both to placebo and a modest dose of ethanol. Attenuated connectivity among low LR individuals when processing emotional faces may contribute to an impaired ability to recognize alcohol intoxication in social situations and to appraise angry and happy emotions irrespective of whether alcohol is consumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S McKenna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, La Jolla, California, USA
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Robert M Anthenelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Tom L Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Marc A Schuckit
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, La Jolla, California, USA
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10
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Nagar M, Weller A, Rabinovitz S. The dosing procedure that "makes the poison": Comparing the effects of single versus cumulative alcohol administration methods on emotion recognition. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:1411-1419. [PMID: 34311606 DOI: 10.1177/02698811211032466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most people often consume alcohol cumulatively and gradually. Yet almost scientific knowledge about alcohol's acute effects on cognition, behavior, and affect stems from laboratory studies that employ a single beverage administration procedure. OBJECTIVE This study tests the hypothesis that alcohol's acute effects depend on both methods of administration and alcohol blood level. We introduce a new laboratory procedure for studying cumulative alcohol drinking and examine alcohol's effects on emotion recognition as a function of both alcohol administration method and alcohol blood level. METHODS Participants were recruited for one of two studies. One study employed a between-subject design using a single alcoholic dose. Participants were randomly assigned to drink either placebo (0.00%), low (0.03%), moderate (0.06%), or high (0.09%) alcohol levels. The second study employed a within-subject design using a cumulative alcoholic administration method, in which each participant drank four drinks (placebo, followed by three alcoholic drinks). Both groups reached similar breath alcohol concentrations. In both studies, participants attended a single study session, in which emotion recognition was examined following alcohol administration. RESULTS Single alcoholic beverage administration method caused greater impairment in emotion recognition ability, specifically for anger, happiness, and fear, as compared with cumulative administration method, even though breath alcohol levels were similar in both conditions. CONCLUSIONS This paper presents questions concerning the internal validity of previous laboratory studies that use a single beverage administration procedure. Insights into the effects of alcohol on behavior, as well as regarding our knowledge about models of addiction are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maayan Nagar
- School of Criminology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,Criminology Department, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Aron Weller
- Psychology Department and Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Sharon Rabinovitz
- School of Criminology and The Unit for Excellence in Research and Study of Addiction, The Center for Rehabilitation Research, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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O'Sullivan SJ, Schwaber JS. Similarities in alcohol and opioid withdrawal syndromes suggest common negative reinforcement mechanisms involving the interoceptive antireward pathway. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:355-364. [PMID: 33647322 PMCID: PMC8555739 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.033] [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: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol and opioids are two major contributors to so-called deaths of despair. Though the effects of these substances on mammalian systems are distinct, commonalities in their withdrawal syndromes suggest a shared pathophysiology. For example, both are characterized by marked autonomic dysregulation and are treated with alpha-2 agonists. Moreover, alcohol and opioids rapidly induce dependence motivated by withdrawal avoidance. Resemblances observed in withdrawal syndromes and abuse behavior may indicate common addiction mechanisms. We argue that neurovisceral feedback influences autonomic and emotional circuits generating antireward similarly for both substances. Amygdala is central to this hypothesis as it is principally responsible for negative emotion, prominent in addiction and motivated behavior, and processes autonomic inputs while generating autonomic outputs. The solitary nucleus (NTS) has strong bidirectional connections to the amygdala and receives interoceptive inputs communicating visceral states via vagal afferents. These visceral-emotional hubs are strongly influenced by the periphery including gut microbiota. We propose that gut dysbiosis contributes to alcohol and opioid withdrawal syndromes by contributing to peripheral and neuroinflammation that stimulates these antireward pathways and motivates substance dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean J O'Sullivan
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James S Schwaber
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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12
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A biological framework for emotional dysregulation in alcohol misuse: from gut to brain. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1098-1118. [PMID: 33288871 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00970-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been associated with impairments in social and emotional cognition that play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of addiction. Repeated alcohol intoxications trigger inflammatory processes and sensitise the immune system. In addition, emerging data point to perturbations in the gut microbiome as a key regulator of the inflammatory cascade in AUD. Inflammation and social cognition are potent modulators of one another. At the same time, accumulating evidence implicates the gut microbiome in shaping emotional and social cognition, suggesting the possibility of a common underlying loop of crucial importance for addiction. Here we propose an integrative microbiome neuro-immuno-affective framework of how emotional dysregulation and alcohol-related microbiome dysbiosis could accelerate the cycle of addiction. We outline the overlapping effects of chronic alcohol use, inflammation and microbiome alterations on the fronto-limbic circuitry as a convergence hub for emotional dysregulation. We discuss the interdependent relationship of social cognition, immunity and the microbiome in relation to alcohol misuse- from binge drinking to addiction. In addition, we emphasise adolescence as a sensitive period for the confluence of alcohol harmful effects and emotional dysregulation in the developing gut-brain axis.
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Dai X, Zhang J, Gao L, Yu J, Li Y, Du B, Huang X, Zhang H. Intrinsic dialogues between the two hemispheres in middle-aged male alcoholics: a resting-state functional MRI study. Neuroreport 2021; 32:206-213. [PMID: 33470766 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate the interhemispheric intrinsic connectivity measured by resting-state functional MRI (R-fMRI) in middle-aged male alcoholics. METHODS Thirty male alcoholics (47.33 ± 8.30 years) and 30 healthy males (47.20 ± 6.17 years) were recruited and obtained R-fMRI data. Inter- and intrahemispheric coordination was performed by using voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and seed-based functional connectivity analysis. RESULTS We found significantly decreased VMHC in a set of regions in male alcoholics patients, including lateral temporal, inferior frontal gyrus, insular/insulae operculum, precuneus/posterior cingulate gyrus, and pars triangularis (P < 0.05, corrected). Subsequent seed-based functional connectivity analysis demonstrated disrupted functional connectivity between the regions of local homotopic connectivity deficits and other areas of the brain, particularly the areas subserving the default, salience, primary somatomotor, and language systems. CONCLUSIONS Middle-aged male alcoholic subjects demonstrated prominent reductions in inter- and intrahemispheric functional coherence. These abnormal changes may reflect degeneration of system/network integration, particularly the domains subserving default, linguistic processing, and salience integration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jianlong Zhang
- Psychiatry, the Third People's Hospital of Zhongshan, Zhongshan City
| | - Lei Gao
- Department of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan
| | - Jinming Yu
- Psychiatry, the Third People's Hospital of Zhongshan, Zhongshan City
| | - Yuanchun Li
- Department of Nursing, the Third People's Hospital of Zhongshan, Zhongshan City, China
| | - Baoguo Du
- Psychiatry, the Third People's Hospital of Zhongshan, Zhongshan City
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14
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Lucke HR, Harbke CR, Mathes EW, Hammersley JJ. Higher Emotion Dysregulation and Coping Motives in Alcoholand Marijuana Users. Subst Use Misuse 2021; 56:950-961. [PMID: 33754955 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2021.1901927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Prior research indicates that difficulties in emotion regulation may contribute to the use of substances (e.g. alcohol and marijuana) to alleviate negative affect. Therefore, we hypothesized that coping motives for alcohol and marijuana use would serve as an intermediary in the relationship between emotion dysregulation and alcohol/marijuana-related outcomes. Methods: The sample comprised 241 college students who used both alcohol and marijuana and 378 college students who used alcohol only. Parallel indirect effects models were estimated to test the hypothesis that emotion dysregulation is associated with alcohol and marijuana use/problems through alcohol and marijuana coping motives. Results: Coping motives were consistently identified as the driving intermediary when it came to alcohol and marijuana problems, as well as marijuana consumption. Enhancement motives were only implicated in the relationship between emotion dysregulation and alcohol consumption among the alcohol-only group. Conclusion: Overall, the pattern of results suggests that, as hypothesized, alcohol and/or marijuana users higher in emotion dysregulation are more likely to use alcohol or marijuana to alleviate negative affect. Although further research is warranted, individuals who use substances for coping purposes may benefit from interventions designed to improve emotion regulation skills.
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15
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Acute effects of alcohol on error-elicited negative affect during a cognitive control task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3383-3397. [PMID: 32944790 PMCID: PMC7572864 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05619-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcohol intoxication can dampen negative affective reactions to stressors. Recently, it has been proposed that these acute anxiolytic effects of alcohol may extend to dampening of negative affective reactions to error commission during cognitive control tasks. Nonetheless, empirical verification of this claim is lacking. OBJECTIVES Test the acute effect of alcohol on negative affective reactions to errors during an effort-demanding cognitive control task. METHODS Healthy, young adult social drinkers (N = 96 [49 women], 21-36 years old) were randomly assigned to consume alcohol (0.80 g/kg; n = 33 [15 female]), active placebo (0.04 g/kg; n = 33 [18 women]), or a non-alcoholic control beverage (n = 30 [16 women]) before completing the Eriksen flanker task. Corrugator supercilii (Corr) activation, a psychophysiological index of negative affect, was tracked across the task. Two neurophysiological reactions to errors, the error-related negativity (ERN) and the error positivity (Pe), were also measured. RESULTS Erroneous actions increased Corr activation in the control and (to a lesser extent) placebo groups, but not in the alcohol group. Error-induced Corr activation was coupled to ERN and Pe in the control, but not in the alcohol and placebo groups. Error-induced Corr activation was not coupled to post-error performance adjustments in any group. CONCLUSIONS The ability of alcohol to dampen error-related negative affect was verified. It was also shown that placebo alone can disrupt coupling of affective and (neuro)cognitive reactions to errors. Although its behavioral relevance remains to be demonstrated, more attention should be paid to the role of affect in action monitoring and cognitive control processes.
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16
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MacIlvane N, Fede SJ, Pearson EE, Diazgranados N, Momenan R. A Distinct Neurophenotype of Fearful Face Processing in Alcohol Use Disorder With and Without Comorbid Anxiety. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:2212-2224. [PMID: 32981080 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) can present with comorbid anxiety symptoms and often have deficits in emotional processing. Previous research suggests brain response is altered during facial affect recognition tasks, especially in limbic areas, due to either AUD or anxiety symptomology; however, the impact of both AUD and clinically significant anxiety symptoms during these tasks has not yet been examined. METHODS In this study, we investigated neural activation differences during an emotional face-matching task. Participants (N = 232) underwent fMRI scanning, as part of a larger study. Three groups were investigated: individuals with diagnosed AUD and elevated anxiety traits (AUD + ANX, n = 90), individuals with diagnosed AUD but non-clinically significant levels of anxiety (AUD-ANX, n = 39), and healthy controls (HC, n = 103). RESULTS Our results illustrate distinct neurophenotypes of AUD, where individuals with comorbid anxiety symptomology have blunted emotional face processing while those with singular AUD are hyperresponsive. CONCLUSIONS This suggests AUD with anxiety symptomology may have a unique neurobiological underpinning, and treatment and intervention should be tailored to individual constellations of symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole MacIlvane
- From the, Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, (NM, SJF, EEP, RM), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Samantha J Fede
- From the, Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, (NM, SJF, EEP, RM), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Emma E Pearson
- From the, Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, (NM, SJF, EEP, RM), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Nancy Diazgranados
- Office of Clinical Director (ND), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Reza Momenan
- From the, Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, (NM, SJF, EEP, RM), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Sevel L, Stennett B, Schneider V, Bush N, Nixon SJ, Robinson M, Boissoneault J. Acute Alcohol Intake Produces Widespread Decreases in Cortical Resting Signal Variability in Healthy Social Drinkers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1410-1419. [PMID: 32472620 PMCID: PMC7572592 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute alcohol intoxication has wide-ranging neurobehavioral effects on psychomotor, attentional, inhibitory, and memory-related cognitive processes. These effects are mirrored in disruption of neural metabolism, functional activation, and functional network coherence. Metrics of intraregional neural dynamics such as regional signal variability (RSV) and brain entropy (BEN) may capture unique aspects of neural functional capacity in healthy and clinical populations; however, alcohol's influence on these metrics is unclear. The present study aimed to elucidate the influence of acute alcohol intoxication on RSV and to clarify these effects with subsequent BEN analyses. METHODS 26 healthy adults between 25 and 45 years of age (65.4% women) participated in 2 counterbalanced sessions. In one, participants consumed a beverage containing alcohol sufficient to produce a breath alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dl. In the other, they consumed a placebo beverage. Approximately 35 minutes after beverage consumption, participants completed a 9-minute resting-state fMRI scan. Whole-brain, voxel-wise standard deviation was used to assess RSV, which was compared between sessions. Within clusters displaying alterations in RSV, sample entropy was calculated to assess BEN. RESULTS Compared to the placebo, alcohol intake resulted in widespread reductions in RSV in the bilateral middle frontal, right inferior frontal, right superior frontal, bilateral posterior cingulate, bilateral middle temporal, right supramarginal gyri, and bilateral inferior parietal lobule. Within these clusters, significant reductions in BEN were found in the bilateral middle frontal and right superior frontal gyri. No effects were noted in subcortical or cerebellar areas. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that alcohol intake produces diffuse reductions in RSV among structures associated with attentional processes. Within these structures, signal complexity was also reduced in a subset of frontal regions. Neurobehavioral effects of acute alcohol consumption may be partially driven by disruption of intraregional neural dynamics among regions involved in higher-order cognitive and attentional processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landrew Sevel
- Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bethany Stennett
- Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Victor Schneider
- Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nicholas Bush
- Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sara Jo Nixon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Michael Robinson
- Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jeff Boissoneault
- Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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18
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Puhalla AA, Berman ME, Coccaro EF, Fahlgren MK, McCloskey MS. History of childhood abuse and alcohol use disorder: Relationship with intermittent explosive disorder and intoxicated aggression frequency. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 125:38-44. [PMID: 32203738 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), the only psychiatric diagnosis for which affective aggression is the cardinal symptom, is uniquely associated with both a history of childhood abuse and a diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Moreover, both childhood abuse and AUD are associated with increased general aggression and aggression while intoxicated. Yet, no study to date has examined the relative contributions of childhood abuse and AUD to IED, nor their effects on overall and intoxicated aggression among those with and without IED. The following study aimed to fill these gaps. Participants were 493 individuals (68% female; Age M = 26.65) either with (n = 265) or without (psychiatric control group; n = 228) IED. All participants completed a clinical interview to (a) diagnose AUD, IED, and other comorbid psychiatric disorders; (b) assess childhood abuse history; and (c) determine lifetime frequency of overall and intoxicated aggression. Results indicated that a history of childhood abuse, but not AUD status, was uniquely predictive of IED status. With regard to aggression frequency, IED, AUD and childhood abuse were all independently associated with overall aggression, although only those with IED showed increased intoxicated aggression as a function of AUD severity. Overall, these results suggest that a history of childhood abuse may increase the chances of engaging in overall aggression and developing IED, which in turn may increase the association between AUD severity and intoxicated aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mitchell E Berman
- Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MI, USA
| | - Emil F Coccaro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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19
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Haass-Koffler CL. Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase β/ζ and Alcohol Use Disorder: A Commentary. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1189-1191. [PMID: 32343842 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina L Haass-Koffler
- From the, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Werren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.,Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
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20
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Gorka SM, Teppen T, Radoman M, Phan KL, Pandey SC. Human Plasma BDNF Is Associated With Amygdala-Prefrontal Cortex Functional Connectivity and Problem Drinking Behaviors. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 23:1-11. [PMID: 31722379 PMCID: PMC7064048 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preclinical studies suggest that decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the amygdala play a role in anxiety and alcohol use disorder. The association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and amygdala function in humans with alcohol use disorder is still unclear, although neuroimaging studies have also implicated the amygdala in alcohol use disorder and suggest that alcohol use disorder is associated with disrupted functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex during aversive states. METHODS The current study investigated whether plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in individuals with and without alcohol use disorder (n = 57) were associated with individual differences in amygdala reactivity and amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity during 2 forms of aversive responding captured via functional magnetic resonance imaging: anxiety elicited by unpredictable threat of shock and fear elicited by predictable threat of shock. We also examined whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor and brain function were associated with binge drinking episodes and alcohol use disorder age of onset. RESULTS During anxiety, but not fear, lower levels of plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor were associated with less connectivity between the left amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus. In addition, within individuals with alcohol use disorder (only), lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex functional connectivity during anxiety were associated with more binge episodes within the past 60 days and a lower age of alcohol use disorder onset. There were no associations between brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and focal amygdala task reactivity. CONCLUSIONS Together, the results indicate that plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are related to amygdala circuit functioning in humans, particularly during anxiety, and these individual differences may relate to drinking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics (CARE), University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Tara Teppen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics (CARE), University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Milena Radoman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics (CARE), University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
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21
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Dean SF, Fede SJ, Diazgranados N, Momenan R. Addiction neurocircuitry and negative affect: A role for neuroticism in understanding amygdala connectivity and alcohol use disorder. Neurosci Lett 2020; 722:134773. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Courtney KE, Li I, Tapert SF. The effect of alcohol use on neuroimaging correlates of cognitive and emotional processing in human adolescence. Neuropsychology 2019; 33:781-794. [PMID: 31448946 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This article provides an overview of the scientific literature pertaining to the effects of alcohol on neural correlates of cognitive and emotional functioning, including reward processing and cue-reactivity, in adolescence and young adulthood. METHOD Peer-reviewed, original research articles that included a neuroimaging assessment of alcohol effects on subsequent cognitive or emotional processing in adolescent or young adult samples were searched (through November 2018) and summarized in the review. RESULTS Cross-sectional studies provided early evidence of alcohol-related differences in neural processing across a number of cognitive domains. Longitudinal studies have identified neural abnormalities that predate drinking within most domains of cognitive functioning, while a few neural alterations have been observed within the domains of visual working memory, inhibitory control, reward processing, and cue-reactivity that appear to be related to the neurotoxic effect of alcohol use during adolescence. In contrast, neural correlates of emotion functioning appear to be relatively stable to the effects of alcohol. CONCLUSIONS Larger prospective studies are greatly needed to disentangle premorbid factors from neural consequences associated with drinking, and to detect subsets of youth who may be particularly vulnerable to alcohol's effects on cognitive and emotional functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Duif M, Thewissen V, Wouters S, Lechner L, Jacobs N. Associations between affect and alcohol consumption in adults: an ecological momentary assessment study. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2019; 46:88-97. [PMID: 31430201 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1635606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Background: Consuming alcohol for coping with negative affect (NA) or enhancing positive affect (PA) may lead to risky drinking patterns. Previous research has yielded mixed findings regarding these affective drinking associations.Objectives: To examine support for the self-medication and expectancy models of alcohol use in an adult community sample, by examining reciprocal associations between alcohol consumption and NA and PA within and between persons.Methods: During seven consecutive days, 162 adults from the community (109 female) reported their affective experiences and alcohol consumption, following a signal contingent ecological momentary assessment protocol on their smartphones.Results: Within-person daily NA preceding the first drinking event was associated with increased likelihood of same-day alcohol consumption. Within-person momentary NA was associated with a decrease in the amount of next-moment alcohol consumption. Within-person momentary PA was positively associated with likelihood of next-moment alcohol consumption. Between persons, levels of daily and momentary NA and PA were not associated with any index of alcohol consumption. The intercepts and slopes of NA were not significantly different before and after alcohol consumption. The intercept of PA was higher after alcohol consumption, whereas the slope of PA decreased after alcohol consumption.Conclusion: In the current sample affective drinking was a within-person process (i.e. persons were sensitive to their varying levels of affect). Some support was found for the self-medication and expectancy models. People may drink for coping with NA, but may also be at risk for developing affective drinking patterns in response to PA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira Duif
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Viviane Thewissen
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Wouters
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Lilian Lechner
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Nele Jacobs
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
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The neural correlates of alcohol-related aggression. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 18:203-215. [PMID: 29313253 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-017-0558-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol intoxication is implicated in approximately half of all violent crimes. Over the past several decades, numerous theories have been proposed to account for the influence of alcohol on aggression. Nearly all of these theories imply that altered functioning in the prefrontal cortex is a proximal cause. In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment, 50 healthy young men consumed either a low dose of alcohol or a placebo and completed an aggression paradigm against provocative and nonprovocative opponents. Provocation did not affect neural responses. However, relative to sober participants, during acts of aggression, intoxicated participants showed decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex, caudate, and ventral striatum, but heightened activation in the hippocampus. Among intoxicated participants, but not among sober participants, aggressive behavior was positively correlated with activation in the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results support theories that posit a role for prefrontal cortical dysfunction as an important factor in intoxicated aggression.
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Ariyasiri K, Choi TI, Kim OH, Hong TI, Gerlai R, Kim CH. Pharmacological (ethanol) and mutation (sam2 KO) induced impairment of novelty preference in zebrafish quantified using a new three-chamber social choice task. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 88:53-65. [PMID: 29958859 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Social behavior is a fundamental aspect of our own species, a feature without which our society would not function. There are numerous human brain disorders associated with abnormal social behavior, among them are the autism spectrum disorders whose causal factors include a genetic component. Environmental factors, including drugs of abuse such as alcohol, also contribute to numerous abnormalities related to social behavior. Several such disorders have been modeled using laboratory animals. Perhaps one of the newest among them is the zebrafish. However, the paucity of standardized behavioral assays specifically developed for the zebrafish have hindered progress. Here, we present a newly developed zebrafish behavioral paradigm, the three-chamber social choice task. This task, which was adapted from a murine model, assesses sociality and social novelty preference in zebrafish in three phases: habituation, phase-I to evaluate sociality, and phase-II to quantify social novelty preference. Test fish are placed in the middle chamber, while conspecifics are introduced to the flanking chambers during phase-I and II. Both male and female zebrafish displayed sociality (preference for conspecifics) during phase-I and social novelty preference (preference for unfamiliar conspecifics) during phase-II. We found the paradigm to be able to detect both environmentally (alcohol) as well as genetically (targeted knock out of sam2) induced alterations of behavioral phenotypes. Although ethanol-treated fish displayed similar levels of sociality to those of control (not alcohol exposed) male and female zebrafish, they were found to exhibit significantly impaired social novelty preference, a finding compatible with altered motivational or perhaps mnemonic processes. Moreover, we found that knock out of sam2, previously shown to lead to emotional dysregulation, also disrupted social novelty preference, while leaving sociality relatively intact. We conclude that our novel behavioral paradigm is appropriate for the modeling and quantification of social behavior deficits in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishan Ariyasiri
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea
| | - Tae-Ik Choi
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea
| | - Oc-Hee Kim
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea
| | - Ted Inpyo Hong
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Cheol-Hee Kim
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea.
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Crane NA, Gorka SM, Phan KL, Childs E. Amygdala-orbitofrontal functional connectivity mediates the relationship between sensation seeking and alcohol use among binge-drinking adults. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 192:208-214. [PMID: 30268936 PMCID: PMC6800008 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.07.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Decreased amygdala-orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) neural functional connectivity (FC) positively predicts alcohol use among adolescents. Low amygdala-OFC FC is also associated with poor emotion regulation, a trait robustly linked to alcohol use. Thus, decreased amygdala-OFC connectivity may represent a risk factor for the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD) via impaired emotion regulation or reward processing. In this study, we examined amygdala-OFC FC among young adult binge drinkers at high risk for AUD. We also tested if amygdala-OFC FC mediates the relationship between externalizing personality traits and alcohol use. METHODS Healthy male and female (n = 39) binge drinkers completed a resting state fMRI scan and the Eysenck Impulsive Personality questionnaire. We utilized seed-based connectivity of the left and right amygdala to prefrontal regions as well as mediation analysis. RESULTS Individuals with higher weekly alcohol use displayed decreased right amygdala-OFC FC. Furthermore, high trait venturesomeness, but not impulsivness, was associated with decreased right amygdala-OFC FC. Finally, right amygdala-OFC FC mediated the relationship between trait venturesomeness and weekly drinking; individuals with high trait venturesomeness displayed decreased right amygdala-OFC FC, which in turn predicted greater weekly drinking. CONCLUSIONS Our findings corroborate and extend the adolescent literature by showing that decreased amygdala-OFC FC is associated with higher alcohol consumption among adults at elevated risk for AUD. This study also demonstrates for the first time that this neural profile reflects a tendency to sensation seeking. In sum, our findings suggest that amygdala-OFC FC may be an objective neural target for alcohol use prevention and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natania A Crane
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL, 60608, USA
| | - Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL, 60608, USA
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL, 60608, USA; Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, 802 S. Seeley Ave., Chigaco, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Emma Childs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL, 60608, USA.
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Luby JL, Agrawal A, Belden A, Whalen D, Tillman R, Barch D. Developmental Trajectories of the Orbitofrontal Cortex and Anhedonia in Middle Childhood and Risk for Substance Use in Adolescence in a Longitudinal Sample of Depressed and Healthy Preschoolers. Am J Psychiatry 2018; 175:1010-1021. [PMID: 29558817 PMCID: PMC6150861 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17070777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Deficits in reward processing are established in mood and substance use disorders and are known risk factors for these disorders. Volume reductions of the orbitofrontal cortex and the striatum, regions that subserve neural response to reward, have been shown to be related to anhedonia in depressive and substance use disorders. The authors sought to investigate how structural maturation of these regions in childhood varies with level of anhedonia and predicts later substance use. METHOD The study employed data from a sample of depressed and healthy preschoolers studied longitudinally that included three waves of neuroimaging from school age to adolescence. Three years after scan 3, at ages 13-18, participants underwent a comprehensive behavioral and substance use assessment. Multilevel modeling was used to investigate the relationship between anhedonia and the growth trajectories of the striatum and orbitofrontal cortex. Zero-inflated Poisson regression models were then used to determine whether the intercepts and slopes of these trajectories predicted later alcohol and marijuana use frequency in adolescence. RESULTS The anhedonia-by-age interaction was significant in the multilevel modeling of orbitofrontal cortical but not striatal volume. Higher anhedonia ratings were significantly associated with steeper decline in orbitofrontal cortical volume with age. Orbitofrontal cortical volume and thickness at age 12 and trajectory over time significantly and negatively predicted subsequent alcohol and marijuana use frequency but not depression during adolescence. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that the development of the orbitofrontal cortex during childhood is strongly linked to experiences of anhedonia and that these growth trajectories predict substance use during a developmentally critical period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan L. Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA,Corresponding Author: Joan L. Luby, M.D.; Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Box 8511, 660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO, 63110; phone 314-286-2730; fax 314-286-2732;
| | - Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Andy Belden
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Diana Whalen
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Rebecca Tillman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Deanna Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
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28
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Exogenous ghrelin administration increases alcohol self-administration and modulates brain functional activity in heavy-drinking alcohol-dependent individuals. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:2029-2038. [PMID: 29133954 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical evidence suggests that ghrelin, a peptide synthesized by endocrine cells of the stomach and a key component of the gut-brain axis, is involved in alcohol seeking as it modulates both central reward and stress pathways. However, whether and how ghrelin administration may impact alcohol intake in humans is not clear. For, we believe, the first time, this was investigated in the present randomized, crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled, human laboratory study. Participants were non-treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent heavy-drinking individuals. A 10-min loading dose of intravenous ghrelin/placebo (3 mcg kg-1) followed by a continuous ghrelin/placebo infusion (16.9 ng/kg/min) was administered. During a progressive-ratio alcohol self-administration experiment, participants could press a button to receive intravenous alcohol using the Computerized Alcohol Infusion System. In another experiment, brain functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted while participants performed a task to gain points for alcohol, food or no reward. Results showed that intravenous ghrelin, compared to placebo, significantly increased the number of alcohol infusions self-administered (percent change: 24.97±10.65, P=0.04, Cohen's d=0.74). Participants were also significantly faster to initiate alcohol self-administration when they received ghrelin, compared to placebo (P=0.03). The relationships between breath alcohol concentration and subjective effects of alcohol were also moderated by ghrelin administration. Neuroimaging data showed that ghrelin increased the alcohol-related signal in the amygdala (P=0.01) and modulated the food-related signal in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (P=0.01) and nucleus accumbens (P=0.08). These data indicate that ghrelin signaling affects alcohol seeking in humans and should be further investigated as a promising target for developing novel medications for alcohol use disorder.
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29
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Gorka SM, Phan KL, Childs E. Acute calming effects of alcohol are associated with disruption of the salience network. Addict Biol 2018; 23:921-930. [PMID: 28791789 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The mood-altering properties of alcohol are a key motivation for drinking, and people commonly report that they drink alcohol to alleviate stress or to relax. To date, the neural processes associated with the self-reported calming effects of alcohol are not well understood. Existing data imply that alcohol may target and disrupt activity within anterior insula (aINS) and amygdala-based neural networks, which are regions implicated in threat detection and anxious responding. The aims of the current study were (1) to examine the acute effect of alcohol upon functional connectivity within aINS and amygdala circuits and (2) to assess relationships between alcohol effects on functional connectivity and self-reported subjective mood. Healthy men and women (N = 39) who reported regular binge drinking completed a within-subjects, double-blind, placebo-controlled pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment with i.v. infusions of either alcohol or placebo. Infusion profiles were personalized for each participant and raised breath alcohol concentration to 80 mg percent. Before, during and after infusions, participants rated their subjective mood (stimulation, sedation and calm). Results showed that alcohol dampened functional connectivity between bilateral aINS seed-regions-of-interest and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), key nodes of the salience network. Additionally, the more that alcohol reduced right aINS-dACC functional connectivity, the calmer participants felt during alcohol administration. Alcohol had no effect on amygdala functional connectivity. These findings suggest that alcohol disrupts aINS-dACC functional connectivity, which may impair detection and appraisal of emotionally salient information and relate to acute relaxing effects of the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Illinois at Chicago; Chicago IL USA
| | - K. Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Illinois at Chicago; Chicago IL USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience; University of Illinois at Chicago; Chicago IL USA
- Mental Health Service Line; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center; Chicago IL USA
| | - Emma Childs
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Illinois at Chicago; Chicago IL USA
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30
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Hu S, Ide JS, Chao HH, Zhornitsky S, Fischer KA, Wang W, Zhang S, Li CSR. Resting state functional connectivity of the amygdala and problem drinking in non-dependent alcohol drinkers. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 185:173-180. [PMID: 29454928 PMCID: PMC5889735 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol misuse is associated with dysfunction of the amygdala-prefrontal cortical circuit. The amygdala and its cortical targets show decreased activity during a variety of task challenges in individuals engaged in problem drinking. On the other hand, it is less clear how amygdala resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) may be altered in association with alcohol misuse and whether such changes are restricted to prefrontal cortical structures. Further, the influences of comorbid substance use and depression and potential sex differences have not been assessed in earlier work. Here, with fMRI data from a Nathan Kline Institute/Rockland sample of 83 non-dependent alcohol drinkers (26 men), we addressed changes in whole brain rsFC of the amygdala in association with problem drinking as indexed by an alcohol involvement score. Imaging data were processed with Statistical Parametric Mapping following standard routines and all results were examined at voxel p < 0.001 uncorrected in combination with cluster p < 0.05 corrected for false discovery rate. Alcohol misuse was correlated with decreased amygdala connectivity with the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) irrespective of depression and other substance use. Changes in amygdala-dACC connectivity manifested in the latero-basal subdivision of the amygdala. Further, men as compared to women showed a significantly stronger relationship in decreased amygdala-dACC connectivity and problem drinking, although it should be noted that men also showed a trend toward higher alcohol involvement score than women. The findings add to a growing literature documenting disrupted amygdala-prefrontal cortical functions in relation to alcohol misuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sien Hu
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
| | - Jaime S. Ide
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Herta H. Chao
- Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520,VA Connecticut Healthcare Systems, West Haven, CT 06516
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Kimberly A. Fischer
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126
| | - Wuyi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Chiang-shan R. Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520,Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China,Address correspondence to: Dr. Sien Hu, 407 Mahar Hall, Department of Psychology, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, , 315-312-3466; OR Dr. C.-S. Ray Li, Connecticut Mental Health Center S112, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519, , 203-974-7354
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31
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Shakra MA, Leyton M, Moghnieh H, Pruessner J, Dagher A, Pihl R. Neurobiological Correlates and Predictors of Two Distinct Personality Trait Pathways to Escalated Alcohol Use. EBioMedicine 2017; 27:86-93. [PMID: 29292030 PMCID: PMC5828056 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The delineation of the behavioral neurobiological mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous pathways for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is ostensibly imperative for the development of more cost-effective treatments predicated on better understanding of this complex psychopathology. METHODS 1) Forty-eight high anxiety sensitive (HAS) and high sensation seeking (HSS) psychopathology-free emerging adults (mean (SD) age: 20.4 (1.9) years) completed a Face Emotion Processing Task and a social stress paradigm (Montreal Imaging Stress Task) during functional magnetic resonance imaging sessions with and without alcohol ingestion (1ml/kg of 95% USP alcohol, p.o.). Drug and alcohol use was reassessed during follow-up interviews 2-3years later. OUTCOMES The effects of alcohol (versus placebo) ingestion depended upon the task and risk group. In response to negative (versus neutral) faces, alcohol diminished amygdala (AMYG) activations in HAS but not HSS subjects. In response to psychosocial evaluative stress, alcohol enhanced activations of the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), perigenual anterior cingulate cortex, and nucleus accumbens in HAS male subjects (HASMS), but decreased mOFC activity in HSS male subjects (HSSMS). At follow-up, a greater alcohol versus placebo differential for threat-related AMYG activations predicted escalating drinking and/or illicit drug use among HAS but not HSS participants, whereas a greater differential for mOFC activations during acute social stress predicted escalating substance use among HSS but not HAS participants. INTERPRETATION This double dissociation provides evidence of distinct neurobiological profiles in a priori identified personality trait-based risk groups for AUDs, and links these signatures to clinically relevant substance use outcomes at follow-up. AUD subtypes might benefit from motivationally and personality-specific ameliorative and preventative interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malak Abu Shakra
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marco Leyton
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hussein Moghnieh
- FastPay Financial Institution, Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jens Pruessner
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Alain Dagher
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Robert Pihl
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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32
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Hadjikhani N, Zurcher NR, Lassalle A, Hippolyte L, Ward N, Johnels JÅ. The effect of constraining eye-contact during dynamic emotional face perception-an fMRI study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2017; 12:1197-1207. [PMID: 28402536 PMCID: PMC5490673 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye-contact modifies how we perceive emotions and modulates activity in the social brain network. Here, using fMRI, we demonstrate that adding a fixation cross in the eye region of dynamic facial emotional stimuli significantly increases activation in the social brain of healthy, neurotypical participants when compared with activation for the exact same stimuli observed in a free-viewing mode. In addition, using PPI analysis, we show that the degree of amygdala connectivity with the rest of the brain is enhanced for the constrained view for all emotions tested except for fear, and that anxiety and alexithymia modulate the strength of amygdala connectivity for each emotion differently. Finally, we show that autistic traits have opposite effects on amygdala connectivity for fearful and angry emotional expressions, suggesting that these emotions should be treated separately in studies investigating facial emotion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nouchine Hadjikhani
- MGH/HMS/HST A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41119, Sweden
| | - Nicole R. Zurcher
- MGH/HMS/HST A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Amandine Lassalle
- MGH/HMS/HST A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- ARC, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK
| | - Loyse Hippolyte
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne 1010, Switzerland
| | - Noreen Ward
- MGH/HMS/HST A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Jakob Åsberg Johnels
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41119, Sweden
- Section for Speech and Language Pathology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 455 405 30, Sweden
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33
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Cservenka A, Brumback T. The Burden of Binge and Heavy Drinking on the Brain: Effects on Adolescent and Young Adult Neural Structure and Function. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1111. [PMID: 28713313 PMCID: PMC5491846 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Adolescence and young adulthood are periods of continued biological and psychosocial maturation. Thus, there may be deleterious effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol on neural development and associated cognition during this time. The purpose of this mini review is to highlight neuroimaging research that has specifically examined the effects of binge and heavy drinking on adolescent and young adult brain structure and function. Methods: We review cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of young binge and heavy drinkers that have examined brain structure (e.g., gray and white matter volume, cortical thickness, white matter microstructure) and investigated brain response using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results: Binge and heavy-drinking adolescents and young adults have systematically thinner and lower volume in prefrontal cortex and cerebellar regions, and attenuated white matter development. They also show elevated brain activity in fronto-parietal regions during working memory, verbal learning, and inhibitory control tasks. In response to alcohol cues, relative to controls or light-drinking individuals, binge and heavy drinkers show increased neural response mainly in mesocorticolimbic regions, including the striatum, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hippocampus, and amygdala. Mixed findings are present in risky decision-making tasks, which could be due to large variation in task design and analysis. Conclusions: These findings suggest altered neural structure and activity in binge and heavy-drinking youth may be related to the neurotoxic effects of consuming alcohol in large quantities during a highly plastic neurodevelopmental period, which could result in neural reorganization, and increased risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Cservenka
- School of Psychological Science, Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR, United States
| | - Ty Brumback
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare SystemSan Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San DiegoSan Diego, CA, United States
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34
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Alba-Ferrara L, Müller-Oehring EM, Sullivan EV, Pfefferbaum A, Schulte T. Brain responses to emotional salience and reward in alcohol use disorder. Brain Imaging Behav 2016; 10:136-46. [PMID: 25875013 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-015-9374-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Heightened neural responsiveness of alcoholics to alcohol cues and social emotion may impede sobriety. To test mesocorticolimbic network responsivity, 10 (8 men) alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients sober for 3 weeks to 10 months and 11 (8 men) controls underwent fMRI whilst viewing pictures of alcohol and non-alcohol beverages and of emotional faces (happy, sad, angry). AUD and controls showed similarities in mesocorticolimbic activity: both groups activated fusiform for emotional faces and hippocampal and pallidum regions during alcohol picture processing. In AUD, less fusiform activity to emotional faces and more pallidum activity to alcohol pictures were associated with longer sobriety. Using graph theory-based network efficiency measures to specify the role of the mesocorticolimbic network nodes for emotion and reward in sober AUD revealed that the left hippocampus was less efficiently connected with the other task-activated network regions in AUD than controls when viewing emotional faces, while the pallidum was more efficiently connected when viewing alcohol beverages. Together our findings identified lower occipito-temporal sensitivity to emotional faces and enhanced striatal sensitivity to alcohol stimuli in AUD than controls. Considering the role of the striatum in encoding reward, its activation enhancement with longer sobriety may reflect adaptive neural changes in the first year of drinking cessation and mesocorticolimbic system vulnerability for encoding emotional salience and reward potentially affecting executive control ability and relapse propensity during abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Alba-Ferrara
- Instituto San Lazaro De Neurociencias, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917 - C.A.B..A., Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Bioscience Division, Neuroscience Program, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Ave, Menlo Park, 94022, CA, USA
| | - E M Müller-Oehring
- Bioscience Division, Neuroscience Program, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Ave, Menlo Park, 94022, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA
| | - E V Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA
| | - A Pfefferbaum
- Bioscience Division, Neuroscience Program, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Ave, Menlo Park, 94022, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA
| | - T Schulte
- Bioscience Division, Neuroscience Program, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Ave, Menlo Park, 94022, CA, USA. .,Palo Alto University, Pacific Gradualte School of Psychology, 1791 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
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35
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Coccaro EF, Keedy SK, Gorka SM, King AC, Fanning JR, Lee RJ, Phan KL. Differential fMRI BOLD responses in amygdala in intermittent explosive disorder as a function of past Alcohol Use Disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2016; 257:5-10. [PMID: 27693977 PMCID: PMC6323646 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with intermittent explosive disorder (IED) were previously found to exhibit amygdala (AMYG) hyperactivation to anger faces during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, acute alcohol consumption, and/or life history of alcoholism, may blunt amygdala responses to negative emotional stimuli. Thus, we examined the influence of a past history of DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) on the fMRI BOLD AMYG response to anger faces in IED. METHOD Forty-two IED participants, 18 with a past history of AUD (IED+AUD) and 24 without Past AUD (IED), and 32 healthy control (HC) participants, underwent fMRI scanning while viewing blocks of angry, fearful, and happy faces. RESULTS Compared to HC and IED+AUD participants, IED subjects exhibited greater AMYG responses to angry, but not to fear or happy, faces in the left AMYG. There were no group differences in responses to anger, fear, or happy, faces in the OFC. CONCLUSION These findings suggest the possibility of a longstanding effect of AUD on AMYG response in IED to anger-related stimuli and highlight the possibility that history of AUD should be considered as an important factor in the interpretation of fMRI studies involving the AMYG response to negative emotional stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil F Coccaro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Sarah K Keedy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrea C King
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jennifer R Fanning
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Royce J Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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36
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Peters S, Peper JS, Van Duijvenvoorde ACK, Braams BR, Crone EA. Amygdala-orbitofrontal connectivity predicts alcohol use two years later: a longitudinal neuroimaging study on alcohol use in adolescence. Dev Sci 2016; 20. [PMID: 27774764 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This study tested the relation between cortical-subcortical functional connectivity and alcohol consumption in adolescents using an accelerated longitudinal design, as well as normative developmental patterns for these measures. Participants between ages 8 and 27 completed resting-state neuroimaging scans at two time points separated by two years (N = 274 at T1, N = 231 at T2). In addition, participants between ages 12 and 27 reported on recent and lifetime alcohol use (N = 193 at T1, N = 244 at T2). Resting-state connectivity analyses focused on amygdala-orbitofrontal connectivity given prior research linking reduced coupling between these regions to alcohol use. Mixed model analyses revealed that age had a cubic relationship with alcohol use, with little to no use in childhood, steep increases in adolescence and leveling off in adulthood. No age effects were found for amygdala-OFC connectivity. Prediction analyses showed that left amygdala-orbitofrontal connectivity at the first time point predicted recent and lifetime alcohol use two years later. There was no evidence for the reversed relation, suggesting that brain connectivity measures precede explorative risk-taking behavior in adolescence, possibly because decreased subcortical-frontal connectivity biases towards more explorative or risky behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Peters
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
| | - Jiska S Peper
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
| | - Anna C K Van Duijvenvoorde
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara R Braams
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
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37
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Weafer J, Gallo DA, de Wit H. Acute Effects of Alcohol on Encoding and Consolidation of Memory for Emotional Stimuli. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2016; 77:86-94. [PMID: 26751358 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2016.77.86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Acute doses of alcohol impair memory when administered before encoding of emotionally neutral stimuli but enhance memory when administered immediately after encoding, potentially by affecting memory consolidation. Here, we examined whether alcohol produces similar biphasic effects on memory for positive or negative emotional stimuli. METHOD The current study examined memory for emotional stimuli after alcohol (0.8 g/kg) was administered either before stimulus viewing (encoding group; n = 20) or immediately following stimulus viewing (consolidation group; n = 20). A third group received placebo both before and after stimulus viewing (control group; n = 19). Participants viewed the stimuli on one day, and their retrieval was assessed exactly 48 hours later, when they performed a surprise cued recollection and recognition test of the stimuli in a drug-free state. RESULTS As in previous studies, alcohol administered before encoding impaired memory accuracy, whereas alcohol administered after encoding enhanced memory accuracy. Critically, alcohol effects on cued recollection depended on the valence of the emotional stimuli: Its memory-impairing effects during encoding were greatest for emotional stimuli, whereas its memory-enhancing effects during consolidation were greatest for emotionally neutral stimuli. Effects of alcohol on recognition were not related to stimulus valence. CONCLUSIONS This study extends previous findings with memory for neutral stimuli, showing that alcohol differentially affects the encoding and consolidation of memory for emotional stimuli. These effects of alcohol on memory for emotionally salient material may contribute to the development of alcohol-related problems, perhaps by dampening memory for adverse consequences of alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Weafer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - David A Gallo
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Harriet de Wit
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are chronic, debilitating conditions that frequently co-occur. Individuals with co-occurring SUD and PTSD suffer a more complicated course of treatment and less favorable treatment outcomes compared to individuals with either disorder alone. The development of effective psychosocial and pharmacological interventions for co-occurring SUD and PTSD is an active and critically important area of investigation. Several integrated psychosocial treatments for co-occurring SUD and PTSD have demonstrated promising outcomes. While recent studies examining medications to treat co-occurring SUD and PTSD have yielded encouraging findings, there remain substantial gaps in the evidence base regarding the treatment of co-occurring SUD and PTSD. This review will summarize the findings from clinical trials targeting a reduction in SUD and PTSD symptoms simultaneously. These results may improve our knowledge base and subsequently enhance our ability to develop effective interventions for this complex comorbid condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne C Flanagan
- Medical University of South Carolina, 5 Charleston Center Drive, Suite 151, Charleston, SC, 29455, USA.
| | - Kristina J Korte
- Medical University of South Carolina, 5 Charleston Center Drive, Suite 151, Charleston, SC, 29455, USA
| | - Therese K Killeen
- Medical University of South Carolina, 5 Charleston Center Drive, Suite 151, Charleston, SC, 29455, USA
| | - Sudie E Back
- Medical University of South Carolina, 5 Charleston Center Drive, Suite 151, Charleston, SC, 29455, USA
- Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, 109 Bee St, Charleston, SC, 29401, USA
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Neural and Behavioral Correlates of Alcohol-Induced Aggression Under Provocation. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:2886-96. [PMID: 25971590 PMCID: PMC4864624 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Although alcohol consumption is linked to increased aggression, its neural correlates have not directly been studied in humans so far. Based on a comprehensive neurobiological model of alcohol-induced aggression, we hypothesized that alcohol-induced aggression would go along with increased amygdala and ventral striatum reactivity and impaired functioning of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) under alcohol. We measured neural and behavioral correlates of alcohol-induced aggression in a provoking vs non-provoking condition with a variant of the Taylor aggression paradigm (TAP) allowing to differentiate between reactive (provoked) and proactive (unprovoked) aggression. In a placebo-controlled cross-over design with moderate alcohol intoxication (~0.6 g/kg), 35 young healthy adults performed the TAP during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Analyses revealed that provoking vs non-provoking conditions and alcohol vs placebo increased aggression and decreased brain responses in the anterior cingulate cortex/dorso-medial PFC (provoking<non-provoking) and the ventral striatum (alcohol<placebo) across our healthy sample. Interestingly, alcohol specifically increased proactive (unprovoked) but not reactive (provoked) aggression (alcohol × provocation interaction). However, investigation of inter-individual differences revealed (1) that pronounced alcohol-induced proactive aggression was linked to higher levels of aggression under placebo, and (2) that pronounced alcohol-induced reactive aggression was related to increased amygdala and ventral striatum reactivity under alcohol, providing evidence for their role in human alcohol-induced reactive aggression. Our findings suggest that in healthy young adults a liability for alcohol-induced aggression in a non-provoking context might depend on overall high levels of aggression, but on alcohol-induced increased striatal and amygdala reactivity when triggered by provocation.
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40
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Marcinkiewcz CA. Serotonergic Systems in the Pathophysiology of Ethanol Dependence: Relevance to Clinical Alcoholism. ACS Chem Neurosci 2015; 6:1026-39. [PMID: 25654315 DOI: 10.1021/cn5003573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcoholism is a progressive brain disorder that is marked by increased sensitivity to the positive and negative reinforcing properties of ethanol, compulsive and habitual use despite negative consequences, and chronic relapse to alcohol drinking despite repeated attempts to reduce intake or abstain from alcohol. Emerging evidence from preclinical and clinical studies implicates serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) systems in the pathophysiology of alcohol dependence, suggesting that drugs targeting 5-HT systems may have utility in the treatment of alcohol use disorders. In this Review, we discuss the role of 5-HT systems in alcohol dependence with a focus on 5-HT interactions with neural circuits that govern all three stages of the addiction cycle. We attempt to clarify how 5-HT influences circuit function at these different stages with the goal of identifying neural targets for pharmacological treatment of this debilitating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A. Marcinkiewcz
- Bowles Center for
Alcohol
Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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41
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Abstract
Alcohol is commonly used to cope with social pain, but its effectiveness remains unknown. Existing theories offer diverging predictions. Pain overlap theory predicts that because alcohol numbs physical pain it should also numb people to the negative effects of ostracism. Alcohol myopia predicts that because alcohol intensifies salient emotions it should enhance the negative effects of ostracism. We conducted a field experiment in a bar, exposing individuals to ostracism or inclusion using Cyberball on an iPad. Subjective intoxication, but not blood alcohol concentration, was associated with less distress for participants who were ostracized, and more distress in participants who were included. We conclude that alcohol reduces both the pain of ostracism and the pleasure of inclusion.
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42
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Peters S, Jolles DJ, Van Duijvenvoorde ACK, Crone EA, Peper JS. The link between testosterone and amygdala-orbitofrontal cortex connectivity in adolescent alcohol use. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 53:117-26. [PMID: 25618591 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Revised: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is one of the most problematic and widespread forms of risk taking in adolescence. It has been hypothesized that sex hormones such as testosterone play an important role in risk taking by influencing the development of brain networks involved in emotion and motivation, particularly the amygdala and its functional connections. Connectivity between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) may be specifically related to alcohol use, given the association of this tract with top-down control over behavioral approach tendencies. In line with this, prior studies in adults indicate a link between alcohol use and functional connectivity between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), as well as between testosterone and amygdala-OFC connectivity. We consolidated these research lines by investigating the association between alcohol use, testosterone and resting state functional brain connectivity within one large-scale adolescent sample (n=173, aged 12-25 years). Mediation analyses demonstrated an indirect effect of testosterone levels on alcohol use through amygdala-OFC intrinsic functional connectivity, but only in boys. That is, increased testosterone in boys was associated with reduced amygdala-OFC connectivity, which in turn was associated with increased alcohol intake. This study is the first to demonstrate the interplay between adolescent alcohol use, sex hormones and brain mechanisms, thus taking an important step to increase our understanding of the mechanisms behind this form of adolescent risk-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Peters
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Dietsje J Jolles
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Anna C K Van Duijvenvoorde
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Weesperplein 4, 1018XA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jiska S Peper
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
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43
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Gorka SM, Fitzgerald DA, de Wit H, Phan KL. Cannabinoid modulation of amygdala subregion functional connectivity to social signals of threat. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 18:pyu104. [PMID: 25548107 PMCID: PMC4360235 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyu104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol has been shown to modulate anxiety and facilitate the extinction of fear by inhibiting amygdala reactivity. Since functional coupling between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex is implicated in affective processes, it is possible that Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol affects amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity in ways that differ across amygdala subregions: basolateral, centromedial, and superficial. METHODS The aim of the study was to examine the effects of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol on functional connectivity between amygdala subregions and the prefrontal cortex during socio-emotional threat in healthy adults using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects design. Sixteen subjects completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging task designed to probe amygdala responses to social threat. Amygdala subregion-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity was compared between Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and placebo using generalized psychophysiological interaction analyses. RESULTS Findings indicated that Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol enhanced basolateral and superficial amygdala connectivity to the rostral anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSION These effects, including Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol's potential ability to reduce threat perception or enhance socio-emotional regulation, may help understand the neurocircuitry of affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry (Gorka and Fitzgerald, and Prof and Dr Phan), and Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL (Gorka and Prof and Dr Phan); Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Mental Health Service Line, Chicago, IL (Fitzgerald and Prof and Dr Phan); University of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Chicago, IL (Prof de Wit); University of Illinois, Chicago Anatomy and Cell Biology, Chicago, IL (Prof and Dr Phan)
| | - Daniel A Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry (Gorka and Fitzgerald, and Prof and Dr Phan), and Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL (Gorka and Prof and Dr Phan); Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Mental Health Service Line, Chicago, IL (Fitzgerald and Prof and Dr Phan); University of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Chicago, IL (Prof de Wit); University of Illinois, Chicago Anatomy and Cell Biology, Chicago, IL (Prof and Dr Phan)
| | - Harriet de Wit
- Department of Psychiatry (Gorka and Fitzgerald, and Prof and Dr Phan), and Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL (Gorka and Prof and Dr Phan); Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Mental Health Service Line, Chicago, IL (Fitzgerald and Prof and Dr Phan); University of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Chicago, IL (Prof de Wit); University of Illinois, Chicago Anatomy and Cell Biology, Chicago, IL (Prof and Dr Phan)
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry (Gorka and Fitzgerald, and Prof and Dr Phan), and Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL (Gorka and Prof and Dr Phan); Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Mental Health Service Line, Chicago, IL (Fitzgerald and Prof and Dr Phan); University of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Chicago, IL (Prof de Wit); University of Illinois, Chicago Anatomy and Cell Biology, Chicago, IL (Prof and Dr Phan).
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44
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Gorka SM, Fitzgerald DA, Labuschagne I, Hosanagar A, Wood AG, Nathan PJ, Phan KL. Oxytocin modulation of amygdala functional connectivity to fearful faces in generalized social anxiety disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:278-86. [PMID: 24998619 PMCID: PMC4443941 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is thought to attenuate anxiety by dampening amygdala reactivity to threat in individuals with generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD). Because the brain is organized into networks of interconnected areas, it is likely that OXT impacts functional coupling between the amygdala and other socio-emotional areas of the brain. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine the effects of OXT on amygdala functional connectivity during the processing of fearful faces in GSAD subjects and healthy controls (HCs). In a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled, within-subjects design, 18 HCs and 17 GSAD subjects performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging task designed to probe amygdala response to fearful faces following acute intranasal administration of PBO or OXT. Functional connectivity between the amygdala and the rest of the brain was compared between OXT and PBO sessions using generalized psychophysiological interaction analyses. Results indicated that within individuals with GSAD, but not HCs, OXT enhanced functional connectivity between the amygdala and the bilateral insula and middle cingulate/dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus during the processing of fearful faces. These findings suggest that OXT may have broad pro-social implications such as enhancing the integration and modulation of social responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel A Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Izelle Labuschagne
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Avinash Hosanagar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,Mental Health Service, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Amanda G Wood
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK,Child Neuropsychology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,Southern Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pradeep J Nathan
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, IJR/WROB Suite 244, Chicago, IL 60608, USA, Tel: +312 355 5954, Fax: +312 413 1703, E-mail:
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45
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Seo D. Neuroplasticity and Predictors of Alcohol Recovery. Alcohol Res 2015; 37:143-52. [PMID: 26259094 PMCID: PMC4476600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic alcohol-related neuroadaptations in key neural circuits of emotional and cognitive control play a critical role in the development of, and recovery from, alcoholism. Converging evidence in the neurobiological literature indicates that neuroplastic changes in the prefrontal-striatal-limbic circuit, which governs emotion regulation and decisionmaking and controls physiological responses in the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis system, contribute to chronic alcoholism and also are significant predictors of relapse and recovery. This paper reviews recent evidence on the neuroplasticity associated with alcoholism in humans, including acute and chronic effects, and how these neurobiological adaptations contribute to alcohol recovery, along with the discussion of relevant clinical implications and future research directions.
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46
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Schmidt A, Walter M, Gerber H, Seifritz E, Brenneisen R, Wiesbeck GA, Riecher-Rössler A, Lang UE, Borgwardt S. Normalizing effect of heroin maintenance treatment on stress-induced brain connectivity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 138:217-28. [PMID: 25414039 PMCID: PMC4285192 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has shown that a single maintenance dose of heroin attenuates psychophysiological stress responses in heroin-dependent patients, probably reflecting the effectiveness of heroin-assisted therapies for the treatment of severe heroin addiction. However, the underlying neural circuitry of these effects has not yet been investigated. Using a cross-over, double-blind, vehicle-controlled design, 22 heroin-dependent and heroin-maintained outpatients from the Centre of Substance Use Disorders at the University Hospital of Psychiatry in Basel were studied after heroin and placebo administration, while 17 healthy controls from the general population were included for placebo administration only. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to detect brain responses to fearful faces and dynamic causal modelling was applied to compute fear-induced modulation of connectivity within the emotional face network. Stress responses were assessed by hormone releases and subjective ratings. Relative to placebo, heroin acutely reduced the fear-induced modulation of connectivity from the left fusiform gyrus to the left amygdala and from the right amygdala to the right orbitofrontal cortex in dependent patients. Both of these amygdala-related connectivity strengths were significantly increased in patients after placebo treatment (acute withdrawal) compared to healthy controls, whose connectivity estimates did not differ from those of patients after heroin injection. Moreover, we found positive correlations between the left fusiform gyrus to amygdala connectivity and different stress responses, as well as between the right amygdala to orbitofrontal cortex connectivity and levels of craving. Our findings indicate that the increased amygdala-related connectivity during fearful face processing after the placebo treatment in heroin-dependent patients transiently normalizes after acute heroin maintenance treatment. Furthermore, this study suggests that the assessment of amygdala-related connectivity during fear processing may provide a prognostic tool to assess stress levels in heroin-dependent patients and to quantify the efficacy of maintenance treatments in drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Schmidt
- 1 Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland 2 Medical Image Analysis Center, University Hospital Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, 4031 Basel, Switzerland 3 Department of Clinical Research (DFK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Walter
- 1 Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland 3 Department of Clinical Research (DFK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hana Gerber
- 1 Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland 3 Department of Clinical Research (DFK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- 4 Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rudolf Brenneisen
- 5 Department of Clinical Research (DCR), University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard A Wiesbeck
- 1 Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland 3 Department of Clinical Research (DFK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anita Riecher-Rössler
- 1 Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland 3 Department of Clinical Research (DFK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Undine E Lang
- 1 Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland 3 Department of Clinical Research (DFK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- 1 Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland 2 Medical Image Analysis Center, University Hospital Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, 4031 Basel, Switzerland 3 Department of Clinical Research (DFK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland 6 Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park 16, SE58AF London, UK
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47
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Attwood AS, Munafò MR. Effects of acute alcohol consumption and processing of emotion in faces: Implications for understanding alcohol-related aggression. J Psychopharmacol 2014; 28:719-32. [PMID: 24920135 PMCID: PMC4962899 DOI: 10.1177/0269881114536476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The negative consequences of chronic alcohol abuse are well known, but heavy episodic consumption ("binge drinking") is also associated with significant personal and societal harms. Aggressive tendencies are increased after alcohol but the mechanisms underlying these changes are not fully understood. While effects on behavioural control are likely to be important, other effects may be involved given the widespread action of alcohol. Altered processing of social signals is associated with changes in social behaviours, including aggression, but until recently there has been little research investigating the effects of acute alcohol consumption on these outcomes. Recent work investigating the effects of acute alcohol on emotional face processing has suggested reduced sensitivity to submissive signals (sad faces) and increased perceptual bias towards provocative signals (angry faces) after alcohol consumption, which may play a role in alcohol-related aggression. Here we discuss a putative mechanism that may explain how alcohol consumption influences emotional processing and subsequent aggressive responding, via disruption of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)-amygdala connectivity. While the importance of emotional processing on social behaviours is well established, research into acute alcohol consumption and emotional processing is still in its infancy. Further research is needed and we outline a research agenda to address gaps in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela S Attwood
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Bristol, UK School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marcus R Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Bristol, UK School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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48
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Vik PW, Williams C, Dasher N, Van Wyk P. Alcohol use, drinking consequences, and sensitivity to social cues among college women. Addict Behav 2014; 39:1106-12. [PMID: 24656997 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2013] [Revised: 02/22/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
College students who drink vary in the extent to which they experience drinking consequences, prompting a need to identify factors that differentiate higher-risk drinkers from others. The present study investigated whether difficulty in processing subtle social information is related to negative drinking consequences experienced within the past year. Specifically, poor ability to detect subtle non-verbal sarcasm cues was predicted to contribute to drinking consequences. Participants were 39 women, aged 18 to 27 (M=22), who were enrolled in a public, four-year university. Participants completed a video measure of ability to detect sarcastic comments. After controlling for (high school drinking consequences, maximum drinks in the past 3 months, age), poorer performance in the Simple Sarcasm condition (which provided no cues to others' intentions) explained an additional 10.8% of the variance in recent drinking consequences (ΔF (1, 34)=6.15, p=.018). When predicting risky/hazardous alcohol use consequences (e.g., driving intoxicated, fights, unplanned/unprotected sex), Simple Sarcasm again improved prediction by explaining an additional 8.6% of the variance (ΔF (1, 34)=4.75, p=.036). Sarcasm conditions that provided additional cues to others' meanings were unrelated to alcohol consequences. Findings are discussed within the context of neurological (orbito-frontal-subcortical) pathways that are common to social information and alcohol reinforcement processes.
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49
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Janecka IP. Sensing risk, fearing uncertainty: systems science approach to change. Front Comput Neurosci 2014; 8:30. [PMID: 24744723 PMCID: PMC3978314 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2014.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Medicine devotes its primary focus to understanding change, from cells to network relationships; observations of non-linearity are inescapable. Recent events provide extraordinary examples of major non-linear surprises within the societal system: human genome-from anticipated 100,000+ genes to only 20,000+; junk DNA-initially ignored but now proven to control genetic processes; economic reversals-bursting of bubbles in technology, housing, finance; foreign wars; relentless rise in obesity, neurodegenerative diseases. There are two attributes of systems science that are especially relevant to this research: One—it offers a method for creating a structural context with a guiding path to pragmatic knowledge; and, two—it gives pre-eminence to sensory input capable to register, evaluate, and react to change. Materials/Methods: Public domain records of change, during the last 50 years, have been studied in the context of systems science, the dynamic systems model, and various cycles. Results/Conclusions:Change is dynamic, ever-present, never isolated, and of variable impact; it reflects innumerable relationships among contextual systems; change can be perceived as risk or uncertainty depending upon how the assessment is made; risk is quantifiable by sensory input and generates a degree of rational optimism; uncertainty is not quantifiable and evokes fear; trust is key to sharing risk; the measurable financial credit can be a proxy for societal trust; expanding credit dilutes trust; when a credit bubble bursts, so will trust; absence of trust paralyzes systems' relationships leading to disorganized complexity which prevents value creation and heightens the probability of random events; disappearance of value, accompanied by chaos, threatens all systems. From personal health to economic sustainability and collective rationality, most examined components of the societal system were found not to be optimized and trust was not in evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo P Janecka
- Foundation for Systems Research and Education New York, NY, USA
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