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Goodwin NL, Choong JJ, Hwang S, Pitts K, Bloom L, Islam A, Zhang YY, Szelenyi ER, Tong X, Newman EL, Miczek K, Wright HR, McLaughlin RJ, Norville ZC, Eshel N, Heshmati M, Nilsson SRO, Golden SA. Simple Behavioral Analysis (SimBA) as a platform for explainable machine learning in behavioral neuroscience. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1411-1424. [PMID: 38778146 PMCID: PMC11268425 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01649-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The study of complex behaviors is often challenging when using manual annotation due to the absence of quantifiable behavioral definitions and the subjective nature of behavioral annotation. Integration of supervised machine learning approaches mitigates some of these issues through the inclusion of accessible and explainable model interpretation. To decrease barriers to access, and with an emphasis on accessible model explainability, we developed the open-source Simple Behavioral Analysis (SimBA) platform for behavioral neuroscientists. SimBA introduces several machine learning interpretability tools, including SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) scores, that aid in creating explainable and transparent behavioral classifiers. Here we show how the addition of explainability metrics allows for quantifiable comparisons of aggressive social behavior across research groups and species, reconceptualizing behavior as a sharable reagent and providing an open-source framework. We provide an open-source, graphical user interface (GUI)-driven, well-documented package to facilitate the movement toward improved automation and sharing of behavioral classification tools across laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastacia L Goodwin
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jia J Choong
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sophia Hwang
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kayla Pitts
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Liana Bloom
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Aasiya Islam
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yizhe Y Zhang
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eric R Szelenyi
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Tong
- New York University Neuroscience Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily L Newman
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Klaus Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Hayden R Wright
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Ryan J McLaughlin
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Neir Eshel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mitra Heshmati
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Simon R O Nilsson
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Sam A Golden
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Raghav JG, Kumar H, Ji L, Vemuri K, Makriyannis A, Suh J, Leonard MZ, Dang V, Ty C, Marandola S, Kane N, Witt AS, Shaqour S, Miczek KA. The neutral CB1 antagonist AM6527 reduces ethanol seeking, binge-like consumption, reinforcing, and withdrawal effects in male and female mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:427-443. [PMID: 38001264 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06500-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a debilitating physiological and psychiatric disorder which affects individuals globally. The current pharmacological interventions to treat AUD are limited, and hence there is an urgent need for a novel pharmacological therapy which can be effective and safe across the population. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate a novel neutral cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB1R) antagonist, AM6527, in several preclinical models of ethanol consumption using male and female C57BL6/J mice. METHODS Independent groups of male and female mice were subjected to repeated cycles of drinking in the dark (DID), or intermittent access to alcohol (IAA) procedures. Twenty minutes prior to ethanol access in each procedure, animals were treated with intraperitoneal injections of either 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg of AM6527 or its respective vehicle. Acamprosate (100, 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg) or its respective vehicle was used as a positive control. Separate groups of male mice were subjected to a chain schedule of ethanol reinforcement to gain access to ethanol wherein completion of a fixed interval (FI; 5 min) schedule (link 1: "Seeking") was reinforced with continuous access to ethanol (fixed ratio; FR1) for up to 1.8 g/kg (link 2: "consumption"). All the animals were treated with 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg of AM6527 or its respective vehicle 20 mins prior to the start of the FI chain of the procedure. Separately, AM6527 was also evaluated in male and female mice undergoing acute ethanol withdrawal following 8 weeks of intermittent or continuous access to 20% ethanol drinking. RESULTS In both DID and IAA procedures, AM6527 reduced ethanol consumption in a dose-related manner in both male and female mice. AM6527 produced no tolerance in the DID procedure; mice treated with 3 mg/kg of AM6527 for 3 weeks continuously drank significantly smaller amounts of ethanol as compared to vehicle-treated mice over a period of three DID cycles. Moreover, in the IAA procedure, AM6527 caused an increase in water intake over the 24-h period. Acamprosate transiently reduced ethanol intake in male mice in both the DID and the IAA procedures but failed to produce any significant effect in female mice. AM6527 also produced a decrease in the FI responding ("ethanol seeking") in animals trained to self-administer ethanol. Lastly, AM6527 mitigated neurological withdrawal signs, i.e., handling induced convulsions (HIC) in mice undergoing acute ethanol withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS Current findings support previous studies with CB1R neutral antagonist in reducing voluntary ethanol intake and seeking behavior. Based on results shown in this work, AM6527 can be developed as a first in class CB1R neutral antagonist to treat AUD in both males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimit Girish Raghav
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Hritik Kumar
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Lipin Ji
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kiran Vemuri
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Alexandros Makriyannis
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Junghyup Suh
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Mclean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Michael Z Leonard
- Dept. of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Ave (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Vivi Dang
- Dept. of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Ave (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Chelsea Ty
- Dept. of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Ave (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Stephen Marandola
- Dept. of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Ave (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Natalie Kane
- Dept. of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Ave (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Annika S Witt
- Dept. of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Ave (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Samar Shaqour
- Dept. of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Ave (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Dept. of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Ave (Bacon Hall), Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
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Rice RC, Gil DV, Baratta AM, Frawley RR, Hill SY, Farris SP, Homanics GE. Inter- and transgenerational heritability of preconception chronic stress or alcohol exposure: Translational outcomes in brain and behavior. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 29:100603. [PMID: 38234394 PMCID: PMC10792982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress and alcohol (ethanol) use are highly interrelated and can change an individual's behavior through molecular adaptations that do not change the DNA sequence, but instead change gene expression. A recent wealth of research has found that these nongenomic changes can be transmitted across generations, which could partially account for the "missing heritability" observed in genome-wide association studies of alcohol use disorder and other stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we summarize the molecular and behavioral outcomes of nongenomic inheritance of chronic stress and ethanol exposure and the germline mechanisms that could give rise to this heritability. In doing so, we outline the need for further research to: (1) Investigate individual germline mechanisms of paternal, maternal, and biparental nongenomic chronic stress- and ethanol-related inheritance; (2) Synthesize and dissect cross-generational chronic stress and ethanol exposure; (3) Determine cross-generational molecular outcomes of preconception ethanol exposure that contribute to alcohol-related disease risk, using cancer as an example. A detailed understanding of the cross-generational nongenomic effects of stress and/or ethanol will yield novel insight into the impact of ancestral perturbations on disease risk across generations and uncover actionable targets to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Rice
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniela V. Gil
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Annalisa M. Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Remy R. Frawley
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shirley Y. Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sean P. Farris
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gregg E. Homanics
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Grippo AJ, Akinbo OI, Amidei A, Wardwell J, Normann MC, Ciosek S, Kovalev D. Maladaptive cardiac and behavioral reactivity to repeated vicarious stress exposure in socially bonded male prairie vole siblings. Auton Neurosci 2024; 251:103145. [PMID: 38194740 PMCID: PMC10843770 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2023.103145] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Behaviors, emotions, and cardiovascular functions are influenced by stress. But these detrimental effects are not exclusive to an individual that directly experiences stress. Stress is also experienced vicariously through observation of another individual undergoing stress. The current study used the strong social bonds in socially monogamous prairie voles to determine effects of repeated vicarious stress on cardiac and behavioral outcomes. Male prairie voles were exposed to either a 5-minute open field chamber alone [separate (control)] or while concurrently witnessing their sibling undergo a tail-suspension stressor [concurrent (experimental)], repeated across 4 sessions. Cardiac responses in animals in the open field were evaluated for heart rate and heart rate variability prior to, during, and after each test session, and behaviors were evaluated for motion, exploration, stress reactivity, and anxiety-relevant behaviors during each test session. The concurrent condition (versus separate) displayed increased heart rate and reduced heart rate variability during repeated test sessions, and impaired recovery of these parameters following the test sessions. The pattern of disturbances suggests that both increased sympathetic and reduced parasympathetic influence contributed to the cardiac responses. Animals in the concurrent condition (versus separate) displayed disrupted rearing, grooming, and motion; reduced duration of center section exploration; and increased freezing responses across repeated test sessions. Collectively, cardiac and behavioral stress reactivity are increased as a function of vicarious stress in prairie voles, which are evident across repeated experiences of stress. These results inform our understanding of the experience of vicarious stress in social species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela J Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA.
| | - Oreoluwa I Akinbo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Alex Amidei
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Joshua Wardwell
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Marigny C Normann
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Ciosek
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Dmitry Kovalev
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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Bahi A. Gestational environmental enrichment prevents chronic social stress induced anxiety- and ethanol-related behaviors in offspring. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 234:173679. [PMID: 37977553 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological surveys have shown a strong relationship between maternal stress and offspring's mood disorders. Growing evidence suggested that environmental enrichment (EE) improves cognitive function in models of psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, the potential protective effects of gestational EE on social stress-elicited mood disorders in offspring have not been studied. Knowing that the undeveloped brain is more sensitive to gestational environmental stimuli, we hypothesized that initiating cognitive stimulation, during gestation, would protect against social stress-induced behavioral alterations in adulthood. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of gestational EE on social stress-elicited anxiety- and ethanol-related behaviors in adult offspring. EE consisted of free access, of dams, to tubular devices of different shapes, colors, and sizes that were changed regularly. After birth and weaning, young adult offspring were exposed to 19 days of social stress and anxiety-like behavior was evaluated by elevated plus maze, open field, and marbles burying tests. The two-bottle choice (TBC) drinking paradigm was used to assess stress-induced ethanol intake. Results showed that gestational EE prevented social stress-elicited anxiogenic-like effects with no differences in spontaneous locomotor activity. Moreover, in the TBC paradigm, mice pre-exposed to EE consistently showed a significantly decreased consumption and preference for ethanol with no effects on tastants' intakes. Interestingly, gestational EE increased serum BDNF levels, which showed a correlation with measures of anxiety- and ethanol-related behaviors. These findings indicate that some neurodevelopmental changes associated with prenatal EE may counteract adult social stress-induced behavioral alterations through a BDNF mechanism. Therefore, we propose that gestational EE has significant protective and beneficial effects on social stress-induced cognitive impairment. It can also alleviate anxiety-like behavior and subsequent excessive alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amine Bahi
- College of Medicine, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Center of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Department of Anatomy, CMHS, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
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