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Knapp CP, Papadopoulos E, Loweth JA, Raghupathi R, Floresco SB, Waterhouse BD, Navarra RL. Perturbations in risk/reward decision making and frontal cortical catecholamine regulation induced by mild traumatic brain injury. Behav Brain Res 2024; 467:115002. [PMID: 38636779 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115002] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) disrupts cognitive processes that influence risk taking behavior. Little is known regarding the effects of repetitive mild injury (rmTBI) or whether these outcomes are sex specific. Risk/reward decision making is mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is densely innervated by catecholaminergic fibers. Aberrant PFC catecholamine activity has been documented following TBI and may underlie TBI-induced risky behavior. The present study characterized the effects of rmTBI on risk/reward decision making behavior and catecholamine transmitter regulatory proteins within the PFC. Rats were exposed to sham, single (smTBI), or three closed-head controlled cortical impact (CH-CCI) injuries and assessed for injury-induced effects on risk/reward decision making using a probabilistic discounting task (PDT). In the first week post-final surgery, mTBI increased risky choice preference. By the fourth week, males exhibited increased latencies to make risky choices following rmTBI, demonstrating a delayed effect on processing speed. When levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and the norepinephrine reuptake transporter (NET) were measured within subregions of the PFC, females exhibited dramatic increases of TH levels within the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) following smTBI. However, both males and females demonstrated reduced levels of OFC NET following rmTBI. These results indicate the OFC is susceptible to catecholamine instability after rmTBI and suggests that not all areas of the PFC contribute equally to TBI-induced imbalances. Overall, the CH-CCI model of rmTBI has revealed time-dependent and sex-specific changes in risk/reward decision making and catecholamine regulation following repetitive mild head injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P Knapp
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Stratford, NJ, USA.
| | - Eleni Papadopoulos
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Stratford, NJ, USA
| | - Jessica A Loweth
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Stratford, NJ, USA
| | - Ramesh Raghupathi
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Barry D Waterhouse
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Stratford, NJ, USA
| | - Rachel L Navarra
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Stratford, NJ, USA.
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Arrondeau C, Urueña-Méndez G, Bellés L, Marchessaux F, Goutaudier R, Ginovart N. Motor impulsivity but not risk-related impulsive choice is associated to drug intake and drug-primed relapse. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1200392. [PMID: 37333480 PMCID: PMC10275384 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1200392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Motor impulsivity and risk-related impulsive choice have been proposed as vulnerability factors for drug abuse, due to their high prevalence in drug abusers. However, how these two facets of impulsivity are associated to drug abuse remains unclear. Here, we investigated the predictive value of both motor impulsivity and risk-related impulsive choice on characteristics of drug abuse including initiation and maintenance of drug use, motivation for the drug, extinction of drug-seeking behavior following drug discontinuation and, finally, propensity to relapse. Methods We used the Roman High- (RHA) and Low- Avoidance (RLA) rat lines, which display innate phenotypical differences in motor impulsivity, risk-related impulsive choice, and propensity to self-administer drugs. Individual levels of motor impulsivity and risk-related impulsive choice were measured using the rat Gambling task. Then, rats were allowed to self-administer cocaine (0.3 mg/kg/infusion; 14 days) to evaluate acquisition and maintenance of cocaine self-administration, after which motivation for cocaine was assessed using a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. Subsequently, rats were tested for their resistance to extinction, followed by cue-induced and drug-primed reinstatement sessions to evaluate relapse. Finally, we evaluated the effect of the dopamine stabilizer aripiprazole on reinstatement of drug-seeking behaviors. Results We found that motor impulsivity and risk-related impulsive choice were positively correlated at baseline. Furthermore, innate high levels of motor impulsivity were associated with higher drug use and increased vulnerability to cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug-seeking. However, no relationships were observed between motor impulsivity and the motivation for the drug, extinction or cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking. High levels of risk-related impulsive choice were not associated to any aspects of drug abuse measured in our study. Additionally, aripiprazole similarly blocked cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug-seeking in both high- and low-impulsive animals, suggesting that aripiprazole acts as a D2/3R antagonist to prevent relapse independently of the levels of impulsivity and propensity to self-administer drugs. Discussion Altogether, our study highlights motor impulsivity as an important predictive factor for drug abuse and drug-primed relapse. On the other hand, the involvement of risk-related impulsive choice as a risk factor for drug abuse appears to be limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Arrondeau
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ginna Urueña-Méndez
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lidia Bellés
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Florian Marchessaux
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Goutaudier
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Ginovart
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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A pilot study on the association between the blood oxygen level-dependent signal in the reward system and dopamine transporter availability in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. CNS Spectr 2021; 26:299-306. [PMID: 32308185 DOI: 10.1017/s1092852920001133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is well-known that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with changes in the dopaminergic system. However, the relationship between central dopaminergic tone and the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal during receipt of rewards and penalties in the corticostriatal pathway in adults with ADHD is unclear. METHODS Single-photon emission computed tomography with [99mTC]TRODAT-1 was used to assess striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability. Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted on subjects performing the Iowa Gambling Test. RESULT DAT availability was found to be associated with the BOLD response, which was a covariate of monetary loss, in the medial prefrontal cortex (r = 0.55, P = .03), right ventral striatum (r = 0.69, P = .003), and right orbital frontal cortex (r = 0.53, P = .03) in adults with ADHD. However, a similar correlation was not found in the controls. CONCLUSIONS The results confirmed that dopaminergic tone may play a different role in the penalty-elicited response of adults with ADHD. It is plausible that a lower neuro-threshold accompanied by insensitivity to punishment could be exacerbated by the hypodopaminergic tone in ADHD.
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Piantadosi PT, Halladay LR, Radke AK, Holmes A. Advances in understanding meso-cortico-limbic-striatal systems mediating risky reward seeking. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1547-1571. [PMID: 33704784 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The risk of an aversive consequence occurring as the result of a reward-seeking action can have a profound effect on subsequent behavior. Such aversive events can be described as punishers, as they decrease the probability that the same action will be produced again in the future and increase the exploration of less risky alternatives. Punishment can involve the omission of an expected rewarding event ("negative" punishment) or the addition of an unpleasant event ("positive" punishment). Although many individuals adaptively navigate situations associated with the risk of negative or positive punishment, those suffering from substance use disorders or behavioral addictions tend to be less able to curtail addictive behaviors despite the aversive consequences associated with them. Here, we discuss the psychological processes underpinning reward seeking despite the risk of negative and positive punishment and consider how behavioral assays in animals have been employed to provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying addictive disorders. We then review the critical contributions of dopamine signaling to punishment learning and risky reward seeking, and address the roles of interconnected ventral striatal, cortical, and amygdala regions to these processes. We conclude by discussing the ample opportunities for future study to clarify critical gaps in the literature, particularly as related to delineating neural contributions to distinct phases of the risky decision-making process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick T Piantadosi
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Anna K Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Rinehart L, Spencer S. Which came first: Cannabis use or deficits in impulse control? Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 106:110066. [PMID: 32795592 PMCID: PMC7750254 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Impulse control deficits are often found to co-occur with substance use disorders (SUDs). On the one hand, it is well known that chronic intake of drugs of abuse remodels the brain with significant consequences for a range of cognitive behaviors. On the other hand, individual variation in impulse control may contribute to differences in susceptibility to SUDs. Both of these relationships have been described, thus leading to a "chicken or the egg" debate which remains to be fully resolved. Does impulsivity precede drug use or does it manifest as a function of problematic drug usage? The link between impulsivity and SUDs has been most strongly established for cocaine and alcohol use disorders using both preclinical models and clinical data. Much less is known about the potential link between impulsivity and cannabis use disorder (CUD) or the directionality of this relationship. The initiation of cannabis use occurs most often during adolescence prior to the brain's maturation, which is recognized as a critical period of development. The long-term effects of chronic cannabis use on the brain and behavior have started to be explored. In this review we will summarize these observations, especially as they pertain to the relationship between impulsivity and CUD, from both a psychological and biological perspective. We will discuss impulsivity as a multi-dimensional construct and attempt to reconcile the results obtained across modalities. Finally, we will discuss possible avenues for future research with emerging longitudinal data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Rinehart
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Sade Spencer
- University of Minnesota, Department of Pharmacology, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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Exploring dopaminergic transmission in gambling addiction: A systematic translational review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:481-511. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Abstract
The prefrontal cortex undergoes functional and structural reorganization in chronic pain conditions in both rodents and humans. We provide an illustrated overview of the molecular, functional, and connectivity pathology occurring in the prefrontal cortex in chronic pain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Shiers
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Center for Advanced Pain Studies, Richardson, TX, United States
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Ishikawa J, Sakurai Y, Ishikawa A, Mitsushima D. Contribution of the prefrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala to behavioral decision-making under reward/punishment conflict. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:639-654. [PMID: 31912190 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05398-7] [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: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Control of reward-seeking behavior under conditions of punishment is an important function for survival. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS We designed a task in which rats could choose to either press a lever and obtain a food pellet accompanied by a footshock or refrain from pressing the lever to avoid footshock, in response to tone presentation. In the task, footshock intensity steadily increased, and the task was terminated when the lever press probability reached < 25% (last intensity). Rats were trained until the last intensity was stable. Subsequently, we investigated the effects of the pharmacological inactivation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC), and basolateral amygdala (BLA) on task performance. RESULTS Bilateral inactivation of the vmPFC, lOFC, and BLA did not alter lever press responses at the early stage of the task. The number of lever presses increased following vmPFC and BLA inactivation but decreased following lOFC inactivation during the later stage of the task. The last intensity was elevated by vmPFC or BLA inactivation but lowered by lOFC inactivation. Disconnection of the vmPFC-BLA pathway induced behavioral alterations that were similar to vmPFC or BLA inactivation. Inactivation of any regions did not alter footshock sensitivity and anxiety levels. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate a strong role of the vmPFC and BLA and their interactions in reward restraint to avoid punishment and a prominent role of the lOFC in reward-seeking under reward/punishment conflict situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Ishikawa
- Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan.
| | - Yoshio Sakurai
- Laboratory of Neural Information, Systems Neuroscience, Doshisha University Graduate School of Brain Science, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe-shi, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
| | - Akinori Ishikawa
- Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan
| | - Dai Mitsushima
- Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan
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van Holstein M, Floresco SB. Dissociable roles for the ventral and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex in cue-guided risk/reward decision making. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:683-693. [PMID: 31652433 PMCID: PMC7021677 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0557-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Converging evidence from studies with animals and humans have implicated separate regions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) corresponding to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), in mediating different aspects of reward-related decisions involving uncertainty or risk. However, the dissociable contributions of subregions of the ACC remain unclear, as discrepancies exist between human neuroimaging findings and preclinical rodent studies. To clarify how ventral vs. dorsal regions of the mPFC contribute to risk/reward decision making, the present study assessed the effects of inactivation of different subregions on performance of a "Blackjack task" that measured cue-guided decision making and shares similarities with paradigms used with humans. Male, Long-Evans rats were well-trained to choose between a Small/Certain reward vs a Large/Risky reward delivered with variable probabilities (i.e., good vs. poor-odds, 50% vs. 12.5%). The odds of obtaining the larger reward was signaled by auditory cues at the start of each trial. Inactivation of the ventral, infralimbic region of the mPFC increased risky choice selectively when the odds of winning were poor. By contrast, inactivation of the prelimbic and anterior cingulate regions of the dorsal mPFC led to suboptimal reductions in risky choice on good-odds trials. The effects of prelimbic vs anterior cingulate inactivations were associated with context-dependent alterations in reward vs negative feedback, respectively. These results further clarify the distinct yet complementary manners in which separate ACC regions promote optimal risk/reward decision making and complement neuroimaging findings that activity in human ventral vs dorsal ACC promotes risk aversion or risky choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mieke van Holstein
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Stan B. Floresco
- 0000 0001 2288 9830grid.17091.3eDepartment of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3 Canada
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Why we need nonhuman primates to study the role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex in the regulation of threat- and reward-elicited responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:26297-26304. [PMID: 31871181 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902288116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is consistently implicated in the cognitive and emotional symptoms of many psychiatric disorders, but the causal mechanisms of its involvement remain unknown. In part, this is because of the poor characterization of the disorders and their symptoms, and the focus of experimental studies in animals on subcortical (rather than cortical) dysregulation. Moreover, even in those experimental studies that have focused on the vmPFC, the preferred animal model for such research has been the rodent, in which there are marked differences in the organization of this region to that seen in humans, and thus the extent of functional homology is unclear. There is also a paucity of well-defined behavioral paradigms suitable for translating disorder-relevant findings across species. With these considerations in mind, we discuss the value of nonhuman primates (NHPs) in bridging the translational gap between human and rodent studies. We focus on recent investigations into the involvement in reward and threat processing of 2 major regions of the vmPFC, areas 25 and 32 in NHPs and their anatomical homologs, the infralimbic and prelimbic cortex, in rodents. We highlight potential similarities, but also differences between species, and consider them in light of the extent to which anatomical homology reflects functional homology, the expansion of the PFC in human and NHPs, and most importantly how they can guide future studies to improve the translatability of findings from preclinical animal studies into the clinic.
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Bortz DM, Gazo KL, Grace AA. The medial septum enhances reversal learning via opposing actions on ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra dopamine neurons. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:2186-2194. [PMID: 31261368 PMCID: PMC6898642 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0453-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility deficits are one of the most pervasive symptoms across psychiatric disorders, making continued investigation of the circuitry underlying this function a top priority. Medial septum (MS) lesions lead to perseverative, inflexible-type behavior; however, a role for this region in cognitive flexibility circuitry has never been examined. We activated the MS (DREADDs) and measured performance in a T-maze spatial reversal learning task in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Systemic activation of the MS (CNO) significantly decreased both trials to perform a reversal and entries into the previously baited arm. Intra-ventral subiculum CNO enhanced reversal learning in the same manner as systemic CNO and also significantly increased ventral tegmental area and decreased substantia nigra dopamine neuron population activity. Finally, co-injection of the D1 antagonist SCH23390 with CNO prevented the enhanced reversal learning performance seen in the previous two experiments. Taken together, these data suggest a key role for the MS in cognitive flexibility, and suggest that MS-mediated changes in midbrain dopamine neuron population activity could be one mechanism by which this occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. M. Bortz
- 0000 0004 1936 9000grid.21925.3dDepartment of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - K. L. Gazo
- 0000 0004 1936 9000grid.21925.3dDepartment of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - A. A. Grace
- 0000 0004 1936 9000grid.21925.3dDepartment of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
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Ishikawa J, Ishikawa A. The loop neural circuit between the medial prefrontal cortex and the amygdala in the rat brain. Neurosci Lett 2019; 712:134476. [PMID: 31491462 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A major neuronal basis underlying emotion regulation is the inhibitory influence of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) on amygdalar neurons. However, in spite of the importance of mPFC neuronal activities in emotion regulation, little is known about the inputs modulating activity of mPFC neurons projecting to the amygdala. To gain insight into dense reciprocal connections between mPFC and amygdala, we investigated neural circuits between these brain regions using electrophysiological techniques. We found that mPFC neurons were antidromically driven mainly by stimulation of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), rather than the posterior part of the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (pBLA), whereas pBLA, but not CeA, stimulation evoked orthodromic excitatory and inhibitory responses. mPFC neurons antidromically driven by CeA stimulation showed excitatory or inhibitory responses to pBLA stimulation. These findings indicate the existence of a functional neural loop between amygdala and mPFC, pointing to an amygdalar self-control system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Ishikawa
- Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan.
| | - Akinori Ishikawa
- Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
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Hong DD, Huang WQ, Ji AA, Yang SS, Xu H, Sun KY, Cao A, Gao WJ, Zhou N, Yu P. Neurons in rat orbitofrontal cortex and medial prefrontal cortex exhibit distinct responses in reward and strategy-update in a risk-based decision-making task. Metab Brain Dis 2019; 34:417-429. [PMID: 30535618 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-018-0360-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are known to participate in risk-based decision-making. However, whether neuronal activities of these two brain regions play similar or differential roles during different stages of risk-based decision-making process remains unknown. Here we conducted multi-channel in vivo recordings in the OFC and mPFC simultaneously when rats were performing a gambling task. Rats were trained to update strategy as the task was shifted in two stages. Behavioral testing suggests that rats exhibited different risk preferences and response latencies to food rewards during stage-1 and stage-2. Indeed, the firing patterns and numbers of non-specific neurons and nosepoking-predicting neurons were similar in OFC and mPFC. However, there were no reward-expecting neurons and significantly more reward-excitatory neurons (fired as rats received rewards) in the mPFC. Further analyses suggested that nosepoking-predicting neurons may encode the overall value of reward and strategy, whereas reward-expecting neurons show more intensive firing to a big food reward in the OFC. Nosepoking-predicting neurons in mPFC showed no correlation with decision-making strategy updating, whereas the response of reward-excitatory neurons in mPFC, which were barely observed in OFC, were inhibited during nosepoking, but were enhanced in the post-nosepoking period. These findings indicate that neurons in the OFC and mPFC exhibit distinct responses in decision-making process during reward consumption and strategy updating. Specifically, OFC encodes the overall value of a choice and is thus important for learning and strategy updating, whereas mPFC plays a key role in monitoring and execution of a strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Dan Hong
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Wen-Qiang Huang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Ai-Ai Ji
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Sha-Sha Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Hui Xu
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ke-Yi Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Aihua Cao
- Department of Pediatrics, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Ning Zhou
- The General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, 100853, China.
| | - Ping Yu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100037, China.
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Quintero Garzola GC. Review: brain neurobiology of gambling disorder based on rodent models. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019; 15:1751-1770. [PMID: 31308669 PMCID: PMC6612953 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s192746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Different literature reviews of gambling disorder (GD) neurobiology have been focused on human studies, others have focused on rodents, and others combined human and rodent studies. The main question of this review was: which are the main neurotransmitters systems and brain structures relevant for GD based on recent rodent studies? This work aims to review the experimental findings regarding the rodent´s neurobiology of GD. A search in the Pub Med database was set (October 2012-October 2017) and 162 references were obtained. After screening, 121 references were excluded, and only 41 references remained from the initial output. More, other 25 references were added to complement (introduction section, neuroanatomical descriptions) the principal part of the work. At the end, a total of 66 references remained for the review. The main conclusions are: 1) according to studies that used noninvasive methods for drug administration, some of the neurotransmitters and receptors involved in behaviors related to GD are: muscarinic, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), dopamine 2 receptor (D2), dopamine 3 receptor (D3), and dopamine 4 receptor (D4); 2) moreover, there are other neurotransmitters and receptors involved in GD based on studies that use invasive methods of drug administration (eg, brain microinjection); example of these are: serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1A), noradrenaline receptors, gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor A (GABAA), and gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor B (GABAB); 3) different brain structures are relevant to behaviors linked to GD, like: amygdala (including basolateral amygdala (BLA)), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hippocampus, infralimbic area, insular cortex (anterior and rostral agranular), nucleus accumbens (NAc), olfactory tubercle (island of Calleja), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), prefrontal cortex (PFC) - subcortical network, striatum (ventral) and the subthalamic nucleus (STN); and 4) the search for GD treatments should consider this diversity of receptor/neurotransmitter systems and brain areas.
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Shaver TK, Ozga JE, Zhu B, Anderson KG, Martens KM, Vonder Haar C. Long-term deficits in risky decision-making after traumatic brain injury on a rat analog of the Iowa gambling task. Brain Res 2018; 1704:103-113. [PMID: 30296430 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.10.004] [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: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects 2.8 million people annually in the United States, with significant populations suffering from ongoing cognitive dysfunction. Impairments in decision-making can have major implications for patients and their caregivers, often enduring for years to decades, yet are rarely explored in experimental TBI. In the current study, the Rodent Gambling Task (RGT), an Iowa Gambling Task analog, was used to assess risk-based decision-making and motor impulsivity after TBI. During testing, rats chose between options associated with different probabilities of reinforcement (sucrose) or punishment (timeout). To determine effects of TBI on learned behaviors versus the learning process, rats were trained either before, or after, a bilateral frontal controlled cortical impact TBI, and then assessed for 12 weeks. To evaluate the degree to which monoamine systems, such as dopamine, were affected by TBI, rats were given an amphetamine challenge, and behavior recorded. Injury immediately and chronically decreased optimal decision-making, and biased rats towards both riskier, and safer (but suboptimal) choices, regardless of prior learning history. TBI also increased motor impulsivity across time, reflecting ongoing neural changes. Despite these similarities in trained and acquisition rats, those that learned the task after injury demonstrated reduced effects of amphetamine on optimal decision-making, suggesting a lesser role of monoamines in post-injury learning. Amphetamine also dose-dependently reduced motor impulsivity in injured rats. This study opens up the investigation of psychiatric-like dysfunction in animal models of TBI and tasks such as the RGT will be useful in identifying therapeutics for the chronic post-injury period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trinity K Shaver
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Jenny E Ozga
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Binxing Zhu
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Karen G Anderson
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Kris M Martens
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Cole Vonder Haar
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
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16
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Contributions of medial prefrontal cortex to decision making involving risk of punishment. Neuropharmacology 2018; 139:205-216. [PMID: 30009836 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in several forms of cost-benefit decision making. Its contributions to decision making under risk of explicit punishment, however, are not well understood. A rat model was used to investigate the role of the medial PFC (mPFC) and its monoaminergic innervation in a Risky Decision-making Task (RDT), in which rats chose between a small, "safe" food reward and a large, "risky" food reward accompanied by varying probabilities of mild footshock punishment. Inactivation of mPFC increased choice of the large, risky reward when the punishment probability increased across the session ("ascending RDT"), but decreased choice of the large, risky reward when the punishment probability decreased across the session ("descending RDT"). In contrast, enhancement of monoamine availability via intra-mPFC amphetamine reduced choice of the large, risky reward only in the descending RDT. Systemic administration of amphetamine reduced choice of the large, risky reward in both the ascending and descending RDT; however, this reduction was not attenuated by concurrent mPFC inactivation, indicating that mPFC is not a critical locus of amphetamine's effects on risk taking. These findings suggest that mPFC plays an important role in adapting choice behavior in response to shifting risk contingencies, but not necessarily in risk-taking behavior per se.
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Georgiou P, Zanos P, Bhat S, Tracy JK, Merchenthaler IJ, McCarthy MM, Gould TD. Dopamine and Stress System Modulation of Sex Differences in Decision Making. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:313-324. [PMID: 28741626 PMCID: PMC5729565 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Maladaptive decision making is associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders, including problem gambling and suicidal behavior. The prevalence of these disorders is higher in men vs women, suggesting gender-dependent regulation of their pathophysiology underpinnings. We assessed sex differences in decision making using the rat version of the Iowa gambling task. Female rats identified the most optimal choice from session 1, whereas male rats from session 5. Male, but not female rats, progressively improved their advantageous option responding and surpassed females. Estrus cycle phase did not affect decision making. To test whether pharmacological manipulations targeting the dopaminergic and stress systems affect decision making in a sex-dependent manner, male and female rats received injections of a dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) antagonist (eticlopride), D2R agonist (quinpirole), corticotropin-releasing factor 1 (CRF1) antagonist (antalarmin), and α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist (yohimbine; used as a pharmacological stressor). Alterations in mRNA levels of D2R and CRF1 were also assessed. Eticlopride decreased advantageous responding in male, but not female rats, whereas quinpirole decreased advantageous responding specifically in females. Yohimbine dose-dependently decreased advantageous responding in female rats, whereas decreased advantageous responding was only observed at higher doses in males. Antalarmin increased optimal choice responding only in female rats. Higher Drd2 and Crhr1 expression in the amygdala were observed in female vs male rats. Higher amygdalar Crhr1 expression was negatively correlated with advantageous responding specifically in females. This study demonstrates the relevance of dopaminergic- and stress-dependent sex differences to maladaptive decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polymnia Georgiou
- Departments of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Panos Zanos
- Departments of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shambhu Bhat
- Departments of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - J Kathleen Tracy
- Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Istvan J Merchenthaler
- Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Margaret M McCarthy
- Departments of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Todd D Gould
- Departments of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, MSTF 936; 685 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA, Tel: +1 (410) 706-5585, E-mail:
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Deciphering Decision Making: Variation in Animal Models of Effort- and Uncertainty-Based Choice Reveals Distinct Neural Circuitries Underlying Core Cognitive Processes. J Neurosci 2017; 36:12069-12079. [PMID: 27903717 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1713-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Maladaptive decision-making is increasingly recognized to play a significant role in numerous psychiatric disorders, such that therapeutics capable of ameliorating core impairments in judgment may be beneficial in a range of patient populations. The field of "decision neuroscience" is therefore in its ascendancy, with researchers from diverse fields bringing their expertise to bear on this complex and fascinating problem. In addition to the advances in neuroimaging and computational neuroscience that contribute enormously to this area, an increase in the complexity and sophistication of behavioral paradigms designed for nonhuman laboratory animals has also had a significant impact on researchers' ability to test the causal nature of hypotheses pertaining to the neural circuitry underlying the choice process. Multiple such decision-making assays have been developed to investigate the neural and neurochemical bases of different types of cost/benefit decisions. However, what may seem like relatively trivial variation in behavioral methodologies can actually result in recruitment of distinct cognitive mechanisms, and alter the neurobiological processes that regulate choice. Here we focus on two areas of particular interest, namely, decisions that involve an assessment of uncertainty or effort, and compare some of the most prominent behavioral paradigms that have been used to investigate these processes in laboratory rodents. We illustrate how an appreciation of the diversity in the nature of these tasks can lead to important insights into the circumstances under which different neural regions make critical contributions to decision making.
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19
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Ferland JMN, Winstanley CA. Risk-preferring rats make worse decisions and show increased incubation of craving after cocaine self-administration. Addict Biol 2017; 22:991-1001. [PMID: 27002211 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Maladaptive decision-making may play an integral role in the development and maintenance of an addiction. Substance-dependent individuals make riskier choices on the Iowa Gambling Task, and these deficits persist during withdrawal and are predictive of relapse. However, it is unclear from clinical studies whether this cognitive impairment is a cause or consequence of drug use. We trained male Long-Evans rats on the rat Gambling Task, a rodent analogue of the Iowa Gambling Task, to determine how choice preference influenced, and was influenced by, cocaine self-administration, withdrawal and incubation of craving. Rats that exhibited a preference for the risky, disadvantageous options at baseline were uniquely and adversely affected by cocaine self-administration. Risky choice was exacerbated in these rats when decision-making was assessed during the same diurnal period as cocaine self-administration, whereas the choice pattern of optimal decision-makers was unaffected. This decision-making deficit was maintained during 30 days of withdrawal and correlated with greater cue-induced incubation of craving. Risk-preferring rats also made more drug-seeking responses during cocaine self-administration. These data demonstrate that poor decision-making prior to contact with addictive drugs is associated with a pro-addictive behavioural phenotype, characterized by further increased risky choice and heightened responding for drug both during cocaine self-administration and withdrawal. Such findings indicate that the elevated risky decision-making observed in substance-dependent populations is not merely circumstantial, but makes an important contribution to addiction vulnerability and severity that can now be effectively modelled in laboratory rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline-Marie N. Ferland
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health; University of British Columbia; Canada
| | - Catharine A. Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health; University of British Columbia; Canada
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Adams WK, Vonder Haar C, Tremblay M, Cocker PJ, Silveira MM, Kaur S, Baunez C, Winstanley CA. Deep-Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus Selectively Decreases Risky Choice in Risk-Preferring Rats. eNeuro 2017; 4:ENEURO.0094-17.2017. [PMID: 28791332 PMCID: PMC5547195 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0094-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) can improve the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and negate the problematic side effects of dopamine replacement therapy. Although there is concern that STN-DBS may enhance the development of gambling disorder and other impulse control disorders in this patient group, recent data suggest that STN-DBS may actually reduce iatrogenic impulse control disorders, and alleviate obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Here, we sought to determine whether STN-DBS was beneficial or detrimental to performance of the rat gambling task (rGT), a rodent analogue of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) used to assess risky decision making clinically. Rats chose between four options associated with different amounts and probabilities of sugar pellet rewards versus timeout punishments. As in the IGT, the optimal approach was to favor options associated with smaller per-trial gains but lower timeout penalties. Once a stable behavioral baseline was established, electrodes were implanted bilaterally into the STN, and the effects of STN-DBS assessed on-task over 10 consecutive sessions using an A-B-A design. STN-DBS did not affect choice in optimal decision makers that correctly favored options associated with smaller per-trial gains but also lower penalties. However, a minority (∼25%) preferred the maladaptive "high-risk, high-reward" options at baseline. STN-DBS significantly and progressively improved choice in these risk-preferring rats. These data support the hypothesis that STN-DBS may be beneficial in ameliorating maladaptive decision making associated with compulsive and addiction disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy K. Adams
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Cole Vonder Haar
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Melanie Tremblay
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Paul J. Cocker
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Mason M. Silveira
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sukhbir Kaur
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Christelle Baunez
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR7289 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Aix-Marseille Université, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Catharine A. Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Structural and functional alterations in the prefrontal cortex after post-weaning social isolation: relationship with species-typical and deviant aggression. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 222:1861-1875. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1312-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Dopamine D3 Receptors Modulate the Ability of Win-Paired Cues to Increase Risky Choice in a Rat Gambling Task. J Neurosci 2016; 36:785-94. [PMID: 26791209 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2225-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Similar to other addiction disorders, the cues inherent in many gambling procedures are thought to play an important role in mediating their addictive nature. Animal models of gambling-related behavior, while capturing dimensions of economic decision making, have yet to address the impact that these salient cues may have in promoting maladaptive choice. Here, we determined whether adding win-associated audiovisual cues to a rat gambling task (rGT) would influence decision making. Thirty-two male Long-Evans rats were tested on either the cued or uncued rGT. In these tasks, animals chose between four options associated with different magnitudes and frequencies of reward and punishing time-out periods. As in the Iowa Gambling Task, favoring options associated with smaller per-trial rewards but smaller losses and avoiding the tempting "high-risk, high-reward" decks maximized profits. Although the reinforcement contingencies were identical in both task versions, rats' choice of the disadvantageous risky options was significantly greater on the cued task. Furthermore, a D3 receptor agonist increased choice of the disadvantageous options, whereas a D3 antagonist had the opposite effects, only on the cued task. These findings are consistent with the reported role of D3 receptors in mediating the facilitatory effects of cues in addiction. Collectively, these results indicate that the cued rGT is a valuable model with which to study the mechanism by which salient cues can invigorate maladaptive decision making, an important and understudied component of both gambling and substance use disorders. Significance statement: We used a rodent analog of the Iowa Gambling Task to determine whether the addition of audiovisual cues would affect choice preferences. Adding reward-concurrent cues significantly increased risky choice. This is the first clear demonstration that reward-paired cues can bias cost/benefit decision making against a subject's best interests in a manner concordant with elevated addiction susceptibility. Choice on the cued task was uniquely sensitive to modulation by D3 receptor ligands, yet these drugs did not alter decision making on the uncued task. The relatively unprecedented sensitivity of choice on the cued task to D3-receptor-mediated neurotransmission data suggest that similar neurobiological processes underlie the ability of cues to both bias animals toward risky options and facilitate drug addiction.
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Barrus MM, Hosking JG, Cocker PJ, Winstanley CA. Inactivation of the orbitofrontal cortex reduces irrational choice on a rodent Betting Task. Neuroscience 2016; 345:38-48. [PMID: 26912278 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.02.028] [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: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive biases may play a significant role in disorders of decision making such as pathological gambling and addiction. Understanding the neurobiology of these biases could lead to more effective pharmacological and therapeutic treatments for disorders in which aberrant decision making is prominent. The rodent Betting Task (rBT) was designed to measure one commonly observed decision-making heuristic in rodents, namely "escalation of commitment" in which subjects become more risk averse as the stakes increase, even if the odds of success remain constant. In the rodent task, the animal is presented with a choice between two options of equivalent expected value, such that reward on one option is guaranteed while the other has a 50% chance of double the prize or nothing. Past work has shown that a subset of animals (termed wager sensitive) adopt an irrationally risk-averse choice preference in which they shift their choice away from the uncertain option as the bet size grows larger. In the current study, the orbitofrontal (OFC), prelimbic (PrL), and infralimbic cortex (IL) were inactivated to evaluate the contributions made by these regions to choice behavior on the rBT. Inactivation of the OFC (but not the IL or the PrL) selectively ameliorated the risk-averse choice pattern characteristic of wager-sensitive animals. This finding suggests that the OFC may have a relatively unique role in promoting this type of non-normative decision-making under uncertainty, an effect that is potentially related to its role in representing the subjective value of reinforcing outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Barrus
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - J G Hosking
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 52 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - P J Cocker
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - C A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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de Almondes KM, Júnior FWNH, Alves NT. Sleep deprivation and implications for recognition and perception of facial emotions. Sleep Biol Rhythms 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s41105-015-0029-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Zeeb FD, Baarendse PJJ, Vanderschuren LJMJ, Winstanley CA. Inactivation of the prelimbic or infralimbic cortex impairs decision-making in the rat gambling task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:4481-91. [PMID: 26387517 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4075-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Studies employing the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) demonstrated that areas of the frontal cortex, including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), are involved in the decision-making process. However, the precise role of these regions in maintaining optimal choice is not clear. OBJECTIVES We used the rat gambling task (rGT), a rodent analogue of the IGT, to determine whether inactivation of or altered dopamine signalling within discrete cortical sub-regions disrupts decision-making. METHODS Following training on the rGT, animals were implanted with guide cannulae aimed at the prelimbic (PrL) or infralimbic (IL) cortices, the OFC, or the ACC. Prior to testing, rats received an infusion of saline or a combination of baclofen and muscimol (0.125 μg of each/side) to inactivate the region and an infusion of a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist (0, 0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 μg/side). RESULTS Rats tended to increase their choice of a disadvantageous option and decrease their choice of the optimal option following inactivation of either the IL or PrL cortex. In contrast, OFC or ACC inactivation did not affect decision-making. Infusion of a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist into any sub-region did not alter choice preference. CONCLUSIONS Online activity of the IL or PrL cortex is important for maintaining an optimal decision-making strategy, but optimal performance on the rGT does not require frontal cortex dopamine D2 receptor activation. Additionally, these results demonstrate that the roles of different cortical regions in cost-benefit decision-making may be dissociated using the rGT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona D Zeeb
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Section of Biopsychology, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - P J J Baarendse
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - L J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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Moeller SJ, Stoops WW. Cocaine choice procedures in animals, humans, and treatment-seekers: Can we bridge the divide? Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 138:133-41. [PMID: 26432174 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with cocaine use disorder chronically self-administer cocaine to the detriment of other rewarding activities, a phenomenon best modeled in laboratory drug-choice procedures. These procedures can evaluate the reinforcing effects of drugs versus comparably valuable alternatives under multiple behavioral arrangements and schedules of reinforcement. However, assessing drug-choice in treatment-seeking or abstaining humans poses unique challenges: for ethical reasons, these populations typically cannot receive active drugs during research studies. Researchers have thus needed to rely on alternative approaches that approximate drug-choice behavior or assess more general forms of decision-making, but whether these alternatives have relevance to real-world drug-taking that can inform clinical trials is not well-understood. In this mini-review, we (A) summarize several important modulatory variables that influence cocaine choice in nonhuman animals and non-treatment seeking humans; (B) discuss some of the ethical considerations that could arise if treatment-seekers are enrolled in drug-choice studies; (C) consider the efficacy of alternative procedures, including non-drug-related decision-making and 'simulated' drug-choice (a choice is made, but no drug is administered) to approximate drug choice; and (D) suggest opportunities for new translational work to bridge the current divide between preclinical and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J Moeller
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.
| | - William W Stoops
- Department of Behavioral Science and Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, KY, United States.
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Di Ciano P, Pushparaj A, Kim A, Hatch J, Masood T, Ramzi A, Khaled MATM, Boileau I, Winstanley CA, Le Foll B. The Impact of Selective Dopamine D2, D3 and D4 Ligands on the Rat Gambling Task. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136267. [PMID: 26352802 PMCID: PMC4564230 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gambling is an addictive disorder with serious societal and personal costs. To-date, there are no approved pharmacological treatments for gambling disorder. Evidence suggests a role for dopamine in gambling disorder and thus may provide a therapeutic target. The present study therefore aimed to investigate the effects of selective antagonists and agonists of D2, D3 and D4 receptors in a rodent analogue of the Iowa gambling task used clinically. In this rat gambling task (rGT), animals are trained to associate different response holes with different magnitudes and probabilities of food pellet rewards and punishing time-out periods. As in the Iowa gambling task, the optimal strategy is to avoid the tempting high-risk high-reward options, and instead favor those linked to smaller per-trial rewards but also lower punishments, thereby maximizing the amount of reward earned over time. Administration of those selective ligands did not affect decision making under the rGT. Only the D4 drug had modest effects on latency measures suggesting that D4 may contribute in some ways to decision making under this task.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Conditioning, Operant
- Decision Making/drug effects
- Dopamine Agents/pharmacology
- Dopamine Antagonists/pharmacology
- Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists/pharmacology
- Gambling
- Games, Experimental
- Ligands
- Male
- Punishment
- Rats
- Rats, Long-Evans
- Reaction Time/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/agonists
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/physiology
- Receptors, Dopamine D3/agonists
- Receptors, Dopamine D3/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Dopamine D3/physiology
- Receptors, Dopamine D4/agonists
- Receptors, Dopamine D4/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Dopamine D4/physiology
- Reward
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Di Ciano
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Canada M5S 2S1
| | - Abhiram Pushparaj
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Canada M5S 2S1
| | - Aaron Kim
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Canada M5S 2S1
| | - Jessica Hatch
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Talal Masood
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Canada M5S 2S1
| | - Abby Ramzi
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Canada M5S 2S1
| | - Maram A. T. M. Khaled
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Canada M5S 2S1
- Pain Management Unit, Department of Anaesthesia, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Isabelle Boileau
- Addiction Imaging Research Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 1R
| | | | - Bernard Le Foll
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Canada M5S 2S1
- Alcohol Research and Treatment Clinic, Addiction Medicine Services, Ambulatory Care and Structured Treatments, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, CAMH, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Brain and Therapeutics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Towards a Better Understanding of Disordered Gambling: Efficacy of Animal Paradigms in Modelling Aspects of Gambling Behaviour. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40429-015-0065-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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29
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Effects of disrupting medial prefrontal cortex GABA transmission on decision-making in a rodent gambling task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:1755-65. [PMID: 25420610 PMCID: PMC4412766 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3816-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Decision-making is a complex cognitive process that is mediated, in part, by subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC). Decision-making is impaired in a number of psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia. Notably, people with schizophrenia exhibit reductions in GABA function in the same PFC areas that are implicated in decision-making. For example, expression of the GABA-synthesizing enzyme GAD67 is reduced in the dorsolateral PFC of people with schizophrenia. OBJECTIVES The goal of this experiment was to determine whether disrupting cortical GABA transmission impairs decision-making using a rodent gambling task (rGT). METHODS Rats were trained on the rGT until they reached stable performance and then were implanted with guide cannulae aimed at the medial PFC. Following recovery, the effects of intra-PFC infusions of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide (BMI) or the GABA synthesis inhibitor L-allylglycine (LAG) on performance on the rGT were assessed. RESULTS Intracortical infusions of BMI (25 ng/μl/side), but not LAG (10 μg/μl/side), altered decision-making. Following BMI infusions, rats made fewer advantageous choices. Follow-up experiments suggested that the change in decision-making was due to a change in the sensitivity to the punishments, rather than a change in the sensitivity to reward magnitudes, associated with each outcome. LAG infusions increased premature responding, a measure of response inhibition, but did not affect decision-making. CONCLUSIONS Blocking GABAA receptors, but not inhibiting cortical GABA synthesis, within the medial PFC affects decision-making in the rGT. These data provide proof-of-concept evidence that disruptions in GABA transmission can contribute to the decision-making deficits in schizophrenia.
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Barrus MM, Cherkasova M, Winstanley CA. Skewed by Cues? The Motivational Role of Audiovisual Stimuli in Modelling Substance Use and Gambling Disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2015; 27:507-29. [PMID: 26531068 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2015_393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The similarity between gambling disorder (GD) and drug addiction has recently been recognized at the diagnostic level. Understanding the core cognitive processes involved in these addiction disorders, and in turn their neurobiological mechanisms, remains a research priority due to the enormous benefits such knowledge would have in enabling effective treatment design. Animal models can be highly informative in this regard. Although numerous rodent behavioural paradigms that capture different facets of gambling-like behaviour have recently been developed, the motivational power of cues in biasing individuals towards risky choice has so far received little attention despite the central role played by drug-paired cues in successful laboratory models of chemical dependency. Here, we review some of the comparatively simple paradigms in which reward-paired cues are known to modulate behaviour in rodents, such as sign-tracking, Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer and conditioned reinforcement. Such processes are thought to play an important role in mediating responding for drug reward, and the need for future studies to address whether similar processes contribute to cue-driven risky choice is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Barrus
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada. .,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Mariya Cherkasova
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada. .,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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31
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Winstanley CA, Clark L. Translational Models of Gambling-Related Decision-Making. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2015; 28:93-120. [PMID: 27418069 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2015_5014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Gambling is a harmless, recreational pastime that is ubiquitous across cultures. However, for some, gambling becomes a maladaptive and compulsive, and this syndrome is conceptualized as a behavioural addiction. Laboratory models that capture the key cognitive processes involved in gambling behaviour, and that can be translated across species, have the potential to make an important contribution to both decision neuroscience and the study of addictive disorders. The Iowa gambling task has been widely used to assess human decision-making under uncertainty, and this paradigm can be successfully modelled in rodents. Similar neurobiological processes underpin choice behaviour in humans and rats, and thus, a preference for the disadvantageous "high-risk, high-reward" options may reflect meaningful vulnerability for mental health problems. However, the choice behaviour operationalized by these tasks does not necessarily approximate the vulnerability to gambling disorder (GD) per se. We consider a number of psychological challenges that apply to modelling gambling in a translational way, and evaluate the success of the existing models. Heterogeneity in the structure of gambling games, as well as in the motivations of individuals with GD, is highlighted. The potential issues with extrapolating too directly from established animal models of drug dependency are discussed, as are the inherent difficulties in validating animal models of GD in the absence of any approved treatments for GD. Further advances in modelling the cognitive biases endemic in human decision-making, which appear to be exacerbated in GD, may be a promising line of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharine A Winstanley
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. .,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Luke Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Gambling Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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32
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Wang D, Yu Y, Li Y, Wang Y, Wang D. Dopamine receptors antagonistically regulate behavioral choice between conflicting alternatives in C. elegans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115985. [PMID: 25536037 PMCID: PMC4275273 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful model to study the neuronal or molecular basis for behavioral choice, a specific form of decision-making. Although it has been implied that both D1-like and D2-like dopamine receptors may contribute to the control of decision-making in mammals, the genetic interactions between D1-like and D2-like dopamine receptors in regulating decision-making are still largely unclear. In the present study, we investigated the molecular control of behavioral choice between conflicting alternatives (diacetyl and Cu2+) by D1-like and D2-like dopamine receptors and their possible genetic interactions with C. elegans as the assay system. In the behavioral choice assay system, mutation of dop-1 gene encoding D1-like dopamine receptor resulted in the enhanced tendency to cross the Cu2+ barrier compared with wild-type. In contrast, mutations of dop-2 or dop-3 gene encoding D2-like dopamine receptor caused the weak tendency to cross the Cu2+ barrier compared with wild-type. During the control of behavioral choice, DOP-3 antagonistically regulated the function of DOP-1. The behavioral choice phenotype of dop-2; dop-1dop-3 triple mutant further confirmed the possible antagonistic function of D2-like dopamine receptor on D1-like dopamine receptor in regulating behavioral choice. The genetic assays further demonstrate that DOP-3 might act through Gαo signaling pathway encoded by GOA-1 and EGL-10, and DOP-1 might act through Gαq signaling pathway encoded by EGL-30 and EAT-16 to regulate the behavioral choice. DOP-1 might function in cholinergic neurons to regulate the behavioral choice, whereas DOP-3 might function in GABAergic neurons, RIC, and SIA neurons to regulate the behavioral choice. In this study, we provide the genetic evidence to indicate the antagonistic relationship between D1-like dopamine receptor and D2-like dopamine receptor in regulating the decision-making of animals. Our data will be useful for understanding the complex functions of dopamine receptors in regulating decision-making in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daoyong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yonglin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yinxia Li
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
- * E-mail:
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33
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Deficits in behavioural inhibition in substance abuse and addiction: a meta-analysis. Drug Alcohol Depend 2014; 145:1-33. [PMID: 25195081 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 356] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Deficits in behavioural inhibitory control are attracting increasing attention as a factor behind the development and maintenance of substance dependence. However, evidence for such a deficit is varied in the literature. Here, we synthesised published results to determine whether inhibitory ability is reliably impaired in substance users compared to controls. METHODS The meta-analysis used fixed-effects models to integrate results from 97 studies that compared groups with heavy substance use or addiction-like behaviours with healthy control participants on two experimental paradigms commonly used to assess response inhibition: the Go/NoGo task, and the Stop-Signal Task (SST). The primary measures of interest were commission errors to NoGo stimuli and stop-signal reaction time in the SST. Additionally, we examined omission errors to Go stimuli, and reaction time in both tasks. Because inhibition is more difficult when inhibition is required infrequently, we considered papers with rare and equiprobable NoGo stimuli separately. RESULTS Inhibitory deficits were apparent for heavy use/dependence on cocaine, MDMA, methamphetamine, tobacco, and alcohol (and, to a lesser extent, non-dependent heavy drinkers), and in pathological gamblers. On the other hand, no evidence for an inhibitory deficit was observed for opioids or cannabis, and contradictory evidence was observed for internet addiction. CONCLUSIONS The results are generally consistent with the view that substance use disorders and addiction-like behavioural disorders are associated with impairments in inhibitory control. Implications for treatment of substance use are discussed, along with suggestions for future research arising from the limitations of the extant literature.
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34
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Jung MH, Kim JH, Shin YC, Jung WH, Jang JH, Choi JS, Kang DH, Yi JS, Choi CH, Kwon JS. Decreased connectivity of the default mode network in pathological gambling: A resting state functional MRI study. Neurosci Lett 2014; 583:120-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Revised: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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35
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Peak JN, Turner KM, Burne THJ. The effect of developmental vitamin D deficiency in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats on decision-making using a rodent gambling task. Physiol Behav 2014; 138:319-24. [PMID: 25447469 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is a plausible risk factor for schizophrenia that has been associated with behavioural alterations including disruptions in latent inhibition and response inhibition. The rodent gambling task (rGT) assesses risk-based decision-making, which is a key cognitive deficit observed in schizophrenia patients. The primary aim of this study was to examine risk-based decision-making in DVD-deficient and control rats on the rGT. We also evaluated the performance of female Sprague-Dawley rats on the rGT for the first time. Adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats from control and vitamin D deficient dams were trained to perform the rGT in standard operant chambers and their performance and choice-preferences were assessed. Female rats were significantly faster to reach rGT training criteria compared with male rats and DVD-deficient rats were faster to reach training criteria than control animals. After reaching stable performance on the rGT DVD-deficient and control rats showed a significant preference for the optimal choice-option in the rGT, but there were no significant effects of sex or diet on these responses. DVD deficiency did not alter the decision-making processes on the rGT because no significant changes in choice-preferences were evident. This is the first study to demonstrate that once established, the performance of females is comparable to male Sprague-Dawley rats on the rGT.
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Affiliation(s)
- J N Peak
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - K M Turner
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - T H J Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Australia.
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36
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Koot S, Koukou M, Baars A, Hesseling P, van 't Klooster J, Joëls M, van den Bos R. Corticosterone and decision-making in male Wistar rats: the effect of corticosterone application in the infralimbic and orbitofrontal cortex. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:127. [PMID: 24795580 PMCID: PMC4001045 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticosteroid hormones, released after stress, are known to influence neuronal activity and produce a wide range of effects upon the brain. They affect cognitive tasks including decision-making. Recently it was shown that systemic injections of corticosterone (CORT) disrupt reward-based decision-making in rats when tested in a rat model of the Iowa Gambling Task (rIGT), i.e., rats do not learn across trial blocks to avoid the long-term disadvantageous option. This effect was associated with a change in neuronal activity in prefrontal brain areas, i.e., the infralimbic (IL), lateral orbitofrontal (lOFC) and insular cortex, as assessed by changes in c-Fos expression. Here, we studied whether injections of CORT directly into the IL and lOFC lead to similar changes in decision-making. As in our earlier study, CORT was injected during the final 3 days of the behavioral paradigm, 25 min prior to behavioral testing. Infusions of vehicle into the IL led to a decreased number of visits to the disadvantageous arm across trial blocks, while infusion with CORT did not. Infusions into the lOFC did not lead to differences in the number of visits to the disadvantageous arm between vehicle treated and CORT treated rats. However, compared to vehicle treated rats of the IL group, performance of vehicle treated rats of the lOFC group was impaired, possibly due to cannulation/infusion-related damage of the lOFC affecting decision-making. Overall, these results show that infusions with CORT into the IL are sufficient to disrupt decision-making performance, pointing to a critical role of the IL in corticosteroid effects on reward-based decision-making. The data do not directly support that the same holds true for infusions into the lOFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Koot
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands ; Division Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Magdalini Koukou
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands ; Division Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Annemarie Baars
- Division Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Peter Hesseling
- Division Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - José van 't Klooster
- Division Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ruud van den Bos
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands ; Department of Organismal Animal Physiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen, Netherlands
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37
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van den Bos R, Koot S, de Visser L. A rodent version of the Iowa Gambling Task: 7 years of progress. Front Psychol 2014; 5:203. [PMID: 24672498 PMCID: PMC3957418 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) subjects need to find a way to earn money in a context of variable wins and losses, conflicting short-term and long-term pay-off, and uncertainty of outcomes. In 2006, we published the first rodent version of the IGT (r-IGT; Behavior Research Methods 38, 470–478). Here, we discuss emerging ideas on the involvement of different prefrontal-striatal networks in task-progression in the r-IGT, as revealed by our studies thus far. The emotional system, encompassing, among others, the orbitofrontal cortex, infralimbic cortex and nucleus accumbens (shell and core area), may be involved in assessing and anticipating the value of different options in the early stages of the task, i.e., as animals explore and learn task contingencies. The cognitive control system, encompassing, among others, the prelimbic cortex and dorsomedial striatum, may be involved in instrumental goal-directed behavior in later stages of the task, i.e., as behavior toward long-term options is strengthened (reinforced) and behavior toward long-term poor options is weakened (punished). In addition, we suggest two directions for future research: (1) the role of the internal state of the subject in decision-making, and (2) studying differences in task-related costs. Overall, our studies have contributed to understanding the interaction between the emotional system and cognitive control system as crucial to navigating human and non-human animals alike through a world of variable wins and losses, conflicting short-term and long-term pay-offs, and uncertainty of outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruud van den Bos
- Department of Organismal Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Susanne Koot
- Division Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands ; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Leonie de Visser
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
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38
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Feja M, Koch M. Ventral medial prefrontal cortex inactivation impairs impulse control but does not affect delay-discounting in rats. Behav Brain Res 2014; 264:230-9. [PMID: 24556205 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Maladaptive levels of impulsivity are found in several neuropsychiatric disorders, such as ADHD, addiction, aggression and schizophrenia. Intolerance to delay-of-gratification, or delay-discounting, and deficits in impulse control are dissociable forms of impulsivity top-down controlled by the prefrontal cortex, with the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) suggested to be critically involved. The present study used transient inactivation of the rats' vmPFC via bilateral microinfusion of the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol (0.05, 0.5 μg/0.3 μl) to analyse its relevance for impulse control in a 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) and delay-discounting in a Skinner box. Intra-vmPFC injection of low-dose muscimol impaired impulse control indicated by enhanced premature responding in the 5-CSRTT, while flattening the delay-dependent shift in the preference of the large reward in the delay-discounting task. Likewise, high-dose muscimol did not affect delay-discounting, though raising the rate of omissions. On the contrary, 5-CSRTT performance was characterised by deficits in impulse and attentional control. These data support the behavioural distinction of delay-discounting and impulse control on the level of the vmPFC in rats. Reversible inactivation with muscimol revealed an obvious implication of the vmPFC in the modulation of impulse control in the 5-CSRTT. By contrast, delay-discounting processes seem to be regulated by other neuronal pathways, with the vmPFC playing, if at all, a minor role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Feja
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Brain Research Institute, Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Bremen, PO Box 330440, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
| | - Michael Koch
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Brain Research Institute, Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Bremen, PO Box 330440, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
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39
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Allen CP, Leri F. Perseveration in the presence of punishment: the effects of chronic cocaine exposure and lesions to the prefrontal cortex. Behav Brain Res 2013; 261:185-92. [PMID: 24380673 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Revised: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Perseveration is the repetition of a previously appropriate response in a manner, or context, which is detrimental to the individual. Although both cocaine exposure and prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunctions have been implicated in perseverative-like behaviours, the underlying nature of the impairments has been debated. The current study tested whether chronic cocaine exposure and PFC lesions induce perseverative-like behaviours by causing insensitivity to punishment. Food-restricted male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to respond for sucrose on concurrent schedules of reinforcement. After initial training, rats received either a sensitizing regimen of cocaine exposure, or excitotoxic lesions to subregions of the PFC. The test of perseveration involved a choice of responding between two levers associated with fixed ratio and progressive ratio (PR) schedules. Responding on the PR lever was punished by a 1 min timeout period. It was found that, unlike control subjects, those exposed to chronic cocaine, or with lesions to the medial prefrontal cortex, were significantly slower in adapting their responding to avoid punishment. The current study provides evidence that both cocaine exposure and lesions to the prefrontal cortex can increase perseverative-like responding, although the magnitude and permanence of these effects are contingent on the nature of the task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig P Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Francesco Leri
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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40
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Pujara M, Koenigs M. Mechanisms of reward circuit dysfunction in psychiatric illness: prefrontal-striatal interactions. Neuroscientist 2013; 20:82-95. [PMID: 23924665 DOI: 10.1177/1073858413499407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The brain's "reward circuit" has been widely implicated in the pathophysiology of mental illness. Although there has been significant progress in identifying the functional characteristics of individual nodes within the circuit and linking dysfunction of these brain areas to various forms of psychopathology, there remains a substantial gap in understanding how the nodes of the circuit interact with one another, and how the growing neurobiological knowledge may be applied to improve psychiatric patient care. In this article, we summarize what is currently known about the functions and interactions of two key nodes of this circuit-the ventral striatum and the ventromedial prefrontal/orbital frontal cortex-in relation to mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maia Pujara
- 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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