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Noback M, Bhakta SG, Talledo JA, Kotz JE, Benster L, Roberts BZ, Nungaray JA, Light GA, Swerdlow NR, Brigman JL, Cavanagh JF, Young JW. Amphetamine increases motivation of humans and mice as measured by breakpoint, but does not affect an Electroencephalographic biomarker. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:269-278. [PMID: 38168850 PMCID: PMC11060428 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01150-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Translation of drug targets from preclinical studies to clinical trials has been aided by cross-species behavioral tasks, but evidence for brain-based engagement during task performance is still required. Cross-species progressive ratio breakpoint tasks (PRBTs) measure motivation-related behavior and are pharmacologically and clinically sensitive. We recently advanced elevated parietal alpha power as a cross-species electroencephalographic (EEG) biomarker of PRBT engagement. Given that amphetamine increases breakpoint in mice, we tested its effects on breakpoint and parietal alpha power in both humans and mice. Twenty-three healthy participants performed the PRBT with EEG after amphetamine or placebo in a double-blind design. C57BL/6J mice were trained on PRBT with EEG (n = 24) and were treated with amphetamine or vehicle. A second cohort of mice was trained on PRBT without EEG (n = 40) and was treated with amphetamine or vehicle. In humans, amphetamine increased breakpoint. In mice, during concomitant EEG, 1 mg/kg of amphetamine significantly decreased breakpoint. In cohort 2, however, 0.3 mg/kg of amphetamine increased breakpoint consistent with human findings. Increased alpha power was observed in both species as they reached breakpoint, replicating previous findings. Amphetamine did not affect alpha power in either species. Amphetamine increased effort in humans and mice. Consistent with previous reports, elevated parietal alpha power was observed in humans and mice as they performed the PRBT. Amphetamine did not affect this EEG biomarker of effort. Hence, these findings support the pharmacological predictive validity of the PRBT to measure effort in humans and mice and suggest that this EEG biomarker is not directly reflective of amphetamine-induced changes in effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Noback
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Savita G Bhakta
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Jo A Talledo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Juliana E Kotz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Lindsay Benster
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Benjamin Z Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - John A Nungaray
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Gregory A Light
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
- Research Service MIRECC, VISN 22, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Neal R Swerdlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - James F Cavanagh
- Psychology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA.
- Research Service MIRECC, VISN 22, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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Roberts BZ, O'Connor MA, Kenton JA, Barnes SA, Young JW. Short-active gestational photoperiod reduces effortful choice behavior in mice, partial normalization by d-amphetamine. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2303-2315. [PMID: 36806900 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06337-3] [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] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Seasonal birth patterns consistently implicate winter gestation as a risk factor for several psychiatric conditions. We recently demonstrated that short-active (SA; 19:5 light:dark)-i.e., "winter-like"-photoperiod exposure across gestation and early life (E0-P28) induces psychiatrically relevant behavioral abnormalities in adult mice, including reduced immobility in the forced swim test (FST) and effortful amotivation. It is unknown, however, whether these effects were driven primarily by prenatal or postnatal mechanisms, and whether perinatal SA photoperiod would similarly reduce effort expenditure in a task relevant to everyday decision-making. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS We first tested male and female mice exposed to either gestational (E0-P0) or postnatal (E0-P28) SA photoperiod in the FST to determine whether the previously observed alteration was driven primarily by prenatal versus postnatal photoperiod. We then assessed whether SA gestational photoperiod reduces effortful choice behavior in the cross-species effort-based decision-making task (EBDMT) and whether any such deficit could be remediated by d-amphetamine (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg, i.p.). RESULTS Mice exposed to prenatal, but not postnatal, SA photoperiod exhibited reduced FST immobility relative to controls and also demonstrated condition-dependently reduced preference for high-effort/high-reward versus low-effort/low-reward contingencies in the EBDMT. This effortful choice deficit was normalized by 0.1 mg/kg amphetamine. CONCLUSIONS These data: (1) suggest a greater contribution of gestational versus postnatal light conditions to the behavioral effects of perinatal SA photoperiod; and (2) implicate altered dopamine signaling in the behavioral phenotype of the SA-born mouse and possibly in the etiology of winter gestation-associated cases of psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Z Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Molly A O'Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Johnny A Kenton
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Samuel A Barnes
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA.
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, USA.
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Canonica T, Zalachoras I. Motivational disturbances in rodent models of neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:940672. [PMID: 36051635 PMCID: PMC9426724 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.940672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivated behavior is integral to the survival of individuals, continuously directing actions toward rewards or away from punishments. The orchestration of motivated behavior depends on interactions among different brain circuits, primarily within the dopaminergic system, that subserve the analysis of factors such as the effort necessary for obtaining the reward and the desirability of the reward. Impairments in motivated behavior accompany a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, decreasing the patients’ quality of life. Despite its importance, motivation is often overlooked as a parameter in neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we review motivational impairments in rodent models of schizophrenia, depression, and Parkinson’s disease, focusing on studies investigating effort-related behavior in operant conditioning tasks and on pharmacological interventions targeting the dopaminergic system. Similar motivational disturbances accompany these conditions, suggesting that treatments aimed at ameliorating motivation levels may be beneficial for various neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Babaev O, Cruces Solis H, Arban R. Dopamine modulating agents alter individual subdomains of motivation-related behavior assessed by touchscreen procedures. Neuropharmacology 2022; 211:109056. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Grottick AJ, MacQueen DL, Barnes SA, Carroll C, Sanabria EK, Bobba V, Young JW. Convergent observations of MK-801-induced impairment in rat 5C-CPT performance across laboratories: reversal with a D 1 but not nicotinic agonist. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:979-990. [PMID: 33404734 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05744-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cognitive function is closely linked to functional outcomes in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, however developing effective treatments for cognitive dysfunction have proven elusive. Potential reasons for this may include the complexity of diseases, the absence of appropriate and translatable animal tests of cognitive dysfunction, and the reproducibility of findings. Attention is a key component of cognitive function traditionally assessed in the clinic using a variant of the continuous performance test (CPT). The 5-choice (5C)-CPT was developed as a translational cross-species version of this task. Given the association between glutamatergic abnormalities and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, we hypothesized that the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 would impair 5C-CPT in rats across different laboratories, and determined whether the dopamine D1 receptor agonist SKF38393 or the nonspecific nicotinic agonist nicotine would remediate such deficits. METHOD Rats were trained in the 5C-CPT at Beacon Discovery and UCSD. These rats were then treated with MK-801, agonist treatment, and combinations of the two. RESULTS MK-801 produced 5C-CPT deficits in the same domains of rats across sites at similar doses. Neither nicotine nor SKF38393 treatment alone improved performance. Importantly, SKF38393, but not nicotine, remediated the MK-801-induced deficits. CONCLUSION Convergent observation of MK-801-induced deficits in 5C-CPT was seen across laboratories, resulting in deficits consistent with those seen in people with schizophrenia. Treatment with SKF38393 but not nicotine reversed these deficits. More work is needed, but the 5C-CPT is a reliable method for detecting NMDA receptor disruption-induced deficits in attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Grottick
- Beacon Discovery Inc, 6118 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - David L MacQueen
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Samuel A Barnes
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Chris Carroll
- Beacon Discovery Inc, 6118 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Erin K Sanabria
- Beacon Discovery Inc, 6118 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Vishal Bobba
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA.
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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Lewis LR, Benn A, Dwyer DM, Robinson ESJ. Affective biases and their interaction with other reward-related deficits in rodent models of psychiatric disorders. Behav Brain Res 2019; 372:112051. [PMID: 31276704 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the leading global causes of disability. Symptoms of MDD can vary person to person, and current treatments often fail to alleviate the poor quality of life that patients experience. One of the two core diagnostic criteria for MDD is the loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities, which suggests a link between the disease aetiology and reward processing. Cognitive impairments are also common in patients with MDD, and more recently, emotional processing deficits known as affective biases have been recognised as a key feature of the disorder. Studies in animals have found similar affective biases related to reward. In this review we consider these affective biases in the context of other reward-related deficits and examine how affective biases associated with learning and memory may interact with the wider behavioural symptoms seen in MDD. We discuss recent developments in how analogues of affective biases and other aspects of reward processing can be assessed in rodents, as well as how these behaviours are influenced in models of MDD. We subsequently discuss evidence for the neurobiological mechanisms contributing to one or more reward-related deficits in preclinical models of MDD, identified using these behavioural assays. We consider how the relationships between these selective behavioural assays and the neurobiological mechanisms for affective bias and reward processing could be used to identify potential treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy R Lewis
- School of Psychology, Tower Building, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom.
| | - Abigail Benn
- University of Oxford, Department of Experimental Psychology, Tinsley Building, Marsden Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, United Kingdom.
| | - Dominic M Dwyer
- School of Psychology, Tower Building, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom.
| | - Emma S J Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, United Kingdom.
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Roberts BZ, Young JW, He YV, Cope ZA, Shilling PD, Feifel D. Oxytocin improves probabilistic reversal learning but not effortful motivation in Brown Norway rats. Neuropharmacology 2019; 150:15-26. [PMID: 30844406 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in cognition and motivation are common and debilitating aspects of psychiatric disorders, yet still go largely untreated. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is a potential novel therapeutic for deficits in social cognition and motivation in psychiatric patients. However, the effects of OT on clinically relevant domains of non-social cognition and motivation remain under studied. The present study investigated the effects of acute and chronic (21-day) administration of subcutaneous OT (0.04, 0.2, and 1 mg/kg) in cross-species translatable operant paradigms of reward learning and effortful motivation in male and female Brown Norway (BN) rats (n = 8-10/group). Reward learning was assessed using the probabilistic reversal learning task (PRLT) and effortful motivation was measured using the progressive ratio breakpoint task (PRBT). As predicted, BN rats exhibited baseline deficits in the detection of reversals of reward contingency in the PRLT relative to Long Evans (LE) rats. The two strains performed equally in the PRBT. Thirty minutes after a single OT injection (1 mg/kg), measures of both initial probabilistic learning (trials to first criterion) and subsequent reversal learning (contingency switches) were significantly improved to levels comparable with LE rats. The OT effect on switches persisted in male, but not female, BN rats 30 min, 24 h, and 6 days after long-term OT administration, suggesting the induction of neuroplastic changes. OT did not affect effortful motivation at any time-point. The beneficial effects of OT on reward learning in the absence of increased effortful motivation support the development of OT as a novel therapeutic to improve cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Z Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA; VISN-22 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Yinong V He
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Zackary A Cope
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - Paul D Shilling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA
| | - David Feifel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA; Department of Psychiatry, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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Büki A, Horvath G, Benedek G, Ducza E, Kekesi G. Impaired GAD1 expression in schizophrenia‐related WISKET rat model with sex‐dependent aggressive behavior and motivational deficit. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 18:e12507. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Büki
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Szeged Szeged Hungary
| | - G. Horvath
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Szeged Szeged Hungary
| | - G. Benedek
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Szeged Szeged Hungary
| | - E. Ducza
- Department of Pharmacodynamics and BiopharmacyFaculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged Szeged Hungary
| | - G. Kekesi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Szeged Szeged Hungary
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Abstract
Loss of interest in rewarding activities is a hallmark of many psychiatric disorders and may be relevant for neurodegenerative disorders and patients suffering from brain injury. There is increasing evidence that deficits in reward-related behaviour are more complex than previously described. The traditional view of anhedonia as 'the inability to experience pleasure' may be too limited to fully encompass the types of reward deficit observed in these patients. Developments in methods to measure different aspects of reward processing in humans and animals are starting to provide insights into the complexity of this behaviour. In this article we consider the rodent models which have traditionally been used to study reward deficits in psychiatric disorders and consider their limitations relative to clinical findings. We then discuss work where methods derived from human neuropsychological tests are providing insights into the complexity of reward-related behaviour. Specifically, we consider tasks which investigate different aspects of reward-related behaviour focusing on learning and memory as well as decision-making and consider what these may mean in terms of how we model reward deficits in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe L Slaney
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 4PX, UK
| | - Claire A Hales
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 4PX, UK
| | - Emma S J Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 4PX, UK
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