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Zoratto F, Pisa E, Soldati C, Barezzi C, Ottomana AM, Presta M, Santangelo V, Macrì S. Automation at the service of the study of executive functions in preclinical models. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16890. [PMID: 37803045 PMCID: PMC10558442 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43631-8] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility involves the capability to switch between different perspectives and implement novel strategies upon changed circumstances. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (in humans) and the Attentional Set-Shifting Task (ASST, in rodents) evaluate individual capability to acquire a reward-associated rule and subsequently disregard it in favour of a new one. Both tasks entail consecutive stages wherein subjects discriminate between: two stimuli of a given category (simple discrimination, SD); the stimuli of SD confounded by an irrelevant stimulus of a different category (compound discrimination, CD); different stimuli belonging to the SD category (intradimensional shift, IDS); and two stimuli of the confounding category (extradimensional shift, EDS). The ASST is labour intensive, not sufficiently standardised, and prone to experimental error. Here, we tested the validity of a new, commercially available, automated version of ASST (OPERON) in two independent experiments conducted in: different mouse strains (C57BL/6 and CD1 mice) to confirm their differential cognitive capabilities (Experiment 1); and an experimental model of chronic stress (administration of corticosterone in the drinking water; Experiment 2). In both experiments, OPERON confirmed the findings obtained through the manual version. Just as in Experiment 1 both versions captured the deficit of C57BL/6 mice on the reversal of the CD (CDR), so also in Experiment 2 they provided analogous evidence that corticosterone treated mice have a remarkable impairment in the IDS. Thus, OPERON capitalises upon automated phenotyping to overcome the limitation of the manual version of the ASST while providing comparable results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Zoratto
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Pisa
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Soldati
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Barezzi
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Maria Ottomana
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Martina Presta
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Santangelo
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Macrì
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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Fritz M, Soravia SM, Dudeck M, Malli L, Fakhoury M. Neurobiology of Aggression-Review of Recent Findings and Relationship with Alcohol and Trauma. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030469. [PMID: 36979161 PMCID: PMC10044835 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Aggression can be conceptualized as any behavior, physical or verbal, that involves attacking another person or animal with the intent of causing harm, pain or injury. Because of its high prevalence worldwide, aggression has remained a central clinical and public safety issue. Aggression can be caused by several risk factors, including biological and psychological, such as genetics and mental health disorders, and socioeconomic such as education, employment, financial status, and neighborhood. Research over the past few decades has also proposed a link between alcohol consumption and aggressive behaviors. Alcohol consumption can escalate aggressive behavior in humans, often leading to domestic violence or serious crimes. Converging lines of evidence have also shown that trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could have a tremendous impact on behavior associated with both alcohol use problems and violence. However, although the link between trauma, alcohol, and aggression is well documented, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and their impact on behavior have not been properly discussed. This article provides an overview of recent advances in understanding the translational neurobiological basis of aggression and its intricate links to alcoholism and trauma, focusing on behavior. It does so by shedding light from several perspectives, including in vivo imaging, genes, receptors, and neurotransmitters and their influence on human and animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Fritz
- School of Health and Social Sciences, AKAD University of Applied Sciences, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ulm University, BKH Günzburg, Lindenallee 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany
| | - Sarah-Maria Soravia
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ulm University, BKH Günzburg, Lindenallee 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany
| | - Manuela Dudeck
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ulm University, BKH Günzburg, Lindenallee 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany
| | - Layal Malli
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut P.O. Box 13-5053, Lebanon
| | - Marc Fakhoury
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut P.O. Box 13-5053, Lebanon
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Sesso G, Masi G. Pharmacological strategies for the management of the antisocial personality disorder. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2023; 16:181-194. [PMID: 36787887 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2023.2181159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antisocial personality disorder (AsPD) is a pervasive pattern of violation of others' rights, related to the concept of psychopathy. AsPD is stable over time from adolescence, with evidence of conduct disorder (CD) before 15 years. DSM-5 included a specifier 'with limited prosocial emotions' (LPE), which characterizes adolescents with higher developmental vulnerability to develop AsPD. Despite being relatively frequent with considerable societal impact, AsPD is a difficult-to-treat condition with high comorbidity rates and poor evidence for effective pharmacological interventions. AREAS COVERED We conducted a narrative review and searched PubMed up to September 2022. We included RCTs and naturalistic studies evaluating pharmacological interventions on AsPD in adults, including those with comorbid substance use disorder or psychopathic traits. Evidence in youths with CD, callous-unemotional (CU) traits and aggression were also reviewed, exploring the role of CU traits as moderators of response. EXPERT OPINION Psychosocial interventions are the first option, with possible improvement of CU traits, beyond behavioral and affective symptoms, particularly if implemented early during development. Limited information, based on low-quality studies, supports the pharmacological options. Second-generation antipsychotics, lithium, anti-epileptic drugs, and stimulants are first-line medications, according to different target symptoms. Developmental pathways including ADHD suggest a specific role of psychostimulants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Sesso
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Group, Molecular Mind Lab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Masi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
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Malik N, Amber S, Zahid S. Rosmarinus officinalis and Methylphenidate Exposure Improves Cognition and Depression and Regulates Anxiety-Like Behavior in AlCl3-Induced Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:943163. [PMID: 36034857 PMCID: PMC9411514 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.943163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological illness that causes severe cognitive impairment. AD patients also experience at least one of the neuropsychiatric symptoms including apathy, depression, and anxiety during the course of their life. Acetylcholine esterase inhibitors are the available treatment options to alleviate cognitive deficits, whereas methylphenidate (MPH), a psychostimulant, is considered for the treatment of apathy in AD patients. Rosmarinus officinalis, a perennial herb, has been potentially known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the potential effects of MPH and R. officinalis in comparison with the standard drug, Donepezil, on cognition, anxiety, and depression in the AlCl3-induced mouse model of AD. The animals were divided into eight groups (n = 8, each). The results revealed that the MPH- and R. officinalis-treated groups significantly improved memory impairment, whereas R. officinalis substantially reduced depression and anxiety as compared with other treatment groups. MPH treatment induced an antidepressant effect and increased anxiety-like behavior. Moreover, the AlCl3 exposure led to the formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in mice hippocampus; however, none of the tested drugs caused a significant reduction in amyloid burden at the selected doses. The present study suggested the potential of R. officinalis to improve memory as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD. Although R. officinalis improved cognitive abilities, it did not reduce the amyloid plaque burden, which indicates that the memory-enhancing effects of R. officinalis are due to some alternate mechanism that needs to be explored further.
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Fantozzi P, Sesso G, Muratori P, Milone A, Masi G. Biological Bases of Empathy and Social Cognition in Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Focus on Treatment with Psychostimulants. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1399. [PMID: 34827398 PMCID: PMC8615705 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been growing interest in investigating the effect of specific pharmacological treatments for ADHD not only on its core symptoms, but also on social skills in youths. This stands especially true for ADHD patients displaying impulsive aggressiveness and antisocial behaviors, being the comorbidity with Disruptive Behavior Disorders, one of the most frequently observed in clinical settings. This systematic review aimed to synthesize research findings on this topic following PRISMA guidelines and to identify gaps in current knowledge, future directions, and treatment implications. Search strategies included the following terms: ADHD; methylphenidate and other ADHD drugs; empathy, theory of mind and emotion recognition. Full-text articles were retrieved and data from individual studies were collected. Thirteen studies were finally included in our systematic review. Ten studies assessing changes in empathy and/or theory of mind in patients with ADHD treated after pharmacological interventions were identified. Similarly, seven partially overlapping studies assessing changes in emotion recognition were retrieved. Despite a great heterogeneity in the methodological characteristics of the included studies, most of them reported an improvement in emphatic and theory of mind abilities in youths with ADHD treated with psychostimulants and nonstimulant drugs, as well as positive but less consistent results about emotion recognition performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Fantozzi
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.F.); (G.S.); (P.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Gianluca Sesso
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.F.); (G.S.); (P.M.); (A.M.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Muratori
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.F.); (G.S.); (P.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Annarita Milone
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.F.); (G.S.); (P.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Gabriele Masi
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.F.); (G.S.); (P.M.); (A.M.)
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Laviola G, Leonardo A, Ceci FM, Fiore M. Callous unemotional trait-like mice and their stressed dams. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 131:105296. [PMID: 34175559 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The co-occurrence of excess rates of aggression, general violation of societal norms and callous-unemotional trait confers specific risk for adult psychopathy. With the aim to address experimentally a model of conduct disorder, we investigated the male offspring of individual mouse dams characterized by high basal plasma corticosterone concentration (HC trait). Notably, classification indices correlated selectively in these females with quite poor maternal care devoted to their offspring. Contrary to their HC mothers, adult male offspring exhibited an integrated profile of dampened physiological reactivity to external stressors co-occurring poor sociability/emotional contagion, impaired punishment-induced memory, and exacerbated aggression. A significant reduction of glucocorticoid and opioid mu receptors' expression in frontal cortex of model HC offspring was also evidenced. Moreover, in the absence of changes in oxytocin receptor in behaviorally-relevant neural areas, we showed that intranasal oxytocin administration (0 or 20.0 µg/kg) selectively modulated specific components of the behavioral phenotype. Ultimately, current data support the notion that maternally-inoculated environmental stress early in development may represent a critical risk factor in disturbances characterised by abnormal aggression and excess callousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Laviola
- Reference Centre for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, Rome I-00161, Italy.
| | - Arianna Leonardo
- Reference Centre for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, Rome I-00161, Italy
| | - Flavio Maria Ceci
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Fiore
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology - IBBC - CNR, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Fantozzi P, Muratori P, Caponi MC, Levantini V, Nardoni C, Pfanner C, Ricci F, Sesso G, Tacchi A, Milone A, Masi G. Treatment with Methylphenidate Improves Affective but Not Cognitive Empathy in Youths with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8070596. [PMID: 34356575 PMCID: PMC8307630 DOI: 10.3390/children8070596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Background: Beside the core symptoms, patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently show relevant difficulty in developing relationships with peers. Although ADHD symptoms may account for social impairment, deficits in cognitive and/or affective empathy have also been involved. Our aim was to investigate the effect of methylphenidate (MPH) treatment on affective and cognitive empathy. Methods: Sixty-one drug-naïve youths with ADHD (age range 6 to 17 years, mean 10.3 ± 2.8 years, 51 males) naturalistically treated with MPH monotherapy were followed up for 6 months for ADHD symptoms and empathy, measured with the Basic Empathy Scale. Results: After being treated with MPH, the patients showed a significant improvement in affective and cognitive empathy scores. Linear regression models showed that changes in inattention symptoms predicted changes in affective but not in cognitive empathy, while changes in the hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms did not predict changes in affective or cognitive empathy. Conclusions: Our study provides a further contribution for a better understanding of the possible effects of the MPH on youth’s characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Fantozzi
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-050-886293
| | - Pietro Muratori
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Maria Celeste Caponi
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Valentina Levantini
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Cristina Nardoni
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Chiara Pfanner
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Federica Ricci
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Gianluca Sesso
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Annalisa Tacchi
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Annarita Milone
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Gabriele Masi
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (P.M.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.); (C.N.); (C.P.); (F.R.); (G.S.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
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