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Wang D, Li X, Li W, Duong T, Wang H, Kleschevnikova N, Patel HH, Breen E, Powell S, Wang S, Head BP. Nicotine inhalant via E-cigarette facilitates sensorimotor function recovery by upregulating neuronal BDNF-TrkB signalling in traumatic brain injury. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38698493 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16395] [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: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes lifelong physical and psychological dysfunction in affected individuals. The current study investigated the effects of chronic nicotine exposure via E-cigarettes (E-cig) (vaping) on TBI-associated behavioural and biochemical changes. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Adult C57/BL6J male mice were subjected to controlled cortical impact (CCI) followed by daily exposure to E-cig vapour for 6 weeks. Sensorimotor functions, locomotion, and sociability were subsequently evaluated by nesting, open field, and social approach tests, respectively. Immunoblots were conducted to examine the expression of mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (mBDNF) and associated downstream proteins (p-Erk, p-Akt). Histological analyses were performed to evaluate neuronal survival and neuroinflammation. KEY RESULTS Post-injury chronic nicotine exposure significantly improved nesting performance in CCI mice. Histological analysis revealed increased survival of cortical neurons in the perilesion cortex with chronic nicotine exposure. Immunoblots revealed that chronic nicotine exposure significantly up-regulated mBDNF, p-Erk and p-Akt expression in the perilesion cortex of CCI mice. Immunofluorescence microscopy indicated that elevated mBDNF and p-Akt expression were mainly localized within cortical neurons. Immunolabelling of Iba1 demonstrated that chronic nicotine exposure attenuated microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Post-injury chronic nicotine exposure via vaping facilitates recovery of sensorimotor function by upregulating neuroprotective mBDNF/TrkB/Akt/Erk signalling. These findings suggest potential neuroprotective properties of nicotine despite its highly addictive nature. Thus, understanding the multifaceted effects of chronic nicotine exposure on TBI-associated symptoms is crucial for paving the way for informed and properly managed therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongsheng Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Wenxi Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Tiffany Duong
- Department of Anesthesiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Hongxia Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Natalia Kleschevnikova
- Department of Anesthesiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Hemal H Patel
- Department of Anesthesiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ellen Breen
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Susan Powell
- Research Service and Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education & Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs San Diego Health System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Brian P Head
- Department of Anesthesiology, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Wilson C, Hannan AJ, Renoir T. Serotonergic agonism and pharmacologically-induced adolescent stress cause operant-based learning deficits in mice. Neuropharmacology 2024; 244:109801. [PMID: 38040286 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109801] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interplay between environmental stress and genetic factors is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the relative contribution of these causative antecedents in the manifestation of cognitive inflexibility-a phenotype often seen in obsessive-compulsive (OC)- spectrum disorders-is not fully understood. METHOD In this study, we treated mice with 50 mg/L corticosterone (CORT, a glucocorticoid stress hormone) in their drinking water during adolescence. In adulthood, we assessed anxiety-like behaviour and locomotor activity; along with operant-based discrimination and reversal learning. RU-24969, a selective serotonin receptor 5-HT1A/1B receptor agonist, was used as an acute pharmacological model of OC-like behaviour. RU-24969 (5 mg/kg) was administered prior to each reversal learning testing session. RESULTS We found that acute treatment with 5 mg/kg RU-24969 induced stereotyped hyperlocomotion in vehicle- and CORT-treated mice. Furthermore, pre-treatment with CORT in adolescence produced subtle anxiety-like behaviour in adult mice, and also resulted in an impairment to late-stage discrimination learning and alterations to reversal learning. Finally, acute treatment with 5 mg/kg RU-24969 caused an impairment to early-stage reversal learning. CONCLUSION Whilst we revealed dissociable detrimental effects of adolescent CORT treatment and acute 5-HT1A/1B receptor agonism on discrimination and reversal learning, respectively, we did not find evidence of additive deleterious effects of these two treatments. We therefore suggest that while disrupted serotonergic signalling is likely to be involved in the cognitive phenotype of OC-spectrum disorders, distinct neuropathological pathways may be at play in mediating the role of stress as an antecedent in OCD and related illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carey Wilson
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Thibault Renoir
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
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Pahlavani H, Masoudi M, Khoshroo N, Kakhki S, Mahdi Rezavanimehr M, Ghari A, Beheshti F. Vitamin B 12 reversed anxiety and depression induced by adolescent nicotine withdrawal through alteration the inflammatory, oxidative and serotoninergic profiles in male rats. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 217:115832. [PMID: 37769712 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115832] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study aims to assess the effect of vitamin B12 (Vit B12) on depression-like behavior caused by nicotine (Nic) withdrawal, which is more likely due to the anxiogenic effect of Nic in adolescent male rats, through assessing behavioral and biochemical analysis. METHODS Adolescent male rats were divided into vehicle (received normal saline), and experimental groups that received Nic (2 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)) for three consecutive weeks and after that, the group that received normal saline was divided into two groups, one of which returned to a regular diet, and the second one received Vit B12 (1.5 mg/kg). The Nic group was divided into five groups, one of which received bupropion (Bup, 20 mg/kg), three of which received different doses of Vit B12 (0.5, 1, and 1.5 mg/kg), and the last one returned to a normal diet without treatment, which was considered as the withdrawal period. RESULTS Behavioral analysis showed that Nic withdrawal induced anxiety and depression. Vit B12 and Bup reduced anxiety and depression induced by Nic withdrawal. The biochemical analysis demonstrated the more activity of oxidative stress factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines in which Nic was administered, whereas both Vit B12 and Bup reversed the results and improved the activity of both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory parameters. Furthermore, both serum and cortical Vit B12 levels dramatically decreased in nicotine group, whereas treatment with both Vit B12 and Bup as desirable treatments corrected Vit B12 levels. CONCLUSION According to the present findings, the results revealed that Vit B12 is comparable with Bup in attenuation of Nic withdrawal symptoms. In addition, both Bup and Vit B12 improved the decreased serum and cortical levels of Vit B12, which caused by nicotine. Administration of Vit B12 in normal animals demonstrated better results in reducing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory parameters, which explores new hope to introduce Vit B12 as a novel antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent to treat not only withdrawal, but also other diseases related to the prominent role of oxidative stress or inflammatory pathways, such as Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Pahlavani
- Student Research Committee, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Maha Masoudi
- Vice Chancellery of Education and Research, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Niloofar Khoshroo
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Samaneh Kakhki
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran; Neuroscience Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | | | - Amir Ghari
- Student Research Committee, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Farimah Beheshti
- Neuroscience Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran; Departments of Physiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.
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Barnett WH, Kuznetsov A, Lapish CC. Distinct cortico-striatal compartments drive competition between adaptive and automatized behavior. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279841. [PMID: 36943842 PMCID: PMC10030038 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical and basal ganglia circuits play a crucial role in the formation of goal-directed and habitual behaviors. In this study, we investigate the cortico-striatal circuitry involved in learning and the role of this circuitry in the emergence of inflexible behaviors such as those observed in addiction. Specifically, we develop a computational model of cortico-striatal interactions that performs concurrent goal-directed and habit learning. The model accomplishes this by distinguishing learning processes in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) that rely on reward prediction error signals as distinct from the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) where learning is supported by salience signals. These striatal subregions each operate on unique cortical input: the DMS receives input from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) which represents outcomes, and the DLS receives input from the premotor cortex which determines action selection. Following an initial learning of a two-alternative forced choice task, we subjected the model to reversal learning, reward devaluation, and learning a punished outcome. Behavior driven by stimulus-response associations in the DLS resisted goal-directed learning of new reward feedback rules despite devaluation or punishment, indicating the expression of habit. We repeated these simulations after the impairment of executive control, which was implemented as poor outcome representation in the PFC. The degraded executive control reduced the efficacy of goal-directed learning, and stimulus-response associations in the DLS were even more resistant to the learning of new reward feedback rules. In summary, this model describes how circuits of the dorsal striatum are dynamically engaged to control behavior and how the impairment of executive control by the PFC enhances inflexible behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H. Barnett
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Alexey Kuznetsov
- Department of Mathematics, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Christopher C. Lapish
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
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Nicotine rebalances NAD + homeostasis and improves aging-related symptoms in male mice by enhancing NAMPT activity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:900. [PMID: 36797299 PMCID: PMC9935903 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36543-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Imbalances in NAD+ homeostasis have been linked to aging and various diseases. Nicotine, a metabolite of the NAD+ metabolic pathway, has been found to possess anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remained unknown. Here we find that, independent of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, low-dose nicotine can restore the age-related decline of NAMPT activity through SIRT1 binding and subsequent deacetylation of NAMPT, thus increasing NAD+ synthesis. 18F-FDG PET imaging revealed that nicotine is also capable of efficiently inhibiting glucose hypermetabolism in aging male mice. Additionally, nicotine ameliorated cellular energy metabolism disorders and deferred age-related deterioration and cognitive decline by stimulating neurogenesis, inhibiting neuroinflammation, and protecting organs from oxidative stress and telomere shortening. Collectively, these findings provide evidence for a mechanism by which low-dose nicotine can activate NAD+ salvage pathways and improve age-related symptoms.
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Alhusaini M, Eissa N, Saad AK, Beiram R, Sadek B. Revisiting Preclinical Observations of Several Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonists/Inverse Agonists in Cognitive Impairment, Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep-Wake Cycle Disorder. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:861094. [PMID: 35721194 PMCID: PMC9198498 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.861094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A relationship appears to exist between dysfunction of brain histamine (HA) and various neuropsychiatric brain disorders. The possible involvement of brain HA in neuropathology has gained attention recently, and its role in many (patho)physiological brain functions including memory, cognition, and sleep-wake cycle paved the way for further research on the etiology of several brain disorders. Histamine H3 receptor (H3R) evidenced in the brains of rodents and humans remains of special interest, given its unique position as a pre- and postsynaptic receptor, controlling the synthesis and release of HA as well as different other neurotransmitters in different brain regions, respectively. Despite several disappointing outcomes for several H3R antagonists/inverse agonists in clinical studies addressing their effectiveness in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and schizophrenia (SCH), numerous H3R antagonists/inverse agonists showed great potentials in modulating memory and cognition, mood, and sleep-wake cycle, thus suggesting its potential role in neurocognitive and neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, PD, SCH, narcolepsy, and major depression in preclinical rodent models. In this review, we present preclinical applications of selected H3R antagonists/inverse agonists and their pharmacological effects on cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression, and sleep-wake cycle disorders. Collectively, the current review highlights the behavioral impact of developments of H3R antagonists/inverse agonists, aiming to further encourage researchers in the preclinical drug development field to profile the potential therapeutic role of novel antagonists/inverse agonists targeting histamine H3Rs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mera Alhusaini
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nermin Eissa
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ali K Saad
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rami Beiram
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassem Sadek
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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Hoseini FS, Alimoradi K, Jamshidi F. Help them pass a stormy road: A preliminary study of emotional memory management training on executive functions and difficulties in emotional regulation in adolescents. COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/capr.12518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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8
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Grieder TE, Yee M, Vargas-Perez H, Maal-Bared G, George S, Ting-A-Kee R, George O, van der Kooy D. Administration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the ventral tegmental area produces a switch from a nicotine nondependent D1R-mediated motivational state to a nicotine dependent-like D2R-mediated motivational state. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:714-724. [PMID: 34963197 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in the transition from a nondependent motivational state to a drug-dependent and -withdrawn motivational state. Chronic nicotine can increase BDNF in the rodent brain and is associated with smoking severity in humans; however, it is unknown whether this increased BDNF is linked functionally to the switch from a nicotine-nondependent to a nicotine-dependent state. We used a place conditioning paradigm to measure the conditioned responses to nicotine, showing that a dose of acute nicotine that nondependent male mice find aversive is found rewarding in chronic nicotine-treated mice experiencing withdrawal. A single BDNF injection in the ventral tegmental area (in the absence of chronic nicotine treatment) caused mice to behave as if they were nicotine-dependent and in withdrawal, switching the neurobiological substrate mediating the conditioned motivational effects from dopamine D1 receptors to D2 receptors. Quantification of gene expression of BDNF and its receptor, tropomyosin-receptor-kinase B (TrkB), revealed an increase in TrkB mRNA but not BDNF mRNA in the VTA in nicotine-dependent and -withdrawn mice. These results suggest that BDNF signaling in the VTA is a critical neurobiological substrate for the transition to nicotine dependence. The modulation of BDNF signaling may be a promising new pharmacological avenue for the treatment of addictive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taryn E Grieder
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mandy Yee
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hector Vargas-Perez
- The Nierika Intercultural Medicine Institute, Ocuilan, Estado de México, México
| | - Geith Maal-Bared
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan George
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryan Ting-A-Kee
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Olivier George
- Department of Psychiatry, UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Derek van der Kooy
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Wardhani I, Mathôt S, Boehler C, Laeng B. Effects of nicotine on pupil size and performance during multiple-object tracking in non-nicotine users. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 158:45-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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10
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Rehman NU, Esmaeilpour K, Joushi S, Abbas M, Al-Rashida M, Rauf K, Masoumi-Ardakani Y. Effect of 4-Fluoro-N-(4-sulfamoylbenzyl) Benzene Sulfonamide on cognitive deficits and hippocampal plasticity during nicotine withdrawal in rats. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 131:110783. [PMID: 33152941 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Withdrawal from chronic nicotine has damaging effects on a variety of learning and memory tasks. Various Sulfonamides that act as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors have documented role in modulation of various cognitive, learning, and memory processing. We investigated the effects of 4-Fluoro-N-(4-sulfamoylbenzyl) Benzene Sulfonamide (4-FBS) on nicotine withdrawal impairments in rats using Morris water maze (MWM), Novel object recognition, Passive avoidance, and open field tasks. Also, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) profiling and in vivo field potential recording were assessed. Rats were exposed to saline or chronic nicotine 3.8 mg/kg subcutaneously for 14 days in four divided doses, spontaneous nicotine withdrawal was induced by quitting nicotine for 72 h (hrs). Animals received 4-FBS at 20, 40, and 60 mg/kg after 72 h of withdrawal in various behavioral and electrophysiological paradigms. Nicotine withdrawal causes a deficit in learning and long-term memory in the MWM task. No significant difference was found in novel object recognition tasks among all groups while in passive avoidance task nicotine withdrawal resulted in a deficit of hippocampus-dependent fear learning. Anxiety like behavior was observed during nicotine withdrawal. Plasma BDNF level was reduced during nicotine withdrawal as compared to the saline group reflecting mild cognitive impairment, stress, and depression. Withdrawal from chronic nicotine altered hippocampal plasticity, caused suppression of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 area of the hippocampus. Our results showed that 4-FBS at 40 and 60 mg/kg significantly prevented nicotine withdrawal-induced cognitive deficits in behavioral as well as electrophysiological studies. 4-FBS at 60 mg/kg upsurge nicotine withdrawal-induced decrease in plasma BDNF. We conclude that 4-FBS at 40 and 60 mg /kg effectively prevented chronic nicotine withdrawal-induced impairment in long term potentiation and cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naeem Ur Rehman
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Pakistan
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Sara Joushi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Muzaffar Abbas
- Department of Pharmacy, Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Mariya Al-Rashida
- Department of Chemistry, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Ferozepur Road, Lahore, 54600, Pakistan
| | - Khalid Rauf
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Pakistan.
| | - Yaser Masoumi-Ardakani
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Cole RD, Zimmerman M, Matchanova A, Kutlu MG, Gould TJ, Parikh V. Cognitive rigidity and BDNF-mediated frontostriatal glutamate neuroadaptations during spontaneous nicotine withdrawal. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:866-876. [PMID: 31752015 PMCID: PMC7075915 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0574-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility is the ability to switch strategic responses adaptively in changing environments. Cognitive rigidity imposed by neural circuit adaptations during nicotine abstinence may foster maladaptive nicotine taking in addicts. We systematically examined the effects of spontaneous withdrawal in mice exposed to either nicotine (6.3 or 18 mg/kg/day) or saline for 14 days on cognitive flexibility using an operant strategy set-shifting task. Because frontostriatal circuits are critical for cognitive flexibility and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates glutamate plasticity in these circuits, we also explored the effects of nicotine withdrawal on these neurochemical substrates. Mice undergoing nicotine withdrawal required more trials to attain strategy-switching criterion. Error analysis show that animals withdrawn from both nicotine doses committed higher perseverative errors, which correlated with measures of anxiety. However, animals treated with the higher nicotine dose also displayed more strategy maintenance errors that remained independent of negative affect. BDNF mRNA expression increased in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) following nicotine withdrawal. Surprisingly, BDNF protein declined in mPFC but was elevated in dorsal striatum (DS). DS BDNF protein positively correlated with perseverative and maintenance errors, suggesting mPFC-DS overflow of BDNF during withdrawal. BDNF-evoked glutamate release and synapsin phosphorylation was attenuated within DS synapses, but enhanced in the nucleus accumbens, suggesting a dichotomous role of BDNF signaling in striatal regions. Taken together, these data suggest that spontaneous nicotine withdrawal impairs distinct components of cognitive set-shifting and these deficits may be linked to BDNF-mediated alterations in glutamate signaling dynamics in discrete frontostriatal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D. Cole
- 0000 0001 2248 3398grid.264727.2Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Matty Zimmerman
- 0000 0001 2248 3398grid.264727.2Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Anastasia Matchanova
- 0000 0001 2248 3398grid.264727.2Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Munir Gunes Kutlu
- 0000 0001 2097 4281grid.29857.31Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Thomas J. Gould
- 0000 0001 2097 4281grid.29857.31Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
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12
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Barhwal KK, Boppana S, Vashishtha V, Mahapatra SC. Conscious Abstinence from Smokeless Tobacco Evokes Higher Withdrawal Response and Impairs Cognitive Performance Independent of Sympathetic Response. Ann Neurosci 2020; 27:29-39. [PMID: 32982097 PMCID: PMC7499824 DOI: 10.1177/0972753120927515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION High consumption of smokeless tobacco in adult Indian population increases the risk of developing oral cancers leading to high morbidity and mortality. Though the influence of abstinence from smoking on cognitive performance has been widely studied, the effect of smokeless tobacco on cognitive performance and its association with withdrawal symptoms is less understood. This study comparatively investigates the effect of short-term conscious abstinence and distraction during abstinence from smokeless tobacco consumption on the craving, withdrawal symptoms, sympathetic response, and cognitive performance in tobacco addicts. METHODS Age, sex, education and socioeconomic status matched control (N = 15) and smokeless tobacco addicts (N = 60) were recruited from residential areas in Bhubaneswar for the study. Following randomization of the addicts, conscious abstinence (N = 30) was induced by informed abstinence from tobacco consumption for 8 hours, while distracted cessation (N = 30) was induced by involving the participants in a cognitively engaging task for 8 hours during uninformed tobacco abstinence. RESULTS The results of the study show higher withdrawal symptoms and reduced cognitive performance in volunteers with conscious abstinence which was positively correlated. The decreased cognitive performance in conscious cessation was independent of tobacco-induced increase in the LF:HF ratio and cotinine concentration in saliva. CONCLUSION While conscious abstinence results in higher withdrawal symptoms, distraction during abstinence lowers these symptoms. Inclusion of distraction sessions during cessation can, therefore, be a new element in tobacco control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalpana Kumari Barhwal
- Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Sujwal Boppana
- Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | | | - Sushil Chandra Mahapatra
- Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
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13
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Antonio RDL, Pompeia S. A fractionated analysis of hot and cool self-regulation in cigarette smokers from different socioeconomic backgrounds. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220222. [PMID: 31430293 PMCID: PMC6701789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Smoking cigarettes and low socioeconomic status (SES) are both related to impaired cognition. However, it is unknown whether people of lower SES, who comprise most tobacco smokers worldwide, are more susceptible to cognitive impairment associated with smoking. In this non-randomized, cross-sectional study we investigated the effects of cigarette smoking, SES and their interaction on dissociable executive or “cool” and “hot” measures of behavioural self-regulation. Participants (n = 80) were selected among young physically and mentally healthy smokers and non-smokers who had graduated high school and were from different SES backgrounds. Cool self-regulation was measured by executive function tasks that tap inhibition, updating, shifting, dual tasking, planning, access to long-term memory (semantic fluency), and working memory capacity. Hot measures assessed self-reported impulsivity, delay discounting and risk taking. Exposure to tobacco (cotinine, exhaled carbon monoxide, tobacco dependence, cigarette consumption) was assessed to determine to what extent it mediated the cognitive effects of smoking. Nicotine abstinence and its acute effects were controlled, as were sex, age, schooling, and psychiatric symptoms despite the fact that smokers and non-smokers were selected as being as similar as possible in these demographic characteristics. Lower SES (less years of parental schooling) was associated with worse performance on tasks that measured all cool domains except dual tasking and fluency, while smoking status was related to impaired delayed discounting and impulsivity (hot domains), effects that were not mediated by tobacco exposure. Smoking and SES, however, did not interact. In short, impaired performance in measures of most cool skills was associated with SES irrespective of smoking status; in contrast, regardless of SES, smokers showed specific impairment in hot self-regulation domains (more difficulty resisting immediate temptations and weighing future consequences of actions). Possible explanations for the lack of mediation of tobacco exposure on hot skills of smokers are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel de Luna Antonio
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Curso de Naturologia, Universidade Anhembi Morumbi, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Sabine Pompeia
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Stringfield SJ, Madayag AC, Boettiger CA, Robinson DL. Sex differences in nicotine-enhanced Pavlovian conditioned approach in rats. Biol Sex Differ 2019; 10:37. [PMID: 31315660 PMCID: PMC6637589 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-019-0244-8] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nicotine exposure enhances Pavlovian conditioned approach (PCA), or the learned approach to reward-predictive cues. While females show elevated approach to conditioned stimuli compared to males, potentially indicating heightened addiction vulnerability, it is unknown how sex may interact with nicotine to influence approach behavior. Additionally, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels can be altered significantly after repeated nicotine exposure, suggesting a potential mechanism contributing to nicotine-induced behavioral phenotypes. The present study investigated the role of sex on nicotine-induced changes to stimulus-response behavior and associated BDNF protein levels. Methods Male and female rats were exposed to nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, subcutaneously) or saline 15 min prior to each PCA session. PCA training consisted of 29 sessions of 15 trials, in which a 30-s cue presentation ended concurrently with a sucrose reward (20% w/v in water, 100 μL), and a 120-s variable intertrial interval occurred between trials. Approach behavior to the cue and reward receptacle was recorded. Preference toward the reward receptacle indicated a goal-tracking phenotype, and preference toward the cue indicated a sign-tracking phenotype, demonstrating that the cue had gained incentive salience. Twenty-four hours after the last PCA session, brain tissue was collected and BDNF levels were measured in the basolateral amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens using Western blot analysis. Results Nicotine exposure enhanced both sign- and goal-tracking conditioned approach, and females showed elevated sign-tracking compared to males. There were no sex-by-drug interactions on conditioned approach. Day-to-day variability in conditioned approach was similar between sexes. In contrast to prior studies, neither repeated exposure to nicotine nor sex significantly affected BDNF expression. Conclusions Drug-naïve females exhibited heightened sign-tracking compared to males, and nicotine enhanced conditioned approach similarly in males and females. Further, non-significant changes to BDNF expression in brain regions highly associated with PCA indicate that BDNF is unlikely to drive nicotine-enhanced conditioned behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra J Stringfield
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA.,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Aric C Madayag
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA.,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA. .,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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15
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Butler K, Le Foll B. Impact of Substance Use Disorder Pharmacotherapy on Executive Function: A Narrative Review. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:98. [PMID: 30881320 PMCID: PMC6405638 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders are chronic, relapsing, and harmful conditions characterized by executive dysfunction. While there are currently no approved pharmacotherapy options for stimulant and cannabis use disorders, there are several evidence-based options available to help reduce symptoms during detoxification and aid long-term cessation for those with tobacco, alcohol and opioid use disorders. While these medication options have shown clinical efficacy, less is known regarding their potential to enhance executive function. This narrative review aims to provide a brief overview of research that has investigated whether commonly used pharmacotherapies for these substance use disorders (nicotine, bupropion, varenicline, disulfiram, acamprosate, nalmefene, naltrexone, methadone, buprenorphine, and lofexidine) effect three core executive function components (working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility). While pharmacotherapy-induced enhancement of executive function may improve cessation outcomes in dependent populations, there are limited and inconsistent findings regarding the effects of these medications on executive function. We discuss possible reasons for the mixed findings and suggest some future avenues of work that may enhance the understanding of addiction pharmacotherapy and cognitive training interventions and lead to improved patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Butler
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Alcohol Research and Treatment Clinic, Acute Care Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Brain and Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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16
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Shnitko TA, Gonzales SW, Grant KA. Low cognitive flexibility as a risk for heavy alcohol drinking in non-human primates. Alcohol 2019; 74:95-104. [PMID: 30097387 PMCID: PMC6202248 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol abuse is frequently considered a habitual or inflexible behavior; however, measures of pre-existing cognitive flexibility prior to initiation of alcohol use are usually not available. This study used rhesus monkeys and an attentional set-shifting task to investigate whether pre-existing cognitive flexibility would predict increased risk for heavy alcohol drinking. As previously reported, monkeys were given 30 daily set-shifting sessions prior to alcohol access. These sessions consisted of the same sequence of eight unique visual discriminations (sets) of two objects that varied on two dimensions (shapes and colors). The ratio of errors per trials, session duration, and maximum set reached were primary dependent variables from each session and were used to compose a session performance index (PI) that ranged from a low performance PI of 31 to an optimal performance PI of 247. Here, animals underwent an alcohol induction period followed by 22 weeks of daily (22-h) self-administration sessions with free access to water and alcohol. Based on average daily alcohol intake during 22 weeks of 22-h/day access, the monkeys were categorized as non-heavy (mean = 2.0 ± 0.3 g/kg/day; n = 3) and heavy (mean = 3.3 ± 0.5 g/kg/day; n = 6) drinkers. The two groups diverged in performance on the set-shifting task across the 30 pre-alcohol sessions, and at the end of the pre-alcohol testing, the group average PI was 216 ± 27 and 137 ± 71 for the future non-heavy and heavy drinkers, respectively. The data show that low cognitive flexibility assessed with a set-shifting procedure was predictive of future classification as a heavy alcohol drinker. The data highlight individual differences in both cognitive flexibility and in alcohol self-administration in this population of rhesus monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Shnitko
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Steven W Gonzales
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, L-470, Portland, OR 97239-3098, United States.
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17
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Leino S, Kohtala S, Rantamäki T, Koski SK, Rannanpää S, Salminen O. Dyskinesia and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels after long-term levodopa and nicotinic receptor agonist treatments in female mice with near-total unilateral dopaminergic denervation. BMC Neurosci 2018; 19:77. [PMID: 30497382 PMCID: PMC6267795 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-018-0478-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The treatment of Parkinson's disease is often complicated by levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists can alleviate LID in animal models but may be less effective in conditions of severe dopaminergic denervation. While the mechanisms of LID remain incompletely understood, elevated corticostriatal levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been suggested to play a role. Here, female mice with near-total unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-induced nigrostriatal lesions were chronically treated with levodopa, and the effects of the α7 nicotinic receptor partial agonist AZD0328 and nicotine on LID were assessed. At the end of the experiment, BDNF protein levels in the prefrontal cortex and striatum were measured. RESULTS Five-day treatments with three escalating doses of AZD0328 and a 10-week treatment with nicotine failed to alleviate LID. BDNF levels in the lesioned striatum correlated positively with LID severity, but no evidence was found for a levodopa-induced elevation of corticostriatal BDNF in the lesioned hemisphere. The nicotine treatment decreased BDNF levels in the prefrontal cortex but had no effect on striatal BDNF. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that treatment of LID with nicotinic agonists may lose its effectiveness as the disease progresses, represent further evidence for a role for BDNF in LID, and expand previous knowledge on the effects of long-term nicotine treatment on BDNF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakari Leino
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Samuel Kohtala
- Laboratory of Neurotherapeutics, Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tomi Rantamäki
- Laboratory of Neurotherapeutics, Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sini K Koski
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Saara Rannanpää
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Outi Salminen
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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18
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Sun MK. Executive functioning: perspectives on neurotrophic activity and pharmacology. Behav Pharmacol 2018; 29:592-604. [PMID: 30179884 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Executive functioning is a high-level cognitive ability, regulating other abilities and behaviors to achieve desired goals. A typical executive task can be defined as the capacity to maintain one's attention on the current task, that is, responding only to the correct but not to distractive stimuli. Impairments of executive functions, or executive dysfunctions, have a growing impact on everyday life and academic achievement and are usually an early feature, and one of the core features, in brain injury and memory and behavioral disorders. Furthermore, emerging evidence indicates that memory therapeutics cannot achieve their clinical benefits in cognition if executive dysfunction is not effectively and simultaneously treated. Improvement of executive functions might be achieved through targeting some signaling pathways in the brain, including the brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling pathways. These agents may be useful either as stand-alone interventions for patients with executive dysfunction and/or psychiatric and memory disorders or as essential adjuncts to drugs that target the underlying pathology in various brain injury and memory and behavioral disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao-Kun Sun
- Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
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19
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Balietti M, Giuli C, Conti F. Peripheral Blood Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor as a Biomarker of Alzheimer's Disease: Are There Methodological Biases? Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:6661-6672. [PMID: 29330839 PMCID: PMC6061178 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0866-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence that alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and signaling may be involved in the etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has suggested that its blood levels could be used as a biomarker of the disease. However, higher, lower, or unchanged circulating BDNF levels have all been described in AD patients compared to healthy controls. Although the reasons for such different findings are unclear, methodological issues are likely to be involved. The heterogeneity of participant recruitment criteria and the lack of control of variables that influence circulating BDNF levels regardless of dementia (depressive symptoms, medications, lifestyle, lack of overlap between serum and plasma, and experimental aspects) are likely to bias result and prevent study comparability. The present work reviews a broad panel of factors, whose close control could help reduce the inconsistency of study findings, and offers practical advice on their management. Research directed at elucidating the weight of each of these variables and at standardizing analytical methodologies is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Balietti
- Center for Neurobiology of Aging, INRCA, Via Birarelli 8, 60121, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Giuli
- Geriatrics Operative Unit, INRCA, Fermo, 63023, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Conti
- Center for Neurobiology of Aging, INRCA, Via Birarelli 8, 60121, Ancona, Italy
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, 60126, Italy
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20
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Cole RD, Wolsh C, Zimmerman M, Harrington E, Gould TJ, Parikh V. Adolescent and adult nicotine exposure differentially impacts oral nicotine and oral saccharin self-administration in mice. Behav Brain Res 2018; 359:836-844. [PMID: 30053462 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Smokers that begin during adolescence are more likely to develop nicotine dependence than those who begin as adults. However, the factors that contribute to this remain largely unknown. Here we utilized a novel operant oral nicotine self-administration procedure in mice to assess the consequences of adolescent nicotine exposure on nicotine and saccharin (non-drug) reinforcement in adults. Animals were given non-contingent exposure to either saline or nicotine using the osmotic minipumps during both adolescence and adulthood for 2 weeks. Reinforcing efficacy for oral nicotine and saccharin was assessed using the progressive ratio schedule 2-weeks following the washout period in adults. Non-contingent nicotine exposure in adolescence drastically increased operant responding for oral nicotine but reduced responding for oral saccharin in the group re-exposed to nicotine in adulthood. Interestingly, adolescent nicotine-exposed mice that received saline exposure as adults exhibited higher preference for oral saccharin. However, breakpoints for oral nicotine in these mice remained comparable to control animals. Surprisingly, both adolescent and adult nicotine exposure increased inactive lever responding during self-administration presumably reflecting impulsive responding. Our data suggest that adolescent nicotine exposure produces an increase in reinforcement sensitivity in adulthood as reflected by increased saccharin self-administration but this sensitivity becomes biased towards nicotine self-administration when re-exposed to nicotine in adulthood. Moreover, nicotine/saccharin reinforcement could be impacted by changes in cognitive control, such as increased impulsivity. These distinct behavioral mechanisms may act in concert to facilitate maladaptive nicotine taking in smokers that initiate nicotine use during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Cole
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Cassandra Wolsh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Matty Zimmerman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Evelynn Harrington
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
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Majdi A, Sadigh-Eteghad S, Talebi M, Farajdokht F, Erfani M, Mahmoudi J, Gjedde A. Nicotine Modulates Cognitive Function in D-Galactose-Induced Senescence in Mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:194. [PMID: 30061821 PMCID: PMC6055060 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we tested the claim that nicotine attenuates the signs of brain dysfunction in the model of brain aging induced by D-galactose (DGal) in mice. We administered nicotine at doses of 0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg by the subcutaneous (s.c.) or at 0.1 mg/kg by the intranasal (i.n.) routes in mice that had received DGal at the dose of 500 mg/kg subcutaneous (s.c.) for 6 weeks. We assessed animal withdrawal signs as the number of presented somatic signs, thermal hyperalgesia, elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field tests. We evaluated spatial memory and recognition with Barnes maze and novel object recognition (NOR) tests. We tested brain tissue for reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome C, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor levels. Nicotine administration in model groups (0.5 mg/kg s.c. and 0.1 mg/kg i.n. doses) significantly attenuated impairment of spatial and episodic memories in comparison to normal saline-received model group. These doses also reduced mito-oxidative damage as well as apoptosis and raised neurotrophic factors level in model groups in comparison to normal saline-received model group. The 1 mg/kg s.c. dose nicotine revealed withdrawal signs compared with the other nicotine-received groups. Nicotine at specific doses and routes has the potential to attenuate age-related cognitive impairment, mito-oxidative damage, and apoptosis. The doses raise neurotrophic factors without producing withdrawal signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Majdi
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahnaz Talebi
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Farajdokht
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Marjan Erfani
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Javad Mahmoudi
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Albert Gjedde
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Departments of Clinical Research and Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Zhou L, Fisher ML, Cole RD, Gould TJ, Parikh V, Ortinski PI, Turner JR. Neuregulin 3 Signaling Mediates Nicotine-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity in the Orbitofrontal Cortex and Cognition. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1343-1354. [PMID: 29114105 PMCID: PMC5916355 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Neuregulin 3 (NRG3) and ErbB4 have been linked to nicotine addiction; however, the neuronal mechanisms and behavioral consequences of NRG3-ErbB4 sensitivity to nicotine remain elusive. Recent literature suggests that relapse to smoking is due to a lack of impulsive control, which is thought to be due to altered functioning within the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Therefore, we examined circuitry changes within this structure following nicotine application. We report that nicotine controls synaptic plasticity in the OFC through NRG3/ErbB4-dependent regulation of GABAergic inhibition. We observed that both nicotine and NRG3 facilitated the conversion of long-term potentiation into long-term depression at cortical layer 3/5 synapses. Induction of long-term depression by nicotine relied on nicotinic receptor activation and key regulators of NRG3 signaling: (1) release of intracellular calcium, (2) activation of the BACE1 beta-secretase, and (3) ErbB4 receptor activation. Nicotine-induced synaptic plasticity was also associated with accumulation of intracellular GABA and was completely blocked by GABAA/GABAB antagonists. To test whether these mechanisms underlie OFC-dependent behavior, we evaluated the effects of nicotine in the go/no-go task. Nicotine-impaired stimulus discrimination in this task was rescued by pharmacologic disruption of the NRG3 receptor, ErbB4. Altogether, our data indicate that nicotine-induced synaptic plasticity in the OFC and cognitive changes depend on NRG3-ErbB4 signaling. We propose that nicotine activation of this pathway may contribute to nicotine addiction, particularly in individuals with genetic variation in NRG3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyi Zhou
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Miranda L Fisher
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Robert D Cole
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Pavel I Ortinski
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Jill R Turner
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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Machaalani R, Chen H. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), its tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) and nicotine. Neurotoxicology 2018; 65:186-195. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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24
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Revisiting nicotine’s role in the ageing brain and cognitive impairment. Rev Neurosci 2017; 28:767-781. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2017-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractBrain ageing is a complex process which in its pathologic form is associated with learning and memory dysfunction or cognitive impairment. During ageing, changes in cholinergic innervations and reduced acetylcholinergic tonus may trigger a series of molecular pathways participating in oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, amyloid-β toxicity, apoptosis, neuroinflammation, and perturb neurotrophic factors in the brain. Nicotine is an exogenous agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and acts as a pharmacological chaperone in the regulation of nAChR expression, potentially intervening in age-related changes in diverse molecular pathways leading to pathology. Although nicotine has therapeutic potential, paradoxical effects have been reported, possibly due to its inverted U-shape dose-response effects or pharmacokinetic factors. Additionally, nicotine administration should result in optimum therapeutic effects without imparting abuse potential or toxicity. Overall, this review aims to compile the previous and most recent data on nicotine and its effects on cognition-related mechanisms and age-related cognitive impairment.
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25
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Piao C, Liu T, Ma L, Ding X, Wang X, Chen X, Duan Y, Sui N, Liang J. Alterations in brain activation in response to prolonged morphine withdrawal-induced behavioral inflexibility in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2941-2953. [PMID: 28762073 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4689-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The inability to stop a repetitive maladaptive behavior is a main problem in addictive disorders. Neuroadaptations that are associated with behavioral inflexibility may be involved in compulsive drug use. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to investigate the pattern of behavioral inflexibility during morphine withdrawal and map brain activation that is linked to alterations in flexibility. METHODS We first analyzed the effects of chronic morphine exposure on reversal learning after 2-week (short-term) and 6-week (prolonged) morphine withdrawal. We then compared the level of neuronal activation using cFos immunohistochemistry in 15 brain areas between rats that underwent morphine withdrawal and saline-control rats after a test of reversal learning. RESULTS Only prolonged morphine withdrawal impaired reversal learning. Rats that exhibited impairments in reversal learning presented a significant decrease in cFos expression in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), including the medial, lateral, and ventral OFC. cFos expression significantly increased in the dorsomedial striatum and major subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the morphine group. Rats that underwent prolonged morphine withdrawal exhibited no significant changes in cFos expression in the dorsolateral striatum, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, paraventricular thalamic nucleus, or motor cortex. The rats that underwent short-term withdrawal did not present any changes in cFos expression in any of these brain regions. CONCLUSION Altogether, these data suggest that alterations in the function of the frontal cortex and its striatal connections during the late morphine withdrawal phase may underlie the disruption of inhibitory control in opioid dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengji Piao
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China
| | - Tiane Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lian Ma
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuekun Ding
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xingyue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Duan
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Sui
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Jing Liang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Connor DA, Gould TJ. Chronic fluoxetine ameliorates adolescent chronic nicotine exposure-induced long-term adult deficits in trace conditioning. Neuropharmacology 2017; 125:272-283. [PMID: 28778833 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Development of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, continues through adolescence. Chronic nicotine exposure during adolescence may contribute to long-term deficits in forebrain-dependent learning. It is unclear if these deficits emerge immediately after exposure and if they can be ameliorated. In this study, C57BL/6J mice were treated with chronic nicotine (6.3 or 12.6 mg/kg/day) over 12 days beginning at adolescence, postnatal day (PND) 38, or adulthood, PND 56-63 ± 3. We investigated the effects of short-term (24 h) abstinence on trace fear conditioning and found that adult treatment resulted in deficits (6.3 and 12.6 mg/kg/day), but adolescent chronic nicotine treatment had no effect. In contrast, adolescent treatment with chronic nicotine (12.6 mg/kg/day) elicited a long-term (30 days) learning deficit, but adult chronic nicotine treatment did not. Using the elevated plus maze (EPM) we found no long-term changes in anxiety-related behavior after chronic nicotine exposure at either time-point. We investigated if chronic fluoxetine (FLX) could ameliorate adolescent chronic nicotine-associated long-term deficits in trace conditioning. We found that chronic FLX (160 mg/L) in drinking water ameliorated the long-term deficit in trace fear conditioning associated with nicotine exposure during adolescence. Additionally, in the same animals, we examined changes in total BDNF protein in the dorsal hippocampus (DH), ventral hippocampus (VH), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Chronic FLX increased DH BDNF. Our data indicate nicotine administration during adolescence leads to late onset, long-lasting deficits in hippocampus-dependent learning that chronic FLX treatment ameliorate.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Connor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
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27
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Lesage E, Aronson SE, Sutherland MT, Ross TJ, Salmeron BJ, Stein EA. Neural Signatures of Cognitive Flexibility and Reward Sensitivity Following Nicotinic Receptor Stimulation in Dependent Smokers: A Randomized Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2017; 74:632-640. [PMID: 28403383 PMCID: PMC5539833 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Withdrawal from nicotine is an important contributor to smoking relapse. Understanding how reward-based decision making is affected by abstinence and by pharmacotherapies such as nicotine replacement therapy and varenicline tartrate may aid cessation treatment. OBJECTIVE To independently assess the effects of nicotine dependence and stimulation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor on the ability to interpret valence information (reward sensitivity) and subsequently alter behavior as reward contingencies change (cognitive flexibility) in a probabilistic reversal learning task. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Nicotine-dependent smokers and nonsmokers completed a probabilistic reversal learning task during acquisition of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a 2-drug, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design conducted from January 21, 2009, to September 29, 2011. Smokers were abstinent from cigarette smoking for 12 hours for all sessions. In a fully Latin square fashion, participants in both groups underwent MRI twice while receiving varenicline and twice while receiving a placebo pill, wearing either a nicotine or a placebo patch. Imaging analysis was performed from June 15, 2015, to August 10, 2016. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES A well-established computational model captured effects of smoking status and administration of nicotine and varenicline on probabilistic reversal learning choice behavior. Neural effects of smoking status, nicotine, and varenicline were tested for on MRI contrasts that captured reward sensitivity and cognitive flexibility. RESULTS The study included 24 nicotine-dependent smokers (12 women and 12 men; mean [SD] age, 35.8 [9.9] years) and 20 nonsmokers (10 women and 10 men; mean [SD] age, 30.4 [7.2] years). Computational modeling indicated that abstinent smokers were biased toward response shifting and that their decisions were less sensitive to the available evidence, suggesting increased impulsivity during withdrawal. These behavioral impairments were mitigated with nicotine and varenicline. Similarly, decreased mesocorticolimbic activity associated with cognitive flexibility in abstinent smokers was restored to the level of nonsmokers following stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (familywise error-corrected P < .05). Conversely, neural signatures of decreased reward sensitivity in smokers (vs nonsmokers; familywise error-corrected P < .05) in the dorsal striatum and anterior cingulate cortex were not mitigated by nicotine or varenicline. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There was a double dissociation between the effects of chronic nicotine dependence on neural representations of reward sensitivity and acute effects of stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on behavioral and neural signatures of cognitive flexibility in smokers. These chronic and acute pharmacologic effects were observed in overlapping mesocorticolimbic regions, suggesting that available pharmacotherapies may alleviate deficits in the same circuitry for certain mental computations but not for others. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00830739.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Lesage
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sarah E. Aronson
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland,School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore
| | - Matthew T. Sutherland
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland,Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami
| | - Thomas J. Ross
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Betty Jo Salmeron
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Elliot A. Stein
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
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28
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Ehlinger DG, Burke JC, McDonald CG, Smith RF, Bergstrom HC. Nicotine-induced and D1-receptor-dependent dendritic remodeling in a subset of dorsolateral striatum medium spiny neurons. Neuroscience 2017; 356:242-254. [PMID: 28576726 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known, targeting multiple memory systems, including the ventral and dorsal striatum. One form of neuroplasticity commonly associated with nicotine is dendrite remodeling. Nicotine-induced dendritic remodeling of ventral striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) is well-documented. Whether MSN dendrites in the dorsal striatum undergo a similar pattern of nicotine-induced structural remodeling is unknown. A morphometric analysis of Golgi-stained MSNs in rat revealed a natural asymmetry in dendritic morphology across the mediolateral axis, with larger, more complex MSNs found in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). Chronic nicotine produced a lasting (at least 21day) expansion in the dendritic complexity of MSNs in the DLS, but not dorsomedial striatum (DMS). Given prior evidence that MSN subtypes can be distinguished based on dendritic morphology, MSNs were segregated into morphological subpopulations based on the number of primary dendrites. Analysis of these subpopulations revealed that DLS MSNs with more primary dendrites were selectively remodeled by chronic nicotine exposure and remodeling was specific to the distal-most portions of the dendritic arbor. Co-administration of the dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) antagonist SCH23390 completely reversed the selective effects of nicotine on DLS MSN dendrite morphology, supporting a causal role for dopamine signaling at D1 receptors in nicotine-induced dendrite restructuring. Considering the functional importance of the DLS in shaping and expressing habitual behavior, these data support a model in which nicotine induces persistent and selective changes in the circuit connectivity of the DLS that may promote and sustain addiction-related behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G Ehlinger
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julian C Burke
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Craig G McDonald
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Robert F Smith
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Hadley C Bergstrom
- Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA.
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29
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Perry CJ, Lawrence AJ. Addiction, cognitive decline and therapy: seeking ways to escape a vicious cycle. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2016; 16:205-218. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. J. Perry
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division; The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; University of Melbourne; Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - A. J. Lawrence
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division; The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Melbourne VIC Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health; University of Melbourne; Melbourne VIC Australia
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30
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Measuring discrimination- and reversal learning in mouse models within 4 days and without prior food deprivation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:660-667. [PMID: 27918287 PMCID: PMC5066605 DOI: 10.1101/lm.042085.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Many neurological and psychiatric disorders are characterized by deficits in cognitive flexibility. Modeling cognitive flexibility in mice enables the investigation of mechanisms underlying these deficits. The majority of currently available behavioral tests targeting this cognitive domain are reversal learning tasks that require scheduled food restriction, extended training periods and labor-intensive, and stress-inducing animal handling. Here, we describe a novel 4-day (4-d) continuously running task measuring discrimination- and reversal learning in an automated home cage (CognitionWall DL/RL task) that largely eliminates these limitations. In this task, mice can earn unlimited number of food rewards by passing through the correct hole of the three-holed CognitionWall. To assess the validity and sensitivity of this novel task, the performance of C57BL/6J mice, amyloid precursor protein/presenilin1 transgenic (APP/PS1) mice, α-calmodulin kinase-II (αCaMKII) T305D knock-in mice, and mice with an orbitofrontal cortex lesion were examined. We found that C57BL/6J mice reach stable performance levels within the 4 d of the task, while experiencing only slight reductions in weight and no major effects on circadian rhythm. The task detected learning deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic and αCaMKII T305D mutant mice. Additionally, we established that the orbitofrontal cortex underlies reversal learning performance in our task. Because of its short duration and the absence of food deprivation and concurrent weight loss, this novel automated home-cage task substantially improves comprehensive preclinical assessment of cognitive functions in mouse models of psychiatric and neurological disorders and also enables analysis during specific developmental stages.
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31
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Kutlu MG, Oliver C, Huang P, Liu-Chen LY, Gould TJ. Impairment of contextual fear extinction by chronic nicotine and withdrawal from chronic nicotine is associated with hippocampal nAChR upregulation. Neuropharmacology 2016; 109:341-348. [PMID: 27378334 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Chronic nicotine and withdrawal from chronic nicotine have been shown to be major modulators of fear learning behavior. Moreover, recent studies from our laboratory have shown that acute nicotine impaired fear extinction and safety learning in mice. However, the effects of chronic nicotine and withdrawal on fear extinction are unknown. Therefore, the current experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of chronic nicotine as well as withdrawal from chronic nicotine on contextual fear extinction in mice. C57BL6/J mice were given contextual fear conditioning training and retention testing during chronic nicotine administration. Mice then received contextual fear extinction either during chronic nicotine or during withdrawal from chronic nicotine. Our results showed that contextual fear extinction was impaired both during chronic nicotine administration and subsequent withdrawal. However, it was also observed that the effects of prior chronic nicotine disappeared after 72 h in withdrawal, a timeline that closely matches with the timing of the chronic nicotine-induced upregulation of hippocampal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) density. Additional experiments found that 4 days, but not 1 day, of continuous nicotine administration upregulated hippocampal nAChRs and impaired contextual fear extinction. These effects disappeared following 72 h withdrawal. Overall, these experiments provide a potential link between nicotine-induced upregulation of hippocampal nAChRs and fear extinction deficits observed in patients with anxiety disorders, which may lead to advancements in the pharmacological treatment methods for this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munir Gunes Kutlu
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Weiss Hall, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Chicora Oliver
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Weiss Hall, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peng Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, Temple University Medical School, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lee-Yuan Liu-Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Temple University Medical School, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Weiss Hall, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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32
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Parikh V, Naughton SX, Yegla B, Guzman DM. Impact of partial dopamine depletion on cognitive flexibility in BDNF heterozygous mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:1361-75. [PMID: 26861892 PMCID: PMC4814303 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4229-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cognitive flexibility is a key component of executive function and is disrupted in major psychiatric disorders. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exerts neuromodulatory effects on synaptic transmission and cognitive/affective behaviors. However, the causal mechanisms linking BDNF hypofunction with executive deficits are not well understood. OBJECTIVES Here, we assessed the consequences of BDNF hemizygosity on cognitive flexibility in mice performing an operant conditioning task. As dopaminergic-glutamatergic interaction in the striatum is important for cognitive processing, and BDNF heterozygous (BDNF(+/-)) mice display a higher dopamine tone in the dorsal striatum, we also assessed the effects of partial striatal dopamine depletion on task performance and glutamate release. RESULTS BDNF(+/-) mice acquired discrimination learning as well as new rule learning during set-shifting as efficiently as wild-type mice. However, partial removal of striatal dopaminergic inputs with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) impaired these cognitive processes by impeding the maintenance of a new learning strategy in both genotypes. BDNF mutants exhibited performance impairments during reversal learning, and these deficits were associated with increased perseveration to the previously acquired strategy. Partial dopamine depletion of the striatum reversed these cognitive impairments. Additionally, reduction in depolarization-evoked glutamate release noted in the dorsal striatum of BDNF(+/-) mice was not observed in 6-OHDA-infused BDNF mutants indicating normalization of glutamatergic transmission in these animals. CONCLUSIONS Our data illustrate that BDNF signaling regulates cognitive control processes presumably by maintaining striatal dopamine-glutamate balance. Moreover, aberrations in BDNF signaling may act as a common neurobiological substrate that accounts for executive dysfunction observed in multiple psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
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33
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Parikh V, Cole RD, Patel PJ, Poole RL, Gould TJ. Cognitive control deficits during mecamylamine-precipitated withdrawal in mice: Possible links to frontostriatal BDNF imbalance. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 128:110-6. [PMID: 26775017 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine is a major psychoactive and addictive component of tobacco. Although cessation of tobacco use produces various somatic and affective symptoms, withdrawal-related cognitive deficits are considered to be a critical symptom that predict relapse. Therefore, delineating the cognitive mechanisms of nicotine withdrawal may likely provide gainful insights into the neurobiology of nicotine addiction. The present study was designed to examine the effects of nicotine withdrawal induced by mecamylamine, a non-specific nicotinic receptor (nAChR) antagonist, on cognitive control processes in mice using an operant strategy switching task. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates synaptic transmission in frontostriatal circuits, and these circuits are critical for executive functions. Thus, we examined the effects of mecamylamine-precipitated nicotine withdrawal on prefrontal and striatal BDNF protein expression. Mice undergoing precipitated nicotine withdrawal required more trials to attain strategy switching criterion as compared to the controls. Error analysis indicated that impaired performance in these animals was mostly related to their inability to execute the new strategy. The striatal/prefrontal BDNF ratios robustly increased following precipitated nicotine withdrawal. Moreover, higher BDNF ratios were associated with longer task acquisition. Collectively, our findings illustrate that mecamylamine-induced nicotine withdrawal disrupts cognitive control processes and that these changes are possibly linked to perturbations in frontostriatal BDNF signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
| | - Robert D Cole
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Purav J Patel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Rachel L Poole
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
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34
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Besson M, Forget B. Cognitive Dysfunction, Affective States, and Vulnerability to Nicotine Addiction: A Multifactorial Perspective. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:160. [PMID: 27708591 PMCID: PMC5030478 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although smoking prevalence has declined in recent years, certain subpopulations continue to smoke at disproportionately high rates and show resistance to cessation treatments. Individuals showing cognitive and affective impairments, including emotional distress and deficits in attention, memory, and inhibitory control, particularly in the context of psychiatric conditions, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and mood disorders, are at higher risk for tobacco addiction. Nicotine has been shown to improve cognitive and emotional processing in some conditions, including during tobacco abstinence. Self-medication of cognitive deficits or negative affect has been proposed to underlie high rates of tobacco smoking among people with psychiatric disorders. However, pre-existing cognitive and mood disorders may also influence the development and maintenance of nicotine dependence, by biasing nicotine-induced alterations in information processing and associative learning, decision-making, and inhibitory control. Here, we discuss the potential forms of contribution of cognitive and affective deficits to nicotine addiction-related processes, by reviewing major clinical and preclinical studies investigating either the procognitive and therapeutic action of nicotine or the putative primary role of cognitive and emotional impairments in addiction-like features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Besson
- Unité de Neurobiologie Intégrative des Systèmes Cholinergiques, Department of Neuroscience, CNRS UMR 3571, Institut Pasteur , Paris , France
| | - Benoît Forget
- Unité de Neurobiologie Intégrative des Systèmes Cholinergiques, Department of Neuroscience, CNRS UMR 3571, Institut Pasteur , Paris , France
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35
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Kutlu MG, Parikh V, Gould TJ. Nicotine Addiction and Psychiatric Disorders. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2015; 124:171-208. [PMID: 26472530 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2015.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Even though smoking rates have long been on the decline, nicotine addiction still affects 20% of the US population today. Moreover, nicotine dependence shows high comorbidity with many mental illnesses including, but are not limited to, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, and depression. The reason for the high rates of smoking in patients with mental illnesses may relate to attempts to self-medicate with nicotine. While nicotine may alleviate the symptoms of mental disorders, nicotine abstinence has been shown to worsen the symptoms of these disorders. In this chapter, we review the studies from animal and human research examining the bidirectional relationship between nicotine and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, and depression as well as studies examining the roles of specific subunits of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the interaction between nicotine and these mental illnesses. The results of these studies suggest that activation, desensitization, and upregulation of nAChRs modulate the effects of nicotine on mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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36
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Smith D, Aherrera A, Lopez A, Neptune E, Winickoff JP, Klein JD, Chen G, Lazarus P, Collaco JM, McGrath-Morrow SA. Adult Behavior in Male Mice Exposed to E-Cigarette Nicotine Vapors during Late Prenatal and Early Postnatal Life. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137953. [PMID: 26372012 PMCID: PMC4570802 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotine exposure has been associated with an increased likelihood of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring of mothers who smoked during pregnancy. The goal of this study was to determine if exposure to E-cigarette nicotine vapors during late prenatal and early postnatal life altered behavior in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dani Smith
- Neurogenetics and Behavior Center, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Angela Aherrera
- Eudowood Division of Pediatric Respiratory Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Armando Lopez
- Eudowood Division of Pediatric Respiratory Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Enid Neptune
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jonathan P. Winickoff
- Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, United States of America
- Division of General Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jonathan D. Klein
- Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Philip Lazarus
- Department of Pharmacology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Joseph M. Collaco
- Eudowood Division of Pediatric Respiratory Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Sharon A. McGrath-Morrow
- Eudowood Division of Pediatric Respiratory Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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37
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Alm KH, Rolheiser T, Mohamed FB, Olson IR. Fronto-temporal white matter connectivity predicts reversal learning errors. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:343. [PMID: 26150776 PMCID: PMC4471733 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Each day, we make hundreds of decisions. In some instances, these decisions are guided by our innate needs; in other instances they are guided by memory. Probabilistic reversal learning tasks exemplify the close relationship between decision making and memory, as subjects are exposed to repeated pairings of a stimulus choice with a reward or punishment outcome. After stimulus-outcome associations have been learned, the associated reward contingencies are reversed, and participants are not immediately aware of this reversal. Individual differences in the tendency to choose the previously rewarded stimulus reveal differences in the tendency to make poorly considered, inflexible choices. Lesion studies have strongly linked reversal learning performance to the functioning of the orbitofrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and in some instances, the amygdala. Here, we asked whether individual differences in the microstructure of the uncinate fasciculus, a white matter tract that connects anterior and medial temporal lobe regions to the orbitofrontal cortex, predict reversal learning performance. Diffusion tensor imaging and behavioral paradigms were used to examine this relationship in 33 healthy young adults. The results of tractography revealed a significant negative relationship between reversal learning performance and uncinate axial diffusivity, but no such relationship was demonstrated in a control tract, the inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Our findings suggest that the uncinate might serve to integrate associations stored in the anterior and medial temporal lobes with expectations about expected value based on feedback history, computed in the orbitofrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie H Alm
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Tyler Rolheiser
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Feroze B Mohamed
- Department of Radiology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Ingrid R Olson
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA USA
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Abreu-Villaça Y, Filgueiras CC, Correa-Santos M, Cavina CC, Naiff VF, Krahe TE, Manhães AC, Ribeiro-Carvalho A. Tobacco smoke containing high or low levels of nicotine during adolescence: effects on novelty-seeking and anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:1693-703. [PMID: 25401170 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3801-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Thousands of adolescents start smoking daily but information on the effects of tobacco exposure on this age group is scarce. Moreover, the available animal models rely on the effects of nicotine, neglecting other neuroactive components of tobacco. OBJECTIVES We investigated the effects of exposure of adolescent mice to tobacco smoke generated from cigarettes containing either high or low levels of nicotine on novelty seeking and anxiety-like behaviors. METHODS From postnatal day (PN) 30 to 45, male and female Swiss mice were exposed to tobacco smoke (whole body exposure, 8 h/day, 7 days/week) generated from 2R1F (HighNic group: 1.74 mg nicotine/cigarette) or 4A1 (LowNic group: 0.14 mg nicotine/cigarette) research cigarettes, whereas control mice were exposed to ambient air. By the end (PN44-45), shortly (PN49-50), or long after (PN74-75) exposure, mice were tested on the elevated plus maze and on the hole board. RESULTS While HighNic mice presented an increased number of head-dips (increased novelty-seeking) and decreased grooming (increased anxiety-like behavior) by the end of adolescent exposure, only the latter effect persisted shortly after its end. Distinctively, LowNic mice presented reduced head-dips both by the end and shortly after exposure as well as decreased grooming shortly and long after the end of exposure. Interestingly, only HighNic mice presented detectable cotinine (nicotine metabolite) serum levels (109.1 ± 24.0 ng/ml). CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that even adolescent exposure to tobacco smoke with very low nicotine content can have significant short- and long-term behavioral effects, supporting the hypothesis that adolescents can be particularly vulnerable to the effects of cigarette consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Abreu-Villaça
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Av. Prof. Manuel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil,
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Cole RD, Poole RL, Guzman DM, Gould TJ, Parikh V. Contributions of β2 subunit-containing nAChRs to chronic nicotine-induced alterations in cognitive flexibility in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:1207-17. [PMID: 25281224 PMCID: PMC4361240 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3754-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Deficits in executive functions underlie compulsive drug use, and understanding how nicotine influences these cognitive processes may provide important information on neurobiological substrates of nicotine addiction. Accumulating evidence suggests that β2 subunit-containing nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) are involved in the reinforcing process of nicotine addiction. Whether these nAChRs also contributes to the detrimental effects of chronic nicotine on flexible decision-making is not known. OBJECTIVES In the present study, the effects of chronic nicotine were assessed in mice with partial or complete deletion of the β2 subunit-containing nAChR gene (β2+/- or β2-/-) performing an operant cognitive flexibility task. RESULTS Visual discrimination learning was not affected in saline-treated β2 nAChR mutants as compared to the wild-type (β2+/+) mice; yet, chronic nicotine facilitated acquisition of visual discrimination in all genotypes. The acquisition of new egocentric response strategy set-shifting remained similar in all genotypes, and there was no effect of treatment. Chronic nicotine treatment impaired reversal learning in β2+/+ mice by increasing response perseveration to the previously rewarded stimulus. Moreover, the acquisition of inverted stimulus-reward contingencies did not differ between β2+/+ and β2-/- mice exposed to chronic nicotine. Interestingly, nicotine-induced reversal learning deficits were not observed in β2+/- mice. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these findings suggest that β2 subunit-containing nAChRs are not critical for visual discrimination learning and extra dimensional rule shift. However, sustained activation of these nAChRs with nicotine may interfere with inhibitory control processes influencing affective shifts in stimulus-reward contingencies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Vinay Parikh
- Corresponding author: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122. Phone: 215-204-1572,
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Koven NS, Collins LR. Urinary brain-derived neurotrophic factor as a biomarker of executive functioning. Neuropsychobiology 2015; 69:227-34. [PMID: 24942240 DOI: 10.1159/000362242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are vital for neuronal survival and adaptive plasticity. With high BDNF gene expression in the prefrontal cortex, BDNF is a potential regulatory factor for building and maintaining cognitive reserves. Recent studies suggest that individual differences in executive functioning, a broad cognitive domain reliant upon frontal lobe structure and function, are governed in part by variance in BDNF polymorphisms. However, as neurogenetic data are not necessarily indicative of in vivo neurochemistry, this study examines the relationship between executive functioning and the neurotransmitter by measuring peripheral BDNF levels. METHODS Fifty-two healthy young adults completed a battery of standardized executive function tests. BDNF levels, adjusted for creatinine, were quantified with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of urine samples taken at the time of testing. RESULTS BDNF concentration was positively associated with cognitive flexibility but had no relationship with working memory, abstract reasoning/planning, self-monitoring/response inhibition, or fluency. CONCLUSIONS These results individuate cognitive flexibility as the specific facet of executive functioning associated with in vivo BDNF levels. This study also validates urinary BDNF as a peripheral biomarker of cognition in healthy adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy S Koven
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, USA
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Abstract
Executive functions consist of multiple high-level cognitive processes that drive rule generation and behavioral selection. An emergent property of these processes is the ability to adjust behavior in response to changes in one's environment (i.e., behavioral flexibility). These processes are essential to normal human behavior, and may be disrupted in diverse neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, alcoholism, depression, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Understanding of the neurobiology of executive functions has been greatly advanced by the availability of animal tasks for assessing discrete components of behavioral flexibility, particularly strategy shifting and reversal learning. While several types of tasks have been developed, most are non-automated, labor intensive, and allow testing of only one animal at a time. The recent development of automated, operant-based tasks for assessing behavioral flexibility streamlines testing, standardizes stimulus presentation and data recording, and dramatically improves throughput. Here, we describe automated strategy shifting and reversal tasks, using operant chambers controlled by custom written software programs. Using these tasks, we have shown that the medial prefrontal cortex governs strategy shifting but not reversal learning in the rat, similar to the dissociation observed in humans. Moreover, animals with a neonatal hippocampal lesion, a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia, are selectively impaired on the strategy shifting task but not the reversal task. The strategy shifting task also allows the identification of separate types of performance errors, each of which is attributable to distinct neural substrates. The availability of these automated tasks, and the evidence supporting the dissociable contributions of separate prefrontal areas, makes them particularly well-suited assays for the investigation of basic neurobiological processes as well as drug discovery and screening in disease models.
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Varani AP, Pedrón VT, Machado LM, Antonelli MC, Bettler B, Balerio GN. Lack of GABAB receptors modifies behavioural and biochemical alterations induced by precipitated nicotine withdrawal. Neuropharmacology 2014; 90:90-101. [PMID: 25479464 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Revised: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The nicotine (NIC) withdrawal syndrome is considered to be a major cause of the high relapse rate among individuals undergoing smoking cessation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a possible role of GABAB receptors in NIC withdrawal, by comparing GABAB1 knockout mice and their wild-type littermates. We analysed the time course of the global withdrawal score, the anxiety-like effects, monoamine concentrations, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, the corticosterone plasmatic levels and [(3)H]epibatidine binding sites during NIC withdrawal precipitated by mecamylamine, a nicotinic receptor antagonist (MEC). In NIC withdrawn wild-type mice, we observed a global withdrawal score, an anxiety-like effect in the elevated plus maze, a decrease of the striatal dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid concentrations, an increase of corticosterone plasma levels, a reduction of BDNF expression in several brain areas and an increase of [(3)H]epibatidine binding sites in specific brain regions. Interestingly, the effects found in NIC withdrawn wild-type mice were absent in GABAB1 knockout mice, suggesting that GABAB1 subunit of the GABAB receptor is involved in the regulation of the behavioural and biochemical alterations induced by NIC withdrawal in mice. These results reveal an interaction between the GABAB receptors and the neurochemical systems through which NIC exerts its long-term effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés P Varani
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - Valeria T Pedrón
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - Lirane Moutinho Machado
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - Marta C Antonelli
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bernhard Bettler
- Department of Biomedicine, Institute of Physiology, Pharmazentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Graciela N Balerio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina; Cátedra de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, 5° Piso, Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina.
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Varani AP, Moutinho Machado L, Balerio GN. Baclofen prevented the changes in c-Fos and brain-derived neutrophic factor expressions during mecamylamine-precipitated nicotine withdrawal in mice. Synapse 2014; 68:508-17. [DOI: 10.1002/syn.21763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Revised: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés P. Varani
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (UBA-CONICET); Junín 956, 5° piso, (C1113AAD) Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Lirane Moutinho Machado
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (UBA-CONICET); Junín 956, 5° piso, (C1113AAD) Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Graciela N. Balerio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (UBA-CONICET); Junín 956, 5° piso, (C1113AAD) Buenos Aires Argentina
- Cátedra de Farmacología; Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Junín 956 5° Piso, (C1113AAD) Buenos Aires Argentina
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Zhao S, Cui WY, Cao J, Luo C, Fan L, Li MD. Impact of Maternal Nicotine Exposure on Expression of Myelin-Related Genes in Zebrafish Larvae. Zebrafish 2014; 11:10-6. [DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2013.0889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shufang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Yan Cui
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junran Cao
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Chen Luo
- College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Longjiang Fan
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ming D. Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
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D'Amore DE, Tracy BA, Parikh V. Exogenous BDNF facilitates strategy set-shifting by modulating glutamate dynamics in the dorsal striatum. Neuropharmacology 2013; 75:312-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Revised: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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The neural and genetic basis of executive function: attention, cognitive flexibility, and response inhibition. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 123:45-54. [PMID: 23978501 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Executive function is a collection of cognitive processes essential for higher order mental function. Processes involved in executive function include, but are not limited to, working memory, attention, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control. These complex behaviors are largely mediated by prefrontal cortical function but are modulated by dopaminergic, noradrenergic, serotonergic, and cholinergic input. The ability of these neurotransmitter systems to modulate executive function allows for adaptation in cognitive behavior in response to changes in the environment. Because of the important role these neurotransmitter systems play in regulating executive function, changes in these systems can also have a grave impact on executive function. In addition, polymorphisms in genes associated with these neurotransmitters are associated with phenotypic differences in executive function. Understanding how these naturally occurring polymorphisms contribute to different executive function phenotypes will advance basic knowledge of cognition and potentially further understanding and treatment of mental illness that involve changes in executive function. In this review, we will examine the influence of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and acetylcholine on the following measures of executive function: attention, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control. We will also review the effects of polymorphisms in genes associated with these neurotransmitter systems on these measures of executive function.
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Ashare RL, Falcone M, Lerman C. Cognitive function during nicotine withdrawal: Implications for nicotine dependence treatment. Neuropharmacology 2013; 76 Pt B:581-91. [PMID: 23639437 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Revised: 04/04/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine withdrawal is associated with deficits in neurocognitive function including sustained attention, working memory, and response inhibition. Several convergent lines of evidence suggest that these deficits may represent a core dependence phenotype and a target for treatment development efforts. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying withdrawal-related cognitive deficits may lead to improve nicotine dependence treatment. We begin with an overview of the neurocognitive effects of withdrawal in rodent and human models, followed by discussion of the neurobehavioral mechanisms that are thought to underlie these effects. We then review individual differences in withdrawal-related neurocognitive effects including genetics, gender, and psychiatric comorbidity. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this research for developing improved therapies, both pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments, that target cognitive symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'NIDA 40th Anniversary Issue'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Ashare
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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