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Shen H, Ma Z, Hans E, Duan Y, Bi GH, Chae YC, Bonifazi A, Battiti FO, Newman AH, Xi ZX, Yang Y. Neuropharmacology involvement of dopamine D3 receptor in impulsive choice decision-making in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2024; 257:110051. [PMID: 38917939 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110051] [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: 04/13/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Impulsive decision-making has been linked to impulse control disorders and substance use disorders. However, the neural mechanisms underlying impulsive choice are not fully understood. While previous PET imaging and autoradiography studies have shown involvement of dopamine and D2/3 receptors in impulsive behavior, the roles of distinct D1, D2, and D3 receptors in impulsive decision-making remain unclear. In this study, we used a food reward delay-discounting task (DDT) to identify low- and high-impulsive rats, in which low-impulsive rats exhibited preference for large delayed reward over small immediate rewards, while high-impulsive rats showed the opposite preference. We then examined D1, D2, and D3 receptor gene expression using RNAscope in situ hybridization assays. We found that high-impulsive male rats exhibited lower levels of D2 and D3, and particularly D3, receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), with no significant changes in the insular, prelimbic, and infralimbic cortices. Based on these findings, we further explored the role of the D3 receptor in impulsive decision-making. Systemic administration of a selective D3 receptor agonist (FOB02-04) significantly reduced impulsive choices in high-impulsive rats but had no effects in low-impulsive rats. Conversely, a selective D3 receptor antagonist (VK4-116) produced increased both impulsive and omission choices in both groups of rats. These findings suggest that impulsive decision-making is associated with a reduction in D3 receptor expression in the NAc. Selective D3 receptor agonists, but not antagonists, may hold therapeutic potentials for mitigating impulsivity in high-impulsive subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Shen
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Zilu Ma
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Emma Hans
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Ying Duan
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Guo-Hua Bi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yurim C Chae
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Alessandro Bonifazi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Francisco O Battiti
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
| | - Yihong Yang
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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2
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Minnes GL, Wiener AJ, Liley AE, Simon NW. Dopaminergic modulation of sensitivity to immediate and delayed punishment during decision-making. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:304-321. [PMID: 38052746 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01139-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Effective decision-making involves careful consideration of all rewarding and aversive outcomes. Importantly, negative outcomes often occur later in time, leading to underestimation, or "discounting," of these consequences. Despite the frequent occurrence of delayed outcomes, little is known about the neurobiology underlying sensitivity to delayed punishment during decision-making. The Delayed Punishment Decision-making Task (DPDT) addresses this by assessing sensitivity to delayed versus immediate punishment in rats. Rats initially avoid punished reinforcers, then select this option more frequently when delay precedes punishment. We used DPDT to examine effects of acute systemic administration of catecholaminergic drugs on sensitivity to delayed punishment in male and female adult rats. Cocaine did not affect choice of rewards with immediate punishment but caused a dose-dependent reduction in choice of delayed punishment. Neither activation nor blockade of D1-like dopamine receptor affected decision-making, but activation of D2-like dopamine receptors reduced choice of delayed punishment. D2 blockade did not attenuate cocaine's effects on decision-making, suggesting that cocaine's effects are not dependent on D2 receptor activation. Increasing synaptic norepinephrine via atomoxetine also reduced choice of delayed (but not immediate) punishment. Notably, when DPDT was modified from ascending to descending pre-punishment delays, these drugs did not affect choice of delayed or immediate punishment, although high-dose quinpirole impaired behavioral flexibility. In summary, sensitivity to delayed punishment is regulated by both dopamine and norepinephrine transmission in task-specific fashion. Understanding the neurochemical modulation of decision-making with delayed punishment is a critical step toward treating disorders characterized by aberrant sensitivity to negative consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace L Minnes
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Anna J Wiener
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Anna E Liley
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Nicholas W Simon
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
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3
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Eyraud N, Bloch S, Brizard B, Pena L, Tharsis A, Surget A, El-Hage W, Belzung C. Influence of Stress Severity on Contextual Fear Extinction and Avoidance in a Posttraumatic-like Mouse Model. Brain Sci 2024; 14:311. [PMID: 38671963 PMCID: PMC11048507 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14040311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a widespread fear-related psychiatric affection associated with fear extinction impairments and important avoidance behaviors. Trauma-related exposure therapy is the current first-hand treatment for PTSD, yet it needs to be improved to shorten the time necessary to reach remission and increase responsiveness. Additional studies to decipher the neurobiological bases of extinction and effects on PTSD-like symptoms could therefore be of use. However, a PTSD-like animal model exhibiting pronounced PTSD-related phenotypes even after an extinction training directly linked to the fearful event is necessary. Thus, using a contextual fear conditioning model of PTSD, we increased the severity of stress during conditioning to search for effects on extinction acquisition and on pre- and post-extinction behaviors. During conditioning, mice received either two or four electrical shocks while a control group was constituted of mice only exposed to the context. Stressed mice exhibited important fear generalization, high fear reaction to the context and selective avoidance of a contextual reminder even after the extinction protocol. Increasing the number of footshocks did not induce major changes on these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Eyraud
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Solal Bloch
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Bruno Brizard
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Laurane Pena
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Antoine Tharsis
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Alexandre Surget
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Wissam El-Hage
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
- Pôle de Psychiatrie et d’Addictologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, 37000 Tours, France
| | - Catherine Belzung
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, 37032 Tours, France
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4
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Bao C, Zhu X, Mōller-Mara J, Li J, Dubroqua S, Erlich JC. The rat frontal orienting field dynamically encodes value for economic decisions under risk. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1942-1952. [PMID: 37857772 PMCID: PMC10620098 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01461-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Frontal and parietal cortex are implicated in economic decision-making, but their causal roles are untested. Here we silenced the frontal orienting field (FOF) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) while rats chose between a cued lottery and a small stable surebet. PPC inactivations produced minimal short-lived effects. FOF inactivations reliably reduced lottery choices. A mixed-agent model of choice indicated that silencing the FOF caused a change in the curvature of the rats' utility function (U = Vρ). Consistent with this finding, single-neuron and population analyses of neural activity confirmed that the FOF encodes the lottery value on each trial. A dynamical model, which accounts for electrophysiological and silencing results, suggests that the FOF represents the current lottery value to compare against the remembered surebet value. These results demonstrate that the FOF is a critical node in the neural circuit for the dynamic representation of action values for choice under risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaofei Bao
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Xiaoyue Zhu
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Joshua Mōller-Mara
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingjie Li
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sylvain Dubroqua
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jeffrey C Erlich
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
- NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK.
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5
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Seib DR, Tobiansky DJ, Meitzen J, Floresco SB, Soma KK. Neurosteroids and the mesocorticolimbic system. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105356. [PMID: 37567491 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105356] [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: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
The mesocorticolimbic system coordinates executive functions, such as working memory and behavioral flexibility. This circuit includes dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex. In this review, we summarize evidence that cells in multiple nodes of the mesocorticolimbic system produce neurosteroids (steroids synthesized in the nervous system) and express steroid receptors. Here, we focus on neuroandrogens (androgens synthesized in the nervous system), neuroestrogens (estrogens synthesized in the nervous system), and androgen and estrogen receptors. We also summarize how (neuro)androgens and (neuro)estrogens affect dopamine signaling in the mesocorticolimbic system and regulate executive functions. Taken together, the data suggest that steroids produced in the gonads and locally in the brain modulate higher-order cognition and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Désirée R Seib
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Daniel J Tobiansky
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, MD, USA
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kiran K Soma
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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6
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Cavallaro J, Yeisley J, Akdoǧan B, Salazar RE, Floeder JR, Balsam PD, Gallo EF. Dopamine D2 receptors in nucleus accumbens cholinergic interneurons increase impulsive choice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1309-1317. [PMID: 37221325 PMCID: PMC10354036 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01608-1] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Impulsive choice, often characterized by excessive preference for small, short-term rewards over larger, long-term rewards, is a prominent feature of substance use and other neuropsychiatric disorders. The neural mechanisms underlying impulsive choice are not well understood, but growing evidence implicates nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine and its actions on dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs). Because several NAc cell types and afferents express D2Rs, it has been difficult to determine the specific neural mechanisms linking NAc D2Rs to impulsive choice. Of these cell types, cholinergic interneurons (CINs) of the NAc, which express D2Rs, have emerged as key regulators of striatal output and local dopamine release. Despite these relevant functions, whether D2Rs expressed specifically in these neurons contribute to impulsive choice behavior is unknown. Here, we show that D2R upregulation in CINs of the mouse NAc increases impulsive choice as measured in a delay discounting task without affecting reward magnitude sensitivity or interval timing. Conversely, mice lacking D2Rs in CINs showed decreased delay discounting. Furthermore, CIN D2R manipulations did not affect probabilistic discounting, which measures a different form of impulsive choice. Together, these findings suggest that CIN D2Rs regulate impulsive decision-making involving delay costs, providing new insight into the mechanisms by which NAc dopamine influences impulsive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jenna Yeisley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Başak Akdoǧan
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ronald E Salazar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joseph R Floeder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Peter D Balsam
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eduardo F Gallo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA.
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7
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Scholl JL, Solanki RR, Watt MJ, Renner KJ, Forster GL. Chronic administration of glucocorticoid receptor ligands increases anxiety-like behavior and selectively increase serotonin transporters in the ventral hippocampus. Brain Res 2023; 1800:148189. [PMID: 36462646 PMCID: PMC9837808 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148189] [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: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Organic cation transporter-3 (OCT3) is widely distributed in the brain with high expression in portions of the stress axis. These high capacity, polyspecific transporters function in monoamine clearance and are sensitive to the stress hormone corticosterone. In rats, withdrawal from chronic amphetamine increases OCT3 expression in specific limbic brain regions involved anxiety and stress responses, including the ventral hippocampus, central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) and dorsomedial hypothalamus. (DMH). Previous studies show that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists increase OCT1 mRNA and OCT2 mRNA expression in non-neural tissues. Thus, we hypothesized that corticosterone increases OCT3 expression in the brain by activating GRs. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pre-treated daily with the GR antagonist mifepristone (20 mg/kg; sc.) or vehicle followed 45 min later by injections of corticosterone or vehicle for 2 weeks. Corticosterone treatment significantly increased OCT3 expression in the ventral hippocampus and increased anxiety-like behavior. However, these effects were not blocked by mifepristone. Interestingly, treatment with mifepristone alone reduced plasma corticosterone levels and increased serotonin transporter and GR expression in the ventral hippocampus but did not significantly affect OCT3 expression or behavior. No treatment effects on OCT3, serotonin transporter or GR expression were observed in the DMH, CeA or dorsal hippocampus. Our findings suggest that corticosterone increases OCT3 expression in the ventral hippocampus by a mechanism independent of GRs, and that mifepristone and corticosterone can act in an independent manner to affect HPA axis-related physiological and behavioral parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie L Scholl
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota, USA.
| | - Rajeshwari R Solanki
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota, USA.
| | - Michael J Watt
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota, USA; Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| | - Kenneth J Renner
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark St, Vermillion, SD, USA.
| | - Gina L Forster
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota, USA; Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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8
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Cavallaro J, Yeisley J, Akdoǧan B, Floeder J, Balsam PD, Gallo EF. Dopamine D2 receptors in nucleus accumbens cholinergic interneurons increase impulsive choice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.20.524596. [PMID: 36711450 PMCID: PMC9882257 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.20.524596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Impulsive choice, often characterized by excessive preference for small, short-term rewards over larger, long-term rewards, is a prominent feature of substance use and other neuropsychiatric disorders. The neural mechanisms underlying impulsive choice are not well understood, but growing evidence implicates nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine and its actions on dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs). Because several NAc cell types and afferents express D2Rs, it has been difficult to determine the specific neural mechanisms linking NAc D2Rs to impulsive choice. Of these cell types, cholinergic interneurons (CINs) of the NAc, which express D2Rs, have emerged as key regulators of striatal output and local dopamine release. Despite these relevant functions, whether D2Rs expressed specifically in these neurons contribute to impulsive choice behavior is unknown. Here, we show that D2R upregulation in CINs of the mouse NAc increases impulsive choice as measured in a delay discounting task without affecting reward magnitude sensitivity or interval timing. Conversely, mice lacking D2Rs in CINs showed decreased delay discounting. Furthermore, CIN D2R manipulations did not affect probabilistic discounting, which measures a different form of impulsive choice. Together, these findings suggest that CIN D2Rs regulate impulsive decision-making involving delay costs, providing new insight into the mechanisms by which NAc dopamine influences impulsive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jenna Yeisley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY
| | - Başak Akdoǧan
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| | - Joseph Floeder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY
| | - Peter D. Balsam
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY.,Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, NY
| | - Eduardo F. Gallo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY
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9
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Orsini CA, Truckenbrod LM, Wheeler AR. Regulation of sex differences in risk-based decision making by gonadal hormones: Insights from rodent models. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104663. [PMID: 35661794 PMCID: PMC9893517 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their ability to evaluate options that vary in their rewards and the risks that are associated with these outcomes. Most studies have shown that women are more risk averse than men and that gonadal hormones significantly contribute to this sex difference. Gonadal hormones can influence risk-based decision making (i.e., risk taking) by modulating the neurobiological substrates underlying this cognitive process. Indeed, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and nucleus accumbens associated with reward and risk-related information. The use of animal models of decision making has advanced our understanding of the intersection between the behavioral, neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying sex differences in risk taking. This review will outline the current state of this literature, identify the current gaps in knowledge and suggest the neurobiological mechanisms by which hormones regulate risky decision making. Collectively, this knowledge can be used to understand the potential consequences of significant hormonal changes, whether endogenously or exogenously induced, on risk-based decision making as well as the neuroendocrinological basis of neuropsychiatric diseases that are characterized by impaired risk taking, such as substance use disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A. Orsini
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Department of Psychology & Neurology, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, 108 E. Dean Keaton St., Stop A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA. (C.A. Orsini)
| | - Leah M. Truckenbrod
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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10
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Piantadosi PT, Halladay LR, Radke AK, Holmes A. Advances in understanding meso-cortico-limbic-striatal systems mediating risky reward seeking. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1547-1571. [PMID: 33704784 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The risk of an aversive consequence occurring as the result of a reward-seeking action can have a profound effect on subsequent behavior. Such aversive events can be described as punishers, as they decrease the probability that the same action will be produced again in the future and increase the exploration of less risky alternatives. Punishment can involve the omission of an expected rewarding event ("negative" punishment) or the addition of an unpleasant event ("positive" punishment). Although many individuals adaptively navigate situations associated with the risk of negative or positive punishment, those suffering from substance use disorders or behavioral addictions tend to be less able to curtail addictive behaviors despite the aversive consequences associated with them. Here, we discuss the psychological processes underpinning reward seeking despite the risk of negative and positive punishment and consider how behavioral assays in animals have been employed to provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying addictive disorders. We then review the critical contributions of dopamine signaling to punishment learning and risky reward seeking, and address the roles of interconnected ventral striatal, cortical, and amygdala regions to these processes. We conclude by discussing the ample opportunities for future study to clarify critical gaps in the literature, particularly as related to delineating neural contributions to distinct phases of the risky decision-making process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick T Piantadosi
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Anna K Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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11
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Dopaminergic modulation of reward discounting in healthy rats: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:711-723. [PMID: 33215269 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05723-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Although numerous studies have suggested that pharmacological alteration of the dopamine (DA) system modulates reward discounting, these studies have produced inconsistent findings. OBJECTIVES Here, we conducted a systematic review and pre-registered meta-analysis to evaluate DA drug-mediated effects on reward discounting of time, probability, and effort costs in studies of healthy rats. This produced a total of 1343 articles to screen for inclusion/exclusion. From the literature, we identified 117 effects from approximately 1549 individual rats. METHODS Using random effects with maximum-likelihood estimation, we meta-analyzed placebo-controlled drug effects for (1) DA D1-like receptor agonists and (2) antagonists, (3) D2-like agonists and (4) antagonists, and (5) DA transporter-modulating drugs. RESULTS Meta-analytic effects showed that DAT-modulating drugs decreased reward discounting. While D1-like and D2-like antagonists both increased discounting, agonist drugs for those receptors had no significant effect on discounting behavior. A number of these effects appear contingent on study design features like cost type, rat strain, and microinfusion location. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a nuanced relationship between DA and discounting behavior and urge caution when drawing generalizations about the effects of pharmacologically manipulating dopamine on reward-based decision-making.
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12
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Exploring dopaminergic transmission in gambling addiction: A systematic translational review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:481-511. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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13
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Cui RS, Ruan H, Liu LY, Li XW. Involvement of noradrenergic and serotonergic systems in risk-based decisions between options of equivalent expected value in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 175:107310. [PMID: 32890758 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107310] [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: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Risk perception is an important factor that may mediate risk-based decision-making processes regulated by noradrenergic (NA) and serotonergic (5-HT) systems. Most risk-based decision-making models involve complex factors, such as risk perception or reward value, such that the final decision is the result of the interactions among these factors. However, the contribution of risk perception per se in risk decisions has remained unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we made some modifications to the classical probabilistic discounting task (PDT) to focus on the impact of risk perception and noradrenergic/serotonergic systems on decision-making behavior. Meanwhile, we conducted an elevated plus-maze (EPM) test to detect the correlation between anxiety and choice behavior. In the current study, rats had to choose between a "certain" lever that delivered a certain number of pellets and a "risky" lever that delivered eight pellets in a probabilistic manner (descending: 50%, 25%, 12.5% or ascending 12.5%, 25%, 50% of the time). The long-term rewarding values of the two levers were always identical in each block within each session. According to their baseline performances in choosing the risky lever, rats were divided into the risk-prefer group and risk-averse group. The results showed that there was a significant correlation between open arm time in EPM and risky choice for both descending order and ascending order, indicating that highly anxious rats more often preferred the safe option under risk. Pharmacological stimulation of α2-adrenergic receptors via dexmedetomidine (0.01 mg/kg) decreased the preference of probabilistic rewards in the risk-prefer group, while blocking α2 receptors by atipamezole (0.3 mg/kg) also reduced risky choices. The NA reuptake inhibitor, atomoxetine, increased the preference for risky choices in the risk-prefer group, the effect of which was attained via multiple superimposed doses. Administration of the 5-HT2A receptor agonist, DOI (0.1 mg/kg), increased risk-taking behavior in the risk-prefer group. Taken together, these results suggest that NA may be more inclined to process negative information such as loss or uncertainty in the regulation of risk-related decision making, whereas 5-HT may function primarily to increase risk-taking behavior. Our findings may help to further elucidate how noradrenergic and serotonergic systems differentially affect individuals with different risk preferences in terms of regulating risk perception in risk-related decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Si Cui
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Heng Ruan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Li-Yuan Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xin-Wang Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, PR China.
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Liu C, Zhou X, Zhu Q, Fu B, Cao S, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Yu T. Dopamine neurons in the ventral periaqueductal gray modulate isoflurane anesthesia in rats. CNS Neurosci Ther 2020; 26:1121-1133. [PMID: 32881314 PMCID: PMC7564192 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims General anesthesia has been applied in surgery for more than 170 years, and there is little doubt that GABAA receptors have an important role as anesthetic molecular targets, but its neural mechanisms remain unclear. Increasing researchers have shown that dopaminergic pathways in the brain are crucial for sleep and wake. General anesthesia‐induced unconsciousness and natural sleep share some neural correlates. However, the role of GABAA receptors in ventral periaqueductal gray (vPAG) dopamine (DA) neurons in the isoflurane‐induced unconsciousness has yet to be identified. Methods In the present study, we used calcium fiber photometry recording to explore that the activity of ventral periaqueductal gray (vPAG) neurons. Then, rats were unilaterally microinjected with 6‐hydroxydopamine into the vPAG area to determine the role of vPAG‐DA neurons in isoflurane‐induced‐anesthesia. Furthermore, thirty SD rats were divided into three groups: a GABAAR agonist‐muscimol group, a GABAAR antagonist‐gabazine group, and a control group. Finally, whole‐cell patch clamp was used to examine the effects of isoflurane and GABAA receptor agonist/antagonist on vPAG‐DA neurons. Results The vPAG neurons were markedly inhibited during isoflurane anesthesia induction and that these neurons were activated during emergence from isoflurane anesthesia. Lesion to the vPAG‐DA neurons shortened the induction time and prolonged the emergence time while increasing δ power in isoflurane anesthesia. Intracerebral injection of the GABAA receptor agonist (muscimol) into the vPAG accelerated the induction of anesthesia and delayed recovery from isoflurane anesthesia, with a decrease of δ power and an augment of β power. Injection of GABAA receptor antagonist gabazine generated the opposite effects. Isoflurane enhanced GABAergic transmission, and GABAA receptor agonist partly increased isoflurane‐induced inhibition of vPAG‐DA neurons, while GABAA receptor antagonist evidently attenuated GABAergic transmission. Conclusion Our results suggest that vPAG‐DA neurons are involved in isoflurane anesthesia through activation of the GABAA receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengxi Liu
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Xiao Zhou
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Qiuyu Zhu
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Bao Fu
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Department of Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Song Cao
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Tian Yu
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.,Guizhou Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
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15
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Zhang S, Wu L, Zhang B, Zhu Y, Fan Y, Wang Q, Hu X, Tian Y. Impaired decision-making under risk in patients with functional dyspepsia. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2020; 42:771-780. [PMID: 32741250 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2020.1802406] [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] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The cognitive processing in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) has not been well established. Decision-making is an important component of cognitive function. Most brain regions involved in decision-making are abnormal in FD patients. This study aimed to investigate the decision-making under ambiguity and risk in FD patients. METHODS We recruited 40 FD patients meeting Rome III criteria and 40 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age, sex, marital status, and education level. The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) were used to evaluate their anxiety and depression emotions. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT) were used to evaluate decision-making under ambiguity and risk, respectively. Helicobacter pylori status, disease duration, dyspeptic symptom score, and the Nepean Dyspepsia Life Quality Index (NDLQI) were obtained from all patients. RESULTS In IGT, FD patients had a lower total net score, chose more adverse choices, and showed a slower response to change their behavior than HCs. However, there was no significant difference in the net score of the first 2 blocks between the two groups. In GDT, FD patients had a lower total net score, higher risk score, and lower use of negative feedback than HCs. In addition, FD patients showed better GDT performance than those without early satiation. CONCLUSIONS FD patients showed impaired decision-making under risk. The deficiency might be related to dyspeptic symptoms of FD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenshen Zhang
- Digestive Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei, China
| | - Lihong Wu
- Digestive Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei, China
| | - Boyu Zhang
- Digestive Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei, China
| | - Yuanrong Zhu
- Digestive Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei, China
| | - Yinguang Fan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health of Anhui Medical University , Hefei, China
| | - Qiao Wang
- Digestive Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei, China
| | - Xiangpeng Hu
- Digestive Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei, China
| | - Yanghua Tian
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University , Hefei, China
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Grau-Perales A, Gallo M. The auditory context-dependent attenuation of taste neophobia depends on D1 dopamine receptor activity in mice. Behav Brain Res 2020; 391:112687. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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17
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Hart EE, Izquierdo A. Quantity versus quality: Convergent findings in effort-based choice tasks. Behav Processes 2019; 164:178-185. [PMID: 31082477 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Organisms must frequently make cost-benefit decisions based on time, risk, and effort in choosing rewards to pursue. Various tasks have been developed to assess effort-based choice in rats, and experimenters have found largely similar results across tasks and brain regions. In this review, we focus primarily on the convergence of different effort-based choice tasks where quality or quantity of reward are manipulated. In the former, the rat is typically presented with the option to work for a preferred reward or select a less preferred, but freely-available reward. In such paradigms, the rewards are of different identities but are confirmed to differ qualitatively in value by a food preference task when both are freely-available. In the latter task type, rats are required to select between higher magnitude versus lower magnitudes of the same reward, but each with a similar effort requirement. We discuss the strengths/limitations of these paradigms, and describe brain regions that have been probed that result in converging or equivocal findings. Results are also reviewed with reference to a need for future work, and the broader impacts and implications of studies probing the mechanisms of effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan E Hart
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Alicia Izquierdo
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; The Brain Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA; Integrative Center for Addictions, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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18
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Daba Feyissa D, Sialana FJ, Keimpema E, Kalaba P, Paunkov A, Engidawork E, Höger H, Lubec G, Korz V. Dopamine type 1- and 2-like signaling in the modulation of spatial reference learning and memory. Behav Brain Res 2019; 362:173-180. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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19
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Cisneros-Franco JM, de Villers-Sidani E. Bidirectional Control of Risk-Seeking Behavior by the Basolateral Amygdala. eNeuro 2018; 5:ENEURO.0168-18.2018. [PMID: 30079372 PMCID: PMC6072332 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0168-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. Miguel Cisneros-Franco
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada
| | - Etienne de Villers-Sidani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada
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20
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Marshall AT, Kirkpatrick K. Reinforcement learning models of risky choice and the promotion of risk-taking by losses disguised as wins in rats. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-ANIMAL LEARNING AND COGNITION 2018; 43:262-279. [PMID: 29120214 DOI: 10.1037/xan0000141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Risky decisions are inherently characterized by the potential to receive gains or incur losses, and these outcomes have distinct effects on subsequent decision-making. One important factor is that individuals engage in loss-chasing, in which the reception of a loss is followed by relatively increased risk-taking. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of loss-chasing are poorly understood, despite the potential importance for understanding pathological choice behavior. The goal of the present experiment was to illuminate the mechanisms governing individual differences in loss-chasing and risky-choice behaviors. Rats chose between a low-uncertainty outcome that always delivered a variable amount of reward and a high-uncertainty outcome that probabilistically delivered reward. Loss-processing and loss-chasing were assessed in the context of losses disguised as wins (LDWs), which are loss outcomes that are presented along with gain-related stimuli. LDWs have been suggested to interfere with adaptive decision-making in humans and thus potentially increase loss-making. Here, the rats presented with LDWs were riskier, in that they made more choices for the high-uncertainty outcome. A series of nonlinear models were fit to individual rats' data to elucidate the possible psychological mechanisms that best account for individual differences in high-uncertainty choices and loss-chasing behaviors. The models suggested that the rats presented with LDWs were more prone to showing a stay bias following high-uncertainty outcomes compared to rats not presented with LDWs. These results collectively suggest that LDWs acquire conditioned reinforcement properties that encourage continued risk-taking and increase loss-chasing following previous high-risk decisions. (PsycINFO Database Record
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21
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Wallin-Miller KG, Kreutz F, Li G, Wood RI. Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) increase sensitivity to uncertainty by inhibition of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:959-969. [PMID: 29242988 PMCID: PMC5871556 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4810-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse is implicated in maladaptive behaviors such as impaired cognition in humans. In a rat model, our lab has shown that testosterone decreases preference for a large/uncertain reward in probability discounting. Other studies have shown that androgens decrease dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell, a region important for decision-making behavior in probability discounting. Thus, we attempted to restore selection of the large/uncertain reward in testosterone-treated rats by administering the D2 receptor agonist quinpirole or the D1 receptor agonist SKF81297 and testing probability discounting. METHODS Adolescent male Long-Evans rats were treated chronically with high-dose testosterone (7.5 mg/kg) or vehicle (13% cyclodextrin in water), and tested for probability discounting after injections of saline, 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg of quinpirole or SKF81297. Rats chose between a small/certain reward (1 sugar pellet, 100% probability) and a large/uncertain reward (4 pellets, decreasing probability: 100, 75, 50, 25, 0%). RESULTS Testosterone-treated rats selected the large/uncertain reward significantly less than vehicle-treated controls after saline injection. However, acute injection with 0.1 mg/kg quinpirole increased large/uncertain reward preference in testosterone-treated rats only, indicated by a testosterone × quinpirole interaction. At 0.5 mg/kg, quinpirole increased large/uncertain reward preference in all rats. Acute injection with SKF81297 at 0.1 or 0.5 mg/kg rescued large/uncertain reward preference in testosterone-treated rats by eliminating the difference between groups. CONCLUSIONS It appears that altered probability discounting behavior in testosterone-treated rats is due to both decreased D1 and D2 receptor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn G Wallin-Miller
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Frida Kreutz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Grace Li
- Department of Integrated Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, 1333 San Pablo St., BMT 401, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Ruth I Wood
- Department of Integrated Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, 1333 San Pablo St., BMT 401, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
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22
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Li J, Yu T, Shi F, Zhang Y, Duan Z, Fu B, Zhang Y. Involvement of Ventral Periaqueductal Gray Dopaminergic Neurons in Propofol Anesthesia. Neurochem Res 2018; 43:838-847. [PMID: 29417470 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-018-2486-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Revised: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It has been reported that central dopaminergic system is implicated in the mechanism underlying general anesthesia. Whether dopamine (DA) neurons in midbrain ventral periaqueductal gray (vPAG) are involved in general anesthesia and how general anesthetics affect these neurons remain sparsely documented. To determine the role of vPAG DA neurons in propofol-induced anesthesia, we performed microinjection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into vPAG to damage DA neurons and investigated the alteration in somatosensory electroencephalogram (EEG), as well as the induction and recovery time of propofol anesthesia. Subsequently, we examined the effect of propofol on the electrophysiological activity of DA neurons in vPAG using whole-cell patch clamp. Two weeks after 6-OHDA microinfusion, DA neurons in the vPAG were markedly reduced by 63.6% in the 6-OHDA-treated rats compared with vehicle rats. This lesion significantly shortened the induction time (7.15 ± 3.97 s vs. 11.18 ± 2.83 s, P < 0.05) and prolonged the recovery time of propofol anesthesia (780.26 ± 150.86 s vs. 590.68 ± 107.97 s, P < 0.05). Meanwhile, EEG in somatosensory cortex revealed that delta power (0-4 Hz) was significantly higher in 6-OHDA-treated rats than vehicle rats. In the electrophysiological experiment, propofol decreased the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents rather than the amplitude and decay time. In addition, propofol preferentially increased the frequency and prolonged the decay time of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents without affecting the amplitude. SIGNIFICANCE Propofol can promote presynaptic GABA release, inhibit presynaptic glutamate release and increase postsynaptic GABAA receptor sensitivity, which eventually inhibits the activity of vPAG DA neurons and thereby influences the state of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Li
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical College, No. 48 Fenghao West Road, Xi'an, 710077, China
| | - Tian Yu
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Fu Shi
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Zikun Duan
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Bao Fu
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.,Department of Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China. .,Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, 563000, China.
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Activation of Nigrostriatal Dopamine Neurons during Fear Extinction Prevents the Renewal of Fear. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:665-672. [PMID: 28976945 PMCID: PMC5770770 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2017] [Revised: 09/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Manipulations that increase dopamine (DA) signaling can enhance fear extinction, but the circuits involved remain unknown. DA neurons originating in the substantia nigra (SN) projecting to the dorsal striatum (DS) are traditionally viewed in the context of motor behavior, but growing data implicate this nigrostriatal circuit in emotion. Here we investigated the role of nigrostriatal DA in fear extinction. Activation of SN DA neurons with designer Gq-coupled receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (Gq-DREADD) during fear extinction had no effect on fear extinction acquisition, but enhanced fear extinction memory and blocked the renewal of fear in a novel context; a pattern of data paralleled by cFos expression in the central amygdala. D1 receptors in the DS are a likely target mediating the effects of SN DA activation. D1-expressing neurons in the medial DS (DMS) were recruited during fear extinction, and Gq-DREADD-induced DA potentiated activity of D1-expressing neurons in both the DMS and the lateral DS (DLS). Pharmacological activation of D1 receptors in the DS did not impact fear extinction acquisition or memory, but blocked fear renewal in a novel context. These data suggest that activation of SN DA neurons and DS D1 receptors during fear extinction render fear extinction memory resistant to the disrupting effects of changes in contextual contingencies, perhaps by recruiting habitual learning strategies involving the DLS. Nigrostriatal DA thus represents a novel target to enhance long-term efficacy of extinction-based therapies for anxiety and trauma-related disorders.
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Ng KH, Pollock MW, Urbanczyk PJ, Sangha S. Altering D1 receptor activity in the basolateral amygdala impairs fear suppression during a safety cue. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 147:26-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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25
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Milienne-Petiot M, Groenink L, Minassian A, Young JW. Blockade of dopamine D 1-family receptors attenuates the mania-like hyperactive, risk-preferring, and high motivation behavioral profile of mice with low dopamine transporter levels. J Psychopharmacol 2017; 31:1334-1346. [PMID: 28950781 PMCID: PMC10773978 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117731162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with bipolar disorder mania exhibit poor cognition, impulsivity, risk-taking, and goal-directed activity that negatively impact their quality of life. To date, existing treatments for bipolar disorder do not adequately remediate cognitive dysfunction. Reducing dopamine transporter expression recreates many bipolar disorder mania-relevant behaviors (i.e. hyperactivity and risk-taking). The current study investigated whether dopamine D1-family receptor blockade would attenuate the risk-taking, hypermotivation, and hyperactivity of dopamine transporter knockdown mice. METHODS Dopamine transporter knockdown and wild-type littermate mice were tested in mouse versions of the Iowa Gambling Task (risk-taking), Progressive Ratio Breakpoint Test (effortful motivation), and Behavioral Pattern Monitor (activity). Prior to testing, the mice were treated with the dopamine D1-family receptor antagonist SCH 23390 hydrochloride (0.03, 0.1, or 0.3 mg/kg), or vehicle. RESULTS Dopamine transporter knockdown mice exhibited hyperactivity and hyperexploration, hypermotivation, and risk-taking preference compared with wild-type littermates. SCH 23390 hydrochloride treatment decreased premature responding in dopamine transporter knockdown mice and attenuated their hypermotivation. SCH 23390 hydrochloride flattened the safe/risk preference, while reducing activity and exploratory levels of both genotypes similarly. CONCLUSIONS Dopamine transporter knockdown mice exhibited mania-relevant behavior compared to wild-type mice. Systemic dopamine D1-family receptor antagonism attenuated these behaviors in dopamine transporter knockdown, but not all effects were specific to only the knockdown mice. The normalization of behavior via blockade of dopamine D1-family receptors supports the hypothesis that D1 and/or D5 receptors could contribute to the mania-relevant behaviors of dopamine transporter knockdown mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Milienne-Petiot
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, United States of America
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lucianne Groenink
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Arpi Minassian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, United States of America
| | - Jared W. Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, United States of America
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States of America
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26
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Deciphering Decision Making: Variation in Animal Models of Effort- and Uncertainty-Based Choice Reveals Distinct Neural Circuitries Underlying Core Cognitive Processes. J Neurosci 2017; 36:12069-12079. [PMID: 27903717 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1713-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Maladaptive decision-making is increasingly recognized to play a significant role in numerous psychiatric disorders, such that therapeutics capable of ameliorating core impairments in judgment may be beneficial in a range of patient populations. The field of "decision neuroscience" is therefore in its ascendancy, with researchers from diverse fields bringing their expertise to bear on this complex and fascinating problem. In addition to the advances in neuroimaging and computational neuroscience that contribute enormously to this area, an increase in the complexity and sophistication of behavioral paradigms designed for nonhuman laboratory animals has also had a significant impact on researchers' ability to test the causal nature of hypotheses pertaining to the neural circuitry underlying the choice process. Multiple such decision-making assays have been developed to investigate the neural and neurochemical bases of different types of cost/benefit decisions. However, what may seem like relatively trivial variation in behavioral methodologies can actually result in recruitment of distinct cognitive mechanisms, and alter the neurobiological processes that regulate choice. Here we focus on two areas of particular interest, namely, decisions that involve an assessment of uncertainty or effort, and compare some of the most prominent behavioral paradigms that have been used to investigate these processes in laboratory rodents. We illustrate how an appreciation of the diversity in the nature of these tasks can lead to important insights into the circumstances under which different neural regions make critical contributions to decision making.
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Prefrontal Dopamine D 1 and D 2 Receptors Regulate Dissociable Aspects of Decision Making via Distinct Ventral Striatal and Amygdalar Circuits. J Neurosci 2017; 37:6200-6213. [PMID: 28546312 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0030-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesocortical dopamine (DA) regulates a variety of cognitive functions via actions on D1 and/or D2 receptors. For example, risk/reward decision making is modulated differentially by these two receptors within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), with D2 receptors enabling flexible decision making and D1 receptors promoting persistence in choice biases. However, it is unclear how DA mediates opposing patterns of behavior by acting on different receptors within the same terminal region. We explored the possibility that DA may act on separate networks of PFC neurons that are modulated by D1 or D2 receptors and in turn interface with divergent downstream structures such as the basolateral amygdala (BLA) or nucleus accumbens (NAc). Decision making was assessed using a probabilistic discounting task in which well trained male rats chose between small/certain or large/risky rewards, with the odds of obtaining the larger reward changing systematically within a session. Selective disruption of D1 or D2 modulation of separate PFC output pathways was achieved using unilateral intra-PFC infusions of DA antagonists combined with contralateral inactivation of the BLA or NAc. Disrupting D2 (but not D1) modulation of PFC→BLA circuitry impaired adjustments in decision biases in response to changes in reward probabilities. In contrast, disrupting D1 modulation of PFC→NAc networks reduced risky choice, attenuating reward sensitivity and increasing sensitivity to reward omissions. These findings reveal that mesocortical DA can facilitate dissociable components of reward seeking and action selection by acting on different functional networks of PFC neurons that can be distinguished by the subcortical projection targets with which they interface.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Prefrontal cortical dopamine regulates a variety of executive functions governed by the frontal lobes via actions on D1 and D2 receptors. These receptors can in some instances mediate different patterns of behavior, but the mechanisms underlying these dissociable actions are unclear. Using a selective disconnection approach, we reveal that D1 and D2 receptors can facilitate diverse aspects of decision making by acting on separate networks of prefrontal neurons that interface with distinct striatal or amygdalar targets. These findings reveal an additional level of complexity in how mesocortical DA regulates different forms of cognition via actions on different receptors, highlighting how it may act upon distinct cortical microcircuits to drive different patterns of behavior.
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Bradshaw CM. Some properties of an adjusting-magnitude schedule of reinforcement: Implications for models of choice. Behav Processes 2017; 140:19-32. [PMID: 28377299 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Rats were trained under a discrete-trials adjusting-magnitude schedule in which a response on lever A delivered either a larger or a smaller reinforcer (qA1 and qA2) with equal probability, while a response on B delivered a reinforcer whose size qB was adjusted according to the rats' choices. When A was preferred in a given block of trials, qB was increased in the following block; when B was preferred, qB was reduced in the following block. The oscillating changes in qB, analysed by the Fourier transform, could be described by a power spectrum with a dominant period of about 50 trial blocks. With qA1 held constant, the equilibrium value of qB (qB(50)) was monotonically related to qA2, and exceeded the arithmetic mean of qA1 and qA2 when qA1 was substantially greater than qA2. A model derived from the multiplicative model of intertemporal choice provided a post hoc description of the data. Simulation of block-by-block changes in qB derived from the model were generally consistent with the experimental data. Implications of the results for models of risky choice and for future use of the schedule in neurobehavioural experiments are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Bradshaw
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Nottingham, UK.
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Milienne-Petiot M, Geyer MA, Arnt J, Young JW. Brexpiprazole reduces hyperactivity, impulsivity, and risk-preference behavior in mice with dopamine transporter knockdown-a model of mania. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:1017-1028. [PMID: 28160035 PMCID: PMC5391249 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4543-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Bipolar disorder (BD) is a unique mood disorder defined by periods of depression and mania. The defining diagnosis of BD is the presence of mania/hypomania, with symptoms including hyperactivity and risk-taking. Since current treatments do not ameliorate cognitive deficits such as risky decision-making, and impulsivity that can negatively affect a patient's quality of life, better treatments are needed. OBJECTIVES Here, we tested whether acute treatment with brexpiprazole, a serotonin-dopamine activity modulator with partial agonist activity at D2/3 and 5-HT1A receptors, would attenuate the BD mania-relevant behaviors of the dopamine transporter (DAT) knockdown mouse model of mania. METHODS The effects of brexpiprazole on DAT knockdown and wild-type littermate mice were examined in the behavioral pattern monitor (BPM) and Iowa gambling task (IGT) to quantify activity/exploration and impulsivity/risk-taking behavior respectively. RESULTS DAT knockdown mice exhibited hyper-exploratory behavior in the BPM and made fewer safe choices in the IGT. Brexpiprazole attenuated the mania-like hyper-exploratory phenotype and increased safe choices in risk-preferring DAT knockdown mice. Brexpiprazole also reduced safe choices in safe-preferring mice irrespective of genotype. Finally, brexpiprazole reduced premature (impulsive-like) responses in both groups of mice. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with earlier reports, DAT knockdown mice exhibited hyper-exploratory, risk-preferring, and impulsive-like profiles consistent with patients with BD mania in these tasks. These behaviors were attenuated after brexpiprazole treatment. These data therefore indicate that brexpiprazole could be a novel treatment for BD mania and/or risk-taking/impulsivity disorders, since it remediates some relevant behavioral abnormalities in this mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Milienne-Petiot
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584, CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jørn Arnt
- Sunred Pharma Consulting, Solrod Strand, Denmark
- Synaptic Transmission, Neuroscience Drug Discovery, H. Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500, Valby, DK, Denmark
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA.
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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Perturbations in Effort-Related Decision-Making Driven by Acute Stress and Corticotropin-Releasing Factor. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:2147-59. [PMID: 26830960 PMCID: PMC4908645 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Acute stress activates numerous systems in a coordinated effort to promote homeostasis, and can exert differential effects on mnemonic and cognitive functions depending on a myriad of factors. Stress can alter different forms of cost/benefit decision-making, yet the mechanisms that drive these effects, remain unclear. In the present study, we probed how corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) may contribute to stress-induced alterations in cost/benefit decision-making, using an task where well-trained rats chose between a low effort/low reward lever (LR; two pellets) and a high effort/high reward lever (HR; four pellets), with the effort requirement increasing over a session (2, 5, 10, and 20 presses). One-hour restraint stress markedly reduced preference for the HR option, but this effect was attenuated by infusions of the CRF antagonist, alpha-helical CRF. Conversely, central CRF infusion mimicked the effect of stress on decision-making, as well as increased decision latencies and reduced response vigor. CRF infusions did not alter preference for larger vs smaller rewards, but did reduce responding for food delivered on a progressive ratio, suggesting that these treatments may amplify perceived effort costs that may be required to obtain rewards. CRF infusions into the ventral tegmental area recapitulated the effect of central CRF treatment and restraint on choice behavior, suggesting that these effects may be mediated by perturbations in dopamine transmission. These findings highlight the involvement of CRF in regulating effort-related decisions and suggest that increased CRF activity may contribute to motivational impairments and abnormal decision-making associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders such as depression.
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Jarmolowicz DP, Sofis MJ, Darden AC. Concurrent progressive ratio schedules: Effects of reinforcer probability on breakpoint and response allocation. Behav Processes 2016; 128:103-7. [PMID: 27131782 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.04.012] [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: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Although progressive ratio (PR) schedules have been used to explore effects of a range of reinforcer parameters (e.g., magnitude, delay), effects of reinforcer probability remain underexplored. The present project used independently progressing concurrent PR PR schedules to examine effects of reinforcer probability on PR breakpoint (highest completed ratio prior to a session terminating 300s pause) and response allocation. The probability of reinforcement on one lever remained at 100% across all conditions while the probability of reinforcement on the other lever was systematically manipulated (i.e., 100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%, and a replication of 25%). Breakpoints systematically decreased with decreasing reinforcer probabilities while breakpoints on the control lever remained unchanged. Patterns of switching between the two levers were well described by a choice-by-choice unit price model that accounted for the hyperbolic discounting of the value of probabilistic reinforcers.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Jarmolowicz
- University of Kansas, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, United States; University of Kansas, Problem Gambling Research and Education Support System, United States.
| | - Michael J Sofis
- University of Kansas, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, United States
| | - Alexandria C Darden
- University of Kansas, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, United States
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Sex differences, learning flexibility, and striatal dopamine D1 and D2 following adolescent drug exposure in rats. Behav Brain Res 2016; 308:104-14. [PMID: 27091300 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Corticostriatal circuitry supports flexible reward learning and emotional behavior from the critical neurodevelopmental stage of adolescence through adulthood. It is still poorly understood how prescription drug exposure in adolescence may impact these outcomes in the long-term. We studied adolescent methylphenidate (MPH) and fluoxetine (FLX) exposure in rats and their impact on learning and emotion in adulthood. In Experiment 1, male and female rats were administered MPH, FLX, or saline (SAL), and compared with methamphetamine (mAMPH) treatment beginning in postnatal day (PND) 37. The rats were then tested on discrimination and reversal learning in adulthood. In Experiment 2, animals were administered MPH or SAL also beginning in PND 37 and later tested in adulthood for anxiety levels. In Experiment 3, we analyzed striatal dopamine D1 and D2 receptor expression in adulthood following either extensive learning (after Experiment 1) or more brief emotional measures (after Experiment 2). We found sex differences in discrimination learning and attenuated reversal learning after MPH and only sex differences in adulthood anxiety. In learners, there was enhanced striatal D1, but not D2, after either adolescent MPH or mAMPH. Lastly, also in learners, there was a sex x treatment group interaction for D2, but not D1, driven by the MPH-pretreated females, who expressed significantly higher D2 levels compared to SAL. These results show enduring effects of adolescent MPH on reversal learning in rats. Developmental psychostimulant exposure may interact with learning to enhance D1 expression in adulthood, and affect D2 expression in a sex-dependent manner.
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Baker PM, Oh SE, Kidder KS, Mizumori SJY. Ongoing behavioral state information signaled in the lateral habenula guides choice flexibility in freely moving rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:295. [PMID: 26582981 PMCID: PMC4631824 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) plays a role in a wide variety of behaviors ranging from maternal care, to sleep, to various forms of cognition. One prominent theory with ample supporting evidence is that the LHb serves to relay basal ganglia and limbic signals about negative outcomes to midbrain monoaminergic systems. This makes it likely that the LHb is critically involved in behavioral flexibility as all of these systems have been shown to contribute when flexible behavior is required. Behavioral flexibility is commonly examined across species and is impaired in various neuropsychiatric conditions including autism, depression, addiction, and schizophrenia; conditions in which the LHb is thought to play a role. Therefore, a thorough examination of the role of the LHb in behavioral flexibility serves multiple functions including understanding possible connections with neuropsychiatric illnesses and additional insight into its role in cognition in general. Here, we assess the LHb’s role in behavioral flexibility through comparisons of the roles its afferent and efferent pathways are known to play. Additionally, we provide new evidence supporting the LHb contributions to behavioral flexibility through organization of specific goal directed actions under cognitively demanding conditions. Specifically, in the first experiment, a majority of neurons recorded from the LHb were found to correlate with velocity on a spatial navigation task and did not change significantly when reward outcomes were manipulated. Additionally, measurements of local field potential (LFP) in the theta band revealed significant changes in power relative to velocity and reward location. In a second set of experiments, inactivation of the LHb with the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonists baclofen and muscimol led to an impairment in a spatial/response based repeated probabilistic reversal learning task. Control experiments revealed that this impairment was likely due to the demands of repeated switching behaviors as rats were unimpaired on initial discrimination acquisition or retention of probabilistic learning. Taken together, these novel findings compliment other work discussed supporting a role for the LHb in action selection when cognitive or emotional demands are increased. Finally, we discuss future mechanisms by which a superior understanding of the LHb can be obtained through additional examination of behavioral flexibility tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip M Baker
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sujean E Oh
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kevan S Kidder
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington Seattle, WA, USA
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