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Munarriz-Cuezva E, Meana JJ. Poly (I:C)-induced maternal immune activation generates impairment of reversal learning performance in offspring. J Neurochem 2024. [PMID: 39183542 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16212] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) induces a variety of behavioral and brain abnormalities in offspring of rodent models, compatible with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia or autism. However, it remains controversial whether MIA impairs reversal learning, a basic expression of cognitive flexibility that seems to be altered in schizophrenia. In the present study, MIA was induced by administration of a single dose of polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (Poly (I:C) (5 mg/kg i.p.)) or saline to mouse pregnant dams in gestational day (GD) 9.5. Immune activation was monitored through changes in weight and temperature. The offspring were evaluated when they reached adulthood (8 weeks) using a touchscreen-based system to investigate the effects of Poly (I:C) on discrimination and reversal learning performance. After an initial pre-training, mice were trained to discriminate between two different stimuli, of which only one was rewarded (acquisition phase). When the correct response reached above 80% values for two consecutive days, the images were reversed (reversal phase) to assess the adaptation capacity to a changing environment. Maternal Poly (I:C) treatment did not interfere with the learning process but induced deficits in reversal learning compared to control saline animals. Thus, the accuracy in the reversal phase was lower, and Poly (I:C) animals required more sessions to complete it, suggesting impairments in cognitive flexibility. This study advances the knowledge of how MIA affects behavior, especially cognitive domains that are impaired in schizophrenia. The findings support the validity of the Poly (I:C)-based MIA model as a tool to develop pharmacological treatments targeting cognitive deficits associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Munarriz-Cuezva
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Jose Javier Meana
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
- Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
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2
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Spoelder M, Bright Y, Morrison MC, van Kempen V, de Groodt L, Begalli M, Schuijt N, Kruiger E, Bulthuis R, Gross G, Kleemann R, van Diepen JA, Homberg JR. Cognitive Performance during the Development of Diabetes in the Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rat. Cells 2023; 12:2463. [PMID: 37887307 PMCID: PMC10605915 DOI: 10.3390/cells12202463] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased insulin levels may support the development of neural circuits involved in cognition, while chronic mild inflammation may also result in cognitive impairment. This study aimed to gain more insight into whether cognition is already impacted during adolescence in a genetic rat model for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Visual discrimination learning throughout adolescence and the level of motivation during early adulthood were investigated in Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) obese and ZDF lean rats using operant touchscreens. Blood glucose, insulin, and lipids were longitudinally analyzed. Histological analyses were performed in the liver, white adipose tissues, and the prefrontal cortex. Prior to the experiments with the genetic ZDF research model, all experimental assays were performed in two groups of outbred Long Evans rats to investigate the effect of different feeding circumstances. Adolescent ZDF obese rats outperformed ZDF lean rats on visual discrimination performance. During the longitudinal cognitive testing period, insulin levels sharply increased over weeks in ZDF obese rats and were significantly enhanced from 6 weeks of age onwards. Early signs of liver steatosis and enlarged adipocytes in white adipose tissue were observed in early adult ZDF obese rats. Histological analyses in early adulthood showed no group differences in the number of prefrontal cortex neurons and microglia, nor PSD95 and SIRT1 mRNA expression levels. Together, our data show that adolescent ZDF obese rats even display enhanced cognition despite their early diabetic profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia Spoelder
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (Y.B.)
| | - Yami Bright
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (Y.B.)
| | - Martine C. Morrison
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Sylviusweg 71, 2333 CE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Veerle van Kempen
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (Y.B.)
| | - Lilian de Groodt
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (Y.B.)
| | - Malvina Begalli
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (Y.B.)
| | - Nikita Schuijt
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (Y.B.)
| | - Eva Kruiger
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (Y.B.)
| | - Ronald Bulthuis
- Metris B.V., Kruisweg 829c, 2132 NG Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriele Gross
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Reckitt|Mead Johnson Nutrition Institute, Middenkampweg 2, 6545 CJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Kleemann
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Sylviusweg 71, 2333 CE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Janna A. van Diepen
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Reckitt|Mead Johnson Nutrition Institute, Middenkampweg 2, 6545 CJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (Y.B.)
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3
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Siegel AE, Bianchi DW, Guedj F. Visual discrimination and inhibitory control deficits in mouse models of Down syndrome: A pilot study using rodent touchscreen technology. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:492-507. [PMID: 36602162 PMCID: PMC10068543 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25160] [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: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Several non-verbal cognitive and behavioral tests have been developed to assess learning deficits in humans with Down syndrome (DS). Here we used rodent touchscreen paradigms in adult male mice to investigate visual discrimination (VD) learning and inhibitory control in the Dp(16)1/Yey (C57BL/6J genetic background), Ts65Dn (mixed B6 X C3H genetic background) and Ts1Cje (C57BL/6J genetic background) mouse models of DS. Dp(16)1/Yey and Ts1Cje models did not exhibit motivation or learning deficits during early pre-training, however, Ts1Cje mice showed a significant learning delay after the introduction of the incorrect stimulus (late pre-training), suggesting prefrontal cortex defects in this model. Dp(16)1/Yey and Ts1Cje mice display learning deficits in VD but these deficits were more pronounced in the Dp(16)1/Yey model. Both models also exhibited compulsive behavior and abnormal cortical inhibitory control during Extinction compared to WT littermates. Finally, Ts65Dn mice outperformed WT littermates in pre-training stages by initiating a significantly higher number of trials due to their hyperactive behavior. Both Ts65Dn and WT littermates showed poor performance during late pre-training and were not tested in VD. These studies demonstrate significant learning deficits and compulsive behavior in the Ts1Cje and Dp(16)1/Yey mouse models of DS. They also demonstrate that the mouse genetic background (C57BL/6J vs. mixed B6 X C3H) and the absence of hyperactive behavior are key determinants of successful learning in touchscreen behavioral testing. These data will be used to select the mouse model that best mimics cognitive deficits in humans with DS and evaluate the effects of future therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Emily Siegel
- Prenatal Genomics and Therapy (PGT) Section, Center for Precision Health Research (CPHR), National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI), Tufts Medical Center (TMC), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Diana W. Bianchi
- Prenatal Genomics and Therapy (PGT) Section, Center for Precision Health Research (CPHR), National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI), Tufts Medical Center (TMC), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Faycal Guedj
- Prenatal Genomics and Therapy (PGT) Section, Center for Precision Health Research (CPHR), National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI), Tufts Medical Center (TMC), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Eleftheriou C, Clarke T, Poon V, Zechner M, Duguid I. Visiomode: An open-source platform for building rodent touchscreen-based behavioral assays. J Neurosci Methods 2023; 386:109779. [PMID: 36621552 PMCID: PMC10375831 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109779] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Touchscreen-based behavioral assays provide a robust method for assessing cognitive behavior in rodents, offering great flexibility and translational potential. The development of touchscreen assays presents a significant programming and mechanical engineering challenge, where commercial solutions can be prohibitively expensive and open-source solutions are underdeveloped, with limited adaptability. NEW METHOD Here, we present Visiomode (www.visiomode.org), an open-source platform for building rodent touchscreen-based behavioral tasks. Visiomode leverages the inherent flexibility of touchscreens to offer a simple yet adaptable software and hardware platform. The platform is built on the Raspberry Pi computer combining a web-based interface and powerful plug-in system with an operant chamber that can be adapted to generate a wide range of behavioral tasks. RESULTS As a proof of concept, we use Visiomode to build both simple stimulus-response and more complex visual discrimination tasks, showing that mice display rapid sensorimotor learning including switching between different motor responses (i.e., nose poke versus reaching). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Commercial solutions are the 'go to' for rodent touchscreen behaviors, but the associated costs can be prohibitive, limiting their uptake by the wider neuroscience community. While several open-source solutions have been developed, efforts so far have focused on reducing the cost, rather than promoting ease of use and adaptability. Visiomode addresses these unmet needs providing a low-cost, extensible platform for creating touchscreen tasks. CONCLUSIONS Developing an open-source, rapidly scalable and low-cost platform for building touchscreen-based behavioral assays should increase uptake across the science community and accelerate the investigation of cognition, decision-making and sensorimotor behaviors both in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantinos Eleftheriou
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and Patrick Wild Centre, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
| | - Thomas Clarke
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and Patrick Wild Centre, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - V Poon
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and Patrick Wild Centre, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Marie Zechner
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Ian Duguid
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and Patrick Wild Centre, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
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5
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Némethy Z, Kiss B, Lethbridge N, Chazot P, Hajnik T, Tóth A, Détári L, Schmidt É, Czurkó A, Kostyalik D, Oláh V, Hernádi I, Balázs O, Vizi ES, Ledneczki I, Mahó S, Román V, Lendvai B, Lévay G. Convergent cross-species pro-cognitive effects of RGH-235, a new potent and selective histamine H 3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 916:174621. [PMID: 34965389 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The histamine H3 receptor is a favourable target for the treatment of cognitive deficits. Here we report the in vitro and in vivo profile of RGH-235, a new potent, selective, and orally active H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist developed by Gedeon Richter Plc. Radioligand binding and functional assays were used for in vitro profiling. Procognitive efficacy was investigated in rodent cognitive tests, in models of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and in cognitive tests of high translational value (rat touch screen visual discrimination test, primate fixed-foreperiod visual reaction time task). Results were supported by pharmacokinetic studies, neurotransmitter release, sleep EEG and dipsogenia. RGH-235 displayed high affinity to H3 receptors (Ki = 3.0-9.2 nM, depending on species), without affinity to H1, H2 or H4 receptors and >100 other targets. RGH-235 was an inverse agonist ([35S] GTPγS binding) and antagonist (pERK1/2 ELISA), showing favourable kinetics, inhibition of the imetit-induced dipsogenia and moderate effects on sleep-wake EEG. RGH-235 stimulated neurotransmitter release both in vitro and in vivo. RGH-235 was active in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), generally considered as a model of ADHD, and revealed a robust pro-cognitive profile both in rodent and primate tests (in 0.3-1 mg/kg) and in models of high translational value (e.g. in a rodent touch screen test and in non-human primates). The multiple and convergent procognitive effects of RGH-235 support the view that beneficial cognitive effects can be linked to antagonism/inverse agonism of H3 receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsolt Némethy
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Béla Kiss
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Paul Chazot
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Tünde Hajnik
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Tóth
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Détári
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Schmidt
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Czurkó
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Diána Kostyalik
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Vilmos Oláh
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, Grastyán Translational Research Center and Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - István Hernádi
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, Grastyán Translational Research Center and Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ottilia Balázs
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | - Sándor Mahó
- Department of Chemistry, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktor Román
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Lendvai
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary
| | - György Lévay
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary
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6
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Pike AC, Lowther M, Robinson OJ. The Importance of Common Currency Tasks in Translational Psychiatry. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2021; 8:1-10. [PMID: 33708469 PMCID: PMC7904709 DOI: 10.1007/s40473-021-00225-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Common currency tasks are tasks that investigate the same phenomenon in different species. In this review, we discuss how to ensure the translational validity of common currency tasks, summarise their benefits, present recent research in this area and offer future directions and recommendations. Recent Findings We discuss the strengths and limitations of three specific examples where common currency tasks have added to our understanding of psychiatric constructs—affective bias, reversal learning and goal-based decision making. Summary Overall, common currency tasks offer the potential to improve drug discovery in psychiatry. We recommend that researchers prioritise construct validity above face validity when designing common currency tasks and suggest that the evidence for construct validity is summarised in papers presenting research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C Pike
- Anxiety Lab, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, 17-19 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3AR UK
| | - Millie Lowther
- Anxiety Lab, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, 17-19 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3AR UK
| | - Oliver J Robinson
- Anxiety Lab, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, 17-19 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3AR UK.,Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK
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7
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Krakenberg V, Wewer M, Palme R, Kaiser S, Sachser N, Richter SH. Regular touchscreen training affects faecal corticosterone metabolites and anxiety-like behaviour in mice. Behav Brain Res 2020; 401:113080. [PMID: 33358914 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Automated touchscreen techniques find increasing application for the assessment of cognitive function in rodents. However, hardly anything is known about the potential impact of touchscreen-based training and testing procedures on the animals under investigation. Addressing this question appears particularly important in light of the long and intensive training phases required for most of the operant tasks. Against this background, we here investigated the influence of regular touchscreen training on hormones and behaviour of mice. Faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCMs), reflecting corticosterone levels around the time of treatment, were significantly increased in touchscreen-trained mice, even one week after the training phase was already terminated. Such an effect was not detected on baseline FCMs. Thus, regular touchscreen training can be assumed to cause long-term effects on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. Furthermore, anxiety-like behaviour was increased in touchscreen-trained mice two weeks after the end of the training phase. Traditionally, this would be interpreted as a negative influence of the training procedure on the animals' affective state. Yet, we also provide two alternative explanations, taking the possibility into account that touchscreen training might have enriching properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Krakenberg
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany.
| | - Maximilian Wewer
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
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8
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Hatzipantelis C, Langiu M, Vandekolk TH, Pierce TL, Nithianantharajah J, Stewart GD, Langmead CJ. Translation-Focused Approaches to GPCR Drug Discovery for Cognitive Impairments Associated with Schizophrenia. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:1042-1062. [PMID: 33344888 PMCID: PMC7737210 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
There are no effective therapeutics for cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), which includes deficits in executive functions (working memory and cognitive flexibility) and episodic memory. Compounds that have entered clinical trials are inadequate in terms of efficacy and/or tolerability, highlighting a clear translational bottleneck and a need for a cohesive preclinical drug development strategy. In this review we propose hippocampal-prefrontal-cortical (HPC-PFC) circuitry underlying CIAS-relevant cognitive processes across mammalian species as a target source to guide the translation-focused discovery and development of novel, procognitive agents. We highlight several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) enriched within HPC-PFC circuitry as therapeutic targets of interest, including noncanonical approaches (biased agonism and allosteric modulation) to conventional clinical targets, such as dopamine and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, along with prospective novel targets, including the orphan receptors GPR52 and GPR139. We also describe the translational limitations of popular preclinical cognition tests and suggest touchscreen-based assays that probe cognitive functions reliant on HPC-PFC circuitry and reflect tests used in the clinic, as tests of greater translational relevance. Combining pharmacological and behavioral testing strategies based in HPC-PFC circuit function creates a cohesive, translation-focused approach to preclinical drug development that may improve the translational bottleneck currently hindering the development of treatments for CIAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra
J. Hatzipantelis
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Monica Langiu
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Teresa H. Vandekolk
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Tracie L. Pierce
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Jess Nithianantharajah
- Florey
Institute of Neuroscience
and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Gregory D. Stewart
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Christopher J. Langmead
- Drug
Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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9
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Buscher N, Ojeda A, Francoeur M, Hulyalkar S, Claros C, Tang T, Terry A, Gupta A, Fakhraei L, Ramanathan DS. Open-source raspberry Pi-based operant box for translational behavioral testing in rodents. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 342:108761. [PMID: 32479970 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodents have been used for decades to probe neural circuits involved in behavior. Increasingly, attempts have been developed to standardize training paradigms across labs; and to use visual/auditory paradigms that can be also tested in humans. Commercially available systems are expensive and thus do not scale easily, and are not optimized for electrophysiology. NEW METHOD Using the rich open-source technology built around Raspberry Pi, we were able to develop an inexpensive (<$1000) visual-screen based operant chamber with electrophysiological and optogenetic compatibility. The chamber is operated within MATLAB/Simulink, a commonly used scientific programming language allowing for rapid customization. RESULTS Here, we describe and provide all relevant details needed to develop and produce these chambers, and show examples of behavior and electrophysiology data collected using these chambers. We also include all of the tools needed to allow readers to build and develop their own boxes (CAD models for 3D printing and laser-cutting; PCB-board design; all bill of materials for required parts and supplies, and some examples of Simulink models to operate the boxes). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS The new boxes are far more cost-effective than commercially available environments and allow for the combination of automated behavioral testing with electrophysiological read-outs with high temporal precision. CONCLUSION These open-source boxes can be used for labs interested in developing high-throughput visual/auditory behavioral assays for ∼ 10th the cost of commercial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Buscher
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - A Ojeda
- Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States; Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engin., UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - M Francoeur
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - S Hulyalkar
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - C Claros
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - T Tang
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - A Terry
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - A Gupta
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - L Fakhraei
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - D S Ramanathan
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare Syst., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States.
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10
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Krakenberg V, von Kortzfleisch VT, Kaiser S, Sachser N, Richter SH. Differential Effects of Serotonin Transporter Genotype on Anxiety-Like Behavior and Cognitive Judgment Bias in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:263. [PMID: 31849623 PMCID: PMC6902087 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, the short allele of a common polymorphism in the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene is associated with a higher risk to develop depression and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, individuals carrying this allele are characterized by negative judgment biases, as they tend to interpret ambiguous information in a more pessimistic way. 5-HTT knockout mice, lacking the 5-HTT gene either homo- or heterozygously, provide a widely used model organism for the study of symptoms related to human anxiety disorders. In the present study, we aimed to prove the anxiety-like phenotype of the 5-HTT mouse model, and to investigate whether 5-HTT genotype also causes differences in judgment bias. While our results confirm that homozygous 5-HTT knockout mice display highest levels of anxiety-like behavior, it was decreased in heterozygous mice. Against our expectations, we did not detect differences in the animals’ judgment bias. These results indicate that at least in mice the association between 5-HTT genotype and judgment bias is not straightforward and that other factors, including multiple genes as well as environmental influences, are implicated in the modulation of judgment biases. More research is needed to gain further insights into their function as potential endophenotypes for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Krakenberg
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Vanessa Tabea von Kortzfleisch
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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11
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Karel P, Almacellas‐Barbanoj A, Prijn J, Kaag A, Reneman L, Verheij MM, Homberg JR. Appetitive to aversive counter-conditioning as intervention to reduce reinstatement of reward-seeking behavior: the role of the serotonin transporter. Addict Biol 2019; 24:344-354. [PMID: 29292566 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Counter-conditioning can be a valid strategy to reduce reinstatement of reward-seeking behavior. However, this has not been tested in laboratory animals with extended cocaine-taking backgrounds nor is it well understood, which individual differences may contribute to its effects. Here, we set out to investigate the influence of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype on the effectiveness of counter-conditioning after extended access to cocaine self-administration. To this end, 5-HTT+/+ and 5-HTT-/- rats underwent a touch screen-based approach to test if reward-induced reinstatement of responding to a previously counter-conditioned cue is reduced, compared with a non-counter-conditioned cue, in a within-subject manner. We observed an overall extinction deficit of cocaine-seeking behavior in 5-HTT-/- rats and a resistance to punishment during the counter-conditioning session. Furthermore, we observed a significant decrease in reinstatement to cocaine and sucrose associated cues after counter-conditioning but only in 5-HTT+/+ rats. In short, we conclude that the paradigm we used was able to produce effects of counter-conditioning of sucrose seeking behavior in line with what is described in literature, and we demonstrate that it can be effective even after long-term exposure to cocaine, in a genotype-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Karel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for NeuroscienceDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour The Netherlands
| | - Amanda Almacellas‐Barbanoj
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for NeuroscienceDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour The Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey Prijn
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for NeuroscienceDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour The Netherlands
| | - Anne‐Marije Kaag
- Addiction, Development, and Psychopathology (ADAPT) lab, Department of PsychologyUniversity of Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical CenterUniversity of Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Liesbeth Reneman
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Academic Medical CenterUniversity of Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Brain and CognitionUniversity of Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Michel M.M. Verheij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for NeuroscienceDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour The Netherlands
| | - Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for NeuroscienceDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour The Netherlands
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12
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Krakenberg V, Woigk I, Garcia Rodriguez L, Kästner N, Kaiser S, Sachser N, Richter SH. Technology or ecology? New tools to assess cognitive judgement bias in mice. Behav Brain Res 2019; 362:279-287. [PMID: 30654122 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive judgement bias tests have become important new tools for the assessment of animal emotions. They allow for the inference of an animal's emotional state based on ambiguous cue interpretations. As mice are the predominantly used animal model for cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, research in this field would considerably benefit from the development of suitable judgement bias tests for this species. Against this background, we aimed to implement two different active choice cognitive judgement bias paradigms for mice in a methodological study. For this purpose, two experiments were conducted: in experiment I, an automated, vision-based touchscreen technique was applied, allowing for the direct translation of tasks from rodents to humans and vice versa. Experiment II comprised a task relying on more ecologically relevant cues in form of tunnels of different lengths. While the touchscreen task was characterized by automation-related advantages such as the possibility to present many trials per session and a high convenience for the experimenter, the tunnel task was learned faster by the mice. In both tests, however, the response to the trained and ambiguous conditions resulted in a graded curve, the basic requirement for proving task validity. Thus, both the translational touchscreen task as well as the ecologically more relevant tunnel task could successfully be implemented and provide new tools for the future assessment of cognitive judgement biases in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Krakenberg
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany.
| | - Irene Woigk
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany.
| | | | - Niklas Kästner
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany.
| | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany.
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany.
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany.
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13
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Graf R, Longo JL, Hughes ZA. The location discrimination reversal task in mice is sensitive to deficits in performance caused by aging, pharmacological and other challenges. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 32:1027-1036. [PMID: 29897000 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118779383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in hippocampal-mediated pattern separation are one aspect of cognitive function affected in schizophrenia (SZ) or Alzheimer's disease (AD). To develop novel therapies, it is beneficial to explore this specific aspect of cognition preclinically. The location discrimination reversal (LDR) task is a hippocampal-dependent operant paradigm that evaluates spatial learning and cognitive flexibility using touchscreens. Here we assessed baseline performance as well as multimodal disease-relevant manipulations in mice. Mice were trained to discriminate between the locations of two images where the degree of separation impacted performance. Administration of putative pro-cognitive agents was unable to improve performance at narrow separation. Furthermore, a range of disease-relevant manipulations were characterized to assess whether performance could be impaired and restored. Pertinent to the cholinergic loss in AD, scopolamine (0.1 mg/kg) produced a disruption in LDR, which was attenuated by donepezil (1 mg/kg). Consistent with NMDA hypofunction in cognitive impairment associated with SZ, MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) also disrupted performance; however, this deficit was not modified by rolipram. Microdeletion of genes associated with SZ (22q11) resulted in impaired performance, which was restored by rolipram (0.032 mg/kg). Since aging and inflammation affect cognition and are risk factors for AD, these aspects were also evaluated. Aged mice were slower to acquire the task than young mice and did not reach the same level of performance. A systemic inflammatory challenge (lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 1 mg/kg) produced prolonged (7 days) deficits in the LDR task. These data suggest that LDR task is a valuable platform for evaluating disease-relevant deficits in pattern separation and offers potential for identifying novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radka Graf
- Pfizer Internal Medicine Research Unit, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jami L Longo
- Pfizer Internal Medicine Research Unit, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zoë A Hughes
- Pfizer Internal Medicine Research Unit, Cambridge, MA, USA
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14
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Nikiforuk A. Assessment of cognitive functions in animal models of schizophrenia. Pharmacol Rep 2018; 70:639-649. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharep.2018.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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15
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Horsburgh K, Wardlaw JM, van Agtmael T, Allan SM, Ashford MLJ, Bath PM, Brown R, Berwick J, Cader MZ, Carare RO, Davis JB, Duncombe J, Farr TD, Fowler JH, Goense J, Granata A, Hall CN, Hainsworth AH, Harvey A, Hawkes CA, Joutel A, Kalaria RN, Kehoe PG, Lawrence CB, Lockhart A, Love S, Macleod MR, Macrae IM, Markus HS, McCabe C, McColl BW, Meakin PJ, Miller A, Nedergaard M, O'Sullivan M, Quinn TJ, Rajani R, Saksida LM, Smith C, Smith KJ, Touyz RM, Trueman RC, Wang T, Williams A, Williams SCR, Work LM. Small vessels, dementia and chronic diseases - molecular mechanisms and pathophysiology. Clin Sci (Lond) 2018; 132:851-868. [PMID: 29712883 PMCID: PMC6700732 DOI: 10.1042/cs20171620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a major contributor to stroke, cognitive impairment and dementia with limited therapeutic interventions. There is a critical need to provide mechanistic insight and improve translation between pre-clinical research and the clinic. A 2-day workshop was held which brought together experts from several disciplines in cerebrovascular disease, dementia and cardiovascular biology, to highlight current advances in these fields, explore synergies and scope for development. These proceedings provide a summary of key talks at the workshop with a particular focus on animal models of cerebral vascular disease and dementia, mechanisms and approaches to improve translation. The outcomes of discussion groups on related themes to identify the gaps in knowledge and requirements to advance knowledge are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Horsburgh
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, U.K.
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Tom van Agtmael
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Stuart M Allan
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K
| | | | - Philip M Bath
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K
| | - Rosalind Brown
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Jason Berwick
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, U.K
| | - M Zameel Cader
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roxana O Carare
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, U.K
| | - John B Davis
- Alzheimer's Research UK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K
| | - Jessica Duncombe
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Tracy D Farr
- School of Life Sciences, Nottingham University, Nottingham, U.K
| | - Jill H Fowler
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Jozien Goense
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Alessandra Granata
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K
| | | | - Atticus H Hainsworth
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St Georges University of London, London, U.K
| | - Adam Harvey
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Cheryl A Hawkes
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, Open University, Milton Keynes, U.K
| | - Anne Joutel
- Genetics and Pathogenesis of Cerebrovascular Diseases, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7, Paris, France
| | - Rajesh N Kalaria
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K
| | | | - Catherine B Lawrence
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K
| | | | - Seth Love
- Clinical Neurosciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K
| | - Malcolm R Macleod
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, U.K
| | - I Mhairi Macrae
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Hugh S Markus
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K
| | - Chris McCabe
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Barry W McColl
- The Roslin Institute & R(D)SVS, UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Paul J Meakin
- Division of Molecular & Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, U.K
| | - Alyson Miller
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Maiken Nedergaard
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA and University of Copenhagen's Center of Basic and Translational Neuroscience, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael O'Sullivan
- Mater Centre for Neuroscience and Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Terry J Quinn
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Rikesh Rajani
- Genetics and Pathogenesis of Cerebrovascular Diseases, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7, Paris, France
| | - Lisa M Saksida
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Kenneth J Smith
- Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, U.K
| | - Rhian M Touyz
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | | | - Tao Wang
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K
| | - Anna Williams
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, U.K
| | | | - Lorraine M Work
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
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16
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Systematic heterogenization for better reproducibility in animal experimentation. Lab Anim (NY) 2017; 46:343-349. [DOI: 10.1038/laban.1330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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17
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Buscher N, van Dorsselaer P, Steckler T, Talpos JC. Evaluating aged mice in three touchscreen tests that differ in visual demands: Impaired cognitive function and impaired visual abilities. Behav Brain Res 2017; 333:142-149. [PMID: 28690184 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Normal aging is often accompanied by reductions in cognitive abilities as well as impairments in visual acuity in men and mice. In preclinical models of human cognition this concomitance can make it difficult to assess the relative contributions of declined vision and cognitive ability on behavioral measures of cognition. To assess the influence of age on cognition and the impact of visual decline on the performance of touchscreen-based behavioral paradigms in mice, aged (11, 12, 16, 17, 19 and 21 months old) male C57BL/6J mice were compared to young (3 or 4 months old) male C57BL/6J mice using three tests of cognition as well as an assessment of visual acuity. Performance of a Visual Discrimination, Spatial Reversal, and an Automated Search Task were all affected by age. However, there was no relationship between reduced visual acuity and the observed performance impairments. Moreover, the visual acuity of animals with profound cognitive impairments overlapped with those showing normal cognitive ability. Despite the potential confound of impaired visual ability, it appears that the touchscreen approach might be particularly effective in studying age-related cognitive decline. This approach will increase the utility of aged mice as a model of decreased cognitive flexibility and may be particularly important for the study of age-related disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Buscher
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium; University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Thomas Steckler
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - John C Talpos
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
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18
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Talpos JC. Symptomatic thinking: the current state of Phase III and IV clinical trials for cognition in schizophrenia. Drug Discov Today 2017; 22:1017-1026. [PMID: 28461223 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2017.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Research indicates that relieving the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia is crucial for improving patient quality of life. However effective pharmacotherapies for cognitive and negative symptoms do not currently exist. A review of ongoing Phase III clinical trials indicates that, despite numerous compounds being investigated for cognition in schizophrenia, few are actually novel and most are not backed by empirically driven preclinical research efforts. Based on these trials, and a general disinvestment in development of novel therapies for schizophrenia, the likelihood of a major advancement in treating cognitive differences in schizophrenia does not look promising. Possible ways in which the remaining resources for development of novel treatment for schizophrenia can best be leveraged are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Talpos
- National Center for Toxicological Research, 3900 NCTR Rd, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA.
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19
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Marquardt K, Sigdel R, Brigman JL. Touch-screen visual reversal learning is mediated by value encoding and signal propagation in the orbitofrontal cortex. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 139:179-188. [PMID: 28111339 PMCID: PMC5372695 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral inflexibility is a common symptom of neuropsychiatric disorders which can have a major detrimental impact on quality of life. While the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been strongly implicated in behavioral flexibility in rodents across paradigms, our understanding of how the OFC mediates these behaviors is rapidly adapting. Here we examined neuronal activity during reversal learning by coupling in vivo electrophysiological recording with a mouse touch-screen learning paradigm to further elucidate the role of the OFC in updating reward value. Single unit and oscillatory activity was recorded during well-learned discrimination and 3 distinct phases of reversal (early, chance and well-learned). During touch-screen performance, OFC neuronal firing tracked rewarded responses following a previous rewarded choice when behavior was well learned, but shifted to primarily track repeated errors following a previous error in early reversal. Spike activity tracked rewarded choices independent of previous trial outcome during chance reversal, and returned to the initial pattern of reward response at criterion. Analysis of spike coupling to oscillatory local field potentials showed that less frequently occurring behaviors had significantly fewer neurons locked to any oscillatory frequency. Together, these data support the role of the OFC in tracking the value of individual choices to inform future responses and suggests that oscillatory signaling may be involved in propagating responses to increase or decrease the likelihood that action is taken in the future. They further support the use of touch-screen paradigms in preclinical studies to more closely model clinical approaches to measuring behavioral flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Marquardt
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Rahul Sigdel
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
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20
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Roschlau C, Votteler A, Hauber W. Stimulant drug effects on touchscreen automated paired-associates learning (PAL) in rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:422-6. [PMID: 27421894 PMCID: PMC4947238 DOI: 10.1101/lm.040345.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Here we tested in rats effects of the procognitive drugs modafinil and methylphenidate on post-acquisition performance in an object–location paired-associates learning (PAL) task. Modafinil (32; 64 mg/kg) was without effect, while higher (9 mg/kg) but not lower (4.5 mg/kg) doses of methylphenidate impaired PAL performance. Likewise, higher but not lower doses of amphetamine (0.4; 0.8 mg/kg) and MK-801 (0.08; 0.12 mg/kg) decreased PAL performance. Impaired PAL performance induced by methylphenidate, amphetamine, and MK801 most likely reflects compromised cognitive function, e.g., retrieval of learned paired associates. Our data suggest that stimulant drugs such as methylphenidate and modafinil might not facilitate performance in hippocampus-related cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Roschlau
- Department Animal Physiology, University of Stuttgart, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Angeline Votteler
- Department Animal Physiology, University of Stuttgart, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hauber
- Department Animal Physiology, University of Stuttgart, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany
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21
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Can Oxytocin Enhance Social Affiliation in Schizophrenia? Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-016-0080-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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22
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Mallien AS, Palme R, Richetto J, Muzzillo C, Richter SH, Vogt MA, Inta D, Riva MA, Vollmayr B, Gass P. Daily exposure to a touchscreen-paradigm and associated food restriction evokes an increase in adrenocortical and neural activity in mice. Horm Behav 2016; 81:97-105. [PMID: 27059527 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The translational assessment of mechanisms underlying cognitive functions using touchscreen-based approaches for rodents is growing in popularity. In these paradigms, daily training is usually accompanied by extended food restriction to maintain animals' motivation to respond for rewards. Here, we show a transient elevation in stress hormone levels due to food restriction and touchscreen training, with subsequent adaptation effects, in fecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations, indicating effective coping in response to physical and psychological stressors. Corticosterone concentrations of experienced but training-deprived mice revealed a potential anticipation of task exposure, indicating a possible temporary environmental enrichment-like effect caused by cognitive challenge. Furthermore, the analyses of immediate early gene (IEG) immunoreactivity in the hippocampus revealed alterations in Arc, c-Fos and zif268 expression immediately following training. In addition, BDNF expression was altered as a function of satiation state during food restriction. These findings suggest that standard protocols for touchscreen-based training induce changes in hippocampal neuronal activity related to satiation and learning that should be considered when using this paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Stephanie Mallien
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juliet Richetto
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Muzzillo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sophie Helene Richter
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Miriam Annika Vogt
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dragos Inta
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Vollmayr
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Peter Gass
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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Hvoslef-Eide M, Nilsson SRO, Saksida LM, Bussey TJ. Cognitive Translation Using the Rodent Touchscreen Testing Approach. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2016; 28:423-447. [PMID: 27305921 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2015_5007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The development of novel therapeutic avenues for the treatment of cognitive deficits in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disease is of high importance, yet progress in this field has been slow. One reason for this lack of success may lie in discrepancies between how cognitive functions are assessed in experimental animals and humans. In an attempt to bridge this translational gap, the rodent touchscreen testing platform is suggested as a translational tool. Specific examples of successful cross-species translation are discussed focusing on paired associate learning (PAL), the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), the rodent continuous performance task (rCPT) and reversal learning. With ongoing research assessing the neurocognitive validity of tasks, the touchscreen approach is likely to become increasingly prevalent in translational cognitive research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hvoslef-Eide
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
| | - S R O Nilsson
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - L M Saksida
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - T J Bussey
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
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Kumar G, Olley J, Steckler T, Talpos J. Dissociable effects of NR2A and NR2B NMDA receptor antagonism on cognitive flexibility but not pattern separation. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:3991-4003. [PMID: 26184010 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4008-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play crucial roles in learning and memory, but the role of each NMDA receptor subtype in a specific cognitive process is unclear. Non-selective blockers of NMDA receptor are used to model the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Counter-intuitively selective NR2A and 2B NMDA receptor antagonists are thought to have pro-cognitive properties. These seemingly contrasting findings might in part be the result of different compounds and behavioral measures used across studies. OBJECTIVE We compared the effect of NVP-AAM077 (NR2A antagonist), CP 101-606 (NR2B antagonist), and MK-801 (non-selective antagonist) in a series of touch screen tasks that can be used to measure spatial cognition and cognitive flexibility. METHODS NVP-AAM077, CP 101-606, and MK-801 were administered prior to testing, in adult male Lister-hooded rats trained in tasks of location discrimination, paired associate learning (PAL), and trial unique non-match to location (TUNL). RESULTS Results showed that MK-801 impaired performance on all the tasks. In contrast, CP 101-606 only impaired reversal learning in location discrimination and had minimal effect on working memory in TUNL and caused a modest improvement in accuracy in PAL and acquisition of a spatial discrimination. NVP-AAM077 had little effect on performance across tasks, although these data allude to a potential enhancement of acquisition of a spatial location and impairments in spatial reversal learning in a separation-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrated that non-selective NMDA antagonism will disrupt numerous aspects of cognitive function. However, selective antagonism is capable of impairing or enhancing cognitive function in a task-dependent fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Kumar
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.
| | - Joseph Olley
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Thomas Steckler
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - John Talpos
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
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Talpos J, Aerts N, Waddell J, Steckler T. MK-801 and amphetamine result in dissociable profiles of cognitive impairment in a rodent paired associates learning task with relevance for schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:3911-20. [PMID: 25902874 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-3934-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Paired associates learning (PAL) has been suggested to be predictive of functional outcomes in first episode psychosis and of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. An automated touch screen-based rodent PAL (rPAL) task has been developed and is sensitive to manipulations of the dopaminergic and glutamatergic system. Accordingly, rPAL when used with pharmacological models of schizophrenia, like NMDA receptor blockade with MK-801 or dopaminergic stimulation with amphetamine, may have utility as a translational model of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine if amphetamine- and MK-801-induced impairment represent distinct models of cognitive impairment by testing their sensitivity to common antipsychotics and determine the relative contributions of D1 versus D2 receptors on performance of PAL. METHOD Rats were trained in rPAL and were then treated with MK-801, amphetamine, risperidone, haloperidol, quinpirole, SK-82958, or SCH-23390 alone and in combination. RESULTS While both amphetamine and MK-801 caused clear impairments in accuracy, MK-801 induced a profound "perseverative" type behavior that was more pronounced when compared to amphetamine. Moreover, amphetamine-induced impairments, but not the effects of MK-801, could be reversed by antipsychotics as well as the D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390, suggesting a role for both the D1 and D2 receptor in the amphetamine impairment model. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that amphetamine and MK-801 represent dissociable models of impairment in PAL, dependent on different underlying neurobiology. The ability to distinguish dopaminergic versus glutamatergic effects on performance in rPAL makes it a unique and useful tool in the modeling of cognitive impairments in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Talpos
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, 30 Turnhoutseweg, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.
| | - Nancy Aerts
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, 30 Turnhoutseweg, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jason Waddell
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, 30 Turnhoutseweg, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Thomas Steckler
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, 30 Turnhoutseweg, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
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Talpos JC, Riordan J, Olley J, Waddell J, Steckler T. Opposing effects of glutamatergic and GABAergic pharmacological manipulations on a visual perception task with relevance to schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:3967-76. [PMID: 26014109 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-3964-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Numerous psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases have been associated with differences in visual perception, and it has been proposed that the treatment of these differences may represent a novel means to treat disorders like schizophrenia. Unfortunately, few methods exist to study visual perception in pre-clinical species. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to adapt a task of visual integration by proximity with relevance to schizophrenia to a rodent touchscreen environment to determine the effects of glutamatergic and GABAergic compounds. In this way, we could evaluate the effects of common models of cognitive impairment, as well as the effects of net excitation versus inhibition, on a task of visual integration. METHOD Rats were trained to perform a visual discrimination where the stimuli were composed of rows of dots differing only in there horizontal and vertical proximity. Once stable performance had been achieved, animals were tested under the influence of glutamatergic or GABAergic drugs (ketamine, MK-801, PCP, memantine, chlordiazepoxide, or diazepam) while attempting to perform a visual discrimination with altered stimuli. RESULTS Ketamine appeared to impair perceptual grouping in this paradigm, while the GABA agonist chlordiazepoxide enhanced grouping even in the presence of non-selective effects. CONCLUSIONS In general, these findings support the theory that NMDA antagonists may disrupt visual grouping by proximity and highlight a potential beneficial effect of enhanced GABA activity in perception. However, additional research will be required to confirm the stimulus selectivity of this effect, and the clinical significance of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Talpos
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, 30 Turnhoutseweg, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.
| | - John Riordan
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, 30 Turnhoutseweg, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Joseph Olley
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, 30 Turnhoutseweg, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jason Waddell
- Open Analytics, 20 Jupiterstraat, 2600, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Thomas Steckler
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, 30 Turnhoutseweg, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
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Abstract
In this article, we refer to an original opinion paper written by Prof. Frank Beach in 1950 ("The Snark was a Boojum"). In his manuscript, Beach explicitly criticised the field of comparative psychology because of the disparity between the original understanding of comparativeness and its practical overly specialised implementation. Specialisation encompassed both experimental species (rats accounted for 70% of all subjects) and test paradigms (dominated by conditioning/learning experiments). Herein, we attempt to evaluate the extent to which these considerations apply to current behavioural neuroscience. Such evaluation is particularly interesting in the context of "translational research" that has recently gained growing attention. As a community, we believe that preclinical findings are intended to inform clinical practice at the level of therapies and knowledge advancements. Yet, limited reproducibility of experimental results and failures to translate preclinical research into clinical trial sindicate that these expectations are not entirely fulfilled. Theoretical considerations suggest that, before concluding that a given phenomenon is of relevance to our species, it should be observed in more than a single experimental model (be it an animal strain or species) and tested in more than a single standardized test battery. Yet, current approaches appear limited in terms of variability and overspecialised in terms of operative procedures. Specifically, as in 1950, rodents (mice instead of rats) still constitute the vast majority of animal species investigated. Additionally, the scientific community strives to homogenise experimental test strategies, thereby not only limiting the generalizability of the findings, but also working against the design of innovative approaches. Finally, we discuss the importance of evolutionary-adaptive considerations within the field of laboratory research. Specifically, resting upon empirical evidence indicating that developing individuals adjust their long-term phenotype according to early environmental demands, we propose that current rearing and housing standards do not adequately prepare experimental subjects to their actual adult environments. Specifically, while the adult life of a laboratory animal is characterized by frequent stimulations and challenges, the neonatal life is dominated by quietness and stability. We suggest that such form of mismatch may remarkably influence the reproducibility and reliability of experimental findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Macrì
- Section of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Roma, Italy
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Institute of Neuro and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestraße 13, 48149 Münster, Germany
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Strain-dependent effects on acquisition and reversal of visual and spatial tasks in a rat touchscreen battery of cognition. Physiol Behav 2015; 144:26-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Millan MJ, Goodwin GM, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Ove Ögren S. Learning from the past and looking to the future: Emerging perspectives for improving the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 25:599-656. [PMID: 25836356 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Modern neuropsychopharmacology commenced in the 1950s with the serendipitous discovery of first-generation antipsychotics and antidepressants which were therapeutically effective yet had marked adverse effects. Today, a broader palette of safer and better-tolerated agents is available for helping people that suffer from schizophrenia, depression and other psychiatric disorders, while complementary approaches like psychotherapy also have important roles to play in their treatment, both alone and in association with medication. Nonetheless, despite considerable efforts, current management is still only partially effective, and highly-prevalent psychiatric disorders of the brain continue to represent a huge personal and socio-economic burden. The lack of success in discovering more effective pharmacotherapy has contributed, together with many other factors, to a relative disengagement by pharmaceutical firms from neuropsychiatry. Nonetheless, interest remains high, and partnerships are proliferating with academic centres which are increasingly integrating drug discovery and translational research into their traditional activities. This is, then, a time of transition and an opportune moment to thoroughly survey the field. Accordingly, the present paper, first, chronicles the discovery and development of psychotropic agents, focusing in particular on their mechanisms of action and therapeutic utility, and how problems faced were eventually overcome. Second, it discusses the lessons learned from past successes and failures, and how they are being applied to promote future progress. Third, it comprehensively surveys emerging strategies that are (1), improving our understanding of the diagnosis and classification of psychiatric disorders; (2), deepening knowledge of their underlying risk factors and pathophysiological substrates; (3), refining cellular and animal models for discovery and validation of novel therapeutic agents; (4), improving the design and outcome of clinical trials; (5), moving towards reliable biomarkers of patient subpopulations and medication efficacy and (6), promoting collaborative approaches to innovation by uniting key partners from the regulators, industry and academia to patients. Notwithstanding the challenges ahead, the many changes and ideas articulated herein provide new hope and something of a framework for progress towards the improved prevention and relief of psychiatric and other CNS disorders, an urgent mission for our Century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Millan
- Pole for Innovation in Neurosciences, IDR Servier, 125 chemin de ronde, 78290 Croissy sur Seine, France.
| | - Guy M Goodwin
- University Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, England, UK
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty Mannheim, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sven Ove Ögren
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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Young JW, Geyer MA. Developing treatments for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia: the challenge of translation. J Psychopharmacol 2015; 29:178-96. [PMID: 25516372 PMCID: PMC4670265 DOI: 10.1177/0269881114555252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a life-long debilitating mental disorder affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. The serendipitous discovery of antipsychotics focused pharmaceutical research on developing a better antipsychotic. Our understanding of the disorder has advanced however, with the knowledge that cognitive enhancers are required for patients in order to improve their everyday lives. While antipsychotics treat psychosis, they do not enhance cognition and hence are not antischizophrenics. Developing pro-cognitive therapeutics has been extremely difficult, however, especially when no approved treatment exists. In lieu of stumbling on an efficacious treatment, developing targeted compounds can be facilitated by understanding the neural mechanisms underlying altered cognitive functioning in patients. Equally importantly, these cognitive domains will need to be measured similarly in animals and humans so that novel targets can be tested prior to conducting expensive clinical trials. To date, the limited similarity of testing across species has resulted in a translational bottleneck. In this review, we emphasize that schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by abnormal cognitive behavior. Quantifying these abnormalities using tasks having cross-species validity would enable the quantification of comparable processes in rodents. This approach would increase the likelihood that the neural substrates underlying relevant behaviors will be conserved across species. Hence, we detail cross-species tasks which can be used to test the effects of manipulations relevant to schizophrenia and putative therapeutics. Such tasks offer the hope of providing a bridge between non-clinical and clinical testing that will eventually lead to treatments developed specifically for patients with deficient cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- JW Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - MA Geyer
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
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Abstract
Components of human executive function, like rule generation and selection in response to stimuli (attention set-shifting) or overcoming a habit (reversal learning), can be reliably modelled in rodents. The rodent paradigms are based upon tasks that assess cognitive flexibility in clinical populations and have been effective in distinguishing the neurobiological substrates and the underlying neurotransmitter systems relevant to executive function. A review of the literature on the attentional set-shifting task highlights a prominent role for the medial region of the prefrontal cortex in the ability to adapt to a new rule (extradimensional shift) while the orbitofrontal cortex has been associated with the reversal learning component of the task. In other paradigms specifically developed to examine reversal learning in rodents, the orbitofrontal cortex also plays a prominent role. Modulation of dopamine, serotonin, and glutamatergic receptors can disrupt executive function, a feature commonly exploited to develop concepts underlying psychiatric disorders. While these paradigms do have excellent translational construct validity, they have been less effective as predictive preclinical models for cognitive enhancers, especially for cognition in health subjects. Accordingly, a more diverse battery of tasks may be necessary to model normal human executive function in the rodent for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Talpos
- Janssen R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
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Fellini L, Kumar G, Gibbs S, Steckler T, Talpos J. Re-evaluating the PCP challenge as a pre-clinical model of impaired cognitive flexibility in schizophrenia. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:1836-49. [PMID: 25300235 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Revised: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
NMDA-R antagonists are a popular translational pharmacological challenge to induce cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. Amongst their many cognitive and non-cognitive effects is an ability to impair cognitive flexibility in general, and reversal learning in particular. Here, we test the hypothesis that the NMDA-R antagonist phencyclidine when given acutely selectively effects reversal learning by simultaneously measuring reversal learning and baseline responding, or acquisition and baseline responding, under identical conditions. Animals were trained to simultaneously perform two different visual discriminations in a touch-screen equipped operant box. Accordingly the reward contingencies associated with one pair could be altered, while the second pair acted as an experimental control. As such, the effect of a manipulation on reversal learning, stimuli acquisition, or baseline responding can be more accurately evaluated through the use of a double visual discrimination. A similar approach was also used to investigate the influence of sub-chronic phencyclidine administration on cognitive flexibility. Phencyclidine (1mg/kg) given before testing caused a slowing in acquisition and reversal learning, while having a minimal effect on secondary measures. Sub-chronic phencyclidine administration had no significant effect on any of the measures used within this study. While acute phencyclidine impairs reversal learning, it is clear from these results that other aspects of cognition (learning/relearning) are also impaired, potentially questioning the specificity of acute phencyclidine in conjunction with reversal learning paradigms as a model of impaired cognitive flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Fellini
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Gaurav Kumar
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Steven Gibbs
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Thomas Steckler
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - John Talpos
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
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Talpos JC, Aerts N, Fellini L, Steckler T. A touch-screen based paired-associates learning (PAL) task for the rat may provide a translatable pharmacological model of human cognitive impairment. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2014; 122:97-106. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2014.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Richter SH, Vogel AS, Ueltzhöffer K, Muzzillo C, Vogt MA, Lankisch K, Armbruster-Genç DJN, Riva MA, Fiebach CJ, Gass P, Vollmayr B. Touchscreen-paradigm for mice reveals cross-species evidence for an antagonistic relationship of cognitive flexibility and stability. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:154. [PMID: 24834036 PMCID: PMC4017158 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The abilities to either flexibly adjust behavior according to changing demands (cognitive flexibility) or to maintain it in the face of potential distractors (cognitive stability) are critical for adaptive behavior in many situations. Recently, a novel human paradigm has found individual differences of cognitive flexibility and stability to be related to common prefrontal networks. The aims of the present study were, first, to translate this paradigm from humans to mice and, second, to test conceptual predictions of a computational model of prefrontal working memory mechanisms, the Dual State Theory, which assumes an antagonistic relation between cognitive flexibility and stability. Mice were trained in a touchscreen-paradigm to discriminate visual cues. The task involved “ongoing” and cued “switch” trials. In addition distractor cues were interspersed to test the ability to resist distraction, and an ambiguous condition assessed the spontaneous switching between two possible responses without explicit cues. While response times did not differ substantially between conditions, error rates (ER) increased from the “ongoing” baseline condition to the most complex condition, where subjects were required to switch between two responses in the presence of a distracting cue. Importantly, subjects switching more often spontaneously were found to be more distractible by task irrelevant cues, but also more flexible in situations, where switching was required. These results support a dichotomy of cognitive flexibility and stability as predicted by the Dual State Theory. Furthermore, they replicate critical aspects of the human paradigm, which indicates the translational potential of the testing procedure and supports the use of touchscreen procedures in preclinical animal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Helene Richter
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anne S Vogel
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Kai Ueltzhöffer
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany ; Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Chiara Muzzillo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan Milan, Italy
| | - Miriam A Vogt
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany
| | - Katja Lankisch
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Diana J N Armbruster-Genç
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany ; Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan Milan, Italy
| | - Christian J Fiebach
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany ; Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany ; Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Peter Gass
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Barbara Vollmayr
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
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Mullane K, Winquist RJ, Williams M. Translational paradigms in pharmacology and drug discovery. Biochem Pharmacol 2013; 87:189-210. [PMID: 24184503 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2013.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The translational sciences represent the core element in enabling and utilizing the output from the biomedical sciences and to improving drug discovery metrics by reducing the attrition rate as compounds move from preclinical research to clinical proof of concept. Key to understanding the basis of disease causality and to developing therapeutics is an ability to accurately diagnose the disease and to identify and develop safe and effective therapeutics for its treatment. The former requires validated biomarkers and the latter, qualified targets. Progress has been hampered by semantic issues, specifically those that define the end product, and by scientific issues that include data reliability, an overt reductionistic cultural focus and a lack of hierarchically integrated data gathering and systematic analysis. A necessary framework for these activities is represented by the discipline of pharmacology, efforts and training in which require recognition and revitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Mullane
- Profectus Pharma Consulting Inc., San Jose, CA, United States.
| | - Raymond J Winquist
- Department of Pharmacology, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Michael Williams
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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