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Allen MI, Costa MB, Johnson BN, Gould RW, Nader MA. Cognitive performance as a behavioral phenotype associated with cocaine self-administration in female and male socially housed monkeys. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01882-7. [PMID: 38760425 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01882-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Considerable research has suggested that certain cognitive domains may contribute to cocaine misuse. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding whether cognitive performance before drug exposure predicts susceptibility to cocaine self-administration and how cognitive performance relates to future cocaine intake. Thus, the present study aimed to examine cognitive performance, as measured using automated CANTAB cognitive battery, prior to and following acquisition of cocaine self-administration under a concurrent drug vs. food choice procedure in female and male socially housed cynomolgus macaques. The cognitive battery consisted of measures of associative learning (stimulus and compound discrimination tasks), behavioral flexibility (intradimensional and extradimensional tasks), and behavioral inhibition (stimulus discrimination reversal, SDR, and extra-dimensional reversal tasks). After assessing cognitive performance, monkeys were trained to self-administer cocaine (saline, 0.01-0.1 mg/kg/injection) under a concurrent cocaine vs. food schedule of reinforcement. After a history of cocaine self-administration across 3-4 years, the cognitive battery was re-assessed and compared with sensitivity to cocaine reinforcement. Results showed drug-naïve monkeys that were less accurate on the SDR task, measuring behavioral inhibition, were more sensitive to cocaine reinforcement under the concurrent cocaine vs. food choice procedure. Furthermore, following chronic cocaine self-administration, cocaine intake was a negative predictor of accuracy on the SDR behavioral inhibition task. After cocaine maintenance, monkeys with higher cocaine intakes required more trials to complete the SDR behavioral inhibition task and made more incorrect responses during these trials. No sex or social rank differences were noted. Overall, these findings suggest that cognitive performance may influence vulnerability to cocaine misuse. Also, chronic cocaine may decrease levels of behavioral inhibition as measured via the SDR task in both females and males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia I Allen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Marissa B Costa
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Bernard N Johnson
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Robert W Gould
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Michael A Nader
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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2
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Vanderschuren LJMJ, Ahmed SH. Animal Models of the Behavioral Symptoms of Substance Use Disorders. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:cshperspect.a040287. [PMID: 32513674 PMCID: PMC8327824 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a040287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
To more effectively manage substance use disorders, it is imperative to understand the neural, genetic, and psychological underpinnings of addictive behavior. To contribute to this understanding, considerable efforts have been made to develop translational animal models that capture key behavioral characteristics of addiction on the basis of DSM5 criteria of substance use disorders. In this review, we summarize empirical evidence for the occurrence of addiction-like behavior in animals. These symptoms include escalation of drug use, neurocognitive deficits, resistance to extinction, exaggerated motivation for drugs, increased reinstatement of drug seeking after extinction, preference for drugs over nondrug rewards, and resistance to punishment. The occurrence of addiction-like behavior in laboratory animals has opened the opportunity to investigate the neural, genetic, and psychological background of key aspects of addiction, which may ultimately contribute to the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Serge H Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Neurocampus, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, CNRS UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
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3
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Choi MR, Jin YB, Kim HN, Chai YG, Im CN, Lee SR, Kim DJ. Gene expression in the striatum of cynomolgus monkeys after chronic administration of cocaine and heroin. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2021; 128:686-698. [PMID: 33404192 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.13554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine and heroin cause impairment of neural plasticity in the brain including striatum. This study aimed to identify genes differentially expressed in the striatum of cynomolgus monkeys in response to cocaine and heroin. After chronic administration of cocaine and heroin in the monkeys, we performed large-scale transcriptome profiling in the striatum using RNA-Seq technology and analysed functional annotation. We found that 547 and 1238 transcripts were more than 1.5-fold up- or down-regulated in cocaine- and heroin-treated groups, respectively, compared to the control group, and 3432 transcripts exhibited differential expression between cocaine- and heroin-treated groups. Functional annotation analysis indicated that genes associated with nervous system development (NAGLU, MOBP and TTL7) and stress granule disassembly (KIF5B and KLC1) were differentially expressed in the cocaine-treated group compared to the control group, whereas gene associated with neuron apoptotic process (ERBB3) was differentially expressed in the heroin-treated group. In addition, IPA network analysis indicated that genes (TRAF6 and TRAF3IP2) associated with inflammation were increased by the chronic administration of cocaine and heroin. These results provide insight into the correlated molecular mechanisms as well as the upregulation and down-regulation of genes in the striatum after chronic exposure to cocaine and heroin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Ran Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeung-Bae Jin
- Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Han-Na Kim
- National Primate Research Center (NPRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Gyu Chai
- Department of Molecular and Life Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Nim Im
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Rae Lee
- National Primate Research Center (NPRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Dai-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Hámor PU, Gobin CM, Schwendt M. The role of glutamate mGlu5 and adenosine A2a receptor interactions in regulating working memory performance and persistent cocaine seeking in rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 103:109979. [PMID: 32470496 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is associated with neurobehavioral deficits that are resistant to current treatments. While craving and high rates of relapse are prominent features of CUD, persistent cognitive impairments are common and linked to poorer treatment outcomes. Here we sought to develop an animal model to study post-cocaine changes in drug seeking and working memory, and to evaluate 'therapeutic' effects of combined glutamate mGlu5 and adenosine A2a receptor blockade. As mGlu5 antagonists reduce drug seeking, and A2a blockade ameliorates working memory impairment, we hypothesized that mGlu5 + A2a antagonist cocktail would reduce both cocaine relapse and post-cocaine working memory deficits. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were first trained and tested in an operant delayed match-to-sample (DMS) task to establish the working memory baseline, followed by 6 days of limited and 12 days of extended access cocaine self-administration. Chronic cocaine reduced working memory performance (abstinence day 30-40) and produced robust time-dependent cocaine seeking at 45-, but not 120-days of abstinence. Systemic administration of A2a antagonist KW-6002 (0.125 and 1 mg/kg) failed to rescue post-cocaine working memory deficit. It also failed to reverse working memory impairment produced by mGlu5 NAM MTEP (1 mg/kg). Finally, KW-6002 prevented the ability of MTEP to reduce cocaine seeking and increased locomotor behavior. Thus, despite mGlu5 and A2a being exclusively co-localized in the striatum and showing behavioral synergism towards reducing cocaine effects in some studies, our findings advocate against the use of mGlu5 + A2a antagonist cocktail as it may further compromise cognitive deficits and augment drug craving in CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter U Hámor
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, FL, USA; Center for Addiction Education and Research, University of Florida, FL, USA
| | - Christina M Gobin
- Center for Addiction Education and Research, University of Florida, FL, USA; Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, FL, USA
| | - Marek Schwendt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, FL, USA; Center for Addiction Education and Research, University of Florida, FL, USA.
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Sorby-Adams AJ, Schneider WT, Goncalves RP, Knolle F, Morton AJ. Measuring executive function in sheep (Ovis aries) using visual stimuli in a semi-automated operant system. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 351:109009. [PMID: 33340554 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.109009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive impairment is a distinguishing feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. The intra-dimensional (ID) extra-dimensional (ED) attentional set shift task is part of a clinical battery of tests used to evaluate executive function in Huntington's and Alzheimer's disease patients. The IDED task, however, has not translated well to pre-clinical rodent models of neurological disease. NEW METHOD The ability to perform executive tasks coupled with a long lifespan makes sheep (Ovis aries) an ideal species for modelling cognitive decline in progressive neurodegenerative conditions. We describe the methodology for testing the performance of sheep in the IDED task using a semi-automated system in which visual stimuli are presented as coloured letters on computer screens. RESULTS During each stage of IDED testing, all sheep (n = 12) learned successfully to discriminate between different colours and letters. Sheep were quick to learn the rules of acquisition at each stage. They required significantly more trials to reach criterion (p < 0.05) and made more errors (p < 0.05) following stimulus reversal, with the exception of the ED shift (p > 0.05). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) Previous research shows that sheep can perform IDED set shifting in a walk-through maze using solid objects with two changeable dimensions (colour and shape) as the stimuli. Presenting the stimuli on computer screens provides better validity, greater task flexibility and higher throughput than the walk-through maze. CONCLUSION All sheep completed each stage of the task, with a range of abilities expected in an outbred population. The IDED task described is ideally suited as a quantifiable and clinically translatable measure of executive function in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Sorby-Adams
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - W T Schneider
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - R P Goncalves
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - F Knolle
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology, Klinikum recht der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - A J Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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Wither RG, Boehnke SE, Lablans A, Armitage-Brown B, Munoz DP. Behavioral shaping of rhesus macaques using the Cambridge neuropsychological automated testing battery. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 342:108803. [PMID: 32534008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery (CANTAB) is a set of computerized visuospatial tests used to probe cognition in humans. The non-human primate (NHP) version of the battery is a valuable translational research tool to quantify cognitive changes in NHP models of disease by allowing direct comparison with performance data from human patient populations. One limitation is the long training times required for NHPs to reach appropriate levels of task performance, which is prohibitive for high throughput experimental designs. NEW METHOD We report a new training regimen to teach NHPs a subset of CANTAB cognitive tasks using a method of successive approximations (shaping), where rewarded behaviors progressively approximate the goal behavior, and sequential task learning is used to build upon previously learned rules. Using this refined method, we taught 9 adult rhesus macaques to perform three tasks: the self-ordered spatial search (SOSS), delayed match-to-sample (DMTS), and paired associative learning (PAL) tasks. RESULTS AND COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS NHPs learned all three cognitive tasks in approximately 130 training sessions, roughly 200 sessions faster than previously published training times. NHPs were able to perform each task to a stable level of performance (>80 % correct) enabling their use in future cognitive experiments. CONCLUSIONS Our approach of behavioral shaping reduced the time to train NHPs to performance criteria on SOSS, DMTS, and PAL tasks. This allows efficient use of the NHP-adapted CANTAB to compare cognitive changes in NHP models of neurological disease with those observed in human patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Wither
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Susan E Boehnke
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ann Lablans
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Douglas P Munoz
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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Kantak KM. Adolescent-onset vs. adult-onset cocaine use: Impact on cognitive functioning in animal models and opportunities for translation. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 196:172994. [PMID: 32659242 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Animal models are poised to make key contributions to the study of cognitive deficits associated with chronic cocaine use in people. Advantages of animal models include use of a longitudinal experimental design that can control for drug use history and onset-age, sex, drug consumption, and abstinence duration. Twenty-two studies were reviewed (13 in adult male rats, 5 in adolescent vs. adult male rats, 3 in adult male monkeys, and 1 in adult female monkeys), and it was demonstrated repeatedly that male animals with adult-onset cocaine self-administration exposure had impairments in sustained attention, decision making, stimulus-reward learning, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, but not habit learning and spatial learning and memory. These findings have translational relevance because adult cocaine users exhibit a similar range of cognitive deficits. In the limited number of studies available, male rats self-administering cocaine during adolescence were less susceptible than adults to impairment in cognitive flexibility, stimulus-reward learning, and decision making, but were more susceptible than adults to impairment in working memory, a finding also reported in the few studies performed in early-onset cocaine users. These findings suggest that animal models can help fill an unmet need for investigating important but yet-to-be-fully-addressed research questions in people. Research priorities include further investigation of differences between adolescents and adults as well as between males and females following chronic cocaine self-administration. A comprehensive understanding of the broad range of cognitive consequences of chronic cocaine use and the role of developmental plasticity can be of value for improving neuropsychological recovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Kantak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States of America.
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8
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Shnitko TA, Gonzales SW, Grant KA. Low cognitive flexibility as a risk for heavy alcohol drinking in non-human primates. Alcohol 2019; 74:95-104. [PMID: 30097387 PMCID: PMC6202248 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol abuse is frequently considered a habitual or inflexible behavior; however, measures of pre-existing cognitive flexibility prior to initiation of alcohol use are usually not available. This study used rhesus monkeys and an attentional set-shifting task to investigate whether pre-existing cognitive flexibility would predict increased risk for heavy alcohol drinking. As previously reported, monkeys were given 30 daily set-shifting sessions prior to alcohol access. These sessions consisted of the same sequence of eight unique visual discriminations (sets) of two objects that varied on two dimensions (shapes and colors). The ratio of errors per trials, session duration, and maximum set reached were primary dependent variables from each session and were used to compose a session performance index (PI) that ranged from a low performance PI of 31 to an optimal performance PI of 247. Here, animals underwent an alcohol induction period followed by 22 weeks of daily (22-h) self-administration sessions with free access to water and alcohol. Based on average daily alcohol intake during 22 weeks of 22-h/day access, the monkeys were categorized as non-heavy (mean = 2.0 ± 0.3 g/kg/day; n = 3) and heavy (mean = 3.3 ± 0.5 g/kg/day; n = 6) drinkers. The two groups diverged in performance on the set-shifting task across the 30 pre-alcohol sessions, and at the end of the pre-alcohol testing, the group average PI was 216 ± 27 and 137 ± 71 for the future non-heavy and heavy drinkers, respectively. The data show that low cognitive flexibility assessed with a set-shifting procedure was predictive of future classification as a heavy alcohol drinker. The data highlight individual differences in both cognitive flexibility and in alcohol self-administration in this population of rhesus monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Shnitko
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Steven W Gonzales
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, L-470, Portland, OR 97239-3098, United States.
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Differential modulatory effects of cocaine on marmoset monkey recognition memory. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2017; 235:155-176. [PMID: 29054287 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Acute and repeated exposure to cocaine alters the cognitive performance of humans and animals. How each administration schedule affects the same memory task has yet to be properly established in nonhuman primates. Therefore, we assessed the performance of marmoset monkeys in a spontaneous object-location (SOL) recognition memory task after acute and repeated exposure to cocaine (COC; 5mg/kg, ip). Two identical neutral stimuli were explored on the 10-min sample trial, after which preferential exploration of the displaced vs the stationary object was analyzed on the 10-min test trial. For the acute treatment, cocaine was given immediately after the sample presentation, and spatial recognition was then tested after a 24-h interval. For the repeated exposure schedule, daily cocaine injections were given on 7 consecutive days. After a 7-day drug-free period, the SOL task was carried out with a 10-min intertrial interval. When given acutely postsample, COC improved the marmosets' recognition memory, whereas it had a detrimental effect after the repeated exposure. Thus, depending on the administration schedule, COC exerted opposing effects on the marmosets' ability to recognize spatial changes. This agrees with recent studies in rodents and the recognition impairment seen in human addicts. Further studies related to the effects of cocaine's acute×prior drug history on the same cognitive domain are warranted.
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Shnitko TA, Allen DC, Gonzales SW, Walter NAR, Grant KA. Ranking Cognitive Flexibility in a Group Setting of Rhesus Monkeys with a Set-Shifting Procedure. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:55. [PMID: 28386222 PMCID: PMC5362606 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Attentional set-shifting ability is an executive function underling cognitive flexibility in humans and animals. In humans, this function is typically observed during a single experimental session where dimensions of playing cards are used to measure flexibility in the face of changing rules for reinforcement (i.e., the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)). In laboratory animals, particularly non-human primates, variants of the WCST involve extensive training and testing on a series of dimensional discriminations, usually in social isolation. In the present study, a novel experimental approach was used to assess attentional set-shifting simultaneously in 12 rhesus monkeys. Specifically, monkeys living in individual cages but in the same room were trained at the same time each day in a set-shifting task in the same housing environment. As opposed to the previous studies, each daily session began with a simple single-dimension discrimination regardless of the animal’s performance on the previous session. A total of eight increasingly difficult, discriminations (sets) were possible in each daily 45 min session. Correct responses were reinforced under a second-order schedule of flavored food pellet delivery, and criteria for completing a set was 12 correct trials out of a running total of 15 trials. Monkeys progressed through the sets at their own pace and abilities. The results demonstrate that all 12 monkeys acquired the simple discrimination (the first set), but individual differences in the ability to progress through all eight sets were apparent. A performance index (PI) that encompassed progression through the sets, errors and session duration was calculated and used to rank each monkey’s performance in relation to each other. Overall, this version of a set-shifting task results in an efficient assessment of reliable differences in cognitive flexibility in a group of monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Shnitko
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Daicia C Allen
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
| | - Steven W Gonzales
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Nicole A R Walter
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science UniversityBeaverton, OR, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortland, OR, USA
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11
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Jacobs DS, Kohut SJ, Jiang S, Nikas SP, Makriyannis A, Bergman J. Acute and chronic effects of cannabidiol on Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC)-induced disruption in stop signal task performance. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2016; 24:320-330. [PMID: 27690502 PMCID: PMC5119678 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent clinical and preclinical research has suggested that cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) have interactive effects on measures of cognition; however, the nature of these interactions is not yet fully characterized. To address this, we investigated the effects of Δ9-THC and CBD independently and in combination with proposed therapeutic dose ratios of 1:1 and 1:3 Δ9-THC:CBD in adult rhesus monkeys (n = 6) performing a stop signal task (SST). Additionally, the development of tolerance to the effects of Δ9-THC on SST performance was evaluated by determining the effects of acutely administered Δ9-THC (0.1-3.2 mg/kg), during a 24-day chronic Δ9-THC treatment period with Δ9-THC alone or in combination with CBD. Results indicate that Δ9-THC (0.032-0.32 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased go success but did not alter go reaction time (RT) or stop signal RT (SSRT); CBD (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) was without effect on all measures and, when coadministered in a 1:1 dose ratio, did not exacerbate or attenuate the effects of Δ9-THC. When coadministered in a 1:3 dose ratio, CBD (1.0 mg/kg) attenuated the disruptive effects of 0.32 mg/kg Δ9-THC but did not alter the effects of other Δ9-THC doses. Increases in ED50 values for the effects of Δ9-THC on SST performance were apparent during chronic Δ9-THC treatment, with little evidence for modification of changes in sensitivity by CBD. These results indicate that CBD, when combined with Δ9-THC in clinically available dose ratios, does not exacerbate and, under restricted conditions may even attenuate, Δ9-THC's behavioral effects. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen J. Kohut
- Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, McLean Hospital,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Shan Jiang
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Spyros P. Nikas
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jack Bergman
- Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, McLean Hospital,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
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12
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Kromrey SA, Czoty PW, Nader SH, Register TC, Nader MA. Preclinical laboratory assessments of predictors of social rank in female cynomolgus monkeys. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:402-417. [PMID: 26684077 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Physiological and behavioral differences between dominant and subordinate monkeys have been useful in preclinical models investigating numerous disease states. In captivity, it has been inferred that subordinate monkeys live in a context of chronic social stress and may be at risk for a variety of dysfunctions; however, the factors that influence eventual rank are not entirely known. The goal of the present study was to first evaluate several phenotypic characteristics as potential trait markers for eventual social rank and then to determine the consequences of social hierarchy on these measures (i.e., state markers). Baseline estradiol, progesterone, cortisol and testosterone concentrations were obtained from 16 pair-housed female cynomolgus monkeys before and after introduction into new social groups (n = 4/group). Furthermore, effects of the initial week of social rank establishment on outcome measures of cognitive performance and homecage activity were examined. Baseline body weight and mean serum estradiol concentrations were the only statistically significant predictors of eventual rank, with future subordinate monkeys weighing less and having higher estradiol concentrations. During initial hierarchy establishment, future subordinate monkeys had increased morning and afternoon cortisol concentrations, increased locomotor activity and impaired cognitive performance on a working memory task. After 3 months of social housing, subordinate monkeys had blunted circulating estradiol and progesterone concentrations. These findings demonstrate differential effects on gonadal hormones and cortisol as a function of social context in normally cycling female monkeys. Furthermore, disruptions in cognitive performance were associated with subordinate status, suggesting strong face validity of this model to the study of factors related to the etiology and treatment of human diseases associated with chronic stress. Am. J. Primatol. 78:402-417, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Kromrey
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Paul W Czoty
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Susan H Nader
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Thomas C Register
- Department of Pathology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Michael A Nader
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Kromrey SA, Czoty PW, Nader MA. Relationship between estradiol and progesterone concentrations and cognitive performance in normally cycling female cynomolgus monkeys. Horm Behav 2015; 72:12-9. [PMID: 25921587 PMCID: PMC4466063 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical research has demonstrated that cognitive function may be influenced by estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations, although few cognition studies involve normally cycling females. The present study examined cognitive performance in normally cycling female cynomolgus macaques (n = 14), a species with similarities to humans in brain organization and a nearly identical menstrual cycle to women. Initial assessments compared cognitive measures to circulating concentrations of E2 and P4 (n = 12). Once a relationship was characterized between hormones and cognitive performance, the menstrual cycle was divided into four distinct phases: early follicular (EF), late follicular (LF), early luteal (EL) and late luteal (LL), verified by the onset of menses and serum concentrations of E2 and P4. Concentrations of E2 were highest during the LF phase and P4 concentrations peaked during the EL phase. All monkeys were trained on two cognitive tasks: reversal learning, involving simple discrimination (SD) and reversal (SDR), which measured associative learning and behavioral flexibility, respectively (n = 3-4 per phase) and a delayed match-to-sample (DMS) task which assessed working memory (n = 11). P4 concentrations were positively correlated with number of trials and errors during acquisition of SD performance, but not during acquisition of the SDR task or maintenance of the reversal-learning task. Across the menstrual cycle, significantly fewer errors were made in the SDR task during the LF phase, when E2 concentrations were high and P4 concentrations low. Working memory, assessed with the DMS task, was not consistently altered based on previously characterized menstrual cycle phases. These findings demonstrate a relationship between P4, E2 and cognitive performance in normally cycling cynomolgus monkeys that is task dependent. Knowledge of these interactions may lead to a better understanding of sex-specific cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Kromrey
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, United States
| | - Paul W Czoty
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, United States
| | - Michael A Nader
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, United States; Department of Radiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, United States.
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Hutsell BA, Banks ML. Effects of environmental and pharmacological manipulations on a novel delayed nonmatching-to-sample 'working memory' procedure in unrestrained rhesus monkeys. J Neurosci Methods 2015; 251:62-71. [PMID: 26003863 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory is a domain of 'executive function.' Delayed nonmatching-to-sample (DNMTS) procedures are commonly used to examine working memory in both human laboratory and preclinical studies. NEW METHOD The aim was to develop an automated DNMTS procedure maintained by food pellets in rhesus monkeys using a touch-sensitive screen attached to the housing chamber. Specifically, the DNMTS procedure was a 2-stimulus, 2-choice recognition memory task employing unidimensional discriminative stimuli and randomized delay interval presentations. RESULTS DNMTS maintained a delay-dependent decrease in discriminability that was independent of the retention interval distribution. Eliminating reinforcer availability during a single delay session or providing food pellets before the session did not systematically alter accuracy, but did reduce total choices. Increasing the intertrial interval enhanced accuracy at short delays. Acute Δ(9)-THC pretreatment produced delay interval-dependent changes in the forgetting function at doses that did not alter total choices. Acute methylphenidate pretreatment only decreased total choices. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS All monkeys were trained to perform NMTS at the 1s training delay within 60 days of initiating operant touch training. Furthermore, forgetting functions were reliably delay interval-dependent and stable over the experimental period (∼6 months). CONCLUSIONS Consistent with previous studies, increasing the intertrial interval improved DNMTS performance, whereas Δ(9)-THC disrupted DNMTS performance independent of changes in total choices. Overall, the touchscreen-based DNMTS procedure described provides an efficient method for training and testing experimental manipulations on working memory in unrestrained rhesus monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake A Hutsell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Matthew L Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; Institute for Drug and Alcohol Abuse Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
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